Health-seeking behavior and hospital choice in China's New Cooperative Medical System.

PubMed

Brown, Philip H; Theoharides, Caroline

2009-07-01

Since the dissolution of the Rural Cooperative Medical System at the end of the commune period, illness has emerged as a leading cause of poverty in rural China. To address the poor state of health care, the Chinese government unveiled the New Cooperative Medical System in 2002. Because local governments have been given significant control over program design, fundamental characteristics of the program vary from one county to the next. These differences may influence the decision to seek health care as well as the choice of hospital conditional on that initial decision. In this paper, we use a nested logit model to analyze household survey data from 25 counties to analyze the determinants of such health-seeking behavior. We find that age, the share of household expenditures allocated to food consumption (a measure of relative income), and the presence of other sick people in the household negatively affect the decision to seek health care while disability has a positive influence. Further, conditional on seeking treatment, the reimbursement scheme in place in each county and the average daily expenditure associated with hospitalization strongly influence hospital choice.

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

Scheinker, Alexander

Here, we study control of the angular-velocity actuated nonholonomic unicycle, via a simple, bounded extremum seeking controller which is robust to external disturbances and measurement noise. The vehicle performs source seeking despite not having any position information about itself or the source, able only to sense a noise corrupted scalar value whose extremum coincides with the unknown source location. In order to control the angular velocity, rather than the angular heading directly, a controller is developed such that the closed loop system exhibits multiple time scales and requires an analysis approach expanding the previous work of Kurzweil, Jarnik, Sussmann, andmore » Liu, utilizing weak limits. We provide analytic proof of stability and demonstrate how this simple scheme can be extended to include position-independent source seeking, tracking, and collision avoidance of groups on autonomous vehicles in GPS-denied environments, based only on a measure of distance to an obstacle, which is an especially important feature for an autonomous agent.« less

75 FR 26978 - Renewal of Agency Information Collection for Reporting System for Public Law 102-477...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-05-13

... authorized by OMB Control Number 1076-0135, which expires September 30, 2010. DATES: Interested persons are... seeking renewal of the approval for the information collection conducted under OMB Control Number 1076... able to do so. III. Data OMB Control Number: 1076-0135. Title: Reporting System for Public Law 102-477...

Understanding the modifiable health systems barriers to hypertension management in Malaysia: a multi-method health systems appraisal approach.

PubMed

Risso-Gill, Isabelle; Balabanova, Dina; Majid, Fadhlina; Ng, Kien Keat; Yusoff, Khalid; Mustapha, Feisul; Kuhlbrandt, Charlotte; Nieuwlaat, Robby; Schwalm, J-D; McCready, Tara; Teo, Koon K; Yusuf, Salim; McKee, Martin

2015-07-03

The growing burden of non-communicable diseases in middle-income countries demands models of care that are appropriate to local contexts and acceptable to patients in order to be effective. We describe a multi-method health system appraisal to inform the design of an intervention that will be used in a cluster randomized controlled trial to improve hypertension control in Malaysia. A health systems appraisal was undertaken in the capital, Kuala Lumpur, and poorer-resourced rural sites in Peninsular Malaysia and Sabah. Building on two systematic reviews of barriers to hypertension control, a conceptual framework was developed that guided analysis of survey data, documentary review and semi-structured interviews with key informants, health professionals and patients. The analysis followed the patients as they move through the health system, exploring the main modifiable system-level barriers to effective hypertension management, and seeking to explain obstacles to improved access and health outcomes. The study highlighted the need for the proposed intervention to take account of how Malaysian patients seek treatment in both the public and private sectors, and from western and various traditional practitioners, with many patients choosing to seek care across different services. Patients typically choose private care if they can afford to, while others attend heavily subsidised public clinics. Public hypertension clinics are often overwhelmed by numbers of patients attending, so health workers have little time to engage effectively with patients. Treatment adherence is poor, with a widespread belief, stemming from concepts of traditional medicine, that hypertension is a transient disturbance rather than a permanent asymptomatic condition. Drug supplies can be erratic in rural areas. Hypertension awareness and education material are limited, and what exist are poorly developed and ineffective. Despite having a relatively well funded health system offering good access to care, Malaysia's health system still has significant barriers to effective hypertension management. The study uncovered major patient-related barriers to the detection and control of hypertension which will have an impact on the design and implementation of any hypertension intervention. Appropriate models of care must take account of the patient modifiable health systems barriers if they are to have any realistic chance of success; these findings are relevant to many countries seeking to effectively control hypertension despite resource constraints.

Wireless Power Control for Tactical MANET: Power Rate Bounds

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-09-01

signals and by their inherent interference.” Figure 1. Transmission and interference in a two-link wireless network. Wireless power control seeks to...e.g., shutting off transmissions to measure the interference is impractical.) In a wireless power control system, the receiver sets its transmitter’s...Travassos Ro- mano [2013] Transmission Power Control for Opportunistic QoS Provision in Wireless Networks, IEEE Transactions on Control Systems Technology

The Effects of the Monoamine Stabilizer (-)-OSU6162 on Binge-Like Eating and Cue-Controlled Food-Seeking Behavior in Rats.

PubMed

Feltmann, Kristin; Giuliano, Chiara; Everitt, Barry J; Steensland, Pia; Alsiö, Johan

2018-02-01

Binge-eating disorder (BED) is characterized by recurring episodes of excessive consumption of palatable food and an increased sensitivity to food cues. Patients with BED display an addiction-like symptomatology and the dopamine system might be a potential treatment target. The clinically safe monoamine stabilizer (-)-OSU6162 (OSU6162) restores dopaminergic dysfunction in long-term alcohol-drinking rats and shows promise as a novel treatment for alcohol use disorder. Here, the effects of OSU6162 on consummatory (binge-like eating) and appetitive (cue-controlled seeking) behavior motivated by chocolate-flavored sucrose pellets were evaluated in non-food-restricted male Lister Hooded rats. OSU6162 significantly reduced binge-like intake of chocolate-flavored sucrose pellets without affecting prior chow intake. Furthermore, OSU6162 significantly reduced the cue-controlled seeking of chocolate-flavored sucrose pellets under a second-order schedule of reinforcement before, but not after, the delivery and ingestion of reward, indicating a selective effect on incentive motivational processes. In contrast, the dopamine D2/D3 receptor antagonist raclopride reduced the seeking of chocolate-flavored sucrose pellets both pre- and post reward ingestion and also reduced responding under simpler schedules of seeking behavior. The D1/5 receptor antagonist SCH23390 had no effect on instrumental behavior under any reinforcement schedule tested. Finally, local administration of OSU6162 into the nucleus accumbens core, but not dorsolateral striatum, selectively reduced cue-controlled sucrose seeking. In conclusion, the present results show that OSU6162 reduces binge-like eating behavior and attenuates the impact of cues on seeking of palatable food. This indicates that OSU6162 might serve as a novel BED medication.

Is Sensation Seeking a correlate of excessive behaviors and behavioral addictions? A detailed examination of patients with Gambling Disorder and Internet Addiction.

PubMed

Müller, K W; Dreier, M; Beutel, M E; Wölfling, K

2016-08-30

Sensation Seeking has repeatedly been related to substance use. Also, its role as a correlate of Gambling Disorder has been discussed although research has led to heterogeneous results. Likewise, first studies on Internet Addiction have indicated increased Sensation Seeking, to some extent contradicting clinical impression of patients suffering from internet addiction. We assessed Sensation Seeking in a clinical sample of n=251 patients with Gambling Disorder, n=243 patients with internet addiction, n=103 clients with excessive but not addictive internet use, and n=142 healthy controls. The clinical groups were further sub-divided according to the preferred type of addictive behavior (slot-machine gambling vs. high arousal gambling activities and internet gaming disorder vs. other internet-related addictive behaviors). Decreased scores in some subscales of Sensation Seeking were found among male patients compared to healthy controls with no differences between patients with Gambling Disorder and Internet Addiction. The type of preferred gambling or online activity was not related to differences in Sensation Seeking. Previous findings indicating only small associations between Sensation Seeking and Gambling Disorder were confirmed. Regarding Internet Addiction our results contradict findings from non-clinical samples. Sensation Seeking might be relevant in initiating contact to the health care system. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Factors Influencing Compliance and Health Seeking Behaviour for Hypertension in Mukono and Buikwe in Uganda: A Qualitative Study.

PubMed

Musinguzi, Geofrey; Anthierens, Sibyl; Nuwaha, Fred; Van Geertruyden, Jean-Pierre; Wanyenze, Rhoda K; Bastiaens, Hilde

2018-01-01

Hypertension is a global public health challenge and a leading risk factor for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Hypertension control rates are low worldwide, and delay in seeking care is associated with increased mortality. In a qualitative study, known hypertensive patients were interviewed to explore factors influencing compliance and health seeking behaviour (HSB). Data was analyzed following a semantic thematic analysis approach. Patients sought various channels of care for their hypertension. Self-medication and access to antihypertensive drugs with or without prescription were common as well as use of herbal remedies. Regular monitoring of blood pressure was not a common practice. Factors influencing HSB were related to health systems and the patient socioeconomic and structural environment. The main system issues were related to availability and attitudes of staff and shortage of supplies and medicines. The patient factors were related to awareness, perceived severity, perceived effectiveness of therapy, adverse effects, and perceived fears of lifelong dependence on medicines. The patient socioeconomic status played a role as did the marketing of traditional medicine. Patients seek varied channels of care for their hypertension. Strategies to address the multifactorial dimensions that affect HSB are needed to improve hypertension control in this population.

Silence is deadly: a cluster-randomised controlled trial of a mental health help-seeking intervention for young men.

PubMed

Calear, Alison L; Banfield, Michelle; Batterham, Philip J; Morse, Alyssa R; Forbes, Owen; Carron-Arthur, Bradley; Fisk, Martin

2017-10-23

Young men are consistently less likely to seek help for mental health problems than their female peers. This is particularly concerning given the high rates of suicide among male adolescents. The school system has been identified as an ideal setting for the implementation of prevention and early intervention programs for young people. The current trial aims to determine the effectiveness of the Silence is Deadly program in increasing positive help-seeking intentions for mental health problems and suicide among male secondary school students. This study is a two-arm, cluster-randomised, controlled trial that will compare the Silence is Deadly program to a wait-list control condition. Eight Australian high schools will be recruited to the trial, with male students in grades 11 and 12 (16 to 18 years of age) targeted for participation. The program is an innovative male-tailored suicide prevention intervention, comprising a presentation that emphasises role-modelling and legitimises help-seeking for personal and emotional problems, and a brief video that features celebrity athletes who counter existing male norms around help-seeking and encourage communication about personal and emotional issues. The program also includes a discussion of how to help a friend in distress and ends with a question and answer session. The primary outcome measure for the current study is help-seeking intentions. Secondary outcomes include help-seeking behaviour, help-seeking attitudes, help-seeking stigma, mental health symptoms, and suicidal ideation. Data will be collected pre-intervention, post-intervention, and at 3-month follow-up. Primary analyses will compare changes in help-seeking intentions for the intervention condition relative to the wait-list control condition using mixed-effects repeated-measures analyses that account for clustering within schools. If proven to be effective, this targeted help-seeking intervention for adolescent males, which is currently only delivered in one jurisdiction, could be more widely delivered in Australian high schools. The Silence is Deadly program has the potential to significantly contribute to the mental health of young men in Australia by improving help-seeking for suicidality and mental health problems, allowing this population to better access treatment and support sooner. Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry, ACTRN12617000658314 . Registered on 8 May 2017.

Performance seeking control program overview

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Orme, John S.

1995-01-01

The Performance Seeking Control (PSC) program evolved from a series of integrated propulsion-flight control research programs flown at NASA Dryden Flight Research Center (DFRC) on an F-15. The first of these was the Digital Electronic Engine Control (DEEC) program and provided digital engine controls suitable for integration. The DEEC and digital electronic flight control system of the NASA F-15 were ideally suited for integrated controls research. The Advanced Engine Control System (ADECS) program proved that integrated engine and aircraft control could improve overall system performance. The objective of the PSC program was to advance the technology for a fully integrated propulsion flight control system. Whereas ADECS provided single variable control for an average engine, PSC controlled multiple propulsion system variables while adapting to the measured engine performance. PSC was developed as a model-based, adaptive control algorithm and included four optimization modes: minimum fuel flow at constant thrust, minimum turbine temperature at constant thrust, maximum thrust, and minimum thrust. Subsonic and supersonic flight testing were conducted at NASA Dryden covering the four PSC optimization modes and over the full throttle range. Flight testing of the PSC algorithm, conducted in a series of five flight test phases, has been concluded at NASA Dryden covering all four of the PSC optimization modes. Over a three year period and five flight test phases 72 research flights were conducted. The primary objective of flight testing was to exercise each PSC optimization mode and quantify the resulting performance improvements.

Peak-Seeking Control For Reduced Fuel Consumption: Flight-Test Results For The Full-Scale Advanced Systems Testbed FA-18 Airplane

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brown, Nelson

2013-01-01

A peak-seeking control algorithm for real-time trim optimization for reduced fuel consumption has been developed by researchers at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Dryden Flight Research Center to address the goals of the NASA Environmentally Responsible Aviation project to reduce fuel burn and emissions. The peak-seeking control algorithm is based on a steepest-descent algorithm using a time-varying Kalman filter to estimate the gradient of a performance function of fuel flow versus control surface positions. In real-time operation, deflections of symmetric ailerons, trailing-edge flaps, and leading-edge flaps of an F/A-18 airplane are used for optimization of fuel flow. Results from six research flights are presented herein. The optimization algorithm found a trim configuration that required approximately 3 percent less fuel flow than the baseline trim at the same flight condition. This presentation also focuses on the design of the flight experiment and the practical challenges of conducting the experiment.

Evasion in the plane

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Leitmann, G.; Liu, H. S.

1977-01-01

Dynamic systems were considered subject to control by two agents, one of whom desires that no trajectory of the system emanating from outside a given set, intersects that set no matter what the admissible actions of the other agent. Constructive conditions sufficient to yield a feedback control for the agent seeking avoidance were employed to deduce an evader control for the planar pursuit-evasion problem with bounded normal accelerations.

Midbrain dopamine receptor availability is inversely associated with novelty-seeking traits in humans.

PubMed

Zald, David H; Cowan, Ronald L; Riccardi, Patrizia; Baldwin, Ronald M; Ansari, M Sib; Li, Rui; Shelby, Evan S; Smith, Clarence E; McHugo, Maureen; Kessler, Robert M

2008-12-31

Novelty-seeking personality traits are a major risk factor for the development of drug abuse and other unsafe behaviors. Rodent models of temperament indicate that high novelty responding is associated with decreased inhibitory autoreceptor control of midbrain dopamine neurons. It has been speculated that individual differences in dopamine functioning also underlie the personality trait of novelty seeking in humans. However, differences in the dopamine system of rodents and humans, as well as the methods for assessing novelty responding/seeking across species leave unclear to what extent the animal models inform our understanding of human personality. In the present study we examined the correlation between novelty-seeking traits in humans and D(2)-like (D(2)/D(3)) receptor availability in the substantia nigra/ventral tegmental area. Based on the rodent literature we predicted that novelty seeking would be characterized by lowered levels of D(2)-like (auto)receptor availability in the midbrain. Thirty-four healthy adults (18 men, 16 women) completed the Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire-Novelty-Seeking Scale and PET scanning with the D(2)/D(3) ligand [(18)F]fallypride. Novelty-Seeking personality traits were inversely associated with D(2)-like receptor availability in the ventral midbrain, an effect that remained significant after controlling for age. We speculate that the lower midbrain (auto)receptor availability seen in high novelty seekers leads to accentuated dopaminergic responses to novelty and other conditions that induce dopamine release.

Midbrain dopamine receptor availability is inversely associated with novelty seeking traits in humans

PubMed Central

Zald, David H.; Cowan, Ronald L.; Riccardi, Patrizia; Baldwin, Ronald M.; Ansari, M. Sib; Li, Rui; Shelby, Evan S.; Smith, Clarence E.; McHugo, Maureen; Kessler, Robert M.

2009-01-01

Novelty seeking personality traits are a major risk factor for the development of drug abuse and other unsafe behaviors. Rodent models of temperament indicate that high novelty responding is associated with decreased inhibitory autoreceptor control of midbrain dopamine neurons. It has been speculated that individual differences in dopamine functioning also underlie the personality trait of novelty seeking in humans. However, differences in the dopamine system of rodents and humans, as well as the methods for assessing novelty responding/seeking across species leave unclear to what extent the animal models inform our understanding of human personality. In the present study we examined the correlation between novelty seeking traits in humans and D2-like (D2/D3) receptor availability in the substantia nigra/ventral tegmental area. Based on the rodent literature we predicted that novelty seeking would be characterized by lowered levels of D2-like (auto)receptor availability in the midbrain. 34 healthy adults (18 men, 16 women) completed the Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire-Novelty Seeking Scale and PET scanning with the D2/D3 ligand [18F]fallypride. Novelty seeking personality traits were inversely associated with D2-like receptor availability in the ventral midbrain, an effect that remained significant after controlling for age. We speculate that the lower midbrain (auto)receptor availability seen in high novelty seekers leads to accentuated dopaminergic responses to novelty and other conditions that induce DA release. PMID:19118170

Application of extremum seeking for time-varying systems to resonance control of RF cavities

DOE PAGES

Scheinker, Alexander

2016-09-13

A recently developed form of extremum seeking for time-varying systems is implemented in hardware for the resonance control of radio-frequency cavities without phase measurements. Normal conducting RF cavity resonance control is performed via a slug tuner, while superconducting TESLA-type cavity resonance control is performed via piezo actuators. The controller maintains resonance by minimizing reflected power by utilizing model-independent adaptive feedback. Unlike standard phase-measurement-based resonance control, the presented approach is not sensitive to arbitrary phase shifts of the RF signals due to temperature-dependent cable length or phasemeasurement hardware changes. The phase independence of this method removes common slowly varying drifts andmore » required periodic recalibration of phase-based methods. A general overview of the adaptive controller is presented along with the proof of principle experimental results at room temperature. Lastly, this method allows us to both maintain a cavity at a desired resonance frequency and also to dynamically modify its resonance frequency to track the unknown time-varying frequency of an RF source, thereby maintaining maximal cavity field strength, based only on power-level measurements.« less

Consensus seeking, formation keeping, and trajectory tracking in multiple vehicle cooperative control

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ren, Wei

Cooperative control problems for multiple vehicle systems can be categorized as either formation control problems with applications to mobile robots, unmanned air vehicles, autonomous underwater vehicles, satellites, aircraft, spacecraft, and automated highway systems, or non-formation control problems such as task assignment, cooperative transport, cooperative role assignment, air traffic control, cooperative timing, and cooperative search. The cooperative control of multiple vehicle systems poses significant theoretical and practical challenges. For cooperative control strategies to be successful, numerous issues must be addressed. We consider three important and correlated issues: consensus seeking, formation keeping, and trajectory tracking. For consensus seeking, we investigate algorithms and protocols so that a team of vehicles can reach consensus on the values of the coordination data in the presence of imperfect sensors, communication dropout, sparse communication topologies, and noisy and unreliable communication links. The main contribution of this dissertation in this area is that we show necessary and/or sufficient conditions for consensus seeking with limited, unidirectional, and unreliable information exchange under fixed and switching interaction topologies (through either communication or sensing). For formation keeping, we apply a so-called "virtual structure" approach to spacecraft formation flying and multi-vehicle formation maneuvers. As a result, single vehicle path planning and trajectory generation techniques can be employed for the virtual structure while trajectory tracking strategies can be employed for each vehicle. The main contribution of this dissertation in this area is that we propose a decentralized architecture for multiple spacecraft formation flying in deep space with formation feedback introduced. This architecture ensures the necessary precision in the presence of actuator saturation, internal and external disturbances, and stringent inter-vehicle communication limitations. A constructive approach based on the satisficing control paradigm is also applied to multi-robot coordination in hardware. For trajectory tracking, we investigate nonlinear tracking controllers for fixed wing unmanned air vehicles and nonholonomic mobile robots with velocity and heading rate constraints. The main contribution of this dissertation in this area is that our proposed tracking controllers are shown to be robust to input uncertainties and measurement noise, and are computationally simple and can be implemented with low-cost, low-power microcontrollers. In addition, our approach allows piecewise continuous reference velocity and heading rate and can be extended to derive a variety of other trajectory tracking strategies.

Bounded extremum seeking with discontinuous dithers

DOE PAGES

Scheinker, Alexander; Scheinker, David

2016-03-21

The analysis of discontinuous extremum seeking (ES) controllers, e.g. those applicable to digital systems, has historically been more complicated than that of continuous controllers. We establish a simple and general extension of a recently developed bounded form of ES to a general class of oscillatory functions, including functions discontinuous with respect to time, such as triangle or square waves with dead time. We establish our main results by combining a novel idea for oscillatory control with an extension of functional analytic techniques originally utilized by Kurzweil, Jarnik, Sussmann, and Liu in the late 80s and early 90s and recently studiedmore » by Durr et al. Lastly, we demonstrate the value of the result with an application to inverter switching control.« less

An Electronic Workshop on the Performance Seeking Control and Propulsion Controlled Aircraft Results of the F-15 Highly Integrated Digital Electronic Control Flight Research Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Powers, Sheryll Goecke (Compiler)

1995-01-01

Flight research for the F-15 HIDEC (Highly Integrated Digital Electronic Control) program was completed at NASA Dryden Flight Research Center in the fall of 1993. The flight research conducted during the last two years of the HIDEC program included two principal experiments: (1) performance seeking control (PSC), an adaptive, real-time, on-board optimization of engine, inlet, and horizontal tail position on the F-15; and (2) propulsion controlled aircraft (PCA), an augmented flight control system developed for landings as well as up-and-away flight that used only engine thrust (flight controls locked) for flight control. In September 1994, the background details and results of the PSC and PCA experiments were presented in an electronic workshop, accessible through the Dryden World Wide Web (http://www.dfrc.nasa.gov/dryden.html) and as a compact disk.

Factors Influencing Compliance and Health Seeking Behaviour for Hypertension in Mukono and Buikwe in Uganda: A Qualitative Study

PubMed Central

Anthierens, Sibyl; Nuwaha, Fred; Van Geertruyden, Jean-Pierre; Wanyenze, Rhoda K.; Bastiaens, Hilde

2018-01-01

Background and Methods Hypertension is a global public health challenge and a leading risk factor for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Hypertension control rates are low worldwide, and delay in seeking care is associated with increased mortality. Methods In a qualitative study, known hypertensive patients were interviewed to explore factors influencing compliance and health seeking behaviour (HSB). Data was analyzed following a semantic thematic analysis approach. Results Patients sought various channels of care for their hypertension. Self-medication and access to antihypertensive drugs with or without prescription were common as well as use of herbal remedies. Regular monitoring of blood pressure was not a common practice. Factors influencing HSB were related to health systems and the patient socioeconomic and structural environment. The main system issues were related to availability and attitudes of staff and shortage of supplies and medicines. The patient factors were related to awareness, perceived severity, perceived effectiveness of therapy, adverse effects, and perceived fears of lifelong dependence on medicines. The patient socioeconomic status played a role as did the marketing of traditional medicine. Conclusion Patients seek varied channels of care for their hypertension. Strategies to address the multifactorial dimensions that affect HSB are needed to improve hypertension control in this population. PMID:29854433

Combustion distribution control using the extremum seeking algorithm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marjanovic, A.; Krstic, M.; Djurovic, Z.; Kvascev, G.; Papic, V.

2014-12-01

Quality regulation of the combustion process inside the furnace is the basis of high demands for increasing robustness, safety and efficiency of thermal power plants. The paper considers the possibility of spatial temperature distribution control inside the boiler, based on the correction of distribution of coal over the mills. Such control system ensures the maintenance of the flame focus away from the walls of the boiler, and thus preserves the equipment and reduces the possibility of ash slugging. At the same time, uniform heat dissipation over mills enhances the energy efficiency of the boiler, while reducing the pollution of the system. A constrained multivariable extremum seeking algorithm is proposed as a tool for combustion process optimization with the main objective of centralizing the flame in the furnace. Simulations are conducted on a model corresponding to the 350MW boiler of the Nikola Tesla Power Plant, in Obrenovac, Serbia.

Sensation seeking and executive deficits in relation to alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana use frequency among university students: Value of ecologically based measures.

PubMed

Meil, William M; LaPorte, David J; Mills, John A; Sesti, Ann; Collins, Sunshine M; Stiver, Alyssa G

2016-11-01

The development of substance use and addiction has been linked to impaired executive function which relies on systems that converge in the prefrontal cortex. This study examined several measures of executive function as predictors of college student alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana use frequency and abuse. College students (N=321) were administered the Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System (D-KEFS) test battery, the Sensation Seeking Scale V (SSSV), the Frontal Systems Behavioral Scale (FrSBe), the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), the Michigan Alcohol Screening Test (MAST), the Fagerstrom Test of Nicotine Dependence (FTND). Alcohol use frequency was predicted by sensation seeking and FrSBe Disinhibition scores, but the latter only emerged as a unique predictor for binge drinking frequency. Sex and Disinhibition, Apathy and Executive Function FrSBe subscales predicted the frequency of tobacco use. FrSBe scores uniquely predicted tobacco use among daily users. Marijuana use frequency was predicted by sensation seeking, sex, perceived stress, and FrSBe Disinhibition scores, but only sensation seeking predicted daily use after controlling for other variables. FrSBe Disinhibition scores reached levels considered to be clinically significant for frequent binge drinkers and daily marijuana users. Sensation seeking emerged as the predominate predictor of the early stages of alcohol and tobacco related problems. These results suggest ecologically based self-report measures of frontal lobe function and sensation seeking are significant predictors of use frequency among college students and the extent of frontal dysfunction may be clinically significant among some heavy users. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Performance seeking control (PSC) for the F-15 highly integrated digital electronic control (HIDEC) aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Orme, John S.

1995-01-01

The performance seeking control algorithm optimizes total propulsion system performance. This adaptive, model-based optimization algorithm has been successfully flight demonstrated on two engines with differing levels of degradation. Models of the engine, nozzle, and inlet produce reliable, accurate estimates of engine performance. But, because of an observability problem, component levels of degradation cannot be accurately determined. Depending on engine-specific operating characteristics PSC achieves various levels performance improvement. For example, engines with more deterioration typically operate at higher turbine temperatures than less deteriorated engines. Thus when the PSC maximum thrust mode is applied, for example, there will be less temperature margin available to be traded for increasing thrust.

Premeditation moderates the relation between sensation seeking and risky substance use among young adults.

PubMed

McCabe, Connor J; Louie, Kristine A; King, Kevin M

2015-09-01

Young adulthood is a peak period for externalizing behaviors such as substance abuse and antisocial conduct. Evidence from developmental neuroscience suggests that externalizing conduct within this time period may be associated with a "developmental asymmetry" characterized by an early peak in sensation seeking combined with a relatively immature impulse control system. Trait measures of impulsivity-sensation seeking and premeditation-are psychological manifestations of these respective systems, and multiple prior studies suggest that high sensation seeking and low premeditation independently confer risk for distinct forms of externalizing behaviors. The goal of the present study was to test this developmental asymmetry hypothesis, examining whether trait premeditation moderates the effect of sensation seeking on substance use and problems, aggression, and rule-breaking behavior. Using a cross-sectional sample of college-enrolled adults (n = 491), we applied zero-inflated modeling strategies to examine the likelihood and level of risky externalizing behaviors. Results indicated that lower premeditation enhanced the effect of higher sensation seeking on higher levels of positive and negative alcohol consequences, more frequent drug use, and more problematic drug use, but was unrelated to individual differences in antisocial behaviors. Our findings indicate that the developmental asymmetry between sensation seeking and a lack of premeditation is a risk factor for individual differences in problematic substance use among young adults, and may be less applicable for antisocial behaviors among high functioning individuals. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

77 FR 9296 - Notice of Application for Approval of Discontinuance or Modification of a Railroad Signal System

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-02-16

... of Application for Approval of Discontinuance or Modification of a Railroad Signal System In... or modification of a signal system. FRA assigned the petition Docket Number FRA-2012-0012. UP seeks approval of the proposed discontinuance of the automatic block signal (ABS) system between Control Point...

77 FR 54935 - Government-Owned Inventions, Available for Licensing.

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-09-06

...: Systems and Methods for Peak-Seeking Control Polarization-Induced Fading in Fiber-Optic System; NASA Case... FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mark W. Homer, Patent Counsel, NASA Management Office--JPL, 4800 Oak Grove...; NASA Case No. NPO-47580-1: Energy Harvesting Systems and Methods of Assembling Same; NASA Case No. NPO...

Propulsion system-flight control integration-flight evaluation and technology transition

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Burcham, Frank W., Jr.; Gilyard, Glenn B.; Myers, Lawrence P.

1990-01-01

Integration of propulsion and flight control systems and their optimization offering significant performance improvement are assessed. In particular, research programs conducted by NASA on flight control systems and propulsion system-flight control interactions on the YF-12 and F-15 aircraft are addressed; these programs have demonstrated increased thrust, reduced fuel consumption, increased engine life, and improved aircraft performance. Focus is placed on altitude control, speed-Mach control, integrated controller design, as well as flight control systems and digital electronic engine control. A highly integrated digital electronic control program is analyzed and compared with a performance seeking control program. It is shown that the flight evaluation and demonstration of these technologies have been a key part in the transition of the concepts to production and operational use on a timely basis.

High-speed reference-beam-angle control technique for holographic memory drive

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamada, Ken-ichiro; Ogata, Takeshi; Hosaka, Makoto; Fujita, Koji; Okuyama, Atsushi

2016-09-01

We developed a holographic memory drive for next-generation optical memory. In this study, we present the key technology for achieving a high-speed transfer rate for reproduction, that is, a high-speed control technique for the reference beam angle. In reproduction in a holographic memory drive, there is the issue that the optimum reference beam angle during reproduction varies owing to distortion of the medium. The distortion is caused by, for example, temperature variation, beam irradiation, and moisture absorption. Therefore, a reference-beam-angle control technique to position the reference beam at the optimum angle is crucial. We developed a new optical system that generates an angle-error-signal to detect the optimum reference beam angle. To achieve the high-speed control technique using the new optical system, we developed a new control technique called adaptive final-state control (AFSC) that adds a second control input to the first one derived from conventional final-state control (FSC) at the time of angle-error-signal detection. We established an actual experimental system employing AFSC to achieve moving control between each page (Page Seek) within 300 µs. In sequential multiple Page Seeks, we were able to realize positioning to the optimum angles of the reference beam that maximize the diffracted beam intensity. We expect that applying the new control technique to the holographic memory drive will enable a giga-bit/s-class transfer rate.

[Changes of telemetry electrical activity in the infralimbic cortex of morphine-dependent rats with extinguished drug-seeking behavior].

PubMed

Li, Jing; Pan, Qunwan; Zhu, Zaiman; Li, Min; Bai, Yu; Yu, Ran

2015-05-01

To investigate the changes of telemetry electrical activity in the infralimbic cortex (IL) of morphine-dependent rats with extinguished drug-seeking behavior. SD rats were randomly divided into model group and control group and received operations of brain stereotaxic electrode embedding in the IL. The rats in the model group were induced to acquire morphine dependence and then received subsequent extinction training, and the changes of electrical activity in the IL were recorded with a physical wireless telemetry system. In rats with morphine dependence, the time staying in the white box was significantly longer on days 1 and 2 after withdrawal than that before morphine injection and that of the control rats, but was obviously reduced on days 1 and 2 after extinction training to the control level. Compared with the control group, the morphine-dependent rats on day 2 following withdrawal showed significantly increased β wave and decreased δ wave when they stayed in the white box but significantly increased δ wave and decreased α wave and β wave when they shuttled from the black to the white box. On day 2 of extinction, the model rats, when staying in the white box, showed significantly decreased θ wave compared with that of the control rats group but decreased β wave and θ wave and increased δ wave compared with those in the withdrawal period. When they shuttled from black to white box, the model rats showed decreased δ wave and increased α wave and β wave compared with those in the withdrawal period. Morphine-dependent rats have abnormal changes of electrical activity in the IL in drug-seeking extinction to affect their drug-seeking motive and inhibit the expression and maintenance of drug-seeking behaviors.

The Heterogeneity of Children of Alcoholics: Emotional Needs and Help-Seeking Propensity.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hinson, Renee C.; And Others

1993-01-01

Examined parental alcoholism and help-seeking behavior in college students classified as children of alcoholics (COAs, n=83), Help-seeking COAs (n=51), Controls (n=86), and Help-seeking Controls (n=90). Findings revealed that help-seeking appeared to be the more significant variable for discriminating differences in emotional needs of college…

76 FR 78732 - Petition for Waiver of Compliance

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-12-19

... or modification of a signal system. FRA has assigned the petition Docket Number FRA-2011-0092. CSX seeks approval of the proposed modification of the bridge tender controlled signals to automatic signals..., Jacksonville Division. The modification consists of the conversion of bridge tender controlled signals to...

Federal Power Grab.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hyde, Henry

1998-01-01

Constant attention by all Americans is needed to preserve what little local control in education remains. Chief among dangerous federal legislation moving the country toward a federal education system is the Goals 2000: Educate America Act. The paper examines Goals 2000 and other federal legislation that seeks to remove parental control, noting…

Motion as motivation: using repetitive flexion movements to stimulate the approach system.

PubMed

Haeffel, Gerald J

2011-12-01

Research suggests that having a healthy approach system is critical for adaptive emotional functioning. The goal of the current study (n=186 undergraduates) was to determine the efficacy of an easy-to-disseminate and cost-efficient strategy for stimulating this system. The experiment tested the effects of repeated flexion movements (rFM) on approach system activation as measured by both self-report (BAS scales) and behavior. The results showed that rFM increased approach system motivation in men but not women. Men who completed the rFM task reported significantly greater levels of fun-seeking motivation than men in the control task. Moreover, the rFM task led to changes in actual behavior. Men who completed the rFM task exhibited significantly greater persistence on a difficult laboratory task than men in the control task. In contrast, women who completed the rFM task reported significantly lower levels of fun seeking and tended to exhibit less persistence on a difficult laboratory task than women in the control task. These results provide support for embodied theories of emotion as well as additional evidence for a gender difference in approach-avoidance tendencies. Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

An Approach to Semantic Interoperability for Improved Capability Exchanges in Federations of Systems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moschoglou, Georgios

2013-01-01

This study seeks an affirmative answer to the question whether a knowledge-based approach to system of systems interoperation using semantic web standards and technologies can provide the centralized control of the capability for exchanging data and services lacking in a federation of systems. Given the need to collect and share real-time…

Air-to-Air Supersonic Pilotless Aircraft

DTIC Science & Technology

1947-02-06

time of the mleelle to guidance data during the seek- ing phaee should be of the order of 0.1 second or less. Control system and angular stability ...it may be advisable to make the seeker smoothing time as short as practicable and effeet the necessary smoothing in the missile control system ...lioll stabilization thus Infers thtit, ideally, in the case of a cruciform missile that the axis of one pair of control surfaces remains at all times

Gq-DREADD Selectively Initiates Glial Glutamate Release and Inhibits Cue-induced Cocaine Seeking

PubMed Central

Scofield Michael, D.; Boger Heather, A.; Smith Rachel, J.; Li, Hao; Haydon Philip, G.; Kalivas Peter, W.

2015-01-01

Background Glial cells of the central nervous system directly influence neuronal activity by releasing neuroactive small molecules, including glutamate. Long-lasting cocaine-induced reductions in extracellular glutamate in the nucleus accumbens core (NAcore) affect synaptic plasticity responsible for relapse vulnerability. Methods We transduced NAcore astrocytes with an AAV viral vector expressing hM3Dq (Gq) DREADD under control of the glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) promoter in 62 male Sprague Dawley rats, 4 dnSNARE mice and 4 wild type littermates. Using glutamate biosensors we measured NAcore glutamate levels following intracranial or systemic administration of clozapine-N-oxide (CNO), and tested the ability of systemic CNO to inhibit reinstated cocaine or sucrose seeking following self-administration (SA) and extinction training. Results Administration of CNO in GFAP-Gq-DREADD transfected animals increased NAcore extracellular glutamate levels in vivo. The glial origin of released glutamate was validated by an absence of CNO-mediated release in mice expressing a dominant-negative SNARE variant in glia. Also, CNO-mediated release was relatively insensitive to N-type calcium channel blockade. Systemic administration of CNO inhibited cue-induced reinstatement of cocaine seeking in rats extinguished from cocaine, but not sucrose SA. The capacity to inhibit reinstated cocaine-seeking was prevented by systemic administration of the group II metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR2/3) antagonist LY341495. Conclusions DREADD-mediated glutamate gliotransmission inhibited cue-induced reinstatement of cocaine seeking by stimulating release-regulating mGluR2/3 autoreceptors to inhibit cue-induced synaptic glutamate spillover. PMID:25861696

Presidential Edict No. 2145 "On Measures to Introduce Immigration Control" [16 December 1993].

PubMed

1993-12-27

This Edict introduces immigration controls at the borders of the Russian Federation. The controls are under the Russian Federal Migration Service and have the following tasks: "a) control over the entry onto the country's territory of foreign citizens or stateless persons seeking asylum or in transit, their identification, registration, and recording; b) the implementation of measures to prevent uncontrolled migration and the organization of the deportation of foreigners in cases and within the procedure stipulated by acts of legislation; c) the examination of appeals for asylum from foreign citizens and stateless persons who have come to Russian territory." Further provisions of the Edict deal with determination of immigration control points and their opening hours, allocation of premises and equipment for the implementation of immigration control activities, financing, information communication systems, procedures for the temporary accommodation and residence of persons seeking asylum, immigration personnel, and the training of such personnel, among other things. In December 1993, the Council of Ministers of the Russian Federation issued a Decree to create a statewide automated system of registering the official identity documents of the population and calling for proposals on this system. See Foreign Broadcast Information Service, Document No. FBIS-SOV-93-246, 27 December 1993, p. 42.

78 FR 68146 - Notice of Application for Approval of Discontinuance or Modification of a Railroad Signal System

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-11-13

..., GA 30309. NS seeks approval of the proposed discontinuance of Control Point (CP) Oak and the discontinuance of the traffic control system (TCS) between CP Maumee, Milepost (MP) DY 1.2/CD 287.65, and Stanley... discontinued on the Oakdale Connection Track between CP 286, MP XA 286.90/CD 286.75, and CP Oak, MP XA 287.80...

Extremum Seeking Control of Smart Inverters for VAR Compensation

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

Arnold, Daniel; Negrete-Pincetic, Matias; Stewart, Emma

2015-09-04

Reactive power compensation is used by utilities to ensure customer voltages are within pre-defined tolerances and reduce system resistive losses. While much attention has been paid to model-based control algorithms for reactive power support and Volt Var Optimization (VVO), these strategies typically require relatively large communications capabilities and accurate models. In this work, a non-model-based control strategy for smart inverters is considered for VAR compensation. An Extremum Seeking control algorithm is applied to modulate the reactive power output of inverters based on real power information from the feeder substation, without an explicit feeder model. Simulation results using utility demand informationmore » confirm the ability of the control algorithm to inject VARs to minimize feeder head real power consumption. In addition, we show that the algorithm is capable of improving feeder voltage profiles and reducing reactive power supplied by the distribution substation.« less

The neuropsychological basis of addictive behaviour.

PubMed

Everitt, B J; Dickinson, A; Robbins, T W

2001-10-01

The argument advanced in this review is that drug addiction can be understood in terms of normal learning and memory systems of the brain which, through the actions of chronically self-administered drugs, are pathologically subverted, thereby leading to the establishment of compulsive drug-seeking habits, strengthened by the motivational impact of drug-associated stimuli and occurring at the expense of other sources of reinforcement. We review data from our studies that have utilized procedures which reveal the various influences of pavlovian stimuli on goal-directed behaviour, namely discriminated approach, pavlovian-to-instrumental transfer and conditioned reinforcement, in order to demonstrate their overlapping and also unique neural bases. These fundamental studies are also reviewed in the context of the neural and psychological mechanisms underlying drug-seeking behaviour that is under the control of drug-associated environmental stimuli. The ways in which such drug-seeking behaviour becomes compulsive and habitual, as well as the propensity for relapse to drug-seeking even after long periods of relapse, are discussed in terms of the aberrant learning set in train by the effects of self-administered drugs on plastic processes in limbic cortical-ventral striatal systems.

Adaptive nonlinear control for autonomous ground vehicles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Black, William S.

We present the background and motivation for ground vehicle autonomy, and focus on uses for space-exploration. Using a simple design example of an autonomous ground vehicle we derive the equations of motion. After providing the mathematical background for nonlinear systems and control we present two common methods for exactly linearizing nonlinear systems, feedback linearization and backstepping. We use these in combination with three adaptive control methods: model reference adaptive control, adaptive sliding mode control, and extremum-seeking model reference adaptive control. We show the performances of each combination through several simulation results. We then consider disturbances in the system, and design nonlinear disturbance observers for both single-input-single-output and multi-input-multi-output systems. Finally, we show the performance of these observers with simulation results.

75 FR 6251 - Notice of Application for Approval of Discontinuance or Modification of a Railroad Signal System...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-02-08

... Discontinuance or Modification of a Railroad Signal System or Relief From the Requirements of Title 49 Code of... approval for the discontinuance or modification of the signal system or relief from the requirements of 49... Company (BNSF) seeks approval of the proposed modification to the traffic control signal system over the...

The SEEKING mind: primal neuro-affective substrates for appetitive incentive states and their pathological dynamics in addictions and depression.

PubMed

Alcaro, Antonio; Panksepp, Jaak

2011-10-01

Appetitive motivation and incentive states are essential functions sustained by a common emotional brain process, the SEEKING disposition, which drives explorative and approach behaviors, sustains goal-directed activity, promotes anticipatory cognitions, and evokes feelings of positive excitement which control reward-learning. All such functions are orchestrated by the same "archetypical" neural processes, activated in ancient subcortical areas and transported to the forebrain by the mesolimbic dopamine (ML-DA) system. In mammals, the neurophysiology of the SEEKING urge is expressed by DA-promoted high-frequency oscillations, in the form of transient and synchronized gamma waves (>30Hz) emerging in limbic forebrain and diffusing throughout basal ganglia-thalamocortical (BG-T-C) circuits. These patterns may be considered basic "SEEKING neurodynamic impulses" which represent the primary-process exploratory disposition getting integrated with information relative to the external and the internal environment. Abnormal manifestation of SEEKING and its neural substrates are evident in clinical depression and addiction. Specifically, depression is characterized by reduced recruitment of SEEKING, while addictions reflect re-organizations of the SEEKING disposition around ultra-specific appetitive memories and compulsive activities. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

75 FR 6252 - Notice of Application for Approval of Discontinuance or Modification of a Railroad Signal System...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-02-08

... Discontinuance or Modification of a Railroad Signal System or Relief From the Requirements of Title 49 Code of... approval for the discontinuance or modification of the signal system or relief from the requirements of 49... Transportation, Inc. seeks approval of the proposed modification of the bridge tender controlled signals to...

High use of private providers for first healthcare seeking by drug-resistant tuberculosis patients: a cross-sectional study in Yangon, Myanmar.

PubMed

Sidharta, Sucitro Dwijayana; Yin, Jason Dean-Chen; Yoong, Joanne Su-Yin; Khan, Mishal Sameer

2018-04-11

Drug resistance is a growing challenge to tuberculosis (TB) control worldwide, but particularly salient to countries such as Myanmar, where the health system is fragmented across the public and private sector. A recent systematic review has identified a critical lack of evidence for local policymaking, particularly in relation to drivers of drug-resistance that could be the target of preventative efforts. To address this gap from a health systems perspective, our study investigates the healthcare-seeking behavior and preferences of recently diagnosed patients with drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB), focusing on the use of private versus public healthcare providers. The study was conducted in ten townships across Yangon with high DR-TB burden. Patients newly-diagnosed with DR-TB by GeneXpert were enrolled, and data on healthcare-seeking behavior and socio-economic characteristics were collected from patient records and interviews. A descriptive analysis of healthcare-seeking behavior was followed by the investigation of relationships between socio-economic factors and type of provider visited upon first feeling unwell, through univariate logistic regressions. Of 202 participants, only 8% reported first seeking care at public facilities, while 88% reported seeking care at private facilities upon first feeling unwell. Participants aged 25-34 (Odds Ratio = 0.33 [0.12-0.95]) and males (Odds Ratio = 0.39 [0.20-0.75]) were less likely to visit a private clinic or hospital than those aged 18-24 and females, respectively. In contrast, participants with higher income were more likely to utilize private providers. Prior to DR-TB diagnosis, 86% of participants took medications from private providers. After DR-TB diagnosis, only 7% of participants continued to take medications from private providers. In urban Myanmar, most patients shifted to being managed exclusively in the public sector after being formally diagnosed with DR-TB. However, since the vast majority of DR-TB patients first visited private providers in the period leading to diagnosis, related issues such as unregulated quality of care, potential delays to diagnosis, and lack of care continuity may greatly influence the emergence of drug-resistance. A greater understanding of the health system and these healthcare-seeking behaviors may simultaneously strengthen TB control programmes and reduce government and out-of-pocket expenditures on the management of DR-TB.

Seeking Chronic Pain Relief: A Hermeneutic Exploration.

PubMed

Smith, Crystal Lederhos; Severtsen, Billie; Vandermause, Roxanne; Barbosa-Leiker, Celestina; Wilson, Marian; Roll, John

2018-06-21

In the United States, chronic pain is experienced by over 39.4 million adults, many of whom are treated with opioid pain medications. This research presents an interpretation of the experience of seeking pain relief for a group of people taking opioid pain medications whose pain is not adequately controlled. A concurrent embedded mixed-methods design was used, including a Heideggerian hermeneutic qualitative approach that focuses on the participants' perceptions as a vehicle for understanding the phenomenon of seeking pain relief with descriptive quantitative data in a supporting role. Thirteen interviews and 15 surveys were analyzed, all of which met the following criteria: (1) self-reported chronic pain (persistent pain lasting a minimum of six months), (2) current use of prescription opioid medications, (3) pain not successfully controlled. The analysis revealed a paradox, which we describe as being lost/finding myself in the health care system. This paradox became the overarching pattern of experience that subsumed several dynamic, overlapping practices described in the patterns: (1) seeking relief as suffering; (2) being classified as an addict but not an addict; (3) living with pain as remembering; and (4) experiencing treatment modalities as fickle possibilities. Explication of and interpretive commentary on these patterns shift the focus from drug seeking to pain relief seeking behaviors in chronic pain sufferers. Such a shift could change the manner in which providers work with chronic pain sufferers to find appropriate treatment modalities. Copyright © 2018 American Society for Pain Management Nursing. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[A complex interplay of hormones, neuro-transmitters, neuropeptides and immunity cells is responsible for the control of eating].

PubMed

Rondanelli, M

1997-09-01

Food-seeking behaviour is a complex mechanism which involves an interplay of hormones, neurotransmitters, neuropeptides and immunity cells. In this review the important role of the cooperation between the SNC system, the endocrine system and in particular the immune system in the control of eating is underlined. Like stress and depression, in fact the regulation of eating represents another example of the interplay between these three systems and it is secondary to a bidirectional dialogue between the center and the periphery.

A duality framework for stochastic optimal control of complex systems

DOE PAGES

Malikopoulos, Andreas A.

2016-01-01

In this study, we address the problem of minimizing the long-run expected average cost of a complex system consisting of interactive subsystems. We formulate a multiobjective optimization problem of the one-stage expected costs of the subsystems and provide a duality framework to prove that the control policy yielding the Pareto optimal solution minimizes the average cost criterion of the system. We provide the conditions of existence and a geometric interpretation of the solution. For practical situations having constraints consistent with those studied here, our results imply that the Pareto control policy may be of value when we seek to derivemore » online the optimal control policy in complex systems.« less

The Sources of Strength Australia Project: study protocol for a cluster randomised controlled trial.

PubMed

Calear, Alison L; Brewer, Jacqueline L; Batterham, Philip J; Mackinnon, Andrew; Wyman, Peter A; LoMurray, Mark; Shand, Fiona; Kazan, Dominique; Christensen, Helen

2016-07-26

The school system has been identified as an ideal setting for the implementation of prevention and early intervention programs for suicide. However, in Australia, suicide-prevention programs that are routinely delivered in the schools are lacking. Internationally, evidence exists for the effectiveness of peer-led interventions that take a social connectedness approach to improve help-seeking for suicide. The aim of the current trial is to test the effectiveness of the Sources of Strength program to promote help-seeking for suicide in adolescents in Australian high schools. This study is a two-arm, cluster-randomised, controlled trial that will compare the evidence-based Sources of Strength program to a wait-list control condition. Sixteen Australian high schools will be recruited to the trial, with all adolescents in years 7 to 10 (12-16 years of age) invited to participate. Peer leaders from intervention-condition schools will receive training in the Sources of Strength program and will integrate positive messages, across 3 months, with the support of adult advisors. Activities may take the form of class presentations, posters, videos, and messages on social media sites and will aim to change help-seeking norms, strengthen youth-adult connections, and promote positive coping. The primary outcome measure for the study is help-seeking intentions, whereas secondary outcomes include help-seeking behaviour, help-seeking attitudes and norms, referral of distressed peers, availability of adult help, positive coping, and suicidal behaviour. Data will be collected pre-intervention, post-intervention (after the initial 3 months of messaging), and at the end of the first (6-month follow-up) and the second year after implementation (18-month follow-up). Primary analyses will compare changes in help-seeking intentions for the intervention condition relative to the wait-list control condition using mixed-effect repeated-measures analyses to account for clustering within schools. If proven effective, this universal social connectedness program for suicide could be more widely delivered in Australian high schools, providing a valuable new resource. The Sources of Strength program has the potential to significantly contribute to the mental health of young people in Australia by improving help-seeking for suicide. The findings from this research will also contribute to the evidence-base for peer-leadership programs internationally. Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry, ACTRN12616000048482 . Registered on 19 January 2016.

Drosophila mushroom bodies integrate hunger and satiety signals to control innate food-seeking behavior.

PubMed

Tsao, Chang-Hui; Chen, Chien-Chun; Lin, Chen-Han; Yang, Hao-Yu; Lin, Suewei

2018-03-16

The fruit fly can evaluate its energy state and decide whether to pursue food-related cues. Here, we reveal that the mushroom body (MB) integrates hunger and satiety signals to control food-seeking behavior. We have discovered five pathways in the MB essential for hungry flies to locate and approach food. Blocking the MB-intrinsic Kenyon cells (KCs) and the MB output neurons (MBONs) in these pathways impairs food-seeking behavior. Starvation bi-directionally modulates MBON responses to a food odor, suggesting that hunger and satiety controls occur at the KC-to-MBON synapses. These controls are mediated by six types of dopaminergic neurons (DANs). By manipulating these DANs, we could inhibit food-seeking behavior in hungry flies or promote food seeking in fed flies. Finally, we show that the DANs potentially receive multiple inputs of hunger and satiety signals. This work demonstrates an information-rich central circuit in the fly brain that controls hunger-driven food-seeking behavior. © 2018, Tsao et al.

Drosophila mushroom bodies integrate hunger and satiety signals to control innate food-seeking behavior

PubMed Central

Tsao, Chang-Hui; Chen, Chien-Chun; Lin, Chen-Han; Yang, Hao-Yu

2018-01-01

The fruit fly can evaluate its energy state and decide whether to pursue food-related cues. Here, we reveal that the mushroom body (MB) integrates hunger and satiety signals to control food-seeking behavior. We have discovered five pathways in the MB essential for hungry flies to locate and approach food. Blocking the MB-intrinsic Kenyon cells (KCs) and the MB output neurons (MBONs) in these pathways impairs food-seeking behavior. Starvation bi-directionally modulates MBON responses to a food odor, suggesting that hunger and satiety controls occur at the KC-to-MBON synapses. These controls are mediated by six types of dopaminergic neurons (DANs). By manipulating these DANs, we could inhibit food-seeking behavior in hungry flies or promote food seeking in fed flies. Finally, we show that the DANs potentially receive multiple inputs of hunger and satiety signals. This work demonstrates an information-rich central circuit in the fly brain that controls hunger-driven food-seeking behavior. PMID:29547121

A strong TB programme embedded in a developing primary healthcare system is a lose-lose situation: insights from patient and community perspectives in Cambodia.

PubMed

Sundaram, Neisha; James, Richard; Sreynimol, Um; Linda, Pen; Yoong, Joanne; Saly, Saint; Koeut, Pichenda; Eang, Mao Tan; Coker, Richard; Khan, Mishal S

2017-10-01

As exemplified by the situation in Cambodia, disease specific (vertical) health programmes are often favoured when the health system is fragile. The potential of such an approach to impede strengthening of primary healthcare services has been studied from a health systems perspective in terms of access and quality of care. In this bottom-up, qualitative study we investigate patient and community member experiences of health services when a strong tuberculosis (TB) programme is embedded into a relatively underutilized primary healthcare system. We conducted six gender-stratified community focus group discussions (n = 49) and seven mixed-gender focus group discussions with TB patients (n = 45) in three provinces located in urban, peri-urban and rural areas of Cambodia. Our analysis of health-seeking behaviour and experiences for TB and TB-like illness indicates that building a strong vertical TB control programme has had numerous benefits, including awareness of typical symptoms and need to seek care early; confidence in free TB services at public facilities; and willingness to complete treatment. However, there was a clear dichotomy in experiences and behaviour with respect to care-seeking for less severe illness at primary health services, which were generally avoided owing to access barriers and perceived poor quality. The tendency to delay seeking health care until the development of severe symptoms clearly indicative of TB is a major barrier to early diagnosis and treatment of TB. Our study indicates that an imbalance in the strength of vertical and primary health services could be a lose-lose situation as this impedes improvements in health system functioning and constrains progress of vertical disease control programmes. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press in association with The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Adaptive Optimization of Aircraft Engine Performance Using Neural Networks

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Simon, Donald L.; Long, Theresa W.

1995-01-01

Preliminary results are presented on the development of an adaptive neural network based control algorithm to enhance aircraft engine performance. This work builds upon a previous National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) effort known as Performance Seeking Control (PSC). PSC is an adaptive control algorithm which contains a model of the aircraft's propulsion system which is updated on-line to match the operation of the aircraft's actual propulsion system. Information from the on-line model is used to adapt the control system during flight to allow optimal operation of the aircraft's propulsion system (inlet, engine, and nozzle) to improve aircraft engine performance without compromising reliability or operability. Performance Seeking Control has been shown to yield reductions in fuel flow, increases in thrust, and reductions in engine fan turbine inlet temperature. The neural network based adaptive control, like PSC, will contain a model of the propulsion system which will be used to calculate optimal control commands on-line. Hopes are that it will be able to provide some additional benefits above and beyond those of PSC. The PSC algorithm is computationally intensive, it is valid only at near steady-state flight conditions, and it has no way to adapt or learn on-line. These issues are being addressed in the development of the optimal neural controller. Specialized neural network processing hardware is being developed to run the software, the algorithm will be valid at steady-state and transient conditions, and will take advantage of the on-line learning capability of neural networks. Future plans include testing the neural network software and hardware prototype against an aircraft engine simulation. In this paper, the proposed neural network software and hardware is described and preliminary neural network training results are presented.

Model Predictive Optimal Control of a Time-Delay Distributed-Parameter Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nguyen, Nhan

2006-01-01

This paper presents an optimal control method for a class of distributed-parameter systems governed by first order, quasilinear hyperbolic partial differential equations that arise in many physical systems. Such systems are characterized by time delays since information is transported from one state to another by wave propagation. A general closed-loop hyperbolic transport model is controlled by a boundary control embedded in a periodic boundary condition. The boundary control is subject to a nonlinear differential equation constraint that models actuator dynamics of the system. The hyperbolic equation is thus coupled with the ordinary differential equation via the boundary condition. Optimality of this coupled system is investigated using variational principles to seek an adjoint formulation of the optimal control problem. The results are then applied to implement a model predictive control design for a wind tunnel to eliminate a transport delay effect that causes a poor Mach number regulation.

Seeking an Online Social Media Radar

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

ter Veen, James

2014-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore how the application of Systems Engineering tools and techniques can be applied to rapidly process and analyze the vast amounts of data present in social media in order to yield practical knowledge for Command and Control (C2) systems. Design/methodology/approach: Based upon comparative analysis of…

Neural and psychological mechanisms underlying compulsive drug seeking habits and drug memories – indications for novel treatments of addiction*

PubMed Central

Everitt, Barry J

2014-01-01

This review discusses the evidence for the hypothesis that the development of drug addiction can be understood in terms of interactions between Pavlovian and instrumental learning and memory mechanisms in the brain that underlie the seeking and taking of drugs. It is argued that these behaviours initially are goal-directed, but increasingly become elicited as stimulus–response habits by drug-associated conditioned stimuli that are established by Pavlovian conditioning. It is further argued that compulsive drug use emerges as the result of a loss of prefrontal cortical inhibitory control over drug seeking habits. Data are reviewed that indicate these transitions from use to abuse to addiction depend upon shifts from ventral to dorsal striatal control over behaviour, mediated in part by serial connectivity between the striatum and midbrain dopamine systems. Only some individuals lose control over their drug use, and the importance of behavioural impulsivity as a vulnerability trait predicting stimulant abuse and addiction in animals and humans, together with consideration of an emerging neuroendophenotype for addiction are discussed. Finally, the potential for developing treatments for addiction is considered in light of the neuropsychological advances that are reviewed, including the possibility of targeting drug memory reconsolidation and extinction to reduce Pavlovian influences on drug seeking as a means of promoting abstinence and preventing relapse. PMID:24935353

ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY VERIFICATION--TEST REPORT OF MOBILE SOURCE EMISSION CONTROL DEVICES, CUMMINS EMISSION SOLUTIONS AND CUMMINS FILTRATION DIESEL OXIDATION CATALYST AND CLOSED CRANKCASE VENTILATION SYSTEM

EPA Science Inventory

The U.S. EPA has created the Environmental Technology Verification (ETV) Program. ETV seeks to provide high-quality, peer-reviewed data on technology performance. The Air Pollution Control Technology (APCT) Verification Center, a center under the ETV Program, is operated by Res...

Surface Acoustic Waves to Drive Plant Transpiration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gomez, Eliot F.; Berggren, Magnus; Simon, Daniel T.

2017-03-01

Emerging fields of research in electronic plants (e-plants) and agro-nanotechnology seek to create more advanced control of plants and their products. Electronic/nanotechnology plant systems strive to seamlessly monitor, harvest, or deliver chemical signals to sense or regulate plant physiology in a controlled manner. Since the plant vascular system (xylem/phloem) is the primary pathway used to transport water, nutrients, and chemical signals—as well as the primary vehicle for current e-plant and phtyo-nanotechnology work—we seek to directly control fluid transport in plants using external energy. Surface acoustic waves generated from piezoelectric substrates were directly coupled into rose leaves, thereby causing water to rapidly evaporate in a highly localized manner only at the site in contact with the actuator. From fluorescent imaging, we find that the technique reliably delivers up to 6x more water/solute to the site actuated by acoustic energy as compared to normal plant transpiration rates and 2x more than heat-assisted evaporation. The technique of increasing natural plant transpiration through acoustic energy could be used to deliver biomolecules, agrochemicals, or future electronic materials at high spatiotemporal resolution to targeted areas in the plant; providing better interaction with plant physiology or to realize more sophisticated cyborg systems.

Surface Acoustic Waves to Drive Plant Transpiration.

PubMed

Gomez, Eliot F; Berggren, Magnus; Simon, Daniel T

2017-03-31

Emerging fields of research in electronic plants (e-plants) and agro-nanotechnology seek to create more advanced control of plants and their products. Electronic/nanotechnology plant systems strive to seamlessly monitor, harvest, or deliver chemical signals to sense or regulate plant physiology in a controlled manner. Since the plant vascular system (xylem/phloem) is the primary pathway used to transport water, nutrients, and chemical signals-as well as the primary vehicle for current e-plant and phtyo-nanotechnology work-we seek to directly control fluid transport in plants using external energy. Surface acoustic waves generated from piezoelectric substrates were directly coupled into rose leaves, thereby causing water to rapidly evaporate in a highly localized manner only at the site in contact with the actuator. From fluorescent imaging, we find that the technique reliably delivers up to 6x more water/solute to the site actuated by acoustic energy as compared to normal plant transpiration rates and 2x more than heat-assisted evaporation. The technique of increasing natural plant transpiration through acoustic energy could be used to deliver biomolecules, agrochemicals, or future electronic materials at high spatiotemporal resolution to targeted areas in the plant; providing better interaction with plant physiology or to realize more sophisticated cyborg systems.

Indirect learning control for nonlinear dynamical systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ryu, Yeong Soon; Longman, Richard W.

1993-01-01

In a previous paper, learning control algorithms were developed based on adaptive control ideas for linear time variant systems. The learning control methods were shown to have certain advantages over their adaptive control counterparts, such as the ability to produce zero tracking error in time varying systems, and the ability to eliminate repetitive disturbances. In recent years, certain adaptive control algorithms have been developed for multi-body dynamic systems such as robots, with global guaranteed convergence to zero tracking error for the nonlinear system euations. In this paper we study the relationship between such adaptive control methods designed for this specific class of nonlinear systems, and the learning control problem for such systems, seeking to converge to zero tracking error in following a specific command repeatedly, starting from the same initial conditions each time. The extension of these methods from the adaptive control problem to the learning control problem is seen to be trivial. The advantages and disadvantages of using learning control based on such adaptive control concepts for nonlinear systems, and the use of other currently available learning control algorithms are discussed.

Inhibition of monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL) enhances cue-induced reinstatement of nicotine-seeking behavior in mice.

PubMed

Trigo, Jose M; Le Foll, Bernard

2016-05-01

Tobacco smoking is still a major population health issue. The endocannabinoid system has been shown to control drug-seeking behaviors. There are two main endocannabinoids: anandamide degraded by fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) and 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) degraded by monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL). The role of MAGL has only been explored recently, and so far, no study have been performed to evaluate the effects of MAGL inhibitor on nicotine reinforcing properties and cue-induced reinstatement of nicotine seeking. Here, we investigated the effects of the MAGL inhibitor JZL184 on nicotine self-administration under fixed and progressive-ratio schedules of reinforcement and on cue-induced reinstatement of nicotine seeking in mice. We also evaluated the effects of JZL184 on food self-administration for possible non-specific effects. JZL184 (0, 8, and 16 mg/kg) did not affect food taking, nicotine taking, or motivation for nicotine. MAGL inhibition by JZL184 (16 mg/kg) increased reinstatement of previously extinguished nicotine seeking induced by presentation of nicotine-associated cues, but did not produce reinstatement on its own. This study implicates involvement of 2-AG in nicotine-seeking behaviors.

Decentralized reinforcement-learning control and emergence of motion patterns

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Svinin, Mikhail; Yamada, Kazuyaki; Okhura, Kazuhiro; Ueda, Kanji

1998-10-01

In this paper we propose a system for studying emergence of motion patterns in autonomous mobile robotic systems. The system implements an instance-based reinforcement learning control. Three spaces are of importance in formulation of the control scheme. They are the work space, the sensor space, and the action space. Important feature of our system is that all these spaces are assumed to be continuous. The core part of the system is a classifier system. Based on the sensory state space analysis, the control is decentralized and is specified at the lowest level of the control system. However, the local controllers are implicitly connected through the perceived environment information. Therefore, they constitute a dynamic environment with respect to each other. The proposed control scheme is tested under simulation for a mobile robot in a navigation task. It is shown that some patterns of global behavior--such as collision avoidance, wall-following, light-seeking--can emerge from the local controllers.

Executive functions, impulsivity, and inhibitory control in adolescents: A structural equation model

PubMed Central

Fino, Emanuele; Melogno, Sergio; Iliceto, Paolo; D’Aliesio, Sara; Pinto, Maria Antonietta; Candilera, Gabriella; Sabatello, Ugo

2014-01-01

Background. Adolescence represents a critical period for brain development, addressed by neurodevelopmental models to frontal, subcortical-limbic, and striatal activation, a pattern associated with rise of impulsivity and deficits in inhibitory control. The present study aimed at studying the association between self-report measures of impulsivity and inhibitory control with executive function in adolescents, employing structural equation modeling. Method. Tests were administered to 434 high school students. Acting without thinking was measured through the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale and the Dickman Impulsivity Inventory, reward sensitivity through the Behavioral Activation System, and sensation seeking through the Zuckerman–Kuhlman–Aluja Personali- ty Questionnaire. Inhibitory control was assessed through the Behavioral Inhibition System. The performance at the Wisconsin Card Sorting Task indicated executive function. Three models were specified using Sample Covariance Matrix, and the estimated parameters using Maximum Likelihood. Results. In the final model, impulsivity and inhibitory control predicted executive function, but sensation seeking did not. The fit of the model to data was excellent. Conclusions. The hypothesis that inhibitory control and impulsivity are predictors of executive function was supported. Our results appear informative of the validity of self-report measures to examine the relation between impulsivity traits rather than others to regulatory function of cognition and behavior. PMID:25157298

Patients' intentions to seek medication information from pharmacists.

PubMed

Huston, Sally A

2013-01-01

To determine whether perceived medication use knowledge held and/or needed influenced intention to seek information from pharmacists, whether an information-intention relationship held after accounting for other variables, and whether asking medication use knowledge questions increased pharmacist information-seeking intention. Cross-sectional study. SETTING United States during July 2012. Qualtrics national panel members 21 years or older obtaining a new chronic medication within previous 30 days. Internet-administered survey. Medication information-seeking intention, medication knowledge held and needed, and pharmacist medication information-seeking intention. Although knowledge held and needed were initially significant, they became nonsignificant after adding affective and evaluative attitudes, perceived control, and risk. The final best-fitting model explained 21% of variance in pharmacist information-seeking intention. Patient intentions to seek information from pharmacists increased significantly after being asked medication use knowledge questions. Perceptions of medication risk, attitudes, and information-seeking control predict pharmacist information-seeking intention and offer pharmacists an opportunity to market information services.

Mathematical Approaches to WMD Defense and Vulnerability Assessments of Dynamic Networks

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-07-01

the last decade, and now tends to focus on a system -wide integration of fortification resources, strategically deployed to...create a robust system of networks. Given the presence of various networks, this goal seeks to determine which edges should be constructed to...controlling all aspects of his actions, with full knowledge of the system , and with the ability to jointly utilize all of

Profiling characteristics of internet medical information users.

PubMed

Weaver, James B; Mays, Darren; Lindner, Gregg; Eroglu, Dogan; Fridinger, Frederick; Bernhardt, Jay M

2009-01-01

The Internet's potential to bolster health promotion and disease prevention efforts has attracted considerable attention. Existing research leaves two things unclear, however: the prevalence of online health and medical information seeking and the distinguishing characteristics of individuals who seek that information. This study seeks to clarify and extend the knowledge base concerning health and medical information use online by profiling adults using Internet medical information (IMI). Secondary analysis of survey data from a large sample (n = 6,119) representative of the Atlanta, GA, area informed this investigation. Five survey questions were used to assess IMI use and general computer and Internet use during the 30 days before the survey was administered. Five questions were also used to assess respondents' health care system use. Several demographic characteristics were measured. RESULTS Contrary to most prior research, this study found relatively low prevalence of IMI-seeking behavior. Specifically, IMI use was reported by 13.2% of all respondents (n = 6,119) and by 21.1% of respondents with Internet access (n = 3,829). Logistic regression models conducted among respondents accessing the Internet in the previous 30 days revealed that, when controlling for several sociodemographic characteristics, home computer ownership, online time per week, and health care system use are all positively linked with IMI-seeking behavior. The data suggest it may be premature to embrace unilaterally the Internet as an effective asset for health promotion and disease prevention efforts that target the public.

Barriers to accessing TB diagnosis for rural-to-urban migrants with chronic cough in Chongqing, China: A mixed methods study

PubMed Central

Long, Qian; Li, Ying; Wang, Yang; Yue, Yong; Tang, Cheng; Tang, Shenglan; Squire, S Bertel; Tolhurst, Rachel

2008-01-01

Background China is facing a significant tuberculosis epidemic among rural-to-urban migrants, which poses a threat to TB control. This study aimed to understand the health seeking behaviour of and health systems responses to migrants and permanent urban residents suffering from chronic cough, in order to identify the factors influencing delays for both groups in receiving a TB diagnosis in urban China. Methods Combining a prospective cohort study of adult suspect TB patients and a qualitative study, the Piot model was used to analyze the health seeking behaviour of TB suspects among migrants and permanent urban residents, the factors influencing their decision and the responses by general health providers. Methods included a patient survey, focus group discussions with migrants in the general population, qualitative interviews with migrant and permanent resident TB suspects and TB patients as well as key stakeholders related to TB control and the management of migrants. Results Sixty eight percent of migrants delayed for more than two weeks before seeking care for symptoms suggestive of TB, compared to 54% of residents (p < 0.01). When they first decided to seek professional care, migrants were 1.5 times more likely than residents to use less expensive, community-level health services. Only 5% were ultimately referred to a TB dispensary. Major reasons for both patient and provider delay included lack of knowledge and mistrust of the TB control programme, lack of knowledge about TB (patients), and profit-seeking behaviour (providers). In the follow up survey, 61% of the migrants and 41% of the residents who still had symptoms gave up continuing to seek professional care, with a statistically significant difference between the two groups (p < 0.05). Conclusion Rural-to-urban migrants are more likely than permanent residents to delay in seeking care for symptoms suggestive of TB in urban Chongqing. 'Patient-' and 'provider-' related factors interact to pose barriers to TB diagnosis for migrants, including: low awareness, and poor knowledge among both the general public and TB suspects about TB as a disease and about the TB control programme; low financial capacity to pay for care and diagnostic tests; and inadequate use of diagnostic tests and referral to TB dispensaries by general health providers. PMID:18828929

Information Seeking When Problem Solving: Perspectives of Public Health Professionals.

PubMed

Newman, Kristine; Dobbins, Maureen; Yost, Jennifer; Ciliska, Donna

2017-04-01

Given the many different types of professionals working in public health and their diverse roles, it is likely that their information needs, information-seeking behaviors, and problem-solving abilities differ. Although public health professionals often work in interdisciplinary teams, few studies have explored their information needs and behaviors within the context of teamwork. This study explored the relationship between Canadian public health professionals' perceptions of their problem-solving abilities and their information-seeking behaviors with a specific focus on the use of evidence in practice settings. It also explored their perceptions of collaborative information seeking and the work contexts in which they sought information. Key Canadian contacts at public health organizations helped recruit study participants through their list-servs. An electronic survey was used to gather data about (a) individual information-seeking behaviors, (b) collaborative information-seeking behaviors, (c) use of evidence in practice environments, (d) perceived problem-solving abilities, and (e) demographic characteristics. Fifty-eight public health professionals were recruited, with different roles and representing most Canadian provinces and one territory. A significant relationship was found between perceived problem-solving abilities and collaborative information-seeking behavior (r = -.44, p < .00, N = 58), but not individual information seeking. The results suggested that when public health professionals take a shared, active approach to problem solving, maintain personal control, and have confidence, they are more likely collaborate with others in seeking information to complete a work task. Administrators of public health organizations should promote collaboration by implementing effective communication and information-seeking strategies, and by providing information resources and retrieval tools. Public health professionals' perceived problem-solving abilities can influence how they collaborate in seeking information. Educators in public health organizations should tailor training in information searching to promote collaboration through collaborative technology systems. © 2016 Sigma Theta Tau International.

Options and Risk for Qualification of Electric Propulsion System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bailey, Michelle; Daniel, Charles; Cook, Steve (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

Electric propulsion vehicle systems envelop a wide range of propulsion alternatives including solar and nuclear, which present unique circumstances for qualification. This paper will address the alternatives for qualification of electric propulsion spacecraft systems. The approach taken will be to address the considerations for qualification at the various levels of systems definition. Additionally, for each level of qualification the system level risk implications will be developed. Also, the paper will explore the implications of analysis verses test for various levels of systems definition, while retaining the objectives of a verification program. The limitations of terrestrial testing will be explored along with the risk and implications of orbital demonstration testing. The paper will seek to develop a template for structuring of a verification program based on cost, risk and value return. A successful verification program should establish controls and define objectives of the verification compliance program. Finally the paper will seek to address the political and programmatic factors, which may impact options for system verification.

Cooperating or fighting with control noise in the optimal manipulation of quantum dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shuang, Feng; Rabitz, Herschel

2004-11-01

This paper investigates the impact of control field noise on the optimal manipulation of quantum dynamics. Simulations are performed on several multilevel quantum systems with the goal of population transfer in the presence of significant control noise. The noise enters as run-to-run variations in the control amplitude and phase with the observation being an ensemble average over many runs as is commonly done in the laboratory. A genetic algorithm with an improved elitism operator is used to find the optimal field that either fights against or cooperates with control field noise. When seeking a high control yield it is possible to find fields that successfully fight with the noise while attaining good quality stable results. When seeking modest control yields, fields can be found which are optimally shaped to cooperate with the noise and thereby drive the dynamics more efficiently. In general, noise reduces the coherence of the dynamics, but the results indicate that population transfer objectives can be met by appropriately either fighting or cooperating with noise, even when it is intense.

Cooperating or fighting with control noise in the optimal manipulation of quantum dynamics.

PubMed

Shuang, Feng; Rabitz, Herschel

2004-11-15

This paper investigates the impact of control field noise on the optimal manipulation of quantum dynamics. Simulations are performed on several multilevel quantum systems with the goal of population transfer in the presence of significant control noise. The noise enters as run-to-run variations in the control amplitude and phase with the observation being an ensemble average over many runs as is commonly done in the laboratory. A genetic algorithm with an improved elitism operator is used to find the optimal field that either fights against or cooperates with control field noise. When seeking a high control yield it is possible to find fields that successfully fight with the noise while attaining good quality stable results. When seeking modest control yields, fields can be found which are optimally shaped to cooperate with the noise and thereby drive the dynamics more efficiently. In general, noise reduces the coherence of the dynamics, but the results indicate that population transfer objectives can be met by appropriately either fighting or cooperating with noise, even when it is intense.

Internet-based interventions to promote mental health help-seeking in elite athletes: an exploratory randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Gulliver, Amelia; Griffiths, Kathleen M; Christensen, Helen; Mackinnon, Andrew; Calear, Alison L; Parsons, Alison; Bennett, Kylie; Batterham, Philip J; Stanimirovic, Rosanna

2012-06-29

Mental disorders are more common in young adults than at any other life stage. Despite this, young people have low rates of seeking professional help for mental health problems. Young elite athletes have less positive attitudes toward seeking help than nonathletes and thus may be particularly unlikely to seek help. Interventions aimed at increasing help-seeking in young elite athletes are warranted. To test the feasibility and efficacy of three Internet-based interventions designed to increase mental health help-seeking attitudes, intentions, and behavior in young elite athletes compared with a control condition. We conducted a randomized controlled trial (RCT) of three brief fully automated Internet-based mental health help-seeking interventions with 59 young elite athletes recruited online in a closed trial in Australia. The interventions consisted of a mental health literacy and destigmatization condition, a feedback condition providing symptom levels, and a minimal content condition comprising a list of help-seeking resources, compared with a control condition (no intervention). We measured help-seeking attitudes, intentions and behavior using self-assessed surveys. Participation was open to elite athletes regardless of their mental health status or risk of mental illness. Of 120 athletes initially agreeing to participate, 59 (49%) submitted a preintervention or postintervention survey, or both, and were included in the present study. Adherence was satisfactory, with 48 (81%) participants visiting both weeks of assigned intervention material. None of the interventions yielded a significant increase in help-seeking attitudes, intentions, or behavior relative to control. However, at postintervention, there was a trend toward a greater increase in help-seeking behavior from formal sources for the mental health literacy/destigmatization condition compared with control (P = .06). This intervention was also associated with increased depression literacy (P = .003, P = .005) and anxiety literacy (P = .002, P = .001) relative to control at postintervention and 3-month follow-up, respectively, and a reduction in depression stigma relative to control at postintervention (P = .01, P = .12) and anxiety stigma at 3-month follow-up (P = .18, P = .02). The feedback and help-seeking list interventions did not improve depression or anxiety literacy or decrease stigmatizing attitudes to these conditions. However, the study findings should be treated with caution. Due to recruitment challenges, the achieved sample size fell significantly short of the target size and the study was underpowered. Accordingly, the results should be considered as providing preliminary pilot data only. This is the first RCT of an Internet-based mental health help-seeking intervention for young elite athletes. The results suggest that brief mental health literacy and destigmatization improves knowledge and may decrease stigma but does not increase help-seeking. However, since the trial was underpowered, a larger trial is warranted. 2009/373 (www.clinicaltrials.gov ID: NCT00940732), cited at http://www.webcitation.org/5ymsRLy9r.

An Optimization System with Parallel Processing for Reducing Common-Mode Current on Electronic Control Unit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Okazaki, Yuji; Uno, Takanori; Asai, Hideki

In this paper, we propose an optimization system with parallel processing for reducing electromagnetic interference (EMI) on electronic control unit (ECU). We adopt simulated annealing (SA), genetic algorithm (GA) and taboo search (TS) to seek optimal solutions, and a Spice-like circuit simulator to analyze common-mode current. Therefore, the proposed system can determine the adequate combinations of the parasitic inductance and capacitance values on printed circuit board (PCB) efficiently and practically, to reduce EMI caused by the common-mode current. Finally, we apply the proposed system to an example circuit to verify the validity and efficiency of the system.

Effect of electron cyclotron beam width to neoclassical tearing mode stabilization by minimum seeking control in ITER

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, Minho; Na, Yong-Su; Seo, Jaemin; Kim, M.; Kim, Kyungjin

2018-01-01

We report the effect of the electron cyclotron (EC) beam width on the full suppression time of neoclassical tearing mode (NTM) using the finite difference method (FDM) based minimum seeking controller in ITER. An integrated numerical system is setup for time-dependent simulations of the NTM evolution in ITER by solving the modified Rutherford equation together with the plasma equilibrium, transport, and EC heating and current drive. The calculated magnetic island width and growth rate is converted to the Mirnov diagnostic signal as an input to the controller to mimic the real experiment. In addition, 10% of the noise is enforced to this diagnostic signal to evaluate the robustness of the controller. To test the dependency of the NTM stabilization time on the EC beam width, the EC beam width scan is performed for a perfectly aligned case first, then for cases with the feedback control using the minimum seeking controller. When the EC beam is perfectly aligned, the narrower the EC beam width, the smaller the NTM stabilization time is observed. As the beam width increases, the required EC power increases exponentially. On the other hand, when the minimum seeking controller is applied, NTM stabilization sometimes fails as the EC beam width decreases. This is consistently observed in the simulation with various representations of the noise as well as without the noise in the Mirnov signal. The higher relative misalignment, misalignment divided by the beam width, is found to be the reason for the failure with the narrower beam widths. The EC stabilization effect can be lower for the narrower beam widths than the broader ones even at the same misalignment due to the smaller ECCD at the island O-point. On the other hand, if the EC beam is too wide, the NTM stabilization time takes too long. Accordingly, the optimal EC beam width range is revealed to exist in the feedback stabilization of NTM.

Coordinated control of wind generation and energy storage for power system frequency regulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baone, Chaitanya Ashok

Large-scale centralized synchronous generators have long been the primary actors in exercising active power and frequency control, and much of the existing grid control framework is predicated upon their dynamic terminal characteristics. Important among these characteristics is the inertia of such generators. These play key roles in determining the electromechanical stability of the electric power grid. Modern wind generator systems are partially or fully connected to the grid through power electronic interfaces, and hence do not present the same level of inertial coupling. The absence of inertial frequency response from modern wind generator systems is a topic of growing concern in power engineering practice, as the penetration of wind generation is expected to grow dramatically in the next few years. Solutions proposed in the literature have sought to address this problem by seeking to mimic the inherent inertial response characteristics of traditional synchronous generators via control loops added to wind generators. Recent literature has raised concerns regarding this approach, and the work here will further examine its shortcomings, motivating approaches that seek to optimally design for the characteristics of the equipment exercising the control, rather than forcing new technologies to mimic the characteristics of synchronous machines. In particular, this work will develop a new approach to power system frequency regulation, with features suited to distributed energy storage devices such as grid-scale batteries and wind turbine speed and blade pitch control. The dynamic characteristics of these new technologies are treated along with existing mechanisms, such as synchronous machine governor control, to develop a comprehensive multi-input control design approach. To make the method practically feasible for geographically distributed power systems, an observer-based distributed control design utilizing phasor measurement unit (PMU) signals along with local measurements is developed. In addition to the system-wide objective of frequency regulation, a local objective of reducing the wind turbine drivetrain stress is considered. Also, an algorithm is proposed to characterize the modal degrees of controllability and observability on a subspace of critical modes of the system, so that the most effective sensor and actuator locations to be used in the control design can be found.

Neural and psychological mechanisms underlying compulsive drug seeking habits and drug memories--indications for novel treatments of addiction.

PubMed

Everitt, Barry J

2014-07-01

This review discusses the evidence for the hypothesis that the development of drug addiction can be understood in terms of interactions between Pavlovian and instrumental learning and memory mechanisms in the brain that underlie the seeking and taking of drugs. It is argued that these behaviours initially are goal-directed, but increasingly become elicited as stimulus-response habits by drug-associated conditioned stimuli that are established by Pavlovian conditioning. It is further argued that compulsive drug use emerges as the result of a loss of prefrontal cortical inhibitory control over drug seeking habits. Data are reviewed that indicate these transitions from use to abuse to addiction depend upon shifts from ventral to dorsal striatal control over behaviour, mediated in part by serial connectivity between the striatum and midbrain dopamine systems. Only some individuals lose control over their drug use, and the importance of behavioural impulsivity as a vulnerability trait predicting stimulant abuse and addiction in animals and humans, together with consideration of an emerging neuroendophenotype for addiction are discussed. Finally, the potential for developing treatments for addiction is considered in light of the neuropsychological advances that are reviewed, including the possibility of targeting drug memory reconsolidation and extinction to reduce Pavlovian influences on drug seeking as a means of promoting abstinence and preventing relapse. © 2014 The Author. European Journal of Neuroscience published by Federation of European Neuroscience Societies and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Understanding Rape Survivors' Decisions Not to Seek Help from Formal Social Systems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Patterson, Debra; Greeson, Megan; Campbell, Rebecca

2009-01-01

Few rape survivors seek help from formal social systems after their assault. The purpose of this study was to examine factors that prevent survivors from seeking help from the legal, medical, and mental health systems and rape crisis centers. In this study, 29 female rape survivors who did not seek any postassault formal help were interviewed…

Can a brief biologically-based psychoeducational intervention reduce stigma and increase help-seeking intentions for depression in young people? A randomised controlled trial.

PubMed

Howard, Kerry A; Griffiths, Kathleen M; McKetin, Rebecca; Ma, Jennifer

2018-05-01

There is disagreement in the literature as to whether biological attribution increases or decreases stigma. This study investigated the effect of an online biological intervention on stigma and help-seeking intentions for depression among adolescents. A three-arm, pre-post test, double-blind randomised controlled trial (RCT) was used to compare the effects of a biological and a psychosocial intervention delivered online. Participants comprised secondary school students (N = 327) aged 16-19 years. Outcome measures included anticipated self-stigma for depression (primary), personal stigma, help-seeking intention for depression, and biological and psychosocial attribution. Neither the biological nor the psychosocial educational intervention significantly reduced anticipated self-stigma or personal stigma for depression relative to the control. However, a small increase in help-seeking intention for depression relative to the control was found for the biological educational condition. The study was undertaken over a single session and it is unknown whether the intervention effect on help-seeking intentions was sustained or would translate into help-seeking behaviour. A brief online biological education intervention did not alter stigma, but did promote a small increase in help-seeking intentions for depression among adolescents. This type of intervention may be a practical means for facilitating help-seeking among adolescents with current or future depression treatment needs.

Psychosocial Determinants of Cancer-Related Information Seeking among Cancer Patients

PubMed Central

SMITH-McLALLEN, AARON; FISHBEIN, MARTIN; HORNIK, ROBERT C.

2011-01-01

This study explores the utility of using the Integrative Model of Behavioral Prediction as a framework for predicting cancer patients’ intentions to seek information about their cancer from sources other than a physician, and to examine the relation between patient’s baseline intentions to seek information and their actual seeking behavior at follow-up. Within one year of their diagnosis with colon, breast, or prostate cancer, 1641 patients responded to a mailed questionnaire assessing intentions to seek cancer-related information from a source other than their doctor, as well as their attitudes, perceived normative pressure, and perceived behavioral control with respect to this behavior. In addition, the survey assessed their cancer-related information seeking. One year later, 1049 of these patients responded to a follow-up survey assessing cancer-related information seeking during the previous year. Attitudes, perceived normative pressure, and perceived behavioral control were predictive of information seeking intentions, though attitudes emerged as the primary predictor. Intentions to seek information, perceived normative pressure regarding information seeking, baseline information seeking behavior, and being diagnosed with stage 4 cancer were predictive of actual information seeking behavior at follow-up. Practical implications are discussed. PMID:21207310

Intelligent Control for Drag Reduction on the X-48B Vehicle

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Griffin, Brian Joseph; Brown, Nelson Andrew; Yoo, Seung Yeun

2011-01-01

This paper focuses on the development of an intelligent control technology for in-flight drag reduction. The system is integrated with and demonstrated on the full X-48B nonlinear simulation. The intelligent control system utilizes a peak-seeking control method implemented with a time-varying Kalman filter. Performance functional coordinate and magnitude measurements, or independent and dependent parameters respectively, are used by the Kalman filter to provide the system with gradient estimates of the designed performance function which is used to drive the system toward a local minimum in a steepestdescent approach. To ensure ease of integration and algorithm performance, a single-input single-output approach was chosen. The framework, specific implementation considerations, simulation results, and flight feasibility issues related to this platform are discussed.

Controlling the Internal Heat Transfer Coefficient by the Characteristics of External Flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhuromskii, V. M.

2018-01-01

The engineering-physical fundamentals of substance synthesis in a boiling apparatus are presented. We have modeled a system of automatic stabilization of the maximum internal heat transfer coefficient in such an apparatus by the characteristics of external flows on the basis of adaptive seeking algorithms. The results of operation of the system in the shop are presented.

Dopamine homeostasis: brain functional connectivity in reward deficiency syndrome.

PubMed

Febo, Marcelo; Blum, Kenneth; Badgaiyan, Rajendra D; Baron, David; Thanos, Panayotis K; Colon-Perez, Luis M; Demortrovics, Zsolt; Gold, Mark S

2017-01-01

Reward deficiency syndrome (RDS) was first proposed by Kenneth Blum in 1995 to provide a clinically relevant and predictive term for conditions involving deficits in mesocorticolimbic dopamine function. Genetic, molecular, and neuronal alterations in key components of this circuitry contribute to a reward deficit state that can drive drug-seeking, consumption, and relapse. Among the dysfunctions observed in RDS are dysregulated resting state networks, which recently have been assessed in detail in chronic drug users by, positron emission tomography, functional magnetic resonance imaging, and functional connectivity analysis. A growing number of studies are helping to determine the putative roles of dopamine and glutamatergic neurotransmission in the regulation of activity in resting state networks, particularly in brain reward circuitry affected in drug use disorders. Indeed, we hypothesize in the present review that loss of homeostasis of these systems may lead to 'unbalanced' functional networks that might be both cause and outcome of disrupted synaptic communication between cortical and subcortical systems essential for controlling reward, emotional control, sensation seeking, and chronic drug use.

Network Randomization and Dynamic Defense for Critical Infrastructure Systems

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

Chavez, Adrian R.; Martin, Mitchell Tyler; Hamlet, Jason

2015-04-01

Critical Infrastructure control systems continue to foster predictable communication paths, static configurations, and unpatched systems that allow easy access to our nation's most critical assets. This makes them attractive targets for cyber intrusion. We seek to address these attack vectors by automatically randomizing network settings, randomizing applications on the end devices themselves, and dynamically defending these systems against active attacks. Applying these protective measures will convert control systems into moving targets that proactively defend themselves against attack. Sandia National Laboratories has led this effort by gathering operational and technical requirements from Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and performing research and developmentmore » to create a proof-of-concept solution. Our proof-of-concept has been tested in a laboratory environment with over 300 nodes. The vision of this project is to enhance control system security by converting existing control systems into moving targets and building these security measures into future systems while meeting the unique constraints that control systems face.« less

Female autonomy and reported abortion-seeking in Ghana, West Africa.

PubMed

Rominski, Sarah D; Gupta, Mira; Aborigo, Raymond; Adongo, Phillip; Engman, Cyril; Hodgson, Abraham; Moyer, Cheryl

2014-09-01

To investigate factors associated with self-reported pregnancy termination in Ghana and thereby appreciate the correlates of abortion-seeking in order to understand safe abortion care provision. In a retrospective study, data from the Ghana 2008 Demographic and Health Survey were used to investigate factors associated with self-reported pregnancy termination. Variables on an individual and household level were examined by both bivariate analyses and multivariate logistic regression. A five-point autonomy scale was created to explore the role of female autonomy in reported abortion-seeking behavior. Among 4916 women included in the survey, 791 (16.1%) reported having an abortion. Factors associated with abortion-seeking included being older, having attended school, and living in an urban versus a rural area. When entered into a logistic regression model with demographic control variables, every step up the autonomy scale (i.e. increasing autonomy) was associated with a 14.0% increased likelihood of reporting the termination of a pregnancy (P < 0.05). Although health system barriers might play a role in preventing women from seeking safe abortion services, autonomy on an individual level is also important and needs to be addressed if women are to be empowered to seek safe abortion services. Copyright © 2014 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Extremum seeking with bounded update rates

DOE PAGES

Scheinker, Alexander; Krstić, Miroslav

2013-11-16

In this work, we present a form of extremum seeking (ES) in which the unknown function being minimized enters the system’s dynamics as the argument of a cosine or sine term, thereby guaranteeing known bounds on update rates and control efforts. We present general n-dimensional optimization and stabilization results as well as 2D vehicle control, with bounded velocity and control efforts. For application to autonomous vehicles, tracking a source in a GPS denied environment with unknown orientation, this ES approach allows for smooth heading angle actuation, with constant velocity, and in application to a unicycle-type vehicle results in control abilitymore » as if the vehicle is fully actuated. Our stability analysis is made possible by the classic results of Kurzweil, Jarnik, Sussmann, and Liu, regarding systems with highly oscillatory terms. In our stability analysis, we combine the averaging results with a semi-global practical stability result under small parametric perturbations developed by Moreau and Aeyels.« less

Internalized model minority myth, Asian values, and help-seeking attitudes among Asian American students.

PubMed

Kim, Paul Youngbin; Lee, Donghun

2014-01-01

The present study examined cultural factors underlying help-seeking attitudes of Asian American college students (N = 106). Specifically, we explored internalized model minority myth as a predictor of help-seeking attitudes and tested an intrapersonal-interpersonal framework of Asian values as a mechanism by which the two are related. Results indicated that internalized model minority myth significantly predicted unfavorable help-seeking attitudes, and emotional self-control mediated this relationship. Interpersonal values and humility were nonsignificant mediators, contrary to our hypotheses. The findings suggest that the investigation of internalized model minority myth in help-seeking research is a worthwhile endeavor, and they also highlight emotional self-control as an important explanatory variable in help-seeking attitudes of Asian American college students.

Peak Seeking Control for Reduced Fuel Consumption with Preliminary Flight Test Results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brown, Nelson

2012-01-01

The Environmentally Responsible Aviation project seeks to accomplish the simultaneous reduction of fuel burn, noise, and emissions. A project at NASA Dryden Flight Research Center is contributing to ERAs goals by exploring the practical application of real-time trim configuration optimization for enhanced performance and reduced fuel consumption. This peak-seeking control approach is based on Newton-Raphson algorithm using a time-varying Kalman filter to estimate the gradient of the performance function. In real-time operation, deflection of symmetric ailerons, trailing-edge flaps, and leading-edge flaps of a modified F-18 are directly optimized, and the horizontal stabilators and angle of attack are indirectly optimized. Preliminary results from three research flights are presented herein. The optimization system found a trim configuration that required approximately 3.5% less fuel flow than the baseline trim at the given flight condition. The algorithm consistently rediscovered the solution from several initial conditions. These preliminary results show the algorithm has good performance and is expected to show similar results at other flight conditions and aircraft configurations.

The safe environment for every kid model: impact on pediatric primary care professionals.

PubMed

Dubowitz, Howard; Lane, Wendy G; Semiatin, Joshua N; Magder, Laurence S; Venepally, Mamata; Jans, Merel

2011-04-01

To examine whether the Safe Environment for Every Kid (SEEK) model of enhanced primary care would improve the attitudes, knowledge, comfort, competence, and behavior of child health care professionals (HPs) regarding addressing major risk factors for child maltreatment (CM). In a cluster randomized controlled trial, 18 private practices were assigned to intervention (SEEK) or control groups. SEEK HPs received training on CM risk factors (eg, maternal depression). The SEEK model included the parent screening questionnaire and the participation of a social worker. SEEK's impact was evaluated in 3 ways: (1) the health professional questionnaire (HPQ), which assessed HPs' attitudes and practice regarding the targeted problems; (2) observations of HPs conducting checkups; and (3) review of children's medical records. The 102 HPs averaged 45 years of age; 68% were female, and 74% were in suburban practices. Comparing baseline scores with 6-, 18-, and 36-month follow-up data, the HPQ revealed significant (P < .05) improvement in the SEEK group compared with controls on addressing depression (6 months), substance abuse (18 months), intimate partner violence (6 and 18 months), and stress (6, 18, and 36 months), and in their comfort level and perceived competence (both at 6, 18, and 36 months). SEEK HPs screened for targeted problems more often than did controls based on observations 24 months after the initial training and the medical records (P < .001). The SEEK model led to significant and sustained improvement in several areas. This is a crucial first step in helping HPs address major psychosocial problems that confront many families. SEEK offers a modest yet promising enhancement of primary care.

Adolescent cannabinoid exposure effects on natural reward seeking and learning in rats.

PubMed

Schoch, H; Huerta, M Y; Ruiz, C M; Farrell, M R; Jung, K M; Huang, J J; Campbell, R R; Piomelli, D; Mahler, S V

2018-01-01

Adolescence is characterized by endocannabinoid (ECB)-dependent refinement of neural circuits underlying emotion, learning, and motivation. As a result, adolescent cannabinoid receptor stimulation (ACRS) with phytocannabinoids or synthetic agonists like "Spice" cause robust and persistent changes in both behavior and circuit architecture in rodents, including in reward-related regions like medial prefrontal cortex and nucleus accumbens (NAc). Here, we examine persistent effects of ACRS with the cannabinoid receptor 1/2 specific agonist WIN55-212,2 (WIN; 1.2 mg/kg/day, postnatal day (PD) 30-43), on natural reward-seeking behaviors and ECB system function in adult male Long Evans rats (PD 60+). WIN ACRS increased palatable food intake, and altered attribution of incentive salience to food cues in a sign-/goal-tracking paradigm. ACRS also blunted hunger-induced sucrose intake, and resulted in increased anandamide and oleoylethanolamide levels in NAc after acute food restriction not seen in controls. ACRS did not affect food neophobia or locomotor response to a novel environment, but did increase preference for exploring a novel environment. These results demonstrate that ACRS causes long-term increases in natural reward-seeking behaviors and ECB system function that persist into adulthood, potentially increasing liability to excessive natural reward seeking later in life.

Predictors of diarrheal mortality and patterns of caregiver health seeking behavior in in Karachi, Pakistan

PubMed Central

Qamar, Farah Naz; Zaman, Umber; Quadri, Farheen; Khan, Asia; Shaikh, Babar Tasneem; Azam, Iqbal; Nasrin, Dilruba; Kotloff, Karen; Levine, Myron; Brown, Nick; Zaidi, Anita K M

2016-01-01

Background Pakistan is unfortunately among the five countries that contributed to the most deaths due to diarrhea and pneumonia in 2010. To explore factors associated with diarrheal deaths we assessed care–seeking behavior and other predictors of diarrhea–related mortality in children in selected low–income peri–urban communities of Karachi, Pakistan. Methods A mixed methods study (qualitative and quantitative) using matched case–control design and focus group discussions with parents of children with moderate to severe diarrhea (MSD) was undertaken. Cases were children  <5 years of age who died within 60 days of developing an episode of MSD. Controls were age–matched children who survived after 60 days of an episode of MSD. Demographic, clinical, and care–related behavioral predictors of mortality were assessed. Conditional logistic regression was performed, matched adjusted odds ratios (mOR) are reported. Results Parents of 77 cases and 154 controls were interviewed. Cases were less likely to receive appropriate care compared to controls (mOR = 0.2, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.05–0.91). Refusal for hospital admission (OR = 8.9, 95% CI 2.6–30.8), and delays in reaching the health facility (OR = 3.6, 95% CI 1.0–12.9) were significant independent predictors of mortality. We found strong beliefs in traditional and spiritual healing in the population; use of both modern and traditional/spiritual treatments concurrently was common. Conclusion Appropriate care seeking behavior predicts survival in children with diarrhea in Pakistan. There is a complex belief system relating to traditional and standard therapies. Health education for appropriate health care seeking should be implemented in order to achieve a substantial decline in diarrheal disease mortality in Pakistan. PMID:27606059

Profiling Characteristics of Internet Medical Information Users

PubMed Central

Weaver, James B.; Mays, Darren; Lindner, Gregg; Eroğlu, Doğan; Fridinger, Frederick; Bernhardt, Jay M.

2009-01-01

Objective The Internet's potential to bolster health promotion and disease prevention efforts has attracted considerable attention. Existing research leaves two things unclear, however: the prevalence of online health and medical information seeking and the distinguishing characteristics of individuals who seek that information. Design This study seeks to clarify and extend the knowledge base concerning health and medical information use online by profiling adults using Internet medical information (IMI). Secondary analysis of survey data from a large sample (n = 6,119) representative of the Atlanta, GA, area informed this investigation. Measurements Five survey questions were used to assess IMI use and general computer and Internet use during the 30 days before the survey was administered. Five questions were also used to assess respondents' health care system use. Several demographic characteristics were measured. Results Contrary to most prior research, this study found relatively low prevalence of IMI-seeking behavior. Specifically, IMI use was reported by 13.2% of all respondents (n = 6,119) and by 21.1% of respondents with Internet access (n = 3,829). Logistic regression models conducted among respondents accessing the Internet in the previous 30 days revealed that, when controlling for several sociodemographic characteristics, home computer ownership, online time per week, and health care system use are all positively linked with IMI-seeking behavior. Conclusions The data suggest it may be premature to embrace unilaterally the Internet as an effective asset for health promotion and disease prevention efforts that target the public. PMID:19567794

Detection, monitoring, and evaluation of spatio-temporal change in mosquito populations

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

USDA-ARS scientists seek to implement a sampling and global information technology based system that can be used for mosquito detection and trap deployment, to estimate mosquito species composition and distribution in space and time, and for targeting and evaluation of mosquito controls. Knowledge ...

Error field optimization in DIII-D using extremum seeking control

DOE PAGES

Lanctot, M. J.; Olofsson, K. E. J.; Capella, M.; ...

2016-06-03

A closed-loop error field control algorithm is implemented in the Plasma Control System of the DIII-D tokamak and used to identify optimal control currents during a single plasma discharge. The algorithm, based on established extremum seeking control theory, exploits the link in tokamaks between maximizing the toroidal angular momentum and minimizing deleterious non-axisymmetric magnetic fields. Slowly-rotating n = 1 fields (the dither), generated by external coils, are used to perturb the angular momentum, monitored in real-time using a charge-exchange spectroscopy diagnostic. Simple signal processing of the rotation measurements extracts information about the rotation gradient with respect to the control coilmore » currents. This information is used to converge the control coil currents to a point that maximizes the toroidal angular momentum. The technique is well-suited for multi-coil, multi-harmonic error field optimizations in disruption sensitive devices as it does not require triggering locked tearing modes or plasma current disruptions. Control simulations highlight the importance of the initial search direction on the rate of the convergence, and identify future algorithm upgrades that may allow more rapid convergence that projects to convergence times in ITER on the order of tens of seconds.« less

Improving Students' Help-Seeking Skills Using Metacognitive Feedback in an Intelligent Tutoring System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roll, Ido; Aleven, Vincent; McLaren, Bruce M.; Koedinger, Kenneth R.

2011-01-01

The present research investigated whether immediate metacognitive feedback on students' help-seeking errors can help students acquire better help-seeking skills. The Help Tutor, an intelligent tutor agent for help seeking, was integrated into a commercial tutoring system for geometry, the Geometry Cognitive Tutor. Study 1, with 58 students, found…

Goal orientation, self-regulation strategies, and job-seeking intensity in unemployed adults.

PubMed

Creed, Peter A; King, Vivien; Hood, Michelle; McKenzie, Robert

2009-05-01

At Time 1 (T1), the authors surveyed 277 unemployed adults using measures of human capital, goal orientation, self-regulation (emotion control, motivation control, work commitment), and job-seeking intensity. At Time 2 (T2), 4 months later, 155 participants indicated their reemployment outcomes in number of job interviews and number of job offers. Using T1 data, the authors tested the predictors of job-seeking intensity and whether self-regulation mediated between goal orientation and job-seeking intensity. Using T1 and T2 data, they tested for predictors of reemployment outcomes and whether job-seeking intensity mediated the relationship between T1 antecedent variables and the reemployment outcomes. Learning goal orientation and self-regulation predicted job-seeking intensity, and self-regulation mediated between learning goal orientation and job-seeking intensity. Job-seeking intensity did not mediate the relationship among human capital, goal orientation, and self-regulation variables and reemployment outcomes. (c) 2009 APA, all rights reserved.

Health care information systems and formula-based reimbursement: an empirical study.

PubMed

Palley, M A; Conger, S

1995-01-01

Current initiatives in health care administration use formula-based approaches to reimbursement. Examples of such approaches include capitation and diagnosis related groups (DRGs). These approaches seek to contain medical costs and to facilitate managerial control over scarce health care resources. This article considers various characteristics of formula-based reimbursement, their operationalization on hospital information systems, and how these relate to hospital compliance costs.

A Study on Aircraft Engine Control Systems for Integrated Flight and Propulsion Control

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamane, Hideaki; Matsunaga, Yasushi; Kusakawa, Takeshi; Yasui, Hisako

The Integrated Flight and Propulsion Control (IFPC) for a highly maneuverable aircraft and a fighter-class engine with pitch/yaw thrust vectoring is described. Of the two IFPC functions the aircraft maneuver control utilizes the thrust vectoring based on aerodynamic control surfaces/thrust vectoring control allocation specified by the Integrated Control Unit (ICU) of a FADEC (Full Authority Digital Electronic Control) system. On the other hand in the Performance Seeking Control (PSC) the ICU identifies engine's various characteristic changes, optimizes manipulated variables and finally adjusts engine control parameters in cooperation with the Engine Control Unit (ECU). It is shown by hardware-in-the-loop simulation that the thrust vectoring can enhance aircraft maneuverability/agility and that the PSC can improve engine performance parameters such as SFC (specific fuel consumption), thrust and gas temperature.

40 CFR 60.107 - Reporting and recordkeeping requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... in the gases discharged to the atmosphere from any fluid catalytic cracking unit catalyst regenerator... concurrent with a startup, shutdown, or malfunction of the fluid catalytic cracking unit or control system... cracking unit catalyst regenerator for which the owner or operator seeks to comply with § 60.104(b)(1) is...

40 CFR 60.107 - Reporting and recordkeeping requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... in the gases discharged to the atmosphere from any fluid catalytic cracking unit catalyst regenerator... concurrent with a startup, shutdown, or malfunction of the fluid catalytic cracking unit or control system... cracking unit catalyst regenerator for which the owner or operator seeks to comply with § 60.104(b)(1) is...

Technical and scale efficiency in the delivery of child health services in Zambia: results from data envelopment analysis

PubMed Central

Achoki, Tom; Hovels, Anke; Masiye, Felix; Lesego, Abaleng; Leufkens, Hubert; Kinfu, Yohannes

2017-01-01

Objective Despite tremendous efforts to scale up key maternal and child health interventions in Zambia, progress has not been uniform across the country. This raises fundamental health system performance questions that require further investigation. Our study investigates technical and scale efficiency (SE) in the delivery of maternal and child health services in the country. Setting The study focused on all 72 health districts of Zambia. Methods We compiled a district-level database comprising health outcomes (measured by the probability of survival to 5 years of age), health outputs (measured by coverage of key health interventions) and a set of health system inputs, namely, financial resources and human resources for health, for the year 2010. We used data envelopment analysis to assess the performance of subnational units across Zambia with respect to technical and SE, controlling for environmental factors that are beyond the control of health system decision makers. Results Nationally, average technical efficiency with respect to improving child survival was 61.5% (95% CI 58.2% to 64.8%), which suggests that there is a huge inefficiency in resource use in the country and the potential to expand services without injecting additional resources into the system. Districts that were more urbanised and had a higher proportion of educated women were more technically efficient. Improved cooking methods and donor funding had no significant effect on efficiency. Conclusions With the pressing need to accelerate progress in population health, decision makers must seek efficient ways to deliver services to achieve universal health coverage. Understanding the factors that drive performance and seeking ways to enhance efficiency offer a practical pathway through which low-income countries could improve population health without necessarily seeking additional resources. PMID:28057650

Malaria Related Perceptions, Care Seeking after Onset of Fever and Anti-Malarial Drug Use in Malaria Endemic Settings of Southwest Ethiopia

PubMed Central

Birhanu, Zewdie; Abebe, Lakew; Sudhakar, Morankar; Dissanayake, Gunawardena; Yihdego, Yemane Ye-ebiyo; Alemayehu, Guda; Yewhalaw, Delenasaw

2016-01-01

Background Prompt care seeking and appropriate use of anti-malarial drugs are critical components of malaria prevention and control. This study assessed malaria related perceptions, care seeking behavior and anti-malarial drug use in malaria endemic settings of Ethiopia. Methods Data were generated from a community based cross-sectional study conducted among 798 households during January 2014 as part of a larger household behavioral study in three malaria endemic districts of Jimma Zone, Southwest Ethiopia. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected and analyzed using SPSS 17.0 and STATA 12.0. Results In this study, only 76.1% of the respondents associated malaria to mosquito bite, and incorrect beliefs and perceptions were noted. Despite moderate level of knowledge (estimated mean = 62.2, Std Err = 0.7, 95% CI: 60.6–63.8%), quite high favorable attitude (overall estimated mean = 91.5, Std Err = 0.6, 95% CI: 90.1–92.9%) were recorded towards malaria preventive measures. The mean attitude score for prompt care seeking, appropriate use of anti-malarial drugs, LLIN use and Indoor Residual Spray acceptance was 98.5 (Std Err = 0.4, 95% CI:97.5–99.4), 92.7 (Std Err = 0.6 95% CI:91.5–93.9), 88.8 (Std Err = 0.5, 95% CI:85.5–92.1) and 86.5 (Std Err = 1.2, 95% CI: 83.9–89.1), respectively. The prevalence of fever was 2.9% (116/4107) and of the study participants with fever, 71.9% (95% CI: 65.5–78.3%) sought care and all of them consulted formal health care system. However, only 17 (19.8%) sought care within 24 hours after onset of fever. The frequency of care seeking was higher (77.8%, n = 21/27) and more prompt (28.6%, 6/21) for children under five as compared to old age groups despite it was not statistically significant (p > 0.05). However, higher median time of seeking first care was observed among Muslims and people who did not attend school (p < 0.05). Of those who used anti-malarial drugs, 9.1% indicated that they used it inappropriately through saving and/or sharing. Irregular availability of anti-malarial drugs; irregular presence of frontline health workers and misconceptions were mentioned to contribute to delayed care seeking and irrational use of anti-malarial drugs. Conclusions Although care seeking behavior for febrile illness was quite high in this community, the habit of prompt care seeking was very limited. Thus, malaria prevention and control programs need to take into account local misconceptions and wrong perceptions, and health system factors to achieve optimal health seeking behavior in such malaria endemic settings. PMID:27517717

Which bundles of features in a Web-based personally controlled health management system are associated with consumer help-seeking behaviors for physical and emotional well-being?

PubMed

Lau, Annie Y S; Proudfoot, Judith; Andrews, Annie; Liaw, Siaw-Teng; Crimmins, Jacinta; Arguel, Amaël; Coiera, Enrico

2013-05-06

Personally controlled health management systems (PCHMS), which include a personal health record (PHR), health management tools, and consumer resources, represent the next stage in consumer eHealth systems. It is still unclear, however, what features contribute to an engaging and efficacious PCHMS. To identify features in a Web-based PCHMS that are associated with consumer utilization of primary care and counselling services, and help-seeking rates for physical and emotional well-being concerns. A one-group pre/posttest online prospective study was conducted on a university campus to measure use of a PCHMS for physical and emotional well-being needs during a university academic semester (July to November 2011). The PCHMS integrated an untethered personal health record (PHR) with well-being journeys, social forums, polls, diaries, and online messaging links with a health service provider, where journeys provide information for consumer participants to engage with clinicians and health services in an actionable way. 1985 students and staff aged 18 and above with access to the Internet were recruited online. Logistic regression, the Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient, and chi-square analyses were used to associate participants' help-seeking behaviors and health service utilization with PCHMS usage among the 709 participants eligible for analysis. A dose-response association was detected between the number of times a user logged into the PCHMS and the number of visits to a health care professional (P=.01), to the university counselling service (P=.03), and help-seeking rates (formal or informal) for emotional well-being matters (P=.03). No significant association was detected between participant pre-study characteristics or well-being ratings at different PCHMS login frequencies. Health service utilization was strongly correlated with use of a bundle of features including: online appointment booking (primary care: OR 1.74, 95% CI 1.01-3.00; counselling: OR 6.04, 95% CI 2.30-15.85), personal health record (health care professional: OR 2.82, 95% CI 1.63-4.89), the poll (health care professional: OR 1.47, 95% CI 1.02-2.12), and diary (counselling: OR 4.92, 95% CI 1.40-17.35). Help-seeking for physical well-being matters was only correlated with use of the personal health record (OR 1.73, 95% CI 1.18-2.53). Help-seeking for emotional well-being concerns (including visits to the university counselling service) was correlated with a bundle comprising the poll (formal or informal help-seeking: OR 1.03, 95% CI 1.00-1.05), diary (counselling: OR 4.92, 95% CI 1.40-17.35), and online appointment booking (counselling: OR 6.04, 95% CI 2.30-15.85). Frequent usage of a PCHMS was significantly associated with increased consumer health service utilization and help-seeking rates for emotional health matters in a university sample. Different bundles of PCHMS features were associated with physical and emotional well-being matters. PCHMS appears to be a promising mechanism to engage consumers in help-seeking or health service utilization for physical and emotional well-being matters.

Which Bundles of Features in a Web-Based Personally Controlled Health Management System Are Associated With Consumer Help-Seeking Behaviors for Physical and Emotional Well-Being?

PubMed Central

Proudfoot, Judith; Andrews, Annie; Liaw, Siaw-Teng; Crimmins, Jacinta; Arguel, Amaël; Coiera, Enrico

2013-01-01

Background Personally controlled health management systems (PCHMS), which include a personal health record (PHR), health management tools, and consumer resources, represent the next stage in consumer eHealth systems. It is still unclear, however, what features contribute to an engaging and efficacious PCHMS. Objective To identify features in a Web-based PCHMS that are associated with consumer utilization of primary care and counselling services, and help-seeking rates for physical and emotional well-being concerns. Methods A one-group pre/posttest online prospective study was conducted on a university campus to measure use of a PCHMS for physical and emotional well-being needs during a university academic semester (July to November 2011). The PCHMS integrated an untethered personal health record (PHR) with well-being journeys, social forums, polls, diaries, and online messaging links with a health service provider, where journeys provide information for consumer participants to engage with clinicians and health services in an actionable way. 1985 students and staff aged 18 and above with access to the Internet were recruited online. Logistic regression, the Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient, and chi-square analyses were used to associate participants’ help-seeking behaviors and health service utilization with PCHMS usage among the 709 participants eligible for analysis. Results A dose-response association was detected between the number of times a user logged into the PCHMS and the number of visits to a health care professional (P=.01), to the university counselling service (P=.03), and help-seeking rates (formal or informal) for emotional well-being matters (P=.03). No significant association was detected between participant pre-study characteristics or well-being ratings at different PCHMS login frequencies. Health service utilization was strongly correlated with use of a bundle of features including: online appointment booking (primary care: OR 1.74, 95% CI 1.01-3.00; counselling: OR 6.04, 95% CI 2.30-15.85), personal health record (health care professional: OR 2.82, 95% CI 1.63-4.89), the poll (health care professional: OR 1.47, 95% CI 1.02-2.12), and diary (counselling: OR 4.92, 95% CI 1.40-17.35). Help-seeking for physical well-being matters was only correlated with use of the personal health record (OR 1.73, 95% CI 1.18-2.53). Help-seeking for emotional well-being concerns (including visits to the university counselling service) was correlated with a bundle comprising the poll (formal or informal help-seeking: OR 1.03, 95% CI 1.00-1.05), diary (counselling: OR 4.92, 95% CI 1.40-17.35), and online appointment booking (counselling: OR 6.04, 95% CI 2.30-15.85). Conclusions Frequent usage of a PCHMS was significantly associated with increased consumer health service utilization and help-seeking rates for emotional health matters in a university sample. Different bundles of PCHMS features were associated with physical and emotional well-being matters. PCHMS appears to be a promising mechanism to engage consumers in help-seeking or health service utilization for physical and emotional well-being matters. PMID:23649790

Women Empowerment through Health Information Seeking: A Qualitative Study

PubMed Central

Nikbakht Nasrabadi, Alireza; Sabzevari, Sakineh; Negahban Bonabi, Tayebeh

2015-01-01

Background Today, women empowering is an important issue.  Several methods have been introduced to empower women. Health information seeking is one of the most important activities in this regard. A wide range of capabilities have been reported as outcomes of health information seeking in several studies. As health information seeking is developed within personal-social interactions and also the health system context, it seems that the qualitative paradigm is appropriate to use in studies in this regard. This study aimed to explore how women’s empowerment through health information seeking is done. Methods In this qualitative content analysis study, data collection was done with regard to inclusion criteria, through purposive sampling by semi-structured interviews with 17 women and using documentation and field notes until data saturation. Qualitative data analysis was done constantly and simultaneous with data collection. Results Four central themes were emerged to explain women’s empowerment through health information seeking that included: a) Health concerns management with three subcategories of Better coping, Stress management, Control of situation, b) Collaborative care with two subcategories of Effective interaction with health professions and Participation in health decision making c) Individual development d) Self-protection with four sub- categories of Life style modification,  Preventive behaviors promoting, Self-care promoting, and  medication adherence. Conclusion The results of this study indicate the importance of women empowerment through foraging their health information seeking rights and comprehensive health information management. PMID:26005690

Help-seeking in people with exceptional experiences: results from a general population sample.

PubMed

Landolt, Karin; Wittwer, Amrei; Wyss, Thomas; Unterassner, Lui; Fach, Wolfgang; Krummenacher, Peter; Brugger, Peter; Haker, Helene; Kawohl, Wolfram; Schubiger, Pius August; Folkers, Gerd; Rössler, Wulf

2014-01-01

Exceptional experiences (EE) are experiences that deviate from ordinary experiences, for example precognition, supernatural appearances, or déjà vues. In spite of the high frequency of EE in the general population, little is known about their effect on mental health and about the way people cope with EE. This study aimed to assess the quality and quantity of EE in persons from the Swiss general population, to identify the predictors of their help-seeking, and to determine how many of them approach the mental health system. An on-line survey was used to evaluate a quota sample of 1580 persons representing the Swiss general population with respect to gender, age, and level of education. Multinomial logistic regression was applied to integrate help-seeking, self-reported mental disorder, and other variables in a statistical model designed to identify predictors of help-seeking in persons with EE. Almost all participants (91%) experienced at least one EE. Generally, help-seeking was more frequent when the EE were of negative valence. Help-seeking because of EE was less frequent in persons without a self-reported mental disorder (8.6%) than in persons with a disorder (35.1%) (OR = 5.7). Even when frequency and attributes of EE were controlled for, people without a disorder sought four times less often help because of EE than expected. Persons with a self-reported diagnosis of mental disorder preferred seeing a mental health professional. Multinomial regression revealed a preference for healers in women with less education, who described themselves as believing and also having had more impressive EE. Persons with EE who do not indicate a mental disorder less often sought help because of EE than persons who indicated a mental disorder. We attribute this imbalance to a high inhibition threshold to seek professional help. Moreover, especially less educated women did not approach the mental health care system as often as other persons with EE, but preferred seeing a healer.

Coordinated Recruitment of Cortical-Subcortical Circuits and Ascending Dopamine and Serotonin Neurons During Inhibitory Control of Cocaine Seeking in Rats.

PubMed

Navailles, Sylvia; Guillem, Karine; Vouillac-Mendoza, Caroline; Ahmed, Serge H

2015-09-01

People with cocaine addiction retain some degree of prefrontal cortex (PFC) inhibitory control of cocaine craving, a brain capacity that may underlie the efficacy of cognitive behavioral therapy for addiction. Similar findings were recently found in rats after extended access to and escalation of cocaine self-administration. Rats' inhibitory control of cocaine seeking was flexible, sufficiently strong to suppress cocaine-primed reinstatement and depended, at least in part, on neuronal activity within the prelimbic (PL) PFC. Here, we used a large-scale and high-resolution Fos mapping approach to identify, beyond the PL PFC, how top-down and/or bottom-up PFC-subcortical circuits are recruited during inhibition of cocaine seeking. Overall, we found that effective inhibitory control of cocaine seeking is associated with the coordinated recruitment of different top-down cortical-striatal circuits originating from different PFC territories, and of different bottom-up dopamine (DA) and serotonin (5-HT) midbrain subsystems that normally modulate activity in these circuits. This integrated brain response suggests that rats concomitantly engage and experience intricate cognitive and affective processes when they have to inhibit intense cocaine seeking. Thus, even after extended drug use, rats can be successfully trained to engage whole-brain inhibitory control mechanisms to suppress cocaine seeking. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

A theory-based approach to understanding suicide risk in shelter-seeking women.

PubMed

Wolford-Clevenger, Caitlin; Smith, Phillip N

2015-04-01

Women seeking shelter from intimate partner violence are at an increased risk for suicide ideation and attempts compared to women in the general population. Control-based violence, which is common among shelter-seeking women, may play a pivotal role in the development of suicide ideation and attempts. Current risk assessment and management practices for shelter-seeking women are limited by the lack of an empirically grounded understanding of increased risk in this population. We argue that in order to more effectively promote risk assessment and management, an empirically supported theory that is sensitive to the experiences of shelter-seeking women is needed. Such a theory-driven approach has the benefits of identifying and prioritizing targetable areas for intervention. Here, we review the evidence for the link between coercive control and suicide ideation and attempts from the perspective of Baumeister's escape theory of suicide. This theory has the potential to explain the role of coercive control in the development of suicide ideation and eventual attempts in shelter-seeking women. Implications for suicide risk assessment and prevention in domestic violence shelters are discussed. © The Author(s) 2014.

Human Systems Roadmap Review

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-02-09

Impact of Human Systems Community of Interest D O T M L P F $450M COI Budget Has Broad Impact in Several DOTMLPF Areas Decision Making Selection...and fit to a military career. • 26 personality dimensions such as optimism, excitement seeking, and non- delinquency • Applicant chooses from...Adaptive Collaborative Control Technologies ( IMPACT ) architecture designed • IMPACT “DoD Virtual Lab” established (Year 1) • 1 operator x 6 vehicles

Treatment seeking and health financing in selected poor urban neighbourhoods in India, Indonesia and Thailand.

PubMed

Seeberg, Jens; Pannarunothai, Supasit; Padmawati, Retna Siwi; Trisnantoro, Laksono; Barua, Nupur; Pandav, Chandrakant S

2014-02-01

This article presents a comparative analysis of socio-economic disparities in relation to treatment-seeking strategies and healthcare expenditures in poor neighbourhoods within larger health systems in four cities in India, Indonesia and Thailand. About 200 households in New Delhi, Bhubaneswar, Jogjakarta and Phitsanulok were repeatedly interviewed over 12 months to relate health problems with health seeking and health financing at household level. Quantitative data were complemented with ethnographic studies involving the same neighbourhoods and a number of private practitioners at each site. Within each site, the higher and lower income groups among the poor were compared. The lower income group was more likely than the higher income group to seek care from less qualified health providers and incur catastrophic health spending. The study recommends linking quality control mechanisms with universal health coverage (UHC) policies; to monitor the impact of UHC among the poorest; intervention research to reach the poorest with UHC; and inclusion of private providers without formal medical qualification in basic healthcare. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Network Scheduling Model for Distributed Control Simulation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Culley, Dennis; Thomas, George; Aretskin-Hariton, Eliot

2016-01-01

Distributed engine control is a hardware technology that radically alters the architecture for aircraft engine control systems. Of its own accord, it does not change the function of control, rather it seeks to address the implementation issues for weight-constrained vehicles that can limit overall system performance and increase life-cycle cost. However, an inherent feature of this technology, digital communication networks, alters the flow of information between critical elements of the closed-loop control. Whereas control information has been available continuously in conventional centralized control architectures through virtue of analog signaling, moving forward, it will be transmitted digitally in serial fashion over the network(s) in distributed control architectures. An underlying effect is that all of the control information arrives asynchronously and may not be available every loop interval of the controller, therefore it must be scheduled. This paper proposes a methodology for modeling the nominal data flow over these networks and examines the resulting impact for an aero turbine engine system simulation.

The Myriad Strategies for Seeking Control in the Dying Process

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schroepfer, Tracy A.; Noh, Hyunjin; Kavanaugh, Melinda

2009-01-01

Purpose: This study explored the role control plays in the dying process of terminally ill elders by investigating the aspects of the dying process over which they seek to exercise control, the strategies they use, and whether they desire to exercise more control. Design and Methods: In-depth face-to-face interviews were conducted with 84…

Reducing the stigma associated with seeking psychotherapy through self-affirmation.

PubMed

Lannin, Daniel G; Guyll, Max; Vogel, David L; Madon, Stephanie

2013-10-01

Psychotherapy may be underutilized because people experience self-stigma-the internalization of public stigma associated with seeking psychotherapy. The purpose of this study was to experimentally test whether the self-stigma associated with seeking psychotherapy could be reduced by a self-affirmation intervention wherein participants reflected on an important personal characteristic. Compared with a control group, we hypothesized that a self-affirmation writing task would attenuate self-stigma, and thereby evidence indirect effects on intentions and willingness to seek psychotherapy. Participants were 84 undergraduates experiencing psychological distress. After completing pretest measures of self-stigma, intentions, and willingness to seek psychotherapy, participants were randomly assigned to either a self-affirmation or a control writing task, and subsequently completed posttest measures of self-stigma, intentions, and willingness to seek psychotherapy. Consistent with hypotheses, participants who engaged in self-affirmation reported lower self-stigma at posttest. Moreover, the self-affirmation writing task resulted in a positive indirect effect on willingness to seek psychotherapy, though results failed to support an indirect effect on intentions to seek psychotherapy. Findings suggest that self-affirmation theory may provide a useful framework for designing interventions that seek to address the underutilization of psychological services through reductions in self-stigma.

Psychometric properties of the reassurance-seeking scale in a Turkish sample.

PubMed

Gençöz, Tülin; Gençöz, Faruk

2005-02-01

This study examined the psychometric properties of the Reassurance-Seeking Scale in a sample of 102 Turkish undergraduate students. High internal consistency reliability was found for the Reassurance-Seeking Scale (alpha=.86). Factor analysis of the scale identified a single component that accounted for 71% of the total variance. The scale was significantly positively correlated with the Beck Depression Inventory and Beck Anxiety Inventory and had a significantly negative correlation with the Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale. Partial correlations of Reassurance-seeking with Depression scores as controlled by Anxiety scores and with Anxiety scores as controlled by Depression scores indicated that Reassurance-seeking scores maintained association with Depression but not with Anxiety. All these findings were in line with expectations.

Revisiting control establishments for emerging energy hubs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nasirian, Vahidreza

Emerging small-scale energy systems, i.e., microgrids and smartgrids, rely on centralized controllers for voltage regulation, load sharing, and economic dispatch. However, the central controller is a single-point-of-failure in such a design as either the controller or attached communication links failure can render the entire system inoperable. This work seeks for alternative distributed control structures to improve system reliability and help to the scalability of the system. A cooperative distributed controller is proposed that uses a noise-resilient voltage estimator and handles global voltage regulation and load sharing across a DC microgrid. Distributed adaptive droop control is also investigated as an alternative solution. A droop-free distributed control is offered to handle voltage/frequency regulation and load sharing in AC systems. This solution does not require frequency measurement and, thus, features a fast frequency regulation. Distributed economic dispatch is also studied, where a distributed protocol is designed that controls generation units to merge their incremental costs into a consensus and, thus, push the entire system to generate with the minimum cost. Experimental verifications and Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) simulations are used to study efficacy of the proposed control protocols.

Peak-Seeking Optimization of Trim for Reduced Fuel Consumption: Architecture and Performance Predictions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schaefer, Jacob; Brown, Nelson

2013-01-01

A peak-seeking control approach for real-time trim configuration optimization for reduced fuel consumption has been developed by researchers at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Dryden Flight Research Center to address the goals of the NASA Environmentally Responsible Aviation project to reduce fuel burn and emissions. The peak-seeking control approach is based on a steepest-descent algorithm using a time-varying Kalman filter to estimate the gradient of a performance function of fuel flow versus control surface positions. In real-time operation, deflections of symmetric ailerons, trailing-edge flaps, and leading-edge flaps of an FA-18 airplane (McDonnell Douglas, now The Boeing Company, Chicago, Illinois) are controlled for optimization of fuel flow. This presentation presents the design and integration of this peak-seeking controller on a modified NASA FA-18 airplane with research flight control computers. A research flight was performed to collect data to build a realistic model of the performance function and characterize measurement noise. This model was then implemented into a nonlinear six-degree-of-freedom FA-18 simulation along with the peak-seeking control algorithm. With the goal of eventual flight tests, the algorithm was first evaluated in the improved simulation environment. Results from the simulation predict good convergence on minimum fuel flow with a 2.5-percent reduction in fuel flow relative to the baseline trim of the aircraft.

Peak-Seeking Optimization of Trim for Reduced Fuel Consumption: Architecture and Performance Predictions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schaefer, Jacob; Brown, Nelson A.

2013-01-01

A peak-seeking control approach for real-time trim configuration optimization for reduced fuel consumption has been developed by researchers at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Dryden Flight Research Center to address the goals of the NASA Environmentally Responsible Aviation project to reduce fuel burn and emissions. The peak-seeking control approach is based on a steepest-descent algorithm using a time-varying Kalman filter to estimate the gradient of a performance function of fuel flow versus control surface positions. In real-time operation, deflections of symmetric ailerons, trailing-edge flaps, and leading-edge flaps of an F/A-18 airplane (McDonnell Douglas, now The Boeing Company, Chicago, Illinois) are controlled for optimization of fuel flow. This paper presents the design and integration of this peak-seeking controller on a modified NASA F/A-18 airplane with research flight control computers. A research flight was performed to collect data to build a realistic model of the performance function and characterize measurement noise. This model was then implemented into a nonlinear six-degree-of-freedom F/A-18 simulation along with the peak-seeking control algorithm. With the goal of eventual flight tests, the algorithm was first evaluated in the improved simulation environment. Results from the simulation predict good convergence on minimum fuel flow with a 2.5-percent reduction in fuel flow relative to the baseline trim of the aircraft.

Bi-Objective Optimal Control Modification Adaptive Control for Systems with Input Uncertainty

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nguyen, Nhan T.

2012-01-01

This paper presents a new model-reference adaptive control method based on a bi-objective optimal control formulation for systems with input uncertainty. A parallel predictor model is constructed to relate the predictor error to the estimation error of the control effectiveness matrix. In this work, we develop an optimal control modification adaptive control approach that seeks to minimize a bi-objective linear quadratic cost function of both the tracking error norm and predictor error norm simultaneously. The resulting adaptive laws for the parametric uncertainty and control effectiveness uncertainty are dependent on both the tracking error and predictor error, while the adaptive laws for the feedback gain and command feedforward gain are only dependent on the tracking error. The optimal control modification term provides robustness to the adaptive laws naturally from the optimal control framework. Simulations demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed adaptive control approach.

Positive thinking elevates tolerance: Experimental effects of happiness on adolescents' attitudes toward asylum seekers.

PubMed

Tenenbaum, Harriet R; Capelos, Tereza; Lorimer, Jessica; Stocks, Thomas

2018-04-01

Inducing emotional reactions toward social groups can influence individuals' political tolerance. This study examines the influence of incidental fear and happiness on adolescents' tolerant attitudes and feelings toward young Muslim asylum seekers. In our experiment, 219 16- to 21-year-olds completed measures of prejudicial attitudes. After being induced to feel happiness, fear, or no emotion (control), participants reported their tolerant attitudes and feelings toward asylum-seeking young people. Participants assigned to the happiness condition demonstrated more tolerant attitudes toward asylum-seeking young people than did those assigned to the fear or control conditions. Participants in the control condition did not differ from participants in the fear condition. The participants in the happiness condition also had more positive feelings toward asylum-seeking young people than did participants in the control condition. The findings suggest that one way to increase positive attitudes toward asylum-seeking young people is to improve general emotional state.

12 CFR Appendix B to Part 748 - Guidance on Response Programs for Unauthorized Access to Member Information and Member Notice

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... authenticate and permit access only to authorized individuals and controls to prevent employees from providing member information to unauthorized individuals who may seek to obtain this information through fraudulent... unauthorized individuals have gained access to member information systems, including appropriate reports to...

12 CFR Appendix B to Part 748 - Guidance on Response Programs for Unauthorized Access to Member Information and Member Notice

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... authenticate and permit access only to authorized individuals and controls to prevent employees from providing member information to unauthorized individuals who may seek to obtain this information through fraudulent... unauthorized individuals have gained access to member information systems, including appropriate reports to...

12 CFR Appendix B to Part 748 - Guidance on Response Programs for Unauthorized Access to Member Information and Member Notice

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... authenticate and permit access only to authorized individuals and controls to prevent employees from providing member information to unauthorized individuals who may seek to obtain this information through fraudulent... unauthorized individuals have gained access to member information systems, including appropriate reports to...

School Improvement through Government Agencies: Loose or Tight Coupling?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bush, Tony

2017-01-01

In seeking to improve student outcomes, governments may choose to exercise direct control over schools, as in many centralised systems, or to provide frameworks for intermediate bodies to engage in improvement activities. One such body is the National College for School Leadership (NCSL), now the National College for Teaching and Leadership (NCTL)…

Repeated restraint stress exposure during early withdrawal accelerates incubation of cue-induced cocaine craving.

PubMed

Glynn, Ryan M; Rosenkranz, J Amiel; Wolf, Marina E; Caccamise, Aaron; Shroff, Freya; Smith, Alyssa B; Loweth, Jessica A

2018-01-01

A major challenge for treating cocaine addiction is the propensity for abstinent users to relapse. Two important triggers for relapse are cues associated with prior drug use and stressful life events. To study their interaction in promoting relapse during abstinence, we used the incubation model of craving and relapse in which cue-induced drug seeking progressively intensifies ('incubates') during withdrawal from extended-access cocaine self-administration. We tested rats for cue-induced cocaine seeking on withdrawal day (WD) 1. Rats were then subjected to repeated restraint stress or control conditions (seven sessions held between WD6 and WD14). All rats were tested again for cue-induced cocaine seeking on WD15, 1 day after the last stress or control session. Although controls showed a time-dependent increase in cue-induced cocaine seeking (incubation), rats exposed to repeated stress in early withdrawal exhibited a more robust increase in seeking behavior between WD1 and WD15. In separate stressed and control rats, equivalent cocaine seeking was observed on WD48. These results indicate that repeated stress in early withdrawal accelerates incubation of cocaine craving, although craving plateaus at the same level were observed in controls. However, 1 month after the WD48 test, rats subjected to repeated stress in early withdrawal showed enhanced cue-induced cocaine seeking following acute (24 hours) food deprivation stress. Together, these data indicate that chronic stress exposure enhances the initial rate of incubation of craving during early withdrawal, resulting in increased vulnerability to cue-induced relapse during this period, and may lead to a persistent increase in vulnerability to the relapse-promoting effects of stress. © 2016 Society for the Study of Addiction.

Study of Barrier to Help Seeking and its Relationships with Disability in Patients with Headache.

PubMed

John, Deepa; Ram, Dushad; Sundarmurthy, Harsha; Rathod, Harshal; Rathod, Snehal

2016-10-01

Headache is among the first three most prevalent disorders with a wide treatment gap due to barriers in help seeking. Headache has been associated with disability. However, the relationship of barriers to help-seeking and disability are unexplored. To find out the barriers to help seeking and its relationship with headache related disability in patients with headache. In this hospital based cross-sectional study, 200 consecutive subjects with headache attending a tertiary care centre were recruited as per selection criteria and assessed with Sociodemographic & Clinical Proforma, Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI), Barriers to Help Seeking Scale (BHSS), The Henry Ford Hospital Headache Disability Inventory (HDI). High mean score was observed on BHSS subscale need for control and self reliance (19.45; SD ±9.66) and minimizing problem and resignation (10.02; SD ±6.98). Mean score on the HDI was 25.65 (SD ± 14.09). Socioeconomic status of the patient was statistically significant and positively associated with need for control and self reliance (p=0.035), concrete barriers and distrust of care givers (p=0.039), emotional control (p=0.005), and privacy (p=0.002). Occupational status had significant association with need for control and self-reliance (p=0.01), minimizing problem and resignation (p=0.033), and emotional control (p=0.006). Score on hospital headache disability inventory significantly predicted the value of score on concrete barriers and distrust of caregivers domain of HDI (p=0.001). Autonomy and under estimation of seriousness of headache are common barriers to help seeking. Pattern of help seeking barriers may vary with socio-economic status and occupational status, while disability varies with gender and severity of headache. Headache associated disability is positively associated with concrete barriers.

Risk Propensity, Risk Perception, and Sensation Seeking in US Army Soldiers: A Preliminary Study of a Risk Assessment Task Battery

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-10-01

Specifically, if deployment is retrospectively perceived as very risky or dangerous , then the perceived risk of negative consequences of risky behaviors...preference for various types of risky activities. There are five sub-scales of the EVAR; self-control, danger seeking, energy, impulsiveness, and...the total and five sub-scale (self-control, danger seeking, energy, impulsiveness, and invincibility) scores were calculated. A repeated measures

Hedonic Homeostatic Dysregulation as a Driver of Drug-Seeking Behavior

PubMed Central

Koob, George F.

2009-01-01

Drug addiction can be defined by a compulsion to seek and take drug and loss of control in limiting intake, and the excessive drug taking derives from multiple motivational mechanisms. One such mechanism is the emergence of a negative emotional state when access to the drug is prevented, reflecting hedonic homeostatic dysregulation. Excessive drug taking then results in part via the construct of negative reinforcement. The negative emotional state that drives such negative reinforcement is hypothesized to derive from dysregulation of key neurochemical elements involved in reward and stress within basal forebrain structures, including the ventral striatum and extended amygdala. Specific neurochemical elements in these structures include not only decreases in reward neurotransmission, such as decreases in dopamine and opioid peptide function in the ventral striatum, but also recruitment of brain stress systems, such as corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF), in the extended amygdala. Chronic exposure or extended access to self-administration of all major drugs of abuse produces during abstinence increases in reward thresholds, increases in aversive anxiety-like responses, increases in extracellular levels of CRF in the central nucleus of the amygdala, and increases in drug self-administration. CRF receptor antagonists block excessive drug intake produced by dependence. A combination of decreased reward system function and increased brain stress response system function is hypothesized to be responsible for hedonic homeostatic dysregulation that drives drug seeking behavior in dependence. Such hedonic dysregulation is hypothesized to extend into protracted abstinence to provide a residual negative emotional state that enhances the salience of cues eliciting drug seeking and relapse. PMID:20054425

14 CFR 61.94 - Student pilot seeking a sport pilot certificate or a recreational pilot certificate: Operations...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 2 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Student pilot seeking a sport pilot... Student pilot seeking a sport pilot certificate or a recreational pilot certificate: Operations at... operational control tower in other airspace. (a) A student pilot seeking a sport pilot certificate or a...

14 CFR 61.94 - Student pilot seeking a sport pilot certificate or a recreational pilot certificate: Operations...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 2 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Student pilot seeking a sport pilot... Student pilot seeking a sport pilot certificate or a recreational pilot certificate: Operations at... operational control tower in other airspace. (a) A student pilot seeking a sport pilot certificate or a...

14 CFR 61.94 - Student pilot seeking a sport pilot certificate or a recreational pilot certificate: Operations...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 2 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Student pilot seeking a sport pilot... Student pilot seeking a sport pilot certificate or a recreational pilot certificate: Operations at... operational control tower in other airspace. (a) A student pilot seeking a sport pilot certificate or a...

14 CFR 61.94 - Student pilot seeking a sport pilot certificate or a recreational pilot certificate: Operations...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 2 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Student pilot seeking a sport pilot... Student pilot seeking a sport pilot certificate or a recreational pilot certificate: Operations at... operational control tower in other airspace. (a) A student pilot seeking a sport pilot certificate or a...

14 CFR 61.94 - Student pilot seeking a sport pilot certificate or a recreational pilot certificate: Operations...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Student pilot seeking a sport pilot... Student pilot seeking a sport pilot certificate or a recreational pilot certificate: Operations at... operational control tower in other airspace. (a) A student pilot seeking a sport pilot certificate or a...

Examining the Impact of Public Service Announcements on Help Seeking and Stigma: Results of a Randomized Controlled Trial.

PubMed

Corrigan, Patrick W; Powell, Karina J; Al-Khouja, Maya A

2015-11-01

Health communication campaigns often seek to diminish stigma and promote care seeking, with public service announcements (PSAs) frequently prominent in these campaigns. One example is the Australian-based beyondblue campaign. As an alternative approach, campaigns may seek to reduce stigma by promoting stories of recovery. Participants completed measures of stigmatizing and empowering attitudes at pre-, post-, and 72-hour follow-up after being randomized to a PSA recovery-oriented video, treatable disease-oriented video (beyondblue), or control. When exposed to the recovery-oriented PSA, participants showed significant reduction in stigmatizing attitudes from pre- to posttest than beyondblue or the control group with the emergence of nonsignificant trends identified at follow-up. Findings suggest a recovery-oriented video leads to better change on measures of stigma and affirming attitudes than beyondblue. Despite the aforementioned findings, results failed to show either the recovery or beyondblue videos had a significant impact on intent to seek treatment.

Restructured Freedom configuration characteristics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Troutman, Patrick A.; Heck, Michael L.; Kumar, Renjith R.; Mazanek, Daniel D.

1991-01-01

In Jan. 1991, the LaRc SSFO performed an assessment of the configuration characteristics of the proposed pre-integrated Space Station Freedom (SSF) concept. Of particular concern was the relationship of solar array operation and orientation with respect to spacecraft controllability. For the man-tended configuration (MTC), it was determined that torque equilibrium attitude (TEA) seeking Control Moment Gyroscope (CMG) control laws could not always maintain attitude. The control problems occurred when the solar arrays were tracking the sun to produce full power while flying in an arrow or gravity gradient flight mode. The large solar array articulations that sometimes result from having the functions of the alpha and beta joints reversed on MTC induced large product of inertia changes that can invalidate the control system gains during an orbit. Several modified sun tracking techniques were evaluated with respect to producing a controllable configuration requiring no modifications to the CMG control algorithms. Another assessment involved the permanently manned configuration (PMC) which has a third asymmetric PV unit on one side of the transverse boom. Recommendations include constraining alpha rotations for MTC in the arrow and gravity gradient flight modes and perhaps developing new non-TEA seeking control laws. Recommendations for PMC include raising the operational altitude and moving to a symmetric configuration as soon as possible.

Targeted intervention for the ultra poor in rural Bangladesh: Does it make any difference in their health-seeking behaviour?

PubMed

Ahmed, Syed Masud; Petzold, Max; Kabir, Zarina Nahar; Tomson, Göran

2006-12-01

It is now well recognised that regular microcredit intervention is not enough to effectively reach the ultra poor in rural Bangladesh, in fact it actively excludes them for structural reasons. A grants-based integrated intervention was developed (with health inputs to mitigate the income-erosion effect of illness) to examine whether such a targeted intervention could change the health-seeking behaviour of the ultra-poor towards greater use of health services and "formal allopathic" providers during illness, besides improving their poverty status and capacity for health expenditure. The study was carried out in three northern districts of Bangladesh with high density of ultra poor households, using a pre-test/post-test control group design. A pre-intervention baseline (2189 interventions and 2134 controls) survey was undertaken in 2002 followed by an intervention (of 18 months duration) and a post-intervention follow-up survey of the same households in 2004. Structured interviews were conducted to elicit information on health-seeking behaviour of household members. Findings reveal an overall change in health-seeking behaviour in the study population, but the intervention reduced self-care by 7 percentage units and increased formal allopathic care by 9 percentage units. The intervention increased the proportion of non-deficit households by 43 percentage units, as well as the capacity to spend more than Tk. 25 for treatment of illness during the reference period by 11 percentage units. Higher health expenditure and time (pre- to -post-intervention period) was associated with increased use of health care from formal allopathic providers. However, gender differences in health-seeking and health-expenditure disfavouring women were also noted. The programmatic implications of these findings are discussed in the context of improving the ability of health systems to reach the ultra poor.

Interfaces for End-User Information Seeking.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marchionini, Gary

1992-01-01

Discusses essential features of interfaces to support end-user information seeking. Highlights include cognitive engineering; task models and task analysis; the problem-solving nature of information seeking; examples of systems for end-users, including online public access catalogs (OPACs), hypertext, and help systems; and suggested research…

Controlling Behaviors in Middle School Youth's Dating Relationships: Reactions and Help-Seeking Behaviors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Elias-Lambert, Nada; Black, Beverly M.; Chigbu, Kingsley U.

2014-01-01

This exploratory study examined middle school students' (N = 380) help-seeking behaviors and other reactions to controlling behaviors in their dating relationships. Over three-fourths of the participants perpetrated and were victimized by controlling behaviors in their dating relationships. Youth used emotional/verbal and dominance/isolation forms…

Low Striatal Dopamine D2-type Receptor Availability is Linked to Simulated Drug Choice in Methamphetamine Users.

PubMed

Moeller, Scott J; Okita, Kyoji; Robertson, Chelsea L; Ballard, Michael E; Konova, Anna B; Goldstein, Rita Z; Mandelkern, Mark A; London, Edythe D

2018-03-01

Individuals with drug use disorders seek drugs over other rewarding activities, and exhibit neurochemical deficits related to dopamine, which is involved in value-based learning and decision-making. Thus, a dopaminergic disturbance may underpin drug-biased choice in addiction. Classical drug-choice assessments, which offer drug-consumption opportunities, are inappropriate for addicted individuals seeking treatment or abstaining. Fifteen recently abstinent methamphetamine users and 15 healthy controls completed two laboratory paradigms of 'simulated' drug choice (choice for drug-related vs affectively pleasant, unpleasant, and neutral images), and underwent positron emission tomography measurements of dopamine D2-type receptor availability, indicated by binding potential (BP ND ) for [ 18 F]fallypride. Thirteen of the methamphetamine users and 10 controls also underwent [ 11 C]NNC112 PET scans to measure dopamine D1-type receptor availability. Group analyses showed that, compared with controls, methamphetamine users chose to view more methamphetamine-related images on one task, with a similar trend on the second task. Regression analyses showed that, on both tasks, the more methamphetamine users chose to view methamphetamine images, specifically vs pleasant images (the most frequently chosen images across all participants), the lower was their D2-type BP ND in the lateral orbitofrontal cortex, an important region in value-based choice. No associations were observed with D2-type BP ND in striatal regions, or with D1-type BP ND in any region. These results identify a neurochemical correlate for a laboratory drug-seeking paradigm that can be administered to treatment-seeking and abstaining drug-addicted individuals. More broadly, these results refine the central hypothesis that dopamine-system deficits contribute to drug-biased decision-making in addiction, here showing a role for the orbitofrontal cortex.

An overview of integrated flight-propulsion controls flight research on the NASA F-15 research airplane

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Burcham, Frank W., Jr.; Gatlin, Donald H.; Stewart, James F.

1995-01-01

The NASA Dryden Flight Research Center has been conducting integrated flight-propulsion control flight research using the NASA F-15 airplane for the past 12 years. The research began with the digital electronic engine control (DEEC) project, followed by the F100 Engine Model Derivative (EMD). HIDEC (Highly Integrated Digital Electronic Control) became the umbrella name for a series of experiments including: the Advanced Digital Engine Controls System (ADECS), a twin jet acoustics flight experiment, self-repairing flight control system (SRFCS), performance-seeking control (PSC), and propulsion controlled aircraft (PCA). The upcoming F-15 project is ACTIVE (Advanced Control Technology for Integrated Vehicles). This paper provides a brief summary of these activities and provides background for the PCA and PSC papers, and includes a bibliography of all papers and reports from the NASA F-15 project.

Control of the Air: The Enduring Requirement

DTIC Science & Technology

1999-09-08

Atoll [Soviet heat-seeking missile] fired anywhere in parameters would find itself in the position of the proverbial mosquito in the nudist colony. It...the MiG-17/19/21 families . The F-105 Thunderchief is another example. Although ostensibly a fighter, it was, in reality, a nuclear strike aircraft...by modern integrated air defense systems, many of which feature increasingly longer-range air defense systems such as the Russian S-300 family of

Slope seeking for autonomous lift improvement by plasma surface discharge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benard, Nicolas; Moreau, Eric; Griffin, John; Cattafesta, Louis N., III

2010-05-01

The present paper describes an experimental investigation of closed-loop separation control using plasma actuators. The post-stall-separated flow over a NACA 0015 airfoil is controlled using a single dielectric barrier discharge actuator located at the leading edge. Open-loop measurements are first performed to highlight the effects of the voltage amplitude on the control authority for freestream velocities of 10-30 m/s (chord Re = 1.3 × 105 to 4 × 105). The results indicate that partial or full reattachment can be achieved and motivate the choice of the slope seeking approach as the control algorithm. A single-input/single-output algorithm is used to autonomously seek the optimal voltage required to achieve the control objective (full flow reattachment associated with maximum lift). The paper briefly introduces the concept of slope seeking, and a detailed parameterization of the controller is considered. Static (fixed speed) closed-loop experiments are then discussed, which demonstrate the capability of the algorithm. In each case, the flow can be reattached in an autonomous fashion. The last part of the paper demonstrates the robustness of the gradient-based, model-free scheme for dynamic freestream conditions. This paper highlights the capability of slope seeking to autonomously achieve high lift when used to drive the voltage of a plasma actuator. It also describes the advantages and drawbacks of such a closed-loop approach.

The health burden of breast hypertrophy.

PubMed

Kerrigan, C L; Collins, E D; Striplin, D; Kim, H M; Wilkins, E; Cunningham, B; Lowery, J

2001-11-01

Women seeking consultation for the surgical relief of symptoms associated with breast hypertrophy have been the focus of many studies. In contrast, little is known about those women with breast hypertrophy who do not seek symptomatic relief. The purpose of this study was to describe the health burden of breast hypertrophy by using a set of validated questionnaires and to compare women with breast hypertrophy who seek surgical treatment with those who do not. In addition, this latter group was compared with a group of control women without breast hypertrophy. Women seeking consultation for surgery were recruited from 14 plastic-surgery practices. Control subjects were recruited by advertisements in primary-care offices and newspapers. Women were asked to complete a self-report questionnaire that included the European Quality of Life (EuroQol) questionnaire, McGill Pain Questionnaire, Multidimensional Body Self Relations Questionnaire (MBSRQ), the Short Form-36 (SF-36) questionnaire, and questions regarding breast-related symptoms, comorbidities, and bra size. Descriptive statistics were compiled for three groups of women: (1) hypertrophy patients seeking surgical care, (2) hypertrophy control subjects (those whose reported bra-cup size was a D or larger), and (3) normal control subjects (those whose reported bra-cup size was an A, B, or C). The multiple linear regression method was used to compare the health burdens across groups while adjusting for other variables. Two hundred ninety-one women seeking surgical care and 195 control subjects were enrolled in the study. The 184 control subjects with bra-cup information available were further separated into 88 hypertrophy control subjects and 96 normal control subjects. In the control group, bra-cup size was correlated with health-burden measures, whereas in the surgical candidates, it was not. When scores were compared across the three groups, significant differences were found in all health-burden measures. The surgical candidates scored more poorly on the EuroQol utility, McGill pain rating index, MBSRQ appearance evaluation, physical component scale of the SF-36, and on breast symptoms than did the two control groups. In addition, the hypertrophy control subjects scored more poorly than the normal control subjects. With multiple linear regression analysis incorporating important potential confounders, the poorer scores in the surgical candidates remained statistically significant. It was concluded that breast hypertrophy in those seeking surgical care and those not seeking surgery has a significant impact on women's quality of life as measured by validated and widely used self-report instruments including the EuroQol, MBSRQ, McGill Pain Questionnaire, and the SF-36. Likewise, a new assessment instrument for breast-related symptoms also demonstrated greater symptomatology in women with breast hypertrophy.

Using Historical Data to Automatically Identify Air-Traffic Control Behavior

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lauderdale, Todd A.; Wu, Yuefeng; Tretto, Celeste

2014-01-01

This project seeks to develop statistical-based machine learning models to characterize the types of errors present when using current systems to predict future aircraft states. These models will be data-driven - based on large quantities of historical data. Once these models are developed, they will be used to infer situations in the historical data where an air-traffic controller intervened on an aircraft's route, even when there is no direct recording of this action.

Reward-Seeking Behavior in Human Narcolepsy

PubMed Central

Dimitrova, Alexandra; Fronczek, Rolf; Van der Ploeg, Janneke; Scammell, Thomas; Gautam, Shiva; Pascual-Leone, Alvaro; Lammers, Gert Jan

2011-01-01

Study Objectives: The hypocretin system enhances signaling in the mesolimbic pathways regulating reward processing and addiction. Because individuals with narcolepsy with cataplexy have low hypocretin levels, we hypothesized that they may be less prone to risk- and reward-seeking behaviors, including substance abuse. Design: Endpoints were performance on an array of psychometric tests (including the Eysenck Impulsiveness Scale, the Zuckerman Sensation Seeking Scale, the Gormally Binge Eating Scale, and the Beck Depression and Anxiety Inventory) and on the Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART). Setting: Tertiary narcolepsy referral centers in Leiden (The Netherlands) and Boston (USA). Patients: Subjects with narcolepsy with cataplexy (n = 30), narcolepsy without cataplexy (n = 15), and controls (n = 32) matched for age, sex, and smoking behavior. Interventions: None. Measurements and Results: There was no difference in risk-taking behavior between narcolepsy with or without cataplexy and the control group, as measured using the BART and the array of questionnaires. However, subjects in the narcolepsy with cataplexy group had significantly higher scores on the Eysenck Impulsiveness Scale (p < 0.05), with 10.0% categorized as impulsive, compared to 6.7% of the narcolepsy without cataplexy group and none of the controls. Narcoleptics with cataplexy also scored significantly higher than controls on the Binge Eating Scale (p < 0.05), with moderate or severe binge eating in 23%. On the depression and anxiety scales, all narcolepsy patients, especially those with cataplexy, scored significantly higher than controls. Conclusions: We found that narcoleptics with or without cataplexy generally have normal risk-taking behavior, but narcoleptics with cataplexy were more impulsive and more prone to binge eating than patients without cataplexy and controls. Our findings shed new light on the relation between sleepiness and impulsiveness. Furthermore, rates of depression and anxiety were higher in all narcoleptic subjects. However, using the current methods, no evidence could be found to support the hypothesis that hypocretin deficiency would affect reward-processing in humans. Citation: Dimitrova A; Fronczek R; Van der Ploeg J; Scammell T; Gautam S; Pascual-Leone A; Lammers GJ. Reward-seeking behavior in human narcolepsy. J Clin Sleep Med 2011;7(3):293-300. PMID:21677900

Behavioral approach and orbitofrontal cortical activity during decision-making in substance dependence.

PubMed

Yamamoto, Dorothy J; Banich, Marie T; Regner, Michael F; Sakai, Joseph T; Tanabe, Jody

2017-11-01

Behavioral approach, defined as behavior directed toward a reward or novel stimulus, when elevated, may increase one's vulnerability to substance use disorder. Behavioral approach has been associated with relatively greater left compared to right frontal activity; behavioral inhibition may be associated with relatively greater right compared to left frontal brain activity. We hypothesized that substance dependent individuals (SDI) would have higher behavioral approach than controls and greater prefrontal cortical activity during decision-making involving reward. We hypothesized that behavioral approach would correlate with left frontal activity during decision-making and that the correlation would be stronger in SDI than controls. 31 SDI and 21 controls completed the Behavioral Inhibition System/Behavioral Approach System (BIS/BAS) scales and performed a decision-making task during fMRI. Orbitofrontal (OFC) and dorsolateral prefrontal activity were correlated with BIS and BAS scores. Compared to controls, SDI had higher BAS Fun Seeking scores (p<0.001) and worse decision-making performance (p=0.004). BAS Fun Seeking correlated with left OFC activity during decision-making across group (r=0.444, p<0.003). The correlation did not differ by group. There was no correlation between BIS and right frontal activity. Left OFC may play a role in reward-related decision-making in substance use disorder especially in individuals with high behavioral approach. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Factors driving public tolerance levels and information‐seeking behaviour concerning insects in the household environment

PubMed Central

Poortvliet, P Marijn; Takken, Willem

2018-01-01

Abstract BACKGROUND The public's negative attitudes towards household insects drive tolerance for these insects and their control. Tolerance levels are important in integrated pest management (IPM), as are pest knowledge and information. The risk information seeking and processing (RISP) model describes the relationships between personal factors and information‐seeking behaviour. We combined IPM and RISP to determine important relationships between factors driving insect tolerance levels and information‐seeking behaviour through an online survey and tested whether this model is valid and generally applicable. RESULTS Relationships between variables from both IPM and RISP models were tested for seven insect species. Tolerance levels were measured with two factors: willingness to pay for pest control and whether insects are tolerated. Willingness to pay for control was positively affected by age, experience, risk perception, insect characteristics, and negative emotions and affected behavioural intention, by influencing information sufficiency and information‐seeking behaviour. Tolerability was influenced by perception of insect characteristics and determines whether control measures are taken. CONCLUSION It was possible to combine the RISP and IPM models. Relevant driving factors were a person's age, experience, risk perception, negative affective responses, tolerance levels, relevant channel beliefs about online forums, information sufficiency and information‐seeking behaviour. There was, however, variation in important factors between different insects. © 2017 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry. PMID:29274106

Local Voltage Control in Distribution Networks: A Game-Theoretic Perspective

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

Zhou, Xinyang; Tian, Jie; Chen, Lijun

Inverter-based voltage regulation is gaining importance to alleviate emerging reliability and power-quality concerns related to distribution systems with high penetration of photovoltaic (PV) systems. This paper seeks contribution in the domain of reactive power compensation by establishing stability of local Volt/VAr controllers. In lieu of the approximate linear surrogate used in the existing work, the paper establishes existence and uniqueness of an equilibrium point using nonlinear AC power flow model. Key to this end is to consider a nonlinear dynamical system with non-incremental local Volt/VAr control, cast the Volt/VAr dynamics as a game, and leverage the fixed-point theorem as wellmore » as pertinent contraction mapping argument. Numerical examples are provided to complement the analytical results.« less

Local Voltage Control in Distribution Networks: A Game-Theoretic Perspective: Preprint

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

Zhou, Xinyang; Tian, Jie; Chen, Lijun

Inverter-based voltage regulation is gaining importance to alleviate emerging reliability and power-quality concerns related to distribution systems with high penetration of photovoltaic (PV) systems. This paper seeks contribution in the domain of reactive power compensation by establishing stability of local Volt/VAr controllers. In lieu of the approximate linear surrogate used in the existing work, the paper establishes existence and uniqueness of an equilibrium point using nonlinear AC power flow model. Key to this end is to consider a nonlinear dynamical system with non-incremental local Volt/VAr control, cast the Volt/VAr dynamics as a game, and leverage the fixed-point theorem as wellmore » as pertinent contraction mapping argument. Numerical examples are provided to complement the analytical results.« less

Performance seeking control: Program overview and future directions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gilyard, Glenn B.; Orme, John S.

1993-01-01

A flight test evaluation of the performance-seeking control (PSC) algorithm on the NASA F-15 highly integrated digital electronic control research aircraft was conducted for single-engine operation at subsonic and supersonic speeds. The model-based PSC system was developed with three optimization modes: minimum fuel flow at constant thrust, minimum turbine temperature at constant thrust, and maximum thrust at maximum dry and full afterburner throttle settings. Subsonic and supersonic flight testing were conducted at the NASA Dryden Flight Research Facility covering the three PSC optimization modes and over the full throttle range. Flight results show substantial benefits. In the maximum thrust mode, thrust increased up to 15 percent at subsonic and 10 percent at supersonic flight conditions. The minimum fan turbine inlet temperature mode reduced temperatures by more than 100 F at high altitudes. The minimum fuel flow mode results decreased fuel consumption up to 2 percent in the subsonic regime and almost 10 percent supersonically. These results demonstrate that PSC technology can benefit the next generation of fighter or transport aircraft. NASA Dryden is developing an adaptive aircraft performance technology system that is measurement based and uses feedback to ensure optimality. This program will address the technical weaknesses identified in the PSC program and will increase performance gains.

Unmanned Aviation Systems Models of the Radio Communications Links: Study Results - Appendices Annex 2. Volume 1 and Volume 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Birr, Richard B.; Spencer, Roy; Murray, Jennifer; Lash, Andrew

2013-01-01

This report describes the analysis of communications between the Control Station and an Unmanned Aircraft (UA) flying in the National Airspace System (NAS). This work is based on the RTCA SC-203 Operational Services and Environment Description (OSED). The OSED document seeks to characterize the highly different attributes of all UAs navigating the airspace and define their relationship to airspace users, air traffic services, and operating environments of the NAS. One goal of this report is to lead to the development of Minimum Aviation System Performance Standards for Control and Communications. This report takes the nine scenarios found in the OSED and analyzes the communication links.

Flight Research Using F100 Engine P680063 in the NASA F-15 Airplane

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Burcham, Frank W., Jr.; Conners, Timothy R.; Maxwell, Michael D.

1994-01-01

The value of flight research in developing and evaluating gas turbine engines is high. NASA Dryden Flight Research Center has been conducting flight research on propulsion systems for many years. The F100 engine has been tested in the NASA F-15 research airplane in the last three decades. One engine in particular, S/N P680063, has been used for the entire program and has been flown in many pioneering propulsion flight research activities. Included are detailed flight-to-ground facility tests; tests of the first production digital engine control system, the first active stall margin control system, the first performance-seeking control system; and the first use of computer-controlled engine thrust for emergency flight control. The flight research has been supplemented with altitude facility tests at key times. This paper presents a review of the tests of engine P680063, the F-15 airplanes in which it flew, and the role of the flight test in maturing propulsion technology.

Closed Loop System Identification with Genetic Algorithms

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Whorton, Mark S.

2004-01-01

High performance control design for a flexible space structure is challenging since high fidelity plant models are di.cult to obtain a priori. Uncertainty in the control design models typically require a very robust, low performance control design which must be tuned on-orbit to achieve the required performance. Closed loop system identi.cation is often required to obtain a multivariable open loop plant model based on closed-loop response data. In order to provide an accurate initial plant model to guarantee convergence for standard local optimization methods, this paper presents a global parameter optimization method using genetic algorithms. A minimal representation of the state space dynamics is employed to mitigate the non-uniqueness and over-parameterization of general state space realizations. This control-relevant system identi.cation procedure stresses the joint nature of the system identi.cation and control design problem by seeking to obtain a model that minimizes the di.erence between the predicted and actual closed-loop performance.

78 FR 71709 - Notice of Application for Approval of Discontinuance or Modification of a Railroad Signal System

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-11-29

... President Operations, 202 Mason Avenue, Cape Charles, VA 23310. NS and BCR seek approval of the proposed..., Norfolk, VA. The Coleman Place Interlocking will be redesigned and renewed with electronic control... will move west approximately 1,000 feet. The existing No. 2 power-crossover switch will be converted to...

Still Developing: Teenagers, Brains, and the Arts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Claire Annelise

2011-01-01

In seeking an understanding of the teenage brain, this author was struck by the interplay between the development of executive functioning and the development of the system that controls emotions and memory. This in turn has impacted her work as a member of faculty at a seminary with responsibilities for both directing a program with high school…

78 FR 47822 - Notice of Application for Approval of Discontinuance or Modification of a Railroad Signal System

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-08-06

..., San Pedro, CA 90731. POLA seeks approval of the proposed discontinuance of Control Point (CP) Transfer Junction at Milepost 1.2 on the Pacific Harbor Line, San Pedro Subdivision. CP Transfer Junction will... discontinuance of CP Transfer Junction. A copy of the petition, as well as any written communications concerning...

Pre-Vaccination Care-Seeking in Females Reporting Severe Adverse Reactions to HPV Vaccine. A Registry Based Case-Control Study.

PubMed

Mølbak, Kåre; Hansen, Niels Dalum; Valentiner-Branth, Palle

2016-01-01

Since 2013 the number of suspected adverse reactions to the quadrivalent human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine reported to the Danish Medicines Agency (DMA) has increased. Due to the resulting public concerns about vaccine safety, the coverage of HPV vaccinations in the childhood vaccination programme has declined. The aim of the present study was to determine health care-seeking prior to the first HPV vaccination among females who suspected adverse reactions to HPV vaccine. In this registry-based case-control study, we included as cases vaccinated females with reports to the DMA of suspected severe adverse reactions. We selected controls without reports of adverse reactions from the Danish vaccination registry and matched by year of vaccination, age of vaccination, and municipality, and obtained from the Danish National Patient Registry and The National Health Insurance Service Register the history of health care usage two years prior to the first vaccine. We analysed the data by logistic regression while adjusting for the matching variables. The study included 316 cases who received first HPV vaccine between 2006 and 2014. Age range of cases was 11 to 52 years, with a peak at 12 years, corresponding to the recommended age at vaccination, and another peak at 19 to 28 years, corresponding to a catch-up programme targeting young women. Compared with 163,910 controls, cases had increased care-seeking in the two years before receiving the first HPV vaccine. A multivariable model showed higher use of telephone/email consultations (OR 1.9; 95% CI 1.2-3.2), physiotherapy (OR 2.1; 95% CI 1.6-2.8) and psychologist/psychiatrist (OR 1.9; 95% CI 1.3-2.7). Cases were more likely to have a diagnosis in the ICD-10 chapters of diseases of the digestive system (OR 1.6; 95% CI 1.0-2.4), of the musculoskeletal system (OR 1.6; 95% CI 1.1-2.2), symptoms or signs not classified elsewhere (OR 1.8; 95% CI 1.3-2.5) as well as injuries (OR 1.5; 95% CI 1.2-1.9). Before receiving the first HPV vaccination, females who suspected adverse reactions has symptoms and a health care-seeking pattern that is different from the matched population. Pre-vaccination morbidity should be taken into account in the evaluation of vaccine safety signals.

Acetylcholine release in the mesocorticolimbic dopamine system during cocaine seeking: conditioned and unconditioned contributions to reward and motivation.

PubMed

You, Zhi-Bing; Wang, Bin; Zitzman, Dawnya; Wise, Roy A

2008-09-03

Microdialysis was used to assess the contribution to cocaine seeking of cholinergic input to the mesocorticolimbic dopamine system in ventral tegmental area (VTA). VTA acetylcholine (ACh) was elevated in animals lever pressing for intravenous cocaine and in cocaine-experienced and cocaine-naive animals passively receiving similar "yoked" injections. In cocaine-trained animals, the elevations comprised an initial (first hour) peak to approximately 160% of baseline and a subsequent plateau of 140% of baseline for the rest of the cocaine intake period. In cocaine-naive animals, yoked cocaine injections raised ACh levels to the 140% plateau but did not cause the initial 160% peak. In cocaine-trained animals that received unexpected saline (extinction conditions) rather than the expected cocaine, the initial peak was seen but the subsequent plateau was absent. VTA ACh levels played a causal role and were not just a correlate of cocaine seeking. Blocking muscarinic input to the VTA increased cocaine intake; the increase in intake offset the decrease in cholinergic input, resulting in the same VTA dopamine levels as were seen in the absence of the ACh antagonists. Increased VTA ACh levels (resulting from 10 microM VTA neostigmine infusion) increased VTA dopamine levels and reinstated cocaine seeking in cocaine-trained animals that had undergone extinction; these effects were strongly attenuated by local infusion of a muscarinic antagonist and weakly attenuated by a nicotinic antagonist. These findings identify two cholinergic responses to cocaine self-administration, an unconditioned response to cocaine itself and a conditioned response triggered by cocaine-predictive cues, and confirm that these cholinergic responses contribute to the control of cocaine seeking.

Effects of alcohol on the membrane excitability and synaptic transmission of medium spiny neurons in the nucleus accumbens

PubMed Central

Marty, Vincent N.; Spigelman, Igor

2013-01-01

Chronic and excessive alcohol drinking lead to alcohol dependence and loss of control over alcohol consumption, with serious detrimental health consequences. Chronic alcohol exposure followed by protracted withdrawal causes profound alterations in the brain reward system that leads to marked changes in reinforcement mechanisms and motivational state. These long-lasting neuroadaptations are thought to contribute to the development of cravings and relapse. The nucleus accumbens (NAcc), a central component of the brain reward system, plays a critical role in alcohol-induced neuroadaptive changes underlying alcohol-seeking behaviors. Here we review the findings that chronic alcohol exposure produces long-lasting neuroadaptive changes in various ion channels that govern intrinsic membrane properties and neuronal excitability, as well as excitatory and inhibitory synaptic transmission in the NAcc that underlie alcohol-seeking behavior during protracted withdrawal. PMID:22445807

Personality trait interactions in parents of patients with borderline personality disorder: a controlled study using the Temperament and Character Inventory.

PubMed

Fassino, Secondo; Amianto, Federico; Gastaldi, Filippo; Abbate-Daga, Giovanni; Brambilla, Francesca; Leombruni, Paolo

2009-01-30

Family environment is a pathogenic factor of borderline personality disorder (BPD). However, the personality traits of patients with BPD and their parents have never been assessed using the same instrument and then examined for relationships. In the present study, we explored the temperament and character traits of BPD patients and their parents to investigate possible interactions. In total, 56 patients with BPD and their parents were evaluated with the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI) and compared with 53 control families. Discriminant and correlation analyses indicated that subjects with BPD displayed higher levels of novelty seeking, harm avoidance, and self-transcendence and lower levels of self-directedness than control subjects. Their fathers displayed higher levels of novelty seeking and lower levels of persistence and self-directedness, and their mothers displayed lower levels of self-directedness compared with levels in control parents. In BPD families, temperament and character traits displayed high levels of discriminatory power. Novelty seeking in offspring with borderline personality disorder was significantly correlated with their mothers' novelty seeking and their fathers' self-transcendence. Self-directedness in borderline offspring was significantly correlated with both their mothers' and fathers' novelty seeking, and their self-transcendence was significantly correlated with their mothers' novelty seeking and harm avoidance. The different correlational pattern for borderline and control families is discussed. Characteristic personality patterns were found in BPD offspring and in both parents. The relationship between personality traits of borderline offspring and those of their parents may be related to both genetic transmission and family dynamics. Ramifications for treatment are discussed.

Tobacco control and trade policy: proactive strategies for integrating policy norms.

PubMed

Drope, Jeffrey; Lencucha, Raphael

2013-01-01

Palpable tension continues at the intersection of tobacco control and trade policy. Through consideration of four major tobacco control-related trade disputes, we suggest how to empower public health proponents in the face of entrenched economic policymaking norms. We argue that a more effective pro-tobacco control message should: (a) seek to be broadly consistent with core principles of the world trading system, (b) boldly assert countries' international commitments to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, (c) marshal deep scientific evidence, and (d) come from a broad range of actors, including from low- and middle-income countries as well as from other trade policy community members.

Flight assessment of the onboard propulsion system model for the Performance Seeking Control algorithm on an F-15 aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Orme, John S.; Schkolnik, Gerard S.

1995-01-01

Performance Seeking Control (PSC), an onboard, adaptive, real-time optimization algorithm, relies upon an onboard propulsion system model. Flight results illustrated propulsion system performance improvements as calculated by the model. These improvements were subject to uncertainty arising from modeling error. Thus to quantify uncertainty in the PSC performance improvements, modeling accuracy must be assessed. A flight test approach to verify PSC-predicted increases in thrust (FNP) and absolute levels of fan stall margin is developed and applied to flight test data. Application of the excess thrust technique shows that increases of FNP agree to within 3 percent of full-scale measurements for most conditions. Accuracy to these levels is significant because uncertainty bands may now be applied to the performance improvements provided by PSC. Assessment of PSC fan stall margin modeling accuracy was completed with analysis of in-flight stall tests. Results indicate that the model overestimates the stall margin by between 5 to 10 percent. Because PSC achieves performance gains by using available stall margin, this overestimation may represent performance improvements to be recovered with increased modeling accuracy. Assessment of thrust and stall margin modeling accuracy provides a critical piece for a comprehensive understanding of PSC's capabilities and limitations.

Stress-buffering Effect of Coping Strategies on Interrole Conflict among Family Caregivers of People with Dementia.

PubMed

Morimoto, Hiroshi; Furuta, Nobuo; Kono, Mitsue; Kabeya, Mayumi

2017-08-23

To examine the stress-buffering effect of coping strategies on the adverse effects of interrole conflict on the mental health of employed family caregivers, and clarify the moderating role of attentional control on this stress-buffering effect. Data were drawn from a two-wave longitudinal online survey of employed Japanese family caregivers of people with dementia (263 males, 116 females; age 51.54 ± 9.07 years). We assessed interrole conflict, coping strategies, attentional control, mental health variables (psychological strain and quality of life), and confounding factors. Hierarchical regression analyses controlled for sociodemographic factors found formal support seeking had a stress-buffering effect for strain- and behavior-based caregiving interfering with work (CIW) only on psychological strain, and was moderated by attentional control. Single slope analysis showed higher CIW was related to higher psychological strain in those with greater use of formal support seeking and lower attentional control, but not in those with higher attentional control. Greater use of formal support seeking weakens the adverse effects of strain- and behavior-based CIW on psychological strain in people with high attentional control. Attentional control is a key factor in the stress-buffering effect of formal support seeking on strain- and behavior-based CIW.

Does the organizational structure of health care systems influence care-seeking decisions? A qualitative analysis of Danish cancer patients' reflections on care-seeking.

PubMed

Andersen, Rikke Sand; Vedsted, Peter; Olesen, Frede; Bro, Flemming; Søndergaard, Jens

2011-09-01

The absence of a more significant improvement in cancer survival in countries such as the UK and Denmark may be partly rooted in delayed care-seeking among cancer patients. Past research on patient delay has mainly focused on patient characteristics (e.g. sociodemographic and psychological factors and symptom recognition) as causes of delayed care-seeking, while few studies have examined how the organizational structure of health care systems may influence patients' reflections on seeking care. The aim of this study was to explore this relationship. The analysis presented is based on semi-structured interviews with 30 cancer patients and their families. The article raises two hypotheses on the relationship between structural elements of a health care system and people's reflections on seeking health care: (1) Gatekeeping introduces an asymmetrical relationship between the patient and the GP which potentially results in self-restricting care-seeking, (2) Continuity in the doctor-patient relationship may negatively influence patient reflections on access to health care, as the focus shifts from the medical issues of the consultation to reflections on how to properly interact with the GP and the system in which she/he is situated. It is concluded that these hypotheses form a sound basis for further primary care research on how the organizational structure of health care systems influences patient reflections on access to medical care.

Help-Seeking in People with Exceptional Experiences: Results from a General Population Sample

PubMed Central

Landolt, Karin; Wittwer, Amrei; Wyss, Thomas; Unterassner, Lui; Fach, Wolfgang; Krummenacher, Peter; Brugger, Peter; Haker, Helene; Kawohl, Wolfram; Schubiger, Pius August; Folkers, Gerd; Rössler, Wulf

2014-01-01

Background: Exceptional experiences (EE) are experiences that deviate from ordinary experiences, for example precognition, supernatural appearances, or déjà vues. In spite of the high frequency of EE in the general population, little is known about their effect on mental health and about the way people cope with EE. This study aimed to assess the quality and quantity of EE in persons from the Swiss general population, to identify the predictors of their help-seeking, and to determine how many of them approach the mental health system. Methods: An on-line survey was used to evaluate a quota sample of 1580 persons representing the Swiss general population with respect to gender, age, and level of education. Multinomial logistic regression was applied to integrate help-seeking, self-reported mental disorder, and other variables in a statistical model designed to identify predictors of help-seeking in persons with EE. Results: Almost all participants (91%) experienced at least one EE. Generally, help-seeking was more frequent when the EE were of negative valence. Help-seeking because of EE was less frequent in persons without a self-reported mental disorder (8.6%) than in persons with a disorder (35.1%) (OR = 5.7). Even when frequency and attributes of EE were controlled for, people without a disorder sought four times less often help because of EE than expected. Persons with a self-reported diagnosis of mental disorder preferred seeing a mental health professional. Multinomial regression revealed a preference for healers in women with less education, who described themselves as believing and also having had more impressive EE. Conclusion: Persons with EE who do not indicate a mental disorder less often sought help because of EE than persons who indicated a mental disorder. We attribute this imbalance to a high inhibition threshold to seek professional help. Moreover, especially less educated women did not approach the mental health care system as often as other persons with EE, but preferred seeing a healer. PMID:24904915

Virtual Interactive Classroom: A New Technology for Distance Learning Developed

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

York, David W.; Babula, Maria

1999-01-01

The Virtual Interactive Classroom (VIC) allows Internet users, specifically students, to remotely control and access data from scientific equipment. This is a significant advantage to school systems that cannot afford experimental equipment, have Internet access, and are seeking to improve science and math scores with current resources. A VIC Development Lab was established at Lewis to demonstrate that scientific equipment can be controlled by remote users over the Internet. Current projects include a wind tunnel, a room camera, a science table, and a microscope.

[Determinants of tuberculosis diagnosis delay in limited resources countries].

PubMed

Ndeikoundam Ngangro, N; Chauvin, P; Halley des Fontaines, V

2012-02-01

Delayed diagnoses of pulmonary tuberculosis contribute to the spread of the epidemic. This study aims to identify risk factors associated with patient delay (from symptoms onset to the first visit), health system delay (from the first visit to the tuberculosis treatment initiation) and total delay (sum of the patient and the health system delay) in low income and high tuberculosis burden countries. A systematic literature review has been performed using the keywords: "tuberculosis"; "delay", care seeking"; "health care seeking behavior"; "diagnosis" and "treatment". Only quantitative studies showing delays for pulmonary tuberculosis adult cases were included in this review. Low income, gender, rural life, unemployment, ageing and misunderstanding the microbial cause of tuberculosis are associated with delayed diagnoses. Systemic factors including low health care coverage, patient expenditures and entry into the health system by consulting a traditional healer or a non-skilled professional delay the beginning of tuberculosis treatment. Delays can be used as indicators to evaluate tuberculosis control programs. Active case finding in the households of contagious patients can help to diminish diagnostic delays in low-income countries with high endemicity. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Understanding help-seeking intentions in male military cadets: An application of perceptual mapping.

PubMed

Bass, Sarah Bauerle; Muñiz, Javier; Gordon, Thomas F; Maurer, Laurie; Patterson, Freda

2016-05-17

Research suggests that men are less likely to seek help for depression, substance abuse, and stressful life events due to negative perceptions of asking for and receiving help. This may be exacerbated in male military cadets who exhibit higher levels of gender role conflict because of military culture. This exploratory study examined the perceptions of 78 male military cadets toward help-seeking behaviors. Cadets completed the 31-item Barriers to Help Seeking Scale (BHSS) and a component factor analysis was used to generate five composite variables and compare to validated factors. Perceptual mapping and vector modeling, which produce 3-dimensional models of a group's perceptions, were then used to model how they conceptualize help-seeking. Factor analysis showed slightly different groupings than the BHSS, perhaps attributed to different characteristics of respondents, who are situated in a military school compared to general university males. Perceptual maps show that cadets perceive trust of doctors closest to them and help-seeking farthest, supporting the concept that these males have rigid beliefs about having control and its relationship to health seeking. Differences were seen when comparing maps of White and non-White cadets. White cadets positioned themselves far away from all variables, while non-White cadets were closest to "emotional control". To move these cadets toward help-seeking, vector modeling suggests that interventions should focus on their general trust of doctors, accepting lack of control, and decreasing feelings of weakness when asking for help. For non-White cadets a focus on self-reliance may also need to be emphasized. Use of these unique methods resulted in articulation of specific barriers that if addressed early, may have lasting effects on help-seeking behavior as these young men become adults. Future studies are needed to develop and test specific interventions to promote help-seeking among military cadets.

A Maximum Power Point Tracking Control Method of a Photovoltaic Power Generator with Consideration of Dynamic Characteristics of Solar Cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Watanabe, Takashi; Yoshida, Toshiya; Ohniwa, Katsumi

This paper discusses a new control strategy for photovoltaic power generation systems with consideration of dynamic characteristics of the photovoltaic cells. The controller estimates internal currents of an equivalent circuit for the cells. This estimated, or the virtual current and the actual voltage of the cells are fed to a conventional Maximum-Power-Point-Tracking (MPPT) controller. Consequently, this MPPT controller still tracks the optimum point even though it is so designed that the seeking speed of the operating point is extremely high. This system may suit for applications, which are installed in rapidly changeable insolation and temperature-conditions e.g. automobiles, trains, and airplanes. The proposed method is verified by experiment with a combination of this estimating function and the modified Boehringer's MPPT algorithm.

Intact goal-directed control in treatment-seeking drug users indexed by outcome-devaluation and Pavlovian to instrumental transfer: Critique of habit theory.

PubMed

Hogarth, Lee; Lam-Cassettari, Christa; Pacitti, Helena; Currah, Tara; Mahlberg, Justin; Hartley, Lucie; Moustafa, Ahmed

2018-05-22

Animal studies have demonstrated that chronic exposure to drugs of abuse impairs goal-directed control over action selection indexed by the outcome-devaluation and specific Pavlovian to instrumental transfer procedures, suggesting this impairment might underpin addiction. However, there is currently only weak evidence for impaired goal-directed control in human drug users. Two experiments were undertaken in which treatment-seeking drug users and non-matched normative reference samples (controls) completed outcome-devaluation and specific Pavlovian to instrumental transfer procedures notionally translatable to animal procedures (Experiment 2 used a more challenging biconditional schedule). The two experiments found significant outcome-devaluation and specific Pavlovian to instrumental transfer effects overall and there was no significant difference between groups in the magnitude of these effects. Moreover, Bayes factor supported the null hypothesis for these group comparisons. Although limited by non-matched group comparisons and small sample sizes, the two studies suggest that treatment-seeking drug users have intact goal-directed control over action selection, adding uncertainty to already mixed evidence concerning the role of habit learning in human drug dependence. Neuro-interventions might seek to tackle goal-directed drug-seeking rather than habit formation in drug users. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Intention to Seek Mental Health Treatment for Adolescent Girls: Comparison of Predictors in Mothers and Daughters

PubMed Central

Logsdon, M. Cynthia; Pinto, Melissa D.; LaJoie, A. Scott; Hertweck, Paige; Lynch, Tania; Flamini, Laura

2013-01-01

PROBLEM To examine predictors of intention to seek mental health treatment for adolescent girls in mothers and daughters. METHODS In this cross-sectional study, mothers and adolescent daughters (n = 71) completed measures of behavioral attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and intention to seek mental health treatment for the adolescent daughter. FINDINGS Behavioral attitude and perceived behavioral control predicted intention to seek mental health treatment among mothers. Behavioral attitude predicted intention among daughters. There were no associations between mothers and daughters on study variables. CONCLUSIONS To promote shared decision making and engagement in mental health treatment, clinicians may target interventions to the mother’s perceived behavioral control and behavioral attitudes of daughters and mothers. Based upon study results, clinicians should promote shared decision making and concordance between mothers and daughters on attitudes toward mental health treatment. PMID:24180603

D4 dopamine-receptor (DRD4) alleles and novelty seeking in substance-dependent, personality-disorder, and control subjects.

PubMed Central

Gelernter, J; Kranzler, H; Coccaro, E; Siever, L; New, A; Mulgrew, C L

1997-01-01

Two reports have been published suggesting an association between the personality trait of novelty seeking and the DRD4*7R allele at the D4 dopamine-receptor locus (with heterozygotes or homozygotes for DRD4*7R having higher novelty seeking). We studied novelty seeking and four coding-sequence polymorphisms affecting protein structure in the D4 dopamine-receptor gene (DRD4) in a sample of 341 American subjects, of whom 224 are of primarily European ancestry and 117 are of primarily African ancestry. These subjects had diagnoses of substance dependence or personality disorder (PD) or were screened to exclude major psychiatric diagnosis. We found that, although the substance-dependent subjects had significantly higher novelty seeking than the control and PD subjects, they did not differ in DRD4*7R allele frequency. There was no association between any DRD4 polymorphism and novelty seeking in any population or diagnostic group, except for a significant association between the DRD4*7R allele and lower novelty seeking among European American females and African American substance abusers. The novelty seeking of subjects heterozygous for a null mutation did not differ from that of subjects with two functional alleles. We conclude that the most likely explanation of these results is that the DRD4 VNTR does not influence directly the trait of novelty seeking, in these samples. PMID:9345090

Sensation seeking and smoking behaviors among adolescents in the Republic of Korea.

PubMed

Hwang, Heejin; Park, Sunhee

2015-06-01

This study aimed to explore the relationship between the four components of sensation seeking (i.e., disinhibition, thrill and adventure seeking, experience seeking, and boredom susceptibility) and three types of smoking behavior (i.e., non-smoking, experimental smoking, and current smoking) among high school students in the Republic of Korea. Multivariate multinomial logistic regression analysis was performed using two models. In Model 1, the four subscales of sensation seeking were used as covariates, and in Model 2, other control factors (i.e., characteristics related to demographics, individuals, family, school, and friends) were added to Model 1 in order to adjust for their effects. In Model 1, the impact of disinhibition on experimental smoking and current smoking was statistically significant. In Model 2, the influence of disinhibition on both of these smoking behaviors remained statistically significant after controlling for all the other covariates. Also, the effect of thrill and adventure seeking on experimental smoking was statistically significant. The two statistically significant subscales of sensation seeking were positively associated with the risk of smoking behaviors. According to extant literature and current research, sensation seeking, particularly disinhibition, is strongly associated with smoking among youth. Therefore, sensation seeking should be measured among adolescents to identify those who are at greater risk of smoking and to develop more effective intervention strategies in order to curb the smoking epidemic among youth. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Predictors of treatment seeking intention among people with cough in East Wollega, Ethiopia based on the theory of planned behavior: a community based cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Addisu, Yohannes; Birhanu, Zewdie; Tilahun, Dejen; Assefa, Tsion

2014-04-01

Early treatment seeking for cough is crucial in the prevention and control of Tuberculosis. This study was intended to assess treatment seeking intention of people with cough of more than two weeks, and to identify its predictors. A community based cross-sectional study was conducted among 763 individuals with cough of more than two weeks in East Wollega Zone from March 10 to April 16, 2011. Study participants were selected from eighteen villages by cluster sampling method. Data collection instruments were developed according to the standard guideline of the theory of planned behavior. The data were analyzed with SPSS 16.0. Multiple linear regression was used to identify predictors. Mean score of intention was found to be 12.6 (SD=2.8) (range of possible score=3-15). Knowledge (β=0.14, 95%CI: 0.07-0.2), direct attitude (β=0.31, 95%CI: 0.25-0.35), belief-based attitude (β=0.03, 95%CI: 0.02-0.06) and perceived subjective norm (β=0.22, 95%CI: 0.13-0.31) positively predicted treatment seeking intention. However, perceived behavioral control and control belief were not significantly associated with treatment seeking intention (p>0.05). Being smoker (β=-0.97, 95%CI:-1.65 (-0.37)) and higher family income (β=-0.06, 95%CI:-0.07-(-0.01) were significantly associated with lower treatment seeking intention. TPB significantly predicted treatment seeking intention among the study participants. Attitude and silent beliefs held by the respondents play an important role and should be given emphasize in prevention and control of Tuberculosis.

Factors driving public tolerance levels and information-seeking behaviour concerning insects in the household environment.

PubMed

Schoelitsz, Bruce; Poortvliet, P Marijn; Takken, Willem

2018-06-01

The public's negative attitudes towards household insects drive tolerance for these insects and their control. Tolerance levels are important in integrated pest management (IPM), as are pest knowledge and information. The risk information seeking and processing (RISP) model describes the relationships between personal factors and information-seeking behaviour. We combined IPM and RISP to determine important relationships between factors driving insect tolerance levels and information-seeking behaviour through an online survey and tested whether this model is valid and generally applicable. Relationships between variables from both IPM and RISP models were tested for seven insect species. Tolerance levels were measured with two factors: willingness to pay for pest control and whether insects are tolerated. Willingness to pay for control was positively affected by age, experience, risk perception, insect characteristics, and negative emotions and affected behavioural intention, by influencing information sufficiency and information-seeking behaviour. Tolerability was influenced by perception of insect characteristics and determines whether control measures are taken. It was possible to combine the RISP and IPM models. Relevant driving factors were a person's age, experience, risk perception, negative affective responses, tolerance levels, relevant channel beliefs about online forums, information sufficiency and information-seeking behaviour. There was, however, variation in important factors between different insects. © 2017 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry. © 2017 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

TOXPERT: An Expert System for Risk Assessment

PubMed Central

Soto, R. J.; Osimitz, T. G.; Oleson, A.

1988-01-01

TOXPERT is an artificial intelligence based system used to model product safety, toxicology (TOX) and regulatory (REG) decision processes. An expert system shell uses backward chaining rule control to link “marketing approval” goals to the type of product, REG agency, exposure conditions and TOX. Marketing risks are primarily a function of the TOX, hazards and exposure potential. The method employed differentiates between REG requirements in goal seeking control for various types of products. This is accomplished by controlling rule execution by defining frames for each REG agency. In addition, TOXPERT produces classifications of TOX ratings and suggested product labeling. This production rule system uses principles of TOX, REGs, corporate guidelines and internal “rules of thumb.” TOXPERT acts as an advisor for this narrow domain. Advantages are that it can make routine decisions freeing professional's time for more complex problem solving, provide backup and training.

Bounded Linear Stability Analysis - A Time Delay Margin Estimation Approach for Adaptive Control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nguyen, Nhan T.; Ishihara, Abraham K.; Krishnakumar, Kalmanje Srinlvas; Bakhtiari-Nejad, Maryam

2009-01-01

This paper presents a method for estimating time delay margin for model-reference adaptive control of systems with almost linear structured uncertainty. The bounded linear stability analysis method seeks to represent the conventional model-reference adaptive law by a locally bounded linear approximation within a small time window using the comparison lemma. The locally bounded linear approximation of the combined adaptive system is cast in a form of an input-time-delay differential equation over a small time window. The time delay margin of this system represents a local stability measure and is computed analytically by a matrix measure method, which provides a simple analytical technique for estimating an upper bound of time delay margin. Based on simulation results for a scalar model-reference adaptive control system, both the bounded linear stability method and the matrix measure method are seen to provide a reasonably accurate and yet not too conservative time delay margin estimation.

Hybrid Stochastic Search Technique based Suboptimal AGC Regulator Design for Power System using Constrained Feedback Control Strategy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ibraheem, Omveer, Hasan, N.

2010-10-01

A new hybrid stochastic search technique is proposed to design of suboptimal AGC regulator for a two area interconnected non reheat thermal power system incorporating DC link in parallel with AC tie-line. In this technique, we are proposing the hybrid form of Genetic Algorithm (GA) and simulated annealing (SA) based regulator. GASA has been successfully applied to constrained feedback control problems where other PI based techniques have often failed. The main idea in this scheme is to seek a feasible PI based suboptimal solution at each sampling time. The feasible solution decreases the cost function rather than minimizing the cost function.

A versatile system for biological and soil chemical tests on a planetary landing craft. II - Hardware development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Martin, J. P.; Kok, B.; Radmer, R.

1976-01-01

A system has been under development which is designed to seek remotely for clues to life in planetary soil samples. The basic approach is a set of experiments, all having a common sensor, a gas analysis mass spectrometer which monitors gas composition in the head spaces above sealed, temperature controlled soil samples. Versatility is obtained with up to three preloaded, sealed fluid injector capsules for each of eleven soil test cells. Tests results with an engineering model has demonstrated performance capability of subsystem components such as soil distribution, gas sampling valves, injector mechanisms, temperature control, and test cell seal.

Bistability and State Transition of a Delay Differential Equation Model of Neutrophil Dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, Suqi; Zhu, Kaiyi; Lei, Jinzhi

This paper studies the existence of bistable states and control strategies to induce state transitions of a delay differential equation model of neutrophil dynamics. We seek the conditions that a stable steady state and an oscillatory state coexist in the neutrophil dynamical system. Physiologically, stable steady state represents the healthy state, while oscillatory state is usually associated with diseases such as cyclical neutropenia. We study the control strategies to induce the transitions from the disease state to the healthy state by introducing temporal perturbations to system parameters. This study is valuable in designing clinical protocols for the treatment of cyclical neutropenia.

Building a middle-range theory of free public healthcare seeking in sub-Saharan Africa: a realist review

PubMed Central

Robert, Emilie; Samb, Oumar Mallé; Marchal, Bruno; Ridde, Valéry

2017-01-01

Abstract Realist reviews are a new form of knowledge synthesis aimed at providing middle-range theories (MRTs) that specify how interventions work, for which populations, and under what circumstances. This approach opens the ‘black box’ of an intervention by showing how it triggers mechanisms in specific contexts to produce outcomes. We conducted a realist review of health user fee exemption policies (UFEPs) in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). This article presents how we developed both the intervention theory (IT) of UFEPs and a MRT of free public healthcare seeking in SSA, building on Sen’s capability approach. Over the course of this iterative process, we explored theoretical writings on healthcare access, services use, and healthcare seeking behaviour. We also analysed empirical studies on UFEPs and healthcare access in free care contexts. According to the IT, free care at the point of delivery is a resource allowing users to make choices about their use of public healthcare services, choices previously not generally available to them. Users’ ability to choose to seek free care is influenced by structural, local, and individual conversion factors. We tested this IT on 69 empirical studies selected on the basis of their scientific rigor and relevance to the theory. From that analysis, we formulated a MRT on seeking free public healthcare in SSA. It highlights three key mechanisms in users’ choice to seek free public healthcare: trust, risk awareness and acceptability. Contextual elements that influence both users’ ability and choice to seek free care include: availability of and control over resources at the individual level; characteristics of users’ and providers’ communities at the local level; and health system organization, governance and policies at the structural level. PMID:28520961

Demographic, Socioeconomic, and Geographic Factors Leading to Severe Malaria and Delayed Care Seeking in Ugandan Children: A Case-Control Study.

PubMed

Mpimbaza, Arthur; Ndeezi, Grace; Katahoire, Anne; Rosenthal, Philip J; Karamagi, Charles

2017-11-01

We studied associations between delayed care seeking, demographic, socioeconomic, and geographic factors and likelihood of severe malaria in Ugandan children. The study was based at Jinja Hospital, Uganda. We enrolled 325 severe malaria cases and 325 uncomplicated malaria controls matched by age and residence. Patient details, an itinerary of events in response to illness, household information, and location of participants' residences were captured. Conditional logistic regression was used to determine risk factors for severe malaria and delayed care seeking. Delayed care seeking (≥ 24 hours after fever onset; odds ratio [OR] 5.50; 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.70, 11.1), seeking care at a drug shop as the initial response to illness (OR 3.62; 95% CI 1.86, 7.03), and increasing distance from place of residence to the nearest health center (OR 1.45; 95% CI 1.17, 1.79) were independent risk factors for severe malaria. On subgroup analysis, delayed care seeking was a significant risk factor in children with severe malaria attributable to severe anemia (OR 15.6; 95% CI 3.02, 80.6), but not unconsciousness (OR 1.13; 95% CI 0.30, 4.28). Seeking care at a drug shop (OR 2.84; 95% CI 1.12, 7.21) and increasing distance to the nearest health center (OR 1.18; 95% CI 1.01, 1.37) were independent risk factors for delayed care seeking. Delayed care seeking and seeking care at a drug shop were risk factors for severe malaria. Seeking care at a drug shop was also a predictor of delayed care seeking. The role of drug shops in contributing to delayed care and risk of severe malaria requires further study.

Technical and scale efficiency in the delivery of child health services in Zambia: results from data envelopment analysis.

PubMed

Achoki, Tom; Hovels, Anke; Masiye, Felix; Lesego, Abaleng; Leufkens, Hubert; Kinfu, Yohannes

2017-01-05

Despite tremendous efforts to scale up key maternal and child health interventions in Zambia, progress has not been uniform across the country. This raises fundamental health system performance questions that require further investigation. Our study investigates technical and scale efficiency (SE) in the delivery of maternal and child health services in the country. The study focused on all 72 health districts of Zambia. We compiled a district-level database comprising health outcomes (measured by the probability of survival to 5 years of age), health outputs (measured by coverage of key health interventions) and a set of health system inputs, namely, financial resources and human resources for health, for the year 2010. We used data envelopment analysis to assess the performance of subnational units across Zambia with respect to technical and SE, controlling for environmental factors that are beyond the control of health system decision makers. Nationally, average technical efficiency with respect to improving child survival was 61.5% (95% CI 58.2% to 64.8%), which suggests that there is a huge inefficiency in resource use in the country and the potential to expand services without injecting additional resources into the system. Districts that were more urbanised and had a higher proportion of educated women were more technically efficient. Improved cooking methods and donor funding had no significant effect on efficiency. With the pressing need to accelerate progress in population health, decision makers must seek efficient ways to deliver services to achieve universal health coverage. Understanding the factors that drive performance and seeking ways to enhance efficiency offer a practical pathway through which low-income countries could improve population health without necessarily seeking additional resources. 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/.

A Re-Examination of Neuropsychological Functioning in Persian Gulf War Era Veterans

DTIC Science & Technology

2003-08-01

neuropsychological evaluations and a group of individuals seeking treatment or diagnostic evaluation for any purpose. Controls were treatment -seeking non deployed...GW-era veterans studied between 1995-1998. The prior finding of differences between the deployed and non-deployed treatment seeking GW-era veterans in...included patients who were initially referred for clinical neuropsychological evaluations and a group of individuals who were seeking treatment or

Looking beyond the Internet: examining socioeconomic inequalities in cancer information seeking among cancer patients.

PubMed

Lee, Chul-Joo; Ramírez, A Susana; Lewis, Nehama; Gray, Stacy W; Hornik, Robert C

2012-01-01

The gap in cancer information seeking between high-socioeconomic-status (high-SES) cancer patients and low-SES cancer patients deserves serious attention, considering the importance of information and knowledge in cancer control. We thus explored the association of SES, as measured by education, with cancer patients' overall cancer information seeking, and with seeking from each source (i.e., the Internet, mass media, medical sources, and nonmedical interpersonal sources) and across two topic categories (i.e., treatment, quality of life). We then asked whether the effect of education on treatment information seeking is reduced among those who are particularly motivated to control treatment choices. We conducted a survey with breast, prostate, and colon cancer patients diagnosed in 2005 (n = 2,013), who were randomly drawn from the Pennsylvania Cancer Registry in the fall of 2006. We found that education was more strongly associated with Internet use than with the use of other sources regardless of topics. Also, when information was sought from mass media, education had a greater association with treatment information seeking than with quality-of-life information seeking. Preference for active participation in treatment decision making, however, did not moderate the effect of education on treatment information seeking. The implications of these findings for public health research and cancer patient education were discussed.

Sensation seeking, peer deviance, and genetic influences on adolescent delinquency: Evidence for person-environment correlation and interaction.

PubMed

Mann, Frank D; Patterson, Megan W; Grotzinger, Andrew D; Kretsch, Natalie; Tackett, Jennifer L; Tucker-Drob, Elliot M; Harden, K Paige

2016-07-01

Both sensation seeking and affiliation with deviant peer groups are risk factors for delinquency in adolescence. In this study, we use a sample of adolescent twins (n = 549), 13 to 20 years old (M age = 15.8 years), in order to test the interactive effects of peer deviance and sensation seeking on delinquency in a genetically informative design. Consistent with a socialization effect, affiliation with deviant peers was associated with higher delinquency even after controlling for selection effects using a co-twin-control comparison. At the same time, there was evidence for person-environment correlation; adolescents with genetic dispositions toward higher sensation seeking were more likely to report having deviant peer groups. Genetic influences on sensation seeking substantially overlapped with genetic influences on adolescent delinquency. Finally, the environmentally mediated effect of peer deviance on adolescent delinquency was moderated by individual differences in sensation seeking. Adolescents reporting high levels of sensation seeking were more susceptible to deviant peers, a Person × Environment interaction. These results are consistent with both selection and socialization processes in adolescent peer relationships, and they highlight the role of sensation seeking as an intermediary phenotype for genetic risk for delinquency. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Looking beyond the Internet: Examining Socioeconomic Inequalities in Cancer Information Seeking among Cancer Patients

PubMed Central

Lee, Chul-joo; Ramirez, Susana; Lewis, Nehama; Gray, Stacy W.; Hornik, Robert C.

2014-01-01

The gap in cancer information seeking between high-socioeconomic status (SES) cancer patients and low-SES cancer patients deserves serious attention considering the importance of information and knowledge in cancer control. We thus explored the association of SES, as measured by education, with cancer patients’ overall cancer information seeking, and with seeking from each source (i.e., the Internet, mass media, medical sources, and non-medical interpersonal sources) and across two topic categories (i.e., treatment, quality of life). We then asked whether the effect of education on treatment information seeking is reduced among those who are particularly motivated to control treatment choices. We conducted a survey with breast, prostate, and colon cancer patients diagnosed in 2005 (N = 2,013), who were randomly drawn from the Pennsylvania Cancer Registry in the fall of 2006. We found that education was more strongly associated with Internet use than with the use of other sources regardless of topics. Also, when information was sought from mass media, education had a greater association with treatment information seeking than with quality-of-life information seeking. Preference for active participation in treatment decision making, however, did not moderate the effect of education on treatment information seeking. The implications of these findings for public health research and cancer patient education were discussed. PMID:22356137

Study of Barrier to Help Seeking and its Relationships with Disability in Patients with Headache

PubMed Central

John, Deepa; Sundarmurthy, Harsha; Rathod, Harshal; Rathod, Snehal

2016-01-01

Introduction Headache is among the first three most prevalent disorders with a wide treatment gap due to barriers in help seeking. Headache has been associated with disability. However, the relationship of barriers to help-seeking and disability are unexplored. Aim To find out the barriers to help seeking and its relationship with headache related disability in patients with headache. Materials and Methods In this hospital based cross-sectional study, 200 consecutive subjects with headache attending a tertiary care centre were recruited as per selection criteria and assessed with Sociodemographic & Clinical Proforma, Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI), Barriers to Help Seeking Scale (BHSS), The Henry Ford Hospital Headache Disability Inventory (HDI). Results High mean score was observed on BHSS subscale need for control and self reliance (19.45; SD ±9.66) and minimizing problem and resignation (10.02; SD ±6.98). Mean score on the HDI was 25.65 (SD ± 14.09). Socioeconomic status of the patient was statistically significant and positively associated with need for control and self reliance (p=0.035), concrete barriers and distrust of care givers (p=0.039), emotional control (p=0.005), and privacy (p=0.002). Occupational status had significant association with need for control and self-reliance (p=0.01), minimizing problem and resignation (p=0.033), and emotional control (p=0.006). Score on hospital headache disability inventory significantly predicted the value of score on concrete barriers and distrust of caregivers domain of HDI (p=0.001). Conclusion Autonomy and under estimation of seriousness of headache are common barriers to help seeking. Pattern of help seeking barriers may vary with socio-economic status and occupational status, while disability varies with gender and severity of headache. Headache associated disability is positively associated with concrete barriers. PMID:27891430

Asian International Students' Willingness to Seek Counseling: A Mixed-Methods Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Li, Peiwei; Wong, Y. Joel; Toth, Paul

2013-01-01

Using a mixed-methods survey design that was predominantly quantitative, this study explored Asian international students' willingness to seek counseling. Participants were 177 Asian international students recruited from a U.S. Midwestern University. After controlling for attitudes toward psychological help-seeking and past counseling experience,…

Progression along the Bipolar Spectrum: A Longitudinal Study of Predictors of Conversion from Bipolar Spectrum Conditions to Bipolar I and II Disorders

PubMed Central

Alloy, Lauren B.; Urošević, Snežana; Abramson, Lyn Y.; Jager-Hyman, Shari; Nusslock, Robin; Whitehouse, Wayne G.; Hogan, Michael

2011-01-01

Little longitudinal research has examined progression to more severe bipolar disorders in individuals with “soft” bipolar spectrum conditions. We examine rates and predictors of progression to bipolar I and II diagnoses in a non-patient sample of college-age participants (n = 201) with high General Behavior Inventory scores and childhood or adolescent onset of “soft” bipolar spectrum disorders followed longitudinally for 4.5 years from the Longitudinal Investigation of Bipolar Spectrum (LIBS) project. Of 57 individuals with initial cyclothymia or bipolar disorder not otherwise specified (BiNOS) diagnoses, 42.1% progressed to a bipolar II diagnosis and 10.5% progressed to a bipolar I diagnosis. Of 144 individuals with initial bipolar II diagnoses, 17.4% progressed to a bipolar I diagnosis. Consistent with hypotheses derived from the clinical literature and the Behavioral Approach System (BAS) model of bipolar disorder, and controlling for relevant variables (length of follow-up, initial depressive and hypomanic symptoms, treatment-seeking, and family history), high BAS sensitivity (especially BAS Fun Seeking) predicted a greater likelihood of progression to bipolar II disorder, whereas early age of onset and high impulsivity predicted a greater likelihood of progression to bipolar I (high BAS sensitivity and Fun-Seeking also predicted progression to bipolar I when family history was not controlled). The interaction of high BAS and high Behavioral Inhibition System (BIS) sensitivities also predicted greater likelihood of progression to bipolar I. We discuss implications of the findings for the bipolar spectrum concept, the BAS model of bipolar disorder, and early intervention efforts. PMID:21668080

Empty threat: Hospitals could see more vacancies as demand for outpatient care grows and financial pressure builds to curb inpatient admissions.

PubMed

Evans, Melanie

2012-03-26

Markets with too many hospital beds could see trouble as providers seek to control spending and avoid expensive hospitalizations. "You'll need a lot fewer hospitals and hospital beds" because providers will do more to keep patients healthy enough not to need them, says Frank Trembulak, of Geisinger Health System.

Terrestrial implications of mathematical modeling developed for space biomedical research

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lujan, Barbara F.; White, Ronald J.; Leonard, Joel I.; Srinivasan, R. Srini

1988-01-01

This paper summarizes several related research projects supported by NASA which seek to apply computer models to space medicine and physiology. These efforts span a wide range of activities, including mathematical models used for computer simulations of physiological control systems; power spectral analysis of physiological signals; pattern recognition models for detection of disease processes; and computer-aided diagnosis programs.

78 FR 46678 - Notice of Application for Approval of Discontinuance or Modification of a Railroad Signal System

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-08-01

..., GA 30309. NS seeks approval of the proposed discontinuance of Control Point (CP) CSXT Connection, at Milepost (MP) H 194.9 on the NS Roanoke District, Virginia Division, between Shenandoah and Roanoke, VA. CP... is that CP CSXT Connection is seldom used and no longer needed for railroad operations. A copy of the...

Inhibitory Control and Emotional Stress Regulation: Neuroimaging Evidence for Frontal-Limbic Dysfunction in Psycho-stimulant Addiction

PubMed Central

Ray Li, Chiang-shan; Sinha, Rajita

2008-01-01

This review focuses on neuroimaging studies that examined stress processing and regulation and cognitive inhibitory control in patients with psycho-stimulant addiction. We provide an overview of these studies, summarizing converging evidence and discrepancies as they occur in the literature. We also adopt an analytic perspective and dissect these psychological processes into their sub-components, to identify the neural pathways specific to each component process and those that are more specifically involved in psycho-stimulant addiction. To this aim we refer frequently to studies conducted in healthy individuals. Despite the separate treatment of stress/affect regulation, stress-related craving or compulsive drug seeking, and inhibitory control, neural underpinnings of these processes overlap significantly. In particular, the ventromedial prefrontal regions including the anterior cingulate cortex, amygdala and the striatum are implicated in psychostimulant dependence. Our overarching thesis is that prefrontal activity ensures intact emotional stress regulation and inhibitory control. Altered prefrontal activity along with heightened striatal responses to addicted drug and drug-related salient stimuli perpetuates habitual drug seeking. Further studies that examine the functional relationships of these neural systems will likely provide the key to understanding the mechanisms underlying compulsive drug use behaviors in psycho-stimulant dependence. PMID:18164058

A critical overview of homeopathy.

PubMed

Jonas, Wayne B; Kaptchuk, Ted J; Linde, Klaus

2003-03-04

Homeopathy is a 200-year-old therapeutic system that uses small doses of various substances to stimulate autoregulatory and self-healing processes. Homeopathy selects substances by matching a patient's symptoms with symptoms produced by these substances in healthy individuals. Medicines are prepared by serial dilution and shaking, which proponents claim imprints information into water. Although many conventional physicians find such notions implausible, homeopathy had a prominent place in 19th-century health care and has recently undergone a worldwide revival. In the United States, patients who seek homeopathic care are more affluent and younger and more often seek treatment for subjective symptoms than those who seek conventional care. Homeopathic remedies were allowed by the 1939 Pure Food and Drug Act and are available over the counter. Some data--both from randomized, controlled trials and laboratory research--show effects from homeopathic remedies that contradict the contemporary rational basis of medicine. Three independent systematic reviews of placebo-controlled trials on homeopathy reported that its effects seem to be more than placebo, and one review found its effects consistent with placebo. There is also evidence from randomized, controlled trials that homeopathy may be effective for the treatment of influenza, allergies, postoperative ileus, and childhood diarrhea. Evidence suggests that homeopathy is ineffective for migraine, delayed-onset muscle soreness, and influenza prevention. There is a lack of conclusive evidence on the effectiveness of homeopathy for most conditions. Homeopathy deserves an open-minded opportunity to demonstrate its value by using evidence-based principles, but it should not be substituted for proven therapies.

Effects of help-seeking in a blended high school Biology class

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deguzman, Paolo

Distance learning provides an opportunity for students to learn valuable information through technology and interactive media. Distance learning additionally offers educational institutions the flexibility of synchronous and asynchronous instruction while increasing enrollment and lowering cost. However, distance education has not been well documented within the context of urban high schools. Distance learning may allow high school students to understand material at an individualized pace for either enrichment or remediation. A successful high school student who participates in distance learning should exhibit high self regulatory skills. However, most urban high school students have not been exposed to distance learning and should be introduced to proper self regulatory strategies that should increase the likelihood of understanding the material. To help facilitate a move into distance learning, a blended distance learning model, the combination of distance learning and traditional learning, will be used. According to O'Neil's (in preparation) revised problem solving model, self regulation is a component of problem solving. Within the Blended Biology course, urban high school students will be trained in help-seeking strategies to further their understanding of genetics and Punnett Square problem solving. This study investigated the effects of help-seeking in a blended high school Biology course. The main study consisted of a help-seeking group (n=55) and a control group (n=53). Both the help-seeking group and the control group were taught by one teacher for two weeks. The help-seeking group had access to Blended Biology with Help-Seeking while the control group only had access to Blended Biology. The main study used a pretest and posttest to measure Genetics Content Understanding, Punnett Square Problem Solving, Adaptive Help-Seeking, Maladaptive Help-Seeking, and Self Regulation. The analysis showed no significant difference in any of the measures in terms of help seeking. However, blended distance learning appeared to work as posttest means increased significantly from the pretest means. Future studies should consider the method of communication for help-seeking and help-giving within a high school distance learning context. Further studies should consider developing instruments to measure the difference in knowing when help is needed versus active choice.

Grounding explanations in evolving, diagnostic situations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johannesen, Leila J.; Cook, Richard I.; Woods, David D.

1994-01-01

Certain fields of practice involve the management and control of complex dynamic systems. These include flight deck operations in commercial aviation, control of space systems, anesthetic management during surgery or chemical or nuclear process control. Fault diagnosis of these dynamic systems generally must occur with the monitored process on-line and in conjunction with maintaining system integrity.This research seeks to understand in more detail what it means for an intelligent system to function cooperatively, or as a 'team player' in complex, dynamic environments. The approach taken was to study human practitioners engaged in the management of a complex, dynamic process: anesthesiologists during neurosurgical operations. The investigation focused on understanding how team members cooperate in management and fault diagnosis and comparing this interaction to the situation with an Artificial Intelligence(AI) system that provides diagnoses and explanations. Of particular concern was to study the ways in which practitioners support one another in keeping aware of relevant information concerning the state of the monitored process and of the problem solving process.

Glucose-responsive neurons of the paraventricular thalamus control sucrose-seeking behavior.

PubMed

Labouèbe, Gwenaël; Boutrel, Benjamin; Tarussio, David; Thorens, Bernard

2016-08-01

Feeding behavior is governed by homeostatic needs and motivational drive to obtain palatable foods. Here, we identify a population of glutamatergic neurons in the paraventricular thalamus of mice that express the glucose transporter Glut2 (encoded by Slc2a2) and project to the nucleus accumbens. These neurons are activated by hypoglycemia and, in freely moving mice, their activation by optogenetics or Slc2a2 inactivation increases motivated sucrose-seeking but not saccharin-seeking behavior. These neurons may control sugar overconsumption in obesity and diabetes.

Does the organizational structure of health care systems influence care-seeking decisions? A qualitative analysis of Danish cancer patients' reflections on care-seeking

PubMed Central

Andersen, Rikke Sand; Vedsted, Peter; Olesen, Frede; Bro, Flemming; Søndergaard, Jens

2011-01-01

Objective The absence of a more significant improvement in cancer survival in countries such as the UK and Denmark may be partly rooted in delayed care-seeking among cancer patients. Past research on patient delay has mainly focused on patient characteristics (e.g. sociodemographic and psychological factors and symptom recognition) as causes of delayed care-seeking, while few studies have examined how the organizational structure of health care systems may influence patients’ reflections on seeking care. The aim of this study was to explore this relationship. Design The analysis presented is based on semi-structured interviews with 30 cancer patients and their families. Results The article raises two hypotheses on the relationship between structural elements of a health care system and people's reflections on seeking health care: (1) Gatekeeping introduces an asymmetrical relationship between the patient and the GP which potentially results in self-restricting care-seeking, (2) Continuity in the doctor–patient relationship may negatively influence patient reflections on access to health care, as the focus shifts from the medical issues of the consultation to reflections on how to properly interact with the GP and the system in which she/he is situated. Conclusion It is concluded that these hypotheses form a sound basis for further primary care research on how the organizational structure of health care systems influences patient reflections on access to medical care. PMID:21861597

Nativity and language preference as drivers of health information seeking: examining differences and trends from a U.S. population-based survey.

PubMed

Massey, Philip M; Langellier, Brent A; Sentell, Tetine; Manganello, Jennifer

2017-12-01

To examine differences in health information seeking between U.S.-born and foreign-born populations in the U.S. Data from 2008 to 2014 from the Health Information National Trends Survey were used in this study (n = 15,249). Bivariate analyses, logistic regression, and predicted probabilities were used to examine health information seeking and sources of health information. Findings demonstrate that 59.3% of the Hispanic foreign-born population reported looking for health information, fewer than other racial/ethnic groups in the sample. Compared with non-Hispanic White, non-Hispanic Black (OR = 0.62) and Hispanic foreign-born individuals (OR = 0.31) were the least likely to use the internet as a first source for health information. Adjustment for language preference explains much of the disparity in health information seeking between the Hispanic foreign-born population and Whites; controlling for nativity, respondents who prefer Spanish have 0.25 the odds of using the internet as a first source of health information compared to those who prefer English. Foreign-born nativity and language preference are significant determinants of health information seeking. Further research is needed to better understand how information seeking patterns can influence health care use, and ultimately health outcomes. To best serve diverse racial and ethnic minority populations, health care systems, health care providers, and public health professionals must provide culturally competent health information resources to strengthen access and use by vulnerable populations, and to ensure that all populations are able to benefit from evolving health information sources in the digital age.

Neural Substrate of Cold-Seeking Behavior in Endotoxin Shock

PubMed Central

Almeida, Maria C; Steiner, Alexandre A; Branco, Luiz G S; Romanovsky, Andrej A

2006-01-01

Systemic inflammation is a leading cause of hospital death. Mild systemic inflammation is accompanied by warmth-seeking behavior (and fever), whereas severe inflammation is associated with cold-seeking behavior (and hypothermia). Both behaviors are adaptive. Which brain structures mediate which behavior is unknown. The involvement of hypothalamic structures, namely, the preoptic area (POA), paraventricular nucleus (PVH), or dorsomedial nucleus (DMH), in thermoregulatory behaviors associated with endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide [LPS])-induced systemic inflammation was studied in rats. The rats were allowed to select their thermal environment by freely moving in a thermogradient apparatus. A low intravenous dose of Escherichia coli LPS (10 µg/kg) caused warmth-seeking behavior, whereas a high, shock-inducing dose (5,000 µg/kg) caused cold-seeking behavior. Bilateral electrocoagulation of the PVH or DMH, but not of the POA, prevented this cold-seeking response. Lesioning the DMH with ibotenic acid, an excitotoxin that destroys neuronal bodies but spares fibers of passage, also prevented LPS-induced cold-seeking behavior; lesioning the PVH with ibotenate did not affect it. Lesion of no structure affected cold-seeking behavior induced by heat exposure or by pharmacological stimulation of the transient receptor potential (TRP) vanilloid-1 channel (“warmth receptor”). Nor did any lesion affect warmth-seeking behavior induced by a low dose of LPS, cold exposure, or pharmacological stimulation of the TRP melastatin-8 (“cold receptor”). We conclude that LPS-induced cold-seeking response is mediated by neuronal bodies located in the DMH and neural fibers passing through the PVH. These are the first two landmarks on the map of the circuitry of cold-seeking behavior associated with endotoxin shock. PMID:17183631

Help Helps, but Only so Much: Research on Help Seeking with Intelligent Tutoring Systems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aleven, Vincent; Roll, Ido; McLaren, Bruce M.; Koedinger, Kenneth R.

2016-01-01

Help seeking is an important process in self-regulated learning (SRL). It may influence learning with intelligent tutoring systems (ITSs), because many ITSs provide help, often at the student's request. The Help Tutor was a tutor agent that gave in-context, real-time feedback on students' help-seeking behavior, as they were learning with an ITS.…

Pharmaceutical information systems and possible implementations of informed consent -- developing an heuristic.

PubMed

Ploug, Thomas; Holm, Søren

2012-11-16

Denmark has implemented a comprehensive, nationwide pharmaceutical information system, and this system has been evaluated by the Danish Council of Ethics. The system can be seen as an exemplar of a comprehensive health information system for clinical use. The paper analyses 1) how informed consent can be implemented in the system and how different implementations create different impacts on autonomy and control of information, and 2) arguments directed towards justifying not seeking informed consent in this context. Based on the analysis a heuristic is provided which enables a ranking and estimation of the impact on autonomy and control of information of different options for consent to entry of data into the system and use of data from the system.The danger of routinisation of consent is identified.The Danish pharmaceutical information system raises issues in relation to autonomy and control of information, issues that will also occur in relation to other similar comprehensive health information systems. Some of these issues are well understood and their impact can be judged using the heuristic which is provided. More research is, however needed in relation to routinisation of consent.

The Communication of Help-Seeking Skills to Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Truitt, Judi C.; Kalbfleisch, Pamela J.

A study examined whether theatrical performances can communicate appropriate help-seeking skills to children for avoiding sexual abuse. The study compared the effectiveness of a play in which characters seek help for sexual abuse with that of a similar videotaped presentation, and with a control group that viewed neither the play nor the…

Cancer Fatalism, Literacy, and Cancer Information Seeking in the American Public

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kobayashi, Lindsay C.; Smith, Samuel G.

2016-01-01

Information seeking is an important behavior for cancer prevention and control, but inequalities in the communication of information about the disease persist. Conceptual models have suggested that low health literacy is a barrier to information seeking, and that fatalistic beliefs about cancer may be a mediator of this relationship. Cancer…

The Effects of Using a Model-Reinforced Video on Information-Seeking Behaviour

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McHugh, Elizabeth A.; Lenz, Janet G.; Reardon, Robert C.; Peterson, Gary W.

2012-01-01

This study examined the effects of viewing a ten-minute model-reinforced video on careers information-seeking behaviour of 280 students in ten sections of a university careers course randomly assigned to treatment or control conditions. The video portrayed an undergraduate student seeking careers counselling services and a counsellor using…

The Association between Sensation Seeking and E-cigarette Use in Texas Young Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study

PubMed Central

Case, Kathleen; Loukas, Alexandra; Harrell, Melissa; Wilkinson, Anna; Springer, Andrew; Pérez, Adriana; Creamer, MeLisa; Perry, Cheryl L.

2017-01-01

Objective To examine the associations between sensation seeking and ever and current e-cigarette use in Texas young adults (18–29 years old). Current cigarette use was examined as a potential effect modifier of the associations. Participants Participants included college students enrolled in four-year and two-year colleges in four metropolitan areas in Texas (n=5,418) who completed the survey between November 2014 and February 2015. Methods This cross-sectional study utilized mixed effects logistic regression to determine the associations between mean sensation seeking scores and ever and current e-cigarette use after controlling for covariates. Results After controlling for covariates, significant associations between sensation seeking and both ever and current e-cigarette use were observed, however, these associations were significant for non-current smokers only (AOR=1.55, 95% CI=1.39, 1.73; AOR=1.82, 95% CI=1.54, 2.15, respectively). Conclusions Sensation seeking is an important factor in identifying college students who may be at increased risk for e-cigarette use behaviors. Keywords: Electronic cigarettes, sensation seeking, current cigarette use PMID:28095126

Quadratic Programming for Allocating Control Effort

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Singh, Gurkirpal

2005-01-01

A computer program calculates an optimal allocation of control effort in a system that includes redundant control actuators. The program implements an iterative (but otherwise single-stage) algorithm of the quadratic-programming type. In general, in the quadratic-programming problem, one seeks the values of a set of variables that minimize a quadratic cost function, subject to a set of linear equality and inequality constraints. In this program, the cost function combines control effort (typically quantified in terms of energy or fuel consumed) and control residuals (differences between commanded and sensed values of variables to be controlled). In comparison with prior control-allocation software, this program offers approximately equal accuracy but much greater computational efficiency. In addition, this program offers flexibility, robustness to actuation failures, and a capability for selective enforcement of control requirements. The computational efficiency of this program makes it suitable for such complex, real-time applications as controlling redundant aircraft actuators or redundant spacecraft thrusters. The program is written in the C language for execution in a UNIX operating system.

Reactive and regulative temperament in patients with compulsive buying and non-clinical controls measured by self-report and performance-based tasks.

PubMed

Voth, Eva M; Claes, Laurence; Georgiadou, Ekaterini; Selle, Janine; Trotzke, Patrick; Brand, Matthias; de Zwaan, Martina; Müller, Astrid

2014-10-01

To examine reactive and regulative temperament in patients with compulsive buying (CB) by means of self-report measures and performance-based tasks and to explore the relationship between both measurement approaches. The study included 31 treatment-seeking patients with CB (25 women, 6 men) and an age and gender matched non-clinical control group without CB (CG). All participants answered the Compulsive Buying Scale (CBS). Reactive temperament was assessed using the Behavioral Inhibition System/Behavioral Activation System Scales (BIS/BAS) and the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT). Regulative temperament was measured using the Effortful Control subscale of the Adult Temperament Questionnaire (ATQ-EC) and a computerized version of the Stroop Task. To control the results for depression, the Patient Health Questionnaire-Depression Scale (PHQ-9) was administered. Crude group comparisons revealed higher BIS and BAS scores, poorer IGT performance and lower ATQ-EC scores in the CB-group compared to the CG. The groups did not differ in their performance on the Stroop task. After controlling for depressive symptoms that were significantly higher in the CB-group, only the group differences in BAS reactivity remained significant. No significant associations were found between questionnaires and performance-based tasks. Overall, the findings indicate that CB in the present clinical sample of treatment-seeking patients was mainly associated with higher approach tendencies and more depressive symptoms. The lacking correlation between self-reports and performance-based tasks is in line with prior research and suggests that both methodologies tap into different aspects of temperament. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effects of tick control by acaricide self-treatement of white-tailed deer on host-seeking tick infection prevalence and entomologic risk for Ixodes scapularis-borne pathogens

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

We evaluated the effects of tick control by acaricide self-treatment of white-tailed deer on the infection prevalence and entomologic risk for three I. scapularis-borne bacteria in host-seeking ticks. Ticks were collected from vegetation in areas treated with the ‘4-Poster’ device and from control a...

Can a documentary increase help-seeking intentions in men? A randomised controlled trial.

PubMed

King, Kylie Elizabeth; Schlichthorst, Marisa; Spittal, Matthew J; Phelps, Andrea; Pirkis, Jane

2018-01-01

We investigated whether a public health intervention-a three-part documentary called Man Up which explored the relationship between masculinity and mental health, well-being and suicidality-could increase men's intentions to seek help for personal and emotional problems. We recruited men aged 18 years or over who were not at risk of suicide to participate in a double-blind randomised controlled trial. Participants were randomly assigned (1:1) via computer randomisation to view Man Up (the intervention) or a control documentary. We hypothesised that 4 weeks after viewing Man Up participants would report higher levels of intention to seek help than those who viewed the control documentary. Our primary outcome was assessed using the General Help Seeking Questionnaire, and was analysed for all participants. The trial was registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ACTRN12616001169437, Universal Trial Number: U1111-1186-1459) and was funded by the Movember Foundation. Three hundred and fifty-four men were assessed for eligibility for the trial and randomised to view Man Up or the control documentary. Of these, 337 completed all stages (nine participants were lost to follow-up in the intervention group and eight in the control group). Linear regression analysis showed a significant increase in intentions to seek help in the intervention group, but not in the control group (coef.=2.06, 95% CI 0.48 to 3.63, P=0.01). Our trial demonstrates the potential for men's health outcomes to be positively impacted by novel, media-based public health interventions that focus on traditional masculinity. ACTRN12616001169437, Results. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Can a documentary increase help-seeking intentions in men? A randomised controlled trial

PubMed Central

Schlichthorst, Marisa; Spittal, Matthew J; Phelps, Andrea; Pirkis, Jane

2018-01-01

Background We investigated whether a public health intervention—a three-part documentary called Man Up which explored the relationship between masculinity and mental health, well-being and suicidality—could increase men’s intentions to seek help for personal and emotional problems. Methods We recruited men aged 18 years or over who were not at risk of suicide to participate in a double-blind randomised controlled trial. Participants were randomly assigned (1:1) via computer randomisation to view Man Up (the intervention) or a control documentary. We hypothesised that 4 weeks after viewing Man Up participants would report higher levels of intention to seek help than those who viewed the control documentary. Our primary outcome was assessed using the General Help Seeking Questionnaire, and was analysed for all participants. The trial was registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ACTRN12616001169437, Universal Trial Number: U1111-1186-1459) and was funded by the Movember Foundation. Results Three hundred and fifty-four men were assessed for eligibility for the trial and randomised to view Man Up or the control documentary. Of these, 337 completed all stages (nine participants were lost to follow-up in the intervention group and eight in the control group). Linear regression analysis showed a significant increase in intentions to seek help in the intervention group, but not in the control group (coef.=2.06, 95% CI 0.48 to 3.63, P=0.01). Conclusions Our trial demonstrates the potential for men’s health outcomes to be positively impacted by novel, media-based public health interventions that focus on traditional masculinity. Trial registration number ACTRN12616001169437, Results. PMID:29101215

"Wanting," "liking," and their relation to consciousness.

PubMed

Anselme, Patrick; Robinson, Mike J F

2016-04-01

Most animal and human behaviors emanate from goal-directedness and pleasure seeking, suggesting that they are primarily under conscious control. However, "wanting" and "liking" are believed to be adaptive core subcortical processes working at an unconscious level and responsible for guiding behavior toward appropriate rewards. Here we examine whether "wanting" is an inherent property of conscious goals and "liking" an intrinsic component of conscious feelings. We argue that "wanting" and "liking" depend on mechanisms acting below the level of consciousness, explaining why individuals often struggle to enhance or refrain their motivations and emotions by means of conscious control. In particular, hyperreactivity of subcortical "wanting" systems has been tied to pathological behaviors such as drug addiction and gambling disorder. In addicts, cognitive processes intended to curb drug-seeking wage a constant battle against subcortical urges to take more drug that often ends in relapse following repeated assaults. Nevertheless, we suggest that in nonpathological contexts, "wanting" and "liking" interact with major cognitive processes to guide goal-directed actions. (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Regulation of Dynamical Systems to Optimal Solutions of Semidefinite Programs: Algorithms and Applications to AC Optimal Power Flow

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

Dall'Anese, Emiliano; Dhople, Sairaj V.; Giannakis, Georgios B.

2015-07-01

This paper considers a collection of networked nonlinear dynamical systems, and addresses the synthesis of feedback controllers that seek optimal operating points corresponding to the solution of pertinent network-wide optimization problems. Particular emphasis is placed on the solution of semidefinite programs (SDPs). The design of the feedback controller is grounded on a dual e-subgradient approach, with the dual iterates utilized to dynamically update the dynamical-system reference signals. Global convergence is guaranteed for diminishing stepsize rules, even when the reference inputs are updated at a faster rate than the dynamical-system settling time. The application of the proposed framework to the controlmore » of power-electronic inverters in AC distribution systems is discussed. The objective is to bridge the time-scale separation between real-time inverter control and network-wide optimization. Optimization objectives assume the form of SDP relaxations of prototypical AC optimal power flow problems.« less

Methods of Constructing a Blended Performance Function Suitable for Formation Flight

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ryan, Jack

2017-01-01

Two methods for constructing performance functions for formation fight-for-drag-reduction suitable for use with an extreme-seeking control system are presented. The first method approximates an a prior measured or estimated drag-reduction performance function by combining real-time measurements of readily available parameters. The parameters are combined with weightings determined from a minimum squares optimization to form a blended performance function.

Direct purchase contracts carry risks, benefits.

PubMed

Fine, A

1991-05-01

To better control their purchasing of healthcare services, some employers are seeking direct managed care contracts with healthcare facilities. Along with evaluating potential markets introduced by a proposed contract, a provider should develop a pricing strategy, a monitoring system, and a process for internal audit before entering into a direct purchase contract. With the proper checks in place, direct purchase contracts can be mutually beneficial to providers and purchasers.

Stress-Induced Reinstatement of Drug Seeking: 20 Years of Progress

PubMed Central

Mantsch, John R; Baker, David A; Funk, Douglas; Lê, Anh D; Shaham, Yavin

2016-01-01

In human addicts, drug relapse and craving are often provoked by stress. Since 1995, this clinical scenario has been studied using a rat model of stress-induced reinstatement of drug seeking. Here, we first discuss the generality of stress-induced reinstatement to different drugs of abuse, different stressors, and different behavioral procedures. We also discuss neuropharmacological mechanisms, and brain areas and circuits controlling stress-induced reinstatement of drug seeking. We conclude by discussing results from translational human laboratory studies and clinical trials that were inspired by results from rat studies on stress-induced reinstatement. Our main conclusions are (1) The phenomenon of stress-induced reinstatement, first shown with an intermittent footshock stressor in rats trained to self-administer heroin, generalizes to other abused drugs, including cocaine, methamphetamine, nicotine, and alcohol, and is also observed in the conditioned place preference model in rats and mice. This phenomenon, however, is stressor specific and not all stressors induce reinstatement of drug seeking. (2) Neuropharmacological studies indicate the involvement of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF), noradrenaline, dopamine, glutamate, kappa/dynorphin, and several other peptide and neurotransmitter systems in stress-induced reinstatement. Neuropharmacology and circuitry studies indicate the involvement of CRF and noradrenaline transmission in bed nucleus of stria terminalis and central amygdala, and dopamine, CRF, kappa/dynorphin, and glutamate transmission in other components of the mesocorticolimbic dopamine system (ventral tegmental area, medial prefrontal cortex, orbitofrontal cortex, and nucleus accumbens). (3) Translational human laboratory studies and a recent clinical trial study show the efficacy of alpha-2 adrenoceptor agonists in decreasing stress-induced drug craving and stress-induced initial heroin lapse. PMID:25976297

Robustness of reduced-order observer-based controllers in transitional 2D Blasius boundary layers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Belson, Brandt; Semeraro, Onofrio; Rowley, Clarence; Pralits, Jan; Henningson, Dan

2011-11-01

In this work, we seek to delay transition in the Blasius boundary layer. We trip the flow with an upstream disturbance and dampen the growth of the resulting structures downstream. The observer-based controllers use a single sensor and a single localized body force near the wall. To formulate the controllers, we first find a reduced-order model of the system via the Eigensystem Realization Algorithm (ERA), then find the H2 optimal controller for this reduced-order system. We find the resulting controllers are effective only when the sensor is upstream of the actuator (in a feedforward configuration), but as is expected, are sensitive to model uncertainty. When the sensor is downstream of the actuator (in a feedback configuration), the reduced-order observer-based controllers are not robust and ineffective on the full system. In order to investigate the robustness properties of the system, an iterative technique called the adjoint of the direct adjoint (ADA) is employed to find a full-dimensional H2 optimal controller. This avoids the reduced-order modelling step and serves as a reference point. ADA is promising for investigating the lack of robustness previously mentioned.

Outpatient Mental Health Treatment Utilization and Military Career Impact in the United States Marine Corps.

PubMed

Ghahramanlou-Holloway, Marjan; LaCroix, Jessica M; Koss, Kari; Perera, Kanchana U; Rowan, Anderson; VanSickle, Marcus R; Novak, Laura A; Trieu, Theresa H

2018-04-23

Service members (SM) are at increased risk of psychiatric conditions, including suicide, yet research indicates SMs believe seeking mental health treatment may negatively impact their military careers, despite a paucity of research examining actual career impacts. This study examined the link between seeking outpatient mental health (MH) treatment and military career impacts within the United States Marine Corps. In Phase 1, a retrospective medical record review of outpatient MH treatment-seeking Marines ( N = 38) was conducted. In Phase 2, a sample of outpatient MH treatment-seeking Marines ( N = 40) was matched to a non-treatment-seeking sample of Marines ( N = 138) to compare career-progression. In Phase 1, there were no significant links between demographic, military, and clinical characteristics and referral source or receipt of career-affecting treatment recommendations. In Phase 2, MH treatment-seeking Marines in outpatient settings were more likely than matched controls to be separated from the military (95.0% versus 63.0%, p = 0.002), but no more likely to experience involuntary separation. MH treatment-seeking Marines were more likely to have documented legal action (45.0% versus 23.9%, p = 0.008) and had a shorter time of military service following the index MH encounter than matched controls ( p < 0.001). Clinical, anti-stigma, and suicide prevention policy implications are discussed.

The Micromechanics of the Moving Contact Line

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Han, Minsub; Lichter, Seth; Lin, Chih-Yu; Perng, Yeong-Yan

1996-01-01

The proposed research is divided into three components concerned with molecular structure, molecular orientation, and continuum averages of discrete systems. In the experimental program, we propose exploring how changes in interfacial molecular structure generate contact line motion. Rather than rely on the electrostatic and electrokinetic fields arising from the molecules themselves, we augment their interactions by an imposed field at the solid/liquid interface. By controling the field, we can manipulate the molecular structure at the solid/liquid interface. In response to controlled changes in molecular structure, we observe the resultant contact line motion. In the analytical portion of the proposed research we seek to formulate a system of equations governing fluid motion which accounts for the orientation of fluid molecules. In preliminary work, we have focused on describing how molecular orientation affects the forces generated at the moving contact line. Ideally, as assumed above, the discrete behavior of molecules can be averaged into a continuum theory. In the numerical portion of the proposed research, we inquire whether the contact line region is, in fact, large enough to possess a well-defined average. Additionally, we ask what types of behavior distinguish discrete systems from continuum systems. Might the smallness of the contact line region, in itself, lead to behavior different from that in the bulk? Taken together, our proposed research seeks to identify and accurately account for some of the molecular dynamics of the moving contact line, and attempts to formulate a description from which one can compute the forces at the moving contact line.

Using lean methodology to decrease wasted RN time in seeking supplies in emergency departments.

PubMed

Richardson, David M; Rupp, Valerie A; Long, Kayla R; Urquhart, Megan C; Ricart, Erin; Newcomb, Lindsay R; Myers, Paul J; Kane, Bryan G

2014-11-01

Timely stocking of essential supplies in an emergency department (ED) is crucial to efficient and effective patient care. The objective of this study was to decrease wasted nursing time in obtaining needed supplies in an ED through the use of Lean process controls. As part of a Lean project, the team conducted a "before and after" prospective observation study of ED nurses seeking supplies. Nurses were observed for an entire shift for the time spent outside the patient room obtaining supplies at baseline and after implementation of a point-of-use storage system. Before implementation, nurses were leaving patient rooms a median of 11 times per 8-hour shift (interquartile range [IQR], 8 times per 8-hour shift) and 10 times per 12-hour shift (IQR, 23 times per 12-hour shift). After implementation of the new system, the numbers decreased to 2.5 per 8-hour shift (IQR, 2 per 8-hour shift) and 1 per 12-hour shift (IQR, 1 per 12-hour shift). A redesigned process including a standardized stocking system significantly decreases the number of searches by nurses for supplies.

Enabling plant synthetic biology through genome engineering.

PubMed

Baltes, Nicholas J; Voytas, Daniel F

2015-02-01

Synthetic biology seeks to create new biological systems, including user-designed plants and plant cells. These systems can be employed for a variety of purposes, ranging from producing compounds of industrial or therapeutic value, to reducing crop losses by altering cellular responses to pathogens or climate change. To realize the full potential of plant synthetic biology, techniques are required that provide control over the genetic code - enabling targeted modifications to DNA sequences within living plant cells. Such control is now within reach owing to recent advances in the use of sequence-specific nucleases to precisely engineer genomes. We discuss here the enormous potential provided by genome engineering for plant synthetic biology. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Vibration control in smart coupled beams subjected to pulse excitations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pisarski, Dominik; Bajer, Czesław I.; Dyniewicz, Bartłomiej; Bajkowski, Jacek M.

2016-10-01

In this paper, a control method to stabilize the vibration of adjacent structures is presented. The control is realized by changes of the stiffness parameters of the structure's couplers. A pulse excitation applied to the coupled adjacent beams is imposed as the kinematic excitation. For such a representation, the designed control law provides the best rate of energy dissipation. By means of a stability analysis, the performance in different structural settings is studied. The efficiency of the proposed strategy is examined via numerical simulations. In terms of the assumed energy metric, the controlled structure outperforms its passively damped equivalent by over 50 percent. The functionality of the proposed control strategy should attract the attention of practising engineers who seek solutions to upgrade existing damping systems.

The Theory of Planned Behavior as It Predicts Potential Intention to Seek Mental Health Services for Depression among College Students

PubMed Central

Bohon, Lisa M.; Cotter, Kelly A.; Kravitz, Richard L.; Cello, Philip C.; Garcia, Erik Fernandez y

2016-01-01

Between 9.5% and 31.3% of College students suffer from depression1, 2. Universities need to understand the factors that relate to care-seeking behavior. Objective Across 3 studies, to relate attitude, social norms, and perceived behavioral control to intention to seek mental health services, and to investigate barriers to care-seeking. Participants University college students (N = 845, 64% female, 26% male, and 10% unspecified). Method New measures were created in studies 1 and 2, and were examined using structural equation modeling in study 3. Results Partially consistent with the Theory of Planned Behavior3, a model with an excellent fit revealed that more positive attitudes about care and higher perceived behavioral control directly predicted higher intention to seek mental health services. Conclusions Educating college students about mental health disorders and treatments, enhancing knowledge about available services, and addressing limited access to long-term care might improve treatment rates for students suffering from depression. PMID:27386898

Acupuncture at SI5 attenuates morphine seeking behavior after extinction.

PubMed

Lee, Bong Hyo; Ma, Jeong Hun; In, Sunghyun; Kim, Hee Young; Yoon, Seong Shoon; Jang, Eun Young; Yang, Chae Ha

2012-10-31

Our previous studies have shown that acupuncture attenuates morphine self-administration and sensitization behavior as well as withdrawal signs. The present study was designed to investigate the role of acupuncture in the reinstatement of morphine seeking. Male Sprague-Dawley rats weighing 270-300 g were subjected to intravenous catheterization after food training. The animals were trained to self-administer morphine (1.0mg/kg, 3 weeks), followed by extinction (1 week). Extinction conditions were introduced by substituting saline for morphine. The rats were then tested for reinstatement of morphine self-administration by a priming injection of morphine (0.25mg/kg). To see whether acupuncture can reduce morphine reinstatement, acupuncture was performed at SI5 or LI5 for 1 min immediately before a morphine injection. To further test the involvement of gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptors in acupuncture effects, GABA receptor antagonists were injected before acupuncture. In the present results, acupuncture at SI5, but not at control acupoint LI5 attenuated the reinstatement of morphine seeking behavior, which was blocked by the GABA receptor antagonists. It suggests that acupuncture can reduce the reinstatement of morphine seeking, possibly due to the mediation of GABA receptor system. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Lost in care pathway: a qualitative investigation on the health system delay of extra pulmonary tuberculosis patients in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Sarker, Malabika; Mohammad, Din; Paul, Sukanta; Akter, Rahima; Islam, Shayla; Biswas, Goutam; Hossain, Asheque; Islam, Akramul

2017-03-28

Although extra pulmonary tuberculosis (EPTB) has long been known as a major public health concern globally, the complex healthcare-seeking pathways of EPTB patients are not widely studied. This study aims to explore the pattern of healthcare-seeking pathways of rural and urban EPTB patients registered with the BRAC TB control programme. BRAC is a Bangladesh-based non-governmental organization dedicated to alleviating poverty through empowering the poor. Data were collected through 60 in-depth interviews with rural and urban EPTB patients in Bangladesh. The findings reveal that the rural EPTB patients encountered a substantial diagnostic delay as compared to the urban patients. However, the difference between the average number of healthcare providers consulted by the rural verses the urban EPTB patients was not significant. This study also shows that the healthcare-seeking journey of rural and urban EPTB patients usually starts either at pharmacies or private facilities. Through exploring the detailed nature of the pathway, this study reveals the ways in which non-medical informants, mainly relatives and friends, can benefit patients. The private and informal healthcare providers should receive appropriate training on the diagnosis of EPTB. Such training could effectively shorten the long and complex healthcare-seeking pathways of EPTB patients.

Web Sites Face Hurdles in Promising Students Unbiased Loan-Rate Comparisons

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Basken, Paul

2007-01-01

Someday students seeking a college loan might go to a Web site, fill out a brief questionnaire, and get connected to the lender with the best possible rate. Such a system would bring cheer to students seeking straight answers, lenders seeking fair competition, and colleges seeking relief from investigations led by Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo…

Space Weather Effects on Aircraft Navigation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stanley, J. C.; Cade, W. B.

2012-12-01

Many aircraft today use satellites for GPS navigation, arrival and departure to and from airspaces, and for "shooting" non-precision and precision Instrument Approaches into airports. Also in development is an Air Traffic Control system based on satellite technology that seeks to modernize current air traffic control and improve safety, eventually phasing out radar (though not yet in the very near future). Due to the general, commercial, and military aviation fields all becoming more and more reliant on satellite and GPS technologies, the effects of space weather events on these systems is of paramount concern to militaries, airlines, private pilots, and other aviation operators. In this study we analyze data from airlines and other resources regarding effects on satellite and GPS systems, which is crucial to the conduct of safe flight operations now and improving systems for future and continued use.

Behavioral Functions of the Mesolimbic Dopaminergic System: an Affective Neuroethological Perspective

PubMed Central

Alcaro, Antonio; Huber, Robert; Panksepp, Jaak

2008-01-01

The mesolimbic dopaminergic (ML-DA) system has been recognized for its central role in motivated behaviors, various types of reward, and, more recently, in cognitive processes. Functional theories have emphasized DA's involvement in the orchestration of goal-directed behaviors, and in the promotion and reinforcement of learning. The affective neuroethological perspective presented here, views the ML-DA system in terms of its ability to activate an instinctual emotional appetitive state (SEEKING) evolved to induce organisms to search for all varieties of life-supporting stimuli and to avoid harms. A description of the anatomical framework in which the ML system is embedded is followed by the argument that the SEEKING disposition emerges through functional integration of ventral basal ganglia (BG) into thalamocortical activities. Filtering cortical and limbic input that spread into BG, DA transmission promotes the “release” of neural activity patterns that induce active SEEKING behaviors when expressed at the motor level. Reverberation of these patterns constitutes a neurodynamic process for the inclusion of cognitive and perceptual representations within the extended networks of the SEEKING urge. In this way, the SEEKING disposition influences attention, incentive salience, associative learning, and anticipatory predictions. In our view, the rewarding properties of drugs of abuse are, in part, caused by the activation of the SEEKING disposition, ranging from appetitive drive to persistent craving depending on the intensity of the affect. The implications of such a view for understanding addiction are considered, with particular emphasis on factors predisposing individuals to develop compulsive drug seeking behaviors. PMID:17905440

Behavioral functions of the mesolimbic dopaminergic system: an affective neuroethological perspective.

PubMed

Alcaro, Antonio; Huber, Robert; Panksepp, Jaak

2007-12-01

The mesolimbic dopaminergic (ML-DA) system has been recognized for its central role in motivated behaviors, various types of reward, and, more recently, in cognitive processes. Functional theories have emphasized DA's involvement in the orchestration of goal-directed behaviors and in the promotion and reinforcement of learning. The affective neuroethological perspective presented here views the ML-DA system in terms of its ability to activate an instinctual emotional appetitive state (SEEKING) evolved to induce organisms to search for all varieties of life-supporting stimuli and to avoid harms. A description of the anatomical framework in which the ML system is embedded is followed by the argument that the SEEKING disposition emerges through functional integration of ventral basal ganglia (BG) into thalamocortical activities. Filtering cortical and limbic input that spreads into BG, DA transmission promotes the "release" of neural activity patterns that induce active SEEKING behaviors when expressed at the motor level. Reverberation of these patterns constitutes a neurodynamic process for the inclusion of cognitive and perceptual representations within the extended networks of the SEEKING urge. In this way, the SEEKING disposition influences attention, incentive salience, associative learning, and anticipatory predictions. In our view, the rewarding properties of drugs of abuse are, in part, caused by the activation of the SEEKING disposition, ranging from appetitive drive to persistent craving depending on the intensity of the affect. The implications of such a view for understanding addiction are considered, with particular emphasis on factors predisposing individuals to develop compulsive drug seeking behaviors.

Reassuringly calm? Self-reported patterns of responses to reassurance seeking in obsessive compulsive disorder.

PubMed

Salkovskis, Paul M; Kobori, Osamu

2015-12-01

The perception of threat and associated feelings of anxiety typically prompt people to seek safety; reassurance seeking is an interpersonal strategy almost universally used to reduce the immediate perception of risk. Excessive Reassurance Seeking (ERS) is considered to be particularly prominent and unequivocally counter-productive in people suffering from anxiety disorders in general and OCD in particular, producing short term relief but a longer term return and worsening of the original anxiety. We evaluated the extent and specificity of the effects of ERS in OCD and mechanisms involved in both anxiety relief and the hypothesized later return of anxiety.. Self rated effects of reassurance seeking were investigated in 153 individuals with OCD, 50 with panic disorder, and 52 healthy controls, evaluating reactions to the provision and non-provision of reassurance. Reassurance is associated with short term relief then longer term return of both discomfort and the urge to seek further reassurance in both anxious groups; healthy controls do not experience significant resurgence. Greater return of anxiety and urge to seek more reassurance were associated with higher levels of overall reassurance seeking.. The findings were based on retrospective self-report of naturally occurring episodes of ERS; prospective studies and induced behaviours are now needed. Not only is reassurance a quick fix for people experiencing OCD, but in the absence of treatment the only fix! The findings explain why reassurance seeking continues despite advice that it will worsen anxiety problems. Such advice is potentially harmful to patients and their loved ones.. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cloud-based distributed control of unmanned systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nguyen, Kim B.; Powell, Darren N.; Yetman, Charles; August, Michael; Alderson, Susan L.; Raney, Christopher J.

2015-05-01

Enabling warfighters to efficiently and safely execute dangerous missions, unmanned systems have been an increasingly valuable component in modern warfare. The evolving use of unmanned systems leads to vast amounts of data collected from sensors placed on the remote vehicles. As a result, many command and control (C2) systems have been developed to provide the necessary tools to perform one of the following functions: controlling the unmanned vehicle or analyzing and processing the sensory data from unmanned vehicles. These C2 systems are often disparate from one another, limiting the ability to optimally distribute data among different users. The Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Pacific (SSC Pacific) seeks to address this technology gap through the UxV to the Cloud via Widgets project. The overarching intent of this three year effort is to provide three major capabilities: 1) unmanned vehicle control using an open service oriented architecture; 2) data distribution utilizing cloud technologies; 3) a collection of web-based tools enabling analysts to better view and process data. This paper focuses on how the UxV to the Cloud via Widgets system is designed and implemented by leveraging the following technologies: Data Distribution Service (DDS), Accumulo, Hadoop, and Ozone Widget Framework (OWF).

PID Tuning Using Extremum Seeking

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

Killingsworth, N; Krstic, M

2005-11-15

Although proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controllers are widely used in the process industry, their effectiveness is often limited due to poor tuning. Manual tuning of PID controllers, which requires optimization of three parameters, is a time-consuming task. To remedy this difficulty, much effort has been invested in developing systematic tuning methods. Many of these methods rely on knowledge of the plant model or require special experiments to identify a suitable plant model. Reviews of these methods are given in [1] and the survey paper [2]. However, in many situations a plant model is not known, and it is not desirable to openmore » the process loop for system identification. Thus a method for tuning PID parameters within a closed-loop setting is advantageous. In relay feedback tuning [3]-[5], the feedback controller is temporarily replaced by a relay. Relay feedback causes most systems to oscillate, thus determining one point on the Nyquist diagram. Based on the location of this point, PID parameters can be chosen to give the closed-loop system a desired phase and gain margin. An alternative tuning method, which does not require either a modification of the system or a system model, is unfalsified control [6], [7]. This method uses input-output data to determine whether a set of PID parameters meets performance specifications. An adaptive algorithm is used to update the PID controller based on whether or not the controller falsifies a given criterion. The method requires a finite set of candidate PID controllers that must be initially specified [6]. Unfalsified control for an infinite set of PID controllers has been developed in [7]; this approach requires a carefully chosen input signal [8]. Yet another model-free PID tuning method that does not require opening of the loop is iterative feedback tuning (IFT). IFT iteratively optimizes the controller parameters with respect to a cost function derived from the output signal of the closed-loop system, see [9]. This method is based on the performance of the closed-loop system during a step response experiment [10], [11]. In this article we present a method for optimizing the step response of a closed-loop system consisting of a PID controller and an unknown plant with a discrete version of extremum seeking (ES). Specifically, ES is used to minimize a cost function similar to that used in [10], [11], which quantifies the performance of the PID controller. ES, a non-model-based method, iteratively modifies the arguments (in this application the PID parameters) of a cost function so that the output of the cost function reaches a local minimum or local maximum. In the next section we apply ES to PID controller tuning. We illustrate this technique through simulations comparing the effectiveness of ES to other PID tuning methods. Next, we address the importance of the choice of cost function and consider the effect of controller saturation. Furthermore, we discuss the choice of ES tuning parameters. Finally, we offer some conclusions.« less

Cardea: Providing Support for Dynamic Resource Access in a Distributed Computing Environment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lepro, Rebekah

2003-01-01

The environment framing the modem authorization process span domains of administration, relies on many different authentication sources, and manages complex attributes as part of the authorization process. Cardea facilitates dynamic access control within this environment as a central function of an inter-operable authorization framework. The system departs from the traditional authorization model by separating the authentication and authorization processes, distributing the responsibility for authorization data and allowing collaborating domains to retain control over their implementation mechanisms. Critical features of the system architecture and its handling of the authorization process differentiate the system from existing authorization components by addressing common needs not adequately addressed by existing systems. Continuing system research seeks to enhance the implementation of the current authorization model employed in Cardea, increase the robustness of current features, further the framework for establishing trust and promote interoperability with existing security mechanisms.

Sensation seeking as a common factor in opioid dependent subjects and high risk sport practicing subjects. A cross sectional study.

PubMed

Franques, P; Auriacombe, M; Piquemal, E; Verger, M; Brisseau-Gimenez, S; Grabot, D; Tignol, J

2003-03-01

Animal research has outlined a vulnerability trait to drug dependence like behavior. The behavioral characteristic of this vulnerability is hyperactivity in response to a novel environment of which sensation seeking (SS) has been suggested as a possible equivalent in humans. If this is the case, SS should be more frequent in drug dependent and risky sports practicing subjects then controls. The objective of this study was to determine if opioid dependent subjects (ODS) and regular paragliders (RP) would be more SS then normal controls. Cross sectional study. Three groups of 34 individuals (total 102) matched for age and sex were selected from ODS seeking treatment, a paragliding club, and a college staff. Global and sub-scores of the Zuckerman sensation seeking scale (SSS). Non parametric statistics (Kruskal Wallis and Wilcoxon 2-Sample Tests) were used given the non-normal distribution of SSS scores in the ODS and RP groups. Significant differences were found across the three groups for the Thrill and Adventure Seeking (TAS) (P = 0.001), dishinibition (Dis) (P = 0.0003) and total score (P = 0.001). ODS and RP scored significantly higher than controls on two (Dis and the TAS scales). RP also scored significantly higher on the Boredom Susceptibility (BS) scale (P = 0.04). Our results show that RP and ODS differ from controls and have some similarities based on the SSS. In this study, the ODS and the RP could express different forms of a general tendency to seek intense and abrupt sensations through various behaviors. Our results in humans are in favor of the hypothesis that the behavioral trait of vulnerability to drug dependence behavior is expressed through SS. Copyright 2002 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd.

An Autonomous System for Experimental Evolution of Microbial Cultures: Test Results Using Ultraviolet-C Radiation and Escherichia Coli.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ouandji, Cynthia; Wang, Jonathan; Arismendi, Dillon; Lee, Alonzo; Blaich, Justin; Gentry, Diana

2017-01-01

At its core, the field of microbial experimental evolution seeks to elucidate the natural laws governing the history of microbial life by understanding its underlying driving mechanisms. However, observing evolution in nature is complex, as environmental conditions are difficult to control. Laboratory-based experiments for observing population evolution provide more control, but manually culturing and studying multiple generations of microorganisms can be time consuming, labor intensive, and prone to inconsistency. We have constructed a prototype, closed system device that automates the process of directed evolution experiments in microorganisms. It is compatible with any liquid microbial culture, including polycultures and field samples, provides flow control and adjustable agitation, continuously monitors optical density (OD), and can dynamically control environmental pressures such as ultraviolet-C (UV-C) radiation and temperature. Here, the results of the prototype are compared to iterative exposure and survival assays conducted using a traditional hood, UV-C lamp, and shutter system.

Application of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) to the Cultivation Line of Mushroom and Other Cultivated Edible Fungi.

PubMed

Pardo, José E; de Figueirêdo, Vinícius Reis; Alvarez-Ortí, Manuel; Zied, Diego C; Peñaranda, Jesús A; Dias, Eustáquio Souza; Pardo-Giménez, Arturo

2013-09-01

The Hazard analysis and critical control points (HACCP) is a preventive system which seeks to ensure food safety and security. It allows product protection and correction of errors, improves the costs derived from quality defects and reduces the final overcontrol. In this paper, the system is applied to the line of cultivation of mushrooms and other edible cultivated fungi. From all stages of the process, only the reception of covering materials (stage 1) and compost (stage 3), the pre-fruiting and induction (step 6) and the harvest (stage 7) have been considered as critical control point (CCP). The main hazards found were the presence of unauthorized phytosanitary products or above the permitted dose (stages 6 and 7), and the presence of pathogenic bacteria (stages 1 and 3) and/or heavy metals (stage 3). The implementation of this knowledge will allow the self-control of their productions based on the system HACCP to any plant dedicated to mushroom or other edible fungi cultivation.

Does social support predict pregnant mothers' information seeking behaviors on an educational website?

PubMed

Guillory, Jamie; Niederdeppe, Jeff; Kim, Hyekung; Pollak, J P; Graham, Meredith; Olson, Christine; Gay, Geri

2014-11-01

We examine how social support (perceived support and support from a spouse, or committed partner) may influence pregnant women's information seeking behaviors on a pregnancy website. We assess information seeking behavior among participants in a trial testing the effectiveness of a web-based intervention for appropriate gestational weight gain. Participants were pregnant women (N = 1,329) recruited from clinics and private practices in one county in the Northeast United States. We used logistic regression models to estimate the likelihood of viewing articles, blogs, frequently asked questions (FAQs), and resources on the website as a function of perceived social support, and support from a spouse or relationship partner. All models included socio-demographic controls (income, education, number of adults and children living at home, home Internet use, and race/ethnicity). Compared to single women, women who were married or in a committed relationship were more likely to information seek online by viewing articles (OR 1.95, 95 % CI [1.26-3.03]), FAQs (OR 1.64 [1.00-2.67]), and blogs (OR 1.88 [1.24-2.85]). Women who felt loved and valued (affective support) were more likely to seek information by viewing articles on the website (OR 1.19 [1.00-1.42]). While the Internet provides a space for people who have less social support to access health information, findings from this study suggest that for pregnant women, women who already had social support were most likely to seek information online. This finding has important implications for designing online systems and content to encourage pregnant women with fewer support resources to engage with content.

Does adolescent risk taking imply weak executive function? A prospective study of relations between working memory performance, impulsivity, and risk taking in early adolescence.

PubMed

Romer, Daniel; Betancourt, Laura M; Brodsky, Nancy L; Giannetta, Joan M; Yang, Wei; Hurt, Hallam

2011-09-01

Studies of brain development suggest that the increase in risk taking observed during adolescence may be due to insufficient prefrontal executive function compared to a more rapidly developing subcortical motivation system. We examined executive function as assessed by working memory ability in a community sample of youth (n = 387, ages 10 to 12 at baseline) in three annual assessments to determine its relation to two forms of impulsivity (sensation seeking and acting without thinking) and a wide range of risk and externalizing behavior. Using structural equation modeling, we tested a model in which differential activation of the dorsal and ventral striatum produces imbalance in the function of these brain regions. For youth high in sensation seeking, both regions were predicted to develop with age. However, for youth high in the tendency to act without thinking, the ventral striatum was expected to dominate. The model predicted that working memory ability would exhibit (1) early weakness in youth high in acting without thinking but (2) growing strength in those high in sensation seeking. In addition, it predicted that (3) acting without thinking would be more strongly related to risk and externalizing behavior than sensation seeking. Finally, it predicted that (4) controlling for acting without thinking, sensation seeking would predict later increases in risky and externalizing behavior. All four of these predictions were confirmed. The results indicate that the rise in sensation seeking that occurs during adolescence is not accompanied by a deficit in executive function and therefore requires different intervention strategies from those for youth whose impulsivity is characterized by early signs of acting without thinking. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Dehydroepiandrosterone Attenuates Cocaine-Seeking Behaviour Independently of Corticosterone Fluctuations.

PubMed

Maayan, R; Hirsh, L; Yadid, G; Weizman, A

2015-11-01

The neurosteroid dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) is involved in the pathophysiology of several psychiatric disorders, including cocaine addiction. We have previously shown that DHEA attenuates cocaine-seeking behaviour, and also that DHEA decreases corticosterone (CORT) levels in plasma and the prefrontal cortex. Previous studies have found that rats demonstrate cocaine-seeking behaviour only when the level of CORT reaches a minimum threshold. In the present study, we investigated whether the attenuating effect of DHEA on cocaine seeking is a result of it reducing CORT levels rather than a result of any unique neurosteroid properties. Rats received either daily DHEA injections (2 mg/kg, i.p.) alone, daily DHEA (2 mg/kg, i.p.) with CORT infusion (to maintain stable basal levels of CORT; 15 mg/kg, s.c.) or vehicle (i.p.) as control, throughout self-administration training and extinction sessions. We found that both DHEA-treated and DHEA + CORT-treated groups showed a significantly lower number of active lever presses compared to controls throughout training and extinction sessions, as well as at cocaine-primed reinstatement. DHEA-treated rats showed lower CORT levels throughout the experimental phases compared to DHEA + CORT-treated and control rats. Additionally, we show that DHEA administered to cocaine-trained rats throughout extinction sessions, or immediately before reinstatement, attenuated cocaine seeking. These findings indicate that DHEA attenuates cocaine-seeking behaviour independently of fluctuations in CORT levels. © 2015 British Society for Neuroendocrinology.

Depression knowledge in high school students: effectiveness of the adolescent depression awareness program.

PubMed

Ruble, Anne E; Leon, Phillip J; Gilley-Hensley, Laura; Hess, Sally G; Swartz, Karen L

2013-09-25

Major depression is a common disorder among teenagers and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Suicide is the third leading cause of death among 15-24 year olds. Early identification and treatment is essential to prevent suicide. Depression education is a potential intervention for improving knowledge about depression and help-seeking behavior. The Adolescent Depression Awareness Program (ADAP) is a school-based depression education intervention with a core message that depression is a treatable medical illness. 710 high school students from six schools in Tulsa, OK participated in the study comparing changes in knowledge about depression and attitudes toward treatment-seeking between students receiving the intervention and those who did not. Changes in depression knowledge and attitude toward help-seeking were measured using the ADAP Depression Knowledge Questionnaire (ADKQ). There was a significant positive change in ADKQ score for students receiving the intervention but not in the control group. The intervention group also demonstrated a significant difference in willingness to "tell someone" if concerned about depression in a peer, which was not present in the control group. The students were not randomized to the intervention and control groups. The ADKQ evaluates attitudes about help-seeking but not behavior. A school-based educational intervention improved knowledge about depression and attitudes toward help-seeking in adolescents. Future studies should investigate if such change in knowledge results in help-seeking behaviors. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Masculinity and barriers to seeking counseling: The buffering role of self-compassion.

PubMed

Heath, Patrick J; Brenner, Rachel E; Vogel, David L; Lannin, Daniel G; Strass, Haley A

2017-01-01

Less than 1/3 of college men seek psychological help per year when experiencing mental health concerns. Many believe this is because socialized masculine norms are incongruent with help-seeking decisions. In line with this, adherence to masculine norms, like emotional control and self-reliance, is consistently linked to factors associated with lower use of counseling. Identifying constructs that buffer, or reduce, the relationship between masculine norm adherence and common barriers to seeking help, like help-seeking self-stigma and resistance to self-disclosing, could shed light on mechanisms through which effective interventions could be developed. As such, this study examined whether self-compassion, or the ability to show oneself kindness and understanding in the face of challenges, moderated the relationship between masculine norm adherence and both help-seeking self-stigma and the risks associated with self-disclosing to a counselor in a sample of 284 undergraduate men (Mage = 19.68, range = 18-30). Results indicate that self-compassion is associated with lower levels of help-seeking self-stigma and disclosure risks. Additionally, and perhaps more importantly, self-compassion buffered the relationship between overall masculine norm adherence and each of these barriers. Furthermore, when specific masculine norms were examined, self-compassion buffered the relationship between emotional control and disclosure risks. These results support the need for future research focused on the development and assessment of self-compassion based interventions aimed at decreasing the barriers undergraduate men experience toward seeking psychological help. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Relationship between substance use and attitudes towards seeking professional psychological help among veterans filing PTSD claims.

PubMed

Meshberg-Cohen, Sarah; Kachadourian, Lorig; Black, Anne C; Rosen, Marc I

2017-11-01

Veterans in distress often do not seek mental health treatment, even when such services are available. Substance use may further undermine treatment-seeking, given its association with negative treatment views. This study examined attitudes towards seeking psychological help in a sample of veterans diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), with and without co-occurring substance use disorders (SUD). Altogether, 143 male OEF/OIF veterans filing service-connected benefits claims for PTSD completed the Attitudes Towards Seeking Professional Psychological Help-Short Form (ATSPPH-SF) and other baseline assessments. Treatment attitudes were compared among veterans with (n=34) and without (n=109) SUD using ANCOVA, controlling for demographic covariates. Post-hoc ANCOVA compared means on the two ATSPPH-SF subscales: Openness to Seeking Treatment, and Value/Need in Seeking Treatment. Overall, ATSPPH-SF scores were similar to those reported in other samples of young men. Controlling for demographic covariates, veterans with co-occurring SUD held significantly less favorable attitudes towards seeking help than veterans without comorbid SUD. In subscale analyses, valuation of treatment was significantly lower among veterans with SUDs, but openness towards treatment was not. Substance-using veterans' lower valuation of treatment may reflect opinions that problems resolve on their own, psychotherapy is ineffective, or concerns that SUDs complicate treatment. Thus an approach towards engaging these veterans in treatment that addresses a general skepticism towards the value of psychological help is warranted. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Low control over palatable food intake in rats is associated with habitual behavior and relapse vulnerability: individual differences.

PubMed

de Jong, Johannes W; Meijboom, Karin E; Vanderschuren, Louk J M J; Adan, Roger A H

2013-01-01

The worldwide obesity epidemic poses an enormous and growing threat to public health. However, the neurobehavioral mechanisms of overeating and obesity are incompletely understood. It has been proposed that addiction-like processes may underlie certain forms of obesity, in particular those associated with binge eating disorder. To investigate the role of addiction-like processes in obesity, we adapted a model of cocaine addiction-like behavior in rats responding for highly palatable food. Here, we tested whether rats responding for highly palatable chocolate Ensure would come to show three criteria of addiction-like behavior, i.e., high motivation, continued seeking despite signaled non-availability and persistence of seeking despite aversive consequences. We also investigated whether exposure to a binge model (a diet consisting of alternating periods of limited food access and access to highly palatable food), promotes the appearance of food addiction-like behavior. Our data show substantial individual differences in control over palatable food seeking and taking, but no distinct subgroup of animals showing addiction-like behavior could be identified. Instead, we observed a wide range extending from low to very high control over palatable food intake. Exposure to the binge model did not affect control over palatable food seeking and taking, however. Animals that showed low control over palatable food intake (i.e., scored high on the three criteria for addiction-like behavior) were less sensitive to devaluation of the food reward and more prone to food-induced reinstatement of extinguished responding, indicating that control over palatable food intake is associated with habitual food intake and vulnerability to relapse. In conclusion, we present an animal model to assess control over food seeking and taking. Since diminished control over food intake is a major factor in the development of obesity, understanding its behavioral and neural underpinnings may facilitate improved management of the obesity epidemic.

Stoic Behavior Hypothesis in Hint Seeking and Development of Reversi Learning Environment as Work Bench for Investigation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miwa, Kazuhisa; Kojima, Kazuaki; Terai, Hitoshi

2014-01-01

Tutoring systems provide students with various types of on-demand and context-sensitive hints. Students are required to consciously adapt their help-seeking behavior, proactively seek help in some situations, and solve problems independently without supports in other situations. We define the latter behavior as stoic behavior in hint seeking. In…

Chronic EtOH effects on putative measures of compulsive behavior in mice

PubMed Central

Radke, Anna K.; Jury, Nicholas J.; Kocharian, Adrina; Marcinkiewcz, Catherine A.; Lowery-Gionta, Emily G.; Pleil, Kristen E.; McElligott, Zoe A.; McKlveen, Jessica M.; Kash, Thomas L.; Holmes, Andrew

2015-01-01

Addictions, including alcohol use disorders (AUDs), are characterized by the loss of control over drug seeking and consumption, but the neural circuits and signaling mechanisms responsible for the transition from controlled use to uncontrolled abuse remain incompletely understood. Prior studies have shown that ‘compulsive-like’ behaviors in rodents, e.g., persistent responding for ethanol (EtOH) despite punishment, are increased after chronic exposure to EtOH. The main goal of the current study was to assess the effects of chronic intermittent EtOH (CIE) exposure on multiple, putative measures of compulsive-like EtOH seeking in C57BL/6J mice. Mice were exposed to two or four weekly cycles of CIE and then, post-withdrawal, tested for progressive ratio responding for EtOH, sustained responding during signaled EtOH-unavailability and (footshock) punished-suppression of responding for EtOH. Results showed that mice exposed to CIE exhibited attenuated suppression of EtOH-seeking during punishment, as compared to air-exposed controls. By contrast, CIE exposure affected neither punished food reward-seeking behavior, nor other putative measures of compulsive-like EtOH-seeking. Ex vivo RT-PCR analysis of brain tissue found reduced sensitivity to punished EtOH-seeking after CIE exposure was accompanied by a significant increase in gene expression of the GluN1 and GluN2A subunits of the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR), specifically in the medial orbitofrontal cortex (mOFC). Moreover, slice electrophysiological analysis revealed increased NMDAR-mediated currents in the mOFC after CIE exposure in test-naïve mice. Collectively, the current findings add to growing body of evidence demonstrating that chronic exposure to EtOH fosters resistance to punished EtOH-seeking in association with adaptations in cortical glutamatergic transmission. PMID:26687341

Campus Information Systems for Students: Classification in Spain

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cobarsi, Josep; Bernardo, Merce; Coenders, Germa

2008-01-01

Purpose: First, this article seeks to establish a conceptual model for campus information systems for students, in order to make their comparison possible for strategic management purposes. Second, it seeks to test this conceptual model in a fieldwork on Spanish higher education institutions, in order to relate information systems characteristics…

Land Combat Systems Industry Report, Industrial College of the Armed Forces Academic Year 2004-2005

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-01-01

international members of selected industries in both defense and non -defense environments, and prepare specific policy options to enhance industrial... policy implications. Consistent with the ICAF’s non -attribution policy , this report presents industry composite information only, disclosing neither...European firms regard these U.S. export control policies as protectionist and, indeed, many seek out partnership arrangements to circumvent U.S

India-U.S. Relations

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-07-31

military exercises. Discussions of possi- ble sales to India of major U.S.-built weapons systems are ongoing. Continuing U.S. interest in South Asia ...India and Pakistan. The United States also seeks to curtail the proliferation of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles in South Asia . Both India and...RL33515, Combat Aircraft Sales to South Asia .) ! Rates of separatist-related violence in India-controlled Kashmir have spiked following a May massacre of

Science with the James Webb Space Telescope

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gardner, Jonathan P.

2006-01-01

The scientific capabilities of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) fall into four themes. The End of the Dark Ages: First Light and Reionization theme seeks to identify the first luminous sources to form and to determine the ionization history of the universe. The Assembly of Galaxies theme seeks to determine how galaxies and the dark matter, gas, stars, metals, morphological structures, and active nuclei within them evolved from the epoch of reionization to the present. The Birth of Stars and Protoplanetary Systems theme seeks to unravel the birth and early evolution of stars, from infall onto dustenshrouded protostars, to the genesis of planetary systems. Planetary Systems and the Origins of Life theme seeks to determine the physical and chemical properties of planetary systems around nearby stars and of our own, and investigate the potential for life in those systems. To enable these for science themes, JWST will be a large (6.5m) cold (50K) telescope with four instruments, capable of imaging and spectroscopy from 0.6 to 27 microns wavelength.

Coercive control and abused women's decisions about their pets when seeking shelter.

PubMed

Hardesty, Jennifer L; Khaw, Lyndal; Ridgway, Marcella D; Weber, Cheryl; Miles, Teresa

2013-09-01

The importance of pets in families, especially during major life stressors, is well documented. Research suggests links between pet ownership and intimate partner violence (IPV). This study explored abused women's decisions about pets when seeking help from a shelter. Interviews were conducted with 19 women who were pet owners. Using grounded theory methods, two patterns emerged surrounding abusers' treatment of pets, bonds to pets, women's decisions about pets upon seeking shelter, and future plans for pets. The presence of coercive control was central to these patterns. Women also discussed their experiences with and needs from shelter professionals and veterinarians with implications for practice.

Multi-objective Extremum Seeking Control for Enhancement of Wind Turbine Power Capture with Load Reduction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiao, Yan; Li, Yaoyu; Rotea, Mario A.

2016-09-01

The primary objective in below rated wind speed (Region 2) is to maximize the turbine's energy capture. Due to uncertainty, variability of turbine characteristics and lack of inexpensive but precise wind measurements, model-free control strategies that do not use wind measurements such as Extremum Seeking Control (ESC) have received significant attention. Based on a dither-demodulation scheme, ESC can maximize the wind power capture in real time despite uncertainty, variabilities and lack of accurate wind measurements. The existing work on ESC based wind turbine control focuses on power capture only. In this paper, a multi-objective extremum seeking control strategy is proposed to achieve nearly optimum wind energy capture while decreasing structural fatigue loads. The performance index of the ESC combines the rotor power and penalty terms of the standard deviations of selected fatigue load variables. Simulation studies of the proposed multi-objective ESC demonstrate that the damage-equivalent loads of tower and/or blade loads can be reduced with slight compromise in energy capture.

H∞ output tracking control of uncertain and disturbed nonlinear systems based on neural network model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Chengcheng; Li, Yuefeng; Wang, Guanglin

2017-07-01

The work presented in this paper seeks to address the tracking problem for uncertain continuous nonlinear systems with external disturbances. The objective is to obtain a model that uses a reference-based output feedback tracking control law. The control scheme is based on neural networks and a linear difference inclusion (LDI) model, and a PDC structure and H∞ performance criterion are used to attenuate external disturbances. The stability of the whole closed-loop model is investigated using the well-known quadratic Lyapunov function. The key principles of the proposed approach are as follows: neural networks are first used to approximate nonlinearities, to enable a nonlinear system to then be represented as a linearised LDI model. An LMI (linear matrix inequality) formula is obtained for uncertain and disturbed linear systems. This formula enables a solution to be obtained through an interior point optimisation method for some nonlinear output tracking control problems. Finally, simulations and comparisons are provided on two practical examples to illustrate the validity and effectiveness of the proposed method.

Dehydration of Traditional Dried Instant Noodle (Mee Siput) Using Controlled Temperature & Humidity Dryer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mamat, K. A.; Yusof, M. S.; Yusoff, Wan Fauziah Wan; Zulafif Rahim, M.; Hassan, S.; Rahman, M. Qusyairi. A.; Karim, M. A. Abd

2017-05-01

Drying process is an essential step to produce instant noodles. Yet, the industries especially Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), is seeking for an efficient method to dry the noodles. This paper discusses the performance of an invented drying system which employed heating and humidifying process. The drying system was tested using 30 kilogram of the raw noodle known as “Mee Siput”. Temperature controlled system were used in the study to control the temperature of the drying process and prevent the dried noodles from damage by maintaining the temperature of lower than 80°C. The analysis shows that the system was drastically decreased the humidity from 80% to 40% just after 200 minutes of the drying process. The complete dehydration time of noodle has also decreased to only 4 hours from 16 hours when using traditional drying system without sacrificed the good quality of the dried noodle. In overall, the invented system believed to increase the production capacity of the noodle, reduce cost of production which would highly beneficial for Small Medium Industries (SMEs) in Malaysia.

Building a middle-range theory of free public healthcare seeking in sub-Saharan Africa: a realist review.

PubMed

Robert, Emilie; Samb, Oumar Mallé; Marchal, Bruno; Ridde, Valéry

2017-09-01

Realist reviews are a new form of knowledge synthesis aimed at providing middle-range theories (MRTs) that specify how interventions work, for which populations, and under what circumstances. This approach opens the 'black box' of an intervention by showing how it triggers mechanisms in specific contexts to produce outcomes. We conducted a realist review of health user fee exemption policies (UFEPs) in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). This article presents how we developed both the intervention theory (IT) of UFEPs and a MRT of free public healthcare seeking in SSA, building on Sen's capability approach. Over the course of this iterative process, we explored theoretical writings on healthcare access, services use, and healthcare seeking behaviour. We also analysed empirical studies on UFEPs and healthcare access in free care contexts. According to the IT, free care at the point of delivery is a resource allowing users to make choices about their use of public healthcare services, choices previously not generally available to them. Users' ability to choose to seek free care is influenced by structural, local, and individual conversion factors. We tested this IT on 69 empirical studies selected on the basis of their scientific rigor and relevance to the theory. From that analysis, we formulated a MRT on seeking free public healthcare in SSA. It highlights three key mechanisms in users' choice to seek free public healthcare: trust, risk awareness and acceptability. Contextual elements that influence both users' ability and choice to seek free care include: availability of and control over resources at the individual level; characteristics of users' and providers' communities at the local level; and health system organization, governance and policies at the structural level. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press in association with The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

Parallel Algorithm for GPU Processing; for use in High Speed Machine Vision Sensing of Cotton Lint Trash.

PubMed

Pelletier, Mathew G

2008-02-08

One of the main hurdles standing in the way of optimal cleaning of cotton lint isthe lack of sensing systems that can react fast enough to provide the control system withreal-time information as to the level of trash contamination of the cotton lint. This researchexamines the use of programmable graphic processing units (GPU) as an alternative to thePC's traditional use of the central processing unit (CPU). The use of the GPU, as analternative computation platform, allowed for the machine vision system to gain asignificant improvement in processing time. By improving the processing time, thisresearch seeks to address the lack of availability of rapid trash sensing systems and thusalleviate a situation in which the current systems view the cotton lint either well before, orafter, the cotton is cleaned. This extended lag/lead time that is currently imposed on thecotton trash cleaning control systems, is what is responsible for system operators utilizing avery large dead-band safety buffer in order to ensure that the cotton lint is not undercleaned.Unfortunately, the utilization of a large dead-band buffer results in the majority ofthe cotton lint being over-cleaned which in turn causes lint fiber-damage as well assignificant losses of the valuable lint due to the excessive use of cleaning machinery. Thisresearch estimates that upwards of a 30% reduction in lint loss could be gained through theuse of a tightly coupled trash sensor to the cleaning machinery control systems. Thisresearch seeks to improve processing times through the development of a new algorithm forcotton trash sensing that allows for implementation on a highly parallel architecture.Additionally, by moving the new parallel algorithm onto an alternative computing platform,the graphic processing unit "GPU", for processing of the cotton trash images, a speed up ofover 6.5 times, over optimized code running on the PC's central processing unit "CPU", wasgained. The new parallel algorithm operating on the GPU was able to process a 1024x1024image in less than 17ms. At this improved speed, the image processing system's performance should now be sufficient to provide a system that would be capable of realtimefeed-back control that is in tight cooperation with the cleaning equipment.

Theory of Planned Behavior including self-stigma and perceived barriers explain help-seeking behavior for sexual problems in Iranian women suffering from epilepsy.

PubMed

Lin, Chung-Ying; Oveisi, Sonia; Burri, Andrea; Pakpour, Amir H

2017-03-01

To apply the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and the two additional concepts self-stigma and perceived barriers to the help-seeking behavior for sexual problems in women with epilepsy. In this 18-month follow-up study, TPB elements, including attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control, and behavioral intention along with self-stigma and perceived barriers in seeking help for sexual problems were assessed in n=818 women with epilepsy (94.0% aged ≤40years). The basic TPB model (model 1) and the TPB model additionally including self-stigma and perceived barriers (Model 2) were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM). Both SEM models showed satisfactory model fits. According to model, attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and intention explained 63.1% of the variance in help-seeking behavior. Variance was slightly higher (64.5%) when including self-stigma and perceived barriers (model 2). In addition, the fit indices of the models were better highlighting the importance of self-stigma and perceived barriers in help-seeking behavior for sexual problems. Theory of Planned Behavior is useful in explaining help-seeking behavior for sexual problems in women with epilepsy. Self-stigma and perceived barriers are additional factors that should be considered in future interventions aiming to adopt TPB to improve help-seeking behavior for sexual problems. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Outpatient Mental Health Treatment Utilization and Military Career Impact in the United States Marine Corps

PubMed Central

Ghahramanlou-Holloway, Marjan; LaCroix, Jessica M.; Koss, Kari; Perera, Kanchana U.; VanSickle, Marcus R.; Novak, Laura A.

2018-01-01

Service members (SM) are at increased risk of psychiatric conditions, including suicide, yet research indicates SMs believe seeking mental health treatment may negatively impact their military careers, despite a paucity of research examining actual career impacts. This study examined the link between seeking outpatient mental health (MH) treatment and military career impacts within the United States Marine Corps. In Phase 1, a retrospective medical record review of outpatient MH treatment-seeking Marines (N = 38) was conducted. In Phase 2, a sample of outpatient MH treatment-seeking Marines (N = 40) was matched to a non-treatment-seeking sample of Marines (N = 138) to compare career-progression. In Phase 1, there were no significant links between demographic, military, and clinical characteristics and referral source or receipt of career-affecting treatment recommendations. In Phase 2, MH treatment-seeking Marines in outpatient settings were more likely than matched controls to be separated from the military (95.0% versus 63.0%, p = 0.002), but no more likely to experience involuntary separation. MH treatment-seeking Marines were more likely to have documented legal action (45.0% versus 23.9%, p = 0.008) and had a shorter time of military service following the index MH encounter than matched controls (p < 0.001). Clinical, anti-stigma, and suicide prevention policy implications are discussed. PMID:29690594

Pharmaceutical information systems and possible implementations of informed consent - developing an heuristic

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Denmark has implemented a comprehensive, nationwide pharmaceutical information system, and this system has been evaluated by the Danish Council of Ethics. The system can be seen as an exemplar of a comprehensive health information system for clinical use. Analysis The paper analyses 1) how informed consent can be implemented in the system and how different implementations create different impacts on autonomy and control of information, and 2) arguments directed towards justifying not seeking informed consent in this context. Results and Conclusion Based on the analysis a heuristic is provided which enables a ranking and estimation of the impact on autonomy and control of information of different options for consent to entry of data into the system and use of data from the system. The danger of routinisation of consent is identified. The Danish pharmaceutical information system raises issues in relation to autonomy and control of information, issues that will also occur in relation to other similar comprehensive health information systems. Some of these issues are well understood and their impact can be judged using the heuristic which is provided. More research is, however needed in relation to routinisation of consent. PMID:23157854

Predicting help-seeking behavior: The impact of knowing someone close who has sought help.

PubMed

Disabato, David J; Short, Jerome L; Lameira, Diane M; Bagley, Karen D; Wong, Stephanie J

2018-02-15

This study sought to replicate and extend research on social facilitators of college student's help seeking for psychological problems. We collected data on 420 ethnically diverse college students at a large public university (September 2008-May 2010). Students completed a cross-sectional online survey. We found that students who were aware of close others' (eg, family, friends) help seeking were two times more likely to have sought formal (eg, psychologist) and informal (eg, clergy) help themselves. Tests of moderation revealed the incremental effect (ie, controlling for help-seeking attitudes, internalizing symptoms, cultural demographics) of close others' formal help seeking was strong and significant for men (R 2 = 0.112), while it was negligible and nonsignificant for women (R 2 = .002). We discuss the importance for students-particularly men-to learn about close others' help seeking for facilitating their own help seeking during times of distress.

Sensation Seeking and Locus of Control in University Students in the Context of Regular Exercise Participation and Gender

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tekin, Ali; Tekin, Gülcan; Çalisir, Melih

2017-01-01

The aim of this study is to determine the locus of control (LC) and sensation seeking (SS) levels of university female students according to regular exercise participation (REP) and gender (G). This descriptive study was initiated in 2016 and finished in 2017. A total of 623 students, 306 females and 317 males, from different academic departments…

"We're going through a lot of struggles that people don't even know about": the need to understand African American males' help-seeking for mental health on multiple levels.

PubMed

Lindsey, Michael A; Marcell, Arik V

2012-09-01

Young adult Black males face challenges related to addressing their mental health needs, yet there is much more to know about their help-seeking experiences. Twenty-seven Black males, recruited from four community-based organizations, participated in four focus groups to explore perceptions of help-seeking for mental health. Identified themes, which function at individual, social network, community, and health care system levels, may facilitate or hinder Black males' mental health help-seeking. Themes included (a) "taking care of it oneself" as opposed to seeking help from someone; (b) issues engaging sources of help, including the ability to trust providers or the relationship closeness with social network members; and (c) "tipping points" that activate help-seeking to avert crises. Study findings provide initial evidence about the importance of addressing mental health interventions for Black males on multiple levels beyond the individual including engaging men's social supports, community, and the health care system.

On Time Delay Margin Estimation for Adaptive Control and Optimal Control Modification

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nguyen, Nhan T.

2011-01-01

This paper presents methods for estimating time delay margin for adaptive control of input delay systems with almost linear structured uncertainty. The bounded linear stability analysis method seeks to represent an adaptive law by a locally bounded linear approximation within a small time window. The time delay margin of this input delay system represents a local stability measure and is computed analytically by three methods: Pade approximation, Lyapunov-Krasovskii method, and the matrix measure method. These methods are applied to the standard model-reference adaptive control, s-modification adaptive law, and optimal control modification adaptive law. The windowing analysis results in non-unique estimates of the time delay margin since it is dependent on the length of a time window and parameters which vary from one time window to the next. The optimal control modification adaptive law overcomes this limitation in that, as the adaptive gain tends to infinity and if the matched uncertainty is linear, then the closed-loop input delay system tends to a LTI system. A lower bound of the time delay margin of this system can then be estimated uniquely without the need for the windowing analysis. Simulation results demonstrates the feasibility of the bounded linear stability method for time delay margin estimation.

Compulsive Sexual Behavior

MedlinePlus

... to hurt yourself or someone else, you report sexual abuse of a child, or you report abuse or neglect of someone in a vulnerable population. Seek treatment right away Seek immediate ... uncontrolled sexual behavior You have other problems with impulse control, ...

PSC algorithm description

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nobbs, Steven G.

1995-01-01

An overview of the performance seeking control (PSC) algorithm and details of the important components of the algorithm are given. The onboard propulsion system models, the linear programming optimization, and engine control interface are described. The PSC algorithm receives input from various computers on the aircraft including the digital flight computer, digital engine control, and electronic inlet control. The PSC algorithm contains compact models of the propulsion system including the inlet, engine, and nozzle. The models compute propulsion system parameters, such as inlet drag and fan stall margin, which are not directly measurable in flight. The compact models also compute sensitivities of the propulsion system parameters to change in control variables. The engine model consists of a linear steady state variable model (SSVM) and a nonlinear model. The SSVM is updated with efficiency factors calculated in the engine model update logic, or Kalman filter. The efficiency factors are used to adjust the SSVM to match the actual engine. The propulsion system models are mathematically integrated to form an overall propulsion system model. The propulsion system model is then optimized using a linear programming optimization scheme. The goal of the optimization is determined from the selected PSC mode of operation. The resulting trims are used to compute a new operating point about which the optimization process is repeated. This process is continued until an overall (global) optimum is reached before applying the trims to the controllers.

Help-seeking behavior of patients with mental health problems visiting a tertiary care center in north India.

PubMed

Mishra, Nitin; Nagpal, Sajanjiv Singh; Chadda, Rakesh K; Sood, Mamta

2011-07-01

Patients with mental health problems in the nonwestern world seek help from a variety of sources, such as the family physicians, psychiatrists, psychologists, traditional faith-healers, or alternative medicine practitioners. Understanding the help-seeking behavior is important from the public health perspective. Two hundred new patients visiting a psychiatric outpatient service at a tertiary care hospital were interviewed on a semi-structured questionnaire for various services contacted by them for their mental health problems. Psychiatrists were the first choice in 45% of the cases followed by nonpsychiatric physicians and religious faith healers. Important reasons to seek help from different sources included easy accessibility, belief in the system, or particular healer and good reputation. Mean duration of treatment varied from 2.35 months with the alternative system practitioners to 16.63 months with the psychiatrists. The mean expenditure per visit to a service was highest for the nonpsychiatric physician and lowest for alternative system practitioners. Patients with mental health problems seek help from psychiatrists, nonpsychiatric physicians, faith healers, alternative system practitioners, and traditional faith healers for multiple reasons. It is important to sensitize various nonpsychiatric physicians with early identification and optimum management of mental disorders.

[Risks and control of complete market-oriented reforms of medical institutions].

PubMed

Ding, Jiannong; Tian, Yongquan

2014-04-01

Marketization has become the mainstream since the new public management emerges globally in second half of the 20th century. Some countries infuse private capital into medical institutions which used to be managed by the government originally, and cause the medical industry reforms to be market-oriented. Market-oriented reforms of medical institutions may have risks in the following aspects: the risk of uneven distribution of medical resources, the risk of market failure, the moral risk of government renting-seeking and corruption and the decay of social justice values. Measures of controlling these risks include defining the function orientation of the government, completing the institution-building of healthcare system, improving primary medical system and strengthening social consciousness of hospitals.

Fisher information at the edge of chaos in random Boolean networks.

PubMed

Wang, X Rosalind; Lizier, Joseph T; Prokopenko, Mikhail

2011-01-01

We study the order-chaos phase transition in random Boolean networks (RBNs), which have been used as models of gene regulatory networks. In particular we seek to characterize the phase diagram in information-theoretic terms, focusing on the effect of the control parameters (activity level and connectivity). Fisher information, which measures how much system dynamics can reveal about the control parameters, offers a natural interpretation of the phase diagram in RBNs. We report that this measure is maximized near the order-chaos phase transitions in RBNs, since this is the region where the system is most sensitive to its parameters. Furthermore, we use this study of RBNs to clarify the relationship between Shannon and Fisher information measures.

The Liquid Nitrogen System for Chamber A: A Change from Original Forced Flow Design to a Natural Flow (Thermo Siphon) System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Homan, Jonathan; Montz, Michael; Sidi-Yekhlef, Ahmed; Ganni, Venkatarao (Rao); Knudsen, Peter; Garcia, Sam; Linza, Robert; Meagher, Daniel; Lauterbauch, John

2008-01-01

NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston is currently supplementing its 20K helium refrigeration system to meet the new requirements for testing the James Web Space Telescope in the environmental control Chamber-A (65 dia x 120 high) in Building 32. The new system is required to meet the various operating modes which include a high 20K heat load, a required temperature stability at the load, rapid (but controlled) cool down and warm up and bake out of the chamber. This paper will present the proposed modifications to the existing helium system(s) to incorporate the new requirements and the integration of the new helium refrigerator with the existing two 3.5KW 20K helium refrigerators. In addition, the floating pressure process control philosophy to achieve high efficiency over the operating range (40% to 100% of the refrigeration system capacity), and the required temperature stability of +/- 0.25 K at the load will be discussed. The refrigeration systems ability to naturally seek the operating conditions under various loads and thus minimizing operator involvement and the over all improvements to the system operability and the reliability will be explained.

Elder American Indian women's knowledge of pelvic floor disorders and barriers to seeking care.

PubMed

Dunivan, Gena C; Komesu, Yuko M; Cichowski, Sara B; Lowery, Christine; Anger, Jennifer T; Rogers, Rebecca G

2015-01-01

The objectives of this study are to evaluate urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse knowledge among elder southwestern American Indian women and to assess barriers to care for pelvic floor disorders through community-engaged research. Our group was invited to provide an educational talk on urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse at an annual meeting of American Indian elders. Female attendees aged 55 years or older anonymously completed demographic information and 2 validated questionnaires, the Prolapse and Incontinence Knowledge Questionnaire (PIKQ) and Barriers to Incontinence Care Seeking Questionnaire (BICS-Q). Questionnaire results were compared with historical controls from the original PIKQ and BICS-Q validation study. One hundred forty-four women completed the questionnaires. The mean age was 77.7 ± 9.1 years. The mean (SD) for PIKQ of urinary incontinence score was 6.6 (3.0) (similar to historic gynecology controls 6.8 [3.3], P = 0.49), and the mean (SD) for PIKQ on pelvic organ prolapse score was 5.4 (2.9) (better than historic gynecology controls 3.6 [3.2], P < 0.01). Barriers to care seeking reported by the elder women were highest on the BICS-Q subscales of "cost" and "inconvenience." Urinary incontinence knowledge is similar to historic gynecology controls, and pelvic organ prolapse knowledge is higher than historic gynecology controls among elder southwestern American Indian women. American Indian elder women report high levels of barriers to care. The greatest barriers to care seeking for this population were related to cost and inconvenience, reflecting the importance of assessing socioeconomic status when investigating barriers to care. Addressing these barriers may enhance care-seeking southwestern American Indian women.

A novel highly selective 5-HT6 receptor antagonist attenuates ethanol and nicotine seeking but does not affect inhibitory response control in Wistar rats.

PubMed

de Bruin, N M W J; McCreary, A C; van Loevezijn, A; de Vries, T J; Venhorst, J; van Drimmelen, M; Kruse, C G

2013-01-01

Recent studies suggest a potential role for 5-hydroxytryptamine(6) (5-HT(6)) receptors in the regulation of addictive behavior. In the present study, our aim was to investigate whether the novel highly selective 5-HT(6) receptor antagonist compound (CMP) 42 affected nicotine and ethanol seeking behavior in Wistar rats. We have also studied whether CMP 42 had beneficial effects in a model of impulse control, as measured in the 5-choice serial reaction time task (5-CSRTT). Rats were trained to nose poke to receive intravenous infusions of nicotine or an ethanol drop. CMP 42 (3-30 mg/kg intraperitoneally, i.p.) was administered to investigate the effects on nicotine self-administration. Rats were also tested for cue-induced reinstatement of nicotine and ethanol seeking. In addition, the effects of CMP 42 were studied on the number of anticipatory responses in the 5-CSRTT. CMP 42 was effective in reducing nicotine self-administration and reinstatement of nicotine seeking at a dose of 30 mg/kg (i.p.). CMP 42 was also effective in reducing reinstatement of ethanol seeking (30 mg/kg i.p.). In contrast, CMP 42 did not affect anticipatory responding at doses tested, indicating no effects on impulse control. These results add to a body of evidence implicating the 5-HT(6) receptor as a viable target for the control of drug abuse. Specifically, we demonstrated for the first time effects on nicotine self-administration and on nicotine and ethanol reinstatement. Further, these effects are probably not mediated by effects on impulse control. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Food seeking in spite of harmful consequences is under prefrontal cortical noradrenergic control

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background Eating disorders are multifactorial psychiatric disorders. Chronic stressful experiences and caloric restriction are the most powerful triggers of eating disorders in human and animals. Although compulsive behavior is considered to characterize pathological excessive food intake, to our knowledge, no evidence has been reported of continued food seeking/intake despite its possible harmful consequences, an index of compulsive behavior. Brain monoamine transmission is considered to have a key role in vulnerability to eating disorders, and norepinephrine in medial prefrontal cortex has been shown to be critical for food-related motivated behavior. Here, using a new paradigm of conditioned suppression, we investigated whether the ability of a foot-shock-paired conditioned stimulus to suppress chocolate-seeking behavior was reversed by previous exposure to a food restriction experience, thus modeling food seeking in spite of harmful consequences in mice. Moreover, we assessed the effects of selective norepinephrine inactivation in medial prefrontal cortex on conditioned suppression test in stressed and caloric restricted mice. Results While Control (non food deprived) animals showed a profound conditioned suppression of chocolate seeking during presentation of conditioned stimulus, previously food restricted animals showed food seeking/intake despite its possible harmful consequences. Moreover, food seeking in spite of harmful consequences was prevented by selective norepinephrine inactivation, thus showing that prefrontal cortical norepinephrine is critical also for maladaptive food-related behavior. Conclusions These findings indicate that adaptive food seeking/intake can be transformed into maladaptive behaviors and point to "top-down" influence on eating disturbances and to new targets for therapy of aberrant eating behaviors. PMID:20141625

Clinical Characteristics of Men Interested in Seeking Treatment for Use of Pornography

PubMed Central

Kraus, Shane W.; Martino, Steve; Potenza, Marc N.

2016-01-01

Background and aims This study examined the prevalence of, and factors associated with, men’s interest in seeking treatment for use of pornography. Methods Using an Internet-based data-collection procedure, we recruited 1,298 male pornography users to complete questionnaires assessing demographic and sexual behaviors, hypersexuality, pornography-use characteristics, and current interest in seeking treatment for use of pornography. Results Approximately 14% of men reported an interest in seeking treatment for use of pornography, whereas only 6.4% of men had previously sought treatment for use of pornography. Treatment-interested men were 9.5 times more likely to report clinically significant levels of hypersexuality compared with treatment-disinterested men (OR = 9.52, 95% CI = 6.72–13.49). Bivariate analyses indicated that interest-in-seeking-treatment status was associated with being single/unmarried, viewing more pornography per week, engaging in more solitary masturbation in the past month, having had less dyadic oral sex in the past month, reporting a history of seeking treatment for use of pornography, and having had more past attempts to either “cut back” or quit using pornography completely. Results from a binary logistic regression analysis indicated that more frequent cut back/quit attempts with pornography and scores on the Hypersexual Behavior Inventory – Control subscale were significant predictors of interest-in-seeking-treatment status. Discussion and conclusions Study findings could be used to inform current screening practices aimed at identifying specific aspects of sexual self-control, impulsivity, and/or compulsivity associated with problematic use of pornography among treatment-seeking individuals. PMID:27348557

Clinical Characteristics of Men Interested in Seeking Treatment for Use of Pornography.

PubMed

Kraus, Shane W; Martino, Steve; Potenza, Marc N

2016-06-01

Background and aims This study examined the prevalence of, and factors associated with, men's interest in seeking treatment for use of pornography. Methods Using an Internet-based data-collection procedure, we recruited 1,298 male pornography users to complete questionnaires assessing demographic and sexual behaviors, hypersexuality, pornography-use characteristics, and current interest in seeking treatment for use of pornography. Results Approximately 14% of men reported an interest in seeking treatment for use of pornography, whereas only 6.4% of men had previously sought treatment for use of pornography. Treatment-interested men were 9.5 times more likely to report clinically significant levels of hypersexuality compared with treatment-disinterested men (OR = 9.52, 95% CI = 6.72-13.49). Bivariate analyses indicated that interest-in-seeking-treatment status was associated with being single/unmarried, viewing more pornography per week, engaging in more solitary masturbation in the past month, having had less dyadic oral sex in the past month, reporting a history of seeking treatment for use of pornography, and having had more past attempts to either "cut back" or quit using pornography completely. Results from a binary logistic regression analysis indicated that more frequent cut back/quit attempts with pornography and scores on the Hypersexual Behavior Inventory - Control subscale were significant predictors of interest-in-seeking-treatment status. Discussion and conclusions Study findings could be used to inform current screening practices aimed at identifying specific aspects of sexual self-control, impulsivity, and/or compulsivity associated with problematic use of pornography among treatment-seeking individuals.

Research and Development Trend of Shape Control for Cold Rolling Strip

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Dong-Cheng; Liu, Hong-Min; Liu, Jun

2017-09-01

Shape is an important quality index of cold rolling strip. Up to now, many problems in the shape control domain have not been solved satisfactorily, and a review on the research progress in the shape control domain can help to seek new breakthrough directions. In the past 10 years, researches and applications of shape control models, shape control means, shape detection technology, and shape control system have achieved significant progress. In the aspect of shape control models, the researches in the past improve the accuracy, speed and robustness of the models. The intelligentization of shape control models should be strengthened in the future. In the aspect of the shape control means, the researches in the past focus on the roll optimization, mill type selection, process optimization, local strip shape control, edge drop control, and so on. In the future, more attention should be paid to the coordination control of both strip shape and other quality indexes, and the refinement of control objective should be strengthened. In the aspects of shape detection technology and shape control system, some new types of shape detection meters and shape control systems are developed and have successfully industrial applications. In the future, the standardization of shape detection technology and shape control system should be promoted to solve the problem of compatibility. In general, the four expected development trends of shape control for cold rolling strip in the future are intelligentization, coordination, refinement, and standardization. The proposed research provides new breakthrough directions for improving shape quality.

Masculinity and race-related factors as barriers to health help-seeking barriers among African-American men

PubMed Central

Powell, Wizdom; Adams, Leslie B.; Cole-Lewis, Yasmin; Agyemang, Amma; Upton, Rachel D.

2016-01-01

Men’s tendency to delay health help-seeking is largely attributed to masculinity, but findings scarcely focus on African-American men who face additional race-related, help-seeking barriers. Building principally on reactance theory, we test a hypothesized model situating racial discrimination, masculinity norms salience, everyday racism (ERD), racial identity (RI), sense of control (SOC) and depressive symptomatology as key barriers to African-American men’s health help-seeking. 458 African-American men were recruited primarily from U.S. barbershops in the Western and Southern regions. The primary outcome was Barriers to Help-Seeking Scale (BHSS) scores. The hypothesized model was investigated with confirmatory factor and path analysis with tests for measurement invariance. Our model fit was excellent χ2(4,N = 457) = 3.84, p > .05; CFI = .99; TLI = 1.00; RMSEA = .00, and 90% CI [.00, .07] and operated equivalently across different age, income, and education strata. Frequent ERD and higher MNS contributed to higher BHHS scores. The relationship between ERD exposure and BHHS scores was partially mediated by diminished SOC and greater depressive symptomatology. Interventions aimed at addressing African-American men’s health help-seeking should not only address masculinity norms, but also threats to sense of control, and negative psychological sequelae induced by everyday racism. PMID:27337619

Masculinity and Race-Related Factors as Barriers to Health Help-Seeking Among African American Men.

PubMed

Powell, Wizdom; Adams, Leslie B; Cole-Lewis, Yasmin; Agyemang, Amma; Upton, Rachel D

2016-01-01

Men's tendency to delay health help-seeking is largely attributed to masculinity, but findings scarcely focus on African American men who face additional race-related, help-seeking barriers. Building principally on reactance theory, we test a hypothesized model situating racial discrimination, masculinity norms salience (MNS), everyday racism (ERD), racial identity, sense of control (SOC), and depressive symptomatology as key barriers to African American men's health help-seeking. A total of 458 African American men were recruited primarily from US barbershops in the Western and Southern regions. The primary outcome was Barriers to Help-Seeking Scale (BHSS) scores. The hypothesized model was investigated with confirmatory factor and path analysis with tests for measurement invariance. Our model fit was excellent [Formula: see text] CFI = 0.99; TLI = 1.00; RMSEA = 0.00, and 90% CI [0.00, 0.07] and operated equivalently across different age, income, and education strata. Frequent ERD and higher MNS contributed to higher BHHS scores. The relationship between ERD exposure and BHHS scores was partially mediated by diminished SOC and greater depressive symptomatology. Interventions aimed at addressing African American men's health help-seeking should not only address masculinity norms but also threats to sense of control, and negative psychological sequelae induced by everyday racism.

Psychiatric morbidity in asymptomatic human immunodeficiency virus patients.

PubMed

Chauhan, V S; Chaudhury, Suprakash; Sudarsanan, S; Srivastava, Kalpana

2013-07-01

Psychiatric morbidity in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) patients is being studied all over the world. There is paucity of Indian literature particularly in asymptomatic HIV individuals. The aim of the following study is to establish the prevalence and the determinants of psychiatric morbidity in asymptomatic HIV patients. A cross-sectional study was undertaken to assess psychiatric morbidity as per ICD-10 dacryocystorhinostomy criteria in 100 consecutive asymptomatic seropositive HIV patients and an equal number of age, sex, education, economic and marital status matched HIV seronegative control. All subjects were assessed with the general health questionnaire (GHQ), mini mental status examination, hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS) and sensation seeking scale (SSS) and the scores were analyzed statistically. Asymptomatic HIV positive patients had significantly higher GHQ caseness and depression but not anxiety on HADS as compared to HIV seronegative controls. On SSS asymptomatic HIV seropositive subjects showed significant higher scores in thrill and adventure seeking, experience seeking and boredom susceptibility as compared to controls. HIV seropositive patients had significantly higher incidence of total psychiatric morbidity. Among the individual disorders, alcohol dependence syndrome, sexual dysfunction and adjustment disorder were significantly increased compared with HIV seronegative controls. Psychiatric morbidity is higher in asymptomatic HIV patients when compared to HIV seronegative controls. Among the individual disorders, alcohol dependence syndrome, sexual dysfunction and adjustment disorder were significantly increased compared with HIV seronegative controls. High sensation seeking and substance abuse found in HIV seropositive patients may play a vital role in engaging in high-risk behavior resulting in this dreaded illness.

Obstetric Safety and Quality.

PubMed

Pettker, Christian M; Grobman, William A

2015-07-01

Obstetric safety and quality is an emerging and important topic not only as a result of the pressures of patient and regulatory expectations, but also because of the genuine interest of caregivers to reduce harm, improve outcomes, and optimize care. Although each seeks to improve care by using scientific approaches beyond human physiology and pathophysiology, patient safety methodologies seek to avoid preventable adverse events, whereas health care quality projects aim to achieve the best possible outcomes. It is well-documented that an increasingly complex medical system controlled by human workers is a circumstance subject to recurrent failure. A safety culture encourages a proactive approach to mitigate failure before, during, and after it occurs. This article highlights the key concepts in health care safety and quality and reviews the background of the quality improvement sciences with particular emphasis on obstetric outcomes and quality measures.

Actuated Hybrid Mirrors for Space Telescopes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hickey, Gregory; Ealey, Mark; Redding, David

2010-01-01

This paper describes new, large, ultra-lightweight, replicated, actively controlled mirrors, for use in space telescopes. These mirrors utilize SiC substrates, with embedded solid-state actuators, bonded to Nanolaminate metal foil reflective surfaces. Called Actuated Hybrid Mirrors (AHMs), they use replication techniques for high optical quality as well as rapid, low cost manufacturing. They enable an Active Optics space telescope architecture that uses periodic image-based wavefront sensing and control to assure diffraction-limited performance, while relaxing optical system fabrication, integration and test requirements. The proposed International Space Station Observatory seeks to demonstrate this architecture in space.

Validation of Slosh Modeling Approach Using STAR-CCM+

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Benson, David J.; Ng, Wanyi

2018-01-01

Without an adequate understanding of propellant slosh, the spacecraft attitude control system may be inadequate to control the spacecraft or there may be an unexpected loss of science observation time due to higher slosh settling times. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is used to model propellant slosh. STAR-CCM+ is a commercially available CFD code. This paper seeks to validate the CFD modeling approach via a comparison between STAR-CCM+ liquid slosh modeling results and experimental, empirically, and analytically derived results. The geometries examined are a bare right cylinder tank and a right cylinder with a single ring baffle.

An Integrated Architecture for Grounded Intelligence in Its Development, Experimental, Environmental, and Social Context

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-05-01

supervisory system lie core drives, such as hunger , boredom, attention-seeking, and other domain-specific drives (such as task success), modeled as scalar...the control of routing activities. Cognitive Neuropsychology , 17:297-338. [Davies and Stone, 1995] Davies, M. and Stone, T. (1995). Introduction. In...Thornton, I., J., P., and Shiffrar, M. (1998). The visual perception of human locomotion. Cognitive Neuropsychology , 15:535-552. [Wilson, 2001] Wilson

The Development of Ada (Trademark) Software for Secure Environments

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-05-23

Telecommunications environment, This paper discusses software socurity and seeks to demostrate how the Ada programming language can be utilizec as a tool...complexity 4 . We use abstraction in our lives every day to control complexity; the principles of abstraction for software engineering are ro different...systems. These features directly sup,) )-t t.ie m odernp software engineering principles d1 s I , , 1 t, thne previous section. This is not surprising

Security Tagged Architecture Co-Design (STACD)

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-09-01

components have access to all other system components whether they need it or not. Microkernels [8, 9, 10] seek to reduce the kernel size to improve...does not provide the fine-grained control to allow for formal verification. Microkernels reduce the size of the kernel enough to allow for a formal...verification of the kernel. Tanenbaum [14] documents many of the security virtues of microkernels and argues that the Ring 3 Ring 2 Ring 1

Controlling the Population: A Study of the Civilian Irregular Defense Group

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-02-16

substantial portion of a nation-state’s population and seeks revolutionary change in the existing ideological, political or social system. There is no...guerillas. The plan must be all encompassing. It should cover all military, political, social , economic, administrative, police and any other...positive action on the side of the government. The third aim of the program was the development of political, economic and social fields. This aim would

AMPED Program Overview

ScienceCinema

Gur, Ilan

2018-01-16

An overview presentation about ARPA-E's AMPED program. AMPED projects seek to develop advanced sensing, control, and power management technologies that redefine the way we think about battery management. Energy storage can significantly improve U.S. energy independence, efficiency, and security by enabling a new generation of electric vehicles. While rapid progress is being made in new battery materials and storage technologies, few innovations have emerged in the management of advanced battery systems. AMPED aims to unlock enormous untapped potential in the performance, safety, and lifetime of today's commercial battery systems exclusively through system-level innovations, and is thus distinct from existing efforts to enhance underlying battery materials and architectures.

48 CFR 203.171 - Senior DoD officials seeking employment with defense contractors.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Senior DoD officials seeking employment with defense contractors. 203.171 Section 203.171 Federal Acquisition Regulations... AND PERSONAL CONFLICTS OF INTEREST Safeguards 203.171 Senior DoD officials seeking employment with...

Facilitating change in health-related behaviors and intentions: a randomized controlled trial of a multidimensional memory program for older adults.

PubMed

Wiegand, Melanie A; Troyer, Angela K; Gojmerac, Christina; Murphy, Kelly J

2013-01-01

Many older adults are concerned about memory changes with age and consequently seek ways to optimize their memory function. Memory programs are known to be variably effective in improving memory knowledge, other aspects of metamemory, and/or objective memory, but little is known about their impact on implementing and sustaining lifestyle and healthcare-seeking intentions and behaviors. We evaluated a multidimensional, evidence-based intervention, the Memory and Aging Program, that provides education about memory and memory change, training in the use of practical memory strategies, and support for implementation of healthy lifestyle behavior changes. In a randomized controlled trial, 42 healthy older adults participated in a program (n = 21) or a waitlist control (n = 21) group. Relative to the control group, participants in the program implemented more healthy lifestyle behaviors by the end of the program and maintained these changes 1 month later. Similarly, program participants reported a decreased intention to seek unnecessary medical attention for their memory immediately after the program and 1 month later. Findings support the use of multidimensional memory programs to promote healthy lifestyles and influence healthcare-seeking behaviors. Discussion focuses on implications of these changes for maximizing cognitive health and minimizing impact on healthcare resources.

Revisiting Bourdieu: Alternative Educational Systems in the Light of the Theory of Social and Cultural Reproduction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Azaola, Marta Cristina

2012-01-01

The paper reflects upon the principles and practice of an alternative educational system operating in rural Mexico in the light of Bourdieu's theory of cultural and social reproduction. Bourdieu's theory seeks to explain processes of reproduction of power relations within schools and society; whereas alternative educational systems seek to expand…

Informed Choice? The New English Student Funding System and Widening Participation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adnett, Nick; Tlupova, Diana

2008-01-01

The new English system of student finance seeks to resolve a higher education policy trilemma created by government's desire to switch more of the costs on to students, whilst seeking to promote both increased and widening participation. The rationale for this new funding system is based upon orthodox economic analysis which, the authors argue,…

Strengthening malaria service delivery through supportive supervision and community mobilization in an endemic Indian setting: an evaluation of nested delivery models.

PubMed

Das, Ashis; Friedman, Jed; Kandpal, Eeshani; Ramana, Gandham N V; Gupta, Rudra Kumar Das; Pradhan, Madan M; Govindaraj, Ramesh

2014-12-08

Malaria continues to be a prominent global public health challenge. This study tested the effectiveness of two service delivery models for reducing the malaria burden, e.g. supportive supervision of community health workers (CHW) and community mobilization in promoting appropriate health-seeking behaviour for febrile illnesses in Odisha, India. The study population comprised 120 villages from two purposively chosen malaria-endemic districts, with 40 villages randomly assigned to each of the two treatment arms, one with both supportive supervision and community mobilization and one with community mobilization alone, as well as an observational control arm. Outcome measures included changes in the utilization of bed nets and timely care-seeking for fever from a trained provider compared to the control group. Analysis was by intention-to-treat. Significant improvements were observed in the reported utilization of bed nets in both intervention arms (84.5% in arm A and 82.4% in arm B versus 78.6% in the control arm; p < 0.001). While overall rates of treatment-seeking were equal across study arms, treatment-seeking from a CHW was higher in both intervention arms (28%; p = 0.005 and 27.6%; p = 0.007) than in the control arm (19.2%). Fever cases were significantly more likely to visit a CHW and receive a timely diagnosis of fever in the combined interventions arm than in the control arm (82.1% vs. 67.1%; p = 0.025). Care-seeking from trained providers also increased with a substitution away from untrained providers. Further, fever cases from the combined interventions arm (60.6%; p = 0.004) and the community mobilization arm (59.3%; p = 0.012) were more likely to have received treatment from a skilled provider within 24 hours than fever cases from the control arm (50.1%). In particular, women from the combined interventions arm were more likely to have received timely treatment from a skilled provider (61.6% vs. 47.2%; p = 0.028). A community-based intervention combining the supportive supervision of community health workers with intensive community mobilization and can be effective in improving care-seeking and preventive behaviour and may be used to strengthen the national malaria control programme.

Involvement of the oxytocin system in the nucleus accumbens in the regulation of juvenile social novelty-seeking behavior.

PubMed

Smith, Caroline J W; Mogavero, Jazmin N; Tulimieri, Maxwell T; Veenema, Alexa H

2017-07-01

Exploration of novel environments, stimuli, and conspecifics is highly adaptive during the juvenile period, as individuals transition from immaturity to adulthood. We recently showed that juvenile rats prefer to interact with a novel individual over a familiar cage mate. However, the neural mechanisms underlying this juvenile social novelty-seeking behavior remain largely unknown. One potential candidate is the oxytocin (OXT) system, given its involvement in various motivated social behaviors. Here, we show that administration of the specific oxytocin receptor antagonist desGly-NH 2 ,d(CH 2 ) 5 -[Tyr(Me) 2 ,Thr 4 ]OVT reduces social novelty seeking-behavior in juvenile male rats when injected into the nucleus accumbens (10ng/0.5μl/side). The same drug dose was ineffective at altering social novelty-seeking behavior when administered into the lateral septum or basolateral amygdala. These results are the first to suggest the involvement of the OXT system in the nucleus accumbens in the regulation of juvenile social novelty-seeking behavior. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Maternal health-seeking behavior: the role of financing and organization of health services in Ghana.

PubMed

Aboagye, Emmanuel; Agyemang, Otuo Serebour

2013-05-30

This paper examines how organization and financing of maternal health services influence health-seeking behavior in Bosomtwe district, Ghana. It contributes in furthering the discussions on maternal health-seeking behavior and health outcomes from a health system perspective in sub-Saharan Africa. From a health system standpoint, the paper first presents the resources, organization and financing of maternal health service in Ghana, and later uses case study examples to explain how Ghana's health system has shaped maternal health-seeking behavior of women in the district. The paper employs a qualitative case study technique to build a complex and holistic picture, and report detailed views of the women in their natural setting. A purposeful sampling technique is applied to select 16 women in the district for this study. Through face-to-face interviews and group discussions with the selected women, comprehensive and in-depth information on health- seeking behavior and health outcomes are elicited for the analysis. The study highlights that characteristics embedded in decentralization and provision of free maternal health care influence health-seeking behavior. Particularly, the use of antenatal care has increased after the delivery exemption policy in Ghana. Interestingly, the study also reveals certain social structures, which influence women's attitude towards their decisions and choices of health facilities.

Hardware Implementation of Maximum Power Point Tracking for Thermoelectric Generators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maganga, Othman; Phillip, Navneesh; Burnham, Keith J.; Montecucco, Andrea; Siviter, Jonathan; Knox, Andrew; Simpson, Kevin

2014-06-01

This work describes the practical implementation of two maximum power point tracking (MPPT) algorithms, namely those of perturb and observe, and extremum seeking control. The proprietary dSPACE system is used to perform hardware in the loop (HIL) simulation whereby the two control algorithms are implemented using the MATLAB/Simulink (Mathworks, Natick, MA) software environment in order to control a synchronous buck-boost converter connected to two commercial thermoelectric modules. The process of performing HIL simulation using dSPACE is discussed, and a comparison between experimental and simulated results is highlighted. The experimental results demonstrate the validity of the two MPPT algorithms, and in conclusion the benefits and limitations of real-time implementation of MPPT controllers using dSPACE are discussed.

Sensation Seeking and Online Gaming Addiction in Adolescents: A Moderated Mediation Model of Positive Affective Associations and Impulsivity.

PubMed

Hu, Jianping; Zhen, Shuangju; Yu, Chengfu; Zhang, Qiuyan; Zhang, Wei

2017-01-01

Based on the Dual Systems Model (Somerville et al., 2010; Steinberg, 2010a) and the biosocial-affect model (Romer and Hennessy, 2007) of adolescent sensation seeking and problem behaviors, the present study examined how (affective associations with online games as a mediator) and when (impulsivity as a moderator) did sensation seeking influence online gaming addiction in adolescence. A total of 375 Chinese male adolescents (mean age = 16.02 years, SD = 0.85) from southern China completed anonymous questionnaires regarding sensation seeking, positive affective associations with online games, impulsivity, and online gaming addiction. Our findings revealed that sensation seeking, positive affective associations with online games and impulsivity were each significantly and positively associated with online gaming addiction in adolescents. Positive affective associations mediated the relationship between sensation seeking and online gaming addiction. Further, impulsivity moderated the relationship between positive affective associations and online gaming addiction, such that the association between positive affective association and online gaming addiction was stronger for high than for low impulsivity adolescents. These findings underscore the importance of integrating the biosocial-affect model and the Dual Systems Model to understand how and when sensation seeking impacts adolescent online gaming addiction.

Sensation Seeking and Online Gaming Addiction in Adolescents: A Moderated Mediation Model of Positive Affective Associations and Impulsivity

PubMed Central

Hu, Jianping; Zhen, Shuangju; Yu, Chengfu; Zhang, Qiuyan; Zhang, Wei

2017-01-01

Based on the Dual Systems Model (Somerville et al., 2010; Steinberg, 2010a) and the biosocial-affect model (Romer and Hennessy, 2007) of adolescent sensation seeking and problem behaviors, the present study examined how (affective associations with online games as a mediator) and when (impulsivity as a moderator) did sensation seeking influence online gaming addiction in adolescence. A total of 375 Chinese male adolescents (mean age = 16.02 years, SD = 0.85) from southern China completed anonymous questionnaires regarding sensation seeking, positive affective associations with online games, impulsivity, and online gaming addiction. Our findings revealed that sensation seeking, positive affective associations with online games and impulsivity were each significantly and positively associated with online gaming addiction in adolescents. Positive affective associations mediated the relationship between sensation seeking and online gaming addiction. Further, impulsivity moderated the relationship between positive affective associations and online gaming addiction, such that the association between positive affective association and online gaming addiction was stronger for high than for low impulsivity adolescents. These findings underscore the importance of integrating the biosocial-affect model and the Dual Systems Model to understand how and when sensation seeking impacts adolescent online gaming addiction. PMID:28529494

Approaches to Neural Tissue Engineering Using Scaffolds for Drug Delivery

PubMed Central

Willerth, Stephanie M.; Sakiyama-Elbert, Shelly E.

2007-01-01

This review seeks to give an overview of the current approaches to drug delivery from scaffolds for neural tissue engineering applications. The challenges presented by attempting to replicate the three types of nervous tissue (brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nerve) are summarized. Potential scaffold materials (both synthetic and natural) and target drugs are discussed with the benefits and drawbacks given. Finally, common methods of drug delivery, including degradable/diffusion-based delivery systems, affinity-based delivery systems, immobilized drug delivery systems, and electrically controlled drug delivery systems, are examined and critiqued. Based on the current body of work, suggestions for future directions of research in the field of neural tissue engineering are presented. PMID:17482308

Class, Social Suffering, and Health Consumerism.

PubMed

Merrild, Camilla Hoffmann; Risør, Mette Bech; Vedsted, Peter; Andersen, Rikke Sand

2016-01-01

In recent years an extensive social gradient in cancer outcome has attracted much attention, with late diagnosis proposed as one important reason for this. Whereas earlier research has investigated health care seeking among cancer patients, these social differences may be better understood by looking at health care seeking practices among people who are not diagnosed with cancer. Drawing on long-term ethnographic fieldwork among two different social classes in Denmark, our aim in this article is to explore the relevance of class to health care seeking practices and illness concerns. In the higher middle class, we predominantly encountered health care seeking resembling notions of health consumerism, practices sanctioned and encouraged by the health care system. However, among people in the lower working class, health care seeking was often shaped by the inseparability of physical, political, and social dimensions of discomfort, making these practices difficult for the health care system to accommodate.

Health care information seeking and seniors: determinants of Internet use.

PubMed

Sheng, Xiaojing; Simpson, Penny M

2015-01-01

While seniors are the most likely population segment to have chronic diseases, they are the least likely to seek information about health and diseases on the Internet. An understanding of factors that impact seniors' usage of the Internet for health care information may provide them with tools needed to improve health. This research examined some of these factors as identified in the comprehensive model of information seeking to find that demographics, trust in health information websites, perceived usefulness of the Internet, and internal locus of control each significantly impact seniors' use of the Internet to seek health information.

Science with the James Webb Space Telescope

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gardner, Jonathan P.

2010-01-01

The scientific capabilities of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) fall into four themes. The End of the Dark Ages: First Light and Reionization theme seeks to identify the first luminous sources to form and to determine the ionization history of the universe. The Assembly of Galaxies theme seeks to determine how galaxies and the dark matter, gas, stars, metals, morphological structures, and active nuclei within them evolved from the epoch of reionization to the present. The Birth of Stars and Protoplanetary Systems theme seeks to unravel the birth and early evolution of stars, from infall onto dust-enshrouded protostars, to the genesis of planetary systems. The Planetary Systems and the Origins of Life theme seeks to determine the physical and chemical properties of planetary systems around nearby stars and of our own, and investigate the potential for life in those systems. To enable these for science themes, JWST will be a large (6.6m) cold (50K) telescope launched to the second Earth-Sun Lagrange point in 2014. It is the successor to the Hubble Space Telescope, and is a partnership of NASA, ESA and CSA.

Oxytocin acts in nucleus accumbens to attenuate methamphetamine seeking and demand

PubMed Central

Cox, Brittney M; Bentzley, Brandon S; Regen-Tuero, Helaina; See, Ronald E; Reichel, Carmela M; Aston-Jones, Gary

2016-01-01

Background Evidence indicates that oxytocin, an endogenous peptide well known for its role in social behaviors, childbirth and lactation, is a promising addiction pharmacotherapy. We employed a within-session behavioral-economic (BE) procedure in rats to examine oxytocin as a pharmacotherapy for methamphetamine (meth) addiction. The BE paradigm was modeled after BE procedures used to assess motivation for drugs in human addicts. Importantly, the same BE variables assessed across species have been shown to predict later relapse behavior. Thus, the translational potential of preclinical BE studies is particularly strong. Methods We tested the effects of systemic and microinfused oxytocin on demand for self-administered i.v. meth and reinstatement of extinguished meth-seeking in male and female rats using a behavioral economics paradigm. Correlations between meth demand and meth seeking were assessed. Results Females showed greater demand (i.e., motivation) for meth compared to males. In both males and females, meth demand predicted reinstatement of meth-seeking, and systemic oxytocin decreased demand for meth and attenuated reinstatement to meth seeking. Oxytocin was most effective at decreasing meth demand and seeking in rats with the strongest motivation for drug. Finally, we found that these effects of systemic oxytocin were mediated by actions in the nucleus accumbens (NAc). Discussion Oxytocin decreases meth demand and seeking in both sexes, and these effects depend on oxytocin signaling in the NAc. Overall, these data indicate that development of oxytocin-based therapies may be a promising treatment approach for meth addiction in humans. PMID:28110822

Health Seeking Behaviour among Tuberculosis Patients in India: A Systematic Review

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

Introduction The Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme’s (RNTCP) passive case finding approach strongly influence the health seeking behaviour of patients and the timing of health seeking as well. Aim A systematic review was carried out to understand the health seeking behaviour, related delays and the knowledge and attitude regarding Tuberculosis (TB) and the health services linked with it. Materials and Methods A manual search strategy was adopted using PUBMED and Google Scholar search engines to obtain research papers in the said subject. Of 113 articles obtained by the end of this search process 10 full text articles were finally selected for the purpose of this review. Results Of the 10 studies identified, the results were delineated in 7 thematic areas such as: (1) Knowledge and perception of TB patients regarding TB and health services for TB; (2) Delays in seeking help; (3) Facility based health seeking behaviour; (4) Reasons for not seeking care/Delay in seeking care; (5) Geographical pattern (Rural-Urban) of health seeking; (6) Socio-cultural factors associated with health seeking; and (7) Gender based health seeking behaviour. Conclusion Health seeking behaviour and related delays are of utmost importance in TB care from two important perspectives; firstly TB requires timely treatment and secondly it requires protracted treatment. Required level of knowledge and positive health behaviour helps the patients in taking timely help from appropriate health facility. PMID:27891362

Health Seeking Behaviour among Tuberculosis Patients in India: A Systematic Review.

PubMed

Samal, Janmejaya

2016-10-01

The Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme's (RNTCP) passive case finding approach strongly influence the health seeking behaviour of patients and the timing of health seeking as well. A systematic review was carried out to understand the health seeking behaviour, related delays and the knowledge and attitude regarding Tuberculosis (TB) and the health services linked with it. A manual search strategy was adopted using PUBMED and Google Scholar search engines to obtain research papers in the said subject. Of 113 articles obtained by the end of this search process 10 full text articles were finally selected for the purpose of this review. Of the 10 studies identified, the results were delineated in 7 thematic areas such as: (1) Knowledge and perception of TB patients regarding TB and health services for TB; (2) Delays in seeking help; (3) Facility based health seeking behaviour; (4) Reasons for not seeking care/Delay in seeking care; (5) Geographical pattern (Rural-Urban) of health seeking; (6) Socio-cultural factors associated with health seeking; and (7) Gender based health seeking behaviour. Health seeking behaviour and related delays are of utmost importance in TB care from two important perspectives; firstly TB requires timely treatment and secondly it requires protracted treatment. Required level of knowledge and positive health behaviour helps the patients in taking timely help from appropriate health facility.

Active-passive hybrid piezoelectric actuators for high-precision hard disk drive servo systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chan, Kwong Wah; Liao, Wei-Hsin

2006-03-01

Positioning precision is crucial to today's increasingly high-speed, high-capacity, high data density, and miniaturized hard disk drives (HDDs). The demand for higher bandwidth servo systems that can quickly and precisely position the read/write head on a high track density becomes more pressing. Recently, the idea of applying dual-stage actuators to track servo systems has been studied. The push-pull piezoelectric actuated devices have been developed as micro actuators for fine and fast positioning, while the voice coil motor functions as a large but coarse seeking. However, the current dual-stage actuator design uses piezoelectric patches only without passive damping. In this paper, we propose a dual-stage servo system using enhanced active-passive hybrid piezoelectric actuators. The proposed actuators will improve the existing dual-stage actuators for higher precision and shock resistance, due to the incorporation of passive damping in the design. We aim to develop this hybrid servo system not only to increase speed of track seeking but also to improve precision of track following servos in HDDs. New piezoelectrically actuated suspensions with passive damping have been designed and fabricated. In order to evaluate positioning and track following performances for the dual-stage track servo systems, experimental efforts are carried out to implement the synthesized active-passive suspension structure with enhanced piezoelectric actuators using a composite nonlinear feedback controller.

Motivation, working memory, and decision making: a cognitive-motivational theory of personality vulnerability to alcoholism.

PubMed

Finn, Peter R

2002-09-01

This article presents a cognitive-motivational theory (CMT) of the mechanisms associated with three basic dimensions of personality vulnerability to alcoholism, impulsivity/novelty seeking, harm avoidance, and excitement seeking. CMT describes the interrelationships between activity in basic motivational systems and attentional, decision-making and working memory processes as the mechanisms associated with variation in each personality trait. Impulsivity/novelty seeking reflects activity in both appetitive and inhibitory motivational systems, greater attention to reward cues, and increased emotional reactivity to reward and frustration. Harm avoidance reflects individual differences in fearfulness and activity in specific inhibitory systems. Excitement seeking reflects the need to engage in appetitive behaviors in less predictable environments to experience positive affect. CMT also describes the impact of working memory and the specific motivational processes underlying each trait dimension on the dynamics of decision making from the perspective of decision field theory.

Survivorship care plans: are randomized controlled trials assessing outcomes that are relevant to stakeholders?

PubMed

Birken, Sarah A; Urquhart, Robin; Munoz-Plaza, Corrine; Zizzi, Alexandra R; Haines, Emily; Stover, Angela; Mayer, Deborah K; Hahn, Erin E

2018-03-23

The purpose of this study was to compare outcomes assessed in extant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to outcomes that stakeholders expect from survivorship care plans (SCPs). To facilitate the transition from active treatment to follow-up care for the 15.5 million US cancer survivors, many organizations require SCP use. However, results of several RCTs of SCPs' effectiveness have been null, possibly because they have evaluated outcomes on which SCPs should be expected to have limited influence. Stakeholders (e.g., survivors, oncologists) may expect outcomes that differ from RCTs' outcomes. We identified RCTs' outcomes using a PubMed literature review. We identified outcomes that stakeholders expect from SCPs using semistructured interviews with stakeholders in three healthcare systems in the USA and Canada. Finally, we mapped RCTs' outcomes onto stakeholder-identified outcomes. RCT outcomes did not fully address outcomes that stakeholders expected from SCPs, and RCTs assessed outcomes that stakeholders did not expect from SCPs. RCTs often assessed outcomes only from survivors' perspectives. RCTs of SCPs' effectiveness have not assessed outcomes that stakeholders expect. To better understand SCPs' effectiveness, future RCTs should assess outcomes of SCP use that are relevant from the perspective of multiple stakeholders. SCPs' effectiveness may be optimized when used with an eye toward outcomes that stakeholders expect from SCPs. For survivors, this means using SCPs as a map to guide them with respect to what kind of follow-up care they should seek, when they should seek it, and from whom they should seek it.

The impact on anxiety and perceived control of a short one-on-one nursing intervention designed to decrease treatment seeking delay in people with coronary heart disease.

PubMed

Moser, Debra K; McKinley, Sharon; Riegel, Barbara; Doering, Lynn V; Meischke, Hendrika; Pelter, Michele; Davidson, Patricia; Baker, Heather; Dracup, Kathleen

2012-06-01

Patient delay in seeking treatment for acute coronary syndrome symptoms remains a problem. Thus, it is vital to test interventions to improve this behavior, but at the same time it is essential that interventions not increase anxiety. To determine the impact on anxiety and perceived control of an individual face-to-face education and counseling intervention designed to decrease patient delay in seeking treatment for acute coronary syndrome symptoms. This was a multicenter randomized controlled trial of the intervention in which anxiety data were collected at baseline, 3-months and 12-months. A total of 3522 patients with confirmed coronary artery disease were enrolled; data from 2597 patients with anxiety data at all time points are included. The intervention was a 45 min education and counseling session, in which the social, cognitive and emotional responses to acute coronary syndrome symptoms were discussed as were barriers to early treatment seeking. Repeated measures analysis of covariance was used to compare anxiety and perceived control levels across time between the groups controlling for age, gender, ethnicity, education level, and comorbidities. There were significant differences in anxiety by group (p = 0.03). Anxiety level was stable in patients in the control group, but decreased across time in the intervention group. Perceived control increased across time in the intervention group and remained unchanged in the control group (p = 0.01). Interventions in which cardiac patients directly confront the possibility of an acute cardiac event do not cause anxiety if they provide patients with appropriate strategies for managing symptoms.

Drug information-seeking intention and behavior after exposure to direct-to-consumer advertisement of prescription drugs.

PubMed

Liu, Yifei; Doucette, William R; Farris, Karen B; Nayakankuppam, Dhananjay

2005-06-01

Concerns about direct-to-consumer advertisement's (DTCA's) information quality have raised interest in patients' drug information-seeking after DTCA exposure. To identify predictors of patients' intentions and behaviors to seek drug information from physicians, pharmacists, and the Internet after DTCA exposure, using theories of planned behavior and self-efficacy. One thousand patients were randomly selected from 3,000 nationwide osteoarthritic patients. A self-administered survey examined predictors of intention including measurements of attitude toward behavior, subjective norm, perceived difficulty, self-efficacy, controllability, self-identity, intention, exposure to ads, and control variables. After 6 weeks, another survey measured respondents' information-seeking behavior. For patients exposed to DTCA, 6 multiple regressions were performed for information-seeking intention and behavior for 3 information sources: physicians, pharmacists, and the Internet. The response rates were 61.9% and 80.1% for the first survey and the second survey, respectively. Four hundred and fifty-four participants reported exposure to DTCA about arthritis prescription medicines in the previous month. Over 41% of the variance in intention and over 18% of the variance in behavior were explained by the regression procedures. The consistent positive predictors of intention were attitude toward behavior, self-identity, attitude toward DTCAs of arthritis medication, and osteoarthritis pain; while the consistent positive predictors of behavior were intention and osteoarthritis pain. The strongest predictors of intention were self-identity for physicians, subjective norm for pharmacists, and attitude toward behavior for the Internet. Perceived difficulty and self-efficacy did not predict intention, and self-efficacy and controllability did not predict behavior. DTCA-prompted drug information-seeking may be under patients' complete volitional control. To promote information searching, efforts could be made to affect factors predicting intention. Interventions could address patients' attitude toward behavior, the influence of their important others, and their role as information seeker, respectively, for information sources like the Internet, pharmacists, and physicians.

Approach for Autonomous Control of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Using Intelligent Agents for Knowledge Creation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dufrene, Warren R., Jr.

2004-01-01

This paper describes the development of a planned approach for Autonomous operation of an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). A Hybrid approach will seek to provide Knowledge Generation through the application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Intelligent Agents (IA) for UAV control. The applications of several different types of AI techniques for flight are explored during this research effort. The research concentration is directed to the application of different AI methods within the UAV arena. By evaluating AI and biological system approaches. which include Expert Systems, Neural Networks. Intelligent Agents, Fuzzy Logic, and Complex Adaptive Systems, a new insight may be gained into the benefits of AI and CAS techniques applied to achieving true autonomous operation of these systems. Although flight systems were explored, the benefits should apply to many Unmanned Vehicles such as: Rovers. Ocean Explorers, Robots, and autonomous operation systems. A portion of the flight system is broken down into control agents that represent the intelligent agent approach used in AI. After the completion of a successful approach, a framework for applying an intelligent agent is presented. The initial results from simulation of a security agent for communication are presented.

The Effect of Government Actions on Environmental Technology Innovation: Applications to the Integrated Assessment of Carbon Sequestration Technologies

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

Rubin, E. S.; Hounshell, D. A.; Yeh, S.

2004-01-15

This project seeks to improve the ability of integrated assessment models (IA) to incorporate changes in technology, especially environmental technologies, cost and performance over time. In this report, we present results of research that examines past experience in controlling other major power plant emissions that might serve as a reasonable guide to future rates of technological progress in carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) systems. In particular, we focus on U.S. and worldwide experience with sulfur dioxide (SO{sub 2}) and nitrogen oxide (NO{sub x}) control technologies over the past 30 years, and derive empirical learning rates for these technologies. The patternsmore » of technology innovation are captured by our analysis of patent activities and trends of cost reduction over time. Overall, we found learning rates of 11% for the capital costs of flue gas desulfurization (FGD) system for SO{sub 2} control, and 13% for selective catalytic reduction (SCR) systems for NO{sub x} control. We explore the key factors responsible for the observed trends, especially the development of regulatory policies for SO{sub 2} and NO{sub x} control, and their implications for environmental control technology innovation.« less

Controlled Aeroelastic Response and Airfoil Shaping Using Adaptive Materials and Integrated Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pinkerton, Jennifer L.; McGowan, Anna-Maria R.; Moses, Robert W.; Scott, Robert C.; Heeg, Jennifer

1996-01-01

This paper presents an overview of several activities of the Aeroelasticity Branch at the NASA Langley Research Center in the area of applying adaptive materials and integrated systems for controlling both aircraft aeroelastic response and airfoil shape. The experimental results of four programs are discussed: the Piezoelectric Aeroelastic Response Tailoring Investigation (PARTI); the Adaptive Neural Control of Aeroelastic Response (ANCAR) program; the Actively Controlled Response of Buffet Affected Tails (ACROBAT) program; and the Airfoil THUNDER Testing to Ascertain Characteristics (ATTACH) project. The PARTI program demonstrated active flutter control and significant rcductions in aeroelastic response at dynamic pressures below flutter using piezoelectric actuators. The ANCAR program seeks to demonstrate the effectiveness of using neural networks to schedule flutter suppression control laws. Th,e ACROBAT program studied the effectiveness of a number of candidate actuators, including a rudder and piezoelectric actuators, to alleviate vertical tail buffeting. In the ATTACH project, the feasibility of using Thin-Layer Composite-Uimorph Piezoelectric Driver and Sensor (THUNDER) wafers to control airfoil aerodynamic characteristics was investigated. Plans for future applications are also discussed.

An intelligent value-driven scheduling system for Space Station Freedom with special emphasis on the electric power system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Krupp, Joseph C.

1991-01-01

The Electric Power Control System (EPCS) created by Decision-Science Applications, Inc. (DSA) for the Lewis Research Center is discussed. This system makes decisions on what to schedule and when to schedule it, including making choices among various options or ways of performing a task. The system is goal-directed and seeks to shape resource usage in an optimal manner using a value-driven approach. Discussed here are considerations governing what makes a good schedule, how to design a value function to find the best schedule, and how to design the algorithm that finds the schedule that maximizes this value function. Results are shown which demonstrate the usefulness of the techniques employed.

A Coding System for Qualitative Studies of the Information-Seeking Process in Computer Science Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moral, Cristian; de Antonio, Angelica; Ferre, Xavier; Lara, Graciela

2015-01-01

Introduction: In this article we propose a qualitative analysis tool--a coding system--that can support the formalisation of the information-seeking process in a specific field: research in computer science. Method: In order to elaborate the coding system, we have conducted a set of qualitative studies, more specifically a focus group and some…

Towards Understanding How to Assess Help-Seeking Behavior across Cultures

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ogan, Amy; Walker, Erin; Baker, Ryan; Rodrigo, Ma. Mercedes T.; Soriano, Jose Carlo; Castro, Maynor Jimenez

2015-01-01

In recent years, there has been increasing interest in automatically assessing help seeking, the process of referring to resources outside of oneself to accomplish a task or solve a problem. Research in the United States has shown that specific help-seeking behaviors led to better learning within intelligent tutoring systems. However, intelligent…

Information Seeking of Scholars in the Field of Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fitzgerald, Sarah Rose

2017-01-01

This study examines the information seeking of scholars in the field of Higher Education. I interviewed Higher Education scholars about their use of the web, library resources, and interpersonal networking for their research. I also spoke with them about how the faculty reward system shapes their information seeking habits. I drew on information…

Extinction of cue-evoked drug-seeking relies on degrading hierarchical instrumental expectancies

PubMed Central

Hogarth, Lee; Retzler, Chris; Munafò, Marcus R.; Tran, Dominic M.D.; Troisi, Joseph R.; Rose, Abigail K.; Jones, Andrew; Field, Matt

2014-01-01

There has long been need for a behavioural intervention that attenuates cue-evoked drug-seeking, but the optimal method remains obscure. To address this, we report three approaches to extinguish cue-evoked drug-seeking measured in a Pavlovian to instrumental transfer design, in non-treatment seeking adult smokers and alcohol drinkers. The results showed that the ability of a drug stimulus to transfer control over a separately trained drug-seeking response was not affected by the stimulus undergoing Pavlovian extinction training in experiment 1, but was abolished by the stimulus undergoing discriminative extinction training in experiment 2, and was abolished by explicit verbal instructions stating that the stimulus did not signal a more effective response-drug contingency in experiment 3. These data suggest that cue-evoked drug-seeking is mediated by a propositional hierarchical instrumental expectancy that the drug-seeking response is more likely to be rewarded in that stimulus. Methods which degraded this hierarchical expectancy were effective in the laboratory, and so may have therapeutic potential. PMID:25011113

Peak-Seeking Optimization of Spanwise Lift Distribution for Wings in Formation Flight

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hanson, Curtis E.; Ryan, Jack

2012-01-01

A method is presented for the in-flight optimization of the lift distribution across the wing for minimum drag of an aircraft in formation flight. The usual elliptical distribution that is optimal for a given wing with a given span is no longer optimal for the trailing wing in a formation due to the asymmetric nature of the encountered flow field. Control surfaces along the trailing edge of the wing can be configured to obtain a non-elliptical profile that is more optimal in terms of minimum combined induced and profile drag. Due to the difficult-to-predict nature of formation flight aerodynamics, a Newton-Raphson peak-seeking controller is used to identify in real time the best aileron and flap deployment scheme for minimum total drag. Simulation results show that the peak-seeking controller correctly identifies an optimal trim configuration that provides additional drag savings above those achieved with conventional anti-symmetric aileron trim.

Effects of sublethal exposure to boric acid sugar bait on adult survival, host-seeking, bloodfeeding behavior, and reproduction of Stegomyia albopicta.

PubMed

Ali, Arshad; Xue, Rui-De; Barnard, Donald R

2006-09-01

Effects of sublethal exposure to 0.1% boric acid sugar bait on adult survival, host-seeking, bloodfeeding behavior, and reproduction of Stegomyia albopicta were studied in the laboratory. Survival of males as well as females was significantly reduced when exposed to the bait, compared to control adults. The host-seeking and bloodfeeding activities in the baited females decreased, but the mean duration of blood engorgement (probing to voluntary withdrawal of proboscis) was not significantly different between the baited and control females. The landing and biting rates (human forearm) were significantly reduced in the baited females compared to nonbaited controls. Fecundity and fertility (based on number of laid eggs per female and percentage egg hatch, respectively) in the baited females were significantly reduced, and ovarian development was retarded. Sublethal exposure to sugar-based boric acid bait has the potential to reduce adult populations of St. albopicta.

Nonlinear Performance Seeking Control using Fuzzy Model Reference Learning Control and the Method of Steepest Descent

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kopasakis, George

1997-01-01

Performance Seeking Control (PSC) attempts to find and control the process at the operating condition that will generate maximum performance. In this paper a nonlinear multivariable PSC methodology will be developed, utilizing the Fuzzy Model Reference Learning Control (FMRLC) and the method of Steepest Descent or Gradient (SDG). This PSC control methodology employs the SDG method to find the operating condition that will generate maximum performance. This operating condition is in turn passed to the FMRLC controller as a set point for the control of the process. The conventional SDG algorithm is modified in this paper in order for convergence to occur monotonically. For the FMRLC control, the conventional fuzzy model reference learning control methodology is utilized, with guidelines generated here for effective tuning of the FMRLC controller.

Interaction between the basolateral amygdala and dorsal hippocampus is critical for cocaine memory reconsolidation and subsequent drug context-induced cocaine-seeking behavior in rats

PubMed Central

Wells, Audrey M.; Lasseter, Heather C.; Xie, Xiaohu; Cowhey, Kate E.; Reittinger, Andrew M.; Fuchs, Rita A.

2011-01-01

Contextual stimulus control over instrumental drug-seeking behavior relies on the reconsolidation of context-response-drug associative memories into long-term memory storage following retrieval-induced destabilization. According to previous studies, the basolateral amygdala (BLA) and dorsal hippocampus (DH) regulate cocaine-related memory reconsolidation; however, it is not known whether these brain regions interact or independently control this phenomenon. To investigate this question, rats were trained to lever press for cocaine reinforcement in a distinct environmental context followed by extinction training in a different context. Rats were then briefly re-exposed to the cocaine-paired context to destabilize cocaine-related memories, or they were exposed to an unpaired context. Immediately thereafter, the rats received unilateral microinfusions of anisomycin (ANI) into the BLA plus baclofen/muscimol (B/M) into the contralateral (BLA/DH disconnection) or ipsilateral DH, or they received contralateral or ipsilateral microinfusions of vehicle. They then remained in their home cages overnight or for 21 d, followed by additional extinction training and a test of cocaine-seeking behavior (nonreinforced active lever responding). BLA/DH disconnection following re-exposure to the cocaine-paired context, but not the unpaired context, impaired subsequent drug context-induced cocaine-seeking behavior relative to vehicle or ipsilateral ANI + B/M treatment. Prolonged home cage stay elicited a time-dependent increase, or incubation, of drug-context-induced cocaine-seeking behavior, and BLA/DH disconnection inhibited this incubation effect despite some recovery of cocaine-seeking behavior. Thus, the BLA and DH interact to regulate the reconsolidation of cocaine-related associative memories, thereby facilitating the ability of drug-paired contexts to trigger cocaine-seeking behavior and contributing to the incubation of cocaine-seeking behavior. PMID:22005750

Plasma cortisol and oxytocin levels predict help-seeking intentions for depressive symptoms.

PubMed

Thomas, Susan; Larkin, Theresa

2018-01-01

Depressed individuals often refuse or withdraw from help, a phenomenon termed help-negation, which is a risk factor for poor outcomes. Most previous research has investigated psychosocial factors including stigma as causes of low help-seeking intentions for depression, however these do not adequately explain the problem. We hypothesised that because help-negation worsens with symptom severity, it might be linked to important biological changes associated with depression itself. We investigated the relative contributions of cortisol, a stress hormone linked to depression, and oxytocin, a hormone which mediates social behaviours, alongside psychosocial factors, to help-seeking intentions among depressed and non-depressed individuals. Morning plasma cortisol and oxytocin levels, psychopathology, suicidal ideation, help-seeking intentions from informal sources including family and friends, and formal sources including health professionals, and perceived social support were quantified in 63 adults meeting DSM-5 criteria for major depressive disorder (MDD) who were not receiving any treatment, and 60 healthy controls. Between-group analyses of variance, correlations, and hierarchical multiple regressions were employed. Help-seeking intentions were lower in depressed than healthy participants, negatively correlated to cortisol and positively correlated to oxytocin. Cortisol negatively, and oxytocin positively, predicted help-seeking intentions from informal but not formal sources, after controlling for psychopathology and psychosocial factors. Neuroendocrine changes associated with depression may contribute to low help-seeking from friends and family, which may have implications for interpersonal support and outcomes. Research and clinical approaches which incorporate biological as well as psychosocial factors may allow for more targeted and effective early interventions to address lack of help-seeking and depression progression. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Extravehicular Activity Testing in Analog Environments: Evaluating the Effects of Center of Gravity and Environment on Human Performance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chappell, Steve P.; Gernhardt, Michael L.

2009-01-01

Center of gravity (CG) is likely to be an important variable in astronaut performance during partial gravity extravehicular activity (EVA). The Apollo Lunar EVA experience revealed challenges with suit stability and control. The EVA Physiology, Systems and Performance Project (EPSP) in conjunction with the Constellation EVA Systems Project Office have developed plans to systematically understand the role of suit weight, CG and suit pressure on astronaut performance in partial gravity environments. This presentation based upon CG studies seeks to understand the impact of varied CG on human performance in lunar gravity.

Contrast Gain Control in Auditory Cortex

PubMed Central

Rabinowitz, Neil C.; Willmore, Ben D.B.; Schnupp, Jan W.H.; King, Andrew J.

2011-01-01

Summary The auditory system must represent sounds with a wide range of statistical properties. One important property is the spectrotemporal contrast in the acoustic environment: the variation in sound pressure in each frequency band, relative to the mean pressure. We show that neurons in ferret auditory cortex rescale their gain to partially compensate for the spectrotemporal contrast of recent stimulation. When contrast is low, neurons increase their gain, becoming more sensitive to small changes in the stimulus, although the effectiveness of contrast gain control is reduced at low mean levels. Gain is primarily determined by contrast near each neuron's preferred frequency, but there is also a contribution from contrast in more distant frequency bands. Neural responses are modulated by contrast over timescales of ∼100 ms. By using contrast gain control to expand or compress the representation of its inputs, the auditory system may be seeking an efficient coding of natural sounds. PMID:21689603

Seeking Information with an Information Visualization System: A Study of Cognitive Styles

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yuan, Xiaojun; Zhang, Xiangman; Chen, Chaomei; Avery, Joshua M.

2011-01-01

Introduction: This study investigated the effect of cognitive styles on users' information-seeking task performance using a knowledge domain information visualization system called CiteSpace. Method: Sixteen graduate students participated in a user experiment. Each completed an extended cognitive style analysis wholistic-analytic test (the…

Perspectives on Human-Computer Interface: Introduction and Overview.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harman, Donna; Lunin, Lois F.

1992-01-01

Discusses human-computer interfaces in information seeking that focus on end users, and provides an overview of articles in this section that (1) provide librarians and information specialists with guidelines for selecting information-seeking systems; (2) provide producers of information systems with directions for production or research; and (3)…

Coping with stress in adolescents with type 1 diabetes and their mothers.

PubMed

Pisula, Ewa; Czaplinska, C

2010-11-04

Coping with stress plays a vital role in the adjustment of adolescents with diabetes. The majority of studies in this area leave out the control group, limiting their power to make inferences about specificity vs. similarity of coping strategies used by these adolescents. The aims of this study were: (1) To compare coping strategies in adolescents with diabetes and healthy adolescents; (2) To compare coping strategies in girls and boys with diabetes; (3) To determine whether there is a relationship between adolescents' coping strategies and their mothers' coping styles. Adolescents (12-17 years old) with Type 1 diabetes (n = 51) were compared with a control group of healthy secondary school students (n = 56) by means of a self-reported questionnaire measuring coping strategies (Adolescence Coping Checklist). Mothers of these adolescents (n = 107) completed the Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations, measuring 3 coping styles. Diabetic adolescents used the 'seek professional help' strategy more often than their healthy peers. The girls with diabetes reported using the 'investing in close friends' strategy more often than boys, while in the control group girls were also more likely to use "seeking social support", "seeking spiritual support", and "relaxing diversions" strategies. Mothers' emotion-oriented coping style predicted focus-oriented coping in adolescents with diabetes. In the non-diabetic group, mothers' task-oriented coping predicted seeking professional help, while mothers' avoidance-oriented coping predicted seeking spiritual support. The results demonstrated that: (1) the only differences in terms of coping strategies in adolescents with diabetes and healthy adolescents were found in seeking professional help; (2) gender differences in coping with stress were significantly smaller in adolescents with diabetes than in healthy adolescents, (3) mothers' coping styles were predictors of coping strategies in adolescents, albeit there were differences in that respect between adolescents with diabetes and healthy adolescents.

Persistent Pain Maintains Morphine-Seeking Behavior after Morphine Withdrawal through Reduced MeCP2 Repression of Glua1 in Rat Central Amygdala

PubMed Central

Hou, Yuan-Yuan; Cai, You-Qing

2015-01-01

As long-term opioids are increasingly used for control of chronic pain, how pain affects the rewarding effect of opioids and hence risk of prescription opioid misuse and abuse remains a healthcare concern and a challenging issue in current pain management. In this study, using a rat model of morphine self-administration, we investigated the molecular mechanisms underlying the impact of pain on operant behavior of morphine intake and morphine seeking before and after morphine withdrawal. We found that rats with persistent pain consumed a similar amount of daily morphine to that in control rats without pain, but maintained their level-pressing behavior of morphine seeking after abstinence of morphine at 0.2 mg/kg, whereas this behavior was gradually diminished in control rats. In the central nucleus of amygdala (CeA), a limbic structure critically involved in the affective dimension of pain, proteins of GluA1 subunits of glutamate AMPA receptors were upregulated during morphine withdrawal, and viral knockdown of CeA GluA1 eliminated the morphine-seeking behavior in withdrawn rats of the pain group. Chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis revealed that the methyl CpG-binding protein 2 (MeCP2) was enriched in the promoter region of Gria1 encoding GluA1 and this enrichment was significantly attenuated in withdrawn rats of the pain group. Furthermore, viral overexpression of CeA MeCP2 repressed the GluA1 level and eliminated the maintenance of morphine-seeking behavior after morphine withdrawal. These results suggest direct MeCp2 repression of GluA1 function as a likely mechanism for morphine-seeking behavior maintained by long-lasting affective pain after morphine withdrawal. PMID:25716866

Resisting vulnerability: the experiences of families who have kin in hospital-a feminist ethnography.

PubMed

Perry, Joann; Judith Lynam, M; Anderson, Joan M

2006-02-01

Health care restructuring, in an effort to control costs, has resulted in marked organizational change with concomitant influences on nursing practice in the hospital and community contexts. Such changes have resulted in increased levels of acuity among patients and shorter hospital stays. As a consequence, families are being asked to assume greater roles in illness care of family members. At the same time societies and therefore patient populations are becoming increasingly culturally and linguistically diverse. Yet, little is known about hospitalization and help-seeking practices of family caregivers in an ethnoculturally diverse context and the nature of support they require from the health care system. This paper addresses this gap in knowledge. Here we draw upon data gathered in two ethnographic studies of illness care and help-seeking practices in an enthoculturally diverse community. Analysis of family data identified 'resisting vulnerability' as a process central to the families' experiences. This paper examines the process of resisting vulnerability and how it was influenced by the practices of health care professionals and structures of the health system. Implications for practice are discussed.

Is compulsive buying related to materialism, depression or temperament? Findings from a sample of treatment-seeking patients with CB.

PubMed

Müller, Astrid; Claes, Laurence; Georgiadou, Ekaterini; Möllenkamp, Maike; Voth, Eva M; Faber, Ron J; Mitchell, James E; de Zwaan, Martina

2014-04-30

The aim of the present work was to examine the influence of reactive and regulatory temperament on compulsive buying (CB) in a sample of 102 patients (79 women, 23 men) with clinical CB. All participants answered the Compulsive Buying Scale (CBS), the Behavioral Inhibition System and Behavioral Activation System Scales (BIS/BAS), and the Effortful Control subscale (ATQ-EC) of the Adult Temperament Questionnaire-Short Form. Based on previous studies demonstrating that depression and materialism are linked with CB, in addition, the Patient Health Questionnaire depression scale (PHQ-9) and the Materialistic Values Scale (MVS) were administered. CBS scores were significantly correlated with the MVS, PHQ-9, and BAS scores. The findings of the hierarchical regression analysis, however, indicated that in the present sample of treatment-seeking patients the only significant association was found between CB and depression. The results highlight the prominent role of depression in CB. There is a need for longitudinal studies in order to answer the question whether depression is the cause or the consequence of CB. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Hedonic orientation moderates the association between cognitive control and affect reactivity to daily hassles in adolescent boys.

PubMed

Klipker, Kathrin; Wrzus, Cornelia; Rauers, Antje; Riediger, Michaela

2017-04-01

People often seek to regulate their affective reactions when confronted with hassles. Hassle reactivity is lower for people with higher cognitive control, presumably because of better affect regulation. Many adolescents, however, show higher hassle reactivity than children, despite better cognitive control. The present study aims to understand whether motivational differences when seeking to regulate affective experiences moderate the association between cognitive control and hassle reactivity in adolescence. We hypothesized that higher cognitive control is related to lower hassle reactivity only for adolescents with a strong hedonic orientation, that is, for adolescents who seek to maintain or enhance positive or to dampen negative affect. We investigated 149 boys' (age range: 10-20 years) hedonic orientation and affect reactivity toward daily hassles during 2 weeks of experience sampling. Higher cognitive control, assessed with a working memory battery in the laboratory, was associated with stronger hassle reactivity in individuals with low hedonic orientation. The more hedonic-oriented individuals were, the lower was their hassle reactivity, but only in combination with high cognitive control. Our findings illustrate that higher cognitive control is not always related to lower hassle reactivity. Rather, when daily hassles compromise affect balance, hedonic orientation is equally important to understand affect reactivity in adolescent boys. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Corticotropin releasing factor: a key role in the neurobiology of addiction.

PubMed

Zorrilla, Eric P; Logrip, Marian L; Koob, George F

2014-04-01

Drug addiction is a chronically relapsing disorder characterized by loss of control over intake and dysregulation of stress-related brain emotional systems. Since the discovery by Wylie Vale and his colleagues of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) and the structurally-related urocortins, CRF systems have emerged as mediators of the body's response to stress. Relatedly, CRF systems have a prominent role in driving addiction via actions in the central extended amygdala, producing anxiety-like behavior, reward deficits, excessive, compulsive-like drug self-administration and stress-induced reinstatement of drug seeking. CRF neuron activation in the medial prefrontal cortex may also contribute to the loss of control. Polymorphisms in CRF system molecules are associated with drug use phenotypes in humans, often in interaction with stress history. Drug discovery efforts have yielded brain-penetrant CRF1 antagonists with activity in preclinical models of addiction. The results support the hypothesis that brain CRF-CRF1 systems contribute to the etiology and maintenance of addiction. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Corticotropin Releasing Factor: A Key Role in the Neurobiology of Addiction

PubMed Central

Zorrilla, Eric P.; Logrip, Marian L.; Koob, George F.

2014-01-01

Drug addiction is a chronically relapsing disorder characterized by loss of control over intake and dysregulation of stress-related brain emotional systems. Since the discovery by Wylie Vale and his colleagues of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) and the structurally-related urocortins, CRF systems have emerged as mediators of the body’s response to stress. Relatedly, CRF systems have a prominent role in driving addiction via actions in the central extended amygdala, producing anxiety-like behavior, reward deficits, excessive, compulsive-like drug self-administration and stress-induced reinstatement of drug seeking. CRF neuron activation in the medial prefrontal cortex may also contribute to the loss of control. Polymorphisms in CRF system molecules are associated with drug use phenotypes in humans, often in interaction with stress history. Drug discovery efforts have yielded brain-penetrant CRF1 antagonists with activity in preclinical models of addiction.. The results support the hypothesis that brain CRF-CRF1 systems contribute to the etiology and maintenance of addiction. PMID:24456850

Treatment seeking in populations in urban and rural settings on the border.

PubMed

Spence, Richard; Wallisch, Lynn; Smith, Shanna

2007-06-01

Only a small proportion of persons with alcohol or drug problems seek help in the form of treatment for these problems. To examine service disparities among Hispanics living in urban and rural border areas, an improved understanding of factors associated with service seeking is needed for this population. In-person interviews were conducted with a sample of 1,200 colonia residents and urban residents living along the Texas border with Mexico. For the present study, the dataset was limited to Hispanic respondents (85% of the sample) and those who reported any indicator of need for treatment (38% of the sample). There were 380 respondents who met these criteria. Treatment seeking was measured by any past attempt, successful or unsuccessful, to obtain treatment or by their present stated desire for treatment. Factors influencing treatment seeking were compared across 3 sites. Path analyses indicated that, after taking demographics into account, severity of need (the total number of drug-related and alcohol-related problems experienced by an individual) was a strong influence on treatment seeking, but income-related variables were more influential than severity of need in 1 site. Generation of immigration was positively related to treatment seeking in 2 sites, and in colonias, high religiosity was related to treatment seeking. In 2 sites, need severity was related to neighborhood variables. In colonias, need severity was related to low income and low religiosity. This framework for understanding treatment seeking in border communities suggests that pathways to treatment seeking vary by locality in ways that may reflect variations in local environments and service systems. Design of outreach efforts should be tailored to the unique social and service system challenges of each local community. Although service seeking is low overall, findings are suggestive of an inequitable service access structure in 1 site where need is not the predominant factor for treatment seeking.

A cluster randomized trial of alcohol prevention in small businesses: a cascade model of help seeking and risk reduction.

PubMed

Reynolds, G Shawn; Bennett, Joel B

2015-01-01

The current study adapted two workplace substance abuse prevention programs and tested a conceptual model of workplace training effects on help seeking and alcohol consumption. Questionnaires were collected 1 month before, 1 month after, and 6 months within a cluster randomized field experiment. Texas small businesses in construction, transportation, and service industries. A total of 1510 employees from 45 businesses were randomly assigned to receive no training or one of the interventions. The interventions were 4-hour on-the-job classroom trainings that encouraged healthy lifestyles and seeking professional help (e.g., from the Employee Assistance Program [EAP]). The Team Awareness Program focused on peer referral and team building. The Choices in Health Promotion Program delivered various health topics based on a needs assessment. Questionnaires measured help-seeking attitudes and behavior, frequency of drinking alcohol, and job-related incidents. Mixed-model repeated-measures analyses of covariance were computed. Relative to the control group, training was associated with significantly greater reductions in drinking frequency, willingness to seek help, and seeking help from the EAP. After including help-seeking attitudes as a covariate, the correlation between training and help seeking becomes nonsignificant. Help-seeking behavior was not correlated with drinking frequency. Training improved help-seeking attitudes and behaviors and decreased alcohol risks. The reductions in drinking alcohol were directly correlated with training and independent from help seeking.

A Field Study of Control Systems in Environments with Ill-Defined Technology and Output

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-12-01

Care Center B was a privately owned, client- funded, profit-seeking child care center. It was a certified Montessori school established in 1978. The...third, provide a quality, Montessori education. Of these three goals, only the third was written in the organization’s literature (in the Parent’s...that Child Care Center B generated its own SOPs. The director/owner stated that the state-regulations binder, along with the Montessori manuals

Where you stand depends on where you sit: Qualitative inquiry into notions of fire adaptation

Treesearch

Hannah Brenkert-Smith; James R. Meldrum; Patricia A. Champ; Christopher M. Barth

2017-01-01

Wildfire and the threat it poses to society represents an example of the complex, dynamic relationship between social and ecological systems. Increasingly, wildfire adaptation is posited as a pathway to shift the approach to fire from a suppression paradigm that seeks to control fire to a paradigm that focuses on “living with” and “adapting to” wildfire. In this study...

"CAN Stop"--implementation and evaluation of a secondary group prevention for adolescent and young adult cannabis users in various contexts--study protocol.

PubMed

Baldus, Christiane; Miranda, Alejandra; Weymann, Nina; Reis, Olaf; Moré, Kerstin; Thomasius, Rainer

2011-04-18

Current research shows that overall numbers for cannabis use among adolescents and young adults dropped in recent years. However, this trend is much less pronounced in continuous cannabis use. With regard to the heightened risk for detrimental health- and development-related outcomes, adolescents and young adults with continuous cannabis use need special attention. The health services structure for adolescents and young adults with substance related problems in Germany, is multifaceted, because different communal, medical and judicial agencies are involved. This results in a rather decentralized organizational structure of the help system. This and further system-inherent characteristics make the threshold for young cannabis users rather high. Because of this, there is a need to establish evidence-based low-threshold help options for young cannabis users, which can be easily disseminated. Therefore, a training programme for young cannabis users (age 14-21) was developed in the "CAN Stop" project. Within the project, we seek to implement and evaluate the training programme within different institutions of the help system. The evaluation is sensitive to the different help systems and their specific prerequisites. Moreover, within this study, we also test the practicability of a training provision through laypersons. The CAN Stop study is a four-armed randomized wait-list controlled trial. The four arms are needed for the different help system settings, in which the CAN Stop training programme is evaluated: (a) the drug addiction aid and youth welfare system, (b) the out-patient medical system, (c) the in-patient medical system and (d) prisons for juvenile offenders. Data are collected at three points, before and after the training or a treatment as usual, and six months after the end of either intervention. The CAN Stop study is expected to provide an evidence-based programme for young cannabis users seeking to reduce or quit their cannabis use. Moreover, we seek to gain knowledge about the programme's utility within different settings of the German help system for young cannabis users and information about the settings' specific clientele. The study protocol is discussed with regard to potential difficulties within the different settings. ISRCTN: ISRCTN57036983.

Screening behaviors among African American women at high risk for breast cancer: do beliefs about god matter?

PubMed

Kinney, Anita Yeomans; Emery, Gwyn; Dudley, William N; Croyle, Robert T

2002-06-01

To examine the relationship between beliefs about God as a controlling force in health and adherence to breast cancer screening among high-risk African American women. Cross-sectional cohort. In-person interviews in rural, southeastern Louisiana and telephone interviews conducted at the University of Utah. 52 females who were members of a large kindred with a BRCA1 mutation; no subjects had breast cancer. Survey through in-person or telephone interviews. Belief in God as a controlling agent over health measured by the God Locus of Health Control (GLHC) scale; screening behaviors measured by self-report. Adherence was based on consensus-approved recommendations for BRCA1 carriers or women at risk of being carriers. Bivariate analysis indicated that presence of a primary care provider and low GLHC scores were associated with seeking clinical breast examination (CBE) and mammography. With the variable "presence of a primary care provider" excluded, GLHC scores were inversely associated with seeking CBE and mammography. African American women at increased risk for breast cancer and with high GLHC scores may have a decreased inclination to adhere to CBE and mammography recommendations. Assessing religious and spiritual beliefs and incorporating belief systems into education and counseling sessions may improve understanding and acceptance of presented material.

Reward, interrupted: Inhibitory control and its relevance to addictions.

PubMed

Jentsch, James David; Pennington, Zachary T

2014-01-01

There are broad individual differences in the ability to voluntarily and effortfully suppress motivated, reward-seeking behaviors, and this review presents the hypothesis that these individual differences are relevant to addictive disorders. On one hand, cumulative experience with drug abuse appears to alter the molecular, cellular and circuit mechanisms that mediate inhibitory abilities, leading to increasingly uncontrolled patterns of drug-seeking and -taking. On the other, native inter-individual differences in inhibitory control are apparently a risk factor for aspects of drug-reinforced responding and substance use disorders. In both cases, the behavioral manifestation of poor inhibitory abilities is linked to relatively low striatal dopamine D2-like receptor availability, and evidence is accumulating for a more direct contribution of striatopallidal neurons to cognitive control processes. Mechanistic research is now identifying genes upstream of dopamine transmission that mediate these relationships, as well as the involvement of other neurotransmitter systems, acting alone and in concert with dopamine. The reviewed research stands poised to identify new mechanisms that can be targeted by pharmacotherapies and/or by behavioral interventions that are designed to prevent or treat addictive behaviors and associated behavioral pathology. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled 'NIDA 40th Anniversary Issue'. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Rationale in support of the use of selective dopamine D₃ receptor antagonists for the pharmacotherapeutic management of substance use disorders.

PubMed

Heidbreder, Christian

2013-02-01

Growing evidence indicates that dopamine (DA) D(3) receptors are involved in the control of drug-seeking behavior and may play an important role in the pathophysiology of substance use disorders. First, DA D(3) receptors are distributed in strategic areas belonging to the mesolimbic DA system such as the ventral striatum, midbrain, and pallidum, which have been associated with behaviors controlled by the presentation of drug-associated cues. Second, repeated exposure to drugs of abuse has been shown to produce neuroadaptations in the DA D(3) system. Third, the synthesis and characterization of highly potent and selective DA D(3) receptor antagonists has permitted to further define the role of the DA D(3) receptor in drug addiction. Provided that the available preclinical and preliminary clinical evidence can be translated into clinical proof of concept in human, selective DA D(3) receptor antagonists show promise for the treatment of substance use disorders as reflected by their potential to (1) regulate the motivation to self-administered drugs under schedules of reinforcement that require an increase in work demand and (2) disrupt the responsiveness to drug-associated stimuli that play a key role in the reinstatement of drug-seeking behavior triggered by re-exposure to the drug itself, re-exposure to environmental cues that had been previously associated with drug-taking behavior, or stress.

Effects of escitalopram and imipramine on cocaine reinforcement and drug-seeking behaviors in a rat model of depression.

PubMed

Jastrzębska, Joanna; Frankowska, Małgorzata; Suder, Agata; Wydra, Karolina; Nowak, Ewa; Filip, Małgorzata; Przegaliński, Edmund

2017-10-15

Depression and substance cocaine abuse are disorders with a high frequency of comorbidity. In the present study, we combined bilateral olfactory bulbectomy (OBX), an animal model of depression, with intravenous cocaine self-administration and extinction/reinstatement in rats to investigate the effects of two antidepressant drugs, escitalopram (ESC) and imipramine (IMI), with the goal of determining whether these drugs altered cocaine-induced reinforcement and seeking behaviors. Acute administration of IMI (2.5-30mg/kg) reduced the cocaine reinforcement in OBX and SHAM rats. Moreover, IMI effectively reduced the cocaine-seeking behavior after the drug acute or repeated administration during extinction training in OBX rats and SHAM-operated controls. By contrast, acutely administered ESC (2.5-20mg/kg) did not alter cocaine reinforcement in OBX rats or SHAM-operated controls. The lack of ESC effects was also demonstrated during reinstatement tests to study drug-seeking behavior after ESC repeated daily treatment during extinction trials. However, acute treatment with ESC dose-dependently decreased the cocaine-seeking behavior and relapse triggered by cocaine priming or drug-associated conditioned cues in both OBX and SHAM rats. These results indicate the cocaine anti-reinforcement and anti-seeking efficacy of the two antidepressant drugs studied here. However, the mechanisms for the IMI and ESC activity should be clarified in further studies. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Drug Addiction: Updating Actions to Habits to Compulsions Ten Years On.

PubMed

Everitt, Barry J; Robbins, Trevor W

2016-01-01

A decade ago, we hypothesized that drug addiction can be viewed as a transition from voluntary, recreational drug use to compulsive drug-seeking habits, neurally underpinned by a transition from prefrontal cortical to striatal control over drug seeking and taking as well as a progression from the ventral to the dorsal striatum. Here, in the light of burgeoning, supportive evidence, we reconsider and elaborate this hypothesis, in particular the refinements in our understanding of ventral and dorsal striatal mechanisms underlying goal-directed and habitual drug seeking, the influence of drug-associated Pavlovian-conditioned stimuli on drug seeking and relapse, and evidence for impairments in top-down prefrontal cortical inhibitory control over this behavior. We further review animal and human studies that have begun to define etiological factors and individual differences in the propensity to become addicted to drugs, leading to the description of addiction endophenotypes, especially for cocaine addiction. We consider the prospect of novel treatments for addiction that promote abstinence from and relapse to drug use.

Optimism and spontaneous self-affirmation are associated with lower likelihood of cognitive impairment and greater positive affect among cancer survivors

PubMed Central

Taber, Jennifer M.; Klein, William M. P.; Ferrer, Rebecca A.; Kent, Erin E.; Harris, Peter R.

2016-01-01

Background Optimism and self-affirmation promote adaptive coping, goal achievement, and better health. Purpose To examine the associations of optimism and spontaneous self-affirmation (SSA) with physical, mental, and cognitive health and information seeking among cancer survivors. Methods Cancer survivors (n=326) completed the Health Information National Trends Survey 2013, a national survey of U.S. adults. Participants reported optimism, SSA, cognitive and physical impairment, affect, health status, and information seeking. Results Participants higher in optimism reported better health on nearly all indices examined, even when controlling for SSA. Participants higher in SSA reported lower likelihood of cognitive impairment, greater happiness and hopefulness, and greater likelihood of cancer information seeking. SSA remained significantly associated with greater hopefulness and cancer information seeking when controlling for optimism. Conclusions Optimism and SSA may be associated with beneficial health-related outcomes among cancer survivors. Given the demonstrated malleability of self-affirmation, these findings represent important avenues for future research. PMID:26497697

Optimism and Spontaneous Self-affirmation are Associated with Lower Likelihood of Cognitive Impairment and Greater Positive Affect among Cancer Survivors.

PubMed

Taber, Jennifer M; Klein, William M P; Ferrer, Rebecca A; Kent, Erin E; Harris, Peter R

2016-04-01

Optimism and self-affirmation promote adaptive coping, goal achievement, and better health. The aim of this study is to examine the associations of optimism and spontaneous self-affirmation (SSA) with physical, mental, and cognitive health and information seeking among cancer survivors. Cancer survivors (n = 326) completed the Health Information National Trends Survey 2013, a national survey of US adults. Participants reported optimism, SSA, cognitive and physical impairment, affect, health status, and information seeking. Participants higher in optimism reported better health on nearly all indices examined, even when controlling for SSA. Participants higher in SSA reported lower likelihood of cognitive impairment, greater happiness and hopefulness, and greater likelihood of cancer information seeking. SSA remained significantly associated with greater hopefulness and cancer information seeking when controlling for optimism. Optimism and SSA may be associated with beneficial health-related outcomes among cancer survivors. Given the demonstrated malleability of self-affirmation, these findings represent important avenues for future research.

Parameter estimation and statistical analysis on frequency-dependent active control forces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lim, Tau Meng; Cheng, Shanbao

2007-07-01

The active control forces of an active magnetic bearing (AMB) system are known to be frequency dependent in nature. This is due to the frequency-dependent nature of the AMB system, i.e. time lags in sensors, digital signal processing, amplifiers, filters, and eddy current and hysteresis losses in the electromagnetic coils. The stiffness and damping coefficients of these control forces can be assumed to be linear for small limit of perturbations within the air gap. Numerous studies have also attempted to estimate these coefficients directly or indirectly without validating the model and verifying the results. This paper seeks to address these issues, by proposing a one-axis electromagnetic suspension system to simplify the measurement requirements and eliminate the possibility of control force cross-coupling capabilities. It also proposes an on-line frequency domain parameter estimation procedure with statistical information to provide a quantitative measure for model validation and results verification purposes. This would lead to a better understanding and a design platform for optimal vibration control scheme for suspended system. This is achieved by injecting Schroeder Phased Harmonic Sequences (SPHS), a multi-frequency test signal, to persistently excite all possible suspended system modes. By treating the system as a black box, the parameter estimation of the "actual" stiffness and damping coefficients in the frequency domain are realised experimentally. The digitally implemented PID controller also facilitated changes on the feedback gains, and this allowed numerous system response measurements with their corresponding estimated stiffness and damping coefficients.

[Evaluation of effect of prevention and control system for imported falciparum malaria in Hanjiang District].

PubMed

She, Guo-lin; Ma, Yu-Cai; Wang, Fu-biao

2013-08-01

To analyze the current situation of the comprehensive prevention and control system for imported falciparum malaria in Hanjiang District and evaluate its effect. According to the Management Scheme on Control of Imported Falciparum Malaria in Yangzhou City, the comprehensive prevention and control system for imported falciparum malaria was implemented, and the relevant malaria data were collected and analyzed statistically. The data included plasmodium blood test ratio of fever patients among exported labors and those returned, the ratio of laboratory-confirmed cases among all reported cases of falciparum malaria, the ratio of falciparum malaria patients who received the standard treatment within 24 hours after onset, etc from 2010 to 2012. After the implementation of the comprehensive prevention and control system, the confirmation ratio of falciparum malaria cases within 24 hours following first visit has reached 60.47%, the average time from first visit to confirmation has shortened to 1.8 d, and the average time from onset to confirmation has shortened to 3.7 d. The health education coverage ratio was 100%, the health knowledge awareness ratio was 95.56%, the ratio of patients seeking treatment on own initiative was 100%, the laboratory-confirmed ratio was 100%, and the ratio of standard treatment after malaria diagnosis was 100%. The comprehensive prevention and control system carried out by Hanjiang District has made remarkable achievements.

Public policy, health system, and community actions against illness as platforms for response to NCDs in Tanzania: a narrative review.

PubMed

Metta, Emmy; Msambichaka, Beverly; Mwangome, Mary; Nyato, Daniel J; Dieleman, Marjolein; Haisma, Hinke; Klatser, Paul; Geubbels, Eveline

2014-01-01

Most low- and middle- income countries are facing a rise of the burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) alongside the persistent burden of infectious diseases. This narrative review aims to provide an inventory of how the existing policy environment, health system, and communities are addressing the NCDs situation in Tanzania and identify gaps for advancing the NCD research and policy agenda. A literature search was performed on PubMed and Google scholar with full text retrieval from HINARI of English language articles published between 2000 and 2012. Documents were read to extract information on what Tanzanian actors were doing that contributed to NCDs prevention, treatment, and control, and a narration was written out of these. Reference lists of all retrieved articles were searched for additional relevant articles. Websites of organizations active in the field of NCDs including the Government of Tanzania and WHO were searched for reports and grey literature. Lack of a specific and overarching NCD policy has slowed and fragmented the implementation of existing strategies to prevent and control NCDs and their determinants. The health system is not prepared to deal with the rising NCD burden although there are random initiatives to improve this situation. How the community is responding to these emerging conditions is still unknown, and the current health-seeking behavior and perceptions on the risk factors may not favor control of NCDs and their risk factors. There is limited information on the burden and determinants of NCDs to inform the design of an integrative and multisectorial policy. Evidence on effective interventions for NCD services in primary care levels and on community perceptions on NCDs and their care seeking is virtually absent. Research and public health interventions must be anchored in the policy, health system, and community platforms for a holistic response.

Attenuation of saccharin-seeking in rats by orexin/hypocretin receptor 1 antagonist.

PubMed

Cason, Angie M; Aston-Jones, Gary

2013-08-01

The orexin (Orx)/hypocretin system has been implicated in reward-seeking, especially for highly salient food and drug rewards. We recently demonstrated that signaling at the OxR1 receptor is involved in sucrose reinforcement and reinstatement of sucrose-seeking elicited by sucrose-paired cues in food-restricted rats. Because sucrose reinforcement has both a hedonic and caloric component, it remains unknown what aspect of this reward drives its reinforcing value. The present study examined the involvement of the Orx system in operant responding for saccharin, a noncaloric, hedonic (sweet) reward, and in cue-induced reinstatement of extinguished saccharin-seeking in ad libitum-fed vs food-restricted male subjects. Male Sprague Dawley rats were fed ad libitum or food-restricted and trained to self-administer saccharin. We determined the effects of pretreatment with the OxR1 receptor antagonist SB-334867 (SB; 10-30 mg/kg) on fixed ratio (FR) saccharin self-administration and on cue-induced reinstatement of extinguished saccharin-seeking. SB decreased responding and number of reinforcers earned during FR responding for saccharin and decreased cue-induced reinstatement of extinguished saccharin-seeking. All of these effects were obtained similarly in food-restricted and ad libitum-fed rats. These results indicate that signaling at the OxR1 receptor is involved in saccharin reinforcement and reinstatement of saccharin-seeking elicited by saccharin-paired cues regardless of food restriction. These findings lead us to conclude that the Orx system contributes to the motivational effects of hedonic food rewards, independently of caloric value and homeostatic needs.

Oxytocin Acts in Nucleus Accumbens to Attenuate Methamphetamine Seeking and Demand.

PubMed

Cox, Brittney M; Bentzley, Brandon S; Regen-Tuero, Helaina; See, Ronald E; Reichel, Carmela M; Aston-Jones, Gary

2017-06-01

Evidence indicates that oxytocin, an endogenous peptide well known for its role in social behaviors, childbirth, and lactation, is a promising addiction pharmacotherapy. We employed a within-session behavioral-economic (BE) procedure in rats to examine oxytocin as a pharmacotherapy for methamphetamine (meth) addiction. The BE paradigm was modeled after BE procedures used to assess motivation for drugs in humans with addiction. The same BE variables assessed across species have been shown to predict later relapse behavior. Thus, the translational potential of preclinical BE studies is particularly strong. We tested the effects of systemic and microinfused oxytocin on demand for self-administered intravenous meth and reinstatement of extinguished meth seeking in male and female rats using a BE paradigm. Correlations between meth demand and meth seeking were assessed. Female rats showed greater demand (i.e., motivation) for meth compared with male rats. In both male and female rats, meth demand predicted reinstatement of meth seeking, and systemic oxytocin decreased demand for meth and attenuated reinstatement to meth seeking. Oxytocin was most effective at decreasing meth demand and seeking in rats with the strongest motivation for drug. Finally, these effects of systemic oxytocin were mediated by actions in the nucleus accumbens. Oxytocin decreases meth demand and seeking in both sexes, and these effects depend on oxytocin signaling in the nucleus accumbens. Overall, these data indicate that development of oxytocin-based therapies may be a promising treatment approach for meth addiction in humans. Copyright © 2017 Society of Biological Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

75 FR 48629 - Electronic Tariff Filing System (ETFS)

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-08-11

...In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) seeks comment on extending the electronic tariff filing requirement for incumbent local exchange carriers to all carriers that file tariffs and related documents. Additionally, the Commission seeks comment on the appropriate time frame for implementing this proposed requirement. The Commission also seeks comment on the proposal that the Chief of the Wireline Competition Bureau administer the adoption of this extended electronic filing requirement. Also, the Commission seeks comment on proposed rule changes to implement mandatory electronic tariff filing.

Medical tourism: globalization of the healthcare marketplace.

PubMed

Horowitz, Michael D; Rosensweig, Jeffrey A; Jones, Christopher A

2007-11-13

The citizens of many countries have long traveled to the United States and to the developed countries of Europe to seek the expertise and advanced technology available in leading medical centers. In the recent past, a trend known as medical tourism has emerged wherein citizens of highly developed countries choose to bypass care offered in their own communities and travel to less developed areas of the world to receive a wide variety of medical services. Medical tourism is becoming increasingly popular, and it is projected that as many as 750,000 Americans will seek offshore medical care in 2007. This phenomenon is driven by marketplace forces and occurs outside of the view and control of the organized healthcare system. Medical tourism presents important concerns and challenges as well as potential opportunities. This trend will have increasing impact on the healthcare landscape in industrialized and developing countries around the world.

Developing a trauma-informed, emergency department-based intervention for victims of urban violence.

PubMed

Corbin, Theodore J; Rich, John A; Bloom, Sandra L; Delgado, Dionne; Rich, Linda J; Wilson, Ann S

2011-01-01

The Surgeon General's report on youth violence, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and other national organizations are calling for public health approaches to the issue of youth violence. Hospital-based violence intervention programs have shown promise in reducing recurrent violence and decreasing future involvement in the criminal justice system. These programs seldom address trauma-related symptoms. We describe a conceptual framework for emergency department-based and hospital-based violence intervention programs that intentionally addresses trauma. The intervention described--Healing Hurt People--is a trauma-informed program designed to intervene in the lives of injured patients at the life-changing moment of violent injury. This community-focused program seeks to reduce recurrent violence among 8- to 30-year-olds through opportunities for healing and connection. Healing Hurt People considers the adversity that patients have experienced during their lives and seeks to break the cycle of violence by addressing this trauma.

Where you stand depends on where you sit: Qualitative inquiry into notions of fire adaptation

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brenkert-Smith, Hannah; Meldrum, James; Champ, Patricia A.; Barth, Christopher

2017-01-01

Wildfire and the threat it poses to society represents an example of the complex, dynamic relationship between social and ecological systems. Increasingly, wildfire adaptation is posited as a pathway to shift the approach to fire from a suppression paradigm that seeks to control fire to a paradigm that focuses on “living with” and “adapting to” wildfire. In this study, we seek insights into what it means to adapt to wildfire from a range of stakeholders whose efforts contribute to the management of wildfire. Study participants provided insights into the meaning, relevance, and use of the concept of fire adaptation as it relates to their wildfire-related activities. A key finding of this investigation suggests that social scale is of key importance in the conceptualization and understanding of adaptation for participating stakeholders. Indeed, where you stand in terms of understandings of fire adaptation depends in large part on where you sit.

Medical Tourism: Globalization of the Healthcare Marketplace

PubMed Central

Horowitz, Michael D.; Rosensweig, Jeffrey A.; Jones, Christopher A.

2007-01-01

The citizens of many countries have long traveled to the United States and to the developed countries of Europe to seek the expertise and advanced technology available in leading medical centers. In the recent past, a trend known as medical tourism has emerged wherein citizens of highly developed countries choose to bypass care offered in their own communities and travel to less developed areas of the world to receive a wide variety of medical services. Medical tourism is becoming increasingly popular, and it is projected that as many as 750,000 Americans will seek offshore medical care in 2007. This phenomenon is driven by marketplace forces and occurs outside of the view and control of the organized healthcare system. Medical tourism presents important concerns and challenges as well as potential opportunities. This trend will have increasing impact on the healthcare landscape in industrialized and developing countries around the world. PMID:18311383

Personality Disorders, Impulsiveness, and Novelty Seeking in Persons with DSM-IV Pathological Gambling and Their First-Degree Relatives.

PubMed

Black, Donald W; Coryell, William H; Crowe, Raymond R; Shaw, Martha; McCormick, Brett; Allen, Jeff

2015-12-01

This study investigates the presence of personality disorders, impulsiveness, and novelty seeking in probands with DSM-IV pathological gambling (PG), controls, and their respective first-degree relatives using a blind family study methodology. Ninety-three probands with DSM-IV PG, 91 controls, and their 395 first-degree relatives were evaluated for the presence of personality disorder with the Structured Interview for DSM-IV Personality. Impulsiveness was assessed with the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS). Novelty seeking was evaluated using questions from Cloninger's Temperament and Character Inventory. Results were analyzed using logistic regression by the method of generalized estimating equations to account for within family correlations. PG probands had a significantly higher prevalence of personality disorders than controls (41 vs. 7 %, OR = 9.0, P < 0.001), along with higher levels of impulsiveness and novelty seeking. PG probands with a personality disorder had more severe gambling symptoms; earlier age at PG onset; more suicide attempts; greater psychiatric comorbidity; and a greater family history of psychiatric illness than PG probands without a personality disorder. PG relatives had a significantly higher prevalence of personality disorder than relatives of controls (24 vs. 9%, OR = 3.2, P < 0.001) and higher levels of impulsiveness. Risk for PG in relatives is associated with the presence of personality disorder and increases along with rising BIS Non-Planning and Total scale scores. Personality disorders, impulsiveness, and novelty seeking are common in people with PG and their first-degree relatives. The presence of a personality disorder appears to be a marker of PG severity and earlier age of onset. Risk for PG in relatives is associated with the presence of personality disorder and trait impulsiveness. These findings suggest that personality disorder and impulsiveness may contribute to a familial diathesis for PG.

Investigating Violence and Control Dyadically in a Help-Seeking Sample from Mozambique

PubMed Central

Graham-Kevan, Nicola; Zacarias, Antonio Eugenio; Soares, Joaquim J. F.

2012-01-01

A sample of 1442 women attending a Forensic Healthcare Service provided information on their own and their partners' use of controlling behaviors, partner violence, and sexual abuse, as well as their own experiences of childhood abuse. Using Johnson's typology, the relationships were categorized as Nonviolent, Intimate Terrorism, or Situational Couple Violence. Findings suggest that help-seeking women's experiences of intimate violence may be diverse, with their roles ranging from victim to perpetrator. PMID:22666138

[The relationship between psychological factors and health care-seeking behavior in fibromyalgia patients].

PubMed

Güleç, Hüseyin; Sayar, Kemal; Yazici Güleç, Medine

2007-01-01

The aim of this study was to examine whether cognitive factors, such as attributions, expectations, and anger management style, contribute to the decision to seek medical care for fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS). We recruited 3 groups of subjects; patients from a FMS tertiary care setting, community residents with FMS who had not sought medical care for their FMS symptoms (nonpatients), and healthy controls. In all, 38 FMS nonpatients were compared to 37 FMS patients and 41 healthy controls on measures of anxiety, depression, anger, locus of control (LOC), attributions, pain intensity, and disability, as well as demographic characteristics. The prevalence of FMS non-patients was 2%. There was a significant difference between the 3 groups on the measures of anxiety, depression, LOC, and somatic and normalizing subscale scores of the symptom interpretation questionnaire (SIQ). FMS nonpatients, relative to FMS patients and healthy controls, were characterized by a significantly higher measure of both LOC and normalizing subscale score on the SIQ. There were no differences between the 2 FMS groups in demographical percentage and other psychometric measures. A hierarchical logistic regression model showed that the number of tender points, normalizing attribution style, and depression were independent predictors of help-seeking behavior. The rate of psychiatric and medical history is not related to the FMS syndrome. Expectations and a normalizing attribution style may contribute to help-seeking behavior for FMS.

Meta-synthesis exploring barriers to health seeking behaviour among Malaysian breast cancer patients.

PubMed

Yu, Foo Qing; Murugiah, Muthu Kumar; Khan, Amer Hayat; Mehmood, Tahir

2015-01-01

Barriers to health seeking constitute a challenging issue in the treatment of breast cancer. The current meta- synthesis aimed to explore common barriers to health seeking among Malaysian breast cancer patients. From the systematic search, nine studies were found meeting the inclusion criteria. Data extraction revealed that health behavior towards breast cancer among Malaysia women was influenced by knowledge, psychological, sociocultural and medical system factors. In terms of knowledge, most of the Malaysian patients were observed to have cursory information and the reliance on the information provided by media was limiting. Among psychological factors, stress and sense of denial were some of the common factors leading to delay in treatment seeking. Family member's advice, cultural beliefs towards traditional care were some of the common sociocultural factors hindering immediate access to advanced medical diagnosis and care. Lastly, the delay in referral was one of the most common health system-related problems highlighted in most of the studies. In conclusion, there is an immediate need to improve the knowledge and understanding of Malaysian women towards breast cancer. Mass media should liaise with the cancer specialists to disseminate accurate and up-to-date information for the readers and audience, helping in modification of cultural beliefs that hinder timing health seeking. However, such intervention will not improve or rectify the health system related barriers to treatment seeking. Therefore, there is an immediate need for resource adjustment and training programs among health professional to improve their competency and professionalism required to develop an efficient health system.

Blood meal induced regulation of the chemosensory gene repertoire in the southern house mosquito.

PubMed

Taparia, Tanvi; Ignell, Rickard; Hill, Sharon Rose

2017-05-19

The southern house mosquito, Culex quinquefasciatus, is one of the most prevalent vectors of lymphatic filariasis and flavivirus-induced encephalitis. Its vectorial capacity is directly affected by its reproductive feeding behaviors, such as host seeking, blood feeding, resting, and egg laying. In mosquitoes, these gonotrophic behaviors are odor-mediated and regulated following blood feeding. Immediately after a blood meal, female mosquitoes show reduced olfactory responsiveness and flight activity, as they enter a resting state. Insights into antennal chemosensory gene regulation at this time period can provide a foundation to identify targets involved in the state switch between host seeking and resting. This study used quantitative gene expression analyses to explore blood meal induced regulation of chemosensory gene families in the antennae of 6 days post-emergence C. quinquefasciatus females. Improved annotations for multiple chemosensory gene families, and a quantitative differential gene expression analysis between host seeking and 24 h post- blood fed females of the same age, allowed for the detection of transcripts that potentially play a role in the switch from host seeking to resting, in C. quinquefasciatus. The expression profiles of chemosensory genes varied significantly between the two treatments. Annotations for chemosensory gene repertoires in C. quinquefasciatus have been manually curated and corrected for 3' exon choice and transcript length, through sequence and transcriptome analyses. The gene expression analyses identified various molecular components of the peripheral olfactory system in C. quinquefasciatus, including odorant receptors, ionotropic receptors, odorant binding proteins and chemosensory proteins, that are regulated in response to blood feeding, and could be critical for the behavioral switch from host seeking to resting. Functional characterization of these proteins in the future can identify targets essential for the females' gonotrophic behaviors, and can be used to design novel vector control strategies.

Transient inactivation of the paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus enhances cue-induced reinstatement in goal-trackers, but not sign-trackers.

PubMed

Kuhn, Brittany N; Klumpner, Marin S; Covelo, Ignacio R; Campus, Paolo; Flagel, Shelly B

2018-04-01

The paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus (PVT) has been shown to mediate cue-motivated behaviors, such as sign- and goal-tracking, as well as reinstatement of drug-seeking behavior. However, the role of the PVT in mediating individual variation in cue-induced drug-seeking behavior remains unknown. This study aimed to determine if inactivation of the PVT differentially mediates cue-induced drug-seeking behavior in sign-trackers and goal-trackers. Rats were characterized as sign-trackers (STs) or goal-trackers (GTs) based on their Pavlovian conditioned approach behavior. Rats were then exposed to 15 days of cocaine self-administration, followed by a 2-week forced abstinence period and then extinction training. Rats then underwent tests for cue-induced reinstatement and general locomotor activity, prior to which they received an infusion of either saline (control) or baclofen/muscimol (B/M) to inactivate the PVT. Relative to control animals of the same phenotype, GTs show a robust increase in cue-induced drug-seeking behavior following PVT inactivation, whereas the behavior of STs was not affected. PVT inactivation did not affect locomotor activity in either phenotype. In GTs, the PVT appears to inhibit the expression of drug-seeking, presumably by attenuating the incentive value of the drug cue. Thus, inactivation of the PVT releases this inhibition in GTs, resulting in an increase in cue-induced drug-seeking behavior. PVT inactivation did not affect cue-induced drug-seeking behavior in STs, suggesting that the role of the PVT in encoding the incentive motivational value of drug cues differs between STs and GTs.

Mapping brain functional alterations in betel-quid chewers using resting-state fMRI and network analysis.

PubMed

Weng, Jun-Cheng; Chou, Yu-Syuan; Huang, Guo-Joe; Tyan, Yeu-Sheng; Ho, Ming-Chou

2018-04-01

The World Health Organization regards betel quid (BQ) as a human carcinogen, and DSM-IV and ICD-10 dependence symptoms may develop with its heavy use. BQ's possible effects of an enhanced reward system and disrupted inhibitory control may increase the likelihood of habitual substance use. The current study aimed to employ resting-state fMRI to examine the hypothesized enhanced reward system (e.g., the basal forebrain system) and disrupted inhibitory control (e.g., the prefrontal system) in BQ chewers. The current study recruited three groups of 48 male participants: 16 BQ chewers, 15 tobacco- and alcohol-user controls, and 17 healthy controls. We used functional connectivity (FC), mean fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (mfALFF), and mean regional homogeneity (mReHo) to evaluate functional alternations in BQ chewers. Graph theoretical analysis (GTA) and network-based statistical (NBS) analysis were also performed to identify the functional network differences among the three groups. Our hypothesis was partially supported: the enhanced reward system for the BQ chewers (e.g., habitual drug-seeking behavior) was supported; however, their inhibitory control was relatively preserved. In addition, we reported that the BQ chewers may have enhanced visuospatial processing and decreased local segregation. The current results (showing an enhanced reward system in the chewers) provided the clinicians with important insight for the future development of an effective abstinence treatment.

Plausible role for CHW peer support groups in increasing care-seeking in an integrated community case management project in Rwanda: a mixed methods evaluation.

PubMed

Langston, Anne; Weiss, Jennifer; Landegger, Justine; Pullum, Thomas; Morrow, Melanie; Kabadege, Melene; Mugeni, Catherine; Sarriot, Eric

2014-08-01

The Kabeho Mwana project (2006-2011) supported the Rwanda Ministry of Health (MOH) in scaling up integrated community case management (iCCM) of childhood illness in 6 of Rwanda's 30 districts. The project trained and equipped community health workers (CHWs) according to national guidelines. In project districts, Kabeho Mwana staff also trained CHWs to conduct household-level health promotion and established supervision and reporting mechanisms through CHW peer support groups (PSGs) and quality improvement systems. The 2005 and 2010 Demographic and Health Surveys were re-analyzed to evaluate how project and non-project districts differed in terms of care-seeking for fever, diarrhea, and acute respiratory infection symptoms and related indicators. We developed a logit regression model, controlling for the timing of the first CHW training, with the district included as a fixed categorical effect. We also analyzed qualitative data from the final evaluation to examine factors that may have contributed to improved outcomes. While there was notable improvement in care-seeking across all districts, care-seeking from any provider for each of the 3 conditions, and for all 3 combined, increased significantly more in the project districts. CHWs contributed a larger percentage of consultations in project districts (27%) than in non-project districts (12%). Qualitative data suggested that the PSG model was a valuable sub-level of CHW organization associated with improved CHW performance, supervision, and social capital. The iCCM model implemented by Kabeho Mwana resulted in greater improvements in care-seeking than those seen in the rest of the country. Intensive monitoring, collaborative supervision, community mobilization, and CHW PSGs contributed to this success. The PSGs were a unique contribution of the project, playing a critical role in improving care-seeking in project districts. Effective implementation of iCCM should therefore include CHW management and social support mechanisms. Finally, re-analysis of national survey data improved evaluation findings by providing impact estimates.

Voltage oriented control of self-excited induction generator for wind energy system with MPPT

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amieur, Toufik; Taibi, Djamel; Amieur, Oualid

2018-05-01

This paper presents the study and simulation of the self-excited induction generator in the wind power production in isolated sites. With this intention, a model of the wind turbine was established. Extremum-seeking control algorithm method by using Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) is proposed control solution aims at driving the average position of the operating point near to optimality. The reference of turbine rotor speed is adjusted such that the turbine operates around maximum power for the current wind speed value. After a brief review of the concepts of converting wind energy into electrical energy. The proposed modeling tools were developed to study the performance of standalone induction generators connected to capacitor bank. The purpose of this technique is to maintain a constant voltage at the output of the rectifier whatever the loads and speeds. The system studied in this work is developed and tested in MATLAB/Simulink environment. Simulation results validate the performance and effectiveness of the proposed control methods.

Sensation Seeking as Risk Factor for Suicidal Ideation and Suicide Attempts in Adolescence

PubMed Central

Ortin, Ana; Lake, Alison M.; Kleinman, Marjorie; Gould, Madelyn S.

2012-01-01

Background High sensation seeking in adolescence is associated with engagement in risk-taking behaviors, especially substance use. Although depressed adolescents are prone to increased risk-taking, and suicidal behavior can be considered within the spectrum of risk-taking behaviors, the relationships between sensation seeking, depression, and suicidal behavior have not been explored. Methods A self-report questionnaire assessing sensation seeking, depression, substance use problems, and suicidal ideation and suicide attempts was completed by 9th- through 12th-grade students (n=2189) in six New York State high-schools from 2002 through 2004. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine main and interaction effects between sensation seeking and the four clinical variables. Results High sensation seeking was positively associated with depressive symptoms and substance use problems. The main effects of sensation seeking on suicidal ideation and suicide attempts remained significant after controlling for depression and substance use. The association between sensation seeking and suicide attempts was moderated by substance use problems. Limitations The schools were suburban and predominantly white, limiting the generalizability of the results. Other mental disorders with potential implications for sensation seeking and for suicidal behavior, such as bipolar disorders, were not assessed. Conclusions The finding that sensation seeking makes an independent contribution to the risk of suicidal ideation and attempts is consistent with findings in literature on novelty seeking and impulsivity. The associations between sensation seeking, depressive symptoms and suicidal behavior may be compatible with the presence of an underlying temperamental dysregulation. Screening for sensation seeking may contribute to the reduction of adolescent suicide risk. PMID:22921521

A critical role of nucleus accumbens dopamine D1-family receptors in renewal of alcohol seeking after punishment-imposed abstinence.

PubMed

Marchant, Nathan J; Kaganovsky, Konstantin

2015-06-01

In humans, places or contexts previously associated with alcohol use often provoke relapse during abstinence. This phenomenon is modeled in laboratory animals using the ABA renewal procedure, in which extinction training in context (B) suppresses alcohol seeking, and renewal of this seeking occurs when the animal returns to the original training context (A). However, extinction training does not adequately capture the motivation for abstinence in human alcoholics who typically self-initiate abstinence in response to the negative consequences of excessive use. We recently developed a procedure to study renewal in laboratory rats after abstinence imposed by negative consequences (footshock punishment). The mechanisms of renewal of punished alcohol seeking are largely unknown. Here, we used the D1-family receptor antagonist SCH 23390 to examine the role of nucleus accumbens (NAc) shell and core dopamine in renewal of alcohol seeking after punishment-imposed abstinence. We trained alcohol-preferring "P rats" to self-administer 20% alcohol in Context A and subsequently suppressed alcohol taking via response-contingent footshock punishment in Context B. We tested the effects of systemic, NAc shell, or NAc core injections of SCH 23390 on renewal of alcohol seeking after punishment-imposed abstinence. We found that both systemic and NAc shell and core injections of SCH 23390 decreased renewal of punished alcohol seeking. Our results demonstrate a critical role of NAc dopamine in renewal of alcohol seeking after punishment-imposed abstinence. We discuss these results in reference to the brain mechanisms of renewal of alcohol seeking after extinction versus punishment. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

Health seeking behaviour and health service utilization in Pakistan: challenging the policy makers.

PubMed

Shaikh, Babar T; Hatcher, Juanita

2005-03-01

There is a growing literature on health seeking behaviours and the determinants of health services utilization especially in the context of developing countries. However, very few focused studies have been seen in Pakistan in this regard. This paper presents an extensive literature review of the situation in developing countries and relates the similar factors responsible for shaping up of a health seeking behaviour and health service utilization in Pakistan. The factors determining the health behaviours may be seen in various contexts: physical, socio-economic, cultural and political. Therefore, the utilization of a health care system, public or private, formal or non-formal, may depend on socio-demographic factors, social structures, level of education, cultural beliefs and practices, gender discrimination, status of women, economic and political systems environmental conditions, and the disease pattern and health care system itself. Policy makers need to understand the drivers of health seeking behaviour of the population in an increasingly pluralistic health care system. Also a more concerted effort is required for designing behavioural health promotion campaigns through inter-sectoral collaboration focusing more on disadvantaged segments of the population.

Care Seeking Patterns of STIs-Associated Symptoms in Iran: Findings of a Population-Based Survey.

PubMed

Nasirian, Maryam; Karamouzian, Mohammad; Kamali, Kianoush; Nabipour, Amir Reza; Maghsoodi, Ahmad; Nikaeen, Roja; Razzaghi, Ali Reza; Mirzazadeh, Ali; Baneshi, Mohammad Reza; Haghdoost, Ali Akbar

2015-08-09

Understanding the prevalence of symptoms associated with sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and how care is sought for those symptoms are important components of STIs control and prevention. People's preference between public and private service providers is another important part of developing a well-functioning STIs surveillance system. This cross-sectional survey was carried out in spring 2011, using a nonrandom quota sample of 1190 participants (52% female) in 4 densely-populated cities of Tehran, Kerman, Shiraz, and Babol. Two predictive logistic regression models were constructed to assess the association between the socio-demographic determinants (independent variables) and the dependent variables of history of STIs-associated symptom and seeking care. Around 57% (677 out of 1190; men: 29.70% and women: 81.80%) had experienced at least one STIs-associated symptom during the previous year. History of experiencing STIs-associated symptoms among men, was negatively significantly associated with older age (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 0.34, CI 95%: 0.17-0.67). Women who were married, in older ages, and had higher educations were more likely to report a recent (past year) STIs symptom, however all were statistically insignificant in both bivariate and multivariable models. Among those who have had STIs-associated symptoms in the last year, 31.15% did nothing to improve their symptoms, 8.03% attempted self-treatment by over-the-counter (OTC) medications or traditional remedies, and 60.93% sought care in health facilities. In both bivariate and multivariable analyses, care seeking among men was insignificantly associated with any of the collected demographic variables. Care seeking among women was positively significantly associated with being married (AOR = 2.48, 95% CI: 1.60-3.84). The reported prevalence of STIs-associated symptoms among our participants is concerning. A considerable number of participants had delayed seeking care and treatment or self-medicated. People should be informed about their sexual health and the consequences of delaying or avoiding seeking care for STIs. Participants preferred seeking care at private sectors which calls for engaging both public and private health sectors for reporting and following up STIs cases. © 2016 by Kerman University of Medical Sciences.

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

Kerrigan, P.

This report describes a research study that was conducted by the Building Science Corporation (BSC) Building America Research Team. BSC seeks to research and report on the field monitoring of the performance of in-situ supplemental dehumidification systems in low energy, high performance homes in a hot-humid climate. The purpose of this research project was to observe and compare the humidity control performance. Specifically, the study sought to compare the interior conditions and mechanical systems operation between two distinct groups of houses; homes with a supplemental dehumidifier installed in addition to HVAC system, and homes without any supplemental dehumidification. The subjectsmore » of the study were 10 single-family, new construction homes in New Orleans, LA.« less

Effectiveness of interventions to promote help-seeking for mental health problems: systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Xu, Ziyan; Huang, Fangfang; Kösters, Markus; Staiger, Tobias; Becker, Thomas; Thornicroft, Graham; Rüsch, Nicolas

2018-06-01

Help-seeking is important to access appropriate care and improve mental health. However, individuals often delay or avoid seeking help for mental health problems. Interventions to improve help-seeking have been developed, but their effectiveness is unclear. A systematic review and meta-analysis were therefore conducted to examine the effectiveness of mental health related help-seeking interventions. Nine databases in English, German and Chinese were searched for randomised and non-randomised controlled trials. Effect sizes were calculated for attitudes, intentions and behaviours to seek formal, informal and self-help. Ninety-eight studies with 69 208 participants were included. Interventions yielded significant short-term benefits in terms of formal help-seeking, self-help, as well as mental health literacy and personal stigma. There were also positive long-term effects on formal help-seeking behaviours. The most common intervention types were strategies to increase mental health literacy, destigmatisation (both had positive short-term effects on formal help-seeking behaviours) as well as motivational enhancement (with positive long-term effects on formal help-seeking behaviours). Interventions improved formal help-seeking behaviours if delivered to people with or at risk of mental health problems, but not among children, adolescents or the general public. There was no evidence that interventions increased the use of informal help. Few studies were conducted in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). This study provides evidence for the effectiveness of help-seeking interventions in terms of improving attitudes, intentions and behaviours to seek formal help for mental health problems among adults. Future research should develop effective interventions to improve informal help-seeking, for specific target groups and in LMICs settings.

Development of the Second-Generation Oscillating Surge Wave Energy Converter with Variable Geometry

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

Tom, Nathan M; Yu, Yi-Hsiang; Thresher, Robert W

This study investigates the effect of design changes on the hydrodynamics of a novel oscillating surge wave energy converter being developed at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. The design utilizes controllable geometry features to shed structural loads while maintaining a rated power over a greater number of sea states. The second-generation design will seek to provide a more refined control of performance because the first-generation design demonstrated performance reductions considered too large for smooth power output. Performance is evaluated using frequency domain analysis with consideration of a nonideal power-take-off system, with respect to power absorption, foundation loads, and power-take-off torque.

School-based brief psycho-educational intervention to raise adolescent cancer awareness and address barriers to medical help-seeking about cancer: a cluster randomised controlled trial.

PubMed

Hubbard, Gill; Stoddart, Iona; Forbat, Liz; Neal, Richard D; O'Carroll, Ronan E; Haw, Sally; Rauchhaus, Petra; Kyle, Richard G

2016-07-01

Raising cancer awareness and addressing barriers to help-seeking may improve early diagnosis. The aim was to assess whether a psycho-educational intervention increased adolescents' cancer awareness and addressed help-seeking barriers. This was a cluster randomised controlled trial involving 2173 adolescents in 20 schools. The intervention was a 50-min presentation delivered by a member of Teenage Cancer Trust's (UK charity) education team. Schools were stratified by deprivation and roll size and randomly allocated to intervention/control conditions within these strata. Outcome measures were the number of cancer warning signs and cancer risk factors recognised, help-seeking barriers endorsed and cancer communication. Communication self-efficacy and intervention fidelity were also assessed. Regression models showed significant differences in the number of cancer warning signs and risk factors recognised between intervention and control groups. In intervention schools, the greatest increases in recognition of cancer warning signs at 6-month follow-up were for unexplained weight loss (from 44.2% to 62.0%) and change in the appearance of a mole (from 46.3% to 70.7%), up by 17.8% and 24.4%, respectively. Greatest increases in recognition of cancer risk factors were for getting sunburnt more than once as a child (from 41.0% to 57.6%) and being overweight (from 42.7% to 55.5%), up by 16.6% and 12.8%, respectively. Regression models showed that adolescents in intervention schools were 2.7 times more likely to discuss cancer at 2-week follow-up compared with the control group. No differences in endorsement of barriers to help-seeking were observed. School-based brief psycho-educational interventions are easy to deliver, require little resource and improve cancer awareness. © 2015 The Authors. Psycho-Oncology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. © 2015 The Authors. Psycho-Oncology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

School‐based brief psycho‐educational intervention to raise adolescent cancer awareness and address barriers to medical help‐seeking about cancer: a cluster randomised controlled trial

PubMed Central

Stoddart, Iona; Forbat, Liz; Neal, Richard D.; O'Carroll, Ronan E.; Haw, Sally; Rauchhaus, Petra; Kyle, Richard G.

2015-01-01

Abstract Objectives Raising cancer awareness and addressing barriers to help‐seeking may improve early diagnosis. The aim was to assess whether a psycho‐educational intervention increased adolescents' cancer awareness and addressed help‐seeking barriers. Methods This was a cluster randomised controlled trial involving 2173 adolescents in 20 schools. The intervention was a 50‐min presentation delivered by a member of Teenage Cancer Trust's (UK charity) education team. Schools were stratified by deprivation and roll size and randomly allocated to intervention/control conditions within these strata. Outcome measures were the number of cancer warning signs and cancer risk factors recognised, help‐seeking barriers endorsed and cancer communication. Communication self‐efficacy and intervention fidelity were also assessed. Results Regression models showed significant differences in the number of cancer warning signs and risk factors recognised between intervention and control groups. In intervention schools, the greatest increases in recognition of cancer warning signs at 6‐month follow‐up were for unexplained weight loss (from 44.2% to 62.0%) and change in the appearance of a mole (from 46.3% to 70.7%), up by 17.8% and 24.4%, respectively. Greatest increases in recognition of cancer risk factors were for getting sunburnt more than once as a child (from 41.0% to 57.6%) and being overweight (from 42.7% to 55.5%), up by 16.6% and 12.8%, respectively. Regression models showed that adolescents in intervention schools were 2.7 times more likely to discuss cancer at 2‐week follow‐up compared with the control group. No differences in endorsement of barriers to help‐seeking were observed. Conclusions School‐based brief psycho‐educational interventions are easy to deliver, require little resource and improve cancer awareness. © 2015 The Authors. Psycho‐Oncology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. PMID:26502987

Applications and Experiences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sacco, Giovanni Maria; Ferré, Sébastien

This chapter discusses a number of real-world applications of dynamic taxonomies. Most current applications are object-seeking or knowledge-seeking exploratory tasks, and address important areas such as e-commerce, multimedia infobases, diagnostic systems, digital libraries and news systems, e-government, file systems, and geographical information systems. Applications in these areas are discussed in detail in the following, and applications in cultural heritage, art and architecture, e-recruitment, e-hrm, e-matchmaking, e-health, and e-learning are briefly reviewed.

Effects of stress on decisions under uncertainty: A meta-analysis.

PubMed

Starcke, Katrin; Brand, Matthias

2016-09-01

[Correction Notice: An Erratum for this article was reported in Vol 142(9) of Psychological Bulletin (see record 2016-39486-001). It should have been reported that the inverted u-shaped relationship between cortisol stress responses and decision-making performance was only observed in female, but not in male participants as suggested by the study by van den Bos, Harteveld, and Stoop (2009). Corrected versions of the affected sentences are provided.] The purpose of the present meta-analysis was to quantify the effects that stress has on decisions made under uncertainty. We hypothesized that stress increases reward seeking and risk taking through alterations of dopamine firing rates and reduces executive control by hindering optimal prefrontal cortex functioning. In certain decision situations, increased reward seeking and risk taking is dysfunctional, whereas in others, this is not the case. We also assumed that the type of stressor plays a role. In addition, moderating variables are analyzed, such as the hormonal stress response, the time between stress onset and decisions, and the participants' age and gender. We included studies in the meta-analysis that investigated decision making after a laboratory stress-induction versus a control condition (k = 32 datasets, N = 1829 participants). A random-effects model revealed that overall, stress conditions lead to decisions that can be described as more disadvantageous, more reward seeking, and more risk taking than nonstress conditions (d = .17). In those situations in which increased reward seeking and risk taking is disadvantageous, stress had significant effects (d = .26), whereas in other situations, no effects were observed (d = .01). Effects were observed under processive stressors (d = .19), but not under systemic ones (d = .09). Moderation analyses did not reveal any significant results. We concluded that stress deteriorates overall decision-making performance through the mechanisms proposed. The effects differ, depending on the decision situation and the type of stressor, but not on the characteristics of the individuals. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Sharing control with haptics: seamless driver support from manual to automatic control.

PubMed

Mulder, Mark; Abbink, David A; Boer, Erwin R

2012-10-01

Haptic shared control was investigated as a human-machine interface that can intuitively share control between drivers and an automatic controller for curve negotiation. As long as automation systems are not fully reliable, a role remains for the driver to be vigilant to the system and the environment to catch any automation errors. The conventional binary switches between supervisory and manual control has many known issues, and haptic shared control is a promising alternative. A total of 42 respondents of varying age and driving experience participated in a driving experiment in a fixed-base simulator, in which curve negotiation behavior during shared control was compared to during manual control, as well as to three haptic tunings of an automatic controller without driver intervention. Under the experimental conditions studied, the main beneficial effect of haptic shared control compared to manual control was that less control activity (16% in steering wheel reversal rate, 15% in standard deviation of steering wheel angle) was needed for realizing an improved safety performance (e.g., 11% in peak lateral error). Full automation removed the need for any human control activity and improved safety performance (e.g., 35% in peak lateral error) but put the human in a supervisory position. Haptic shared control kept the driver in the loop, with enhanced performance at reduced control activity, mitigating the known issues that plague full automation. Haptic support for vehicular control ultimately seeks to intuitively combine human intelligence and creativity with the benefits of automation systems.

Cohort profile: Examining Neighbourhood Activities in Built Living Environments in London: the ENABLE London—Olympic Park cohort

PubMed Central

Ram, Bina; Nightingale, Claire M; Hudda, Mohammed T; Kapetanakis, Venediktos V; Ellaway, Anne; Cooper, Ashley R; Page, Angie; Lewis, Daniel; Cummins, Steven; Giles-Corti, Billie; Whincup, Peter H; Cook, Derek G; Rudnicka, Alicja R; Owen, Christopher G

2016-01-01

Purpose The Examining Neighbourhood Activities in Built Living Environments in London (ENABLE London) project is a natural experiment which aims to establish whether physical activity and other health behaviours show sustained changes among individuals and families relocating to East Village (formerly the London 2012 Olympics Athletes' Village), when compared with a control population living outside East Village throughout. Participants Between January 2013 and December 2015, 1497 individuals from 1006 households were recruited and assessed (at baseline) (including 392 households seeking social housing, 421 seeking intermediate and 193 seeking market rent homes). The 2-year follow-up rate is 62% of households to date, of which 57% have moved to East Village. Findings to date Assessments of physical activity (measured objectively using accelerometers) combined with Global Positioning System technology and Geographic Information System mapping of the local area are being used to characterise physical activity patterns and location among study participants and assess the attributes of the environments to which they are exposed. Assessments of body composition, based on weight, height and bioelectrical impedance, have been made and detailed participant questionnaires provide information on socioeconomic position, general health/health status, well-being, anxiety, depression, attitudes to leisure time activities and other personal, social and environmental influences on physical activity, including the use of recreational space and facilities in their residential neighbourhood. Future plans The main analyses will examine the changes in physical activity, health and well-being observed in the East Village group compared with controls and the influence of specific elements of the built environment on observed changes. The ENABLE London project exploits a unique opportunity to evaluate a ‘natural experiment’, provided by the building and rapid occupation of East Village. Findings from the study will be generalisable to other urban residential housing developments, and will help inform future evidence-based urban planning. PMID:27793838

A Controlled Study of Variables Related to Counseling Center Use.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bosmajian, C. Perry, Jr.; Mattson, Robert E.

1980-01-01

Investigated the utility of several variables in discriminating between students who seek counseling and those who do not. Interaction between personal adjustment and help-seeking status was also examined. Alternate sources of help, counseling usefulness, and perceived severity of help-seeker pathology descriminated seekers from nonseekers.…

Quality of life and mental health among women with ovarian cancer: examining the role of emotional and instrumental social support seeking.

PubMed

Hill, Erin M

2016-07-01

The purpose of the present study was to examine the role of emotional and instrumental social support seeking in the quality of life (QOL) and mental health of women with ovarian cancer. Participants were recruited through the Pennsylvania Cancer Registry, and one hundred women took part in a mail questionnaire that collected information on their demographics, medical status, social support seeking, QOL and mental health including anxiety, depression and stress. Hierarchical linear regression analyses were conducted to assess the influence of emotional and instrumental social support seeking on QOL and mental health. After controlling for remission status, greater emotional social support seeking was predictive of higher overall QOL, social/family QOL, functional QOL and lower depression scores. Instrumental social support seeking was not significant in the models. The results illustrate that social support seeking as a coping mechanism is an important consideration in the QOL and mental health of women with ovarian cancer. Future studies should examine the psychological and behavioral mediators of the relationship to further understand the QOL and mental health of women with ovarian cancer.

Development and Evaluation of Control System for Microgrid Supplying Heat and Electricity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kojima, Yasuhiro; Koshio, Masanobu; Nakamura, Shizuka

Photovoltaic (PV) and Wind Turbine (WT) generation systems are expected to offer solutions to reduce green house gases and become more widely used in the future. However, the chief technical drawback of using these kinds of weather-dependent generators is the difficulty of forecasting their output, which can have negative impacts on commercial grids if a large number of them are introduced. Thus, this problem may hinder the wider application of PV and WT generation systems. The Regional Power Grid with Renewable Energy Resources Project was launched to seek a solution to this problem. The scope of the project is to develop, operate, and evaluate a Dispersed Renewable Energy Supply System with the ability to adapt the total energy output in response to changes in weather and demand. Such a system would reduce the impact that PV and WT generation systems have on commercial grids and allow the interconnection of more Dispersed Energy Resources (DER). In other words, the main objective of this project is to demonstrate an integrated energy management system, or a type of microgrid [1], as a new way of introducing DERs. The system has been in operation since October 2005 and will continue operation until March 2008. Through the project period, the data on power quality, system efficiency, operation cost, and environmental burden will be gathered and a cost-benefit analysis of the system will be undertaken. In this paper, firstly we introduce the concept of microgrid for reducing negative impact of natural energy, and secondly illustrate the structure of electric and thermal supply control system for Microgrid, especially for the Hachinohe demonstration project. The control system consists of four stages; weekly operation planning, economic dispatching control, tie-line control and local frequency control. And finally demonstration results and evaluation results are shown.

Infusion of the substance P analogue, DiMe-C7, into the ventral tegmental area induces reinstatement of cocaine-seeking behaviour in rats.

PubMed

Placenza, Franca M; Fletcher, Paul J; Rotzinger, Susan; Vaccarino, Franco J

2004-12-01

The mesocorticolimbic dopamine (DA) system is critically involved in mediating reinstatement of drug-seeking behaviour. Substance P (SP) is a neuropeptide that significantly interacts with the mesocorticolimbic system, therefore suggesting a possible role for the SP system in the mediation of relapse. This study examined the effects of injections of the SP analogue, DiMe-C7, into the ventral tegmental area (VTA) on reinstatement of cocaine-seeking behaviour, as well as on locomotor activity in rats. Additionally, this study examined whether these effects are DA-dependent. Rats were trained to self-administer cocaine for 15 days followed by 15 days of extinction. Reinstatement of cocaine-seeking behaviour was then measured in response to bilateral intra-VTA microinjections of DiMe-C7 (0, 0.1, 0.5 and 2.5 microg). In a separate group of rats, locomotor activity was measured in response to intra-VTA injections of DiMe-C7 (0, 0.5, 1.5 and 3 microg). The effects of pre-treatment with DA receptor antagonists on DiMe-C7-induced reinstatement and locomotor activity were also examined. Animals were pre-treated with the D(1) and D(2) receptor antagonists, SCH23390 and haloperidol (0, 0.01 and 0.03 mg/kg, IP), respectively, prior to receiving intra-VTA injections of DiMe-C7 (0 and 2.5 microg). Infusion of DiMe-C7 into the VTA increased locomotor activity and induced reinstatement of cocaine-seeking behaviour. Both SCH23390 and haloperidol blocked intra-VTA DiMe-C7-induced locomotor activation. In addition, SCH23390 attenuated DiMe-C7-induced reinstatement of cocaine-seeking behaviour, while haloperidol had no effect. These results suggest that interactions between SP and the mesocorticolimbic DA system may play a role in mediating reinstatement of cocaine-seeking behaviour and that the involvement of these interactions in reinstatement are dependent upon D(1) receptor mechanisms.

Extending the User’s Reach. Responsive Networking for Integrated Military Operations

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-02-01

why customers within DOD increasingly bypass “the system,” and why leading IT firms stay out of the defense market. These anomalies will become...processes, lack the perspective, ability, and incentive to meet joint C4 needs. Those who control money are network providers, not customers ; and they do...should seek to attract IT firms. This requires reform of the Federal Acquisition Regulation as it applies to joint C4, not work-arounds and waivers

Beyond attributions: Understanding public stigma of mental illness with the common sense model.

PubMed

Mak, Winnie W S; Chong, Eddie S K; Wong, Celia C Y

2014-03-01

The present study applied the common sense model (i.e., cause, controllability, timeline, consequences, and illness coherence) to understand public attitudes toward mental illness and help-seeking intention and to examine the mediating role of perceived controllability between causal attributions with public attitudes and help seeking. Based on a randomized household sample of 941 Chinese community adults in Hong Kong, results of the structural equation modeling demonstrated that people who endorsed cultural lay beliefs tended to perceive the course of mental illness as less controllable, whereas those with psychosocial attributions see its course as more controllable. The more people perceived the course of mental illness as less controllable, more chronic, and incomprehensible, the lower was their acceptance and the greater was mental illness stigma. Furthermore, those who perceived mental illness with dire consequences were more likely to feel greater stigma and social distance. Conversely, when people were more accepting, they were more likely to seek help for psychological services and felt a shorter social distance. The common sense model provides a multidimensional framework in understanding public's mental illness perceptions and stigma. Not only should biopsychosocial determinants of mental illness be advocated to the public, cultural myths toward mental illness must be debunked.

Precise time and time interval applications to electric power systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilson, Robert E.

1992-01-01

There are many applications of precise time and time interval (frequency) in operating modern electric power systems. Many generators and customer loads are operated in parallel. The reliable transfer of electrical power to the consumer partly depends on measuring power system frequency consistently in many locations. The internal oscillators in the widely dispersed frequency measuring units must be syntonized. Elaborate protection and control systems guard the high voltage equipment from short and open circuits. For the highest reliability of electric service, engineers need to study all control system operations. Precise timekeeping networks aid in the analysis of power system operations by synchronizing the clocks on recording instruments. Utility engineers want to reproduce events that caused loss of service to customers. Precise timekeeping networks can synchronize protective relay test-sets. For dependable electrical service, all generators and large motors must remain close to speed synchronism. The stable response of a power system to perturbations is critical to continuity of electrical service. Research shows that measurement of the power system state vector can aid in the monitoring and control of system stability. If power system operators know that a lightning storm is approaching a critical transmission line or transformer, they can modify operating strategies. Knowledge of the location of a short circuit fault can speed the re-energizing of a transmission line. One fault location technique requires clocks synchronized to one microsecond. Current research seeks to find out if one microsecond timekeeping can aid and improve power system control and operation.

Designing and Delivering Skills Transferability and Employment Mobility: The Challenges of a Market-Driven Vocational Education and Training System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gekara, Victor; Snell, Darryn

2018-01-01

As job security declines and precarious employment arrangements become more prevalent, transferable skills have become vital for job seeking success. In recognition of this issue, many governments are seeking to redesign their training systems in ways that transferable skills become better emphasised. This paper examines the challenges of…

Will Courts Shape Value-Added Methods for Teacher Evaluation? ACT Working Paper Series. WP-2014-2

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Croft, Michelle; Buddin, Richard

2014-01-01

As more states begin to adopt teacher evaluation systems based on value-added measures, legal challenges have been filed both seeking to limit the use of value-added measures ("Cook v. Stewart") and others seeking to require more robust evaluation systems ("Vergara v. California"). This study reviews existing teacher evaluation…

Domestic violence and treatment seeking: a longitudinal study of low-income women and mental health/substance abuse care.

PubMed

Cheng, Tyrone C; Lo, Celia C

2014-01-01

A study with 591 low-income women examined domestic violence's role in treatment seeking for mental health or substance abuse problems. (The women resided in one of two California counties.) Following Aday's behavioral model of health services utilization, the secondary data analysis considered the women's need, enabling, and predisposing factors. Generalized estimating equations analyzed the women's longitudinal records of treatment seeking. Results showed that those in the sample who were likely to seek treatment had experienced three or more controlling behaviors and only one abusive behavior. Multivariate data analysis showed treatment-seeking women were likely to be white and older; responsible for few dependent children; not graduates of high school; employed; not participating in Medicaid; diagnosed; and perceiving a need for treatment. The implications of these results for services and policies are discussed.

Association of health literacy with health information-seeking preference in older people: A correlational, descriptive study.

PubMed

Kim, Su Hyun; Utz, Sonja

2018-02-28

Low health literacy has been recognized as a potential barrier to obtaining knowledge and maintaining self-care in older people. However, little is known about information-seeking preference in relation to health literacy among older people. The aim of the present study was to understand the influence of health literacy on the information-seeking preference of older people. A total of 129 community-residing Korean older people completed a survey in 2016. The findings revealed that health literacy was a significant predictor of information-seeking preference in older people after controlling for demographic and illness variables. Our study highlights the important need to incorporate strategies to increase the desire for information seeking in older people, in addition to adopting communication strategies that address low health literacy. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Self-injury in young people and the help-negation effect.

PubMed

Frost, Mareka; Casey, Leanne M; O'Gorman, John G

2017-04-01

This study examined the relationship between self-injurious behavior and intentions to seek help from professionals, family and friends, technology based support and from no-one. Participants were 679 young people aged 14-25 years drawn from a larger internet survey (N =1463) on the basis of their reported self-injury. A help-negation effect was found only in relation to intentions to seek help from family and friends. That is, a higher extent or severity of self-injury was independently associated with lower intentions to seek help from family and friends. This effect remained after controlling for psychological distress and suicidal ideation. Establishing avenues for early intervention and providing access to a range of potential avenues for help-seeking may assist young people to seek support in relation to self-injury. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Altered striatal circuits underlie characteristic personality traits in Parkinson's disease.

PubMed

Ishii, Toru; Sawamoto, Nobukatsu; Tabu, Hayato; Kawashima, Hidekazu; Okada, Tomohisa; Togashi, Kaori; Takahashi, Ryosuke; Fukuyama, Hidenao

2016-09-01

Patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) have been suggested to share personality traits characterised by low novelty-seeking and high harm-avoidance. Although a link between novelty-seeking and dopamine is hypothesised, the link is not fully supported by 6-[(18)F]fluoro-L-dopa positron emission tomography (PET) studies. Meanwhile, tractography studies with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) link personality to the connectivity of the striatum in healthy subjects. Here, we investigated neurochemical and anatomical correlates of characteristic personality traits in PD. Sixteen PD patients and 28 healthy controls were assessed using the Temperament and Character Inventory. All patients and 17 randomly selected controls were scanned with 2β-carbomethoxy-3β-(4-fluorophenyl)-[N-(11)C-methyl]tropane ([(11)C]CFT) PET to measure striatal dopamine transporter availability. All subjects were scanned with MRI to evaluate the connectivity of the striatum using probabilistic tractography. PET findings revealed no correlation of novelty-seeking and harm-avoidance with [(11)C]CFT uptake in patients or controls. Novelty-seeking correlated positively with the connectivity strength of the striatum with the hippocampus and amygdala in both patients and controls. Harm-avoidance and the fibre connectivity strength of the striatum including ventral area with the amygdala correlated negatively in patients and positively in controls, which differed significantly between the groups. Our data support the notion that the fibre connectivity of the striatum with limbic and frontal areas underlies the personality profile. Furthermore, our findings suggest that higher harm-avoidance in PD is linked to alterations of the network, including the nucleus accumbens and amygdala.

Mental Help Seeking Attitudes Scale (MHSAS): Development, reliability, validity, and comparison with the ATSPPH-SF and IASMHS-PO.

PubMed

Hammer, Joseph H; Parent, Mike C; Spiker, Douglas A

2018-01-01

Attitudes is a key help-seeking construct that influences treatment seeking behavior via intention to seek help, per the theory of planned behavior (TPB). This article presents the development and psychometric evaluation of the Mental Help Seeking Attitudes Scale (MHSAS), designed to measure respondents' overall evaluation (unfavorable vs. favorable) of their seeking help from a mental health professional. In Study 1 (N = 857 United States adults), exploratory factor analysis (EFA), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and item response theory (IRT) analysis were used to identify an optimal set of 9 items that demonstrated initial evidence of internal consistency, unidimensionality, and strong measurement equivalence/invariance (ME/I) across gender, past help-seeking experience, and psychological distress. Initial convergent evidence of validity was demonstrated via theoretically anticipated relationships between the MHSAS and key variables in the help-seeking nomological network (e.g., subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, intention, public stigma, self-stigma, anticipated risks and benefits, gender, previous help seeking). Initial incremental evidence of validity was demonstrated when the MHSAS demonstrated the ability to account for unique variance in help-seeking intention, beyond that accounted for by the Attitudes Toward Seeking Professional Psychological Help-Short Form scale (ATSPPH-SF) and the Psychological Openness subscale of the Inventory of Attitudes Toward Seeking Mental Health Services (IASMHS-PO). Study 2 (N = 207 United States adults at Times 1 and 2) provided initial evidence of test-retest reliability over a 3-week period. The MHSAS offers mental health professionals a new tool for measuring attitudes that may avoid limitations of current help seeking-attitudes measures (e.g., construct-irrelevant variance). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

MAKINGtheLINK: A school-based intervention to improve help-seeking for substance use problems.

PubMed

Lubman, Dan I; Cheetham, Ali; Berridge, Bonita J; McKay-Brown, Lisa

2017-05-18

Many young people are reluctant to seek professional help for alcohol and other substance use problems, preferring to rely on family and friends. MAKINGtheLINK is a school-based intervention that teaches adolescents how to help their peers overcome barriers to engaging with professional help. The current study examined the effect of the MAKINGtheLINK programme in a sample of 12- to 15-year-old students. Participants included 247 Grade 8 students (49% male, 51% female) recruited from 3 schools in Victoria, Australia. Participants completed questionnaires measuring barriers to professional help-seeking, help-seeking intentions and confidence to seek help at 3 time points (pre-intervention, post-intervention and 6-week follow-up). A non-controlled repeated measures design was used to assess the effect of the programme on help-seeking across time points. The programme decreased barriers, increased intentions to seek help from formal sources, decreased intentions to seek help from family and increased confidence to seek help for a peer. The decrease in barriers was maintained at the 6-week follow-up, as were decreased intentions to seek help from family members, and increased intentions to seek help from school counsellors and alcohol and drug workers. The effects of the intervention did not differ substantially between males and females. The MAKINGtheLINK is the first intervention to focus on overcoming barriers to help-seeking for substance use problems by helping adolescents develop skills to support their peers. The intervention has promise as a means of facilitating help-seeking during adolescence, although further research is needed to test its effectiveness in a more rigorous design. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Do online mental health services improve help-seeking for young people? A systematic review.

PubMed

Kauer, Sylvia Deidre; Mangan, Cheryl; Sanci, Lena

2014-03-04

Young people regularly use online services to seek help and look for information about mental health problems. Yet little is known about the effects that online services have on mental health and whether these services facilitate help-seeking in young people. This systematic review investigates the effectiveness of online services in facilitating mental health help-seeking in young people. Using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, literature searches were conducted in PubMed, PsycINFO, and the Cochrane library. Out of 608 publications identified, 18 studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria of investigating online mental health services and help-seeking in young people aged 14-25 years. Two qualitative, 12 cross-sectional, one quasi-experimental, and three randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were reviewed. There was no change in help-seeking behavior found in the RCTs, while the quasi-experimental study found a slight but significant increase in help-seeking. The cross-sectional studies reported that online services facilitated seeking help from a professional source for an average of 35% of users. The majority of the studies included small sample sizes and a high proportion of young women. Help-seeking was often a secondary outcome, with only 22% (4/18) of studies using adequate measures of help-seeking. The majority of studies identified in this review were of low quality and likely to be biased. Across all studies, young people regularly used and were generally satisfied with online mental health resources. Facilitators and barriers to help-seeking were also identified. Few studies examine the effects of online services on mental health help-seeking. Further research is needed to determine whether online mental health services effectively facilitate help-seeking for young people.

Do Online Mental Health Services Improve Help-Seeking for Young People? A Systematic Review

PubMed Central

Mangan, Cheryl; Sanci, Lena

2014-01-01

Background Young people regularly use online services to seek help and look for information about mental health problems. Yet little is known about the effects that online services have on mental health and whether these services facilitate help-seeking in young people. Objective This systematic review investigates the effectiveness of online services in facilitating mental health help-seeking in young people. Methods Using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, literature searches were conducted in PubMed, PsycINFO, and the Cochrane library. Out of 608 publications identified, 18 studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria of investigating online mental health services and help-seeking in young people aged 14-25 years. Results Two qualitative, 12 cross-sectional, one quasi-experimental, and three randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were reviewed. There was no change in help-seeking behavior found in the RCTs, while the quasi-experimental study found a slight but significant increase in help-seeking. The cross-sectional studies reported that online services facilitated seeking help from a professional source for an average of 35% of users. The majority of the studies included small sample sizes and a high proportion of young women. Help-seeking was often a secondary outcome, with only 22% (4/18) of studies using adequate measures of help-seeking. The majority of studies identified in this review were of low quality and likely to be biased. Across all studies, young people regularly used and were generally satisfied with online mental health resources. Facilitators and barriers to help-seeking were also identified. Conclusions Few studies examine the effects of online services on mental health help-seeking. Further research is needed to determine whether online mental health services effectively facilitate help-seeking for young people. PMID:24594922

The Willingness of Military Members to Seek Help: The Role of Social Involvement and Social Responsibility.

PubMed

Bowen, Gary L; Jensen, Todd M; Martin, James A; Mancini, Jay A

2016-03-01

Anchored in the social organization theory of action and change, we use data from a large sample of active-duty Air Force members to examine the direct and indirect influence of social involvement and social responsibility on willingness to seek help in times of need via trust in formal systems and informal supports. Group comparisons are conducted between junior male, junior female, senior male, and senior female service members. The key mediational path in the model for all groups is the connection between social involvement and willingness to seek help via trust in formal systems. These results can inform both unit- and community-level interventions intended to increase the likelihood that active-duty AF members will seek help in times of need. © Society for Community Research and Action 2016.

Articulation and oromyofunctional behavior in children seeking orthodontic treatment.

PubMed

Van Lierde, K M; Luyten, A; D'haeseleer, E; Van Maele, G; Becue, L; Fonteyne, E; Corthals, P; De Pauw, G

2015-05-01

The purpose of this controlled study is to document articulation and oromyofunctional behavior in children seeking orthodontic treatment. In addition, relations between malocclusions, articulation, and oromyofunctional behavior are studied. The study included 56 children seeking orthodontic treatment. The control group, consisting of 54 subjects matched for age and gender, did not undergo orthodontic intervention. To determine the impact of the occlusion on speech, the Oral Health Impact Profile was used. Speech characteristics, intelligibility and several lip and tongue functions were analyzed using consensus evaluations. A significant impact of the occlusion on speech and more articulation disorders for/s,n,l,t/were found in the subjects seeking orthodontic treatment. Several other phenomena were seen more often in this group, namely more impaired lip positioning during swallowing, impaired tongue function at rest, mouth breathing, open mouth posture, lip sucking/biting, anterior tongue position at rest, and tongue thrust. Moreover, all children with a tongue thrust showed an anterior tongue position at rest. Children seeking orthodontics have articulatory and oromyofunctional disorders. To what extent a combined orthodontic and logopaedic treatment can result in optimal oral health (i.e. perfect dentofacial unit with perfect articulation) is subject for further multidisciplinary research. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The Theory of Planned Behavior as it predicts potential intention to seek mental health services for depression among college students.

PubMed

Bohon, Lisa M; Cotter, Kelly A; Kravitz, Richard L; Cello, Philip C; Fernandez Y Garcia, Erik

2016-01-01

Between 9.5% and 31.3% of college students suffer from depression (American college health association national college health assessment II: reference group executive summary spring 2013. Amer. Coll. Health Assoc. 2013; Eagan K, Stolzenberg EB, Ramirez JJ, Aragon, MC, Suchard, RS, Hurtado S. The American freshman: national norms fall 2014. Higher Educ. Res. Inst.; 2015). Universities need to understand the factors that relate to care-seeking behavior. Across 3 studies, to relate attitudes, social norms, and perceived behavioral control to intention to seek mental health services, and to investigate barriers to care-seeking. University college students (N = 845, 64% female, 26% male, and 10% unspecified). New measures were created in Studies 1 and 2, and were examined using structural equation modeling in Study 3. Partially consistent with the Theory of Planned Behavior (Ajzen, I, Fishbein, M. Understanding Attitudes and Predicting Social Behavior. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall; 1980), a model with an excellent fit revealed that more positive attitudes about care and higher perceived behavioral control directly predicted higher intention to seek mental health services. Educating college students about mental health disorders and treatments, enhancing knowledge about available services, and addressing limited access to long-term care might improve treatment rates for students suffering from depression.

Self-stigma of seeking treatment and being male predict an increased likelihood of having an undiagnosed eating disorder.

PubMed

Griffiths, Scott; Mond, Jonathan M; Li, Zhicheng; Gunatilake, Sanduni; Murray, Stuart B; Sheffield, Jeanie; Touyz, Stephen

2015-09-01

To examine whether self-stigma of seeking psychological help and being male would be associated with an increased likelihood of having an undiagnosed eating disorder. A multi-national sample of 360 individuals with diagnosed eating disorders and 125 individuals with undiagnosed eating disorders were recruited. Logistic regression was used to identify variables affecting the likelihood of having an undiagnosed eating disorder, including sex, self-stigma of seeking psychological help, and perceived stigma of having a mental illness, controlling for a broad range of covariates. Being male and reporting greater self-stigma of seeking psychological help was independently associated with an increased likelihood of being undiagnosed. Further, the association between self-stigma of seeking psychological help and increased likelihood of being undiagnosed was significantly stronger for males than for females. Perceived stigma associated with help-seeking may be a salient barrier to treatment for eating disorders-particularly among male sufferers. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Predicting cancer risk knowledge and information seeking: the role of social and cognitive factors.

PubMed

Hovick, Shelly R; Liang, Ming-Ching; Kahlor, Leeann

2014-01-01

This study tests an expanded Structural Influence Model (SIM) to gain a greater understanding of the social and cognitive factors that contribute to disparities in cancer risk knowledge and information seeking. At the core of this expansion is the planned risk information seeking model (PRISM). This study employed an online sample (N = 1,007) of African American, Hispanic, and non-Hispanic White adults. The addition of four cognitive predictors to the SIM substantially increased variance explained in cancer risk knowledge (R(2) = .29) and information seeking (R(2) = .56). Health literacy mediated the effects of social determinants (socioeconomic status [SES] and race/ethnicity) on cancer risk knowledge, while subjective norms mediated their effects on cancer risk information seeking. Social capital and perceived seeking control were also shown to be important mediators of the relationships between SES and cancer communication outcomes. Our results illustrate the social and cognitive mechanisms by which social determinants impact cancer communication outcomes, as well as several points of intervention to reduce communication disparities.

Season of Birth and Dopamine Receptor Gene Associations with Impulsivity, Sensation Seeking and Reproductive Behaviors

PubMed Central

Eisenberg, Dan T. A.; Campbell, Benjamin; MacKillop, James; Lum, J. Koji; Wilson, David S.

2007-01-01

Background Season of birth (SOB) has been associated with many physiological and psychological traits including novelty seeking and sensation seeking. Similar traits have been associated with genetic polymorphisms in the dopamine system. SOB and dopamine receptor genetic polymorphisms may independently and interactively influence similar behaviors through their common effects on the dopaminergic system. Methodology/Principal Findings Based on a sample of 195 subjects, we examined whether SOB was associated with impulsivity, sensation seeking and reproductive behaviors. Additionally we examined potential interactions of dopamine receptor genes with SOB for the same set of traits. Phenotypes were evaluated using the Sociosexual Orientation Inventory, the Barratt Impulsivity Scale, the Eysenck Impulsivity Questionnaire, the Sensation Seeking Scale, and the Delay Discounting Task. Subjects were also asked about their age at first sex as well as their desired age at the birth of their first child. The dopamine gene polymorphisms examined were Dopamine Receptor D2 (DRD2) TaqI A and D4 (DRD4) 48 bp VNTR. Primary analyses included factorial gender×SOB ANOVAs or binary logistic regression models for each dependent trait. Secondary analysis extended the factorial models by also including DRD2 and DRD4 genotypes as independent variables. Winter-born males were more sensation seeking than non-winter born males. In factorial models including both genotype and season of birth as variables, two previously unobserved effects were discovered: (1) a SOB×DRD4 interaction effect on venturesomeness and (2) a DRD2×DRD4 interaction effect on sensation seeking. Conclusion These results are consistent with past findings that SOB is related to sensation seeking. Additionally, these results provide tentative support for the hypothesis that SOB modifies the behavioral expression of dopaminergic genetic polymorphism. These findings suggest that SOB should be included in future studies of risky behaviors and behavioral genetic studies of the dopamine system. PMID:18030347

Low-dose prazosin alone and in combination with propranolol or naltrexone: effects on ethanol and sucrose seeking and self-administration in the P rat.

PubMed

Verplaetse, Terril L; Czachowski, Cristine L

2015-08-01

Evidence suggests that the noradrenergic system mediates ethanol reinforcement. However, preclinical studies suggest that noradrenergic antagonists block other oral reinforcers indicating possible unwanted secondary medication effects. This study examined combinations of low-dose prazosin with propranolol or naltrexone using a behavioral paradigm that separately assesses reinforcer seeking and self-administration. Male alcohol-preferring (P) rats (n = 20/experiment) were trained to complete a response requirement (RR) resulting in access to 1 % sucrose (n = 10) or 10 % ethanol (n = 10) for 20 min. Rats received vehicle, prazosin alone (0.125, 0.25, 0.5, and 1.0 mg/kg, intraperitoneally (IP)), or prazosin in combination with propranolol (5 mg/kg (IP); Exp. 1) or in combination with naltrexone (0.03 mg/kg, subcutaneously (SC); Exp. 2). For Exp. 1, prazosin alone effectively decreased sucrose seeking more than ethanol seeking, but decreased ethanol self-administration only. Propranolol alone effectively decreased ethanol seeking more than sucrose seeking and decreased ethanol intake only. At some dose combinations, there was a greater attenuation of ethanol and sucrose intake relative to either drug alone. For Exp. 2, prazosin alone and naltrexone alone were effective in decreasing ethanol seeking and intake only. Combination treatment was more effective than either drug alone at decreasing ethanol seeking and consumption and sucrose intake, but not sucrose seeking. Propranolol and naltrexone alone were specific to ethanol indicating that low doses of either medication may be beneficial in treating alcohol use disorders. Prazosin in combination with propranolol or naltrexone was more effective than either drug alone and also reduced sucrose-reinforced behaviors. These data suggest that the noradrenergic system is a viable target for developing treatment approaches for problem drinkers.

Low-Dose Prazosin Alone and in Combination with Propranolol or Naltrexone: Effects on Ethanol- and Sucrose-Seeking and Self-Administration in the P Rat

PubMed Central

Verplaetse, Terril L.; Czachowski, Cristine L.

2015-01-01

Rationale Evidence suggests that the noradrenergic system mediates ethanol-reinforcement. However, preclinical studies suggest that noradrenergic antagonists block other oral reinforcers indicating possible unwanted secondary medication effects. Methods This study examined combinations of low-dose prazosin with propranolol or naltrexone using a behavioral paradigm that separately assesses reinforcer-seeking and self-administration. Male alcohol-preferring (P) rats (n=20/experiment) were trained to complete a response requirement (RR) resulting in access to 1% sucrose (n=10) or 10% ethanol (n=10) for 20min. Rats received vehicle, prazosin alone (0.125, 0.25, 0.5, 1.0 mg/kg; intraperitoneally (IP)) or prazosin in combination with propranolol (5 mg/kg (IP); Exp1) or in combination with naltrexone (0.03 mg/kg (subcutaneously (SC); Exp2). Results For Exp1, prazosin alone effectively decreased sucrose-seeking more than ethanol-seeking, but decreased ethanol self-administration only. Propranolol alone effectively decreased ethanol-seeking more than sucrose-seeking and decreased ethanol intake only. At some dose combinations, there was a greater attenuation of ethanol and sucrose intake relative to either drug alone. For Exp2, prazosin alone and naltrexone alone were effective in decreasing ethanol-seeking and intake only. Combination treatment was more effective than either drug alone at decreasing ethanol-seeking and consumption and sucrose intake, but not sucrose-seeking. Conclusions Propranolol and naltrexone alone were specific to ethanol indicating that low doses of either medication may be beneficial in treating alcohol use disorders. Prazosin in combination with propranolol or naltrexone was more effective than either drug alone, but also reduced sucrose-reinforced behaviors. These data suggest that the noradrenergic system is a viable target for developing treatment approaches for problem drinkers. PMID:25743758

A Community-Based Intervention Designed to Increase Preventive Health Care Seeking Among Adolescents: The Gonorrhea Community Action Project

PubMed Central

VanDevanter, Nancy L.; Messeri, Peter; Middlestadt, Susan E.; Bleakley, Amy; Merzel, Cheryl R.; Hogben, Matthew; Ledsky, Rebecca; Malotte, C. Kevin; Cohall, Renee M.; Gift, Thomas L.; St. Lawrence, Janet S.

2005-01-01

Objectives. We evaluated the effectiveness of an intervention designed to increase preventive health care seeking among adolescents. Methods. Adolescents and young adults aged 12 to 21 years, recruited from community-based organizations in 2 different communities, were randomized into either a 3-session intervention or a control condition. We estimated outcomes from 3-month follow-up data using logistic and ordinary least squares regression. Results. Female intervention participants were significantly more likely than female control participants to have scheduled a health care appointment (odds ratio [OR]=3.04), undergone a checkup (OR=2.87), and discussed with friends or family members the importance of undergoing a checkup (OR=4.5). There were no differences between male intervention and male control participants in terms of outcomes. Conclusions. This theory-driven, community-based group intervention significantly increased preventive health care seeking among female adolescents. Further research is needed, however, to identify interventions that will produce successful outcomes among male adolescents. PMID:15671472

Information-seeking bias in social anxiety disorder.

PubMed

Aderka, Idan M; Haker, Ayala; Marom, Sofi; Hermesh, Haggai; Gilboa-Schechtman, Eva

2013-02-01

In the present study, we sought to examine information seeking among individuals with social anxiety disorder (SAD, n = 31) and nonanxious controls (n = 32) during an impression-formation task. Participants were given an initial description of a protagonist that included polarized information on the social rank dimension (i.e., dominant or submissive) or on the affiliation dimension (i.e., friendly or unfriendly). Participants were told that their task was to rate the protagonist on social rank and affiliation traits and were given the opportunity to obtain additional information in order to make their decisions. Results indicated that compared to controls, individuals with SAD sought less information before making social rank ratings. In addition, individuals with SAD rated dominant protagonists as higher in social rank than did controls. These findings suggest that even in nonevaluative conditions, individuals with SAD may have an information-seeking bias. In addition, individuals with SAD may have a bias in forming impressions of dominant others. Implications for cognitive and interpersonal models of SAD are discussed. 2013 APA, all rights reserved

Chronic Stress, Drug Use, and Vulnerability to Addiction

PubMed Central

Sinha, Rajita

2009-01-01

Stress is a well-known risk factor in the development of addiction and in addiction relapse vulnerability. A series of population-based and epidemiological studies have identified specific stressors and individual-level variables that are predictive of substance use and abuse. Preclinical research also shows that stress exposure enhances drug self-administration and reinstates drug seeking in drug-experienced animals. The deleterious effects of early life stress, child maltreatment, and accumulated adversity on alterations in the corticotropin releasing factor and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (CRF/HPA), the extrahypothalamic CRF, the autonomic arousal, and the central noradrenergic systems are also presented. The effects of these alterations on the corticostriatal-limbic motivational, learning, and adaptation systems that include mesolimbic dopamine, glutamate, and gamma-amino-butyric acid (GABA) pathways are discussed as the underlying pathophysiology associated with stress-related risk of addiction. The effects of regular and chronic drug use on alterations in these stress and motivational systems are also reviewed, with specific attention to the impact of these adaptations on stress regulation, impulse control, and perpetuation of compulsive drug seeking and relapse susceptibility. Finally, research gaps in furthering our understanding of the association between stress and addiction are presented, with the hope that addressing these unanswered questions will significantly influence new prevention and treatment strategies to address vulnerability to addiction. PMID:18991954

A mixed-methods investigation into the perspectives on mental health and professional treatment among former system youth with mood disorders.

PubMed

Munson, Michelle R; Narendorf, Sarah Carter; Ben-David, Shelly; Cole, Andrea

2018-05-24

Research has shown that how people think about their health (or illnesses) shapes their help-seeking behavior. In this mixed-methods study, we employed a simultaneous concurrent design to explore the perceptions of mental illness among an understudied population: marginalized young adults. Participants were 60 young adults (ages 18-25) who had experienced mood disorders and used multiple public systems of care during their childhoods. Semistructured interviews were conducted to understand participants' illness and treatment experiences during the transition to adulthood. A team of analysts used constant comparison to develop a codebook of the qualitative themes, and quantitative data were examined using SAS 9.3. Findings suggest that some theoretical categories identified in past illness-perceptions frameworks are salient to marginalized young adults (e.g., identity, management-or control-of symptoms), but both the developmental transition to adulthood and experiences with public systems of care add nuanced variations to illness and treatment perceptions. Our study demonstrates that young adults possess a set of beliefs and emotions about their mental health and help-seeking options that need to be better understood to improve engagement and quality of mental health care for this population. Implications for practice, research, and policy are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

[Auditory evoked potential and personality traits in chronic primary insomniacs].

PubMed

Shen, Jian; Shui, Ren-de; Feng, Lei; Liu, Yu-Hong; He, Wei; Huang, Jing-Yi; Wang, Wei

2009-05-01

To investigate the personality traits and intensity dependence of auditory evoked potentials (AEPs) in chronic primary insomnia. Thirty-seven patients with chronic primary insomnia (insomnia group) and 44 healthy subjects (control group) were enrolled in the study. The AEPs were examined in insomnia and control groups; the personality traits were studied by Zuckerman's Sensation Seeking Scales (SSS) and Zuckerman-Kuhlman's Personality Questionnaire (ZKPQ); and the mood states by Plutchik-van Praag's Depression Inventory (PVP). The scores of neuroticism-anxiety and depression in insomnia group were significantly higher than those in control group (P<0.01); and the scores of impulsivity and aggression-hostility were also higher than those in control group (P<0.05); N1-P2 amplitude of AEP increased with stimulus intensity, which were significantly different in 70, 80, 90,100 dB (P<0.01). There were significant correlations between activity and N1 latency at 80 dB, activity and P2 latency at 100 dB (r=0.270, r=0.276, P<0.05); and between total scores of sensation seeking scale and N1-P2 amplitude (r=0.3746, r=0.35329, P<0.01) at 70 and 90 dB stimulus intensity in insomnia group. There were significant correlations among experience seeking and N1-P2 amplitude, experience seeking and slope rate (P<0.01) at 70, 80, 90, 100 dB stimulus intensity in insomnia group (r=0.539, r=0.3439, r=0.439, r=0.3278). There were significant correlations between sensation seeking of boredom susceptibility and slope rate (r=-0.282998, P<0.05) in insomnia group. There were significant correlations between thrill and adventure seeking and N1-P2 amplitude(r=0.2789, P<0.05) at 90 dB stimulus intensity in insomnia group; there were significant correlations between PVP and N1-P2 amplitude (r=-0.3434, r=-0.3158, P<0.05) at 70 dB and N1 latency at 80 dB in insomnia group. Chronic primary insomnia sufferers have higher levels of neuroticism-anxiety, depression, aggression-hostility and impulsivity, and some are correlated with stimulus intensity dependence in AEP.

Structural Pest Control.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kahn, M. S.; Hoffman, W. M.

This manual is designed for those who seek certification as pesticide applicators for industrial, institutional, structural, and health-related pest control. It is divided into six sections covering general pest control, wood-destroying organisms, bird control, fumigation, rodent control, and industrial weed control. The manual gives information…

Electric sail space flight dynamics and controls

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Montalvo, Carlos; Wiegmann, Bruce

2018-07-01

This paper seeks to investigate the space flight dynamics of a rotating barbell Electric Sail (E-Sail). This E-Sail contains two 6U CubeSats connected to 8 km tethers joined at a central hub. The central hub is designed to be an insulator so that each tether can have differing voltages. An electron gun positively charges each tether which interacts with the solar wind to produce acceleration. If the voltage on each tether is different, the trajectory of the system can be altered. Flapping modes and tension spikes are found during many of these maneuvers and care must be taken to mitigate the magnitude of these oscillations. Using sinusoidal voltage inputs, it is possible to control the trajectory of this two-body E-Sail and propel the system to Near-Earth-Objects or even deep space.

NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center Dynamics and Controls Branch

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jacobson, Steve

2015-01-01

NASA Armstrong continues its legacy of exciting work in the area of Dynamics and Control of advanced vehicle concepts. This presentation describes Armstrongs research in control of flexible structures, peak seeking control and adaptive control in the Spring of 2015.

Post-deployment screening for mental disorders and tailored advice about help-seeking in the UK military: a cluster randomised controlled trial.

PubMed

Rona, Roberto J; Burdett, Howard; Khondoker, Mizanur; Chesnokov, Melanie; Green, Kevin; Pernet, David; Jones, Norman; Greenberg, Neil; Wessely, Simon; Fear, Nicola T

2017-04-08

The effectiveness of post-deployment screening for mental disorders has not been assessed in a randomised controlled trial. We aimed to assess whether post-deployment screening for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, or alcohol misuse was effective. We defined screening as the presumptive identification of a previously unrecognised disorder using tests to distinguish those who probably had the disorder from those who probably did not so that those people with a probable disorder could be referred appropriately, and assessed effectiveness and consequences for help-seeking by the odds ratio at follow-up between those receiving tailored help-seeking advice and those who received general mental health advice. We did a cluster randomised controlled trial among Royal Marines and Army personnel in the UK military after deployment to Afghanistan. Platoons were randomly assigned (1:1 initially, then 2:1) by stratified block randomisation with randomly varying block sizes of two and four to the screening group, which received tailored help-seeking advice, or the control group, which received general mental health advice. Initial assessment took place 6-12 weeks after deployment; follow-up assessments were done 10-24 months later. Follow-up measures were the PTSD Checklist-Civilian Version, Patient Health Questionnaire-9, Generalised Anxiety Disorder-7 scale, Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT), and self-reported help-seeking from clinical and welfare providers comparing those receiving tailored advice and those receiving only general advice. All participants and all investigators other than the person who analysed the data were masked to allocation. The primary outcomes were PTSD, depression or generalised anxiety disorder, and alcohol misuse at follow-up. A key secondary outcome was assessment of whether post-deployment screening followed by tailored advice would modify help-seeking behaviour. Comparisons were made between screening and control groups, with primary analyses by intention to treat. This trial is registered with the ISRCTN Registry, number ISRCTN19965528. Between Oct 24, 2011, and Oct 31, 2014, 434 platoons comprising 10 190 personnel were included: 274 (6350 personnel) in the screening group and 160 (3840 personnel) in the control group. 5577 (88%) of 6350 personnel received screening and 3996 (63%) completed follow-up, whereas 3149 (82%) of 3840 received the control questionnaire and 2369 (62%) completed follow-up. 1958 (35%) of 5577 personnel in the screening group declined to see the tailored advice, but those with PTSD (83%) or anxiety or depression (84%) were more likely than non-cases (64%) to view the advice (both p<0·0001). At follow-up, there were no significant differences in prevalence between groups for PTSD (adjusted odds ratio 0·92, 95% CI 0·75-1·14), depression or anxiety (0·91, 0·71-1·16), alcohol misuse (0·88, 0·73-1·06), or seeking support for mental disorders (0·92, 0·78-1·08). Post-deployment screening for mental disorders based on tailored advice was not effective at reducing prevalence of mental health disorders nor did it increase help-seeking. Countries that have implemented post-deployment screening programmes for mental disorders should consider monitoring the outcomes of their programmes. The US Army Medical Research and Materiel Command-Military Operational Medicine Research Program (USAMRMC-MOMRP). Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

77 FR 54910 - Media Bureau Seeks Comment on TiVo's Request for Clarification and Waiver of the Commission's...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-09-06

... FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION [MB Docket No. 12-230; DA 12-1347] Media Bureau Seeks Comment on TiVo's Request for Clarification and Waiver of the Commission's Audiovisual Output Requirement AGENCY... provides for audiovisual communications including service discovery, video transport, and remote control...

28 CFR 552.26 - Medical attention in use of force and application of restraints incidents.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... upon gaining physical control of the inmate. When possible, staff shall seek such assistance at the... seek the guidance of qualified health personnel (based upon a review of the inmate's medical record) to identify physical or mental problems. When mental health staff or qualified health personnel determine that...

Measuring Perceived Barriers to Healthful Eating in Obese, Treatment-Seeking Adults

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Welsh, Ericka M.; Jeffery, Robert W.; Levy, Rona L.; Langer, Shelby L.; Flood, Andrew P.; Jaeb, Melanie A.; Laqua, Patricia S.

2012-01-01

Objective: To characterize perceived barriers to healthful eating in a sample of obese, treatment-seeking adults and to examine whether changes in barriers are associated with energy intake and body weight. Design: Observational study based on findings from a randomized, controlled behavioral weight-loss trial. Participants: Participants were 113…

Pneumatic Variable Series Elastic Actuator.

PubMed

Zheng, Hao; Wu, Molei; Shen, Xiangrong

2016-08-01

Inspired by human motor control theory, stiffness control is highly effective in manipulation and human-interactive tasks. The implementation of stiffness control in robotic systems, however, has largely been limited to closed-loop control, and suffers from multiple issues such as limited frequency range, potential instability, and lack of contribution to energy efficiency. Variable-stiffness actuator represents a better solution, but the current designs are complex, heavy, and bulky. The approach in this paper seeks to address these issues by using pneumatic actuator as a variable series elastic actuator (VSEA), leveraging the compressibility of the working fluid. In this work, a pneumatic actuator is modeled as an elastic element with controllable stiffness and equilibrium point, both of which are functions of air masses in the two chambers. As such, for the implementation of stiffness control in a robotic system, the desired stiffness/equilibrium point can be converted to the desired chamber air masses, and a predictive pressure control approach is developed to control the timing of valve switching to obtain the desired air mass while minimizing control action. Experimental results showed that the new approach in this paper requires less expensive hardware (on-off valve instead of proportional valve), causes less control action in implementation, and provides good control performance by leveraging the inherent dynamics of the actuator.

Pneumatic Variable Series Elastic Actuator

PubMed Central

Zheng, Hao; Wu, Molei; Shen, Xiangrong

2016-01-01

Inspired by human motor control theory, stiffness control is highly effective in manipulation and human-interactive tasks. The implementation of stiffness control in robotic systems, however, has largely been limited to closed-loop control, and suffers from multiple issues such as limited frequency range, potential instability, and lack of contribution to energy efficiency. Variable-stiffness actuator represents a better solution, but the current designs are complex, heavy, and bulky. The approach in this paper seeks to address these issues by using pneumatic actuator as a variable series elastic actuator (VSEA), leveraging the compressibility of the working fluid. In this work, a pneumatic actuator is modeled as an elastic element with controllable stiffness and equilibrium point, both of which are functions of air masses in the two chambers. As such, for the implementation of stiffness control in a robotic system, the desired stiffness/equilibrium point can be converted to the desired chamber air masses, and a predictive pressure control approach is developed to control the timing of valve switching to obtain the desired air mass while minimizing control action. Experimental results showed that the new approach in this paper requires less expensive hardware (on–off valve instead of proportional valve), causes less control action in implementation, and provides good control performance by leveraging the inherent dynamics of the actuator. PMID:27354755

Reconciliation Ecology, Rewilding and the San Joaquin River Restoration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kraus-Polk, A.

2014-12-01

Recent events, perhaps reaching their climactic convergence in the current drought, have exposed the fragility and imbalances of the socioecological system of the San Joaquin river. We see that our triumphant march of progress onfolds on a thin, and unstable crust. What lies below is lava. Our agricultural systems progress only while extracting an ever-untenable social and ecological debt. Our successive regimes of accumulation by appropriation have brought us to the brink of ecological exhaustion. Have we reached our day of reckoning? This is not the first time this question has been asked of this particular system of irrigated agriculture? "Insurmountable" ecological barriers have been eyed down and promptly obliterated through magnificent features of physical and social engineering. But lets us consider for a moment that we have at last reached some sort of edge, a threshold past which we experience a sudden socioecological regime shift. Staring out over this edge can we begin to come to terms with the fallacies of our stories, our ignorance, our foolishness? We need an acknowledgement of the needs of the agriculture systems, it's connections and dependencies. What desperate measures are we willing to take in order to sustain this system? How much further can we go? How far is too far? Is there another way to produce and distribute food? We then turn to the past. We imagine the ecosystem as it once was. The pelagic fish species that formed the biological connection between this river system, the delta, the Ocean, the Mountains. What would it mean to restore this diversity and repair these relationships? What would it take to cede control to the non-human forces that sustain these connections? How do we reconcile restraint and the cessation of control with the human needs of the system? How do we rewild our river in such a way that our needs are met in a way that is more resilient and equitable? We will need systems of agriculture and flood control that serve multiple functions. We will need to seek the synergies between objectives which had previously been viewed as mutually exclusive or in conflict. We will fail. We will need to take a hard look at our failures, comparing them to those of past eras, seeking out novel pathways out of our conjunctures.

Sensation seeking, augmenting-reducing, and absolute auditory threshold: a strength-of-the-nervous-system perspective.

PubMed

Goldman, D; Kohn, P M; Hunt, R W

1983-08-01

The following measures were obtained from 42 student volunteers: the General and the Disinhibition subscales of the Sensation Seeking Scale (Form IV), the Reducer-Augmenter Scale, and the Absolute Auditory Threshold. General sensation seeking correlated significantly with the Reducer-Augmenter Scale, r(40) = .59, p less than .001, and the Absolute Auditory Threshold, r(40) = .45, p less than .005. Both results proved general across sex. These findings, that high-sensation seekers tend to be reducers and to lack sensitivity to weak stimulation, were interpreted as supporting strength-of-the-nervous-system theory more than the formulation of Zuckerman and his associates.

Dynamic programming methods for concurrent design and dynamic allocation of vehicles embedded in a system-of-systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nusawardhana

2007-12-01

Recent developments indicate a changing perspective on how systems or vehicles should be designed. Such transition comes from the way decision makers in defense related agencies address complex problems. Complex problems are now often posed in terms of the capabilities desired, rather than in terms of requirements for a single systems. As a result, the way to provide a set of capabilities is through a collection of several individual, independent systems. This collection of individual independent systems is often referred to as a "System of Systems'' (SoS). Because of the independent nature of the constituent systems in an SoS, approaches to design an SoS, and more specifically, approaches to design a new system as a member of an SoS, will likely be different than the traditional design approaches for complex, monolithic (meaning the constituent parts have no ability for independent operation) systems. Because a system of system evolves over time, this simultaneous system design and resource allocation problem should be investigated in a dynamic context. Such dynamic optimization problems are similar to conventional control problems. However, this research considers problems which not only seek optimizing policies but also seek the proper system or vehicle to operate under these policies. This thesis presents a framework and a set of analytical tools to solve a class of SoS problems that involves the simultaneous design of a new system and allocation of the new system along with existing systems. Such a class of problems belongs to the problems of concurrent design and control of a new systems with solutions consisting of both optimal system design and optimal control strategy. Rigorous mathematical arguments show that the proposed framework solves the concurrent design and control problems. Many results exist for dynamic optimization problems of linear systems. In contrary, results on optimal nonlinear dynamic optimization problems are rare. The proposed framework is equipped with the set of analytical tools to solve several cases of nonlinear optimal control problems: continuous- and discrete-time nonlinear problems with applications on both optimal regulation and tracking. These tools are useful when mathematical descriptions of dynamic systems are available. In the absence of such a mathematical model, it is often necessary to derive a solution based on computer simulation. For this case, a set of parameterized decision may constitute a solution. This thesis presents a method to adjust these parameters based on the principle of stochastic approximation simultaneous perturbation using continuous measurements. The set of tools developed here mostly employs the methods of exact dynamic programming. However, due to the complexity of SoS problems, this research also develops suboptimal solution approaches, collectively recognized as approximate dynamic programming solutions, for large scale problems. The thesis presents, explores, and solves problems from an airline industry, in which a new aircraft is to be designed and allocated along with an existing fleet of aircraft. Because the life cycle of an aircraft is on the order of 10 to 20 years, this problem is to be addressed dynamically so that the new aircraft design is the best design for the fleet over a given time horizon.

'I stayed with my illness': a grounded theory study of health seeking behaviour and treatment pathways of patients with obstetric fistula in Kenya.

PubMed

Khisa, Anne M; Omoni, Grace M; Nyamongo, Isaac K; Spitzer, Rachel F

2017-09-29

Obstetric fistula classic symptoms of faecal and urinary incontinence cause women to live with social stigma, isolation, psychological trauma and lose their source of livelihoods. There is a paucity of studies on the health seeking behaviour trajectories of women with fistula illness although women live with the illness for decades before surgery. We set out to establish the complete picture of women's health seeking behaviour using qualitative research. We sought to answer the question: what patterns of health seeking do women with obstetric fistula display in their quest for healing? We used grounded theory methodology to analyse data from narratives of women during inpatient stay after fistula surgery in 3 hospitals in Kenya. Emergent themes contributed to generation of substantive theory and a conceptual framework on the health seeking behaviour of fistula patients. We recruited 121 participants aged 17 to 62 years whose treatment pathways are presented. Participants delayed health seeking, living with fistula illness after their first encounter with unresponsive hospitals. The health seeking trajectory is characterized by long episodes of staying home with illness for decades and consulting multiple actors. Staying with fistula illness entailed health seeking through seven key actions of staying home, trying home remedies, consulting with private health care providers, Non-Governmental organisations, prayer, traditional medicine and formal hospitals and clinics. Long treatment trajectories at hospital resulted from multiple hospital visits and surgeries. Seeking treatment at hospital is the most popular step for most women after recognizing fistula symptoms. We conclude that the formal health system is not responsive to women's needs during fistula illness. Women suffer an illness with a chronic trajectory and seek alternative forms of care that are not ideally placed to treat fistula illness. The results suggest that a robust health system be provided with expertise and facilities to treat obstetric fistula to shorten women's treatment pathways.

Factors affecting decisions to seek treatment for sick children in Kerala, India.

PubMed

Pillai, Rajamohanan K; Williams, Sankey V; Glick, Henry A; Polsky, Daniel; Berlin, Jesse A; Lowe, Robert A

2003-09-01

The purpose of this study was to measure the effects of social and economic variables, disease-related variables, and child gender on the decisions of parents in Kerala, India, to seek care for their children and on their choice of providers in the allopathic vs. the alternative system. A case-control analysis was done using data from the Kerala section of the 1996 Indian National Family Health Survey, a cross-sectional survey of a probability sample of households conducted by trained interviewers with a close-ended questionnaire. Of the 469 children who were eligible for this study because they had at least one common symptom suggestive of acute respiratory illness or diarrhea during the 2 weeks before the interview, 78 (17%) did not receive medical care, while the remaining 391 (83%) received medical care. Of the 391 children who received medical care, 342 (88%) received allopathic medical care, and 48 (12%) received alternative medical care. In multivariable analyses, parents chose not to seek medical care for their children significantly more often when the illness was mild, the child had a specific diagnosis, the mother had previously made fewer antenatal visits, and the family had a higher economic status. When parents sought medical care for their children, care was sought significantly more often in the alternative provider system when the child was a boy, the family lived in a rural area, and the family had a lower social class. We conclude that, in Kerala, disease severity and economic status predict whether children with acute respiratory infection or diarrhea are taken to medical providers. In contrast, most studies of this issue carried out in other populations have identified economic status as the primary predictor of medical system utilization. Also in Kerala, the gender of the child did not influence whether or not the child was taken for treatment but did influence whether care was sought in the alternative or the allopathic system.

Workplace substance abuse prevention and help seeking: comparing team-oriented and informational training.

PubMed

Bennett, J B; Lehman, W E

2001-07-01

Employees fail to seek help for alcohol or drug (AOD) abuse because of unhealthy work climates, stigma, and distrust in Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs). To address such problems, the authors randomly assigned groups of municipal employees (N = 260) to 2 types of training: a 4-hr informational review of EAPs and policy and an 8-hr training that embedded messages about AOD reduction in the context of team building and stress management. Pre- and posttraining and 6-month follow-up surveys assessed change. Group privacy regulation, EAP trust, help seeking, and peer encouragement increased for team training. Stigma of substance users decreased for information training. EAP/policy knowledge increased for both groups. A control group showed little change. Help seeking and peer encouragement also predicted EAP utilization. Integrating both team and informational training may be the most effective for improving help seeking and EAP utilization.

Effects of a brief media intervention on expectations, attitudes, and intentions of mental health help seeking.

PubMed

Demyan, Amy L; Anderson, Timothy

2012-04-01

This study examined the effects of a mass-media video intervention on expectations, attitudes, and intentions to seek help from professional mental health care services. A public service announcement-style, mass-media video intervention was developed, with prior empirical research on help-seeking behaviors organized according to the theory of reasoned action/planned behavior. In total, 228 participants were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 conditions: (a) the media-exposed intervention group, who watched programming in which the media intervention was inserted, and (b) the control group, who watched the same programming without the media intervention. The media intervention was not influential on expectation and belief-based barrier variables. However, the media intervention was effective at increasing positive attitudes toward help seeking. Findings regarding the intervention's ability to increase help-seeking intentions for interpersonal problems were complex. Implications of these findings for future research are discussed.

The effect of health education interventions on child malaria treatment-seeking practices among mothers in rural refugee villages in Belize, Central America.

PubMed

Cropley, Lorelei

2004-12-01

This paper reports on a study conducted to examine the effect of health education interventions on mothers' treatment-seeking behaviors for their children's malaria fevers. The study used a quasi-experimental post-test community-based design with an intervention and control group. A post-intervention survey was conducted to assess knowledge, attitudes and child fever and malaria treatment-seeking behaviors and access and exposure to health messages. Survey results indicated that some health education interventions, especially interpersonal communication, appeared to have a positive impact on fever and malaria beliefs and attitudes and on positive treatment-seeking behaviors. While some interventions appeared to have a positive impact on fever and malaria beliefs and attitudes and on positive treatment-seeking behaviors, limitations in the study design made assigning specific effects to the interventions difficult. However, health education interventions remain a valuable tool in addressing malaria in children.

Care seeking behaviour for children with suspected pneumonia in countries in sub-Saharan Africa with high pneumonia mortality.

PubMed

Noordam, Aaltje Camielle; Carvajal-Velez, Liliana; Sharkey, Alyssa B; Young, Mark; Cals, Jochen W L

2015-01-01

Pneumonia is the leading cause of childhood mortality in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Because effective antibiotic treatment exists, timely recognition of pneumonia and subsequent care seeking for treatment can prevent deaths. For six high pneumonia mortality countries in SSA we examined if children with suspected pneumonia were taken for care, and if so, from which type of care providers, using national survey data of 76530 children. We also assessed factors independently associated with care seeking from health providers, also known as 'appropriate' providers. We report important differences in care seeking patterns across these countries. In Tanzania 85% of children with suspected pneumonia were taken for care, whereas this was only 30% in Ethiopia. Most of the children living in these six countries were taken to a primary health care facility; 86, 68 and 59% in Ethiopia, Tanzania and Burkina Faso respectively. In Uganda, hospital care was sought for 60% of children. 16-18% of children were taken to a private pharmacy in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Tanzania and Nigeria. In Tanzania, children from the richest households were 9.5 times (CI 2.3-39.3) more likely to be brought for care than children from the poorest households, after controlling for the child's age, sex, caregiver's education and urban-rural residence. The influence of the age of a child, when controlling for sex, urban-rural residence, education and wealth, shows that the youngest children (<2 years) were more likely to be brought to a care provider in Nigeria, Ethiopia and DRC. Urban-rural residence was not significantly associated with care seeking, after controlling for the age and sex of the child, caregivers education and wealth. The study suggests that it is crucial to understand country-specific care seeking patterns for children with suspected pneumonia and related determinants using available data prior to planning programmatic responses.

Coping with stress in adolescents with Type 1 diabetes and their mothers

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Objectives Coping with stress plays a vital role in the adjustment of adolescents with diabetes. The majority of studies in this area leave out the control group, limiting their power to make inferences about specificity vs. similarity of coping strategies used by these adolescents. The aims of this study were: (1) To compare coping strategies in adolescents with diabetes and healthy adolescents; (2) To compare coping strategies in girls and boys with diabetes; (3) To determine whether there is a relationship between adolescents' coping strategies and their mothers' coping styles. Material and methods Adolescents (12-17 years old) with Type 1 diabetes (n = 51) were compared with a control group of healthy secondary school students (n = 56) by means of a self-reported questionnaire measuring coping strategies (Adolescence Coping Checklist). Mothers of these adolescents (n = 107) completed the Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations, measuring 3 coping styles. Results Diabetic adolescents used the 'seek professional help' strategy more often than their healthy peers. The girls with diabetes reported using the 'investing in close friends' strategy more often than boys, while in the control group girls were also more likely to use 'seeking social support', 'seeking spiritual support', and 'relaxing diversions' strategies. Mothers' emotion-oriented coping style predicted focus-oriented coping in adolescents with diabetes. In the non-diabetic group, mothers' task-oriented coping predicted seeking professional help, while mothers' avoidance-oriented coping predicted seeking spiritual support. Conclusions The results demonstrated that: (1) the only differences in terms of coping strategies in adolescents with diabetes and healthy adolescents were found in seeking professional help; (2) gender differences in coping with stress were significantly smaller in adolescents with diabetes than in healthy adolescents, (3) mothers' coping styles were predictors of coping strategies in adolescents, albeit there were differences in that respect between adolescents with diabetes and healthy adolescents. PMID:21147637

A school-based health promotion programme to increase help-seeking for substance use and mental health problems: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial.

PubMed

Lubman, Dan I; Berridge, Bonita J; Blee, Fiona; Jorm, Anthony F; Wilson, Coralie J; Allen, Nicholas B; McKay-Brown, Lisa; Proimos, Jenny; Cheetham, Ali; Wolfe, Rory

2016-08-08

Adolescence is a high-risk time for the development of mental health and substance use problems. However, fewer than one in four 16-24 year-olds with a current disorder access health services, with those experiencing a substance use disorder being the least likely to seek professional help. Research indicates that young people are keeping their problems to themselves or alternatively, turning to peers or trusted adults in their lives for help. These help-seeking preferences highlight the need to build the mental health literacy of adolescents, to ensure that they know when and how to assist themselves and their peers to access support. The MAKINGtheLINK intervention aims to introduce these skills to adolescents within a classroom environment. This is a cluster randomised controlled trial (RCT) with schools as clusters and individual students as participants from 22 secondary schools in Victoria, Australia. Schools will be randomly assigned to either the MAKINGtheLINK intervention group or the waitlist control group. All students will complete a self-report questionnaire at baseline, immediately post intervention and 6 and 12 months post baseline. The primary outcome to be assessed is increased help-seeking behaviour (from both formal and informal sources) for alcohol and mental health issues, measured at 12 months post baseline. The findings from this research will provide evidence on the effectiveness of the MAKINGtheLINK intervention for teaching school students how to overcome prominent barriers associated with seeking help, as well as how to effectively support their peers. If deemed effective, the MAKINGtheLINK programme will be the first evidence-informed resource that is able to address critical gaps in the knowledge and behaviour of adolescents in relation to help-seeking. It could, therefore, be a valuable resource that could be readily implemented by classroom teachers. Australia and New Zealand Clinical Trials Register (ANZCTR): ACTRN12613000235707 . Registered on 27 February 2013.

A new momentum management controller for the space station

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wie, B.; Byun, K. W.; Warren, V. W.

1988-01-01

A new approach to CMG (control moment gyro) momentum management and attitude control of the Space Station is developed. The control algorithm utilizes both the gravity-gradient and gyroscopic torques to seek torque equilibrium attitude in the presence of secular and cyclic disturbances. Depending upon mission requirements, either pitch attitude or pitch-axis CMG momentum can be held constant: yaw attitude and roll-axis CMG momentum can be held constant, while roll attitude and yaw-axis CMG momentum cannot be held constant. As a result, the overall attitude and CMG momentum oscillations caused by cyclic aero-dynamic disturbances are minimized. A state feedback controller with minimal computer storage requirement for gain scheduling is also developed. The overall closed-loop system is stable for + or - 30 percent inertia matrix variations and has more than + or - 10 dB and 45 deg stability margins in each loop.

Test and Evaluation of WiMAX Performance Using Open-Source Modeling and Simulation Software Tools

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-12-01

specific needs. For instance, one may seek to maximize the system throughput while maximizing the number of trans- mitted data packets with hard...seeking to maximize the throughput of the system (Yu 2008; Pishdad and Rabiee 2008; Piro et al. 2010; Wongthavarawat and Ganz 2003; Mohammadi, Akl, and...testing environment provides tools to allow for setting up and running test environments over multiple systems (buildbot) and provides classes to

Supporting Reflective Activities in Information Seeking on the Web

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saito, Hitomi; Miwa, Kazuhisa

Recently, many opportunities have emerged to use the Internet in daily life and classrooms. However, with the growth of the World Wide Web (Web), it is becoming increasingly difficult to find target information on the Internet. In this study, we explore a method for developing the ability of users in information seeking on the Web and construct a search process feedback system supporting reflective activities of information seeking on the Web. Reflection is defined as a cognitive activity for monitoring, evaluating, and modifying one's thinking and process. In the field of learning science, many researchers have investigated reflective activities that facilitate learners' problem solving and deep understanding. The characteristics of this system are: (1) to show learners' search processes on the Web as described, based on a cognitive schema, and (2) to prompt learners to reflect on their search processes. We expect that users of this system can reflect on their search processes by receiving information on their own search processes provided by the system, and that these types of reflective activity helps them to deepen their understanding of information seeking activities. We have conducted an experiment to investigate the effects of our system. The experimental results confirmed that (1) the system actually facilitated the learners' reflective activities by providing process visualization and prompts, and (2) the learners who reflected on their search processes more actively understood their own search processes more deeply.

Characterization of spacecraft and environmental disturbances on a SmallSat

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, Thomas A.; Nguyen, Dung Phu Chi; Cuda, Vince; Freesland, Doug

1994-01-01

The objective of this study is to model the on-orbit vibration environment encountered by a SmallSat. Vibration control issues are common to the Earth observing, imaging, and microgravity communities. A spacecraft may contain dozens of support systems and instruments each a potential source of vibration. The quality of payload data depends on constraining vibration so that parasitic disturbances do not affect the payload's pointing or microgravity requirement. In practice, payloads are designed incorporating existing flight hardware in many cases with nonspecific vibration performance. Thus, for the development of a payload, designers require a thorough knowledge of existing mechanical devices and their associated disturbance levels. This study evaluates a SmallSat mission and seeks to answer basic questions concerning on-orbit vibration. Payloads were considered from the Earth observing, microgravity, and imaging communities. Candidate payload requirements were matched to spacecraft bus resources of present day SmallSats. From the set of candidate payloads, the representative payload GLAS (Geoscience Laser Altimeter System) was selected. The requirements of GLAS were considered very stringent for the 150 - 500 kg class of payloads. Once the payload was selected, a generic SmallSat was designed in order to accommodate the payload requirements (weight, size, power, etc.). This study seeks to characterize the on-orbit vibration environment of a SmallSat designed for this type of mission and to determine whether a SmallSat can provide the precision pointing and jitter control required for earth observing payloads.

The consequences of resistance training for movement control in older adults.

PubMed

Barry, Benjamin K; Carson, Richard G

2004-07-01

Older adults who undertake resistance training are typically seeking to maintain or increase their muscular strength with the goal of preserving or improving their functional capabilities. The extent to which resistance training adaptations lead to improved performance on tasks of everyday living is not particularly well understood. Indeed, studies examining changes in functional task performance experienced by older adults following periods of resistance training have produced equivocal findings. A clear understanding of the principles governing the transfer of resistance training adaptations is therefore critical in seeking to optimize the prescription of training regimes that have as their aim the maintenance and improvement of functional movement capacities in older adults. The degenerative processes that occur in the aging motor system are likely to influence heavily any adaptations to resistance training and the subsequent transfer to functional task performance. The resulting characteristics of motor behavior, such as the substantial decline in the rate of force development and the decreased steadiness of force production, may entail that specialized resistance training strategies are necessary to maximize the benefits for older adults. In this review, we summarize the alterations in the neuromuscular system that are responsible for the declines in strength, power, and force control, and the subsequent deterioration in the everyday movement capabilities of older adults. We examine the literature concerning the neural adaptations that older adults experience in response to resistance training, and consider the readiness with which these adaptations will improve the functional movement capabilities of older adults.

Discrete neurochemical coding of distinguishable motivational processes: insights from nucleus accumbens control of feeding.

PubMed

Baldo, Brian A; Kelley, Ann E

2007-04-01

The idea that nucleus accumbens (Acb) dopamine transmission contributes to the neural mediation of reward, at least in a general sense, has achieved wide acceptance. Nevertheless, debate remains over the precise nature of dopamine's role in reward and even over the nature of reward itself. In the present article, evidence is reviewed from studies of food intake, feeding microstructure, instrumental responding for food reinforcement, and dopamine efflux associated with feeding, which suggests that reward processing in the Acb is best understood as an interaction among distinct processes coded by discrete neurotransmitter systems. In agreement with several theories of Acb dopamine function, it is proposed here that allocation of motor effort in seeking food or food-associated conditioned stimuli can be dissociated from computations relevant to the hedonic evaluation of food during the consummatory act. The former appears to depend upon Acb dopamine transmission and the latter upon striatal opioid peptide release. Moreover, dopamine transmission may play a role in 'stamping in' associations between motor acts and goal attainment and perhaps also neural representations corresponding to rewarding outcomes. Finally, evidence is reviewed that amino acid transmission specifically in the Acb shell acts as a central 'circuit breaker' to flexibly enable or terminate the consummatory act, via descending connections to hypothalamic feeding control systems. The heuristic framework outlined above may help explain why dopamine-compromising manipulations that strongly diminish instrumental goal-seeking behaviors leave consummatory activity relatively unaffected.

Probabilistic Seeking Prediction in P2P VoD Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Weiwei; Xu, Tianyin; Gao, Yang; Lu, Sanglu

In P2P VoD streaming systems, user behavior modeling is critical to help optimise user experience as well as system throughput. However, it still remains a challenging task due to the dynamic characteristics of user viewing behavior. In this paper, we consider the problem of user seeking prediction which is to predict the user's next seeking position so that the system can proactively make response. We present a novel method for solving this problem. In our method, frequent sequential patterns mining is first performed to extract abstract states which are not overlapped and cover the whole video file altogether. After mapping the raw training dataset to state transitions according to the abstract states, we use a simpel probabilistic contingency table to build the prediction model. We design an experiment on the synthetic P2P VoD dataset. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of our method.

Barriers to contraceptive careseeking: the experience of Eritrean asylum-seeking women in Israel.

PubMed

Gebreyesus, Tsega; Gottlieb, Nora; Sultan, Zebib; Ghebrezghiabher, Habtom Mehari; Tol, Wietse; Winch, Peter J; Davidovitch, Nadav; Surkan, Pamela J

2017-12-28

In recent years, there has been a mass migration of Eritreans (many seeking political asylum) into Israel after precarious irregular movement across international borders. This study qualitatively explores the structural barriers to family planning (i.e. contraceptive services) for Eritrean women in Israel that are rooted in their temporary legal status and the patchwork of family planning services. From December 2012 to September 2013, we interviewed 25 key informants (NGO workers, researchers, Eritrean community activists, International NGO representatives and Ministry of Health officials) and 12 Eritrean asylum seekers. We also conducted 8 focus groups with Eritrean asylum seekers. Data were analyzed using both inductive and deductive coding. We identified 7 main barriers to accessing family planning services: (1) distance to health facilities; (2) limited healthcare resources; (3) fragmentation of the healthcare system; (4) cost of contraceptive services; (5) low standard of care in private clinics; (6) discrimination; and (7) language barriers. The political, economic and social marginalization of Eritrean asylum-seeking women in Israel creates structural barriers to family planning services. Their marginalization complicates providers' efforts (NGO and governmental) to provide them with comprehensive healthcare, and hinders their ability to control their sexual and reproductive health. Failure to act on this evidence may perpetuate the pattern of unwanted pregnancies and social and economic disparities in this population.

The Association between the Level of Plasma Oxytocin and Craving among Former Heroin Users.

PubMed

Lin, Shih-Hsien; Chen, Po See; Lee, Lan-Ting; Lee, Sheng-Yu; Tsai, Hsin Chun; Chen, Wei Tseng; Chen, Kao Chin; Lee, I Hui; Lu, Ru-Band; Yang, Yen Kuang

2018-06-14

Animal studies have demonstrated that oxytocin can influence addiction behaviors and might interact with the dopaminergic system, which is a key component of addiction behaviors. However, related evidence from clinical studies is scarce. The aim of our study was to explore the relationship between plasma oxytocin level and heroin craving among patients receiving methadone maintenance treatment, and to ascertain whether this relationship is moderated by novelty-seeking. The study was conducted in a methadone maintenance therapy clinic of a medical center in Taiwan. Seventy-seven patients with heroin addiction were enrolled. Plasma oxytocin was measured using an ELISA kit. Craving was assessed using an established instrument, the Chinese Craving Scale. A significant negative association was found between the plasma oxytocin level and craving score, which remained robust after controlling the effects of social support and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. An interaction between oxytocin and novelty-seeking indicated that this relationship was stronger among patients with a lower level of novelty-seeking. This finding may be taken into account in future studies and may provide a basis for the development of potential treatment for addiction. The effect of oxytocin for the treatment of opioid dependence might be modulated by some psychological factors. © 2018 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Malaria treatment-seeking behaviour and related factors of Wa ethnic minority in Myanmar: a cross-sectional study

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background In Southeast Asia, data on malaria treatment-seeking behaviours and related affecting factors are rare. The population of the Wa ethnic in Myanmar has difficulty in accessing formal health care. To understand malaria treatment-seeking behaviour and household-affecting factors of the Wa people, a cross-sectional study carried out in Shan Special Region II, Myanmar. Methods The two methods, questionnaire-based household surveys to household heads and in-depth interviews to key informants, were carried out independently. The proportion of treatment-seeking patterns was calculated. Logistic regression was used to determine affecting factors of treatment-seeking. Qualitative data were analysed by using Text Analysis Markup System. Results Overall, 87.5% of the febrile population sought treatment, but only 32.0% did so within 24 hours. The proportion accessing the retail sector (79.6%) was statistically significant higher (P<0.0001) than accessing the public sector (10.6%). Multivariable logistic regression analysis identified family income, distances from a health facility, family decision and patient characteristics being independently associated with delayed malaria treatment. Conclusion Malaria treatment-seeking behaviour is not appropriate, and affecting factors include health service systems, social and cultural factors in Wa State of Myanmar. PMID:23237576

Development of the Second-Generation Oscillating Surge Wave Energy Converter with Variable Geometry: Preprint

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

Tom, Nathan M; Yu, Yi-Hsiang; Thresher, Robert W

This study investigates the effect of design changes on the hydrodynamics of a novel oscillating surge wave energy converter being developed at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. The design utilizes controllable geometry features to shed structural loads while maintaining a rated power over a greater number of sea states. The second-generation design will seek to provide a more refined control of performance because the first-generation design demonstrated performance reductions considered too large for smooth power output. Performance is evaluated using frequency domain analysis with consideration of a nonideal power-take-off system, with respect to power absorption, foundation loads, and power-take-off torque.

Overview of Krylov subspace methods with applications to control problems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Saad, Youcef

1989-01-01

An overview of projection methods based on Krylov subspaces are given with emphasis on their application to solving matrix equations that arise in control problems. The main idea of Krylov subspace methods is to generate a basis of the Krylov subspace Span and seek an approximate solution the the original problem from this subspace. Thus, the original matrix problem of size N is approximated by one of dimension m typically much smaller than N. Krylov subspace methods have been very successful in solving linear systems and eigenvalue problems and are now just becoming popular for solving nonlinear equations. It is shown how they can be used to solve partial pole placement problems, Sylvester's equation, and Lyapunov's equation.

A "Kane's Dynamics" Model for the Active Rack Isolation System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rupert, J. K.; Hampton, R. D.; Beech, G. S.

2005-02-01

In the late 1980s, microgravity researchers began to voice their concern that umbilical-transmitted energy could significantly degrade the acceleration environment of microgravity space science experiments onboard manned spacecraft. Since umbilicals are necessary for many experiments, control designers began to seek ways to compensate for these "indirect" disturbances. Hampton, et al., used the Kane s method to develop a model of the active rack isolation system (ARIS) that includes (1) actuator control forces, (2) direct disturbance forces, and (3) indirect, actuator-transmitted disturbances. Their model does not, however, include the indirect, umbilical-transmitted disturbances. Since the umbilical stiffnesses are not negligible, these indirect disturbances must be included in the model. Until the umbilicals have been appropriately included, the model will be incomplete. This Technical Memorandum presents a nonlinear model of ARIS with umbilicals included. Model verification was achieved by utilizing two commercial-off-the-shelf software tools. Various forces and moments were applied to the model to yield simulated responses of the system. Plots of the simulation results show how various critical points on an ARIS-outfitted international standard payload rack behave under the application of direct disturbances, indirect disturbances, and control forces. Simulations also show system response to a variety of initial conditions.

Generation of complex motor patterns in american grasshopper via current-controlled thoracic electrical interfacing.

PubMed

Giampalmo, Susan L; Absher, Benjamin F; Bourne, W Tucker; Steves, Lida E; Vodenski, Vassil V; O'Donnell, Peter M; Erickson, Jonathan C

2011-01-01

Micro-air vehicles (MAVs) have attracted attention for their potential application to military applications, environmental sensing, and search and rescue missions. While progress is being made toward fabrication of a completely human-engineered MAV, another promising approach seeks to interface to, and take control of, an insect's nervous system. Cyborg insects take advantage of their innate exquisite loco-motor, navigation, and sensing abilities. Recently, several groups have demonstrated the feasibility of radio-controlled flight in the hawkmoth and beetle via electrical neural interfaces. Here, we report a method for eliciting the "jump" response in the American grasshopper (S. Americana). We found that stimulating the metathoracic T3 ganglion with constant-current square wave pulses with amplitude 186 ± 40 μA and frequency 190 ± 13 Hz reproducibly evoked (≥95% success rate) the desired motor activity in N=3 test subjects. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of an insect cyborg with a synchronous neuromuscular system.

Assessing Whether Students Seek Constructive Criticism: The Design of an Automated Feedback System for a Graphic Design Task

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cutumisu, Maria; Blair, Kristen P.; Chin, Doris B.; Schwartz, Daniel L.

2017-01-01

We introduce a choice-based assessment strategy that measures students' choices to seek constructive feedback and to revise their work. We present the feedback system of a game we designed to assess whether students choose positive or negative feedback and choose to revise their posters in the context of a poster design task, where they learn…

Hypothesis-confirming information search strategies and computerized information-retrieval systems

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

Jacobs, S.M.

A recent trend in information-retrieval systems technology is the development of on-line information retrieval systems. One objective of these systems has been to attempt to enhance decision effectiveness by allowing users to preferentially seek information, thereby facilitating the reduction or elimination of information overload. These systems do not necessarily lead to more-effective decision making, however. Recent research in information-search strategy suggests that when users are seeking information subsequent to forming initial beliefs, they may preferentially seek information to confirm these beliefs. It seems that effective computer-based decision support requires an information retrieval system capable of: (a) retrieving a subset ofmore » all available information, in order to reduce information overload, and (b) supporting an information search strategy that considers all relevant information, rather than merely hypothesis-confirming information. An information retrieval system with an expert component (i.e., a knowledge-based DSS) should be able to provide these capabilities. Results of this study are non conclusive; there was neither strong confirmatory evidence nor strong disconfirmatory evidence regarding the effectiveness of the KBDSS.« less

Interaction between the Basolateral Amygdala and Dorsal Hippocampus Is Critical for Cocaine Memory Reconsolidation and Subsequent Drug Context-Induced Cocaine-Seeking Behaviorin Rats

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wells, Audrey M.; Lasseter, Heather C.; Xie, Xiaohu; Cowhey, Kate E.; Reittinger, Andrew M.; Fuchs, Rita A.

2011-01-01

Contextual stimulus control over instrumental drug-seeking behavior relies on the reconsolidation of context-response-drug associative memories into long-term memory storage following retrieval-induced destabilization. According to previous studies, the basolateral amygdala (BLA) and dorsal hippocampus (DH) regulate cocaine-related memory…

Vagus Nerve Stimulation Reduces Cocaine Seeking and Alters Plasticity in the Extinction Network

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Childs, Jessica E.; DeLeon, Jaime; Nickel, Emily; Kroener, Sven

2017-01-01

Drugs of abuse cause changes in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and associated regions that impair inhibitory control over drug-seeking. Breaking the contingencies between drug-associated cues and the delivery of the reward during extinction learning reduces rates of relapse. Here we used vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) to induce targeted synaptic…

Psychological Help-Seeking Intention among College Students across Three Problem Areas

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hess, Timothy R.; Tracey, Terence J. G.

2013-01-01

The theory of planned behavior (TPB) was used to understand psychological help-seeking intention for 3 common concerns: anxiety or depression, career choice concerns, and alcohol or drug use. Eight hundred eighty-nine university students completed surveys for the TPB variables plus belief in personal efficacy and control to solve the problems.…

Contribution of Dynorphin and Orexin Neuropeptide Systems to the Motivational Effects of Alcohol.

PubMed

Anderson, Rachel I; Moorman, David E; Becker, Howard C

2018-03-11

Understanding the neural systems that drive alcohol motivation and are disrupted in alcohol use disorders is of critical importance in developing novel treatments. The dynorphin and orexin/hypocretin neuropeptide systems are particularly relevant with respect to alcohol use and misuse. Both systems are strongly associated with alcohol-seeking behaviors, particularly in cases of high levels of alcohol use as seen in dependence. Furthermore, both systems also play a role in stress and anxiety, indicating that disruption of these systems may underlie long-term homeostatic dysregulation seen in alcohol use disorders. These systems are also closely interrelated with one another - dynorphin/kappa opioid receptors and orexin/hypocretin receptors are found in similar regions and hypocretin/orexin neurons also express dynorphin - suggesting that these two systems may work together in the regulation of alcohol seeking and may be mutually disrupted in alcohol use disorders. This chapter reviews studies demonstrating a role for each of these systems in motivated behavior, with a focus on their roles in regulating alcohol-seeking and self-administration behaviors. Consideration is also given to evidence indicating that these neuropeptide systems may be viable targets for the development of potential treatments for alcohol use disorders.

The influence of depression on personality traits in patients with fibromyalgia: a case-control study.

PubMed

Santos, Daniela M; Lage, Laís V; Jabur, Eleonora K; Kaziyama, Helena H S; Iosifescu, Dan V; De Lucia, Mara Cristina S; Fráguas, Renério

2017-01-01

We developed this study to investigate the association of fibromyalgia with personality traits, controlling for depression and other potential confounders. We assessed personality traits using the Cloninger's Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI) in 78 female patients with fibromyalgia and in a control group of 78 subjects without fibromyalgia. The Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview was used to assess depression and anxiety diagnoses. To investigate the association between fibromyalgia and the Cloninger's Temperament and Character Inventory we performed unadjusted and adjusted analyses of covariance, using the TCI score as dependent variable and adjusting the model for depression, anxiety and for clinical and socio-demographic variables. We used a backward selection method to choose the final model. In the unadjusted analysis, fibromyalgia was associated with all personality traits, except persistency. After adjusting for depression and anxiety, patients with fibromyalgia presented decreased novelty seeking compared to controls; the differences in other personality traits were no longer significant. Novelty seeking was also correlated with the length of history of fibromyalgia and pain intensity. Decreased novelty seeking may be a personality trait associated with fibromyalgia. Depression and anxiety should be considered potential confounders in the evaluation of personality traits in this population.

Efficacy of an Internet-based depression intervention to improve rates of treatment in adolescent mothers.

PubMed

Cynthia Logsdon, M; Myers, John; Rushton, Jeff; Gregg, Jennifer L; Josephson, Allan M; Davis, Deborah Winders; Brothers, Kyle; Baisch, Kristin; Carabello, Anissa; Vogt, Krista; Jones, Kayla; Angermeier, Jennifer

2018-06-01

Approximately 400,000 adolescents give birth in the USA annually. Although one-half experience depressive symptoms, less than 25% comply with referrals for depression evaluation and treatment. The current study tested the effectiveness of an Internet-based depression intervention on seeking depression treatment. Based upon the theory of planned behavior (TPB), the intervention included vignettes, questions and answers, and resources. Before the intervention, immediately after the intervention, and 2 weeks later the adolescent mothers (n = 151) answered questions related to TPB variables and depression treatment. Data were compared to adolescent mothers (n = 138) in the control group. Data were collected in community organizations or home visits for the control group. Adolescent mothers in the intervention group answered questions and completed the intervention from a computer of their choice. The adolescents were primarily African American (89.2%), less than high school educated (51.7%), had given birth in last year (97.1%), with a mean age 18.2 years. The intervention led to significant changes in attitude, perceived control, intention to seek mental health treatment, and actually seeking depression treatment. Untreated postpartum depression dramatically impacts a mother's relationship with her child, her functioning at work and school, health care-seeking behaviors, mothering skills, and her development as well as the development of her child. An Internet-based depression intervention is an inexpensive method to increase rates of depression treatment.

PADF electromagnetic source localization using extremum seeking control

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Al Issa, Huthaifa A.; Ordóñez, Raúl

2014-10-01

Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) are a significant technology attracting considerable research interest. Recent advances in wireless communications and electronics have enabled the development of low-cost, low-power and multi-functional sensors that are small in size and communicate over short distances. Most WSN applications require knowing or measuring locations of thousands of sensors accurately. For example, sensing data without knowing the sensor location is often meaningless. Locations of sensor nodes are fundamental to providing location stamps, locating and tracking objects, forming clusters, and facilitating routing. This research focused on the modeling and implementation of distributed, mobile radar sensor networks. In particular, we worked on the problem of Position-Adaptive Direction Finding (PADF), to determine the location of a non- collaborative transmitter, possibly hidden within a structure, by using a team of cooperative intelligent sensor networks. Position-Adaptive radar concepts have been formulated and investigated at the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) within the past few years. In this paper, we present the simulation performance analysis on the application aspect. We apply Extremum Seeking Control (ESC) schemes by using the swarm seeking problem, where the goal is to design a control law for each individual sensor that can minimize the error metric by adapting the sensor positions in real-time, thereby minimizing the unknown estimation error. As a result we achieved source seeking and collision avoidance of the entire group of the sensor positions.

"CAN Stop" - Implementation and evaluation of a secondary group prevention for adolescent and young adult cannabis users in various contexts - study protocol

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Current research shows that overall numbers for cannabis use among adolescents and young adults dropped in recent years. However, this trend is much less pronounced in continuous cannabis use. With regard to the heightened risk for detrimental health- and development-related outcomes, adolescents and young adults with continuous cannabis use need special attention. The health services structure for adolescents and young adults with substance related problems in Germany, is multifaceted, because different communal, medical and judicial agencies are involved. This results in a rather decentralized organizational structure of the help system. This and further system-inherent characteristics make the threshold for young cannabis users rather high. Because of this, there is a need to establish evidence-based low-threshold help options for young cannabis users, which can be easily disseminated. Therefore, a training programme for young cannabis users (age 14-21) was developed in the "CAN Stop" project. Within the project, we seek to implement and evaluate the training programme within different institutions of the help system. The evaluation is sensitive to the different help systems and their specific prerequisites. Moreover, within this study, we also test the practicability of a training provision through laypersons. Methods/Design The CAN Stop study is a four-armed randomized wait-list controlled trial. The four arms are needed for the different help system settings, in which the CAN Stop training programme is evaluated: (a) the drug addiction aid and youth welfare system, (b) the out-patient medical system, (c) the in-patient medical system and (d) prisons for juvenile offenders. Data are collected at three points, before and after the training or a treatment as usual, and six months after the end of either intervention. Discussion The CAN Stop study is expected to provide an evidence-based programme for young cannabis users seeking to reduce or quit their cannabis use. Moreover, we seek to gain knowledge about the programme's utility within different settings of the German help system for young cannabis users and information about the settings' specific clientele. The study protocol is discussed with regard to potential difficulties within the different settings. Trial registration ISRCTN: ISRCTN57036983 PMID:21501479

Discriminative stimuli that control instrumental tobacco-seeking by human smokers also command selective attention.

PubMed

Hogarth, Lee; Dickinson, Anthony; Duka, Theodora

2003-08-01

Incentive salience theory states that acquired bias in selective attention for stimuli associated with tobacco-smoke reinforcement controls the selective performance of tobacco-seeking and tobacco-taking behaviour. To support this theory, we assessed whether a stimulus that had acquired control of a tobacco-seeking response in a discrimination procedure would command the focus of visual attention in a subsequent test phase. Smokers received discrimination training in which an instrumental key-press response was followed by tobacco-smoke reinforcement when one visual discriminative stimulus (S+) was present, but not when another stimulus (S-) was present. The skin conductance response to the S+ and S- assessed whether Pavlovian conditioning to the S+ had taken place. In a subsequent test phase, the S+ and S- were presented in the dot-probe task and the allocation of the focus of visual attention to these stimuli was measured. Participants learned to perform the instrumental tobacco-seeking response selectively in the presence of the S+ relative to the S-, and showed a greater skin conductance response to the S+ than the S-. In the subsequent test phase, participants allocated the focus of visual attention to the S+ in preference to the S-. Correlation analysis revealed that the visual attentional bias for the S+ was positively associated with the number of times the S+ had been paired with tobacco-smoke in training, the skin conductance response to the S+ and with subjective craving to smoke. Furthermore, increased exposure to tobacco-smoke in the natural environment was associated with reduced discrimination learning. These data demonstrate that discriminative stimuli that signal that tobacco-smoke reinforcement is available acquire the capacity to command selective attentional and elicit instrumental tobacco-seeking behaviour.

What Matters: Quantity or Quality of Pornography Use? Psychological and Behavioral Factors of Seeking Treatment for Problematic Pornography Use.

PubMed

Gola, Mateusz; Lewczuk, Karol; Skorko, Maciej

2016-05-01

Pornography has become popular with Internet technology. For most people, pornography use (PU) is entertainment; for some, it can result in seeking treatment for out-of-control behavior. Previous studies have suggested that PU can influence sexual behaviors, but the direct relation between frequency of PU and treatment-seeking behaviors has not been examined. To investigate whether individuals seeking treatment as a consequence of their problematic PU do so because of their quantity of pornography consumption or because of more complex psychological and behavioral factors related to PU, such as the severity of negative symptoms associated with PU and/or subjective feeling of loss of control over one's behavior. A survey study was conducted of 569 heterosexual Caucasian men 18 to 68 years old, including 132 seeking treatment for problematic PU (referred by psychotherapists after their initial visit). The main outcome measures were self-reported PU, its negative symptoms, and actual treatment-seeking behavior. We tested models explaining sources of seeking treatment for problematic PU with negative symptoms associated with PU and additional factors (eg, onset and number of years of PU, religiosity, age, dyadic sexual activity, and relationship status). Seeking treatment was significantly, yet weakly, correlated solely with the frequency of PU (r = 0.21, P < .05) and this relation was significantly mediated by negative symptoms associated with PU (strong, nearly full mediation effect size; k(2) = 0.266). The relation between PU and negative symptoms was significant and mediated by self-reported subjective religiosity (weak, partial mediation; k(2) = 0.066) in those not seeking treatment. Onset of PU and age appeared to be insignificant. Our model was fairly fitted (comparative fit index = 0.989; root mean square error of approximation = 0.06; standardized root mean square residual = 0.035) and explained 43% of the variance in treatment-seeking behavior (1% was explained by frequency of PU and 42% was explained by negative symptoms associated with PU). Negative symptoms associated with PU more strongly predict seeking treatment than mere quantity of pornography consumption. Thus, treatment of problematic PU should address qualitative factors, rather than merely mitigating the frequency of the behavior, because frequency of PU might not be a core issue for all patients. Future diagnostic criteria for problematic PU should consider the complexity of this issue. Copyright © 2016 International Society for Sexual Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Rat ultrasonic vocalizations demonstrate that the motivation to contextually reinstate cocaine-seeking behavior does not necessarily involve a hedonic response.

PubMed

Barker, David J; Bercovicz, Danielle; Servilio, Lisa C; Simmons, Steven J; Ma, Sisi; Root, David H; Pawlak, Anthony P; West, Mark O

2014-09-01

Human self-reports often indicate that changes in mood are a major contributor to drug relapse. Still, arguments have been made that instances of drug-seeking following abstinence in animal models (i.e. relapse/reinstatement) may be outside of hedonic control. Therefore, the present study utilized ultrasonic vocalizations in the rat in order to evaluate affect during cocaine self-administration and contextual reinstatement of cocaine-seeking in a pre-clinical model of drug relapse (abstinence-reinstatement model). Results show that while subjects effectively reinstated drug-seeking (lever pressing) following 30 days of abstinence, and spontaneously recovered/reinstated drug-seeking following 60 days of abstinence, ultrasonic vocalizations did not increase over baseline levels during either reinstatement session. These results are consistent with previous results from our laboratory and current theories of addiction suggesting that cues that are weakly associated with drug consumption can motivate drug-seeking behavior that is outside of hedonic processing. © 2013 The Authors, Addiction Biology © 2013 Society for the Study of Addiction.

Gender differences in health care-seeking behavior for sexually transmitted diseases: a population-based study in Nairobi, Kenya.

PubMed

Voeten, Hélène A C M; O'hara, Hilda B; Kusimba, Judith; Otido, Julius M; Ndinya-Achola, Jeckoniah O; Bwayo, Job J; Varkevisser, Corlien M; Habbema, J Dik F

2004-05-01

Health care-seeking behavior for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) is important in STD/HIV control. The goal of this study was to describe the proportion seeking care, patient delay, and choice of provider among men and women with STD-related complaints in Nairobi, Kenya. A population-based questionnaire was administered in 7 randomly selected clusters (small geographic areas covering approximately 150 households each). Of the 291 respondents reporting complaints, 20% of men versus 35% of women did not seek care, mainly because symptoms were not considered severe, symptoms had disappeared, or as a result of lack of money. Of those who sought care, women waited longer than men (41 vs. 16 days). Most men and women went to the private sector (72% and 57%, respectively), whereas the informal sector was rarely visited (13% and 16%, respectively). Relatively more women visited the government sector (28% vs. 15%). Because women were mostly monogamous, they did not relate their complaints to sexual intercourse, which hampered prompt care-seeking. Women should be convinced to seek care promptly, eg, through health education in communities.

A comparison of the test-negative and the traditional case-control study designs for estimation of influenza vaccine effectiveness under nonrandom vaccination.

PubMed

Shi, Meng; An, Qian; Ainslie, Kylie E C; Haber, Michael; Orenstein, Walter A

2017-12-08

As annual influenza vaccination is recommended for all U.S. persons aged 6 months or older, it is unethical to conduct randomized clinical trials to estimate influenza vaccine effectiveness (VE). Observational studies are being increasingly used to estimate VE. We developed a probability model for comparing the bias and the precision of VE estimates from two case-control designs: the traditional case-control (TCC) design and the test-negative (TN) design. In both study designs, acute respiratory illness (ARI) patients seeking medical care testing positive for influenza infection are considered cases. In the TN design, ARI patients seeking medical care who test negative serve as controls, while in the TCC design, controls are randomly selected individuals from the community who did not contract an ARI. Our model assigns each study participant a covariate corresponding to the person's health status. The probabilities of vaccination and of contracting influenza and non-influenza ARI depend on health status. Hence, our model allows non-random vaccination and confounding. In addition, the probability of seeking care for ARI may depend on vaccination and health status. We consider two outcomes of interest: symptomatic influenza (SI) and medically-attended influenza (MAI). If vaccination does not affect the probability of non-influenza ARI, then VE estimates from TN studies usually have smaller bias than estimates from TCC studies. We also found that if vaccinated influenza ARI patients are less likely to seek medical care than unvaccinated patients because the vaccine reduces symptoms' severity, then estimates of VE from both types of studies may be severely biased when the outcome of interest is SI. The bias is not present when the outcome of interest is MAI. The TN design produces valid estimates of VE if (a) vaccination does not affect the probabilities of non-influenza ARI and of seeking care against influenza ARI, and (b) the confounding effects resulting from non-random vaccination are similar for influenza and non-influenza ARI. Since the bias of VE estimates depends on the outcome against which the vaccine is supposed to protect, it is important to specify the outcome of interest when evaluating the bias.

Characterizing the Processes for Navigating Internet Health Information Using Real-Time Observations: A Mixed-Methods Approach.

PubMed

Perez, Susan L; Paterniti, Debora A; Wilson, Machelle; Bell, Robert A; Chan, Man Shan; Villareal, Chloe C; Nguyen, Hien Huy; Kravitz, Richard L

2015-07-20

Little is known about the processes people use to find health-related information on the Internet or the individual characteristics that shape selection of information-seeking approaches. Our aim was to describe the processes by which users navigate the Internet for information about a hypothetical acute illness and to identify individual characteristics predictive of their information-seeking strategies. Study participants were recruited from public settings and agencies. Interested individuals were screened for eligibility using an online questionnaire. Participants listened to one of two clinical scenarios—consistent with influenza or bacterial meningitis—and then conducted an Internet search. Screen-capture video software captured Internet search mouse clicks and keystrokes. Each step of the search was coded as hypothesis testing (etiology), evidence gathering (symptoms), or action/treatment seeking (behavior). The coded steps were used to form a step-by-step pattern of each participant's information-seeking process. A total of 78 Internet health information seekers ranging from 21-35 years of age and who experienced barriers to accessing health care services participated. We identified 27 unique patterns of information seeking, which were grouped into four overarching classifications based on the number of steps taken during the search, whether a pattern consisted of developing a hypothesis and exploring symptoms before ending the search or searching an action/treatment, and whether a pattern ended with action/treatment seeking. Applying dual-processing theory, we categorized the four overarching pattern classifications as either System 1 (41%, 32/78), unconscious, rapid, automatic, and high capacity processing; or System 2 (59%, 46/78), conscious, slow, and deliberative processing. Using multivariate regression, we found that System 2 processing was associated with higher education and younger age. We identified and classified two approaches to processing Internet health information. System 2 processing, a methodical approach, most resembles the strategies for information processing that have been found in other studies to be associated with higher-quality decisions. We conclude that the quality of Internet health-information seeking could be improved through consumer education on methodical Internet navigation strategies and the incorporation of decision aids into health information websites.

Characterizing the Processes for Navigating Internet Health Information Using Real-Time Observations: A Mixed-Methods Approach

PubMed Central

Paterniti, Debora A; Wilson, Machelle; Bell, Robert A; Chan, Man Shan; Villareal, Chloe C; Nguyen, Hien Huy; Kravitz, Richard L

2015-01-01

Background Little is known about the processes people use to find health-related information on the Internet or the individual characteristics that shape selection of information-seeking approaches. Objective Our aim was to describe the processes by which users navigate the Internet for information about a hypothetical acute illness and to identify individual characteristics predictive of their information-seeking strategies. Methods Study participants were recruited from public settings and agencies. Interested individuals were screened for eligibility using an online questionnaire. Participants listened to one of two clinical scenarios—consistent with influenza or bacterial meningitis—and then conducted an Internet search. Screen-capture video software captured Internet search mouse clicks and keystrokes. Each step of the search was coded as hypothesis testing (etiology), evidence gathering (symptoms), or action/treatment seeking (behavior). The coded steps were used to form a step-by-step pattern of each participant’s information-seeking process. A total of 78 Internet health information seekers ranging from 21-35 years of age and who experienced barriers to accessing health care services participated. Results We identified 27 unique patterns of information seeking, which were grouped into four overarching classifications based on the number of steps taken during the search, whether a pattern consisted of developing a hypothesis and exploring symptoms before ending the search or searching an action/treatment, and whether a pattern ended with action/treatment seeking. Applying dual-processing theory, we categorized the four overarching pattern classifications as either System 1 (41%, 32/78), unconscious, rapid, automatic, and high capacity processing; or System 2 (59%, 46/78), conscious, slow, and deliberative processing. Using multivariate regression, we found that System 2 processing was associated with higher education and younger age. Conclusions We identified and classified two approaches to processing Internet health information. System 2 processing, a methodical approach, most resembles the strategies for information processing that have been found in other studies to be associated with higher-quality decisions. We conclude that the quality of Internet health-information seeking could be improved through consumer education on methodical Internet navigation strategies and the incorporation of decision aids into health information websites. PMID:26194787

Symbolic LTL Compilation for Model Checking: Extended Abstract

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rozier, Kristin Y.; Vardi, Moshe Y.

2007-01-01

In Linear Temporal Logic (LTL) model checking, we check LTL formulas representing desired behaviors against a formal model of the system designed to exhibit these behaviors. To accomplish this task, the LTL formulas must be translated into automata [21]. We focus on LTL compilation by investigating LTL satisfiability checking via a reduction to model checking. Having shown that symbolic LTL compilation algorithms are superior to explicit automata construction algorithms for this task [16], we concentrate here on seeking a better symbolic algorithm.We present experimental data comparing algorithmic variations such as normal forms, encoding methods, and variable ordering and examine their effects on performance metrics including processing time and scalability. Safety critical systems, such as air traffic control, life support systems, hazardous environment controls, and automotive control systems, pervade our daily lives, yet testing and simulation alone cannot adequately verify their reliability [3]. Model checking is a promising approach to formal verification for safety critical systems which involves creating a formal mathematical model of the system and translating desired safety properties into a formal specification for this model. The complement of the specification is then checked against the system model. When the model does not satisfy the specification, model-checking tools accompany this negative answer with a counterexample, which points to an inconsistency between the system and the desired behaviors and aids debugging efforts.

Horizontal and vertical integration in hospital laboratories and the laboratory information system.

PubMed

Friedman, B A; Mitchell, W

1990-09-01

An understanding of horizontal and vertical integration and their quasi-integration variants is important for pathologists to formulate a competitive strategy for hospital clinical laboratories. These basic organizational concepts, in turn, are based on the need to establish control over critical laboratory inputs and outputs. The pathologist seeks greater control of mission-critical system inputs and outputs to increase the quality and efficiency of the laboratory operations. The LIS produces horizontal integration of the various hospital laboratories by integrating them vertically. Forward vertical quasi-integration of the laboratories is mediated primarily by the LIS through front-end valued-added features such as reporting of results and creating a long-term on-line test result archive. These features increase the value of the information product of pathology for clinicians and increase the cost of switching to another system. The LIS can also serve as a means for customizing the information product of the laboratories to appeal to new market segments such as hospital administrators.

Dynamics of the line-start reluctance motor with rotor made of SMC material

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smółka, Krzysztof; Gmyrek, Zbigniew

2017-12-01

Design and control of electric motors in such a way as to ensure the expected motor dynamics, are the problems studied for many years. Many researchers tried to solve this problem, for example by the design optimization or by the use of special control algorithms in electronic systems. In the case of low-power and fractional power motors, the manufacture cost of the final product is many times less than cost of electronic system powering them. The authors of this paper attempt to improve the dynamic of 120 W line-start synchronous reluctance motor, energized by 50 Hz mains (without any electronic systems). The authors seek a road enabling improvement of dynamics of the analyzed motor, by changing the shape and material of the rotor, in such a way to minimize the modification cost of the tools necessary for the motor production. After the initial selection, the analysis of four rotors having different tooth shapes, was conducted.

Different types of maximum power point tracking techniques for renewable energy systems: A survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khan, Mohammad Junaid; Shukla, Praveen; Mustafa, Rashid; Chatterji, S.; Mathew, Lini

2016-03-01

Global demand for electricity is increasing while production of energy from fossil fuels is declining and therefore the obvious choice of the clean energy source that is abundant and could provide security for development future is energy from the sun. In this paper, the characteristic of the supply voltage of the photovoltaic generator is nonlinear and exhibits multiple peaks, including many local peaks and a global peak in non-uniform irradiance. To keep global peak, MPPT is the important component of photovoltaic systems. Although many review articles discussed conventional techniques such as P & O, incremental conductance, the correlation ripple control and very few attempts have been made with intelligent MPPT techniques. This document also discusses different algorithms based on fuzzy logic, Ant Colony Optimization, Genetic Algorithm, artificial neural networks, Particle Swarm Optimization Algorithm Firefly, Extremum seeking control method and hybrid methods applied to the monitoring of maximum value of power at point in systems of photovoltaic under changing conditions of irradiance.

Leading Leadership Preparation: 21st Century Designs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Farmer, Tod Allen

2010-01-01

As political accountability and economic reality increasingly influence higher education, many leadership preparation programs are seeking cost effective instructional delivery systems that yield highly effective results. Simultaneously, large numbers of graduate students are seeking quality leadership preparation programs that provide both…

Dynamic performance of maximum power point tracking circuits using sinusoidal extremum seeking control for photovoltaic generation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leyva, R.; Artillan, P.; Cabal, C.; Estibals, B.; Alonso, C.

2011-04-01

The article studies the dynamic performance of a family of maximum power point tracking circuits used for photovoltaic generation. It revisits the sinusoidal extremum seeking control (ESC) technique which can be considered as a particular subgroup of the Perturb and Observe algorithms. The sinusoidal ESC technique consists of adding a small sinusoidal disturbance to the input and processing the perturbed output to drive the operating point at its maximum. The output processing involves a synchronous multiplication and a filtering stage. The filter instance determines the dynamic performance of the MPPT based on sinusoidal ESC principle. The approach uses the well-known root-locus method to give insight about damping degree and settlement time of maximum-seeking waveforms. This article shows the transient waveforms in three different filter instances to illustrate the approach. Finally, an experimental prototype corroborates the dynamic analysis.

Online gaming addiction: the role of sensation seeking, self-control, neuroticism, aggression, state anxiety, and trait anxiety.

PubMed

Mehroof, Mehwash; Griffiths, Mark D

2010-06-01

Research into online gaming has steadily increased over the last decade, although relatively little research has examined the relationship between online gaming addiction and personality factors. This study examined the relationship between a number of personality traits (sensation seeking, self-control, aggression, neuroticism, state anxiety, and trait anxiety) and online gaming addiction. Data were collected over a 1-month period using an opportunity sample of 123 university students at an East Midlands university in the United Kingdom. Gamers completed all the online questionnaires. Results of a multiple linear regression indicated that five traits (neuroticism, sensation seeking, trait anxiety, state anxiety, and aggression) displayed significant associations with online gaming addiction. The study suggests that certain personality traits may be important in the acquisition, development, and maintenance of online gaming addiction, although further research is needed to replicate the findings of the present study.

Temperament and character personality dimensions in patients with dental anxiety.

PubMed

Bergdahl, Maud; Bergdahl, Jan

2003-04-01

The aim of the present study was to investigate character and temperament dimensions of personality in six men and 31 women (aged 20-57 yr) with severe dental anxiety, and to evaluate whether these dimensions were associated with the level of dental anxiety. The Dental Anxiety Scale (DAS) and the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI) were used. High ratings in novelty seeking and female gender predicted high DAS scores. Compared with controls, the patients scored significantly higher on the temperament dimension, novelty seeking. For character dimensions, the patients scored lower on cooperativeness and higher on self-transcendence than controls. Our results indicated that patients with dental anxiety are neurotic extravert (i.e. novelty seekers who experience brief dissociative periods and magical thinking). Furthermore, the combination of the inherited temperament dimension novelty seeking and the social learned character dimension cooperativeness and self-transcendence seem to form a vulnerable personality to develop dental anxiety.

Lay beliefs about the efficacy of self-reliance, seeking help and external control as strategies for overcoming obesity, drug addiction, marital problems, stuttering and insomnia.

PubMed

Furnham, Adrian; McDermott, Mark R

1994-07-01

This study was concerned with peoples' beliefs about the importance of twenty-four different contributors towards overcoming five relatively common personal health problems, namely: obesity, drug addiction, marital difficulties, stuttering and insomnia. One hundred and twenty-two subjects completed a five-page questionnaire indicating how effective each of these contributors were to overcoming the problems as specified. Factor analysis revealed an interpretable structure similar to previous studies (Luk and Bond, 1992): the emerging three factors were labelled ' self-reliance", "seeking help" and "external control". Multiple regression showed that few individual difference variables as measured were related to perceived relevance of the different contributors. The results were discussed in terms of subjects' beliefs concerning the value of self-reliance as opposed to seeking help, and in relation to the importance of understanding lay beliefs about the efficacy of different forms of intervention.

Personality characteristics in surgery seeking and non-surgery seeking obese individuals compared to non-obese controls.

PubMed

Stenbæk, Dea S; Hjordt, Liv V; Haahr, Mette E; Worm, Dorthe; Hansen, Dorthe L; Mortensen, Erik L; Knudsen, Gitte M

2014-12-01

It is currently unknown what makes some obese individuals opt for bariatric surgery whereas others choose not to. The aim of this study was to examine whether personality characteristics differed between obese individuals signed up for Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) (N=30) and obese individuals not seeking RYGB (N=30) compared to non-obese controls (N=30). All participants completed the NEO Personality Inventory-Revised. The obese RYGB group displayed higher levels of Neuroticism and borderline lower levels of Extraversion compared to the obese non-RYGB and the non-obese group, while the two latter groups did not differ in terms of personality. The Neuroticism domain and possibly the Extraversion domain may therefore be worthwhile to consider in future studies investigating the outcome of bariatric surgery. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Approach for Autonomous Control of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Using Intelligent Agents for Knowledge Creation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dufrene, Warren R., Jr.

2004-01-01

This paper describes the development of a planned approach for Autonomous operation of an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). A Hybrid approach will seek to provide Knowledge Generation thru the application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Intelligent Agents (IA) for UAV control. The application of many different types of AI techniques for flight will be explored during this research effort. The research concentration will be directed to the application of different AI methods within the UAV arena. By evaluating AI approaches, which will include Expert Systems, Neural Networks, Intelligent Agents, Fuzzy Logic, and Complex Adaptive Systems, a new insight may be gained into the benefits of AI techniques applied to achieving true autonomous operation of these systems thus providing new intellectual merit to this research field. The major area of discussion will be limited to the UAV. The systems of interest include small aircraft, insects, and miniature aircraft. Although flight systems will be explored, the benefits should apply to many Unmanned Vehicles such as: Rovers, Ocean Explorers, Robots, and autonomous operation systems. The flight system will be broken down into control agents that will represent the intelligent agent approach used in AI. After the completion of a successful approach, a framework of applying a Security Overseer will be added in an attempt to address errors, emergencies, failures, damage, or over dynamic environment. The chosen control problem was the landing phase of UAV operation. The initial results from simulation in FlightGear are presented.

Ionotropic Receptor-dependent moist and dry cells control hygrosensation in Drosophila.

PubMed

Knecht, Zachary A; Silbering, Ana F; Cruz, Joyner; Yang, Ludi; Croset, Vincent; Benton, Richard; Garrity, Paul A

2017-06-16

Insects use hygrosensation (humidity sensing) to avoid desiccation and, in vectors such as mosquitoes, to locate vertebrate hosts. Sensory neurons activated by either dry or moist air ('dry cells' and 'moist cells') have been described in many insects, but their behavioral roles and the molecular basis of their hygrosensitivity remain unclear. We recently reported that Drosophila hygrosensation relies on three Ionotropic Receptors (IRs) required for dry cell function: IR25a, IR93a and IR40a (Knecht et al., 2016). Here, we discover Drosophila moist cells and show that they require IR25a and IR93a together with IR68a, a conserved, but orphan IR. Both IR68a- and IR40a-dependent pathways drive hygrosensory behavior: each is important for dry-seeking by hydrated flies and together they underlie moist-seeking by dehydrated flies. These studies reveal that humidity sensing in Drosophila , and likely other insects, involves the combined activity of two molecularly related but neuronally distinct hygrosensing systems.

The Onset of Puberty: Effects on the Psychophysiology of Defensive and Appetitive Motivation

PubMed Central

Quevedo, Karina; Benning, Stephen D; Gunnar, Megan R; Dahl, Ronald E

2010-01-01

We examined puberty-specific effects on affect-related behavior and on the psychophysiology of defensive and appetitive motivation while controlling for age. Adolescents (N=94, ages=12 and 13 years), viewed 75 pictures (IAPS: pleasant, neutral and aversive) while listening to auditory probes. Startle response and postauricular (PA) reflex were collected as measures of defensive and appetitive motivation respectively. Pubertal status and measures of anxiety/stress reaction and sensation/thrill seeking were obtained. Mid/late pubertal adolescents showed enhanced startle amplitude across all picture valences. A puberty by valence interaction revealed that mid/late pubertal adolescents showed appetitive potentiation of the PA, while pre/early pubertal adolescents showed no modulation of the PA reflex. Mid/late pubertal adolescents also scored significantly higher on measures of sensation/thrill seeking than did their pre/early pubertal peers and puberty moderated the association between psychophysiology and behavioral measures, suggesting that it plays a role in reorganizing defensive and appetitive motivational systems. PMID:19144221

Plausible role for CHW peer support groups in increasing care-seeking in an integrated community case management project in Rwanda: a mixed methods evaluation

PubMed Central

Langston, Anne; Weiss, Jennifer; Landegger, Justine; Pullum, Thomas; Morrow, Melanie; Kabadege, Melene; Mugeni, Catherine; Sarriot, Eric

2014-01-01

ABSTRACT Background: The Kabeho Mwana project (2006–2011) supported the Rwanda Ministry of Health (MOH) in scaling up integrated community case management (iCCM) of childhood illness in 6 of Rwanda's 30 districts. The project trained and equipped community health workers (CHWs) according to national guidelines. In project districts, Kabeho Mwana staff also trained CHWs to conduct household-level health promotion and established supervision and reporting mechanisms through CHW peer support groups (PSGs) and quality improvement systems. Methods: The 2005 and 2010 Demographic and Health Surveys were re-analyzed to evaluate how project and non-project districts differed in terms of care-seeking for fever, diarrhea, and acute respiratory infection symptoms and related indicators. We developed a logit regression model, controlling for the timing of the first CHW training, with the district included as a fixed categorical effect. We also analyzed qualitative data from the final evaluation to examine factors that may have contributed to improved outcomes. Results: While there was notable improvement in care-seeking across all districts, care-seeking from any provider for each of the 3 conditions, and for all 3 combined, increased significantly more in the project districts. CHWs contributed a larger percentage of consultations in project districts (27%) than in non-project districts (12%). Qualitative data suggested that the PSG model was a valuable sub-level of CHW organization associated with improved CHW performance, supervision, and social capital. Conclusions: The iCCM model implemented by Kabeho Mwana resulted in greater improvements in care-seeking than those seen in the rest of the country. Intensive monitoring, collaborative supervision, community mobilization, and CHW PSGs contributed to this success. The PSGs were a unique contribution of the project, playing a critical role in improving care-seeking in project districts. Effective implementation of iCCM should therefore include CHW management and social support mechanisms. Finally, re-analysis of national survey data improved evaluation findings by providing impact estimates. PMID:25276593

Advanced Interactive Display Formats for Terminal Area Traffic Control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Grunwald, Arthur J.; Shaviv, G. E.

1999-01-01

This research project deals with an on-line dynamic method for automated viewing parameter management in perspective displays. Perspective images are optimized such that a human observer will perceive relevant spatial geometrical features with minimal errors. In order to compute the errors at which observers reconstruct spatial features from perspective images, a visual spatial-perception model was formulated. The model was employed as the basis of an optimization scheme aimed at seeking the optimal projection parameter setting. These ideas are implemented in the context of an air traffic control (ATC) application. A concept, referred to as an active display system, was developed. This system uses heuristic rules to identify relevant geometrical features of the three-dimensional air traffic situation. Agile, on-line optimization was achieved by a specially developed and custom-tailored genetic algorithm (GA), which was to deal with the multi-modal characteristics of the objective function and exploit its time-evolving nature.

Update on the Essure System for Permanent Birth Control.

PubMed

Fantasia, Heidi Collins

In 2002, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the Essure system for permanent birth control. Implantation with this device offers a minimally invasive option for permanent female contraception that is placed during a brief office visit. Unlike laparoscopic tubal sterilization, the Essure procedure requires no hospitalization or general anesthesia, resulting in minimal recovery time. After a decade of stability in the report of adverse effects, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration noted a sharp increase in patient-reported adverse events, including chronic pelvic pain, irregular bleeding, allergic reactions, and autoimmune-like reactions. In response to this increase in complaints, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued updated guidelines for patient education and counseling. This article discusses those updates, as well as implications for nurses who provide health care to women seeking permanent contraception. © 2017 AWHONN, the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses.

Standardization of quality control plans for highway bridges in Europe: COST Action TU 1406

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Casas, Joan R.; Matos, Jose Campos e.

2017-09-01

In Europe, as all over the world, the need to manage roadway bridges in an efficient way led to the development of different management systems. Hence, nowadays, many European countries have their own system. Although they present a similar architectural framework, several differences can be appointed. These differences constitute a divergent mechanism that may conduct to different decisions on maintenance actions. Within the roadway bridge management process, the identification of maintenance needs is more effective when developed in a uniform and repeatable manner. This process can be accomplished by the identification of performance indicators and definition of performance goals and key performance indicators (KPI), improving the planning of maintenance strategies. Therefore, a discussion at a European level, seeking to achieve a standardized approach in this subject, will bring significant benefits. Accordingly, a COST Action is under way in Europe with the aim of standardizing the establishment of quality control plans for roadway bridges.

NASA management of the Space Shuttle Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Peters, F.

1975-01-01

The management system and management technology described have been developed to meet stringent cost and schedule constraints of the Space Shuttle Program. Management of resources available to this program requires control and motivation of a large number of efficient creative personnel trained in various technical specialties. This must be done while keeping track of numerous parallel, yet interdependent activities involving different functions, organizations, and products all moving together in accordance with intricate plans for budgets, schedules, performance, and interaction. Some techniques developed to identify problems at an early stage and seek immediate solutions are examined.

The uncompetitive N-methyl-D-aspartate antagonist memantine reduces binge-like eating, food-seeking behavior, and compulsive eating: role of the nucleus accumbens shell.

PubMed

Smith, Karen L; Rao, Rahul R; Velázquez-Sánchez, Clara; Valenza, Marta; Giuliano, Chiara; Everitt, Barry J; Sabino, Valentina; Cottone, Pietro

2015-03-13

Binge-eating disorder is characterized by excessive, uncontrollable consumption of palatable food within brief periods of time. The role of the glutamatergic N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor system in hedonic feeding is poorly understood. The aim of this study was to characterize the effects of the uncompetitive NMDA receptor antagonist memantine on palatable food-induced behavioral adaptations using a rat model, which mimics the characteristic symptomatology observed in binge-eating disorder. For this purpose, we allowed male Wistar rats to respond to obtain a highly palatable, sugary diet (Palatable group) or a regular chow diet (Chow control group), for 1 h a day, under a fixed-ratio 1 (FR1) schedule of reinforcement. Upon stabilization of food responding, we tested the effects of memantine on the Chow and Palatable food groups' intake. Then, we tested the effects of memantine on food-seeking behavior, under a second-order schedule of reinforcement. Furthermore, we investigated the effects of memantine on the intake of food when it was offered in an aversive, bright compartment of a light/dark conflict test. Finally, we evaluated the effects of memantine on FR1 responding for food, when microinfused into the nucleus accumbens (NAcc) shell or core. Memantine dose-dependently decreased binge-like eating and fully blocked food-seeking behavior and compulsive eating, selectively in the Palatable food group. The drug treatment did not affect performance of the control Chow food group. Finally, intra-NAcc shell, but not core, microinfusion of memantine decreased binge-like eating. Together, these findings substantiate a role of memantine as a potential pharmacological treatment for binge-eating disorder.

The Uncompetitive N-methyl-D-Aspartate Antagonist Memantine Reduces Binge-Like Eating, Food-Seeking Behavior, and Compulsive Eating: Role of the Nucleus Accumbens Shell

PubMed Central

Smith, Karen L; Rao, Rahul R; Velázquez-Sánchez, Clara; Valenza, Marta; Giuliano, Chiara; Everitt, Barry J; Sabino, Valentina; Cottone, Pietro

2015-01-01

Binge-eating disorder is characterized by excessive, uncontrollable consumption of palatable food within brief periods of time. The role of the glutamatergic N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor system in hedonic feeding is poorly understood. The aim of this study was to characterize the effects of the uncompetitive NMDA receptor antagonist memantine on palatable food-induced behavioral adaptations using a rat model, which mimics the characteristic symptomatology observed in binge-eating disorder. For this purpose, we allowed male Wistar rats to respond to obtain a highly palatable, sugary diet (Palatable group) or a regular chow diet (Chow control group), for 1 h a day, under a fixed-ratio 1 (FR1) schedule of reinforcement. Upon stabilization of food responding, we tested the effects of memantine on the Chow and Palatable food groups' intake. Then, we tested the effects of memantine on food-seeking behavior, under a second-order schedule of reinforcement. Furthermore, we investigated the effects of memantine on the intake of food when it was offered in an aversive, bright compartment of a light/dark conflict test. Finally, we evaluated the effects of memantine on FR1 responding for food, when microinfused into the nucleus accumbens (NAcc) shell or core. Memantine dose-dependently decreased binge-like eating and fully blocked food-seeking behavior and compulsive eating, selectively in the Palatable food group. The drug treatment did not affect performance of the control Chow food group. Finally, intra-NAcc shell, but not core, microinfusion of memantine decreased binge-like eating. Together, these findings substantiate a role of memantine as a potential pharmacological treatment for binge-eating disorder. PMID:25381776

Social inequalities in self-reported refraining from health care due to financial reasons in Sweden: health care on equal terms?

PubMed

Molarius, Anu; Simonsson, Bo; Lindén-Boström, Margareta; Kalander-Blomqvist, Marina; Feldman, Inna; Eriksson, Hans G

2014-11-29

The main goal of the health care system in Sweden is good health and health care on equal terms for the entire population. This study investigated the existence of social inequalities in refraining from health care due to financial reasons in Sweden. The study is based on 38,536 persons who responded to a survey questionnaire sent to a random sample of men and women aged 18-84 years in 2008 (response rate 59%). The proportion of persons who during the past three months due to financial reasons limited or refrained from seeking health care, purchasing medicine or seeking dental care is reported. The groups were defined by gender, age, country of origin, educational level and employment status. The prevalence of longstanding illness was used to describe morbidity in these groups. Differences between groups were tested with chi-squared statistics and multivariate logistic regression models. In total, 3% reported that they had limited or refrained from seeking health care, 4% from purchasing medicine and 10% from seeking dental care. To refrain from seeking health care was much more common among the unemployed (12%) and those on disability pension (10%) than among employees (2%). It was also more common among young adults and persons born outside the Nordic countries. Similar differences also apply to purchasing medicine and dental care. The odds for refraining from seeking health care, purchasing medicine or seeking dental care due to financial reasons were 2-3 times higher among persons with longstanding illness than among persons with no longstanding illness. There are social inequalities in self-reported refraining from health care due to financial reasons in Sweden even though the absolute levels vary between different types of care. Often those in most need refrain from seeking health care which contradicts the national goal of the health care system. The results suggest that the fare systems of health care and dental care should be revised because they contribute to inequalities in health care.

Peak-Seeking Optimization of Trim for Reduced Fuel Consumption: Flight-Test Results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brown, Nelson Andrew; Schaefer, Jacob Robert

2013-01-01

A peak-seeking control algorithm for real-time trim optimization for reduced fuel consumption has been developed by researchers at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Dryden Flight Research Center to address the goals of the NASA Environmentally Responsible Aviation project to reduce fuel burn and emissions. The peak-seeking control algorithm is based on a steepest-descent algorithm using a time-varying Kalman filter to estimate the gradient of a performance function of fuel flow versus control surface positions. In real-time operation, deflections of symmetric ailerons, trailing-edge flaps, and leading-edge flaps of an F/A-18 airplane (McDonnell Douglas, now The Boeing Company, Chicago, Illinois) are used for optimization of fuel flow. Results from six research flights are presented herein. The optimization algorithm found a trim configuration that required approximately 3 percent less fuel flow than the baseline trim at the same flight condition. The algorithm consistently rediscovered the solution from several initial conditions. These results show that the algorithm has good performance in a relevant environment.

Peak-Seeking Optimization of Trim for Reduced Fuel Consumption: Flight-test Results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brown, Nelson Andrew; Schaefer, Jacob Robert

2013-01-01

A peak-seeking control algorithm for real-time trim optimization for reduced fuel consumption has been developed by researchers at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Dryden Flight Research Center to address the goals of the NASA Environmentally Responsible Aviation project to reduce fuel burn and emissions. The peak-seeking control algorithm is based on a steepest-descent algorithm using a time-varying Kalman filter to estimate the gradient of a performance function of fuel flow versus control surface positions. In real-time operation, deflections of symmetric ailerons, trailing-edge flaps, and leading-edge flaps of an F/A-18 airplane (McDonnell Douglas, now The Boeing Company, Chicago, Illinois) are used for optimization of fuel flow. Results from six research flights are presented herein. The optimization algorithm found a trim configuration that required approximately 3 percent less fuel flow than the baseline trim at the same flight condition. The algorithm consistently rediscovered the solution from several initial conditions. These results show that the algorithm has good performance in a relevant environment.

Market-Based and System-Wide Fuel Cycle Optimization

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

Wilson, Paul Philip Hood; Scopatz, Anthony; Gidden, Matthew

This work introduces automated optimization into fuel cycle simulations in the Cyclus platform. This includes system-level optimizations, seeking a deployment plan that optimizes the performance over the entire transition, and market-level optimization, seeking an optimal set of material trades at each time step. These concepts were introduced in a way that preserves the flexibility of the Cyclus fuel cycle framework, one of its most important design principles.

Bone as an effect compartment : models for uptake and release of drugs.

PubMed

Stepensky, David; Kleinberg, Lilach; Hoffman, Amnon

2003-01-01

"Bone-seeking agents" are drugs characterised by high affinity for bone, and are disposed in bone for prolonged periods of time while maintaining remarkably low systemic concentrations. As a consequence, the bone becomes a reservoir for bone-seeking agents, and a site of both desirable and adverse effects, depending on the pharmacological activities of the specific agent. For some agents, significant systemic effects may also be produced following their prolonged release from bone, a process that is governed mostly by the rate of bone remodelling. This review covers the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic features of bone-seeking agents with different pharmacological properties, including drugs (bisphosphonates, drug-bisphosphonate conjugates, radiopharmaceuticals and fluoride), bone markers (tetracycline, bone imaging agents) and toxins (lead, chromium, aluminium). In addition, drugs that do not possess bone-seeking properties but are used for therapy of bone diseases (such as antibacterials for treatment of osteomyelitis) are discussed, along with targeting of these drugs to the bone by conjugation to bone-seeking agents, local delivery systems, and other approaches. The pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic behaviour of bone-seeking agents is extremely complex due to heterogeneity in bone morphology and physiology. This complexity, accompanied by difficulties in human bone research caused by ethical and other limitations, gave rise to modelling approaches to study bone drug disposition. This review describes the pharmacokinetic models that have been proposed to describe the pharmacokinetic behaviour of bone-seeking agents and predict bone concentrations of these agents for different doses and patient populations. Models of different types (compartmental and physiologically based) and of different complexity have been applied, but their relevance to drug effects in the bone tissue is limited since they describe the behaviour of the "average" drug molecule. Understanding of the cellular and molecular processes responsible for the heterogeneity of bone tissue will provide better comprehension of the influence of microenvironment on drug bone disposition and the resulting pharmacological response.

Improving the Efficacy of Anticancer Drugs via Encapsulation and Acoustic Release.

PubMed

Ahmed, Salma E; Awad, Nahid; Paul, Vinod; Moussa, Hesham G; Husseini, Ghaleb A

2018-06-08

Conventional chemotherapeutics lack the specificity and controllability, thus may poison healthy cells while attempting to kill cancerous ones. Newly developed nano-drug delivery systems have shown promise in delivering anti-tumor agents with enhanced stability, durability and overall performance; especially when used along with targeting and triggering techniques. This work traces back the history of chemotherapy, addressing the main challenges that have encouraged the medical researchers to seek a sanctuary in nanotechnological-based drug delivery systems that are grafted with appropriate targeting techniques and drug release mechanisms. A special focus will be paid towards acoustically triggered liposomes encapsulating doxorubicin. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.