Item Response Theory Modeling and Categorical Regression Analyses of the Five-Factor Model Rating Form: A Study on Italian Community-Dwelling Adolescent Participants and Adult Participants.

Science.gov (United States)

Fossati, Andrea; Widiger, Thomas A; Borroni, Serena; Maffei, Cesare; Somma, Antonella

2017-06-01

To extend the evidence on the reliability and construct validity of the Five-Factor Model Rating Form (FFMRF) in its self-report version, two independent samples of Italian participants, which were composed of 510 adolescent high school students and 457 community-dwelling adults, respectively, were administered the FFMRF in its Italian translation. Adolescent participants were also administered the Italian translation of the Borderline Personality Features Scale for Children-11 (BPFSC-11), whereas adult participants were administered the Italian translation of the Triarchic Psychopathy Measure (TriPM). Cronbach α values were consistent with previous findings; in both samples, average interitem r values indicated acceptable internal consistency for all FFMRF scales. A multidimensional graded item response theory model indicated that the majority of FFMRF items had adequate discrimination parameters; information indices supported the reliability of the FFMRF scales. Both categorical (i.e., item-level) and scale-level regression analyses suggested that the FFMRF scores may predict a nonnegligible amount of variance in the BPFSC-11 total score in adolescent participants, and in the TriPM scale scores in adult participants.

Resemblances of Parents and Twins in Sport Participation and Heart Rate

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Boomsma, D.I.; van den Bree, M.B.; Orlebeke, J.F.; Molenaar, P.C.M.

1989-01-01

A model to analyze resemblances of twins and parents using LISREL is outlined and applied to sports participation and heart-rate data. Sports participation and heart rate were measured in 44 monozygotic and 46 dizygotic adolescent twin pairs and in their parents. Genetic factors influence variation

Estimating the dim light melatonin onset of adolescents within a 6-h sampling window: the impact of sampling rate and threshold method.

Science.gov (United States)

Crowley, Stephanie J; Suh, Christina; Molina, Thomas A; Fogg, Louis F; Sharkey, Katherine M; Carskadon, Mary A

2016-04-01

Circadian rhythm sleep-wake disorders (CRSWDs) often manifest during the adolescent years. Measurement of circadian phase such as the dim light melatonin onset (DLMO) improves diagnosis and treatment of these disorders, but financial and time costs limit the use of DLMO phase assessments in clinic. The current analysis aims to inform a cost-effective and efficient protocol to measure the DLMO in older adolescents by reducing the number of samples and total sampling duration. A total of 66 healthy adolescents (26 males) aged 14.8-17.8 years participated in a study; they were required to sleep on a fixed baseline schedule for a week before which they visited the laboratory for saliva collection in dim light (<20 lux). Two partial 6-h salivary melatonin profiles were derived for each participant. Both profiles began 5 h before bedtime and ended 1 h after bedtime, but one profile was derived from samples taken every 30 min (13 samples) and the other from samples taken every 60 min (seven samples). Three standard thresholds (first three melatonin values mean + 2 SDs, 3 pg/mL, and 4 pg/mL) were used to compute the DLMO. An agreement between DLMOs derived from 30-min and 60-min sampling rates was determined using Bland-Altman analysis; agreement between the sampling rate DLMOs was defined as ± 1 h. Within a 6-h sampling window, 60-min sampling provided DLMO estimates within ± 1 h of DLMO from 30-min sampling, but only when an absolute threshold (3 or 4 pg/mL) was used to compute the DLMO. Future analyses should be extended to include adolescents with CRSWDs. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Associations Between Participant Ratings of PREP for Strong Bonds and Marital Outcomes 1 Year Postintervention.

Science.gov (United States)

Allen, Elizabeth S; Post, Kristina M; Markman, Howard J; Rhoades, Galena K; Stanley, Scott M

2017-07-01

After completing a relationship education program, collecting participant evaluations of the program is common practice. These are generally used as an index of "consumer satisfaction" with the program, with implications for feasibility and quality. Rarely have these ratings been used as predictors of changes in marital quality, although such feedback may be the only data providers collect or have immediate access to when considering the success of their efforts. To better understand the utility of such ratings to predict outcomes, we evaluated links between participant ratings and changes in self-reported marital satisfaction and communication scores one year later for a sample of 191 Army couples who had participated in a relationship education program delivered by Army chaplains (PREP for Strong Bonds). Overall ratings of general satisfaction with the program and the leader did not predict changes in marital outcomes one year later, whereas higher ratings of how much was learned, program helpfulness, increased similarity in outlook regarding Army life, and helpfulness of communication skills training predicted greater change in communication skills one year later. Higher ratings of items reflecting intent to invest more time in the relationship, and increased confidence in constructive communication and working as a team with the spouse predicted greater increases in both marital satisfaction and communication skills one year later. The constructs of intention and confidence (akin to perceived behavioral control) suggest that the Theory of Planned Behavior may be particularly useful when considering which Army couples will show ongoing benefit after relationship education.

Decomposing changes in the aggregate labor force participation rate

OpenAIRE

Hotchkiss, Julie L.

2009-01-01

This paper presents a simple methodology for decomposing changes in the aggregate labor force participation rate (LFPR) over time into demographic group changes in labor force participation behavior and in population share. The purpose is to identify the relative importance of behavioral changes and population changes as driving forces behind changes in the aggregate LFPR.

Learning in later life: participation in formal, non-formal and informal activities in a nationally representative Spanish sample.

Science.gov (United States)

Villar, Feliciano; Celdrán, Montserrat

2013-06-01

This article examines the participation of Spanish older people in formal, non-formal and informal learning activities and presents a profile of participants in each kind of learning activity. We used data from a nationally representative sample of Spanish people between 60 and 75 years old ( n  = 4,703). The data were extracted from the 2007 Encuesta sobre la Participación de la Población Adulta en Actividades de Aprendizaje (EADA, Survey on Adult Population Involvement in Learning Activities). Overall, only 22.8 % of the sample participated in a learning activity. However, there was wide variation in the participation rates for the different types of activity. Informal activities were far more common than formal ones. Multivariate logistic regression indicated that education level and involvement in social and cultural activities were associated with likelihood of participating, regardless of the type of learning activity. When these variables were taken into account, age did not predict decreasing participation, at least in non-formal and informal activities. Implications for further research, future trends and policies to promote older adult education are discussed.

A trial for improving the rate of participation in breast cancer screening

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aki, Fuminori; Ito, Sueyoshi; Kaneko, Akira; Yamakawa, Takashi; Sugimoto, Takeki

2007-01-01

In order to search for a good method of increasing the rate of participation in breast cancer screening, we reviewed our previous records of breast cancer screening carried out by inspection and palpation during the preceding 32-year period. Screening by mammography was started in 2004, and in the following year became employed in all districts of Kochi Prefecture. When mammography screening began, we hoped that the participation rate would be at least 20%, which was the level when breast cancer screening was performed by inspection and palpation. In fact, the participation rate was as high as 27.6% in the period 2004-2005, and the breast cancer detection rate was 0.38%. We think that this high participation rate was achieved through complete transition from screening by inspection and palpation to that by mammography, offering guidance to district health nurses and local government administrative staff, education of the public about the importance of breast self-palpation, and other informative activities. (author)

Evaluation of the stability and validity of participant samples recruited over the Internet.

Science.gov (United States)

Lieberman, Daniel Z

2008-12-01

Research conducted via the Internet has the potential to reach important clinical populations of participants who would not participate in traditional studies. Concerns exist, however, about the validity of samples recruited in this manner, especially when participants are anonymous and never have contact with study staff. This study evaluated two anonymous samples that were recruited over the Internet to test an online program designed to help problem drinkers. The two studies were conducted 3 years apart, and different recruitment strategies were utilized. Despite these differences, the two samples were highly similar in demographic and clinical features. Correlations that have been found between variables in traditional non-anonymous studies were also found in both online samples, supporting the validity of the data that was collected. Appropriate skepticism is required when critically evaluating Internet studies. Nevertheless, the results of this study indicate that it is possible to obtain stable, valid data from anonymous participants over the Internet, even when there are significant differences in the way the participants are obtained.

Labour Force Participation Rates of Older Persons: An International Comparison.

Science.gov (United States)

Clark, Robert L.; Anker, Richard

1990-01-01

Using data from 151 countries, labor force participation of older men and women was analyzed and related to economic, demographic, and policy variables. Reduced participation rates are related to increased income levels, structural changes, social security programs, and, for men, the ratio of older persons to persons of standard working age. (SK)

Female labour participation rates in Norway - trends and cycles

OpenAIRE

Svendsen, Ingvild

1999-01-01

Norwegian female labour participation rates have increased steadily since the beginning of the seventies. This paper address several issues concerning female labour participation series for the period 1972-1997. The main purpose is to identify factors that explain the trend-like increase during the last 25 years and a possible cyclical component that is due to labour market conditions. The resulting relations for women in the age-groups 25-39 years and 40-59 years include long-run effects fro...

Effects of the DRG-based prospective payment system operated by the voluntarily participating providers on the cesarean section rates in Korea.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Kwangsoo; Lee, Sangil

2007-05-01

This study explored the effects of the diagnosis-related group (DRG)-based prospective payment system (PPS) operated by voluntarily participating organizations on the cesarean section (CS) rates, and analyzed whether the participating health care organizations had similar CS rates despite the varied participation periods. The study sample included delivery claims data from the Korean national health insurance program for the year 2003. Risk factors were identified and used in the adjustment model to distinguish the main reason for CS. Their risk-adjusted CS rates were compared by the reimbursement methods, and the organizations' internal and external environments were controlled. The final risk-adjustment model for the CS rates meets the criteria for an effective model. There were no significant differences of CS rates between providers in the DRG and fee-for-service system after controlling for organizational variables. The CS rates did not vary significantly depending on the providers' DRG participation periods. The results provide evidence that the DRG payment system operated by volunteering health care organizations had no impact on the CS rates, which can lower the quality of care. Although the providers joined the DRG system in different years, there were no differences in the CS rates among the DRG providers. These results support the future expansion of the DRG-based PPS plan to all health care services in Korea.

Adaptive Rate Sampling and Filtering Based on Level Crossing Sampling

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Saeed Mian Qaisar

2009-01-01

Full Text Available The recent sophistications in areas of mobile systems and sensor networks demand more and more processing resources. In order to maintain the system autonomy, energy saving is becoming one of the most difficult industrial challenges, in mobile computing. Most of efforts to achieve this goal are focused on improving the embedded systems design and the battery technology, but very few studies target to exploit the input signal time-varying nature. This paper aims to achieve power efficiency by intelligently adapting the processing activity to the input signal local characteristics. It is done by completely rethinking the processing chain, by adopting a non conventional sampling scheme and adaptive rate filtering. The proposed approach, based on the LCSS (Level Crossing Sampling Scheme presents two filtering techniques, able to adapt their sampling rate and filter order by online analyzing the input signal variations. Indeed, the principle is to intelligently exploit the signal local characteristics—which is usually never considered—to filter only the relevant signal parts, by employing the relevant order filters. This idea leads towards a drastic gain in the computational efficiency and hence in the processing power when compared to the classical techniques.

Participation Rate as A Basis for Measuring Food Security Status of Meat

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Tjeppy D Soedjana

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Food security has been developed as way for decision makers to pay more attention to this sector. It is believed that foods which are efficiently produced in one area or country may be accessed by other areas or countries. However, this concept is difficult to be implemented since almost none of countries in the world have all resources to produce what is needed by its people. Food consumption, including beef, would be better measured using participation rate which indicates a cluster of its consumer instead of using all population as a denominator for calculating per capita consumption, except for commodities whose consumer member of its cluster close to 100% of the population. For commodities whose consumers less than 50% of its cluster it is more effective to use the size of the cluster as the denominator. Diversified food consumption of animal origin in Indonesia has been indicated by the fact that it has been naturally established. Animal meat consumption diversification for many reasons is influenced by cultural, preferences or other economic status of the households. This phenomena is also indicated by the magnitude of positive cross price elasticity between beef and mutton, beef and poultry meat, and between poultry meat and fish. Therefore, every effort to push higher consumption of one meat type, will reduce the participation rate of others. Susenas data indicated participation rates for beef and buffalo meat were 26.15% (2002, 21.93% (2005, 16.18% (2008 and 16.16% (2011, while poultry meat had higher participation rate as 65.46% (2002, 63.48% (2005, 57.67% (2008 and 56.98% (2011. Application of participation rate approach on the production of beef and buffalo meat resulted in the annual percapita consumption of 6.71 kg (2002, 10.47 kg (2005, 10.82 kg (2008 and 13.11 kg (2011. It concludes that balanced participation rates of meat components (beef and poultry meat, need to be maintained as the existed diversified meat consumption

Statewide Divorce Rates and Wives' Participation in the Labor Market.

Science.gov (United States)

Yeh, Bijou Y.; Lester, David

1987-01-01

Analyzed the relationship between the participation of married women in the labor market and divorce rates in the continental states of the United States in 1980. Results showed the higher the proportion of married women working full time and the lower the proportion of married women working part time, the higher the divorce rate of the state.…

Study participation rate of patients with acute spinal cord injury early during rehabilitation.

Science.gov (United States)

Krebs, J; Katrin Brust, A; Tesini, S; Guler, M; Mueller, G; Velstra, I M; Frotzler, A

2015-10-01

Retrospective observational study. To investigate the study participation rate of patients with acute spinal cord injury (SCI) early during rehabilitation after conveying preliminary study information. Single SCI rehabilitation center in Switzerland. Newly admitted acute SCI patients receive a flyer to inform them concerning the purpose of clinical research, patient rights and active studies. Upon patient request, detailed study information is given. The rate of patients asking for detailed information (study interest) and the rate of study participation was evaluated from May 2013 to October 2014. Furthermore, the number of patients not withdrawing consent to the utilization of coded health-related data was determined. The flyer was given to 144 of the 183 patients admitted during the observation period. A total of 96 patients (67%) were interested in receiving detailed information, and 71 patients (49%) finally participated in at least one study. The vast majority of patients (that is, 91%) did not withdraw consent for retrospective data analysis. An age over 60 years had a significantly (P⩽0.023) negative effect on study interest and participation, and the consent rate to retrospective data analysis was significantly (Pinterest and participation were reduced more than 5 and 14-fold, respectively, in patients older than 60 years. The relatively low (approximately 50%) study participation rates of acute SCI patients should be considered when planning clinical trials. The recruitment of patients older than 60 years may be reduced substantially.

Emigration Rates From Sample Surveys: An Application to Senegal.

Science.gov (United States)

Willekens, Frans; Zinn, Sabine; Leuchter, Matthias

2017-12-01

What is the emigration rate of a country, and how reliable is that figure? Answering these questions is not at all straightforward. Most data on international migration are census data on foreign-born population. These migrant stock data describe the immigrant population in destination countries but offer limited information on the rate at which people leave their country of origin. The emigration rate depends on the number leaving in a given period and the population at risk of leaving, weighted by the duration at risk. Emigration surveys provide a useful data source for estimating emigration rates, provided that the estimation method accounts for sample design. In this study, emigration rates and confidence intervals are estimated from a sample survey of households in the Dakar region in Senegal, which was part of the Migration between Africa and Europe survey. The sample was a stratified two-stage sample with oversampling of households with members abroad or return migrants. A combination of methods of survival analysis (time-to-event data) and replication variance estimation (bootstrapping) yields emigration rates and design-consistent confidence intervals that are representative for the study population.

New Approach Based on Compressive Sampling for Sample Rate Enhancement in DASs for Low-Cost Sensing Nodes

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Francesco Bonavolontà

2014-10-01

Full Text Available The paper deals with the problem of improving the maximum sample rate of analog-to-digital converters (ADCs included in low cost wireless sensing nodes. To this aim, the authors propose an efficient acquisition strategy based on the combined use of high-resolution time-basis and compressive sampling. In particular, the high-resolution time-basis is adopted to provide a proper sequence of random sampling instants, and a suitable software procedure, based on compressive sampling approach, is exploited to reconstruct the signal of interest from the acquired samples. Thanks to the proposed strategy, the effective sample rate of the reconstructed signal can be as high as the frequency of the considered time-basis, thus significantly improving the inherent ADC sample rate. Several tests are carried out in simulated and real conditions to assess the performance of the proposed acquisition strategy in terms of reconstruction error. In particular, the results obtained in experimental tests with ADC included in actual 8- and 32-bits microcontrollers highlight the possibility of achieving effective sample rate up to 50 times higher than that of the original ADC sample rate.

Likelihood inference of non-constant diversification rates with incomplete taxon sampling.

Science.gov (United States)

Höhna, Sebastian

2014-01-01

Large-scale phylogenies provide a valuable source to study background diversification rates and investigate if the rates have changed over time. Unfortunately most large-scale, dated phylogenies are sparsely sampled (fewer than 5% of the described species) and taxon sampling is not uniform. Instead, taxa are frequently sampled to obtain at least one representative per subgroup (e.g. family) and thus to maximize diversity (diversified sampling). So far, such complications have been ignored, potentially biasing the conclusions that have been reached. In this study I derive the likelihood of a birth-death process with non-constant (time-dependent) diversification rates and diversified taxon sampling. Using simulations I test if the true parameters and the sampling method can be recovered when the trees are small or medium sized (fewer than 200 taxa). The results show that the diversification rates can be inferred and the estimates are unbiased for large trees but are biased for small trees (fewer than 50 taxa). Furthermore, model selection by means of Akaike's Information Criterion favors the true model if the true rates differ sufficiently from alternative models (e.g. the birth-death model is recovered if the extinction rate is large and compared to a pure-birth model). Finally, I applied six different diversification rate models--ranging from a constant-rate pure birth process to a decreasing speciation rate birth-death process but excluding any rate shift models--on three large-scale empirical phylogenies (ants, mammals and snakes with respectively 149, 164 and 41 sampled species). All three phylogenies were constructed by diversified taxon sampling, as stated by the authors. However only the snake phylogeny supported diversified taxon sampling. Moreover, a parametric bootstrap test revealed that none of the tested models provided a good fit to the observed data. The model assumptions, such as homogeneous rates across species or no rate shifts, appear to be

[Factors affecting the participation rates in epidemiologic surveys].

Science.gov (United States)

Deng, R Z; Jiao, W; Mu, L G; Chen, K; Li, G; Huang, W; Wang, R X; Tan, S R

2017-10-10

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the response in health-related epidemiological investigation among Chinese population aged 15 and over. We analyzed the specific causes of non-response, and explored the effective ways to improve the response rate, so as to provide reference for future epidemiological studies of this kind. Methods: Two modes of studies regarding the prevalence of important cardiovascular diseases were used in Chongqing, during the 12(th) Five-Year Plan period in oder to find out the cause related to non-response. Intervention programs were carried out to evaluate the effects. Results: When using the concentrated mode (CM), the completion rate to the questionnaires was only 20.00 % in the pre-investigation, with the response rate as 13.48 % . In the deconcentrated mode (DM), the completion rate was 31.16 % , with the response rate as 25.19 % . After a series of incentives provided to both the respondents and the project-related core staff in the two modes, response rates of the two modes increased to the expected 60 % . Conclusions: CM appeared having advantages on quality control, but was more time consuming, with higher cost, and without effective follow-up measures to improve the response rate. However, DM had the advantages on controlling the cost and could increase the response rate through making advanced appointment with the households but quality control remained difficult. Two key points should be strengthened to improve the response rates, which including: Precisely finding out the research objects and providing incentives to the respondents to attract their interests of participating in the investigation.

Rate-distortion optimization for compressive video sampling

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Ying; Vijayanagar, Krishna R.; Kim, Joohee

2014-05-01

The recently introduced compressed sensing (CS) framework enables low complexity video acquisition via sub- Nyquist rate sampling. In practice, the resulting CS samples are quantized and indexed by finitely many bits (bit-depth) for transmission. In applications where the bit-budget for video transmission is constrained, rate- distortion optimization (RDO) is essential for quality video reconstruction. In this work, we develop a double-level RDO scheme for compressive video sampling, where frame-level RDO is performed by adaptively allocating the fixed bit-budget per frame to each video block based on block-sparsity, and block-level RDO is performed by modelling the block reconstruction peak-signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR) as a quadratic function of quantization bit-depth. The optimal bit-depth and the number of CS samples are then obtained by setting the first derivative of the function to zero. In the experimental studies the model parameters are initialized with a small set of training data, which are then updated with local information in the model testing stage. Simulation results presented herein show that the proposed double-level RDO significantly enhances the reconstruction quality for a bit-budget constrained CS video transmission system.

Evaluation of the DSM-5 severity ratings for anorexia nervosa in a clinical sample.

Science.gov (United States)

Dakanalis, Antonios; Alix Timko, C; Colmegna, Fabrizia; Riva, Giuseppe; Clerici, Massimo

2018-04-01

We examined the validity and utility of the DSM-5 severity ratings for anorexia nervosa (AN) in a clinical (treatment-seeking) sample (N = 273; 95.6% women). Participants classified with mild, moderate, severe, and extreme severity of AN based on their measured body mass index, differed significantly from each other in eating disorder features, putative maintenance factors, and illness-specific functional impairment (medium effect sizes). However, they were statistically indistinguishable in psychiatric-disorder comorbidity and distress, demographics, and age-of-AN onset. The implications of our findings, providing limited support for the DSM-5 severity ratings for AN, and directions for future research are outlined. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Likelihood inference of non-constant diversification rates with incomplete taxon sampling.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sebastian Höhna

Full Text Available Large-scale phylogenies provide a valuable source to study background diversification rates and investigate if the rates have changed over time. Unfortunately most large-scale, dated phylogenies are sparsely sampled (fewer than 5% of the described species and taxon sampling is not uniform. Instead, taxa are frequently sampled to obtain at least one representative per subgroup (e.g. family and thus to maximize diversity (diversified sampling. So far, such complications have been ignored, potentially biasing the conclusions that have been reached. In this study I derive the likelihood of a birth-death process with non-constant (time-dependent diversification rates and diversified taxon sampling. Using simulations I test if the true parameters and the sampling method can be recovered when the trees are small or medium sized (fewer than 200 taxa. The results show that the diversification rates can be inferred and the estimates are unbiased for large trees but are biased for small trees (fewer than 50 taxa. Furthermore, model selection by means of Akaike's Information Criterion favors the true model if the true rates differ sufficiently from alternative models (e.g. the birth-death model is recovered if the extinction rate is large and compared to a pure-birth model. Finally, I applied six different diversification rate models--ranging from a constant-rate pure birth process to a decreasing speciation rate birth-death process but excluding any rate shift models--on three large-scale empirical phylogenies (ants, mammals and snakes with respectively 149, 164 and 41 sampled species. All three phylogenies were constructed by diversified taxon sampling, as stated by the authors. However only the snake phylogeny supported diversified taxon sampling. Moreover, a parametric bootstrap test revealed that none of the tested models provided a good fit to the observed data. The model assumptions, such as homogeneous rates across species or no rate shifts, appear

Postsecondary Participation Rates by Sex and Race/Ethnicity: 1974-2003. Issue Brief. NCES 2005-028

Science.gov (United States)

Hudson, Lisa; Aquilino, Sally; Kienzl, Greg

2005-01-01

This Issue Brief examines participation in postsecondary education among women and men and among different racial/ethnic groups, from 1974 to 2003. Participation rates are defined here as the proportion of 18- to 24-year-olds who are enrolled in or have completed postsecondary education. Over this time period, the participation rates of young…

Self-rated health in relation to rape and mental health disorders in a national sample of women.

Science.gov (United States)

Amstadter, Ananda B; McCauley, Jenna L; Ruggiero, Kenneth J; Resnick, Heidi S; Kilpatrick, Dean G

2011-04-01

Overall health status is associated with long-term physical morbidity and mortality. Existing research on the correlates of mental health effects of rape suggests that rape victims are at higher risk for poor overall health status. Little is known, however, about how different rape tactics may relate to health status in rape victims. Our aim was to examine prevalence and correlates of self-rated health in a community sample of women, with particular emphasis on lifetime rape history (distinguishing between rape tactics), psychopathology, and substance use outcomes. A nationally representative sample of 3,001 U.S. women (age range: 18-86 years) residing in households with a telephone participated in a structured telephone interview. Poor self-rated health was endorsed by 11.4% of the sample. Final multivariable models showed that poor self-rated health was associated with older age (pdepressive episode (MDE; p=.01), and history of forcible rape (p=.01). Self-rated health was associated with three potentially modifiable variables (forcible rape, PTSD, and MDE). Therefore, trauma-focused interventions for rape victims should include collaboration on treatment or prevention modules that specifically address both mental and physical health. © 2011 American Orthopsychiatric Association.

Drinking game participation and outcomes in a sample of Australian university students.

Science.gov (United States)

George, Amanda M; Zamboanga, Byron L

2018-05-15

Most drinking game (DG) research among university students has been conducted among USA college samples. The extent to which demographics and game type (e.g. team and sculling games) are linked to DG behaviours/consequences among non-USA students is not well understood. As such, the current study investigated characteristics of DG participation (and associated outcomes) among a sample of Australian university students. University students (N = 252; aged 18-24 years; 67% female) who had consumed alcohol in the prior year completed an online survey. Measures included demographics, DG behaviours (lifetime, frequency and consumption) and gaming-specific consequences. Most of the students reported lifetime DG participation (85%). Among those who played a DG in the prior 6 months (69%), most had experienced a negative gaming-specific consequence. While team games were the most popular DG played, regression analysis demonstrated that participation in games which encouraged consumption (e.g. sculling) were associated with increased alcohol consumption during play. In addition to being older, playing DGs more frequently, and consuming more alcohol while playing, participation in both consumption and dice games (e.g. 7-11, doubles) predicted more negative gaming-specific consequences. DG participation is common among Australian university students, as it is in other parts of the world. The importance of game type is clear, particularly the risk of consumption games. Findings could help inform interventions to reduce participation in consumption games and identify students who might be especially at-risk for experiencing negative DG consequences. © 2018 Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs.

The Pennsylvania certified safety committee program: an evaluation of participation and effects on work injury rates.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Hangsheng; Burns, Rachel M; Schaefer, Agnes G; Ruder, Teague; Nelson, Christopher; Haviland, Amelia M; Gray, Wayne B; Mendeloff, John

2010-08-01

Since 1994, Pennsylvania, like several other states, has provided a 5% discount on workers' compensation insurance premiums for firms with a certified joint labor management safety committee. This study explored the factors affecting program participation and evaluated the effect of this program on work injuries. Using Pennsylvania unemployment insurance data (1996-2006), workers' compensation data (1998-2005), and the safety committee audit data (1999-2007), we conducted propensity score matching and regression analysis on the program's impact on injury rates. Larger firms, firms with higher injury rates, firms in high risk industries, and firms without labor unions were more likely to join the safety committee program and less likely to drop out of the program. The injury rates of participants did not decline more than the rates for non-participants; however, rates at participant firms with good compliance dropped more than the rates at participant firms with poor compliance. Firm size and prior injury rates are key predictors of program participation. Firms that complied with the requirement to train their safety committee members did experience reductions in injuries, but non-compliance with that and other requirements was so widespread that no overall impact of the program could be detected. Copyright 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Estimating the encounter rate variance in distance sampling

Science.gov (United States)

Fewster, R.M.; Buckland, S.T.; Burnham, K.P.; Borchers, D.L.; Jupp, P.E.; Laake, J.L.; Thomas, L.

2009-01-01

The dominant source of variance in line transect sampling is usually the encounter rate variance. Systematic survey designs are often used to reduce the true variability among different realizations of the design, but estimating the variance is difficult and estimators typically approximate the variance by treating the design as a simple random sample of lines. We explore the properties of different encounter rate variance estimators under random and systematic designs. We show that a design-based variance estimator improves upon the model-based estimator of Buckland et al. (2001, Introduction to Distance Sampling. Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 79) when transects are positioned at random. However, if populations exhibit strong spatial trends, both estimators can have substantial positive bias under systematic designs. We show that poststratification is effective in reducing this bias. ?? 2008, The International Biometric Society.

Web-Face-to-Face Mixed-Mode Design in a Longitudinal Survey: Effects on Participation Rates, Sample Composition, and Costs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bianchi Annamaria

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Sequential mixed-mode designs are increasingly considered as an alternative to interviewer-administered data collection, allowing researchers to take advantage of the benefits of each mode. We assess the effects of the introduction of a sequential web-face-to-face mixed-mode design over three waves of a longitudinal survey in which members were previously interviewed face-to-face. Findings are reported from a large-scale randomised experiment carried out on the UK Household Longitudinal Study. No differences are found between the mixed-mode design and face-to-face design in terms of cumulative response rates and only minimal differences in terms of sample composition. On the other hand, potential cost savings are evident.

Endogenous trade participation with incomplete exchange rate pass-through

OpenAIRE

Imura, Yuko

2013-01-01

This paper investigates the implications of endogenous trade participation for international business cycles, trade flow dynamics and exchange rate pass-through when price adjustments are staggered across firms. I develop a two-country dynamic stochastic general equilibrium model wherein firms make state-dependent decisions on entry and exit in the export market and the frequency of price adjustment is time-dependent. Consistent with recent empirical findings, producers of traded goods in thi...

Effects of population based screening for Chlamydia infections in the Netherlands limited by declining participation rates.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Boris V Schmid

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: A large trial to investigate the effectiveness of population based screening for chlamydia infections was conducted in the Netherlands in 2008-2012. The trial was register based and consisted of four rounds of screening of women and men in the age groups 16-29 years in three regions in the Netherlands. Data were collected on participation rates and positivity rates per round. A modeling study was conducted to project screening effects for various screening strategies into the future. METHODS AND FINDINGS: We used a stochastic network simulation model incorporating partnership formation and dissolution, aging and a sexual life course perspective. Trends in baseline rates of chlamydia testing and treatment were used to describe the epidemiological situation before the start of the screening program. Data on participation rates was used to describe screening uptake in rural and urban areas. Simulations were used to project the effectiveness of screening on chlamydia prevalence for a time period of 10 years. In addition, we tested alternative screening strategies, such as including only women, targeting different age groups, and biennial screening. Screening reduced prevalence by about 1% in the first two screening rounds and leveled off after that. Extrapolating observed participation rates into the future indicated very low participation in the long run. Alternative strategies only marginally changed the effectiveness of screening. Higher participation rates as originally foreseen in the program would have succeeded in reducing chlamydia prevalence to very low levels in the long run. CONCLUSIONS: Decreasing participation rates over time profoundly impact the effectiveness of population based screening for chlamydia infections. Using data from several consecutive rounds of screening in a simulation model enabled us to assess the future effectiveness of screening on prevalence. If participation rates cannot be kept at a sufficient level

Accurate determination of rates from non-uniformly sampled relaxation data

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stetz, Matthew A.; Wand, A. Joshua, E-mail: wand@upenn.edu [University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Johnson Research Foundation and Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics (United States)

2016-08-15

The application of non-uniform sampling (NUS) to relaxation experiments traditionally used to characterize the fast internal motion of proteins is quantitatively examined. Experimentally acquired Poisson-gap sampled data reconstructed with iterative soft thresholding are compared to regular sequentially sampled (RSS) data. Using ubiquitin as a model system, it is shown that 25 % sampling is sufficient for the determination of quantitatively accurate relaxation rates. When the sampling density is fixed at 25 %, the accuracy of rates is shown to increase sharply with the total number of sampled points until eventually converging near the inherent reproducibility of the experiment. Perhaps contrary to some expectations, it is found that accurate peak height reconstruction is not required for the determination of accurate rates. Instead, inaccuracies in rates arise from inconsistencies in reconstruction across the relaxation series that primarily manifest as a non-linearity in the recovered peak height. This indicates that the performance of an NUS relaxation experiment cannot be predicted from comparison of peak heights using a single RSS reference spectrum. The generality of these findings was assessed using three alternative reconstruction algorithms, eight different relaxation measurements, and three additional proteins that exhibit varying degrees of spectral complexity. From these data, it is revealed that non-linearity in peak height reconstruction across the relaxation series is strongly correlated with errors in NUS-derived relaxation rates. Importantly, it is shown that this correlation can be exploited to reliably predict the performance of an NUS-relaxation experiment by using three or more RSS reference planes from the relaxation series. The RSS reference time points can also serve to provide estimates of the uncertainty of the sampled intensity, which for a typical relaxation times series incurs no penalty in total acquisition time.

Participation rate of farmers in different multifunctional activities in the Netherlands

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hassink, Jan; Agricola, Herman; Thissen, Jac

2016-01-01

In this article, we present the findings from a study into the relationships between socio demographic, economic, and geographical characteristics of farm holdings and their participation rate in multifunctional activities. Recreation, nature management, care, and education services are most

How participants report their health status: cognitive interviews of self-rated health across race/ethnicity, gender, age, and educational attainment.

Science.gov (United States)

Garbarski, Dana; Dykema, Jennifer; Croes, Kenneth D; Edwards, Dorothy F

2017-10-04

Self-rated health (SRH) is widely used to measure subjective health. Yet it is unclear what underlies health ratings, with implications for understanding the validity of SRH overall and across sociodemographic characteristics. We analyze participants' explanations of how they formulated their SRH answer in addition to which health factors they considered and examine group differences in these processes. Cognitive interviews were conducted with 64 participants in a convenience quota sample crossing dimensions of race/ethnicity (white, Latino, black, American Indian), gender, age, and education. Participants rated their health then described their thoughts when answering SRH. We coded participants' answers in an inductive, iterative, and systematic process from interview transcripts, developing analytic categories (i.e., themes) and subdimensions within. We examined whether the presence of each dimension of an analytic category varied across sociodemographic groups. Our qualitative analysis led to the identification and classification of various subdimensions of the following analytic categories: types of health factors mentioned, valence of health factors, temporality of health factors, conditional health statements, and descriptions and definitions of health. We found differences across groups in some types of health factors mentioned-corresponding, conflicting, or novel with respect to prior research. Furthermore, we also documented various processes through which respondents integrate seemingly disparate health factors to formulate an answer through valence and conditional health statements. Finally, we found some evidence of sociodemographic group differences with respect to types of health factors mentioned, valence of health factors, and conditional health statements, highlighting avenues for future research. This study provides a description of how participants rate their general health status and highlights potential differences in these processes across

Labour force participation rates at the regional and national levels of the European Union : An integrated analysis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Elhorst, J. Paul; Zeilstra, Annette S.

This study investigates the causes of variation in regional labour force participation rates in a cross-country perspective. A microeconomic framework of the tabour force participation decision is aggregated across individuals to obtain an explanatory rnodel of regional participation rates in which

Are Well-Informed Potential Trial Participants More Likely to Participate?

Science.gov (United States)

de Oliveira, Lucas Lentini Herling; Vissoci, Joao Ricardo Nickenig; Machado, Wagner de Lara; Rodrigues, Clarissa G; Limkakeng, Alexander T

2017-12-01

Bearing in mind the importance of the informed consent, flaws in this process may be a barrier to participants' recruitment. Our objective was to determine the relationship between the degree of comprehension of the informed consent document plus the importance given to individual elements by potential participants of a hypothetical trial and their willingness to participate in such trials. We performed an Online Survey simulating an emergency department trial recruitment, posteriorly evaluating participants' ratings of importance and self-assessed comprehension of specific topics of the informed consent document. Only 10% of the sample read the entire document. Some specific topics were associated with willingness to participate in the hypothetical trial, but simple composite additive scores of comprehension and importance were not. We concluded that participants in general do not read the entire informed consent document and that importance given to specific topics may influence willingness to participate.

Effects of data sampling rate on image quality in fan-beam-CT system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iwata, Akira; Yamagishi, Nobutoshi; Suzumura, Nobuo; Horiba, Isao.

1984-01-01

Investigation was made into the relationship between spatial resolution or artifacts and data sampling rate in order to pursue the causes of the degradation of CT image quality by computer simulation. First the generation of projection data and reconstruction calculating process are described, and then the results are shown about the relation between angular sampling interval and spatical resolution or artifacts, and about the relation between projection data sampling interval and spatial resolution or artifacts. It was clarified that the formulation of the relationship between spatial resolution and data sampling rate performed so far for parallel X-ray beam was able to be applied to fan beam. As a conclusion, when other reconstruction parameters are the same in fan beam CT systems, spatial resolution can be determined by projection data sampling rate rather than angular sampling rate. The mechanism of artifact generation due to the insufficient number of angular samples was made clear. It was also made clear that there was a definite relationship among measuring region, angular sampling rate and projection data sampling rate, and the amount of artifacts depending upon projection data sampling rate was proportional to the amount of spatial frequency components (Aliasing components) of a test object above the Nyquist frequency of projection data. (Wakatsuki, Y.)

Accounting for short samples and heterogeneous experience in rating crop insurance

Science.gov (United States)

Julia I. Borman; Barry K. Goodwin; Keith H. Cobel; Thomas O. Knight; Rod Rejesus

2013-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to be an academic inquiry into rating issues confronted by the US Federal Crop Insurance program stemming from changes in participation rates as well as the weighting of data to reflect longer-run weather patterns.

Community participation and mental health during retirement in community sample of Australians.

Science.gov (United States)

Olesen, Sarah C; Berry, Helen L

2011-03-01

This study considered whether community participation during later adulthood is more strongly associated with mental health during retirement than it is while in employment; i.e. in the absence of paid work. Participants were 322 men and 311 women aged 45 years and older, who were part of a random sample of an Australian coastal community. The frequency of participation across 14 types of community-based activities was assessed. Overall mental health was measured on a 10-item Kessler Psychological Distress Scale. Linear regression models tested the multivariate associations between distress and community participation, and whether this association differed for retired and working people. Retirees did not participate in their communities more than working people. The association between community participation and psychological distress did not differ by retirement status when people of all ages were considered together; however, stronger associations between several activities and (less) distress were found for retirees compared to their working peers in a younger cohort (aged 45 to 54). This cohort coincides with the average age of transition to retirement in Australia. These findings offer some support for the view that community participation may assist in managing the mental health implications of the transition from work to retirement.

Participation rate or informed choice? Rethinking the European key performance indicators for mammography screening.

Science.gov (United States)

Strech, Daniel

2014-03-01

Despite the intensive controversies about the likelihood of benefits and harms of mammography screening almost all experts conclude that the choice to screen or not to screen needs to be made by the individual patient who is adequately informed. However, the "European guideline for quality assurance in breast cancer screening and diagnosis" specifies a participation rate of 70% as the key performance indicator for mammography screening. This paper argues that neither the existing evidence on benefits and harms, nor survey research with women, nor compliance rates in clinical trials, nor cost-effectiveness ratios justify participation rates as a reasonable performance indicator for preference-sensitive condition such as mammography screening. In contrast, an informed choice rate would be more reasonable. Further research needs to address the practical challenges in assessing informed choice rates. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Compressive Sampling of EEG Signals with Finite Rate of Innovation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Poh Kok-Kiong

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Analyses of electroencephalographic signals and subsequent diagnoses can only be done effectively on long term recordings that preserve the signals' morphologies. Currently, electroencephalographic signals are obtained at Nyquist rate or higher, thus introducing redundancies. Existing compression methods remove these redundancies, thereby achieving compression. We propose an alternative compression scheme based on a sampling theory developed for signals with a finite rate of innovation (FRI which compresses electroencephalographic signals during acquisition. We model the signals as FRI signals and then sample them at their rate of innovation. The signals are thus effectively represented by a small set of Fourier coefficients corresponding to the signals' rate of innovation. Using the FRI theory, original signals can be reconstructed using this set of coefficients. Seventy-two hours of electroencephalographic recording are tested and results based on metrices used in compression literature and morphological similarities of electroencephalographic signals are presented. The proposed method achieves results comparable to that of wavelet compression methods, achieving low reconstruction errors while preserving the morphologiies of the signals. More importantly, it introduces a new framework to acquire electroencephalographic signals at their rate of innovation, thus entailing a less costly low-rate sampling device that does not waste precious computational resources.

Self-rated health and sickness-related absence: the modifying role of civic participation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lancee, B.; ter Hoeven, C.L.

2010-01-01

In this study, we examined civic participation as an effect modifier between self-rated health and absence from work. Building on the theoretical framework of social exchange, we use German data to test a conceptual model relating self-rated health to sickness-related absence, as well as the

34 CFR 668.47 - Report on athletic program participation rates and financial support data.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... program participation rates and financial support data. (a) Applicability. This section applies to a co-educational institution of higher education that— (1) Participates in any title IV, HEA program; and (2) Has... expenses, salaries and benefits, supplies, travel, and any other expenses attributable to intercollegiate...

Sport participation motives of young Brazilian judo athletes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dartagnan Pinto Guedes

2015-03-01

Full Text Available The objective of this study was to identify the motives for sport participation in a sample of young judo athletes according to sex, age, and training history. A total of 392 subjects aged 12 to 18 years old participated in the study. Portuguese version of the Participation Motivation Questionnaire was used to identify motives for sports participation. Boys reported giving significantly more importance to sports participation in terms of Competition and Skill Development, whereas girls presented significantly higher ratings for Teamwork and Friendship. Motivational factors related to Achievement/Status and Fun presented significantly higher average ratings in younger judo athletes, whereas average ratings of Competition significantly increased with increasing age. Average ratings related to Fitness, Competition and Skill Development were proportionally and significantly higher according to training experience and training volume. These results will contribute to establishing intervention programs designed to reduce sport dropout rates among young judo athletes.

Self-sampling to increase participation in cervical cancer screening: an RCT comparing home mailing, distribution in pharmacies, and recall letter.

Science.gov (United States)

Giorgi Rossi, P; Fortunato, C; Barbarino, P; Boveri, S; Caroli, S; Del Mistro, A; Ferro, A; Giammaria, C; Manfredi, M; Moretto, T; Pasquini, A; Sideri, M; Tufi, M C; Cogo, C; Altobelli, E

2015-02-17

We performed a multicentre randomised controlled trial to evaluate the effect on participation in organised screening programmes of a self-sampling device mailed home or picked up at a pharmacy compared with the standard recall letter. Women aged 30-64 non-responding to screening invitation were eligible. Response rate to first invitation ranged from 30% to 60% between centres. The control was the standard reminder letter to undergo the test used by the programme (Pap test in three centres and HPV DNA test in three other centres). Home mailing of the self-sampler was preceded by a letter with a leaflet about HPV. The analysis was intention-to-treat. In all, 14 041 women were randomised and recruited: 5012 in the control arm, 4516 to receive the self-sampler at home, and 4513 to pick up the self-sampler at a pharmacy. Participation was 11.9% in the control, 21.6% (relative participation: 1.75; 95% CI 1.60-1.93) in home, and 12.0% (relative participation: 0.96; 95% CI 0.86-1.07) in the pharmacy arms, respectively. The heterogeneity between centres was high (excess heterogeneity of that expected due to chance, i.e., I(2), 94.9% and 94.1% for home and pharmacy arm, respectively). The estimated impact on the overall coverage was +4.3% for home mail self-sampling compared with +2.2% for standard reminder. Home mailing of self-sampler proved to be an effective way to increase participation in screening programmes, even in those with HPV as primary testing. Picking up at pharmacies showed effects varying from centre to centre.

Data-driven soft sensor design with multiple-rate sampled data

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lin, Bao; Recke, Bodil; Knudsen, Jørgen K.H.

2007-01-01

Multi-rate systems are common in industrial processes where quality measurements have slower sampling rate than other process variables. Since inter-sample information is desirable for effective quality control, different approaches have been reported to estimate the quality between samples......, including numerical interpolation, polynomial transformation, data lifting and weighted partial least squares (WPLS). Two modifications to the original data lifting approach are proposed in this paper: reformulating the extraction of a fast model as an optimization problem and ensuring the desired model...... properties through Tikhonov Regularization. A comparative investigation of the four approaches is performed in this paper. Their applicability, accuracy and robustness to process noise are evaluated on a single-input single output (SISO) system. The regularized data lifting and WPLS approaches...

Supernova rates from the SUDARE VST-Omegacam search II. Rates in a galaxy sample

Science.gov (United States)

Botticella, M. T.; Cappellaro, E.; Greggio, L.; Pignata, G.; Della Valle, M.; Grado, A.; Limatola, L.; Baruffolo, A.; Benetti, S.; Bufano, F.; Capaccioli, M.; Cascone, E.; Covone, G.; De Cicco, D.; Falocco, S.; Haeussler, B.; Harutyunyan, V.; Jarvis, M.; Marchetti, L.; Napolitano, N. R.; Paolillo, M.; Pastorello, A.; Radovich, M.; Schipani, P.; Tomasella, L.; Turatto, M.; Vaccari, M.

2017-02-01

Aims: This is the second paper of a series in which we present measurements of the supernova (SN) rates from the SUDARE survey. The aim of this survey is to constrain the core collapse (CC) and Type Ia SN progenitors by analysing the dependence of their explosion rate on the properties of the parent stellar population averaging over a population of galaxies with different ages in a cosmic volume and in a galaxy sample. In this paper, we study the trend of the SN rates with the intrinsic colours, the star formation activity and the masses of the parent galaxies. To constrain the SN progenitors we compare the observed rates with model predictions assuming four progenitor models for SNe Ia with different distribution functions of the time intervals between the formation of the progenitor and the explosion, and a mass range of 8-40 M⊙ for CC SN progenitors. Methods: We considered a galaxy sample of approximately 130 000 galaxies and a SN sample of approximately 50 events. The wealth of photometric information for our galaxy sample allows us to apply the spectral energy distribution (SED) fitting technique to estimate the intrinsic rest frame colours, the stellar mass and star formation rate (SFR) for each galaxy in the sample. The galaxies have been separated into star-forming and quiescent galaxies, exploiting both the rest frame U-V vs. V-J colour-colour diagram and the best fit values of the specific star formation rate (sSFR) from the SED fitting. Results: We found that the SN Ia rate per unit mass is higher by a factor of six in the star-forming galaxies with respect to the passive galaxies, identified as such both on the U-V vs. V-J colour-colour diagram and for their sSFR. The SN Ia rate per unit mass is also higher in the less massive galaxies that are also younger. These results suggest a distribution of the delay times (DTD) less populated at long delay times than at short delays. The CC SN rate per unit mass is proportional to both the sSFR and the galaxy

A project for increasing the rate of participation in mammographic breast cancer screening in Kyoto prefecture to 50%

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakajima, Hiroo; Fujiwara, Ikuya; Mizuta, Naruhiko; Sakaguchi, Koichi; Hachimine, Yasushi; Kageyama, Norio; Sawai, Kiyoshi; Nishida, Naoko

2007-01-01

The rate of participation in breast cancer screening carried out by inspection and palpation associated with mammography in Kyoto Prefecture has been still low. In order to decrease the rate of breast cancer death, a high rate of screening participation must be achieved. We have organized the Kyoto Executive Committee of Pink Ribbon Activity aiming at the goal of achieving a 50% rate of participation in mammography screening by the end of 2010, and undertaken the following campaign activities: performing free screening, distribution and display of posters and leaflets about breast cancer screening, cooperation with various media to spread educational and informative messages, cooperation with a commercial institute in Kyoto City to distribute useful information, performing free breast cancer screening, and holding public lecture meetings, distribution of leaflets at student festivals at universities and colleges in Kyoto, and holding a ''Pink Ribbon symposium'' in a cosponsored company. All the above projects were performed successfully and many participants attended. We will continue these activities until the 50% participation rate is achieved. (author)

Dose Rate Calculations for Rotary Mode Core Sampling Exhauster

CERN Document Server

Foust, D J

2000-01-01

This document provides the calculated estimated dose rates for three external locations on the Rotary Mode Core Sampling (RMCS) exhauster HEPA filter housing, per the request of Characterization Field Engineering.

Dose Rate Calculations for Rotary Mode Core Sampling Exhauster

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

FOUST, D.J.

2000-01-01

This document provides the calculated estimated dose rates for three external locations on the Rotary Mode Core Sampling (RMCS) exhauster HEPA filter housing, per the request of Characterization Field Engineering

Predictors of Citation Rate in Psychology: Inconclusive Influence of Effect and Sample Size.

Science.gov (United States)

Hanel, Paul H P; Haase, Jennifer

2017-01-01

In the present article, we investigate predictors of how often a scientific article is cited. Specifically, we focus on the influence of two often neglected predictors of citation rate: effect size and sample size, using samples from two psychological topical areas. Both can be considered as indicators of the importance of an article and post hoc (or observed) statistical power, and should, especially in applied fields, predict citation rates. In Study 1, effect size did not have an influence on citation rates across a topical area, both with and without controlling for numerous variables that have been previously linked to citation rates. In contrast, sample size predicted citation rates, but only while controlling for other variables. In Study 2, sample and partly effect sizes predicted citation rates, indicating that the relations vary even between scientific topical areas. Statistically significant results had more citations in Study 2 but not in Study 1. The results indicate that the importance (or power) of scientific findings may not be as strongly related to citation rate as is generally assumed.

Self-rated health in relation to rape and mental health disorders in a national sample of college women.

Science.gov (United States)

Zinzow, Heidi M; Amstadter, Ananda B; McCauley, Jenna L; Ruggiero, Kenneth J; Resnick, Heidi S; Kilpatrick, Dean G

2011-01-01

The purpose of this study was to employ a multivariate approach to examine the correlates of self-rated health in a college sample of women, with particular emphasis on sexual assault history and related mental health outcomes. A national sample of 2,000 female college students participated in a structured phone interview between January and June 2006. Interview modules assessed demographics, posttraumatic stress disorder, major depressive episode, substance use, rape experiences, and physical health. Logistic regression analyses showed that poor self-rated health was associated with low income (odds ratio [OR] = 2.70), lifetime posttraumatic stress disorder (OR = 2.47), lifetime major depressive episode (OR = 2.56), past year illicit drug use (OR = 2.48), and multiple rape history (OR = 2.25). These findings highlight the need for university mental health and medical service providers to assess for rape history, and to diagnose and treat related psychiatric problems in order to reduce physical morbidity.

[The impact of a verbal consent form on the participation rate in a telephone survey].

Science.gov (United States)

Jacques, Christian; Ladouceur, Robert; Fournier, Patricia-Maude; Baillargeon, Lucie

2009-03-01

To assess the impact of a consent form on the participation rate in a telephone survey about gambling and money. Four different consent forms were tested. The first consent form globally met the academic ethics committee requirements, while the second and third forms excluded some elements. Finally, the fourth form was similar to the introduction generally used by private survey firms. Even when the consent form required by academic ethics committees was shortened, the private firm introduction led to the best participation rate. However, participants who received the private firm introduction indicated that they wished they had been better informed before the interview started. The discussion highlights the delicate situation of academic research wishing to meet ethics requirements as well as conduct valid and representative research.

Determination of alpha-dose rates and chronostratigraphical study of travertine samples

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oufni, L.; University Moulay Ismail, Errachidia; Misdaq, M.A.; Boudad, L.; Kabiri, L.

2001-01-01

Uranium and thorium contents in different layers of stratigraphical sedimentary deposits have been evaluated by using LR-115 type II and CR-39 solid state nuclear track detectors (SSNTD). A method has been developed for determining the alpha-dose rates of the sedimentary travertine samples. Using the U/Th dating method, we succeeded in age dating carbonated level sampled in the sedimentary deposits. Correlation between the stratigraphy, alpha-dose rates and age has been investigated. (author)

Applicability of the ICD-11 proposal for PTSD: a comparison of prevalence and comorbidity rates with the DSM-IV PTSD classification in two post-conflict samples.

Science.gov (United States)

Stammel, Nadine; Abbing, Eva M; Heeke, Carina; Knaevelsrud, Christine

2015-01-01

The World Health Organization recently proposed significant changes to the posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) diagnostic criteria in the 11th edition of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11). The present study investigated the impact of these changes in two different post-conflict samples. Prevalence and rates of concurrent depression and anxiety, socio-demographic characteristics, and indicators of clinical severity according to ICD-11 in 1,075 Cambodian and 453 Colombian civilians exposed to civil war and genocide were compared to those according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV). Results indicated significantly lower prevalence rates under the ICD-11 proposal (8.1% Cambodian sample and 44.4% Colombian sample) compared to the DSM-IV (11.2% Cambodian sample and 55.0% Colombian sample). Participants meeting a PTSD diagnosis only under the ICD-11 proposal had significantly lower rates of concurrent depression and a lower concurrent total score (depression and anxiety) compared to participants meeting only DSM-IV diagnostic criteria. There were no significant differences in socio-demographic characteristics and indicators of clinical severity between these two groups. The lower prevalence of PTSD according to the ICD-11 proposal in our samples of persons exposed to a high number of traumatic events may counter criticism of previous PTSD classifications to overuse the PTSD diagnosis in populations exposed to extreme stressors. Also another goal, to better distinguish PTSD from comorbid disorders could be supported with our data.

Annual change in the rate of participation in breast cancer screening through active encouragement of sports participation. A survey of women participants at the annual meetings of the Pink Ribbon Ladies' Tennis Tournament organized by the Japan Women's Tennis Players' League

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shimada, Naoko; Nozue; Etsuko; Fukuda, Mamoru; Sawai, Kiyoshi; Kasumi, Fujio

2007-01-01

In March 2002, an initial attempt was made to decrease breast cancer mortality by the Japan Society of Breast Health, by means of encouraging participation in sports. This was followed by other similar events. The present study was designed to examine whether these kinds of sport-associated events are actually effective for increasing the screening participation rate. We hoped that the results would reveal practical ways of organizing such programs. One of these activities, the All Japan Women's Tennis Players' League, has called for amateur players to participate in an annual meeting of the Pink Ribbon Ladies' Tennis Tournament since 2003. A survey of their knowledge about breast cancer and their will to participate in breast cancer screening has been carried out annually in 2003, 2004 and 2005, by asking the participants to respond to our questionnaires. As a result, the number of participants has increased: from 7,201 women in 2003, to 7,846 in 2004 and to 8,572 in 2005. The questionnaires included items about participation in breast cancer screening, performance of self-examination, and participation in mammography screening. The participation rate increased year by year. The participation rate at mammography screening was 21% in 2003, and this increased to 26% in 2005. Thus this kind of sports event appears to promote knowledge about breast cancer screening and to increase the participation rate. On the other hand, it was found that the rate of self-examination decreased from 53% to 22%. Therefore problems that need to be addressed in the future include not only increasing women's motivation to undergo screening, but also the selection of appropriate screening methods, their combination, and distribution of accurate information. (author)

Low participation rates amongst Asian women: implications for research in reproductive medicine.

Science.gov (United States)

Talaulikar, V S; Hussain, S; Perera, A; Manyonda, I T

2014-03-01

The last two decades have witnessed tremendous advances in the field of reproductive medicine, especially assisted reproductive technology and stem cell research. As research continues in future, it is vital to ensure that individuals from all ethnic backgrounds are represented in the study populations so that the findings of the research can be generalised for the benefit of all. Many studies, however, have noted a trend of low participation rates amongst Asian women in reproductive research. Inequalities in the ethnicity of research participants can be a source of substantial bias, and have major ethical and scientific ramifications. Several factors such as educational status, fear of wrong-doing, communication barriers, and socio-cultural beliefs have been suggested to play a role. There is a need for further exploration of the factors influencing Asian women's decision to accept or decline participation in reproductive research and for development of effective targeted strategies for research recruitment with the aim of encouraging research participation as well as donation of cryopreserved embryos or other reproductive tissues. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

How participants report their health status: cognitive interviews of self-rated health across race/ethnicity, gender, age, and educational attainment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dana Garbarski

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Self-rated health (SRH is widely used to measure subjective health. Yet it is unclear what underlies health ratings, with implications for understanding the validity of SRH overall and across sociodemographic characteristics. We analyze participants’ explanations of how they formulated their SRH answer in addition to which health factors they considered and examine group differences in these processes. Methods Cognitive interviews were conducted with 64 participants in a convenience quota sample crossing dimensions of race/ethnicity (white, Latino, black, American Indian, gender, age, and education. Participants rated their health then described their thoughts when answering SRH. We coded participants’ answers in an inductive, iterative, and systematic process from interview transcripts, developing analytic categories (i.e., themes and subdimensions within. We examined whether the presence of each dimension of an analytic category varied across sociodemographic groups. Results Our qualitative analysis led to the identification and classification of various subdimensions of the following analytic categories: types of health factors mentioned, valence of health factors, temporality of health factors, conditional health statements, and descriptions and definitions of health. We found differences across groups in some types of health factors mentioned—corresponding, conflicting, or novel with respect to prior research. Furthermore, we also documented various processes through which respondents integrate seemingly disparate health factors to formulate an answer through valence and conditional health statements. Finally, we found some evidence of sociodemographic group differences with respect to types of health factors mentioned, valence of health factors, and conditional health statements, highlighting avenues for future research. Conclusion This study provides a description of how participants rate their general health

Low-sampling-rate ultra-wideband channel estimation using a bounded-data-uncertainty approach

KAUST Repository

Ballal, Tarig

2014-01-01

This paper proposes a low-sampling-rate scheme for ultra-wideband channel estimation. In the proposed scheme, P pulses are transmitted to produce P observations. These observations are exploited to produce channel impulse response estimates at a desired sampling rate, while the ADC operates at a rate that is P times less. To avoid loss of fidelity, the interpulse interval, given in units of sampling periods of the desired rate, is restricted to be co-prime with P. This condition is affected when clock drift is present and the transmitted pulse locations change. To handle this situation and to achieve good performance without using prior information, we derive an improved estimator based on the bounded data uncertainty (BDU) model. This estimator is shown to be related to the Bayesian linear minimum mean squared error (LMMSE) estimator. The performance of the proposed sub-sampling scheme was tested in conjunction with the new estimator. It is shown that high reduction in sampling rate can be achieved. The proposed estimator outperforms the least squares estimator in most cases; while in the high SNR regime, it also outperforms the LMMSE estimator. © 2014 IEEE.

The Impact of Soil Sampling Errors on Variable Rate Fertilization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

R. L. Hoskinson; R C. Rope; L G. Blackwood; R D. Lee; R K. Fink

2004-07-01

Variable rate fertilization of an agricultural field is done taking into account spatial variability in the soil’s characteristics. Most often, spatial variability in the soil’s fertility is the primary characteristic used to determine the differences in fertilizers applied from one point to the next. For several years the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) has been developing a Decision Support System for Agriculture (DSS4Ag) to determine the economically optimum recipe of various fertilizers to apply at each site in a field, based on existing soil fertility at the site, predicted yield of the crop that would result (and a predicted harvest-time market price), and the current costs and compositions of the fertilizers to be applied. Typically, soil is sampled at selected points within a field, the soil samples are analyzed in a lab, and the lab-measured soil fertility of the point samples is used for spatial interpolation, in some statistical manner, to determine the soil fertility at all other points in the field. Then a decision tool determines the fertilizers to apply at each point. Our research was conducted to measure the impact on the variable rate fertilization recipe caused by variability in the measurement of the soil’s fertility at the sampling points. The variability could be laboratory analytical errors or errors from variation in the sample collection method. The results show that for many of the fertility parameters, laboratory measurement error variance exceeds the estimated variability of the fertility measure across grid locations. These errors resulted in DSS4Ag fertilizer recipe recommended application rates that differed by up to 138 pounds of urea per acre, with half the field differing by more than 57 pounds of urea per acre. For potash the difference in application rate was up to 895 pounds per acre and over half the field differed by more than 242 pounds of potash per acre. Urea and potash differences

User Participation and Honesty in Online Rating Systems: What a Social Network Can Do

OpenAIRE

Davoust, Alan; Esfandiari, Babak

2016-01-01

An important problem with online communities in general, and online rating systems in particular, is uncooperative behavior: lack of user participation, dishonest contributions. This may be due to an incentive structure akin to a Prisoners' Dilemma (PD). We show that introducing an explicit social network to PD games fosters cooperative behavior, and use this insight to design a new aggregation technique for online rating systems. Using a dataset of ratings from Yelp, we show that our aggrega...

Bloodstream infection rates in outpatient hemodialysis facilities participating in a collaborative prevention effort: a quality improvement report.

Science.gov (United States)

Patel, Priti R; Yi, Sarah H; Booth, Stephanie; Bren, Virginia; Downham, Gemma; Hess, Sally; Kelley, Karen; Lincoln, Mary; Morrissette, Kathy; Lindberg, Curt; Jernigan, John A; Kallen, Alexander J

2013-08-01

Bloodstream infections (BSIs) cause substantial morbidity in hemodialysis patients. In 2009, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) sponsored a collaborative project to prevent BSIs in outpatient hemodialysis facilities. We sought to assess the impact of a set of interventions on BSI and access-related BSI rates in participating facilities using data reported to the CDC's National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN). Quality improvement project. Patients in 17 outpatient hemodialysis facilities that volunteered to participate. Facilities reported monthly event and denominator data to NHSN, received guidance from the CDC, and implemented an evidence-based intervention package that included chlorhexidine use for catheter exit-site care, staff training and competency assessments focused on catheter care and aseptic technique, hand hygiene and vascular access care audits, and feedback of infection and adherence rates to staff. Crude and modeled BSI and access-related BSI rates. Up to 12 months of preintervention (January 2009 through December 2009) and 15 months of intervention period (January 2010 through March 2011) data from participating centers were analyzed. Segmented regression analysis was used to assess changes in BSI and access-related BSI rates during the preintervention and intervention periods. Most (65%) participating facilities were hospital based. Pooled mean BSI and access-related BSI rates were 1.09 and 0.73 events per 100 patient-months during the preintervention period and 0.89 and 0.42 events per 100 patient-months during the intervention period, respectively. Modeled rates decreased 32% (P = 0.01) for BSIs and 54% (P facilities were not representative of all outpatient hemodialysis centers nationally. There was no control arm to this quality improvement project. Facilities participating in a collaborative successfully decreased their BSI and access-related BSI rates. The decreased rates appeared to be maintained in the intervention

Effects of sample size on estimates of population growth rates calculated with matrix models.

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Ian J Fiske

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Matrix models are widely used to study the dynamics and demography of populations. An important but overlooked issue is how the number of individuals sampled influences estimates of the population growth rate (lambda calculated with matrix models. Even unbiased estimates of vital rates do not ensure unbiased estimates of lambda-Jensen's Inequality implies that even when the estimates of the vital rates are accurate, small sample sizes lead to biased estimates of lambda due to increased sampling variance. We investigated if sampling variability and the distribution of sampling effort among size classes lead to biases in estimates of lambda. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Using data from a long-term field study of plant demography, we simulated the effects of sampling variance by drawing vital rates and calculating lambda for increasingly larger populations drawn from a total population of 3842 plants. We then compared these estimates of lambda with those based on the entire population and calculated the resulting bias. Finally, we conducted a review of the literature to determine the sample sizes typically used when parameterizing matrix models used to study plant demography. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: We found significant bias at small sample sizes when survival was low (survival = 0.5, and that sampling with a more-realistic inverse J-shaped population structure exacerbated this bias. However our simulations also demonstrate that these biases rapidly become negligible with increasing sample sizes or as survival increases. For many of the sample sizes used in demographic studies, matrix models are probably robust to the biases resulting from sampling variance of vital rates. However, this conclusion may depend on the structure of populations or the distribution of sampling effort in ways that are unexplored. We suggest more intensive sampling of populations when individual survival is low and greater sampling of stages with high

Effects of sample size on estimates of population growth rates calculated with matrix models.

Science.gov (United States)

Fiske, Ian J; Bruna, Emilio M; Bolker, Benjamin M

2008-08-28

Matrix models are widely used to study the dynamics and demography of populations. An important but overlooked issue is how the number of individuals sampled influences estimates of the population growth rate (lambda) calculated with matrix models. Even unbiased estimates of vital rates do not ensure unbiased estimates of lambda-Jensen's Inequality implies that even when the estimates of the vital rates are accurate, small sample sizes lead to biased estimates of lambda due to increased sampling variance. We investigated if sampling variability and the distribution of sampling effort among size classes lead to biases in estimates of lambda. Using data from a long-term field study of plant demography, we simulated the effects of sampling variance by drawing vital rates and calculating lambda for increasingly larger populations drawn from a total population of 3842 plants. We then compared these estimates of lambda with those based on the entire population and calculated the resulting bias. Finally, we conducted a review of the literature to determine the sample sizes typically used when parameterizing matrix models used to study plant demography. We found significant bias at small sample sizes when survival was low (survival = 0.5), and that sampling with a more-realistic inverse J-shaped population structure exacerbated this bias. However our simulations also demonstrate that these biases rapidly become negligible with increasing sample sizes or as survival increases. For many of the sample sizes used in demographic studies, matrix models are probably robust to the biases resulting from sampling variance of vital rates. However, this conclusion may depend on the structure of populations or the distribution of sampling effort in ways that are unexplored. We suggest more intensive sampling of populations when individual survival is low and greater sampling of stages with high elasticities.

Can smartphones measure momentary quality of life and participation? A proof of concept using experience sampling surveys with university students.

Science.gov (United States)

Liddle, Jacki; Wishink, Anna; Springfield, Liz; Gustafsson, Louise; Ireland, David; Silburn, Peter

2017-08-01

Understanding quality of life and participation is a key aspect of occupational therapy research. The use of smartphones to deliver experience-sampling surveys may provide an accessible way to monitor these outcomes. This study used smartphone-based experience sampling methods (ESM) to investigate factors influencing momentary quality of life (mQOL) of university students. A convenience sample of students at an Australian university participated. Using a custom smartphone application, ESM surveys were sent six to eight times, every second day, over a week. Participants indicated their mQOL, occupational participation, occupational enjoyment, social context and location via surveys and provided demographic and health information in a single self-report questionnaire. The relationship between mQOL and variables was analysed at the survey level using logistic regression. Forty students completed 391 surveys. Higher mQOL was significantly related to participation in productive occupations (z = 3.48; P = 0.001), moderate (z = 4.00; P sample, analysing at the individual level, and using ESM in conjunction with other methodologies is recommended. © 2017 Occupational Therapy Australia.

Applicability of the ICD-11 proposal for PTSD: a comparison of prevalence and comorbidity rates with the DSM-IV PTSD classification in two post-conflict samples

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Nadine Stammel

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Background: The World Health Organization recently proposed significant changes to the posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD diagnostic criteria in the 11th edition of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11. Objective: The present study investigated the impact of these changes in two different post-conflict samples. Method: Prevalence and rates of concurrent depression and anxiety, socio-demographic characteristics, and indicators of clinical severity according to ICD-11 in 1,075 Cambodian and 453 Colombian civilians exposed to civil war and genocide were compared to those according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV. Results: Results indicated significantly lower prevalence rates under the ICD-11 proposal (8.1% Cambodian sample and 44.4% Colombian sample compared to the DSM-IV (11.2% Cambodian sample and 55.0% Colombian sample. Participants meeting a PTSD diagnosis only under the ICD-11 proposal had significantly lower rates of concurrent depression and a lower concurrent total score (depression and anxiety compared to participants meeting only DSM-IV diagnostic criteria. There were no significant differences in socio-demographic characteristics and indicators of clinical severity between these two groups. Conclusions: The lower prevalence of PTSD according to the ICD-11 proposal in our samples of persons exposed to a high number of traumatic events may counter criticism of previous PTSD classifications to overuse the PTSD diagnosis in populations exposed to extreme stressors. Also another goal, to better distinguish PTSD from comorbid disorders could be supported with our data.

Effects of systematic sampling on satellite estimates of deforestation rates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Steininger, M K; Godoy, F; Harper, G

2009-01-01

Options for satellite monitoring of deforestation rates over large areas include the use of sampling. Sampling may reduce the cost of monitoring but is also a source of error in estimates of areas and rates. A common sampling approach is systematic sampling, in which sample units of a constant size are distributed in some regular manner, such as a grid. The proposed approach for the 2010 Forest Resources Assessment (FRA) of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is a systematic sample of 10 km wide squares at every 1 deg. intersection of latitude and longitude. We assessed the outcome of this and other systematic samples for estimating deforestation at national, sub-national and continental levels. The study is based on digital data on deforestation patterns for the five Amazonian countries outside Brazil plus the Brazilian Amazon. We tested these schemes by varying sample-unit size and frequency. We calculated two estimates of sampling error. First we calculated the standard errors, based on the size, variance and covariance of the samples, and from this calculated the 95% confidence intervals (CI). Second, we calculated the actual errors, based on the difference between the sample-based estimates and the estimates from the full-coverage maps. At the continental level, the 1 deg., 10 km scheme had a CI of 21% and an actual error of 8%. At the national level, this scheme had CIs of 126% for Ecuador and up to 67% for other countries. At this level, increasing sampling density to every 0.25 deg. produced a CI of 32% for Ecuador and CIs of up to 25% for other countries, with only Brazil having a CI of less than 10%. Actual errors were within the limits of the CIs in all but two of the 56 cases. Actual errors were half or less of the CIs in all but eight of these cases. These results indicate that the FRA 2010 should have CIs of smaller than or close to 10% at the continental level. However, systematic sampling at the national level yields large CIs unless the

Method of measuring the disinteration rate of beta-emitting radionuclide in a liquid sample

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Horrocks, D.L.

1977-01-01

A method of measuring the disintegration rate of a beta-emitting radionuclide in a liquid sample by counting at least two differently quenched versions of the sample is described. In each counting operation the sample is counted in the presence of and in the absence of a standard radioactive source. A pulse height (PH) corresponding to a unique point on the pulse height spectrum generated in the presence of the standard is determined. A zero threshold sample count rate (CPM) is derived by counting the sample once in a counting window having a zero threshold lower limit. Normalized values of the measured pulse heights (PH) are developed and correlated with the corresponding pulse counts (CPM) to determine the pulse count for a normalized pulse height value of zero and hence the sample disintegration rate

Influence of heart rate in nonlinear HRV indices as a sampling rate effect evaluated on supine and standing

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Juan Bolea

2016-11-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study is to characterize and attenuate the influence of mean heart rate (HR on nonlinear heart rate variability (HRV indices (correlation dimension, sample and approximate entropy as a consequence of being the HR the intrinsic sampling rate of HRV signal. This influence can notably alter nonlinear HRV indices and lead to biased information regarding autonomic nervous system (ANS modulation.First, a simulation study was carried out to characterize the dependence of nonlinear HRV indices on HR assuming similar ANS modulation. Second, two HR-correction approaches were proposed: one based on regression formulas and another one based on interpolating RR time series. Finally, standard and HR-corrected HRV indices were studied in a body position change database.The simulation study showed the HR-dependence of non-linear indices as a sampling rate effect, as well as the ability of the proposed HR-corrections to attenuate mean HR influence. Analysis in a body position changes database shows that correlation dimension was reduced around 21% in median values in standing with respect to supine position (p < 0.05, concomitant with a 28% increase in mean HR (p < 0.05. After HR-correction, correlation dimension decreased around 18% in standing with respect to supine position, being the decrease still significant. Sample and approximate entropy showed similar trends.HR-corrected nonlinear HRV indices could represent an improvement in their applicability as markers of ANS modulation when mean HR changes.

Effects of test method and participant musical training on preference ratings of stimuli with different reverberation times.

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Lawless, Martin S; Vigeant, Michelle C

2017-10-01

Selecting an appropriate listening test design for concert hall research depends on several factors, including listening test method and participant critical-listening experience. Although expert listeners afford more reliable data, their perceptions may not be broadly representative. The present paper contains two studies that examined the validity and reliability of the data obtained from two listening test methods, a successive and a comparative method, and two types of participants, musicians and non-musicians. Participants rated their overall preference of auralizations generated from eight concert hall conditions with a range of reverberation times (0.0-7.2 s). Study 1, with 34 participants, assessed the two methods. The comparative method yielded similar results and reliability as the successive method. Additionally, the comparative method was rated as less difficult and more preferable. For study 2, an additional 37 participants rated the stimuli using the comparative method only. An analysis of variance of the responses from both studies revealed that musicians are better than non-musicians at discerning their preferences across stimuli. This result was confirmed with a k-means clustering analysis on the entire dataset that revealed five preference groups. Four groups exhibited clear preferences to the stimuli, while the fifth group, predominantly comprising non-musicians, demonstrated no clear preference.

DEVELOPING AN EXCELLENT SEDIMENT RATING CURVE FROM ONE HYDROLOGICAL YEAR SAMPLING PROGRAMME DATA: APPROACH

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Preksedis M. Ndomba

2008-01-01

Full Text Available This paper presents preliminary findings on the adequacy of one hydrological year sampling programme data in developing an excellent sediment rating curve. The study case is a 1DD1 subcatchment in the upstream of Pangani River Basin (PRB, located in the North Eastern part of Tanzania. 1DD1 is the major runoff-sediment contributing tributary to the downstream hydropower reservoir, the Nyumba Ya Mungu (NYM. In literature sediment rating curve method is known to underestimate the actual sediment load. In the case of developing countries long-term sediment sampling monitoring or conservation campaigns have been reported as unworkable options. Besides, to the best knowledge of the authors, to date there is no consensus on how to develop an excellent rating curve. Daily-midway and intermittent-cross section sediment samples from Depth Integrating sampler (D-74 were used to calibrate the subdaily automatic sediment pumping sampler (ISCO 6712 near bank point samples for developing the rating curve. Sediment load correction factors were derived from both statistical bias estimators and actual sediment load approaches. It should be noted that the ongoing study is guided by findings of other studies in the same catchment. For instance, long term sediment yield rate estimated based on reservoir survey validated the performance of the developed rating curve. The result suggests that excellent rating curve could be developed from one hydrological year sediment sampling programme data. This study has also found that uncorrected rating curve underestimates sediment load. The degreeof underestimation depends on the type of rating curve developed and data used.

Participation trends in holistic movement practices: a 10-year comparison of yoga/Pilates and t'ai chi/qigong use among a national sample of 195,926 Australians.

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Vergeer, Ineke; Bennie, Jason A; Charity, Melanie J; Harvey, Jack T; van Uffelen, Jannique G Z; Biddle, Stuart J H; Eime, Rochelle M

2017-06-06

In recent decades, the evidence supporting the physical and mental health benefits of holistic movement practices such as yoga and t'ai chi have become increasingly established. Consequently, investigating the participation prevalence and patterns of these practices is a relevant pursuit in the public health field. Few studies have provided population-level assessment of participation rates, however, and even fewer have focused on patterns over time. The purpose of this study was to examine participation prevalence and trends in yoga/Pilates and t'ai chi/qigong over a ten-year period in a nationally representative sample of Australians aged 15 years and over, with particular attention to sex and age. A secondary purpose was to juxtapose these findings with participation trends in traditional fitness activities over the same period. Data comprised modes and types of physical activity, age, and sex variables collected through the Exercise, Recreation and Sport Survey (ERASS), a series of independent cross-sectional Australia-wide surveys conducted yearly between 2001 and 2010. For each year, weighted population estimates were calculated for those participating in yoga/Pilates, t'ai chi/qigong, and fitness activities (e.g. aerobics, calisthenics). Linear regression and multiple logistic regression analyses were used to examine trends in prevalence rates over time and differences among sex and age (15-34; 35-54; 55+ years) groups, respectively. Average prevalence rates between 2001 and 2010 were 3.0% (95% CI 2.9-3.1) for yoga/Pilates, 0.6% (95% CI 0.5-0.6) for t'ai chi/qigong, and 19.2% (95% CI 18.9-19.4) for fitness activities. Across the decade, overall participation rates remained relatively stable for yoga/Pilates and t'ai chi/qigong, while increasing linearly for fitness activities. For both genders and in all three age groups, participation in fitness activities increased, whereas only in the 55+ age group was there a significant increase in yoga

Correction to the count-rate detection limit and sample/blank time-allocation methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alvarez, Joseph L.

2013-01-01

A common form of count-rate detection limits contains a propagation of uncertainty error. This error originated in methods to minimize uncertainty in the subtraction of the blank counts from the gross sample counts by allocation of blank and sample counting times. Correct uncertainty propagation showed that the time allocation equations have no solution. This publication presents the correct form of count-rate detection limits. -- Highlights: •The paper demonstrated a proper method of propagating uncertainty of count rate differences. •The standard count-rate detection limits were in error. •Count-time allocation methods for minimum uncertainty were in error. •The paper presented the correct form of the count-rate detection limit. •The paper discussed the confusion between count-rate uncertainty and count uncertainty

76 FR 79548 - Loan Participations; Purchase, Sale and Pledge of Eligible Obligations; Purchase of Assets and...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-12-22

..., a FICU purchasing a loan participation pool might perform statistical sampling in evaluating the..., since 2007, FISCUs- overall experienced a higher delinquency rate in their loan participation portfolios. At year-end 2010, the delinquency rate for the FISCU-participated portfolio was 4.11 percent...

Game Play Participation of Amotivated Students during Sport Education

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Wallhead, Tristan L.; Garn, Alex C.; Vidoni, Carla; Youngberg, Charli

2013-01-01

Sport Education has embedded pedagogical strategies proposed to reduce the prevalence of amotivation in physical education. The purpose of this study was to provide an examination of the game play participation rates of amotivated students within a Sport Education season. A sample of 395 high school students participated in a season of team…

Civic Participation and Self-rated Health: A Cross-national Multi-level Analysis Using the World Value Survey

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Saerom Kim

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Objectives: Civic participation, that which directly influences important decisions in our personal lives, is considered necessary for developing a society. We hypothesized that civic participation might be related to self-rated health status. Methods: We constructed a multi-level analysis using data from the World Value Survey (44 countries, n=50 859. Results: People who participated in voting and voluntary social activities tended to report better subjective health than those who did not vote or participate in social activities, after controlling for socio-demographic factors at the individual level. A negative association with unconventional political activity and subjective health was found, but this effect disappeared in a subset analysis of only the 18 Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD countries. Moreover, social participation and unconventional political participation had a statistically significant contextual association with subjective health status, but this relationship was not consistent throughout the analysis. In the analysis of the 44 countries, social participation was of borderline significance, while in the subset analysis of the OECD countries unconventional political participation was a stronger determinant of subjective health. The democratic index was a significant factor in determining self-rated health in both analyses, while public health expenditure was a significant factor in only the subset analysis. Conclusions: Despite the uncertainty of its mechanism, civic participation might be a significant determinant of the health status of a country.

Measurements of astrophysical reaction rates for radioactive samples

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koehler, P.E.; O'Brien, H.A.; Bowman, C.D.

1987-01-01

Reaction rates for both big-bang and stellar nucleosynthesis can be obtained from the measurement of (n,p) and (n,γ) cross sections for radioactive nuclei. In the past, large backgrounds associated with the sample activity limited these types of measurements to radioisotopes with very long half lives. The advent of the low-energy, high-intensity neutron source at the Los Alamos Neutron Scattering CEnter (LANSCE) has greatly increased the number of nuclei which can be studied. Results of (n,p) measurements on samples with half lives as short as fifty-three days will be given. The astrophysics to be learned from these data will be discussed. Additional difficulties are encountered when making (n,γ) rather than (n,p) measurements. However, with a properly designed detector, and with the high peak neutron intensities now available, (n,γ) measurements can be made for nuclei with half lives as short as several weeks. Progress on the Los Alamos (n,γ) cross-section measurement program for radioactive samples will be discussed. 25 refs., 3 figs., 1 tab

Self-Sampling for Human Papillomavirus Testing: Increased Cervical Cancer Screening Participation and Incorporation in International Screening Programs

Science.gov (United States)

Gupta, Sarah; Palmer, Christina; Bik, Elisabeth M.; Cardenas, Juan P.; Nuñez, Harold; Kraal, Laurens; Bird, Sara W.; Bowers, Jennie; Smith, Alison; Walton, Nathaniel A.; Goddard, Audrey D.; Almonacid, Daniel E.; Zneimer, Susan; Richman, Jessica; Apte, Zachary S.

2018-01-01

In most industrialized countries, screening programs for cervical cancer have shifted from cytology (Pap smear or ThinPrep) alone on clinician-obtained samples to the addition of screening for human papillomavirus (HPV), its main causative agent. For HPV testing, self-sampling instead of clinician-sampling has proven to be equally accurate, in particular for assays that use nucleic acid amplification techniques. In addition, HPV testing of self-collected samples in combination with a follow-up Pap smear in case of a positive result is more effective in detecting precancerous lesions than a Pap smear alone. Self-sampling for HPV testing has already been adopted by some countries, while others have started trials to evaluate its incorporation into national cervical cancer screening programs. Self-sampling may result in more individuals willing to participate in cervical cancer screening, because it removes many of the barriers that prevent women, especially those in low socioeconomic and minority populations, from participating in regular screening programs. Several studies have shown that the majority of women who have been underscreened but who tested HPV-positive in a self-obtained sample will visit a clinic for follow-up diagnosis and management. In addition, a self-collected sample can also be used for vaginal microbiome analysis, which can provide additional information about HPV infection persistence as well as vaginal health in general. PMID:29686981

The impact of distance and duration of travel on participation rates and participants' satisfaction: results from a pilot study at one study centre in Pretest 2 of the German National Cohort.

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Schweitzer, Aparna; Akmatov, Manas K; Kindler, Florentina; Kemmling, Yvonne; Kreienbrock, Lothar; Krause, Gérard; Pessler, Frank

2015-08-21

In this pilot study within the Pretest 2 phase of the German National Cohort, we aimed to (1) test the hypothesis that distance and duration of travel to a study centre may affect participation rates and participants' satisfaction and (2) to obtain data that would help to select recruitment areas around the study centre Hannover with the greatest projected participation rate for the main study. Mixed urban/suburban environment in Northern Germany with approximately 600,000 inhabitants. 4 recruitment areas with divergent estimated mean distances (range, 7-40 km) and duration of travel to the study centre Hannover were selected. 1050 men and women (ratio, 1:1), aged 20-69 years, were randomly selected from the population registries of the 4 recruitment areas and invited by mail to participate in the Pretest 2 study programme at the study centre Hannover, covering a variety of questionnaire-based and physical assessments. 166 individuals participated (16%). All 166 participants completed a travel questionnaire containing 5 items relating to travel duration and satisfaction, amounting to a participation rate of 100% in the questionnaire-based part of the study. Participation rates in the Pretest 2 programme at the study centre Hannover by area ranged from 11% (area farthest from the study centre, estimated median distance 38 km) to 18% (nearest area, 2 km). The odds of non-participation were highest in the area farthest from the study centre (adjusted OR 2.06; p=0.01; CI 1.28 to 3.32). Nonetheless, 97% of participants were satisfied with travel duration. Increasing distance was associated with a lower participation rate. However, acceptance of duration of travel was high, irrespective of distance or duration. Thus, recruiting in farther away locations may select individuals with a greater frustration tolerance for travel to the study centre, perhaps due to a greater interest in participating in health-oriented studies and thus different health-related behaviour

Maximum inflation of the type 1 error rate when sample size and allocation rate are adapted in a pre-planned interim look.

Science.gov (United States)

Graf, Alexandra C; Bauer, Peter

2011-06-30

We calculate the maximum type 1 error rate of the pre-planned conventional fixed sample size test for comparing the means of independent normal distributions (with common known variance) which can be yielded when sample size and allocation rate to the treatment arms can be modified in an interim analysis. Thereby it is assumed that the experimenter fully exploits knowledge of the unblinded interim estimates of the treatment effects in order to maximize the conditional type 1 error rate. The 'worst-case' strategies require knowledge of the unknown common treatment effect under the null hypothesis. Although this is a rather hypothetical scenario it may be approached in practice when using a standard control treatment for which precise estimates are available from historical data. The maximum inflation of the type 1 error rate is substantially larger than derived by Proschan and Hunsberger (Biometrics 1995; 51:1315-1324) for design modifications applying balanced samples before and after the interim analysis. Corresponding upper limits for the maximum type 1 error rate are calculated for a number of situations arising from practical considerations (e.g. restricting the maximum sample size, not allowing sample size to decrease, allowing only increase in the sample size in the experimental treatment). The application is discussed for a motivating example. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Determinants of Self-Rated Health in a Representative Sample of a Rural Population: A Cross-Sectional Study in Greece

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Christina Darviri

2012-03-01

Full Text Available Self-rated health (SRH is a health measure related to future health, mortality, healthcare services utilization and quality of life. Various sociodemographic, health and lifestyle determinants of SRH have been identified in different populations. The aim of this study is to extend SRH literature in the Greek population. This is a cross-sectional study conducted in rural communities between 2001 and 2003. Interviews eliciting basic demographic, health-related and lifestyle information (smoking, physical activity, diet, quality of sleep and religiosity were conducted. The sample consisted of 1,519 participants, representative of the rural population of Tripoli. Multinomial regression analysis was conducted to identify putative SRH determinants. Among the 1,519 participants, 489 (32.2%, 790 (52% and 237 (15.6% rated their health as “very good”, “good” and “poor” respectively. Female gender, older age, lower level of education and impaired health were all associated with worse SRH, accounting for 16.6% of SRH variance. Regular exercise, healthier diet, better sleep quality and better adherence to religious habits were related with better health ratings, after adjusting for sociodemographic and health-related factors. BMI and smoking did not reach significance while exercise and physical activity exhibited significant correlations but not consistently across SRH categories. Our results support previous findings indicating that people following a more proactive lifestyle pattern tend to rate their health better. The role of stress-related neuroendocrinologic mechanisms on SRH and health in general is also discussed.

Method for measuring the disintegration rate of a beta-emitting radionuclide in a liquid sample

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1977-01-01

A method of measuring the distintegration rate of a beta-emitting radionuclide in a liquid sample by counting at least two differently quenched versions of the sample. In each counting operation the sample is counted in the presence of and in the absence of a standard radioactive source. A pulse height (PH) corresponding to a unique point on the pulse height spectrum generated in the presence of the standard is determined. A zero threshold sample count rate (CPM) is derived by counting the sample once in a counting window having a zero threshold lower limit. Normalized values of the measured pulse heights (PH) are developed and correlated with the corresponding counts (CPM) to determine the pulse count for a normalized pulse height value of zero and hence the sample disintegration rate

Cue reactivity towards shopping cues in female participants.

Science.gov (United States)

Starcke, Katrin; Schlereth, Berenike; Domass, Debora; Schöler, Tobias; Brand, Matthias

2013-03-01

Background and aims It is currently under debate whether pathological buying can be considered as a behavioural addiction. Addictions have often been investigated with cue-reactivity paradigms to assess subjective, physiological and neural craving reactions. The current study aims at testing whether cue reactivity towards shopping cues is related to pathological buying tendencies. Methods A sample of 66 non-clinical female participants rated shopping related pictures concerning valence, arousal, and subjective craving. In a subgroup of 26 participants, electrodermal reactions towards those pictures were additionally assessed. Furthermore, all participants were screened concerning pathological buying tendencies and baseline craving for shopping. Results Results indicate a relationship between the subjective ratings of the shopping cues and pathological buying tendencies, even if baseline craving for shopping was controlled for. Electrodermal reactions were partly related to the subjective ratings of the cues. Conclusions Cue reactivity may be a potential correlate of pathological buying tendencies. Thus, pathological buying may be accompanied by craving reactions towards shopping cues. Results support the assumption that pathological buying can be considered as a behavioural addiction. From a methodological point of view, results support the view that the cue-reactivity paradigm is suited for the investigation of craving reactions in pathological buying and future studies should implement this paradigm in clinical samples.

Method for measuring the decay rate of a radionuclide emitting β-rays in a liquid sample

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Horrocks, D.

1977-01-01

With this method the decay rate of a radionuclide emitting β-rays, e.g. 3 H or 14 C, in a liquid sample can be measured by means of liquid scintillation counters, at least two different versions of the sample being used with quench effect (shifting of the Compton spectrum). For this purpose each sample is counted with and without a radioactive standard source, e.g. 137 Cs. Then a pulse height will be determined corresponding to a selected point in the pulse height spectrum if the standard source is present. The determination of a zero-threshold sample count rate is then performed by counting the sample in a counting window. In addition standardized values of the measured pulse heights are derived and put in mathematical relation to corresponding pulse count rates, the pulse count rate for a standardized pulse height value thus becoming zero and the sample decay rate in this way being determined. (DG) 891 HP [de

Measurement of radon exhalation rate in various building materials and soil samples

Science.gov (United States)

Bala, Pankaj; Kumar, Vinod; Mehra, Rohit

2017-03-01

Indoor radon is considered as one of the potential dangerous radioactive elements. Common building materials and soil are the major source of this radon gas in the indoor environment. In the present study, the measurement of radon exhalation rate in the soil and building material samples of Una and Hamirpur districts of Himachal Pradesh has been done with solid state alpha track detectors, LR-115 type-II plastic track detectors. The radon exhalation rate for the soil samples varies from 39.1 to 91.2 mBq kg-1 h-1 with a mean value 59.7 mBq kg-1 h-1. Also the radium concentration of the studied area is found and it varies from 30.6 to 51.9 Bq kg-1 with a mean value 41.6 Bq kg-1. The exhalation rate for the building material samples varies from 40.72 (sandstone) to 81.40 mBq kg-1 h-1 (granite) with a mean value of 59.94 mBq kg-1 h-1.

Measuring the Prevalence of Problematic Respondent Behaviors among MTurk, Campus, and Community Participants.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elizabeth A Necka

Full Text Available The reliance on small samples and underpowered studies may undermine the replicability of scientific findings. Large sample sizes may be necessary to achieve adequate statistical power. Crowdsourcing sites such as Amazon's Mechanical Turk (MTurk have been regarded as an economical means for achieving larger samples. Because MTurk participants may engage in behaviors which adversely affect data quality, much recent research has focused on assessing the quality of data obtained from MTurk samples. However, participants from traditional campus- and community-based samples may also engage in behaviors which adversely affect the quality of the data that they provide. We compare an MTurk, campus, and community sample to measure how frequently participants report engaging in problematic respondent behaviors. We report evidence that suggests that participants from all samples engage in problematic respondent behaviors with comparable rates. Because statistical power is influenced by factors beyond sample size, including data integrity, methodological controls must be refined to better identify and diminish the frequency of participant engagement in problematic respondent behaviors.

Study of Acoustic Emission and Mechanical Characteristics of Coal Samples under Different Loading Rates

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Huamin Li

2015-01-01

Full Text Available To study the effect of loading rate on mechanical properties and acoustic emission characteristics of coal samples, collected from Sanjiaohe Colliery, the uniaxial compression tests are carried out under various levels of loading rates, including 0.001 mm/s, 0.002 mm/s, and 0.005 mm/s, respectively, using AE-win E1.86 acoustic emission instrument and RMT-150C rock mechanics test system. The results indicate that the loading rate has a strong impact on peak stress and peak strain of coal samples, but the effect of loading rate on elasticity modulus of coal samples is relatively small. When the loading rate increases from 0.001 mm/s to 0.002 mm/s, the peak stress increases from 22.67 MPa to 24.99 MPa, the incremental percentage is 10.23%, and under the same condition the peak strain increases from 0.006191 to 0.007411 and the incremental percentage is 19.71%. Similarly, when the loading rate increases from 0.002 mm/s to 0.005 mm/s, the peak stress increases from 24.99 MPa to 28.01 MPa, the incremental percentage is 12.08%, the peak strain increases from 0.007411 to 0.008203, and the incremental percentage is 10.69%. The relationship between acoustic emission and loading rate presents a positive correlation, and the negative correlation relation has been determined between acoustic emission cumulative counts and loading rate during the rupture process of coal samples.

Low-sampling-rate M-ary multiple access UWB communications in multipath channels

KAUST Repository

Alkhodary, Mohammad T.

2015-08-31

The desirable characteristics of ultra-wideband (UWB) technology are challenged by formidable sampling frequency, performance degradation in the presence of multi-user interference, and complexity of the receiver due to the channel estimation process. In this paper, a low-rate-sampling technique is used to implement M-ary multiple access UWB communications, in both the detection and channel estimation stages. A novel approach is used for multiple-access-interference (MAI) cancelation for the purpose of channel estimation. Results show reasonable performance of the proposed receiver for different number of users operating many times below Nyquist rate.

Low-sampling-rate M-ary multiple access UWB communications in multipath channels

KAUST Repository

Alkhodary, Mohammad T.; Ballal, Tarig; Al-Naffouri, Tareq Y.; Muqaibel, Ali H.

2015-01-01

The desirable characteristics of ultra-wideband (UWB) technology are challenged by formidable sampling frequency, performance degradation in the presence of multi-user interference, and complexity of the receiver due to the channel estimation process. In this paper, a low-rate-sampling technique is used to implement M-ary multiple access UWB communications, in both the detection and channel estimation stages. A novel approach is used for multiple-access-interference (MAI) cancelation for the purpose of channel estimation. Results show reasonable performance of the proposed receiver for different number of users operating many times below Nyquist rate.

Time clustered sampling can inflate the inferred substitution rate in foot-and-mouth disease virus analyses

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Casper-Emil Tingskov; Frandsen, Peter; Wekesa, Sabenzia N.

2015-01-01

abundance of sequence data sampled under widely different schemes, an effort to keep results consistent and comparable is needed. This study emphasizes commonly disregarded problems in the inference of evolutionary rates in viral sequence data when sampling is unevenly distributed on a temporal scale...... through a study of the foot-and-mouth (FMD) disease virus serotypes SAT 1 and SAT 2. Our study shows that clustered temporal sampling in phylogenetic analyses of FMD viruses will strongly bias the inferences of substitution rates and tMRCA because the inferred rates in such data sets reflect a rate closer...... to the mutation rate rather than the substitution rate. Estimating evolutionary parameters from viral sequences should be performed with due consideration of the differences in short-term and longer-term evolutionary processes occurring within sets of temporally sampled viruses, and studies should carefully...

The Effect of Minimum Wages on the Labor Force Participation Rates of Teenagers.

Science.gov (United States)

Wessels, Walter J.

In light of pressure on Congress to raise the minimum wage from $5.15 to $6.15 per hour, a study looked at the effects such a raise would have on more than 10 million workers, many of them teenagers. The study used quarterly data on the labor force participation rates of teenagers from 1978 through 1999 and other studies to assess the effects of…

Time Clustered Sampling Can Inflate the Inferred Substitution Rate in Foot-And-Mouth Disease Virus Analyses.

Science.gov (United States)

Pedersen, Casper-Emil T; Frandsen, Peter; Wekesa, Sabenzia N; Heller, Rasmus; Sangula, Abraham K; Wadsworth, Jemma; Knowles, Nick J; Muwanika, Vincent B; Siegismund, Hans R

2015-01-01

With the emergence of analytical software for the inference of viral evolution, a number of studies have focused on estimating important parameters such as the substitution rate and the time to the most recent common ancestor (tMRCA) for rapidly evolving viruses. Coupled with an increasing abundance of sequence data sampled under widely different schemes, an effort to keep results consistent and comparable is needed. This study emphasizes commonly disregarded problems in the inference of evolutionary rates in viral sequence data when sampling is unevenly distributed on a temporal scale through a study of the foot-and-mouth (FMD) disease virus serotypes SAT 1 and SAT 2. Our study shows that clustered temporal sampling in phylogenetic analyses of FMD viruses will strongly bias the inferences of substitution rates and tMRCA because the inferred rates in such data sets reflect a rate closer to the mutation rate rather than the substitution rate. Estimating evolutionary parameters from viral sequences should be performed with due consideration of the differences in short-term and longer-term evolutionary processes occurring within sets of temporally sampled viruses, and studies should carefully consider how samples are combined.

Estimating fish swimming metrics and metabolic rates with accelerometers: the influence of sampling frequency.

Science.gov (United States)

Brownscombe, J W; Lennox, R J; Danylchuk, A J; Cooke, S J

2018-06-21

Accelerometry is growing in popularity for remotely measuring fish swimming metrics, but appropriate sampling frequencies for accurately measuring these metrics are not well studied. This research examined the influence of sampling frequency (1-25 Hz) with tri-axial accelerometer biologgers on estimates of overall dynamic body acceleration (ODBA), tail-beat frequency, swimming speed and metabolic rate of bonefish Albula vulpes in a swim-tunnel respirometer and free-swimming in a wetland mesocosm. In the swim tunnel, sampling frequencies of ≥ 5 Hz were sufficient to establish strong relationships between ODBA, swimming speed and metabolic rate. However, in free-swimming bonefish, estimates of metabolic rate were more variable below 10 Hz. Sampling frequencies should be at least twice the maximum tail-beat frequency to estimate this metric effectively, which is generally higher than those required to estimate ODBA, swimming speed and metabolic rate. While optimal sampling frequency probably varies among species due to tail-beat frequency and swimming style, this study provides a reference point with a medium body-sized sub-carangiform teleost fish, enabling researchers to measure these metrics effectively and maximize study duration. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Multi-rate cubature Kalman filter based data fusion method with residual compensation to adapt to sampling rate discrepancy in attitude measurement system.

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Xiaoting; Sun, Changku; Wang, Peng

2017-08-01

This paper investigates the multi-rate inertial and vision data fusion problem in nonlinear attitude measurement systems, where the sampling rate of the inertial sensor is much faster than that of the vision sensor. To fully exploit the high frequency inertial data and obtain favorable fusion results, a multi-rate CKF (Cubature Kalman Filter) algorithm with estimated residual compensation is proposed in order to adapt to the problem of sampling rate discrepancy. During inter-sampling of slow observation data, observation noise can be regarded as infinite. The Kalman gain is unknown and approaches zero. The residual is also unknown. Therefore, the filter estimated state cannot be compensated. To obtain compensation at these moments, state error and residual formulas are modified when compared with the observation data available moments. Self-propagation equation of the state error is established to propagate the quantity from the moments with observation to the moments without observation. Besides, a multiplicative adjustment factor is introduced as Kalman gain, which acts on the residual. Then the filter estimated state can be compensated even when there are no visual observation data. The proposed method is tested and verified in a practical setup. Compared with multi-rate CKF without residual compensation and single-rate CKF, a significant improvement is obtained on attitude measurement by using the proposed multi-rate CKF with inter-sampling residual compensation. The experiment results with superior precision and reliability show the effectiveness of the proposed method.

Participation rate of cancer patients in treatment decisions: a cross sectional study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohammad Khammarnia

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Background and objective: Cancer is one of the most common diseases and the second reason of death in Iran. Giving decision making authority to patients is one of the fundamental principles of the protection of patients. Patients have rights as consumers of health care services that nurses, physician and other health professionals are responsible for maintaining and protecting it. This study aimed to determine cancer patients’ involvement in treatment decisions making. Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out as descriptive-analytic with practical purpose in 2017 in Zahedan University of Medical Sciences. The study population included 1,000 patients who had cancer that whom 450 patients were selected by simple random sampling. To measure patient participation in treatment decisions, was used of Levente Kristona standard questionnaire. Reliability and validity of the questionnaire was confirmed (coefficient = 0.82. For data analysis used of software spss21 with descriptive statistics and chi-square tests Results: among the patients, 197 men (53% and 177 women (47% with a mean age of 31 years were examined. The results of this study showed that the score of mean participation in treatment decisions among the cancer patients was 30 ± 12 and it was in low level. The patients’ participation in treatment decisions had a significant relationship with education level (P = 0.027, however, it was not statistical significant with gender, age, income, occupation and type of cancer and other demographic variables (P> 0.05. Conclusion: In general, that patients' participation in clinical decision making is weak and low. Since patients’ participation in clinical decisions could affect the quality of treatment decisions, therefore, health care providers should attention more to this fact. Also, culturalizating and education according to patients’ knowledge and use of treatment techniques are recommended for clinical decision making promotion

High school athletic participation, sexual behavior and adolescent pregnancy: a regional study.

Science.gov (United States)

Sabo, D F; Miller, K E; Farrell, M P; Melnick, M J; Barnes, G M

1999-09-01

To determine whether high school athletic participation among adolescents in Western New York was associated with reduced rates of sexual behavior and pregnancy involvement. A secondary analysis of data from the Family and Adolescent Study, a longitudinal study of a random sample of adolescents (ages 13-16 years) from 699 families living in households in Western New York. A general population sample was obtained with characteristics closely matching the census distributions in the area. Interview and survey methods provided data on athletic participation, frequency of sexual relations during the past year, and risk for pregnancy. Bivariate correlations were used to examine relationships among athletic participation, demographic and control variables, and measures of sexual behavior and pregnancy rates. Next, path analyses were done in order to test for hypothesized relationships between athletic participation, sexual behavior, and pregnancy involvement while controlling for age, race, income, family cohesion, and non-athletic forms of extracurricular activity. Variables that were significantly associated with sexual behavior and/or pregnancy involvement were presented for both sexes within the resulting multivariate models. Lower income and higher rates of sexual activity were associated with higher rates of pregnancy involvement for both sexes. Family cohesion was associated with lower sexual activity rates for both sexes. For girls, athletic participation was directly related to reduced frequency of sexual behavior and, indirectly, to pregnancy risk. Male athletes did not exhibit lower rates of sexual behavior and involvement with pregnancy than male non-athletes. Boys who participated in the arts, however, did report lower rates of sexual behavior and, indirectly, less involvement with pregnancy. Female adolescents who participated in sports were less likely than their non-athletic peers to engage in sexual activity and/or report a pregnancy. Among male

Experimental technique to measure thoron generation rate of building material samples using RAD7 detector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Csige, I.; Szabó, Zs.; Szabó, Cs.

2013-01-01

Thoron ( 220 Rn) is the second most abundant radon isotope in our living environment. In some dwellings it is present in significant amount which calls for its identification and remediation. Indoor thoron originates mainly from building materials. In this work we have developed and tested an experimental technique to measure thoron generation rate in building material samples using RAD7 radon-thoron detector. The mathematical model of the measurement technique provides the thoron concentration response of RAD7 as a function of the sample thickness. For experimental validation of the technique an adobe building material sample was selected for measuring the thoron concentration at nineteen different sample thicknesses. Fitting the parameters of the model to the measurement results, both the generation rate and the diffusion length of thoron was estimated. We have also determined the optimal sample thickness for estimating the thoron generation rate from a single measurement. -- Highlights: • RAD7 is used for the determination of thoron generation rate (emanation). • The described model takes into account the thoron decay and attenuation. • The model describes well the experimental results. • A single point measurement method is offered at a determined sample thickness

Deep versus periventricular white matter lesions and cognitive function in a community sample of middle-aged participants.

Science.gov (United States)

Soriano-Raya, Juan José; Miralbell, Júlia; López-Cancio, Elena; Bargalló, Núria; Arenillas, Juan Francisco; Barrios, Maite; Cáceres, Cynthia; Toran, Pere; Alzamora, Maite; Dávalos, Antoni; Mataró, Maria

2012-09-01

The association of cerebral white matter lesions (WMLs) with cognitive status is not well understood in middle-aged individuals. Our aim was to determine the specific contribution of periventricular hyperintensities (PVHs) and deep white matter hyperintensities (DWMHs) to cognitive function in a community sample of asymptomatic participants aged 50 to 65 years. One hundred stroke- and dementia-free adults completed a comprehensive neuropsychological battery and brain MRI protocol. Participants were classified according to PVH and DWMH scores (Fazekas scale). We dichotomized our sample into low grade WMLs (participants without or with mild lesions) and high grade WMLs (participants with moderate or severe lesions). Analyses were performed separately in PVH and DWMH groups. High grade DWMHs were associated with significantly lower scores in executive functioning (-0.45 standard deviations [SD]), attention (-0.42 SD), verbal fluency (-0.68 SD), visual memory (-0.52 SD), visuospatial skills (-0.79 SD), and psychomotor speed (-0.46 SD). Further analyses revealed that high grade DWMHs were also associated with a three- to fourfold increased risk of impaired scores (i.e.,<1.5 SD) in executive functioning, verbal fluency, visuospatial skills, and psychomotor speed. Our findings suggest that only DWMHs, not PVHs, are related to diminished cognitive function in middle-aged individuals. (JINS, 2012, 18, 1-12).

Radon mass exhalation rate in soil samples at South Bengaluru city, Karnataka, India

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Poojitha, C.G.; Pranesha, T.S.; Ganesh, K.E.; Sahoo, B.K.; Sapra, B.K.

2017-01-01

Radon mass exhalation rate in soil samples collected from different locations of South Bengaluru city were measured using scintillation based Smart radon thoron monitor (RnDuo). It has been observed that the mass exhalation rate estimated due to presence of radon concentration in soil samples ranges from 39.18 - 265.58 mBq/kg/h with an average value of 115.64 mBq/kg/h. Finally we compare our results with similar investigation from different parts of India. (author)

A comparison of mortality rates in three prospective studies from Copenhagen with mortality rates in the central part of the city, and the entire country

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Lars Bo; Vestbo, Jørgen; Juel, Knud

1998-01-01

Valid generalizations of results from population-based epidemiological surveys requires knowledge about how representative the sample is. The Copenhagen Center for Prospective Population Studies have assessed mortality on the basis of pooled data from three research programmes in the region...... of Copenhagen. In two of the studies, subjects were randomly selected, using the Danish Central Population Registry, within certain age groups and area-restricted sectors of the Greater Copenhagen. In the third study, men employed in 14 companies participated. Participation rates were between 78% and 87...... in the Copenhagen City Heart Study, whereas mortality rates in the Glostrup Population Studies were similar to rates for the whole country. The mortality rates among participants were lower than in the whole sample, and differences existed in relation to region and selection criteria of the cohorts. The Copenhagen...

Mindfulness training for medical students in their clinical clerkships: two cross-sectional studies exploring interest and participation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dijk, I. van; Lucassen, P.L.B.J.; Speckens, A.E.M.

2015-01-01

BACKGROUND: So far, studies investigating Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) training in medical students are conducted in self-selected, pre-clinical samples, with modest response rates without collecting data on non-participants. This study first examines interest and participation rates of

Effect of milk sample delivery methods and arrival conditions on bacterial contamination rates.

Science.gov (United States)

Dinsmore, R P; English, P B; Matthews, J C; Sears, P M

1990-07-01

A cross sectional study was performed of factors believed to contribute to the contamination of bovine milk sample cultures submitted to the Ithaca Regional Laboratory of the Quality Milk Promotion Services/New York State Mastitis Control. Of 871 samples entered in the study, 137 (15.7%) were contaminated. There were interactions between the sample source (veterinarian vs dairyman), delivery method, and time between sample collection and arrival at the laboratory. If only those samples collected and hand delivered by the dairyman within 1 day of collection were compared to a like subset of samples collected and hand delivered by veterinarians, no statistically significant differences in milk sample contamination rate (MSCR) were found. Samples were delivered to the laboratory by hand, US Postal Service, United Parcel Service, via the New York State College of Veterinary Medicine Diagnostic Laboratory, or Northeast Dairy Herd Improvement Association Courier. The MSCR was only 7.6% for hand delivered samples, while 26% of Postal Service samples were contaminated. These rates differed significantly from other delivery methods (P less than 0.0001). The USPS samples arrived a longer time after sampling than did samples sent by other routes, and time had a significant effect on MSCR (0 to 1 day, 8.9%; greater than 1 day, 25.9%; P less than 0.01). Samples packaged with ice packs sent by routes other than the Postal Service had a lower MSCR than those not packaged with ice packs, but ice packs did not reduce the MSCR for samples sent by the Postal Service.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Radium and radon exhalation rate in soil samples of Hassan district of South Karnataka, India

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jagadeesha, B.G.; Narayana, Y.

2016-01-01

The radon exhalation rate was measured in 32 soil samples collected from Hassan district of South Karnataka. Radon exhalation rate of soil samples was measured using can technique. The results show variation of radon exhalation rate with radium content of the soil samples. A strong correlation was observed between effective radium content and radon exhalation rate. In the present work, an attempt was made to assess the levels of radon in the environment of Hassan. Radon activities were found to vary from 2.25±0.55 to 270.85±19.16 Bq m"-"3 and effective radium contents vary from 12.06±2.98 to 1449.56±102.58 mBq kg"-"1. Surface exhalation rates of radon vary from 1.55±0.47 to 186.43±18.57 mBq m"-"2 h"-"1, and mass exhalation rates of radon vary from 0.312±0.07 to 37.46±2.65 mBq kg"-"1 h"-"1. (authors)

Sample size re-assessment leading to a raised sample size does not inflate type I error rate under mild conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Broberg, Per

2013-07-19

One major concern with adaptive designs, such as the sample size adjustable designs, has been the fear of inflating the type I error rate. In (Stat Med 23:1023-1038, 2004) it is however proven that when observations follow a normal distribution and the interim result show promise, meaning that the conditional power exceeds 50%, type I error rate is protected. This bound and the distributional assumptions may seem to impose undesirable restrictions on the use of these designs. In (Stat Med 30:3267-3284, 2011) the possibility of going below 50% is explored and a region that permits an increased sample size without inflation is defined in terms of the conditional power at the interim. A criterion which is implicit in (Stat Med 30:3267-3284, 2011) is derived by elementary methods and expressed in terms of the test statistic at the interim to simplify practical use. Mathematical and computational details concerning this criterion are exhibited. Under very general conditions the type I error rate is preserved under sample size adjustable schemes that permit a raise. The main result states that for normally distributed observations raising the sample size when the result looks promising, where the definition of promising depends on the amount of knowledge gathered so far, guarantees the protection of the type I error rate. Also, in the many situations where the test statistic approximately follows a normal law, the deviation from the main result remains negligible. This article provides details regarding the Weibull and binomial distributions and indicates how one may approach these distributions within the current setting. There is thus reason to consider such designs more often, since they offer a means of adjusting an important design feature at little or no cost in terms of error rate.

Sampling Strategies for Evaluating the Rate of Adventitious Transgene Presence in Non-Genetically Modified Crop Fields.

Science.gov (United States)

Makowski, David; Bancal, Rémi; Bensadoun, Arnaud; Monod, Hervé; Messéan, Antoine

2017-09-01

According to E.U. regulations, the maximum allowable rate of adventitious transgene presence in non-genetically modified (GM) crops is 0.9%. We compared four sampling methods for the detection of transgenic material in agricultural non-GM maize fields: random sampling, stratified sampling, random sampling + ratio reweighting, random sampling + regression reweighting. Random sampling involves simply sampling maize grains from different locations selected at random from the field concerned. The stratified and reweighting sampling methods make use of an auxiliary variable corresponding to the output of a gene-flow model (a zero-inflated Poisson model) simulating cross-pollination as a function of wind speed, wind direction, and distance to the closest GM maize field. With the stratified sampling method, an auxiliary variable is used to define several strata with contrasting transgene presence rates, and grains are then sampled at random from each stratum. With the two methods involving reweighting, grains are first sampled at random from various locations within the field, and the observations are then reweighted according to the auxiliary variable. Data collected from three maize fields were used to compare the four sampling methods, and the results were used to determine the extent to which transgene presence rate estimation was improved by the use of stratified and reweighting sampling methods. We found that transgene rate estimates were more accurate and that substantially smaller samples could be used with sampling strategies based on an auxiliary variable derived from a gene-flow model. © 2017 Society for Risk Analysis.

Factors Related to Self-Rated Participation in Adolescents and Adults with Mild Intellectual Disability--A Systematic Literature Review

Science.gov (United States)

Arvidsson, Patrik; Granlund, Mats; Thyberg, Mikael

2008-01-01

Background: Self-rated participation is a clinically relevant intervention outcome for people with mild intellectual disability. The aim of this systematic review was to analyse empirical studies that explored relationships between either environmental factors or individual characteristics "and" aspects of participation in young adults with mild…

Study of sampling rate influence on neutron-gamma discrimination with stilbene coupled to a silicon photomultiplier.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Jinglong; Moore, Michael E; Wang, Zhonghai; Rong, Zhou; Yang, Chaowen; Hayward, Jason P

2017-10-01

Choosing a digitizer with an appropriate sampling rate is often a trade-off between performance and economy. The influence of sampling rates on the neutron-gamma Pulse Shape Discrimination (PSD) with a solid stilbene scintillator coupled to a Silicon Photomultiplier was investigated in this work. Sampling rates from 125MSPS to 2GSPS from a 10-bit digitizer were used to collect detector pulses produced by the interactions of a Cf-252 source. Due to the decreased signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), the PSD performance degraded with reduced sampling rates. The reason of PSD performance degradation was discussed. Then, an efficient combination of filtering and digital signal processing (DSP) was then applied to suppress the timing noise and electronic background noise. The results demonstrate an improved PSD performance especially at low sampling rates, down to 125MSPS. Using filtering and DSP, the ascribed Figure of Merit (FOM) at 125keV ee (± 10keV ee ) increased from 0.95 to 1.02 at 125MSPS. At 300keV ee and above, all the FOMs are better than 2.00. Our study suggests that 250MSPS is a good enough sampling rate for neutron-gamma discrimination in this system in order to be sensitive to neutrons at and above ~ 125keV ee . Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Understanding the Relationship Between Incentive Design and Participation in U.S. Workplace Wellness Programs.

Science.gov (United States)

Batorsky, Benjamin; Taylor, Erin; Huang, Crystal; Liu, Hangsheng; Mattke, Soeren

2016-01-01

We aimed to understand how employer characteristics relate to the use of incentives to promote participation in wellness programs and to explore the relationship between incentive type and participation rates. A cross-sectional analysis of nationally representative survey data combined with an administrative business database was employed. Random sampling of U.S. companies within strata based on industry and number of employees was used to determine a final sample of 3000 companies. Of these, 19% returned completed surveys. The survey asked about employee participation rate, incentive type, and gender composition of employees. Incentive types included any incentives, high-value rewards, and rewards plus penalties. Logistic regressions of incentive type on employer characteristics were used to determine what types of employers are more likely to offer which type of incentives. A generalized linear model of participation rate was used to determine the relationship between incentive type and participation. Employers located in the Northeast were 5 to 10 times more likely to offer incentives. Employers with a large number of employees, particularly female employees, were up to 1.25 times more likely to use penalties. Penalty and high-value incentives were associated with participation rates of 68% and 52%, respectively. Industry or regional characteristics are likely determinants of incentive use for wellness programs. Penalties appear to be effective, but attention should be paid to what types of employees they affect.

The Association Between Health Program Participation and Employee Retention.

Science.gov (United States)

Mitchell, Rebecca J; Ozminkowski, Ronald J; Hartley, Stephen K

2016-09-01

Using health plan membership as a proxy for employee retention, the objective of this study was to examine whether use of health promotion programs was associated with employee retention. Propensity score weighted generalized linear regression models were used to estimate the association between telephonic programs or health risk surveys and retention. Analyses were conducted with six study samples based on type of program participation. Retention rates were highest for employees with either telephonic program activity or health risk surveys and lowest for employees who did not participate in any interventions. Participants ranged from 71% more likely to 5% less likely to remain with their employers compared with nonparticipants, depending on the sample used in analyses. Using health promotion programs in combination with health risk surveys may lead to improvements in employee retention.

Reaching women who do not participate in the regular cervical cancer screening programme by offering self-sampling kits: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised trials.

Science.gov (United States)

Verdoodt, F; Jentschke, M; Hillemanns, P; Racey, C S; Snijders, P J F; Arbyn, M

2015-11-01

Population coverage for cervical cancer screening is an important determinant explaining differences in the incidence of cervical cancer between countries. Offering devices for self-sampling has the potential to increase participation of hard-to-reach women. A systematic review and meta-analysis were performed to evaluate the participation after an invitation including a self-sampling device (self-sampling arm) versus an invitation to have a sample taken by a health professional (control arm), sent to under-screened women. Sixteen randomised studies were found eligible. In an intention-to-treat analysis, the pooled participation in the self-sampling arm was 23.6% (95% confidence interval (CI)=20.2-27.3%), when self-sampling kits were sent by mail to all women, versus 10.3% (95% CI=6.2-15.2%) in the control arm (participation difference: 12.6% [95% CI=9.3-15.9]). When women had to opt-in to receive the self-sampling device, as used in three studies, the pooled participation was not higher in the self-sampling compared to the control arm (participation difference: 0.2% [95% CI=-4.5-4.9%]). An increased participation was observed in the self-sampling arm compared to the control arm, if self-sampling kits were sent directly to women at their home address. However, the size of the effect varied substantially among studies. Since participation was similar in both arms when women had to opt-in, future studies are warranted to discern opt-in scenarios that are most acceptable to women. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Information sampling behavior with explicit sampling costs

Science.gov (United States)

Juni, Mordechai Z.; Gureckis, Todd M.; Maloney, Laurence T.

2015-01-01

The decision to gather information should take into account both the value of information and its accrual costs in time, energy and money. Here we explore how people balance the monetary costs and benefits of gathering additional information in a perceptual-motor estimation task. Participants were rewarded for touching a hidden circular target on a touch-screen display. The target’s center coincided with the mean of a circular Gaussian distribution from which participants could sample repeatedly. Each “cue” — sampled one at a time — was plotted as a dot on the display. Participants had to repeatedly decide, after sampling each cue, whether to stop sampling and attempt to touch the hidden target or continue sampling. Each additional cue increased the participants’ probability of successfully touching the hidden target but reduced their potential reward. Two experimental conditions differed in the initial reward associated with touching the hidden target and the fixed cost per cue. For each condition we computed the optimal number of cues that participants should sample, before taking action, to maximize expected gain. Contrary to recent claims that people gather less information than they objectively should before taking action, we found that participants over-sampled in one experimental condition, and did not significantly under- or over-sample in the other. Additionally, while the ideal observer model ignores the current sample dispersion, we found that participants used it to decide whether to stop sampling and take action or continue sampling, a possible consequence of imperfect learning of the underlying population dispersion across trials. PMID:27429991

The RBANS Effort Index: base rates in geriatric samples.

Science.gov (United States)

Duff, Kevin; Spering, Cynthia C; O'Bryant, Sid E; Beglinger, Leigh J; Moser, David J; Bayless, John D; Culp, Kennith R; Mold, James W; Adams, Russell L; Scott, James G

2011-01-01

The Effort Index (EI) of the RBANS was developed to assist clinicians in discriminating patients who demonstrate good effort from those with poor effort. However, there are concerns that older adults might be unfairly penalized by this index, which uses uncorrected raw scores. Using five independent samples of geriatric patients with a broad range of cognitive functioning (e.g., cognitively intact, nursing home residents, probable Alzheimer's disease), base rates of failure on the EI were calculated. In cognitively intact and mildly impaired samples, few older individuals were classified as demonstrating poor effort (e.g., 3% in cognitively intact). However, in the more severely impaired geriatric patients, over one third had EI scores that fell above suggested cutoff scores (e.g., 37% in nursing home residents, 33% in probable Alzheimer's disease). In the cognitively intact sample, older and less educated patients were more likely to have scores suggestive of poor effort. Education effects were observed in three of the four clinical samples. Overall cognitive functioning was significantly correlated with EI scores, with poorer cognition being associated with greater suspicion of low effort. The current results suggest that age, education, and level of cognitive functioning should be taken into consideration when interpreting EI results and that significant caution is warranted when examining EI scores in elders suspected of having dementia.

Assessing Cycling Participation in Australia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chris Rissel

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Planning and evaluating cycling programs at a national or state level requires accurate measures of cycling participation. However, recent reports of cycling participation have produced very different estimates. This paper examines the reported rates of cycling in five recent population surveys of cycling. Three surveys (one national and two from Sydney asking respondents when they last rode a bicycle generated cycling participation (cycled in the past year estimates of 29.7%, 34.1% and 28.9%. Two other national surveys which asked participants to recall (unprompted any physical activity done for exercise, recreation or sport in the previous 12 months, estimated cycling in the past year as 11.1% and 6.5%. While unprompted recall of cycling as a type of physical activity generates lower estimates of cycling participation than specific recall questions, both assessment approaches produced similar patterns of cycling by age and sex with both approaches indicating fewer women and older adults cycling. The different question styles most likely explain the substantial discrepancies between the estimates of cycling participation. Some differences are to be expected due to sampling variability, question differences, and regional variation in cycling.

Prospective evaluation of direct approach with a tablet device as a strategy to enhance survey study participant response rate

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Parker Melissa J

2012-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Investigators conduct survey studies for a variety of reasons. Poor participant response rates are common, however, and may limit the generalizability and utility of results. The objective of this study was to determine whether direct approach with a tablet device enhances survey study participant response rate and to assess participants’ experiences with this mode of survey administration. Findings An interventional study nested within a single center survey study was conducted at McMaster Children’s Hospital. The primary outcome was the ability to achieve of a survey study response rate of 70% or greater. Eligible participants received 3 email invitations (Week 0, 2, 4 to complete a web-based (Survey Monkey survey. The study protocol included plans for a two-week follow-up phase (Phase 2 where non-responders were approached by a research assistant and invited to complete an iPad-based version of the survey. The Phase 1 response rate was 48.7% (56/115. Phase 2 effectively recruited reluctant responders, increasing the overall response rate to 72.2% (83/115. On a 7-point Likert scale, reluctant responders highly rated their enjoyment (mean 6.0, sd 0.83 [95% CI: 5.7-6.3] and ease of use (mean 6.7, sd 0.47 [95% CI: 6.5-6.9] completing the survey using the iPad. Reasons endorsed for Phase 2 participation included: direct approach (81%, immediate survey access (62%, and the novelty of completing a tablet-based survey (54%. Most reluctant responders (89% indicated that a tablet-based survey is their preferred method of survey completion. Conclusions Use of a tablet-based version of the survey was effective in recruiting reluctant responders and this group reported positive experiences with this mode of survey administration.

Participation in Leisure Activities among Canadian Children with Arthritis: Results from a National Representative Sample.

Science.gov (United States)

Cavallo, Sabrina; Majnemer, Annette; Mazer, Barbara; Chilingaryan, Gevorg; Ehrmann Feldman, Debbie

2015-06-01

To describe the level of participation in leisure activities among children and youth with arthritis, as well as to identify the sociodemographic (age, sex, family income), disease-related (functional limitations, disease duration, pain, medication use, child's need for assistance), and contextual factors (use of rehabilitation services, proximity of local recreation facilities, cost of activities) that may be associated. Data from the Participation and Activity Limitation Survey (PALS) 2006, a Canadian postcensus survey, was analyzed. Bivariate and multivariable linear regression analyses were applied to examine the associations between the sample's level of participation in leisure activities, and sociodemographic, disease-related, and contextual characteristics. In Canada in 2006, an estimated 4350 children ranging in age from 5 to 14 years were living with arthritis. Fifty-six percent of parents reported that arthritis restricted their child's participation in leisure activities. Bivariate analysis showed that the availability of local recreational facilities, the affordability of activities, and the child not requiring any assistance were all associated (modified Bonferroni correction α leisure activities. Multiple linear regressions showed that higher family income (β 0.47, 95% CI 0.09, 0.85) and greater perceived pain (β 0.59, 95% CI 0.07, 1.10) were positively associated with involvement in informal leisure. Our findings underline the importance of considering contextual factors in developing treatment plans aimed at improving participation in leisure activities among children with arthritis. Future longitudinal studies targeting children living with arthritis could provide pertinent information on participation over fluctuations in disease status.

Clinician ratings of the Comprehensive Assessment of Psychopathic Personality (CAPP) in a representative sample of Spanish prison inmates: New validity evidence.

Science.gov (United States)

Flórez, Gerardo; Ferrer, Ventura; García, Luis S; Crespo, María R; Pérez, Manuel; Saíz, Pilar A; Cooke, David J

2018-01-01

The Comprehensive Assessment of Psychopathic Personality (CAPP) is a concept map of psychopathic personality disorder (PPD). The CAPP- Institutional Rating Scale (IRS) is a tool designed to assess CAPP symptoms in institutional settings. The CAPP contains 33 personality traits organized in six domains: attachment, behavioural, cognitive, dominance, emotional and self. Until now, much of the CAPP research has been conducted out of clinical, forensic and correctional settings using self-ratings. In the current study, the psychometric properties and construct validity of the CAPP-IRS were evaluated in a non-convenience sample of 204 Spanish convicts. Clinician ratings were employed. Participants had been imprisoned for at least 6 months at Pereiro de Aguiar Penitentiary. This group of inmates was heterogeneous with respect to type of official charges, and representative as all convicts interned for at least 6 months in this prison were screened for participation. Classical test theory indexes of reliability, correlations between CAPP items and domains and external correlations and structural analyses demonstrated that CAPP assessment is a solid and robust way of evaluating psychopathy in a correctional setting. Best fit was found for a three-factor model: attachment and emotional items associated with a callous and unemotional trait, dominance and self items associated with a pathological interpersonal style, and behavioural and residual items from other domains associated with impulsivity.

Clinical trial participant characteristics and saliva and DNA metrics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Richards Julie

2009-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Clinical trial and epidemiological studies need high quality biospecimens from a representative sample of participants to investigate genetic influences on treatment response and disease. Obtaining blood biospecimens presents logistical and financial challenges. As a result, saliva biospecimen collection is becoming more frequent because of the ease of collection and lower cost. This article describes an assessment of saliva biospecimen samples collected through the mail, trial participant demographic and behavioral characteristics, and their association with saliva and DNA quantity and quality. Methods Saliva biospecimens were collected using the Oragene® DNA Self-Collection Kits from participants in a National Cancer Institute funded smoking cessation trial. Saliva biospecimens from 565 individuals were visually inspected for clarity prior to and after DNA extraction. DNA samples were then quantified by UV absorbance, PicoGreen®, and qPCR. Genotyping was performed on 11 SNPs using TaqMan® SNP assays and two VNTR assays. Univariate, correlation, and analysis of variance analyses were conducted to observe the relationship between saliva sample and participant characteristics. Results The biospecimen kit return rate was 58.5% among those invited to participate (n = 967 and 47.1% among all possible COMPASS participants (n = 1202. Significant gender differences were observed with males providing larger saliva volume (4.7 vs. 4.5 ml, p = 0.019, samples that were more likely to be judged as cloudy (39.5% vs. 24.9%, p 0.21, P Conclusion Findings from this study show that demographic and behavioral characteristics of smoking cessation trial participants have significant associations with saliva and DNA metrics, but not with the performance of TaqMan® SNP or VNTR genotyping assays. Trial registration COMPASS; registered as NCT00301145 at clinicaltrials.gov.

Heart Rate Responses of High School Students Participating in Surfing Physical Education.

Science.gov (United States)

Bravo, Michelle M; Cummins, Kevin M; Nessler, Jeff A; Newcomer, Sean C

2016-06-01

Despite the nation's rising epidemic of childhood obesity and diabetes, schools struggle to promote physical activities that help reduce risks for cardiovascular disease. Emerging data suggest that adopting novel activities into physical education (PE) curriculum may serve as an effective strategy for increasing physical activity in children. The purpose of this investigation was to characterize activity in the water and heart rates (HRs) of high school students participating in surf PE courses. Twenty-four male (n = 20) and female (n = 4) high school students (mean age = 16.7 ± 1.0 years) who were enrolled in surf PE courses at 2 high schools participated in this investigation. Daily measurements of surfing durations, average HR, and maximum HR were made on the students with HR monitors (PolarFT1) over an 8-week period. In addition, HR and activity in the water was evaluated during a single session in a subset of students (n = 11) using a HR monitor (PolarRCX5) and a video camera (Canon HD). Activity and HR were synchronized and evaluated in 5-second intervals during data analyses. The average duration that PE students participated in surfing during class was 61.7 ± 1.0 minutes. Stationary, paddling, wave riding, and miscellaneous activities comprised 42.7 ± 9.5, 36.7 ± 7.9, 2.9 ± 1.4, and 17.8 ± 11.4 percent of the surf session, respectively. The average and maximum HRs during these activities were 131.1 ± 0.9 and 177.2 ± 1.0 b·min, respectively. These data suggest that high school students participating in surf PE attained HRs and durations that are consistent with recommendations with cardiovascular fitness and health. In the future, PE programs should consider incorporating other action sports into their curriculum to enhance cardiovascular health.

Sample-interpolation timing: an optimized technique for the digital measurement of time of flight for γ rays and neutrons at relatively low sampling rates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aspinall, M D; Joyce, M J; Mackin, R O; Jarrah, Z; Boston, A J; Nolan, P J; Peyton, A J; Hawkes, N P

2009-01-01

A unique, digital time pick-off method, known as sample-interpolation timing (SIT) is described. This method demonstrates the possibility of improved timing resolution for the digital measurement of time of flight compared with digital replica-analogue time pick-off methods for signals sampled at relatively low rates. Three analogue timing methods have been replicated in the digital domain (leading-edge, crossover and constant-fraction timing) for pulse data sampled at 8 GSa s −1 . Events arising from the 7 Li(p, n) 7 Be reaction have been detected with an EJ-301 organic liquid scintillator and recorded with a fast digital sampling oscilloscope. Sample-interpolation timing was developed solely for the digital domain and thus performs more efficiently on digital signals compared with analogue time pick-off methods replicated digitally, especially for fast signals that are sampled at rates that current affordable and portable devices can achieve. Sample interpolation can be applied to any analogue timing method replicated digitally and thus also has the potential to exploit the generic capabilities of analogue techniques with the benefits of operating in the digital domain. A threshold in sampling rate with respect to the signal pulse width is observed beyond which further improvements in timing resolution are not attained. This advance is relevant to many applications in which time-of-flight measurement is essential

Proposing an Empirically Justified Reference Threshold for Blood Culture Sampling Rates in Intensive Care Units

Science.gov (United States)

Castell, Stefanie; Schwab, Frank; Geffers, Christine; Bongartz, Hannah; Brunkhorst, Frank M.; Gastmeier, Petra; Mikolajczyk, Rafael T.

2014-01-01

Early and appropriate blood culture sampling is recommended as a standard of care for patients with suspected bloodstream infections (BSI) but is rarely taken into account when quality indicators for BSI are evaluated. To date, sampling of about 100 to 200 blood culture sets per 1,000 patient-days is recommended as the target range for blood culture rates. However, the empirical basis of this recommendation is not clear. The aim of the current study was to analyze the association between blood culture rates and observed BSI rates and to derive a reference threshold for blood culture rates in intensive care units (ICUs). This study is based on data from 223 ICUs taking part in the German hospital infection surveillance system. We applied locally weighted regression and segmented Poisson regression to assess the association between blood culture rates and BSI rates. Below 80 to 90 blood culture sets per 1,000 patient-days, observed BSI rates increased with increasing blood culture rates, while there was no further increase above this threshold. Segmented Poisson regression located the threshold at 87 (95% confidence interval, 54 to 120) blood culture sets per 1,000 patient-days. Only one-third of the investigated ICUs displayed blood culture rates above this threshold. We provided empirical justification for a blood culture target threshold in ICUs. In the majority of the studied ICUs, blood culture sampling rates were below this threshold. This suggests that a substantial fraction of BSI cases might remain undetected; reporting observed BSI rates as a quality indicator without sufficiently high blood culture rates might be misleading. PMID:25520442

Experimental procedure for the determination of counting efficiency and sampling flow rate of a grab-sampling working level meter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grenier, M.; Bigu, J.

1982-07-01

The calibration procedures used for a working level meter (WLM) of the grab-sampling type are presented in detail. The WLM tested is a Pylon WL-1000C working level meter and it was calibrated for radon/thoron daughter counting efficiency (E), for sampling pump flow rate (Q) and other variables of interest. For the instrument calibrated at the Elliot Lake Laboratory, E was 0.22 +- 0.01 while Q was 4.50 +- 0.01 L/min

Maximum type 1 error rate inflation in multiarmed clinical trials with adaptive interim sample size modifications.

Science.gov (United States)

Graf, Alexandra C; Bauer, Peter; Glimm, Ekkehard; Koenig, Franz

2014-07-01

Sample size modifications in the interim analyses of an adaptive design can inflate the type 1 error rate, if test statistics and critical boundaries are used in the final analysis as if no modification had been made. While this is already true for designs with an overall change of the sample size in a balanced treatment-control comparison, the inflation can be much larger if in addition a modification of allocation ratios is allowed as well. In this paper, we investigate adaptive designs with several treatment arms compared to a single common control group. Regarding modifications, we consider treatment arm selection as well as modifications of overall sample size and allocation ratios. The inflation is quantified for two approaches: a naive procedure that ignores not only all modifications, but also the multiplicity issue arising from the many-to-one comparison, and a Dunnett procedure that ignores modifications, but adjusts for the initially started multiple treatments. The maximum inflation of the type 1 error rate for such types of design can be calculated by searching for the "worst case" scenarios, that are sample size adaptation rules in the interim analysis that lead to the largest conditional type 1 error rate in any point of the sample space. To show the most extreme inflation, we initially assume unconstrained second stage sample size modifications leading to a large inflation of the type 1 error rate. Furthermore, we investigate the inflation when putting constraints on the second stage sample sizes. It turns out that, for example fixing the sample size of the control group, leads to designs controlling the type 1 error rate. © 2014 The Author. Biometrical Journal published by WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

System Identification of a Non-Uniformly Sampled Multi-Rate System in Aluminium Electrolysis Cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Håkon Viumdal

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Standard system identification algorithms are usually designed to generate mathematical models with equidistant sampling instants, that are equal for both input variables and output variables. Unfortunately, real industrial data sets are often disrupted by missing samples, variations of sampling rates in the different variables (also known as multi-rate systems, and intermittent measurements. In industries with varying events based maintenance or manual operational measures, intermittent measurements are performed leading to uneven sampling rates. Such is the case with aluminium smelters, where in addition the materials fed into the cell create even more irregularity in sampling. Both measurements and feeding are mostly manually controlled. A simplified simulation of the metal level in an aluminium electrolysis cell is performed based on mass balance considerations. System identification methods based on Prediction Error Methods (PEM such as Ordinary Least Squares (OLS, and the sub-space method combined Deterministic and Stochastic system identification and Realization (DSR, and its variants are applied to the model of a single electrolysis cell as found in the aluminium smelters. Aliasing phenomena due to large sampling intervals can be crucial in avoiding unsuitable models, but with knowledge about the system dynamics, it is easier to optimize the sampling performance, and hence achieve successful models. The results based on the simulation studies of molten aluminium height in the cells using the various algorithms give results which tally well with the synthetic data sets used. System identification on a smaller data set from a real plant is also implemented in this work. Finally, some concrete suggestions are made for using these models in the smelters.

Relationship between accuracy and number of samples on statistical quantity and contour map of environmental gamma-ray dose rate. Example of random sampling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matsuda, Hideharu; Minato, Susumu

2002-01-01

The accuracy of statistical quantity like the mean value and contour map obtained by measurement of the environmental gamma-ray dose rate was evaluated by random sampling of 5 different model distribution maps made by the mean slope, -1.3, of power spectra calculated from the actually measured values. The values were derived from 58 natural gamma dose rate data reported worldwide ranging in the means of 10-100 Gy/h rates and 10 -3 -10 7 km 2 areas. The accuracy of the mean value was found around ±7% even for 60 or 80 samplings (the most frequent number) and the standard deviation had the accuracy less than 1/4-1/3 of the means. The correlation coefficient of the frequency distribution was found 0.860 or more for 200-400 samplings (the most frequent number) but of the contour map, 0.502-0.770. (K.H.)

Time delay estimation in a reverberant environment by low rate sampling of impulsive acoustic sources

KAUST Repository

Omer, Muhammad

2012-07-01

This paper presents a new method of time delay estimation (TDE) using low sample rates of an impulsive acoustic source in a room environment. The proposed method finds the time delay from the room impulse response (RIR) which makes it robust against room reverberations. The RIR is considered a sparse phenomenon and a recently proposed sparse signal reconstruction technique called orthogonal clustering (OC) is utilized for its estimation from the low rate sampled received signal. The arrival time of the direct path signal at a pair of microphones is identified from the estimated RIR and their difference yields the desired time delay. Low sampling rates reduce the hardware and computational complexity and decrease the communication between the microphones and the centralized location. The performance of the proposed technique is demonstrated by numerical simulations and experimental results. © 2012 IEEE.

Calibration of track detectors and measurement of radon exhalation rate from solid samples

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Singh, Ajay Kumar; Jojo, P.J.; Prasad, Rajendra; Khan, A.J.; Ramachandran, T.V.

1997-01-01

CR-39 and LR-115 type II track detectors to be used for radon exhalation measurements have been calibrated. The configurations fitted with detectors in Can technique in the open cup mode are cylindrical plastic cup (PC) and conical plastic cup (CPC). The experiment was performed in radon exposure chamber having monodisperse aerosols of 0.2 μm size, to find the relationship between track density and the radon concentration. The calibration factors for PC and CPC type dosimeters with LR-115 type II detector were found to be 0.056 and 0.083 tracks cm -2 d -1 (Bqm -3 ) -1 respectively, while with CR-39 detector the values were 0.149 and 0.150 tracks cm -2 d -1 (Bq m -3 ) -1 . Employing the Can technique, measurements of exhalation rates from solid samples used as construction materials, are undertaken. Radon exhalation rate is found to be minimum in cement samples while in fly ash it is not enhanced as compared to coal samples. (author)

Investigation of Bicycle Travel Time Estimation Using Bluetooth Sensors for Low Sampling Rates

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhenyu Mei

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Filtering the data for bicycle travel time using Bluetooth sensors is crucial to the estimation of link travel times on a corridor. The current paper describes an adaptive filtering algorithm for estimating bicycle travel times using Bluetooth data, with consideration of low sampling rates. The data for bicycle travel time using Bluetooth sensors has two characteristics. First, the bicycle flow contains stable and unstable conditions. Second, the collected data have low sampling rates (less than 1%. To avoid erroneous inference, filters are introduced to “purify” multiple time series. The valid data are identified within a dynamically varying validity window with the use of a robust data-filtering procedure. The size of the validity window varies based on the number of preceding sampling intervals without a Bluetooth record. Applications of the proposed algorithm to the dataset from Genshan East Road and Moganshan Road in Hangzhou demonstrate its ability to track typical variations in bicycle travel time efficiently, while suppressing high frequency noise signals.

Sub-symbol-rate sampling for PDM-QPSK signals in super-Nyquist WDM systems using quadrature poly-binary shaping.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Cheng; Gao, Guanjun; Chen, Sai; Zhang, Jie; Luo, Ming; Hu, Rong; Yang, Qi

2016-11-14

We compare the performance of sub-symbol-rate sampling for polarization-division-multiplexed quadrature-phase-shift-keying (PDM-QPSK) signals in super-Nyquist wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) system by using quadrature duo-binary (QDB) and quadrature four-level poly-binary (4PB) shaping together with maximum likelihood sequence estimation (MLSE). PDM-16QAM is adopted in the simulation to be compared with PDM-QPSK. The numerical simulations show that, for a software defined communication system, the level number of quadrature poly-binary modulation should be adjusted to achieve the optimal performance according to channel spacing, required OSNR and sampling rate restrictions of optics. In the experiment, we demonstrate 3-channel 12-Gbaud PDM-QPSK transmission with 10-GHz channel spacing and only 8.4-GSa/s ADC sampling rate at lowest. By using QDB or 4PB shaping with 3tap-MLSE, the sampling rate can be reduced to the signal baud rate (1 samples per symbol) without penalty.

Single- versus multiple-sample method to measure glomerular filtration rate.

Science.gov (United States)

Delanaye, Pierre; Flamant, Martin; Dubourg, Laurence; Vidal-Petiot, Emmanuelle; Lemoine, Sandrine; Cavalier, Etienne; Schaeffner, Elke; Ebert, Natalie; Pottel, Hans

2018-01-08

There are many different ways to measure glomerular filtration rate (GFR) using various exogenous filtration markers, each having their own strengths and limitations. However, not only the marker, but also the methodology may vary in many ways, including the use of urinary or plasma clearance, and, in the case of plasma clearance, the number of time points used to calculate the area under the concentration-time curve, ranging from only one (Jacobsson method) to eight (or more) blood samples. We collected the results obtained from 5106 plasma clearances (iohexol or 51Cr-ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA)) using three to four time points, allowing GFR calculation using the slope-intercept method and the Bröchner-Mortensen correction. For each time point, the Jacobsson formula was applied to obtain the single-sample GFR. We used Bland-Altman plots to determine the accuracy of the Jacobsson method at each time point. The single-sample method showed within 10% concordances with the multiple-sample method of 66.4%, 83.6%, 91.4% and 96.0% at the time points 120, 180, 240 and ≥300 min, respectively. Concordance was poorer at lower GFR levels, and this trend is in parallel with increasing age. Results were similar in males and females. Some discordance was found in the obese subjects. Single-sample GFR is highly concordant with a multiple-sample strategy, except in the low GFR range (<30 mL/min). © The Author 2018. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of ERA-EDTA. All rights reserved.

Program participation, labor force dynamics, and accepted wage rates

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Munch, Jakob Roland; Skipper, Lars

2008-01-01

We apply a recently suggested econometric approach to measure the effects of active labor market programs on employment, unemployment, and wage histories among participants. We find that participation in most of these training programs produces an initial locking-in effect and for some even a lower...

Adaptive sampling rate control for networked systems based on statistical characteristics of packet disordering.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Jin-Na; Er, Meng-Joo; Tan, Yen-Kheng; Yu, Hai-Bin; Zeng, Peng

2015-09-01

This paper investigates an adaptive sampling rate control scheme for networked control systems (NCSs) subject to packet disordering. The main objectives of the proposed scheme are (a) to avoid heavy packet disordering existing in communication networks and (b) to stabilize NCSs with packet disordering, transmission delay and packet loss. First, a novel sampling rate control algorithm based on statistical characteristics of disordering entropy is proposed; secondly, an augmented closed-loop NCS that consists of a plant, a sampler and a state-feedback controller is transformed into an uncertain and stochastic system, which facilitates the controller design. Then, a sufficient condition for stochastic stability in terms of Linear Matrix Inequalities (LMIs) is given. Moreover, an adaptive tracking controller is designed such that the sampling period tracks a desired sampling period, which represents a significant contribution. Finally, experimental results are given to illustrate the effectiveness and advantages of the proposed scheme. Copyright © 2015 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Questionnaire survey of current status and reserve for breast cancer screening in Mie prefecture. Achievement of a 50% participation rate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kobayashi, Shigeki; Tanaka, Yukio; Matsuo, Michiko

2012-01-01

Mie Medical Network of Breast Cancer Screening, a NPO, was assigned the task of breast cancer screening in Mie prefecture in April, 2010. For breast cancer screening in Mie prefecture in 2009, a questionnaire survey was performed toward both consigner and consignee. Consigners were local public offices managing breast cancer screening for local inhabitants, and consignees were facilities offering breast cancer screening. The number of breast cancer screening was investigated toward all 29 of consigners in Mie prefecture. The questionnaire survey was conducted toward all 52 of the facilities possessing mammography systems (breast cancer screening being performed at 48 of them) in Mie prefecture in 2009. We investigated the predictive additional number of breast cancer screening and also investigated the requisite number of staff to achieve the predictive maximum number of breast cancer screening. As a result, the total number of breast cancer screenings was 93,525, and the participation rate was 27.5% which was calculated by reduction of continuator in Mie prefecture in 2009. The continuator accounted for over 30% of all breast cancer screenings. The predictive additional number was 126,950, this indicates that a possible participation rate of 75.2% after 2011. To achieve this high participation rate, active support is essential for short-handed facilities, and about 20% increase of medical staff is necessary. To achieve a participation rate of over 50% as a goal, new screenees should be recruited and breast cancer screening of every other year should be enlightened. (author)

Behavioral Norms, Moral Judgments, and Social Approval of Participant Roles in School Bullying in a Singapore Sample

Science.gov (United States)

Sim, Tick Ngee; Tan, Melinda Meizhen

2013-01-01

This study examines behavioral norms, moral judgments, and social approval of participant roles in classroom physical, verbal, and relational bullying, including a relatively new reporter role (where nothing is done during the bullying but there is subsequent reporting to a teacher). A sample of 1,131 Secondary 1 (mean age = 12 years 7 months) and…

Executive Functioning in Participants Over Age of 50 with Hoarding Disorder.

Science.gov (United States)

Ayers, Catherine R; Dozier, Mary E; Wetherell, Julie Loebach; Twamley, Elizabeth W; Schiehser, Dawn M

2016-05-01

The current investigation utilized mid-life and late-life participants diagnosed with hoarding disorder (HD) to explore the relationship between executive functioning and hoarding severity. Correlational analyses were used to investigate the associations between executive functioning and hoarding severity in nondemented participants. Multiple regression was used to determine if executive functioning had a unique association with HD severity when accounting for depressive symptoms. Participants were recruited from the San Diego area for HD intervention studies. Participants were 113 nondemented adults aged 50-86 years who met DSM-5 criteria for HD. The mean age of the sample utilized in the analyses was 63.76 years (SD, 7.2; range, 51-85 years). The sample was mostly female (72%), Caucasian (81.4%), and unmarried (78%). Hoarding severity was assessed using the Saving Inventory-Revised and the Clutter Image Rating and depression was assessed using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Executive functioning was assessed using the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST-128) and the Trail Making and Verbal Fluency subtests of the Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System. Executive function (operationalized as perseveration on the WCST-128) was significantly associated with Clutter Image Ratings. In a multivariate context, executive function and depressive symptom severity were both significant predictors of variance in Clutter Image Rating. Our results suggest that executive function is related to severity of HD symptoms and should be considered as part of the conceptualization of HD. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Distribution of the Determinant of the Sample Correlation Matrix: Monte Carlo Type One Error Rates.

Science.gov (United States)

Reddon, John R.; And Others

1985-01-01

Computer sampling from a multivariate normal spherical population was used to evaluate the type one error rates for a test of sphericity based on the distribution of the determinant of the sample correlation matrix. (Author/LMO)

45 CFR 261.36 - Do welfare reform waivers affect the calculation of a State's participation rates?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

..., DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES ENSURING THAT RECIPIENTS WORK What Are the Work Activities and How Do They Count? § 261.36 Do welfare reform waivers affect the calculation of a State's participation rates... 45 Public Welfare 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Do welfare reform waivers affect the calculation...

Study of the effect of political measures on the citizen participation rate in recycling and on the environmental load reduction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matsui, Yasuhiro; Tanaka, Masaru; Ohsako, Masahiro

2007-01-01

Obtaining the cooperation of citizens to participate in separate waste collection is essential to create a recycling-oriented society. In this research, the degree of change in the citizen participation rate, which occurs when the contents of political measures such as the raising of awareness, provision of information, and the conditions of collection services were changed, was estimated together with the effect on the reduction in environmental load. A questionnaire survey was conducted, targeted at residents of Itabashi Ward, while logistic regression analyses were also conducted to create predictive models for recycling behavior, and sensitivity analyses of the models were carried out to estimate the increase in citizen participation rate achievable through the implementation of various political measures. It was found that the effect of 'thorough perception of information' was the largest, followed by 'minimization of evaluation of trouble' and 'thorough perception of efficacy of measures.' The effect of the improvement in the citizen participation rate on the reduction in environmental load was also evaluated quantitatively by life cycle inventory analyses. It was indicated that 'maximization of perception of information' had the greatest effect. However, the reduction effect with 'paper packs' and 'PET bottles' was relatively small compared with that of 'bottles/cans.'

The role of abnormal fetal heart rate in scheduling chorionic villus sampling.

Science.gov (United States)

Yagel, S; Anteby, E; Ron, M; Hochner-Celnikier, D; Achiron, R

1992-09-01

To assess the value of fetal heart rate (FHR) measurements in predicting spontaneous fetal loss in pregnancies scheduled for chorionic villus sampling (CVS). A prospective descriptive study. Two hospital departments of obstetrics and gynaecology in Israel. 114 women between 9 and 11 weeks gestation scheduled for chorionic villus sampling (CVS). Fetal heart rate was measured by transvaginal Doppler ultrasound and compared with a monogram established from 75 fetuses. Whenever a normal FHR was recorded, CVS was performed immediately. 106 women had a normal FHR and underwent CVS; two of these pregnancies ended in miscarriage. In five pregnancies no fetal heart beats could be identified and fetal death was diagnosed. In three pregnancies an abnormal FHR was recorded and CVS was postponed; all three pregnancies ended in miscarriage within 2 weeks. Determination of FHR correlated with crown-rump length could be useful in predicting spontaneous miscarriage before performing any invasive procedure late in the first trimester.

Passive Acoustic Source Localization at a Low Sampling Rate Based on a Five-Element Cross Microphone Array

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yue Kan

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Accurate acoustic source localization at a low sampling rate (less than 10 kHz is still a challenging problem for small portable systems, especially for a multitasking micro-embedded system. A modification of the generalized cross-correlation (GCC method with the up-sampling (US theory is proposed and defined as the US-GCC method, which can improve the accuracy of the time delay of arrival (TDOA and source location at a low sampling rate. In this work, through the US operation, an input signal with a certain sampling rate can be converted into another signal with a higher frequency. Furthermore, the optimal interpolation factor for the US operation is derived according to localization computation time and the standard deviation (SD of target location estimations. On the one hand, simulation results show that absolute errors of the source locations based on the US-GCC method with an interpolation factor of 15 are approximately from 1/15- to 1/12-times those based on the GCC method, when the initial same sampling rates of both methods are 8 kHz. On the other hand, a simple and small portable passive acoustic source localization platform composed of a five-element cross microphone array has been designed and set up in this paper. The experiments on the established platform, which accurately locates a three-dimensional (3D near-field target at a low sampling rate demonstrate that the proposed method is workable.

Quality improvement in determination of chemical oxygen demand in samples considered difficult to analyze, through participation in proficiency-testing schemes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Raposo, Francisco; Fernández-Cegrí, V.; De la Rubia, M.A.

2010-01-01

Chemical oxygen demand (COD) is a critical analytical parameter in waste and wastewater treatment, more specifically in anaerobic digestion, although little is known about the quality of measuring COD of anaerobic digestion samples. Proficiency testing (PT) is a powerful tool that can be used...... to test the performance achievable in the participants laboratories, so we carried out a second PT of COD determination in samples considered ‘‘difficult’’ to analyze (i.e. solid samples and liquid samples with high concentrations of suspended solids). The results obtained (based on acceptable z...

A 172 $\\mu$W Compressively Sampled Photoplethysmographic (PPG) Readout ASIC With Heart Rate Estimation Directly From Compressively Sampled Data.

Science.gov (United States)

Pamula, Venkata Rajesh; Valero-Sarmiento, Jose Manuel; Yan, Long; Bozkurt, Alper; Hoof, Chris Van; Helleputte, Nick Van; Yazicioglu, Refet Firat; Verhelst, Marian

2017-06-01

A compressive sampling (CS) photoplethysmographic (PPG) readout with embedded feature extraction to estimate heart rate (HR) directly from compressively sampled data is presented. It integrates a low-power analog front end together with a digital back end to perform feature extraction to estimate the average HR over a 4 s interval directly from compressively sampled PPG data. The application-specified integrated circuit (ASIC) supports uniform sampling mode (1x compression) as well as CS modes with compression ratios of 8x, 10x, and 30x. CS is performed through nonuniformly subsampling the PPG signal, while feature extraction is performed using least square spectral fitting through Lomb-Scargle periodogram. The ASIC consumes 172  μ W of power from a 1.2 V supply while reducing the relative LED driver power consumption by up to 30 times without significant loss of relevant information for accurate HR estimation.

Automated Prediction of Catalytic Mechanism and Rate Law Using Graph-Based Reaction Path Sampling.

Science.gov (United States)

Habershon, Scott

2016-04-12

In a recent article [ J. Chem. Phys. 2015 , 143 , 094106 ], we introduced a novel graph-based sampling scheme which can be used to generate chemical reaction paths in many-atom systems in an efficient and highly automated manner. The main goal of this work is to demonstrate how this approach, when combined with direct kinetic modeling, can be used to determine the mechanism and phenomenological rate law of a complex catalytic cycle, namely cobalt-catalyzed hydroformylation of ethene. Our graph-based sampling scheme generates 31 unique chemical products and 32 unique chemical reaction pathways; these sampled structures and reaction paths enable automated construction of a kinetic network model of the catalytic system when combined with density functional theory (DFT) calculations of free energies and resultant transition-state theory rate constants. Direct simulations of this kinetic network across a range of initial reactant concentrations enables determination of both the reaction mechanism and the associated rate law in an automated fashion, without the need for either presupposing a mechanism or making steady-state approximations in kinetic analysis. Most importantly, we find that the reaction mechanism which emerges from these simulations is exactly that originally proposed by Heck and Breslow; furthermore, the simulated rate law is also consistent with previous experimental and computational studies, exhibiting a complex dependence on carbon monoxide pressure. While the inherent errors of using DFT simulations to model chemical reactivity limit the quantitative accuracy of our calculated rates, this work confirms that our automated simulation strategy enables direct analysis of catalytic mechanisms from first principles.

High-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia in human papillomavirus self-sampling of screening non-attenders

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lam, J U H; Elfström, K M; Ejegod, D. M.

2018-01-01

precancer lesions. Here, we compare the cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2 or worse (⩾CIN2) detection rate between non-attenders who participated in self-sampling and women attending routine screening. METHODS: A total of 23 632 women who were qualified as non-attenders in the Copenhagen Region were......BACKGROUND: Self-sampling for human papillomavirus (HPV) offered to women who do not participate in cervical cancer screening is an increasingly popular method to increase screening coverage. The rationale behind self-sampling is that unscreened women harbour a high proportion of undetected...... higher detection rates for ⩾CIN2 than routine cytology-based screening, and similar detection rates as HPV and cytology co-testing. This reinforces the importance of self-sampling for screening non-attenders in organised cervical cancer screening.British Journal of Cancer advance online publication, 14...

Forward flux sampling calculation of homogeneous nucleation rates from aqueous NaCl solutions.

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Hao; Haji-Akbari, Amir; Debenedetti, Pablo G; Panagiotopoulos, Athanassios Z

2018-01-28

We used molecular dynamics simulations and the path sampling technique known as forward flux sampling to study homogeneous nucleation of NaCl crystals from supersaturated aqueous solutions at 298 K and 1 bar. Nucleation rates were obtained for a range of salt concentrations for the Joung-Cheatham NaCl force field combined with the Extended Simple Point Charge (SPC/E) water model. The calculated nucleation rates are significantly lower than the available experimental measurements. The estimates for the nucleation rates in this work do not rely on classical nucleation theory, but the pathways observed in the simulations suggest that the nucleation process is better described by classical nucleation theory than an alternative interpretation based on Ostwald's step rule, in contrast to some prior simulations of related models. In addition to the size of NaCl nucleus, we find that the crystallinity of a nascent cluster plays an important role in the nucleation process. Nuclei with high crystallinity were found to have higher growth probability and longer lifetimes, possibly because they are less exposed to hydration water.

Decrease in heart rate after longitudinal participation in the Groningen Active Living Model (GALM) recreational sports programme

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Jong, Johan; Lemmink, Koen; Scherder, Erik; Stewart, Roy; King, Abby; Stevens, Martin

2009-01-01

The aim of this study was to investigate changes in heart rate during submaximal exercise as an index of cardiovascular function in older adults participating in the Groningen Active Living Model recreational sports programme who were sedentary or underactive at baseline. A repeated measurement

Longitudinal changes in heart rate after participating in the Groningen Active Living Model (GALM) recreational sports programme

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Jong, Johan; Lemmink, Koen; Scherder, Erik; Stewart, Roy; King, Abby C.

2009-01-01

The aim of this study was to investigate changes in heart rate during submaximal exercise as an index of cardiovascular function in older adults participating in the Groningen Active Living Model recreational sports programme who were sedentary or underactive at baseline. A repeated measurement

The Role of E-Mail Communications in Determining Response Rates and Mode of Participation in a Mixed-Mode Design

Science.gov (United States)

Cernat, Alexandru; Lynn, Peter

2018-01-01

This article is concerned with the extent to which the propensity to participate in a web face-to-face sequential mixed-mode survey is influenced by the ability to communicate with sample members by e-mail in addition to mail. Researchers may be able to collect e-mail addresses for sample members and to use them subsequently to send survey…

Study of radon exhalation and emanation rates from fly ash samples

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Raj Kumari; Jain, Ravinder; Kant, Krishan; Gupta, Nitin; Garg, Maneesha; Yadav, Mani Kant

2013-01-01

Fly ash, a by-product of burnt coal is technologically important material being used for manufacturing of bricks, sheets, cement, land filling etc. The increased interest in measuring radon exhalation and emanation rates in fly ash samples is due to its health hazards and environmental pollution and the same have been measured to assess the radiological impact of radon emanated from fly ash disposal sites. Samples of fly ash from different thermal power stations in northern India and National Council for Cement and Building Materials (NCB) were collected and analysed for the measurements. For the measurement, alpha sensitive LR-115 type II plastic track detectors were used. Gamma spectrometry and can technique was used for the measurements. The experimental data show that fly ash samples emanate radon in significant amount and this consequently, may result in increased radon levels in dwellings built by using fly ash bricks and excessive radiation exposure to workers residing in the surroundings of fly ash dumping sites. (author)

Reply: Birnbaum's (2012 statistical tests of independence have unknown Type-I error rates and do not replicate within participant

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yun-shil Cha

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Birnbaum (2011, 2012 questioned the iid (independent and identically distributed sampling assumptions used by state-of-the-art statistical tests in Regenwetter, Dana and Davis-Stober's (2010, 2011 analysis of the ``linear order model''. Birnbaum (2012 cited, but did not use, a test of iid by Smith and Batchelder (2008 with analytically known properties. Instead, he created two new test statistics with unknown sampling distributions. Our rebuttal has five components: 1 We demonstrate that the Regenwetter et al. data pass Smith and Batchelder's test of iid with flying colors. 2 We provide evidence from Monte Carlo simulations that Birnbaum's (2012 proposed tests have unknown Type-I error rates, which depend on the actual choice probabilities and on how data are coded as well as on the null hypothesis of iid sampling. 3 Birnbaum analyzed only a third of Regenwetter et al.'s data. We show that his two new tests fail to replicate on the other two-thirds of the data, within participants. 4 Birnbaum selectively picked data of one respondent to suggest that choice probabilities may have changed partway into the experiment. Such nonstationarity could potentially cause a seemingly good fit to be a Type-II error. We show that the linear order model fits equally well if we allow for warm-up effects. 5 Using hypothetical data, Birnbaum (2012 claimed to show that ``true-and-error'' models for binary pattern probabilities overcome the alleged short-comings of Regenwetter et al.'s approach. We disprove this claim on the same data.

Sample substitution can be an acceptable data-collection strategy: the case of the Belgian Health Interview Survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Demarest, Stefaan; Molenberghs, Geert; Van der Heyden, Johan; Gisle, Lydia; Van Oyen, Herman; de Waleffe, Sandrine; Van Hal, Guido

2017-11-01

Substitution of non-participating households is used in the Belgian Health Interview Survey (BHIS) as a method to obtain the predefined net sample size. Yet, possible effects of applying substitution on response rates and health estimates remain uncertain. In this article, the process of substitution with its impact on response rates and health estimates is assessed. The response rates (RR)-both at household and individual level-according to the sampling criteria were calculated for each stage of the substitution process, together with the individual accrual rate (AR). Unweighted and weighted health estimates were calculated before and after applying substitution. Of the 10,468 members of 4878 initial households, 5904 members (RRind: 56.4%) of 2707 households (RRhh: 55.5%) participated. For the three successive (matched) substitutes, the RR dropped to 45%. The composition of the net sample resembles the one of the initial samples. Applying substitution did not produce any important distorting effects on the estimates. Applying substitution leads to an increase in non-participation, but does not impact the estimations.

Maximising nurses' and midwives' response rates to surveys.

Science.gov (United States)

Cooper, Alannah Louise; Brown, Janie

2017-12-18

Low response rates to surveys have been a long-standing issue in research. This includes research involving nurses and midwives. To gain representative samples, appropriate measures to maximise response rates need to be used. To explore ways to maximise response rates from nurses and midwives, using a hospital-wide survey as an example. All nurses and midwives at the study hospital were invited to participate in a survey. To encourage participation and elicit an adequate response rate, several strategies were used. A total of 1,000 surveys were distributed and 319 (32%) were returned. All the required age groups, levels of experience and types of nursing registration were represented in the responses and data saturation was achieved. It is important to pay attention to obtaining a representative sample. Further investigation of response rates to surveys by nurses and midwives is warranted. Strategies to maximise response rates from a target population should be used when conducting surveys. ©2017 RCN Publishing Company Ltd. All rights reserved. Not to be copied, transmitted or recorded in any way, in whole or part, without prior permission of the publishers.

Two simple strategies (adding a logo or a senior faculty's signature) failed to improve patient participation rates in a cohort study: randomized trial

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Wonderen, Karina E.; Mohrs, Jacob; Jff, Machteld I.; Bindels, Patrick J. E.; ter Riet, Gerben

2008-01-01

Background: Patient participation in research studies is often difficult to achieve, and efforts to increase participation rates fail frequently. Given the paucity of evidence on interventions aimed at improving patient participation, we conducted a randomized trial. Objectives: The first was to

Type-II generalized family-wise error rate formulas with application to sample size determination.

Science.gov (United States)

Delorme, Phillipe; de Micheaux, Pierre Lafaye; Liquet, Benoit; Riou, Jérémie

2016-07-20

Multiple endpoints are increasingly used in clinical trials. The significance of some of these clinical trials is established if at least r null hypotheses are rejected among m that are simultaneously tested. The usual approach in multiple hypothesis testing is to control the family-wise error rate, which is defined as the probability that at least one type-I error is made. More recently, the q-generalized family-wise error rate has been introduced to control the probability of making at least q false rejections. For procedures controlling this global type-I error rate, we define a type-II r-generalized family-wise error rate, which is directly related to the r-power defined as the probability of rejecting at least r false null hypotheses. We obtain very general power formulas that can be used to compute the sample size for single-step and step-wise procedures. These are implemented in our R package rPowerSampleSize available on the CRAN, making them directly available to end users. Complexities of the formulas are presented to gain insight into computation time issues. Comparison with Monte Carlo strategy is also presented. We compute sample sizes for two clinical trials involving multiple endpoints: one designed to investigate the effectiveness of a drug against acute heart failure and the other for the immunogenicity of a vaccine strategy against pneumococcus. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Estimated neutron-activation data for TFTR. Part II. Biological dose rate from sample-materials activation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ku, L.; Kolibal, J.G.

1982-06-01

The neutron induced material activation dose rate data are summarized for the TFTR operation. This report marks the completion of the second phase of the systematic study of the activation problem on the TFTR. The estimations of the neutron induced activation dose rates were made for spherical and slab objects, based on a point kernel method, for a wide range of materials. The dose rates as a function of cooling time for standard samples are presented for a number of typical neutron spectrum expected during TFTR DD and DT operations. The factors which account for the variations of the pulsing history, the characteristic size of the object and the distance of observation relative to the standard samples are also presented

Comparison of dechlorination rates for field DNAPL vs synthetic samples: effect of sample matrix

Science.gov (United States)

O'Carroll, D. M.; Sakulchaicharoen, N.; Herrera, J. E.

2015-12-01

Nanometals have received significant attention in recent years due to their ability to rapidly destroy numerous priority source zone contaminants in controlled laboratory studies. This has led to great optimism surrounding nanometal particle injection for insitu remediation. Reported dechlorination rates vary widely among different investigators. These differences have been ascribed to differences in the iron types (granular, micro, or nano-sized iron), matrix solution chemistry and the morphology of the nZVI surface. Among these, the effects of solution chemistry on rates of reductive dechlorination of various chlorinated compounds have been investigated in several short-term laboratory studies. Variables investigated include the effect of anions or groundwater solutes such as SO4-2, Cl-, NO3-, pH, natural organic matters (NOM), surfactant, and humic acid on dechlorination reaction of various chlorinated compounds such as TCE, carbon tetrachloride (CT), and chloroform (CF). These studies have normally centered on the assessment of nZVI reactivity toward dechlorination of an isolated individual contaminant spiked into a ground water sample under ideal conditions, with limited work conducted using real field samples. In this work, the DNAPL used for the dechlorination study was obtained from a contaminatied site. This approach was selected to adequately simulate a condition where the nZVI suspension was in direct contact with DNAPL and to isolate the dechlorination activity shown by the nZVI from the groundwater matrix effects. An ideal system "synthetic DNAPL" composed of a mixture of chlorinated compounds mimicking the composition of the actual DNAPL was also dechlorinated to evaluate the DNAPL "matrix effect" on NZVI dechlorination activity. This approach allowed us to evaluate the effect of the presence of different types of organic compounds (volatile fatty acids and humic acids) found in the actual DNAPL on nZVI dechlorination activity. This presentation will

TEM sample preparation by femtosecond laser machining and ion milling for high-rate TEM straining experiments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Voisin, Thomas; Grapes, Michael D. [Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218 (United States); Zhang, Yong [Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218 (United States); Lorenzo, Nicholas; Ligda, Jonathan; Schuster, Brian [US Army Research Laboratory, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Aberdeen, MD 21005 (United States); Weihs, Timothy P. [Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218 (United States)

2017-04-15

To model mechanical properties of metals at high strain rates, it is important to visualize and understand their deformation at the nanoscale. Unlike post mortem Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), which allows one to analyze defects within samples before or after deformation, in situ TEM is a powerful tool that enables imaging and recording of deformation and the associated defect motion during mechanical loading. Unfortunately, all current in situ TEM mechanical testing techniques are limited to quasi-static strain rates. In this context, we are developing a new test technique that utilizes a rapid straining stage and the Dynamic TEM (DTEM) at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). The new straining stage can load samples in tension at strain rates as high as 4×10{sup 3}/s using two piezoelectric actuators operating in bending while the DTEM at LLNL can image in movie mode with a time resolution as short as 70 ns. Given the piezoelectric actuators are limited in force, speed, and displacement, we have developed a method for fabricating TEM samples with small cross-sectional areas to increase the applied stresses and short gage lengths to raise the applied strain rates and to limit the areas of deformation. In this paper, we present our effort to fabricate such samples from bulk materials. The new sample preparation procedure combines femtosecond laser machining and ion milling to obtain 300 µm wide samples with control of both the size and location of the electron transparent area, as well as the gage cross-section and length. - Highlights: • Tensile straining TEM specimens made by femtosecond laser machining and ion milling. • Accurate positioning of the electron transparent area within a controlled gauge region. • Optimization of femtosecond laser and ion milling parameters. • Fast production of numerous samples with a highly repeatable geometry.

Increasing fMRI sampling rate improves Granger causality estimates.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fa-Hsuan Lin

Full Text Available Estimation of causal interactions between brain areas is necessary for elucidating large-scale functional brain networks underlying behavior and cognition. Granger causality analysis of time series data can quantitatively estimate directional information flow between brain regions. Here, we show that such estimates are significantly improved when the temporal sampling rate of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI is increased 20-fold. Specifically, healthy volunteers performed a simple visuomotor task during blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD contrast based whole-head inverse imaging (InI. Granger causality analysis based on raw InI BOLD data sampled at 100-ms resolution detected the expected causal relations, whereas when the data were downsampled to the temporal resolution of 2 s typically used in echo-planar fMRI, the causality could not be detected. An additional control analysis, in which we SINC interpolated additional data points to the downsampled time series at 0.1-s intervals, confirmed that the improvements achieved with the real InI data were not explainable by the increased time-series length alone. We therefore conclude that the high-temporal resolution of InI improves the Granger causality connectivity analysis of the human brain.

Baseline heart rate, sensation seeking, and aggression in young adult women: a two-sample examination.

Science.gov (United States)

Wilson, Laura C; Scarpa, Angela

2013-01-01

Although substantial literature discusses sensation seeking as playing a role in the relationship between baseline heart rate and aggression, few published studies have tested the relationships among these variables. Furthermore, most prior studies have focused on risk factors of aggression in men and have largely ignored this issue in women. Two samples (n = 104; n = 99) of young adult women completed measures of resting heart rate, sensation seeking, and aggression. Across the two samples of females there was no evidence for the relationships of baseline heart rate with sensation seeking or with aggression that has been consistently shown in males. Boredom susceptibility and disinhibition subscales of sensation seeking were consistently significantly correlated with aggression. The lack of significance and the small effect sizes indicate that other mechanisms are also at work in affecting aggression in young adult women. Finally, it is important to consider the type of sensation seeking in relation to aggression, as only boredom susceptibility and disinhibition were consistently replicated across samples. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

A tube seepage meter for in situ measurement of seepage rate and groundwater sampling

Science.gov (United States)

Solder, John; Gilmore, Troy E.; Genereux, David P.; Solomon, D. Kip

2016-01-01

We designed and evaluated a “tube seepage meter” for point measurements of vertical seepage rates (q), collecting groundwater samples, and estimating vertical hydraulic conductivity (K) in streambeds. Laboratory testing in artificial streambeds show that seepage rates from the tube seepage meter agreed well with expected values. Results of field testing of the tube seepage meter in a sandy-bottom stream with a mean seepage rate of about 0.5 m/day agreed well with Darcian estimates (vertical hydraulic conductivity times head gradient) when averaged over multiple measurements. The uncertainties in q and K were evaluated with a Monte Carlo method and are typically 20% and 60%, respectively, for field data, and depend on the magnitude of the hydraulic gradient and the uncertainty in head measurements. The primary advantages of the tube seepage meter are its small footprint, concurrent and colocated assessments of q and K, and that it can also be configured as a self-purging groundwater-sampling device.

Sample size reassessment for a two-stage design controlling the false discovery rate.

Science.gov (United States)

Zehetmayer, Sonja; Graf, Alexandra C; Posch, Martin

2015-11-01

Sample size calculations for gene expression microarray and NGS-RNA-Seq experiments are challenging because the overall power depends on unknown quantities as the proportion of true null hypotheses and the distribution of the effect sizes under the alternative. We propose a two-stage design with an adaptive interim analysis where these quantities are estimated from the interim data. The second stage sample size is chosen based on these estimates to achieve a specific overall power. The proposed procedure controls the power in all considered scenarios except for very low first stage sample sizes. The false discovery rate (FDR) is controlled despite of the data dependent choice of sample size. The two-stage design can be a useful tool to determine the sample size of high-dimensional studies if in the planning phase there is high uncertainty regarding the expected effect sizes and variability.

Factors determining the social participation of older adults: A comparison between Japan and Korea using EASS 2012.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Keiko Katagiri

Full Text Available Japan and Korea are the world's most aged and most rapidly aging nations. They both have low fertility rates, thereby intensifying the importance of social structures to aid a large, dependent population of older adults. Common strategies involve improving their social participation, which enhances their physical and mental health, so they are supporting society rather than being supported. Since the social participation rates in both countries are not as high as those of Western countries, it is critical to shed light on the factors related to social participation of the elderly.A secondary analyses were performed using Japanese and Korean data from the 2012 East Asia Social Survey (EASS, which includes nationally representative samples through random sampling. The analyses only include data from those 65 and older (Japan: N = 683, Korea: N = 362.Social participation is classified into four types: 1 no affiliation; 2 inactive participation; 3 active recreational; and 4 active social. The Japanese respondents had a higher participation rate than Koreans, but more Japanese were inactive. Though the rates of active participations were similar in both countries. Multinomial logistic regressions were conducted to examine the related factors among the four types of social participation. Basic attributes (e.g., living alone and other factors (e.g., network size were included as independent variables. The results show that larger non-family networks were linked with increased social participation in both societies. Men were more vulnerable to engaging in no social activities and at a higher risk of social isolation in both countries. One difference between the two nations is that among the Japanese, people with higher social orientations engage in more active social type participation.This study reveals that non-kin social networks are important for social participation in Japan and Korea.

Factors determining the social participation of older adults: A comparison between Japan and Korea using EASS 2012.

Science.gov (United States)

Katagiri, Keiko; Kim, Ju-Hyun

2018-01-01

Japan and Korea are the world's most aged and most rapidly aging nations. They both have low fertility rates, thereby intensifying the importance of social structures to aid a large, dependent population of older adults. Common strategies involve improving their social participation, which enhances their physical and mental health, so they are supporting society rather than being supported. Since the social participation rates in both countries are not as high as those of Western countries, it is critical to shed light on the factors related to social participation of the elderly. A secondary analyses were performed using Japanese and Korean data from the 2012 East Asia Social Survey (EASS), which includes nationally representative samples through random sampling. The analyses only include data from those 65 and older (Japan: N = 683, Korea: N = 362). Social participation is classified into four types: 1) no affiliation; 2) inactive participation; 3) active recreational; and 4) active social. The Japanese respondents had a higher participation rate than Koreans, but more Japanese were inactive. Though the rates of active participations were similar in both countries. Multinomial logistic regressions were conducted to examine the related factors among the four types of social participation. Basic attributes (e.g., living alone) and other factors (e.g., network size) were included as independent variables. The results show that larger non-family networks were linked with increased social participation in both societies. Men were more vulnerable to engaging in no social activities and at a higher risk of social isolation in both countries. One difference between the two nations is that among the Japanese, people with higher social orientations engage in more active social type participation. This study reveals that non-kin social networks are important for social participation in Japan and Korea.

Comparative performance of novel self-sampling methods in detecting high-risk human papillomavirus in 30,130 women not attending cervical screening

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bosgraaf, R.P.; Verhoef, V.M.; Massuger, L.F.A.G.; Siebers, A.G.; Bulten, J.; Kuyper-de Ridder, G.M. de; Meijer, C.J.W.; Snijders, P.J.L.M.; Heideman, D.A.; Hout, J. in't; Kemenade, F.J. van; Melchers, W.J.G.; Bekkers, R.L.M.

2015-01-01

We determined whether the participation rate for a brush-based cervicovaginal self-sampling device is noninferior to the participation rate for a lavage-based one for testing for hrHPV (high-risk human papillomavirus). Additionally, positivity rates for hrHPV, the detection rates for cervical

Measurement of Radon Exhalation Rate in Sand Samples from Gopalpur and Rushikulya Beach Orissa, Eastern India

Science.gov (United States)

Mahur, Ajay Kumar; Sharma, Anil; Sonkawade, R. G.; Sengupta, D.; Sharma, A. C.; Prasad, Rajendra

Natural radioactivity is wide spread in the earth's environment and exists in various geological formations like soils, rocks, water and sand etc. The measurement of activities of naturally occurring radionuclides 226Ra, 232Th and 40K is important for the estimation of radiation risk and has been the subject of interest of research scientists all over the world. Building construction materials and soil beneath the house are the main sources of radon inside the dwellings. Radon exhalation rate from building materials like, cement, sand and concrete etc. is a major source of radiation to the habitants. In the present studies radon exhalation rates in sand samples collected from Gopalpur and Rushikulya beach placer deposit in Orissa are measured by using "Sealed Can technique" with LR-115 type II nuclear track detectors. In Samples from Rushikulya beach show radon activities varying from 389 ± 24 to 997 ± 38 Bq m-3 with an average value of 549 ±28 Bq m-3. Surface exhalation rates in these samples are found to vary from 140 ± 9 to 359 ± 14 mBq m-2 h-1with an average value of 197 ±10 mBq m-2 h-1, whereas, mass exhalation rates vary from 5 ± 0.3 to 14 ± 0.5 mBq kg-1 h-1 with an average value of 8 ± 0.4 mBq kg-1 h-1. Samples from Gopalpur radon activities are found to vary from 371 ± 23 to 800 ± 34 Bq m-3 with an average value of 549 ± 28 Bq m-3. Surface exhalation rates in these samples are found to vary from 133 ± 8 to 288 ± 12 mBq m-2h-1 with an average value of 197 ± 10 mBq m-2 h-1, whereas, mass exhalation rates vary from 5 ± 0.3 to 11 ± 1 mBq kg-1 h-1 with an average value of 8 ± 0.4 mBq kg-1 h-1.

Accretion rate of extraterrestrial {sup 41}Ca in Antarctic snow samples

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gómez-Guzmán, J.M., E-mail: jose.gomez@ph.tum.de [Technische Universität München, Fakultät für Physik, James-Franck-Strasse 1, 85748 Garching (Germany); Bishop, S.; Faestermann, T.; Famulok, N.; Fimiani, L.; Hain, K.; Jahn, S.; Korschinek, G.; Ludwig, P. [Technische Universität München, Fakultät für Physik, James-Franck-Strasse 1, 85748 Garching (Germany); Rodrigues, D. [Laboratorio TANDAR, Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica (Argentina)

2015-10-15

Interplanetary Dust Particles (IDPs) are small grains, generally less than a few hundred micrometers in size. Their main source is the Asteroid Belt, located at 3 AU from the Sun, between Mars and Jupiter. During their flight from the Asteroid Belt to the Earth they are irradiated by galactic and solar cosmic rays (GCR and SCR), thus radionuclides are formed, like {sup 41}Ca and {sup 53}Mn. Therefore, {sup 41}Ca (T{sub 1/2} = 1.03 × 10{sup 5} yr) can be used as a key tracer to determine the accretion rate of IDPs onto the Earth because there are no significant terrestrial sources for this radionuclide. The first step of this study consisted to calculate the production rate of {sup 41}Ca in IDPs accreted by the Earth during their travel from the Asteroid Belt. This production rate, used in accordance with the {sup 41}Ca/{sup 40}Ca ratios that will be measured in snow samples from the Antarctica will be used to calculate the amount of extraterrestrial material accreted by the Earth per year. There challenges for this project are, at first, the much longer time for the flight needed by the IDPs to travel from the Asteroid Belt to the Earth in comparison with the {sup 41}Ca half-life yields an early saturation for the {sup 41}Ca/{sup 40}Ca ratio, and second, the importance of selecting the correct sampling site to avoid a high influx of natural {sup 40}Ca, preventing dilution of the {sup 41}Ca/{sup 40}Ca ratio, the quantity measured by AMS.

Effects of reinforcer magnitude on data-entry productivity in chronically unemployed drug abusers participating in a Therapeutic Workplace.

Science.gov (United States)

Wong, Conrad J; Sheppard, Jeannie-Marie; Dallery, Jesse; Bedient, Guy; Robles, Elias; Svikis, Dace; Silverman, Kenneth

2003-02-01

The Therapeutic Workplace is a substance abuse treatment wherein patients are hired and paid to work in a job contingent on daily drug-free urine samples. The present study examined data-entry productivity of 6 unemployed methadone patients who demonstrated relatively variable and low data-entry response rates. A within-subject reversal design was used to determine whether increasing reinforcement magnitude tenfold could increase response rates. Four of the 6 participants showed the highest rates of responding in the high magnitude reinforcement condition. Two participants, who had the lowest overall response rates, showed less robust changes to the magnitude manipulation. The results suggest that reinforcement magnitude can be used to improve productivity in Therapeutic Workplace participants.

Assessment of glomerular filtration rate measurement with plasma sampling: a technical review.

Science.gov (United States)

Murray, Anthony W; Barnfield, Mark C; Waller, Michael L; Telford, Tania; Peters, A Michael

2013-06-01

This article reviews available radionuclide-based techniques for glomerular filtration rate (GFR) measurement, focusing on clinical indications for GFR measurement, ideal GFR radiopharmaceutical tracer properties, and the 2 most common tracers in clinical use. Methods for full, 1-compartment, and single-sample renal clearance characterization are discussed. GFR normalization and the role of GFR measurement in chemotherapy dosing are also considered.

Dynamic Stock Market Participation of Households with Heterogeneous Participation Costs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Khorunzhina, Natalia

This paper develops and estimates a dynamic model of stock market participation, where consumers’ decisions regarding stock market participation are influenced by participation costs. The practical significance of the participation costs is considered as being a channel through which financial...... education programs can affect consumers’ investment decisions. Using household data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics, I estimate the magnitude of the participation cost, allowing for individual heterogeneity in it. The results show the average stock market participation cost is about 5% of labor...... income; however, it varies substantially over consumers’ life. The model successfully predicts the level of the observed participation rate and the increasing pattern of stock market participation over the consumers’ life cycle....

Response rates and selection problems, with emphasis on mental health variables and DNA sampling, in large population-based, cross-sectional and longitudinal studies of adolescents in Norway.

Science.gov (United States)

Bjertness, Espen; Sagatun, Ase; Green, Kristian; Lien, Lars; Søgaard, Anne Johanne; Selmer, Randi

2010-10-12

Selection bias is a threat to the internal validity of epidemiological studies. In light of a growing number of studies which aim to provide DNA, as well as a considerable number of invitees who declined to participate, we discuss response rates, predictors of lost to follow-up and failure to provide DNA, and the presence of possible selection bias, based on five samples of adolescents. We included nearly 7,000 adolescents from two longitudinal studies of 18/19 year olds with two corresponding cross-sectional baseline studies at age 15/16 (10th graders), and one cross-sectional study of 13th graders (18/19 years old). DNA was sampled from the cheek mucosa of 18/19 year olds. Predictors of lost to follow-up and failure to provide DNA were studied by Poisson regression. Selection bias in the follow-up at age 18/19 was estimated through investigation of prevalence ratios (PRs) between selected exposures (physical activity, smoking) and outcome variables (general health, mental distress, externalizing problems) measured at baseline. Out of 5,750 who participated at age 15/16, we lost 42% at follow-up at age 18/19. The percentage of participants who gave their consent to DNA provision was as high as the percentage that consented to a linkage of data with other health registers and surveys, approximately 90%. Significant predictors of lost to follow-up and failure to provide DNA samples in the present genetic epidemiological study were: male gender; non-western ethnicity; postal survey compared with school-based; low educational plans; low education and income of father; low perceived family economy; unmarried parents; poor self-reported health; externalized symptoms and smoking, with some differences in subgroups of ethnicity and gender. The association measures (PRs) were quite similar among participants and all invitees, with some minor discrepancies in subgroups of non-western boys and girls. Lost to follow-up had marginal impact on the estimated prevalence ratios

A bound for the convergence rate of parallel tempering for sampling restricted Boltzmann machines

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fischer, Asja; Igel, Christian

2015-01-01

on sampling. Parallel tempering (PT), an MCMC method that maintains several replicas of the original chain at higher temperatures, has been successfully applied for RBM training. We present the first analysis of the convergence rate of PT for sampling from binary RBMs. The resulting bound on the rate...... of convergence of the PT Markov chain shows an exponential dependency on the size of one layer and the absolute values of the RBM parameters. It is minimized by a uniform spacing of the inverse temperatures, which is often used in practice. Similarly as in the derivation of bounds on the approximation error...... for contrastive divergence learning, our bound on the mixing time implies an upper bound on the error of the gradient approximation when the method is used for RBM training....

Wireless AE Event and Environmental Monitoring for Wind Turbine Blades at Low Sampling Rates

Science.gov (United States)

Bouzid, Omar M.; Tian, Gui Y.; Cumanan, K.; Neasham, J.

Integration of acoustic wireless technology in structural health monitoring (SHM) applications introduces new challenges due to requirements of high sampling rates, additional communication bandwidth, memory space, and power resources. In order to circumvent these challenges, this chapter proposes a novel solution through building a wireless SHM technique in conjunction with acoustic emission (AE) with field deployment on the structure of a wind turbine. This solution requires a low sampling rate which is lower than the Nyquist rate. In addition, features extracted from aliased AE signals instead of reconstructing the original signals on-board the wireless nodes are exploited to monitor AE events, such as wind, rain, strong hail, and bird strike in different environmental conditions in conjunction with artificial AE sources. Time feature extraction algorithm, in addition to the principal component analysis (PCA) method, is used to extract and classify the relevant information, which in turn is used to classify or recognise a testing condition that is represented by the response signals. This proposed novel technique yields a significant data reduction during the monitoring process of wind turbine blades.

Walking, body mass index, and self-rated health in a representative sample of Spanish adults

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vicente Romo-Perez

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Obesity and physical inactivity (PI are risk factors for chronic diseases and are associated with lifestyle and environmental factors. The study tested the association between PI, body mass index (BMI, and self-rated health in a representative sample of the Spanish adult population (N = 21,486. The sample included 41.5% men, with mean age 52.3 years (± 18.03, and age range 20-82 years. Prevalence of overweight/obesity was 34.2%/12.7% in women and 52.1%/12.7% in men (p < 0.001 for obesity in both sexes. 53% of women and 57.5% of men met recommended levels of physical activity by walking (≥ 150 minutes/week. According to logistic regression analysis, individuals that walked less had higher risk of overweight or obesity. Data from the population-based surveillance study support suggestions that regular walking by adults is associated with positive self-rated health and better BMI profile. Obesity and low/very low self-rated health have low prevalence rates to meet the recommendations.

Suicidal Behaviors among Adolescents in Puerto Rico: Rates and Correlates in Clinical and Community Samples

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, Jennifer; Ramirez, Rafael Roberto; Davies, Mark; Canino, Glorisa; Goodwin, Renee D.

2008-01-01

This study examined rates and correlates of suicidal behavior among youth on the island of Puerto Rico. Data were drawn from two probability samples, one clinical (n = 736) and one community-based sample (n = 1,896), of youth ages 12 to 17. Consistent with previous studies in U.S. mainland adolescent populations, our results demonstrate that most…

A Cross-Cultural Exploration of the Everyday Social Participation of Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders in Australia and Taiwan: An Experience Sampling Study

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Yu-Wei; Bundy, Anita C.; Cordier, Reinie; Chien, Yi-Ling; Einfeld, Stewart L.

2017-01-01

Individuals with an autism spectrum disorder commonly have limited social participation. This study aimed to examine the similarities and differences of everyday participation among males and females with autism spectrum disorder in Australia and Taiwan, using an experience sampling methodology. A total of 14 Australians (4 males, aged 16-43…

Microbiopsies versus Bergström needle for skeletal muscle sampling: impact on maximal mitochondrial respiration rate.

Science.gov (United States)

Isner-Horobeti, M E; Charton, A; Daussin, F; Geny, B; Dufour, S P; Richard, R

2014-05-01

Microbiopsies are increasingly used as an alternative to the standard Bergström technique for skeletal muscle sampling. The potential impact of these two different procedures on mitochondrial respiration rate is unknown. The objective of this work was to compare microbiopsies versus Bergström procedure on mitochondrial respiration in skeletal muscle. 52 vastus lateralis muscle samples were obtained from 13 anesthetized pigs, either with a Bergström [6 gauges (G)] needle or with microbiopsy needles (12, 14, 18G). Maximal mitochondrial respiration (V GM-ADP) was assessed using an oxygraphic method on permeabilized fibers. The weight of the muscle samples and V GM-ADP decreased with the increasing gauge of the needles. A positive nonlinear relationship was observed between the weight of the muscle sample and the level of maximal mitochondrial respiration (r = 0.99, p respiration (r = 0.99, p respiration compared to the standard Bergström needle.Therefore, the higher the gauge (i.e. the smaller the size) of the microbiopsy needle, the lower is the maximal rate of respiration. Microbiopsies of skeletal muscle underestimate the maximal mitochondrial respiration rate, and this finding needs to be highlighted for adequate interpretation and comparison with literature data.

Compressive sensing-based wideband capacitance measurement with a fixed sampling rate lower than the highest exciting frequency

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu, Lijun; Ren, Ying; Sun, Shijie; Cao, Zhang

2016-01-01

In this paper, an under-sampling method for wideband capacitance measurement was proposed by using the compressive sensing strategy. As the excitation signal is sparse in the frequency domain, the compressed sampling method that uses a random demodulator was adopted, which could greatly decrease the sampling rate. Besides, four switches were used to replace the multiplier in the random demodulator. As a result, not only the sampling rate can be much smaller than the signal excitation frequency, but also the circuit’s structure is simpler and its power consumption is lower. A hardware prototype was constructed to validate the method. In the prototype, an excitation voltage with a frequency up to 200 kHz was applied to a capacitance-to-voltage converter. The output signal of the converter was randomly modulated by a pseudo-random sequence through four switches. After a low-pass filter, the signal was sampled by an analog-to-digital converter at a sampling rate of 50 kHz, which was three times lower than the highest exciting frequency. The frequency and amplitude of the signal were then reconstructed to obtain the measured capacitance. Both theoretical analysis and experiments were carried out to show the feasibility of the proposed method and to evaluate the performance of the prototype, including its linearity, sensitivity, repeatability, accuracy and stability within a given measurement range. (paper)

Perceived participation and autonomy: aspects of functioning and contextual factors predicting participation after stroke.

Science.gov (United States)

Fallahpour, Mandana; Tham, Kerstin; Joghataei, Mohammad Taghi; Jonsson, Hans

2011-04-01

To describe perceived participation and autonomy among a sample of persons with stroke in Iran and to identify different aspects of functioning and contextual factors predicting participation after stroke. A cross-sectional study. A total of 102 persons, between 27 and 75 years of age, diagnosed with first-ever stroke. Participants were assessed for different aspects of functioning, contextual factors and health conditions. Participation was assessed using the Persian version of the Impact on Participation and Autonomy questionnaire. This study demonstrated that the majority of the study population perceived their participation and autonomy to be good to fair in the different domains of their participation, but not with respect to the autonomy outdoors domain. In addition, physical function was found to be the most important variable predicting performance-based participation, whereas mood state was the most important variable predicting social-based participation. The results emphasize the importance of physical function, mood state and access to caregiving services as predictors of participation in everyday life after stroke. Whilst there are two dimensions of participation in this Persian sample of persons with stroke, the factors explaining participation seem to be the same across the cultures.

Second international comparison on measuring techniques of tritium production rate for fusion neutronics experiments (ICMT-2)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maekawa, Fujio; Maekawa, Hiroshi

1993-02-01

An second international comparison on measuring techniques of tritium production rates for fusion neutronics experiments (ICMT-2) has been performed. The purpose is to evaluate the measurement accuracy of tritium production rates in the current measurement techniques. Two 14 MeV neutron source facilities, FNS at JAERI-Japan and LOTUS at EPFL-Switzerland, were used for this purpose. Nine groups out of seven countries participated in this program. A fusion simulated blanket assembly of simple-geometry was served as the test bed at each facility, in which Li-containing samples from the participants were irradiated in an uniform neutron field. The tritium production rates were determined by the participants using their own ways by using the liquid scintillation counting method. Tritiated water sample with unknown but the same concentration was also distributed and its concentration was measured to make a common reference. The standard deviation of measured tritium production rates among participants was about 10 % for both FNS and LOTUS irradiation levels: 4x10 -13 T-atoms/Li-atom and 1.6x10 -12 T-atoms/Li-atom at a sample, respectively. This standard deviation exceeds the expected deviation of 5 % in this program. It is presumed that the deviation of 10 % is caused mainly by the systematic and unknown errors in a process of tritium extraction from the irradiated samples depending on each organization. (author)

Measurement of 222Rn and 220Rn exhalation rate from soil samples of Kumaun Hills, India

Science.gov (United States)

Semwal, Poonam; Singh, Kuldeep; Agarwal, T. K.; Joshi, Manish; Pant, Preeti; Kandari, Tushar; Ramola, R. C.

2018-03-01

The source terms, i.e., exhalation and emanation from soil and building materials are the primary contributors to the radon (222Rn)/thoron (220Rn) concentration levels in the dwellings, while the ecological constraints like ventilation rate, temperature, pressure, humidity, etc., are the influencing factors. The present study is focused on Almora District of Kumaun, located in Himalayan belt of Uttarakhand, India. For the measurement of 222Rn and 220Rn exhalation rates, 24 soil samples were collected from different locations. Gamma radiation level was measured at each of these locations. Chamber technique associated with Smart Rn Duo portable monitor was employed for the estimation of 222Rn and 220Rn exhalation rates. Radionuclides (226Ra, 232Th and 40K) concentrations were also measured in soil samples using NaI(Tl) scintillation based gamma ray spectrometry. The mass exhalation rate for 222Rn was varying between 16 and 54 mBq/kg/h, while the 220Rn surface exhalation rate was in the range of 0.65-6.43 Bq/m2/s. Measured gamma dose rate for the same region varied from 0.10 to 0.31 µSv/h. Inter-correlation of exhalation rates and intra-correlation with background gamma levels were studied.

Therapist Multicultural Competence, Asian American Participants' Cultural Values, and Counseling Process.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Shihwe; Kim, Bryan S K

2010-10-01

Asian Americans drop out of mental health treatment at a high rate. This problem could be addressed by enhancing therapists' multicultural competence and by examining clients' cultural attitudes that may affect the counseling process. In the present study, we used a video analogue design with a sample of 113 Asian American college students to examine these possibilities. The result from a t test showed that the session containing therapist multicultural competencies received higher ratings than the session without therapist multicultural competence. In addition, correlational analyses showed that participant values acculturation was positively associated with participant ratings of counseling process, while the value of emotional self-control was negatively correlated. The results of a hierarchical multiple regression analysis did not support any interaction effects among the independent variables on counseling process. All of these findings could contribute to the field of multicultural competence research and have implications for therapist practices and training.

The relationship of sport participation to provision of sports facilities and socioeconomic status: a geographical analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Eime, Rochelle M; Harvey, Jack; Charity, Melanie J; Casey, Meghan; Westerbeek, Hans; Payne, Warren R

2017-06-01

Ecological models have been applied to investigate multiple domains influencing physical activity behaviour, including individual, social, organisational, community, environmental and policy factors. With regard to the built environment, research to date has been limited to small geographical areas and/or small samples of participants. This study examined the geographical association between provision of sport facilities and participation in sport across an entire Australian state, using objective total enumerations of both, for a group of sports, with adjustment for the effect of socioeconomic status (SES). De-identified membership registration data were obtained from state sport governing bodies of four popular team sports. Associations between participation rate, facility provision rate and SES were investigated using correlation and regression methods. Participation rate was positively associated with provision of facilities, although this was complicated by SES and region effects. The non-metropolitan region generally had higher participation rates and better provision of facilities than the metropolitan region. Better provision of sports facilities is generally associated with increased sport participation, but SES and region are also contributing factors. Implications for public health: Community-level analysis of the population, sport participation and provision of facilities should be used to inform decisions of investments in sports facilities. © 2017 The Authors.

Maximum type I error rate inflation from sample size reassessment when investigators are blind to treatment labels.

Science.gov (United States)

Żebrowska, Magdalena; Posch, Martin; Magirr, Dominic

2016-05-30

Consider a parallel group trial for the comparison of an experimental treatment to a control, where the second-stage sample size may depend on the blinded primary endpoint data as well as on additional blinded data from a secondary endpoint. For the setting of normally distributed endpoints, we demonstrate that this may lead to an inflation of the type I error rate if the null hypothesis holds for the primary but not the secondary endpoint. We derive upper bounds for the inflation of the type I error rate, both for trials that employ random allocation and for those that use block randomization. We illustrate the worst-case sample size reassessment rule in a case study. For both randomization strategies, the maximum type I error rate increases with the effect size in the secondary endpoint and the correlation between endpoints. The maximum inflation increases with smaller block sizes if information on the block size is used in the reassessment rule. Based on our findings, we do not question the well-established use of blinded sample size reassessment methods with nuisance parameter estimates computed from the blinded interim data of the primary endpoint. However, we demonstrate that the type I error rate control of these methods relies on the application of specific, binding, pre-planned and fully algorithmic sample size reassessment rules and does not extend to general or unplanned sample size adjustments based on blinded data. © 2015 The Authors. Statistics in Medicine Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. © 2015 The Authors. Statistics in Medicine Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Snowball sampling by mail: application to a survey of smokers in the general population.

Science.gov (United States)

Etter, J F; Perneger, T V

2000-02-01

In a series of surveys intended for current and former smokers but sent to a random sample of the general population, we asked never smokers and smokers who did not wish to participate to transmit the questionnaire to any ever smoker they knew. We compared participants who received the questionnaire directly from us (original participants) to participants who received it from an addressee (secondary participants). Questionnaires on smoking were mailed to 3300 residents of Geneva (Switzerland) in 1997, and returned by 1167 people (35%). The final sample consisted of similar numbers of original participants (n = 578, primary response rate = 18% of total sample, or about 46% of ever smokers) and secondary participants (n = 566). Original participants were 1.7 years older than secondary participants (P = 0.03) and were more likely to be men (50% versus 43%, P = 0.009). Proportions of current smokers, stages of change, confidence in ability to quit smoking, cigarettes per day and attempts to quit smoking were similar in the two groups. Secondary participants had lower self-efficacy scores (-0.30 standard deviation (SD) units, P < 0.03), and they derived more pleasure from smoking (+0.25 SD units, P = 0.04). Among ex-smokers, direct participants were less active than secondary participants in coping with the temptation to smoke (-0.58 SD units, P = 0.002). Associations between smoking-related variables were similar in original and secondary participants. Allowing non-eligible addressees to transmit the questionnaire to someone else doubled the response rate, produced moderate bias on some variables only and had no detectable impact on associations between smoking-related variables.

Thermodynamic and structural models compared with the initial dissolution rates of SON glass samples

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tovena, I.; Advocat, T.; Ghaleb, D.; Vernaz, E.

1993-01-01

The experimentally determined initial dissolution rate R 0 of nuclear glass was correlated with thermodynamic parameters and structural parameters. The initial corrosion rates of six ''R7T7'' glass samples measured at 100 deg C in a Soxhlet device were correlated with the glass free hydration energy and the glass formation enthalpy. These correlations were then tested with a group of 26 SON glasses selected for their wide diversity of compositions. The thermodynamic models provided a satisfactory approximation of the initial dissolution rate determined under Soxhlet conditions for SON glass samples that include up to 15 wt% of boron and some alumina. Conversely, these models are inaccurate if the boron concentration exceeds 15 wt% and the glass contains no alumina. Possible correlations between R 0 and structural parameters, such as the boron coordination number and the number of nonbridging oxygen atoms, were also investigated. The authors show that R 0 varies inversely with the number of 4-coordinate boron atoms; conversely, the results do not substantiate published reports of a correlation between R 0 and the number of nonbridging oxygen atoms. (authors). 13 refs., 2 figs., 4 tabs

A Systematic Review of Consent Procedures, Participation Rates, and Main Findings of Health-Related Research in Alternative High Schools From 2010 to 2015.

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, Karen E; Morris, Marian; Rew, Lynn; Simonton, Amanda J

2016-02-01

There is a well-established link between educational attainment and health. Alternative high schools (AHSs) serve students who are at risk for school dropout. Health-related research conducted in AHSs has been sparse. Achieving high participation rates is critical to producing generalizable results and can be challenging in research with adolescents for reasons such as using active consent. These challenges become greater when working with vulnerable populations of adolescents. In this systematic review, we examined health-related studies conducted in AHSs between 2010 and 2015. Results indicated that (1) health-related research in AHSs has increased over the past 5 years, (2) AHS students continue to experience significant disparities, (3) active consent is commonly used with AHS students, (4) 42% of studies reported participation rates or provided enough information to calculate participation rates, and (5) school nurses are missing from health-related research conducted in AHSs. Implications for future research and school nursing are discussed. © The Author(s) 2015.

Self-Informant Agreement in Well-Being Ratings: A Meta-Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Schneider, Leann; Schimmack, Ulrich

2009-01-01

A meta-analysis of published studies that reported correlations between self-ratings and informant ratings of well-being (life-satisfaction, happiness, positive affect, negative affect) was performed. The average self-informant correlation based on 44 independent samples and 81 correlations for a total of 8,897 participants was r = 0.42 [99%…

MCNPX calculations of dose rate distribution inside samples treated in the research gamma irradiating facility at CTEx

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rusin, Tiago; Rebello, Wilson F.; Vellozo, Sergio O.; Gomes, Renato G., E-mail: tiagorusin@ime.eb.b, E-mail: rebello@ime.eb.b, E-mail: vellozo@cbpf.b, E-mail: renatoguedes@ime.eb.b [Instituto Militar de Engenharia (IME), Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil). Dept. de Engenharia Nuclear; Vital, Helio C., E-mail: vital@ctex.eb.b [Centro Tecnologico do Exercito (CTEx), Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil); Silva, Ademir X., E-mail: ademir@con.ufrj.b [Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (PEN/COPPE/UFRJ), RJ (Brazil). Coordenacao dos Programas de Pos-Graduacao de Engenharia. Programa de Engenharia Nuclear

2011-07-01

A cavity-type cesium-137 research irradiating facility at CTEx has been modeled by using the Monte Carlo code MCNPX. The irradiator has been daily used in experiments to optimize the use of ionizing radiation for conservation of many kinds of food and to improve materials properties. In order to correlate the effects of the treatment, average doses have been calculated for each irradiated sample, accounting for the measured dose rate distribution in the irradiating chambers. However that approach is only approximate, being subject to significant systematic errors due to the heterogeneous internal structure of most samples that can lead to large anisotropy in attenuation and Compton scattering properties across the media. Thus this work is aimed at further investigating such uncertainties by calculating the dose rate distribution inside the items treated such that a more accurate and representative estimate of the total absorbed dose can be determined for later use in the effects-versus-dose correlation curves. Samples of different simplified geometries and densities (spheres, cylinders, and parallelepipeds), have been modeled to evaluate internal dose rate distributions within the volume of the samples and the overall effect on the average dose. (author)

MCNPX calculations of dose rate distribution inside samples treated in the research gamma irradiating facility at CTEx

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rusin, Tiago; Rebello, Wilson F.; Vellozo, Sergio O.; Gomes, Renato G.; Silva, Ademir X.

2011-01-01

A cavity-type cesium-137 research irradiating facility at CTEx has been modeled by using the Monte Carlo code MCNPX. The irradiator has been daily used in experiments to optimize the use of ionizing radiation for conservation of many kinds of food and to improve materials properties. In order to correlate the effects of the treatment, average doses have been calculated for each irradiated sample, accounting for the measured dose rate distribution in the irradiating chambers. However that approach is only approximate, being subject to significant systematic errors due to the heterogeneous internal structure of most samples that can lead to large anisotropy in attenuation and Compton scattering properties across the media. Thus this work is aimed at further investigating such uncertainties by calculating the dose rate distribution inside the items treated such that a more accurate and representative estimate of the total absorbed dose can be determined for later use in the effects-versus-dose correlation curves. Samples of different simplified geometries and densities (spheres, cylinders, and parallelepipeds), have been modeled to evaluate internal dose rate distributions within the volume of the samples and the overall effect on the average dose. (author)

Recruitment and Participation of Recreational Runners in a Large Epidemiological and Genetic Research Study: Retrospective Data Analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Manzanero, Silvia; Kozlovskaia, Maria; Vlahovich, Nicole; Hughes, David C

2018-05-23

With the increasing capacity for remote collection of both data and samples for medical research, a thorough assessment is needed to determine the association of population characteristics and recruitment methodologies with response rates. The aim of this research was to assess population representativeness in a two-stage study of health and injury in recreational runners, which consisted of an epidemiological arm and genetic analysis. The cost and success of various classical and internet-based methods were analyzed, and demographic representativeness was assessed for recruitment to the epidemiological survey, reported willingness to participate in the genetic arm of the study, actual participation, sample return, and approval for biobank storage. A total of 4965 valid responses were received, of which 1664 were deemed eligible for genetic analysis. Younger age showed a negative association with initial recruitment rate, expressed willingness to participate in genetic analysis, and actual participation. Additionally, female sex was associated with higher initial recruitment rates, and ethnic origin impacted willingness to participate in the genetic analysis (all P<.001). The sharp decline in retention through the different stages of the study in young respondents suggests the necessity to develop specific recruitment and retention strategies when investigating a young, physically active population. ©Silvia Manzanero, Maria Kozlovskaia, Nicole Vlahovich, David C Hughes. Originally published in JMIR Research Protocols (http://www.researchprotocols.org), 23.05.2018.

Method of measuring the disintegration rate of a beta-emitting radionuclide in a liquid sample

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Horrocks, D.L.

1980-01-01

A novel liquid scintillation counting method of measuring the disintegration rate of a beta-emitting radionuclide is described which involves counting the sample at at least two different quench levels. (UK)

Socio-economic status of youth non-participation in Yala province: Population-based study using Thailand 2000 census data

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sunaree Suwanro

2018-01-01

Full Text Available This study investigated the effects of demographic and socio-economic factors on youth non-participation in Yala province using data from the 2000 Population and Housing Census of Thailand. The study sample comprised 23,642 youths aged 15–17 years. The binary outcome was youth non-participation (yes/no. The determinants were demographic and socio-economic factors. The demographic factors included gender, religion (Muslim or non-Muslim, and region (subdistrict or aggregated subdistrict of residence. The proportion of non-participation and determinants was modeled using logistic regression. Youths from families with 5–10 and 11–15 members were more likely to be non-participants. Higher levels of education for the head of household resulted in lower rates of non-participation. Having a family head who worked as a state enterprise employee had a lower rate of non-participation whereas having a family head who worked as a private sector employee had a higher rate than the reference. Muslim males had a high non-participation rate. There was a high non-participation rate in the subdistricts of ThaSap and NaTham (5, Betong (7, BannangSata and Bacho (10, TalingChan (12, KrongPinang and Purong (13, MaeWat (15, Yaha (16, and Kabang and Bala (19. Keywords: logistic regression, non-participation, socioeconomic, Yala province

The impact of food viscosity on eating rate, subjective appetite, glycemic response and gastric emptying rate.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yong Zhu

Full Text Available Understanding the impact of rheological properties of food on postprandial appetite and glycemic response helps to design novel functional products. It has been shown that solid foods have a stronger satiating effect than their liquid equivalent. However, whether a subtle change in viscosity of a semi-solid food would have a similar effect on appetite is unknown. Fifteen healthy males participated in the randomized cross-over study. Each participant consumed a 1690 kJ portion of a standard viscosity (SV and a high viscosity (HV semi-solid meal with 1000 mg acetaminophen in two separate sessions. At regular intervals during the three hours following the meal, subjective appetite ratings were measured and blood samples collected. The plasma samples were assayed for insulin, glucose-dependent insulinotropic peptide (GIP, glucose and acetaminophen. After three hours, the participants were provided with an ad libitum pasta meal. Compared with the SV meal, HV was consumed at a slower eating rate (P = 0.020, with postprandial hunger and desire to eat being lower (P = 0.019 and P<0.001 respectively while fullness was higher (P<0.001. In addition, consuming the HV resulted in lower plasma concentration of GIP (P<0.001, higher plasma concentration of glucose (P<0.001 and delayed gastric emptying as revealed by the acetaminophen absorption test (P<0.001. However, there was no effect of food viscosity on insulin or food intake at the subsequent meal. In conclusion, increasing the viscosity of a semi-solid food modulates glycemic response and suppresses postprandial satiety, although the effect may be short-lived. A slower eating rate and a delayed gastric emptying rate can partly explain for the stronger satiating properties of high viscous semi-solid foods.

Optimizing the data acquisition rate for a remotely controllable structural monitoring system with parallel operation and self-adaptive sampling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sheng, Wenjuan; Guo, Aihuang; Liu, Yang; Azmi, Asrul Izam; Peng, Gang-Ding

2011-01-01

We present a novel technique that optimizes the real-time remote monitoring and control of dispersed civil infrastructures. The monitoring system is based on fiber Bragg gating (FBG) sensors, and transfers data via Ethernet. This technique combines parallel operation and self-adaptive sampling to increase the data acquisition rate in remote controllable structural monitoring systems. The compact parallel operation mode is highly efficient at achieving the highest possible data acquisition rate for the FBG sensor based local data acquisition system. Self-adaptive sampling is introduced to continuously coordinate local acquisition and remote control for data acquisition rate optimization. Key issues which impact the operation of the whole system, such as the real-time data acquisition rate, data processing capability, and buffer usage, are investigated. The results show that, by introducing parallel operation and self-adaptive sampling, the data acquisition rate can be increased by several times without affecting the system operating performance on both local data acquisition and remote process control

The potential effect of differential ambient and deployment chamber temperatures on PRC derived sampling rates with polyurethane foam (PUF) passive air samplers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kennedy, Karen, E-mail: k.kennedy@uq.edu.a [University of Queensland, EnTox (National Research Centre for Environmental Toxicology), 39 Kessels Rd., Coopers Plains QLD 4108 (Australia); Hawker, Darryl W. [Griffith University, School of Environment, Nathan QLD 4111 (Australia); Bartkow, Michael E. [University of Queensland, EnTox (National Research Centre for Environmental Toxicology), 39 Kessels Rd., Coopers Plains QLD 4108 (Australia); Carter, Steve [Queensland Health Forensic and Scientific Services, Coopers Plains QLD 4108 (Australia); Ishikawa, Yukari; Mueller, Jochen F. [University of Queensland, EnTox (National Research Centre for Environmental Toxicology), 39 Kessels Rd., Coopers Plains QLD 4108 (Australia)

2010-01-15

Performance reference compound (PRC) derived sampling rates were determined for polyurethane foam (PUF) passive air samplers in both sub-tropical and temperate locations across Australia. These estimates were on average a factor of 2.7 times higher in summer than winter. The known effects of wind speed and temperature on mass transfer coefficients could not account for this observation. Sampling rates are often derived using ambient temperatures, not the actual temperatures within deployment chambers. If deployment chamber temperatures are in fact higher than ambient temperatures, estimated sampler-air partition coefficients would be greater than actual partition coefficients resulting in an overestimation of PRC derived sampling rates. Sampling rates determined under measured ambient temperatures and estimated deployment chamber temperatures in summer ranged from 7.1 to 10 m{sup 3} day{sup -1} and 2.2-6.8 m{sup 3} day{sup -1} respectively. These results suggest that potential differences between ambient and deployment chamber temperatures should be considered when deriving PRC-based sampling rates. - Internal deployment chamber temperatures rather than ambient temperatures may be required to accurately estimate PRC-based sampling rates.

[Travel time and participation in breast cancer screening in a region with high population dispersion].

Science.gov (United States)

Borda, Alfredo; Sanz, Belén; Otero, Laura; Blasco, Teresa; García-Gómez, Francisco J; de Andrés, Fuencisla

2011-01-01

To analyze the association between travel time and participation in a breast cancer screening program adjusted for contextual variables in the province of Segovia (Spain). We performed an ecological study using the following data sources: the Breast Cancer Early Detection Program of the Primary Care Management of Segovia, the Population and Housing Census for 2001 and the municipal register for 2006-2007. The study period comprised January 2006 to December 2007. Dependent variables consisted of the municipal participation rate and the desired level of municipal participation (greater than or equal to 70%). The key independent variable was travel time from the municipality to the mammography unit. Covariables consisted of the municipalities' demographic and socioeconomic factors. We performed univariate and multivariate Poisson regression analyses of the participation rate, and logistic regression of the desired participation level. The sample was composed of 178 municipalities. The mean participation rate was 75.2%. The desired level of participation (≥ 70%) was achieved in 119 municipalities (67%). In the multivariate Poisson and logistic regression analyses, longer travel time was associated with a lower participation rate and with lower participation after adjustment was made for geographic density, age, socioeconomic status and dependency ratio, with a relative risk index of 0.88 (95% CI: 0.81-0.96) and an odds ratio of 0.22 (95% CI: 0.1-0.47), respectively. Travel time to the mammography unit may help to explain participation in breast cancer screening programs. Copyright © 2010 SESPAS. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

Older adolescents' views regarding participation in Facebook research.

Science.gov (United States)

Moreno, Megan A; Grant, Alison; Kacvinsky, Lauren; Moreno, Peter; Fleming, Michael

2012-11-01

Facebook continues to grow in popularity among adolescents as well as adolescent researchers. Guidance on conducting research using Facebook with appropriate attention to privacy and ethics is scarce. To inform such research efforts, the purpose of this study was to determine older adolescents' responses after learning that they were participants in a research study that involved identification of participants using Facebook. Public Facebook profiles of older adolescents aged 18-19 years from a large state university were examined. Profile owners were then interviewed. During the interview, participants were informed that they were identified by examining publicly available Facebook profiles. Participants were asked to discuss their views on this research method. A total of 132 participants completed the interview (70% response rate); the average age was 18.4 years (SD = .5); and our sample included 64 male participants (48.5%). Participant responses included endorsement (19.7%), fine (36.4%), neutral (28.8%), uneasy (9.1%), and concerned (6.1%). Among participants who were uneasy or concerned, the majority voiced confusion regarding their current profile security settings (p = .00). The majority of adolescent participants viewed the use of Facebook for research positively. These findings are consistent with the approach taken by many U.S. courts. Researchers may consider these findings when developing research protocols involving Facebook. Copyright © 2012 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Experimental verification of air flow rate measurement for representative isokinetic air sampling in ventilation stacks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Okruhlica, P.; Mrtvy, M.; Kopecky, Z.

2009-01-01

Nuclear facilities are obliged to monitor their discharge's influence on environment. Main monitored factions in NPP's ventilation stacks are usually noble gasses, particulates and iodine. These factions are monitored in air sampled from ventilation stack by means of sampling rosette and bypass followed with on-line measuring monitors and balance sampling devices with laboratory evaluations. Correct air flow rate measurement and representative iso-kinetic air sampling system is essential for physical correct and metrological accurate evaluation of discharge influence on environment. Pairs of measuring sensors (Anemometer, pressure gauge, thermometer and humidity meter) are symmetrically placed in horizontal projection of stack on positions based on measured air flow velocity distribution characteristic, Analogically diameter of sampling rosette nozzles and their placement in the middle of 6 - 7 annuluses are calculated for assurance of representative iso-kinetic sampling. (authors)

Experimental verification of air flow rate measurement for representative isokinetic air sampling in ventilation stacks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Okruhlica, P.; Mrtvy, M.; Kopecky, Z.

2008-01-01

Nuclear facilities are obliged to monitor their discharge's influence on environment. Main monitored factions in NPP's ventilation stacks are usually noble gasses, particulates and iodine. These factions are monitored in air sampled from ventilation stack by means of sampling rosette and bypass followed with on-line measuring monitors and balance sampling devices with laboratory evaluations. Correct air flow rate measurement and representative iso-kinetic air sampling system is essential for physical correct and metrological accurate evaluation of discharge influence on environment. Pairs of measuring sensors (Anemometer, pressure gauge, thermometer and humidity meter) are symmetrically placed in horizontal projection of stack on positions based on measured air flow velocity distribution characteristic, Analogically diameter of sampling rosette nozzles and their placement in the middle of 6- 7 annuluses are calculated for assurance of representative iso-kinetic sampling. (authors)

Radon exhalation rates from slate stone samples in Aravali Range in Haryana

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Upadhyay, S.B.; Kant, K.; Chakarvarti, S.K.

2012-01-01

The slate stone tiles are very popular in covering the walls of the rooms. Radon is released into ambient air from slate stones due to ubiquitous uranium and radium in them, thus increasing the airborne radon concentration. The radioactivity in slates stones is related to radioactivity in the rocks from which the slate stone tiles are formed. In the present investigation, the radon emanated from slate stone samples collected from different slate mines in Aravali range of hills in the Haryana state of Northern India has been estimated. For the measurement of radon concentration emanated from these samples, alpha-sensitive LR-115 type II plastic track detectors have been used. The alpha particles emitted from the radon form tracks in these detectors. After chemical etching the track density of registered tracks is used to calculate radon concentration and exhalation rates of radon using required formulae. The measurements indicate normal to some higher levels of radon concentration emanated from the slat stone samples collected from Aravali range of hills in north India. The results will be discussed in full paper. (author)

Active recruitment and limited participant-load related to high participation in large population-based biobank studies

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Zon, Sander K. R.; Scholtens, Salome; Reijneveld, Sijmen A.; Smidt, Nynke; Bultmann, Ute

2016-01-01

Objectives: Insight into baseline participation rates and their determinants is crucial for designing future population-based biobank studies. We therefore conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of baseline participation rates and their determinants in large longitudinal population-based

A comparison of chewing rate between overweight and normal BMI individuals.

Science.gov (United States)

White, Amy Kristin; Venn, Bernard; Lu, Louise Weiwei; Rush, Elaine; Gallo, Luigi Maria; Yong, Janet Lee Ching; Farella, Mauro

2015-06-01

Previous attempts to identify an 'obese eating style' have led to conflicting findings. This observational study compared the chewing features of overweight or obese young adults with those of normal range BMI. We hypothesised that chewing features are individual-specific and differ between participants of a normal BMI and high BMI. Fourteen overweight to obese participants (BMI≥25.0) were pairwise matched with 14 normal range BMI participants (18.5chewing episodes, including rate, duration, and power. Masticatory performance was assessed by a sieve test and was expressed as the percentage of particles ≤2mm after a standardised chewing test. Regardless of the meal, chewing rate was remarkably consistent among participants (ICC=0.89; 95% CI=0.79-0.94). Chewing rate did not differ between high and normal BMI participants (p>0.05), whereas chewing power was significantly higher in high BMI participants (pchewing characteristics were found between BMI groups. Participants chewed at similar rate in the natural environment (pizza) and in the laboratory (rice) setting (p>0.05). Masticatory performance did not differ significantly (p>0.05) between the high (55.9%) and normal (52.4%) BMI groups. Within the limitations of the present study, chewing characteristics appear to be individual-specific with wide variability. Overweight participants chew at a similar rate to control participants, albeit slightly stronger. Our preliminary findings need to be replicated in larger samples. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Inc.

The impact of customer focus on program participation rates in the Virginia WIC Program (Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children).

Science.gov (United States)

Chance, K G; Green, C G

2001-01-01

It has been shown in the for-profit sector (business, service, and manufacturing) that the success of an organization depends on its ability to satisfy customer requirements while eliminating waste and reducing costs. The purpose of this article was to examine the impact of current practices in customer focus on program participation rates in the Virginia WIC Program. The results of this study showed that the use of customer-focused strategies was correlated to program participation rates in the WIC Program. The mean data showed that teamwork and accessibility were at unsatisfactory levels in Virginia.

High participation rate among 25 721 patients with broad age range in a hospital-based research project involving whole-genome sequencing - the Lausanne Institutional Biobank.

Science.gov (United States)

Bochud, Murielle; Currat, Christine; Chapatte, Laurence; Roth, Cindy; Mooser, Vincent

2017-10-24

We aimed to evaluate the interest of adult inpatients and selected outpatients in engaging in a large, real-life, hospital-based, genomic medicine research project and in receiving clinically actionable incidental findings. Within the framework of the cross-sectional Institutional Biobank of Lausanne, Switzerland, a total of 25721 patients of the CHUV University Hospital were systematically invited to grant researchers access to their biomedical data and to donate blood for future analyses, including whole-genome sequencing. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to identify personal factors, including age, gender, religion, ethnicity, citizenship, education level and mode of admission, associated with willingness to participate in this genomic research project and with interest in receiving clinically actionable incidental findings. The overall participation rate was 79% (20343/25721). Participation rate declined progressively with age, averaging 83%, 75%, 67% and 62% in patients aged rate, but not with higher willingness to receive incidental findings within the population who had agreed to participate. A large proportion of adult patients, even among the elderly, are willing to actively participate and receive incidental findings in this systematic hospital-based precision and genomic medicine research program with broad consent.

Response rates and selection problems, with emphasis on mental health variables and DNA sampling, in large population-based, cross-sectional and longitudinal studies of adolescents in Norway

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lien Lars

2010-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Selection bias is a threat to the internal validity of epidemiological studies. In light of a growing number of studies which aim to provide DNA, as well as a considerable number of invitees who declined to participate, we discuss response rates, predictors of lost to follow-up and failure to provide DNA, and the presence of possible selection bias, based on five samples of adolescents. Methods We included nearly 7,000 adolescents from two longitudinal studies of 18/19 year olds with two corresponding cross-sectional baseline studies at age 15/16 (10th graders, and one cross-sectional study of 13th graders (18/19 years old. DNA was sampled from the cheek mucosa of 18/19 year olds. Predictors of lost to follow-up and failure to provide DNA were studied by Poisson regression. Selection bias in the follow-up at age 18/19 was estimated through investigation of prevalence ratios (PRs between selected exposures (physical activity, smoking and outcome variables (general health, mental distress, externalizing problems measured at baseline. Results Out of 5,750 who participated at age 15/16, we lost 42% at follow-up at age 18/19. The percentage of participants who gave their consent to DNA provision was as high as the percentage that consented to a linkage of data with other health registers and surveys, approximately 90%. Significant predictors of lost to follow-up and failure to provide DNA samples in the present genetic epidemiological study were: male gender; non-western ethnicity; postal survey compared with school-based; low educational plans; low education and income of father; low perceived family economy; unmarried parents; poor self-reported health; externalized symptoms and smoking, with some differences in subgroups of ethnicity and gender. The association measures (PRs were quite similar among participants and all invitees, with some minor discrepancies in subgroups of non-western boys and girls. Conclusions Lost to

Estimating pesticide sampling rates by the polar organic chemical integrative sampler (POCIS) in the presence of natural organic matter and varying hydrodynamic conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Charlestra, Lucner; Amirbahman, Aria; Courtemanch, David L.; Alvarez, David A.; Patterson, Howard

2012-01-01

The polar organic chemical integrative sampler (POCIS) was calibrated to monitor pesticides in water under controlled laboratory conditions. The effect of natural organic matter (NOM) on the sampling rates (R s ) was evaluated in microcosms containing −1 of total organic carbon (TOC). The effect of hydrodynamics was studied by comparing R s values measured in stirred (SBE) and quiescent (QBE) batch experiments and a flow-through system (FTS). The level of NOM in the water used in these experiments had no effect on the magnitude of the pesticide sampling rates (p > 0.05). However, flow velocity and turbulence significantly increased the sampling rates of the pesticides in the FTS and SBE compared to the QBE (p < 0.001). The calibration data generated can be used to derive pesticide concentrations in water from POCIS deployed in stagnant and turbulent environmental systems without correction for NOM. - Highlights: ► We assessed the effect of TOC and stirring on pesticide sampling rates by POCIS. ► Total organic carbon (TOC) had no effect on the sampling rates. ► Water flow and stirring significantly increased the magnitude of the sampling rates. ► The sampling rates generated are directly applicable to field conditions. - This study provides POCIS sampling rates data that can be used to estimate freely dissolved concentrations of toxic pesticides in natural waters.

[A comparison of convenience sampling and purposive sampling].

Science.gov (United States)

Suen, Lee-Jen Wu; Huang, Hui-Man; Lee, Hao-Hsien

2014-06-01

Convenience sampling and purposive sampling are two different sampling methods. This article first explains sampling terms such as target population, accessible population, simple random sampling, intended sample, actual sample, and statistical power analysis. These terms are then used to explain the difference between "convenience sampling" and purposive sampling." Convenience sampling is a non-probabilistic sampling technique applicable to qualitative or quantitative studies, although it is most frequently used in quantitative studies. In convenience samples, subjects more readily accessible to the researcher are more likely to be included. Thus, in quantitative studies, opportunity to participate is not equal for all qualified individuals in the target population and study results are not necessarily generalizable to this population. As in all quantitative studies, increasing the sample size increases the statistical power of the convenience sample. In contrast, purposive sampling is typically used in qualitative studies. Researchers who use this technique carefully select subjects based on study purpose with the expectation that each participant will provide unique and rich information of value to the study. As a result, members of the accessible population are not interchangeable and sample size is determined by data saturation not by statistical power analysis.

The relationship between health promoting resources and work participation in a sample reporting musculoskeletal pain from the Nord-Trøndelag Health Study, HUNT 3, Norway

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-01

Background Musculoskeletal pain (MSP) is one of the most frequent causes of sick leave from work, and is a common and potentially disabling condition. This study is based on the salutogenic perspective and investigates the relationship between personal, social, and functional health resources and work participation in a population reporting MSP. Method Analysis was performed on cross sectional data from the Nord-Trøndelag Health Study, HUNT 3, in Norway. The sample of n= 6702 was extracted from HUNT 3, including a total of N= 50807 participants. Self-reported health (SRH) and, personal, social, and functional resources were assessed by a questionnaire. Reported sick leave was collected by interview at the point of time when the data were collected, from October 2006 until June 2008. Results Logistic regression analysis demonstrated statistically significant differences between the work group and sick leave group in self-rated health, work support, work control, work load, and feeling strong, and the model predicted 68% of the cases correctly. Females had a lower statistically significant probability (B= −.53) to be in the work group then men when suffering from MSP, with odds of 41%. Conclusion There was a statistically significant relationship between health promoting resources such as SRH, feeling strong, absence of neuroticism, work load, work control, and work participation in MSP population. PMID:23509959

The influence of self-rated health on the development of change in the level of physical activity for participants in prescribed exercise

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bredahl, Thomas Viskum Gjelstrup; Singhammer, John

2011-01-01

for the level of physical activity in the long term. Methods: This study included a baseline analysis of participants in a treatment group (TG) and follow-up after 4, 10 and 16 months. The TG included individuals with lifestyle diseases who followed supervised group-based training and received motivational...... counselling. The TG was divided into “good” and “poor” self-rated health at baseline. Linear growth curve analyses (multilevel linear regression) were used to examine the data. Results: The results yielded a statistical significant difference of 1.71 metabolic equivalents (MET) between participants with good...... versus poor health at baseline. Also, a difference of MET was observed at 10 months. MET increased by 0.85 units for participants with good self-rated health (SE = 0.094) from baseline to 16 months, though the increase between subsequent points in time was small and non-significant. In contrast...

Microcrack Evolution and Associated Deformation and Strength Properties of Sandstone Samples Subjected to Various Strain Rates

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chong-Feng Chen

2018-05-01

Full Text Available The evolution of micro-cracks in rocks under different strain rates is of great importance for a better understanding of the mechanical properties of rocks under complex stress states. In the present study, a series of tests were carried out under various strain rates, ranging from creep tests to intermediate strain rate tests, so as to observe the evolution of micro-cracks in rock and to investigate the influence of the strain rate on the deformation and strength properties of rocks. Thin sections from rock samples at pre- and post-failure were compared and analyzed at the microscale using an optical microscope. The results demonstrate that the main crack propagation in the rock is intergranular at a creep strain rate and transgranular at a higher strain rate. However, intergranular cracks appear mainly around the quartz and most of the punctured grains are quartz. Furthermore, the intergranular and transgranular cracks exhibit large differences in the different loading directions. In addition, uniaxial compressive tests were conducted on the unbroken rock samples in the creep tests. A comparison of the stress–strain curves of the creep tests and the intermediate strain rate tests indicate that Young’s modulus and the peak strength increase with the strain rate. In addition, more deformation energy is released by the generation of the transgranular cracks than the generation of the intergranular cracks. This study illustrates that the conspicuous crack evolution under different strain rates helps to understand the crack development on a microscale, and explains the relationship between the micro- and macro-behaviors of rock before the collapse under different strain rates.

Sequential Participation in a Multi-Institutional Mock Oral Examination Is Associated With Improved American Board of Surgery Certifying Examination First-Time Pass Rate.

Science.gov (United States)

Fingeret, Abbey L; Arnell, Tracey; McNelis, John; Statter, Mindy; Dresner, Lisa; Widmann, Warren

We sought to determine whether sequential participation in a multi-institutional mock oral examination affected the likelihood of passing the American Board of Surgery Certifying Examination (ABSCE) in first attempt. Residents from 3 academic medical centers were able to participate in a regional mock oral examination in the fall and spring of their fourth and fifth postgraduate year from 2011 to 2014. Candidate׳s highest composite score of all mock orals attempts was classified as risk for failure, intermediate, or likely to pass. Factors including United States Medical Licensing Examination steps 1, 2, and 3, number of cases logged, American Board of Surgery In-Training Examination performance, American Board of Surgery Qualifying Examination (ABSQE) performance, number of attempts, and performance in the mock orals were assessed to determine factors predictive of passing the ABSCE. A total of 128 mock oral examinations were administered to 88 (71%) of 124 eligible residents. The overall first-time pass rate for the ABSCE was 82%. There was no difference in pass rates between participants and nonparticipants. Of them, 16 (18%) residents were classified as at risk, 47 (53%) as intermediate, and 25 (29%) as likely to pass. ABSCE pass rate for each group was as follows: 36% for at risk, 84% for intermediate, and 96% for likely pass. The following 4 factors were associated with first-time passing of ABSCE on bivariate analysis: mock orals participation in postgraduate year 4 (p = 0.05), sequential participation in mock orals (p = 0.03), ABSQE performance (p = 0.01), and best performance on mock orals (p = 0.001). In multivariable logistic regression, the following 3 factors remained associated with ABSCE passing: ABSQE performance, odds ratio (OR) = 2.9 (95% CI: 1.3-6.1); mock orals best performance, OR = 1.7 (1.2-2.4); and participation in multiple mock oral examinations, OR = 1.4 (1.1-2.7). Performance on a multi-institutional mock oral examination can identify

Older adolescents’ views regarding participation in Facebook research

Science.gov (United States)

Moreno, Megan A; Grant, Alison; Kacvinsky, Lauren; Moreno, Peter; Fleming, Michael

2012-01-01

Purpose Facebook continues to grow in popularity among adolescents as well as adolescent researchers. Guidance on conducting this research with appropriate attention to privacy and ethics is scarce. To inform such research efforts, the purpose of this study was to determine older adolescents’ responses after learning that they were participants in a research study that involved identification of participants using Facebook. Methods Public Facebook profiles of older adolescents age 18 to 19 years from a large state university were examined. Profile owners were then interviewed. During the interview participants were informed that they were identified by examining publicly available Facebook profiles. Participants were asked to discuss their views on this research method. Results A total of 132 participants completed the interview (70% response rate), the average age was 18.4 years (SD=0.5) and our sample included 64 males (48.5%). Participant responses included: endorsement (19.7%), fine (36.4%), neutral (28.8%), uneasy (9.1%) and concerned (6.1%). Among participants who were uneasy or concerned, the majority voiced confusion regarding their current profile security settings (p=0.00). Conclusion The majority of adolescent participants viewed the use of Facebook for research positively. These findings are consistent with the approach taken by many US courts. Researchers may consider these findings when developing research protocols involving Facebook. PMID:23084164

Gendered motivational processes affecting high school mathematics participation, educational aspirations, and career plans: a comparison of samples from Australia, Canada, and the United States.

Science.gov (United States)

Watt, Helen M G; Shapka, Jennifer D; Morris, Zoe A; Durik, Amanda M; Keating, Daniel P; Eccles, Jacquelynne S

2012-11-01

In this international, longitudinal study, we explored gender differences in, and gendered relationships among, math-related motivations emphasized in the Eccles (Parsons) et al. (1983) expectancy-value framework, high school math participation, educational aspirations, and career plans. Participants were from Australia, Canada, and the United States (Ns = 358, 471, 418, respectively) in Grades 9/10 at Time 1 and Grades 11/12 at Time 2. The 3 samples came from suburban middle to upper-middle socioeconomic backgrounds, primarily of Anglo-European descent. Multivariate analyses of variance revealed stereotypic gender differences in educational and occupational outcomes only among the Australian sample. Multigroup structural equation models identified latent mean differences where male adolescents held higher intrinsic value for math in the Australian sample and higher ability/success expectancy in both North American samples. Ability/success expectancy was a key predictor in the North American samples, in contrast to intrinsic value in the Australian sample. Attainment/utility ("importance") values were more important for female adolescents' career choices, except in the Australian sample. Findings are interpreted in relation to gender socialization practices, degree and type of early choice, and specialization across settings. Implications are discussed for long-term math engagement and career selection for female and male adolescents. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved).

Phase identification of quasi-periodic flow measured by particle image velocimetry with a low sampling rate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pan, Chong; Wang, Hongping; Wang, Jinjun

2013-01-01

This work mainly deals with the proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) time coefficient method used for extracting phase information from quasi-periodic flow. The mathematical equivalence between this method and the traditional cross-correlation method is firstly proved. A two-dimensional circular cylinder wake flow measured by time-resolved particle image velocimetry within a range of Reynolds numbers is then used to evaluate the reliability of this method. The effect of both the sampling rate and Reynolds number on the identification accuracy is finally discussed. It is found that the POD time coefficient method provides a convenient alternative for phase identification, whose feasibility in low-sampling-rate measurement has additional advantages for experimentalists. (paper)

Education and Employment Participation in Young Adulthood: What Role Does Arthritis Play?

Science.gov (United States)

Jetha, Arif; Theis, Kristina A; Boring, Michael A; Barbour, Kamil E

2017-10-01

To examine the association between arthritis diagnosis and education and employment participation among young adults, and to determine whether findings differ by self-rated health and age. Data from the National Health Interview Survey, in the years 2009-2015, were combined and analyzed. The study sample was restricted to those ages 18-29 years, either diagnosed with arthritis (n = 1,393) or not (n = 40,537). The prevalence and correlates of employment and education participation were compared by arthritis status. Demographic characteristics, social role participation restrictions, health factors, and health system use variables were included as covariates. Models were stratified for age (18-23 versus 24-29 years) and self-rated health. Weighted proportions and univariate and multivariate associations were calculated to examine the association between arthritis and education and employment participation. Respondents with arthritis were more likely to be female, married, and report having more social participation restrictions, fair/poor health, and more functional limitations than those without arthritis. In multivariate models, arthritis was significantly associated with lower education (prevalence ratio [PR] 0.75 [95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.57-0.98]) and higher employment participation (PR 1.07 [95% CI 1.03-1.13]). Additional stratified analyses indicated an association between arthritis diagnosis and greater employment participation in those ages 18-23 years and reporting higher self-rated health. Young adults with arthritis may be transitioning into employment at an earlier age than their peers without arthritis. To inform the design of interventions that promote employment participation, future research on the education and employment experiences of young adults with arthritis is needed. © 2016, American College of Rheumatology.

Output Information Based Fault-Tolerant Iterative Learning Control for Dual-Rate Sampling Process with Disturbances and Output Delay

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hongfeng Tao

2018-01-01

Full Text Available For a class of single-input single-output (SISO dual-rate sampling processes with disturbances and output delay, this paper presents a robust fault-tolerant iterative learning control algorithm based on output information. Firstly, the dual-rate sampling process with output delay is transformed into discrete system in state-space model form with slow sampling rate without time delay by using lifting technology; then output information based fault-tolerant iterative learning control scheme is designed and the control process is turned into an equivalent two-dimensional (2D repetitive process. Moreover, based on the repetitive process stability theory, the sufficient conditions for the stability of system and the design method of robust controller are given in terms of linear matrix inequalities (LMIs technique. Finally, the flow control simulations of two flow tanks in series demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed method.

Success and failure rates of tumor genotyping techniques in routine pathological samples with non-small-cell lung cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Vanderlaan, Paul A; Yamaguchi, Norihiro; Folch, Erik; Boucher, David H; Kent, Michael S; Gangadharan, Sidharta P; Majid, Adnan; Goldstein, Michael A; Huberman, Mark S; Kocher, Olivier N; Costa, Daniel B

2014-04-01

Identification of some somatic molecular alterations in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has become evidence-based practice. The success and failure rate of using commercially available tumor genotyping techniques in routine day-to-day NSCLC pathology samples is not well described. We sought to evaluate the success and failure rate of EGFR mutation, KRAS mutation, and ALK FISH in a cohort of lung cancers subjected to routine clinical tumor genotype. Clinicopathologic data, tumor genotype success and failure rates were retrospectively compiled and analyzed from 381 patient-tumor samples. From these 381 patients with lung cancer, the mean age was 65 years, 61.2% were women, 75.9% were white, 27.8% were never smokers, 73.8% had advanced NSCLC and 86.1% had adenocarcinoma histology. The tumor tissue was obtained from surgical specimens in 48.8%, core needle biopsies in 17.9%, and as cell blocks from aspirates or fluid in 33.3% of cases. Anatomic sites for tissue collection included lung (49.3%), lymph nodes (22.3%), pleura (11.8%), bone (6.0%), brain (6.0%), among others. The overall success rate for EGFR mutation analysis was 94.2%, for KRAS mutation 91.6% and for ALK FISH 91.6%. The highest failure rates were observed when the tissue was obtained from image-guided percutaneous transthoracic core-needle biopsies (31.8%, 27.3%, and 35.3% for EGFR, KRAS, and ALK tests, respectively) and bone specimens (23.1%, 15.4%, and 23.1%, respectively). In specimens obtained from bone, the failure rates were significantly higher for biopsies than resection specimens (40% vs. 0%, p=0.024 for EGFR) and for decalcified compared to non-decalcified samples (60% vs. 5.5%, p=0.021 for EGFR). Tumor genotype techniques are feasible in most samples, outside small image-guided percutaneous transthoracic core-needle biopsies and bone samples from core biopsies with decalcification, and therefore expansion of routine tumor genotype into the care of patients with NSCLC may not require special

Production of aerosols by optical catapulting: Imaging, performance parameters and laser-induced plasma sampling rate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abdelhamid, M.; Fortes, F.J.; Fernández-Bravo, A.; Harith, M.A.; Laserna, J.J.

2013-01-01

Optical catapulting (OC) is a sampling and manipulation method that has been extensively studied in applications ranging from single cells in heterogeneous tissue samples to analysis of explosive residues in human fingerprints. Specifically, analysis of the catapulted material by means of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) offers a promising approach for the inspection of solid particulate matter. In this work, we focus our attention in the experimental parameters to be optimized for a proper aerosol generation while increasing the particle density in the focal region sampled by LIBS. For this purpose we use shadowgraphy visualization as a diagnostic tool. Shadowgraphic images were acquired for studying the evolution and dynamics of solid aerosols produced by OC. Aluminum silicate particles (0.2–8 μm) were ejected from the substrate using a Q-switched Nd:YAG laser at 1064 nm, while time-resolved images recorded the propagation of the generated aerosol. For LIBS analysis and shadowgraphy visualization, a Q-switched Nd:YAG laser at 1064 nm and 532 nm was employed, respectively. Several parameters such as the time delay between pulses and the effect of laser fluence on the aerosol production have been also investigated. After optimization, the particle density in the sampling focal volume increases while improving the aerosol sampling rate till ca. 90%. - Highlights: • Aerosol generation by optical catapulting has been successfully optimized. • We study the evolution and dynamics of solid aerosols produced by OC. • We use shadowgraphy visualization as a diagnostic tool. • Effects of temporal conditions and laser fluence on the elevation of the aerosol cloud have been investigated. • The observed LIBS sampling rate increased from 50% reported before to approximately 90%

On the role of the gas environment, electron-dose-rate, and sample on the image resolution in transmission electron microscopy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ek, Martin; Jespersen, Sebastian Pirel Fredsgaard; Damsgaard, Christian Danvad

2016-01-01

on the electron-dose-rate. In this article, we demonstrate that both the total and areal electron-dose-rates work as descriptors for the dose-rate-dependent resolution and are related through the illumination area. Furthermore, the resolution degradation was observed to occur gradually over time after......The introduction of gaseous atmospheres in transmission electron microscopy offers the possibility of studying materials in situ under chemically relevant environments. The presence of a gas environment can degrade the resolution. Surprisingly, this phenomenon has been shown to depend...... initializing the illumination of the sample and gas by the electron beam. The resolution was also observed to be sensitive to the electrical conductivity of the sample. These observations can be explained by a charge buildup over the electron-illuminated sample area, caused by the beam–gas–sample interaction...

Measurement of Passive Uptake Rates for Volatile Organic Compounds on Commercial Thermal Desorption Tubes and the Effect of Ozone on Sampling

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Maddalena, Randy [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Parra, Amanda [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Russell, Marion [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Lee, Wen-Yee [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

2013-05-01

Diffusive or passive sampling methods using commercially filled axial-sampling thermal desorption tubes are widely used for measuring volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in air. The passive sampling method provides a robust, cost effective way to measure air quality with time-averaged concentrations spanning up to a week or more. Sampling rates for VOCs can be calculated using tube geometry and Fick’s Law for ideal diffusion behavior or measured experimentally. There is evidence that uptake rates deviate from ideal and may not be constant over time. Therefore, experimentally measured sampling rates are preferred. In this project, a calibration chamber with a continuous stirred tank reactor design and constant VOC source was combined with active sampling to generate a controlled dynamic calibration environment for passive samplers. The chamber air was augmented with a continuous source of 45 VOCs ranging from pentane to diethyl phthalate representing a variety of chemical classes and physiochemical properties. Both passive and active samples were collected on commercially filled Tenax TA thermal desorption tubes over an 11-day period and used to calculate passive sampling rates. A second experiment was designed to determine the impact of ozone on passive sampling by using the calibration chamber to passively load five terpenes on a set of Tenax tubes and then exposing the tubes to different ozone environments with and without ozone scrubbers attached to the tube inlet. During the sampling rate experiment, the measured diffusive uptake was constant for up to seven days for most of the VOCs tested but deviated from linearity for some of the more volatile compounds between seven and eleven days. In the ozone experiment, both exposed and unexposed tubes showed a similar decline in terpene mass over time indicating back diffusion when uncapped tubes were transferred to a clean environment but there was no indication of significant loss by ozone reaction.

Influence of population versus convenience sampling on sample characteristics in studies of cognitive aging.

Science.gov (United States)

Brodaty, Henry; Mothakunnel, Annu; de Vel-Palumbo, Melissa; Ames, David; Ellis, Kathryn A; Reppermund, Simone; Kochan, Nicole A; Savage, Greg; Trollor, Julian N; Crawford, John; Sachdev, Perminder S

2014-01-01

We examined whether differences in findings of studies examining mild cognitive impairment (MCI) were associated with recruitment methods by comparing sample characteristics in two contemporaneous Australian studies, using population-based and convenience sampling. The Sydney Memory and Aging Study invited participants randomly from the electoral roll in defined geographic areas in Sydney. The Australian Imaging, Biomarkers and Lifestyle Study of Ageing recruited cognitively normal (CN) individuals via media appeals and MCI participants via referrals from clinicians in Melbourne and Perth. Demographic and cognitive variables were harmonized, and similar diagnostic criteria were applied to both samples retrospectively. CN participants recruited via convenience sampling were younger, better educated, more likely to be married and have a family history of dementia, and performed better cognitively than those recruited via population-based sampling. MCI participants recruited via population-based sampling had better memory performance and were less likely to carry the apolipoprotein E ε4 allele than clinically referred participants but did not differ on other demographic variables. A convenience sample of normal controls is likely to be younger and better functioning and that of an MCI group likely to perform worse than a purportedly random sample. Sampling bias should be considered when interpreting findings. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Policy, environment, and worksite fitness program participation among financial enterprise employees in Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Sheu-Jen; Hung, Wen-Chi

2016-06-01

This study explored the intertwined effects between the policies and regulations of the companies and personal background on participation in the physical fitness programs and leisure-time activities in financial enterprises. A total of 823 employees were selected as the sample with the multilevel stratification random-sampling technique. The response rate was 52.0%. Data were analyzed with descriptive statistics and hierarchical linear logistic regression. Thirty-two percent and 39% of the employees participated in the physical fitness programs and leisure-time activities, respectively. The factors affecting participation were categorized into intrapersonal factors, interpersonal processes, and primary groups, as well as institutional factors. In the interpersonal processes and primary groups level, higher family social support, more equipment in health promotion was associated with more participation in the programs. With the influence from the institutional level, it was found that health promotion policy amplified the relationship between employees' age and participation, but attenuated the relationship between education level and participation. Health promotion equipment in the institutes attenuated the relationship between colleague social support, family social support, and education level with program participation. Physical activity equipment in the community attenuated the relationship between family social support and program participation. The influential factors of social support and worksite environment could predict the employees' participation in the physical fitness programs and leisure-time physical activities. Health promotion policy and equipment attenuated the negative effects of nonparticipation as well as amplified the positive effects of participation.

Gender differences in adolescent sport participation, teasing, self-objectification and body image concerns.

Science.gov (United States)

Slater, Amy; Tiggemann, Marika

2011-06-01

This study examined gender differences in adolescent participation in sport and physical activity, in teasing experiences specific to the physical activity domain, and the relationship between adolescent physical activity and body image. A sample of 714 adolescents (332 girls, 382 boys) aged between 12 and 16 years completed measures of participation in organised sport and other physical activities, experiences of teasing specific to sport, self-objectification and body image. Adolescent girls participated in organised sport at a lower rate than boys, but experienced higher levels of teasing. Both girls and boys reported being teased by same-sex peers, but in addition, girls also reported being teased by opposite-sex peers (i.e. boys). Time spent on aesthetic physical activities was related to disordered eating symptomatology for both girls and boys. It was concluded that teasing and body image concerns may contribute to adolescent girls' reduced rates of participation in sports and other physical activities. Copyright © 2010 The Foundation for Professionals in Services for Adolescents. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Estimation of radon exhalation rate, natural radioactivity and radiation doses in fly ash samples from NTPC Dadri, (UP) India

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gupta, Mamta; Verma, K.D.; Mahur, A.K.; Rajendra Prasad; Sonkawade, R.G.

2010-01-01

Fly ash produced by coal-burning in thermal power station has become a subject of world wide interest in recent years, because of its diverse uses in building materials such as bricks, sheets, cement and land filling etc. The knowledge of radio nuclides in fly ash plays an important role in health physics. Natural radioactivity and radon exhalation rate in fly ash samples collected from NTPC (National Thermal Power Corporation) Dadri, (UP.) India, have been studied. A high resolution gamma ray spectroscopic system has been used for the measurement of natural radioactivity. The activity concentration of natural radionuclides radium ( 226 Ra), thorium ( 232 Th) and potassium ( 40 K) were measured and radiological parameters were calculated. Radium concentration was found to vary from (81.01 ± 3.25) to (177.33 ±10.00) Bq kg -1 . Activity concentration of thorium was found to vary from (111.57 ± 3.21) to (178.50 ± 3.96) Bq kg -1 . Potassium activity was not significant in some samples, whereas, some other samples have shown potassium activity vary from (365.98 ± 4.85) to (495.95 ± 6.23) Bq kg -1 . Radon exhalation rates in these samples were also calculated by 'Sealed Can technique' using LR-115 type II detectors and found to vary from (80 ± 9) to (243 ± 16) mBqm -2 h -1 with an average value (155 ± 13) mBqm -2 h -1 . This study also presents the results of estimation of effective dose equivalent from exhalation rate, radium equivalent, absorbed gamma dose rates, external annual effective dose rate and values of external hazard index for the fly ash samples. (author)

Social participation and self-rated health among older male veterans and non-veterans.

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Namkee G; DiNitto, Diana M; Marti, C Nathan

2016-08-01

To examine self-rated health (SRH) and its association with social participation, along with physical and mental health indicators, among USA male veterans and non-veterans aged ≥65 years. The two waves of the National Health and Aging Trend Study provided data (n = 2845 at wave 1; n = 2235 at wave 2). Multilevel mixed effects generalized linear models were fit to test the hypotheses. Despite their older age, veterans did not differ from non-veterans in their physical, mental and cognitive health, and they had better SRH. However, black and Hispanic veterans had lower SRH than non-Hispanic white veterans. Formal group activities and outings for enjoyment were positively associated with better SRH for veterans, non-veterans and all veteran cohorts. Aging veterans, especially black and Hispanic veterans, require programs and services that will help increase their social connectedness. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2016; 16: 920-927. © 2015 Japan Geriatrics Society.

Psychometric properties of the communication Confidence Rating Scale for Aphasia (CCRSA): phase 1.

Science.gov (United States)

Cherney, Leora R; Babbitt, Edna M; Semik, Patrick; Heinemann, Allen W

2011-01-01

Confidence is a construct that has not been explored previously in aphasia research. We developed the Communication Confidence Rating Scale for Aphasia (CCRSA) to assess confidence in communicating in a variety of activities and evaluated its psychometric properties using rating scale (Rasch) analysis. The CCRSA was administered to 21 individuals with aphasia before and after participation in a computer-based language therapy study. Person reliability of the 8-item CCRSA was .77. The 5-category rating scale demonstrated monotonic increases in average measures from low to high ratings. However, one item ("I follow news, sports, stories on TV/movies") misfit the construct defined by the other items (mean square infit = 1.69, item-measure correlation = .41). Deleting this item improved reliability to .79; the 7 remaining items demonstrated excellent fit to the underlying construct, although there was a modest ceiling effect in this sample. Pre- to posttreatment changes on the 7-item CCRSA measure were statistically significant using a paired samples t test. Findings support the reliability and sensitivity of the CCRSA in assessing participants' self-report of communication confidence. Further evaluation of communication confidence is required with larger and more diverse samples.

Radon exhalation rates from soil and sand samples collected from the vicinity of Yamuna river

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garg, A.K.; Sushil Kumar; Chauhan, Pooja; Chauhan, R.P.

2011-01-01

Soil, sand and stones are the most popular building materials for Indian dwellings. Radon is released into ambient air from these materials due to ubiquitous uranium and radium in them, thus increasing the airborne radon concentration. The radioactivity in sand and soils is related to radioactivity in the rocks from which they are formed. These materials contain varying amount of uranium. In the present investigation, the radon emanated from soil and sand samples from different locations in the vicinity of Yamuna river has been estimated. The samples have been collected from different locations near the Yamuna river. The samples collecting sites are from Yamunanagar in Haryana to Delhi. The radon concentration in different samples has been calculated, based upon the data, the mass and the surface exhalation rates of radon emanated from them have also been calculated

Calculating the dim light melatonin onset: the impact of threshold and sampling rate.

Science.gov (United States)

Molina, Thomas A; Burgess, Helen J

2011-10-01

The dim light melatonin onset (DLMO) is the most reliable circadian phase marker in humans, but the cost of assaying samples is relatively high. Therefore, the authors examined differences between DLMOs calculated from hourly versus half-hourly sampling and differences between DLMOs calculated with two recommended thresholds (a fixed threshold of 3 pg/mL and a variable "3k" threshold equal to the mean plus two standard deviations of the first three low daytime points). The authors calculated these DLMOs from salivary dim light melatonin profiles collected from 122 individuals (64 women) at baseline. DLMOs derived from hourly sampling occurred on average only 6-8 min earlier than the DLMOs derived from half-hourly saliva sampling, and they were highly correlated with each other (r ≥ 0.89, p 30 min from the DLMO derived from half-hourly sampling. The 3 pg/mL threshold produced significantly less variable DLMOs than the 3k threshold. However, the 3k threshold was significantly lower than the 3 pg/mL threshold (p < .001). The DLMOs calculated with the 3k method were significantly earlier (by 22-24 min) than the DLMOs calculated with the 3 pg/mL threshold, regardless of sampling rate. These results suggest that in large research studies and clinical settings, the more affordable and practical option of hourly sampling is adequate for a reasonable estimate of circadian phase. Although the 3 pg/mL fixed threshold is less variable than the 3k threshold, it produces estimates of the DLMO that are further from the initial rise of melatonin.

Reasons for non-attendance to cervical screening and preferences for HPV self-sampling in Dutch women.

Science.gov (United States)

Bosgraaf, Remko P; Ketelaars, Pleun J W; Verhoef, Viola M J; Massuger, Leon F A G; Meijer, Chris J L M; Melchers, Willem J G; Bekkers, Ruud L M

2014-07-01

High attendance rates in cervical screening are essential for effective cancer prevention. Offering HPV self-sampling to non-responders increases participation rates. The objectives of this study were to determine why non-responders do not attend regular screening, and why they do or do not participate when offered a self-sampling device. A questionnaire study was conducted in the Netherlands from October 2011 to December 2012. A total of 35,477 non-responders were invited to participate in an HPV self-sampling study; 5347 women did opt out. Finally, 30,130 women received a questionnaire and self-sampling device. The analysis was based on 9484 returned questionnaires (31.5%) with a self-sample specimen, and 682 (2.3%) without. Among women who returned both, the main reason for non-attendance to cervical screening was that they forgot to schedule an appointment (3068; 32.3%). The most important reason to use the self-sampling device was the opportunity to take a sample in their own time-setting (4763; 50.2%). A total of 30.9% of the women who did not use the self-sampling device preferred after all to have a cervical smear taken instead. Organisational barriers are the main reason for non-attendance in regular cervical screening. Important reasons for non-responders to the regular screening to use a self-sampling device are convenience and self-control. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Work participation among the morbidly obese seeking bariatric surgery: an exploratory study from Norway.

Science.gov (United States)

Hernæs, Ulrikke J V; Andersen, John R; Norheim, Ole F; Våge, Villy

2015-02-01

The aim of this study is to assess the rate of work participation and disability pension, and identify predictors for sickness absence and disability pension, among morbidly obese individuals. The data were collected from the Obesity Surgery Registry at Førde Central Hospital and consists of patients undergoing bariatric surgery between April 2001 and February 2013. Multivariate logistic regression was performed to identify predictors of sickness absence and disability pension. The sample consisted of 576 patients (63.9 % females) with a mean (range, SD) age of 41.7 (18-66, 10.6) and a mean body mass index (BMI) of 47.7 (32.5-80.8, 7.7). Patients working full- or part-time comprised 55.6 % of the sample and 29.7 % received a disability pension; only 46.4 % of the sample received an income from paid work without additional benefits. Having a BMI above 50, lower levels of education, and suffering from four or more comorbidities were significant predictors of sickness absence. Female gender, psychiatric disorders, lower levels of education, asthma, heart failure and suffering from four or more comorbidities were significant predictors of disability pension. The proportion of the work participation and disability pension among this morbidly obese population is of substantial concern, as work participation has proven important for the health-related quality of life. This, combined with the fact that these patients are significantly less educated than the general population, can potentially have grave socioeconomic consequences. Increased knowledge of obesity development and the work history of these patients are needed to implement policies that ensure increased rates of work participation.

Investigation of Participation Motivations in Exercises of Students Participating in Archery in Extra Curricular Activities

Science.gov (United States)

Gündüz, Nevin; Keskin, Muzaffer Toprak; Erdugan, Fuat

2017-01-01

The aim of this research is to investigate Investigation of Participation Motivations in Exercises of Students Participating in Archery in Extra Curricular Activities. While the study's universe consists of all 11th graders studying at High school, the sample includes 32 of the 11th grade students who participated in arrow shooting activities in…

Optimising child outcomes from parenting interventions: fathers' experiences, preferences and barriers to participation.

Science.gov (United States)

Tully, Lucy A; Piotrowska, Patrycja J; Collins, Daniel A J; Mairet, Kathleen S; Black, Nicola; Kimonis, Eva R; Hawes, David J; Moul, Caroline; Lenroot, Rhoshel K; Frick, Paul J; Anderson, Vicki; Dadds, Mark R

2017-06-07

Early childhood interventions can have both immediate and long-term positive effects on cognitive, behavioural, health and education outcomes. Fathers are underrepresented in interventions focusing on the well-being of children. However, father participation may be critical for intervention effectiveness, especially for parenting interventions for child externalising problems. To date, there has been very little research conducted to understand the low rates of father participation and to facilitate the development of interventions to meet the needs of fathers. This study examined fathers' experiences of, and preferences for, parenting interventions as well as perceptions of barriers to participation. It also examined how these factors were associated with child externalising behaviour problems, and explored the predictors of participation in parenting interventions. A community sample of 1001 fathers of children aged 2-16 years completed an online survey about experiences with parenting interventions, perceived barriers to participation, the importance of different factors in their decision to attend, and preferred content and delivery methods. They also completed ratings of their child's behaviour using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Overall, 15% of fathers had participated in a parenting intervention or treatment for child behaviour, with significantly higher rates of participation for fathers of children with high versus low levels of externalising problems. Fathers rated understanding what is involved in the program and knowing that the facilitator is trained as the two most important factors in their decision to participate. There were several barriers to participation that fathers of children with high-level externalising problems were more likely to endorse, across practical barriers and help-seeking attitudes, compared to fathers of children with low-level externalising problems. Almost two-thirds of fathers of children with high

Optimising child outcomes from parenting interventions: fathers’ experiences, preferences and barriers to participation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lucy A. Tully

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Early childhood interventions can have both immediate and long-term positive effects on cognitive, behavioural, health and education outcomes. Fathers are underrepresented in interventions focusing on the well-being of children. However, father participation may be critical for intervention effectiveness, especially for parenting interventions for child externalising problems. To date, there has been very little research conducted to understand the low rates of father participation and to facilitate the development of interventions to meet the needs of fathers. This study examined fathers’ experiences of, and preferences for, parenting interventions as well as perceptions of barriers to participation. It also examined how these factors were associated with child externalising behaviour problems, and explored the predictors of participation in parenting interventions. Methods A community sample of 1001 fathers of children aged 2–16 years completed an online survey about experiences with parenting interventions, perceived barriers to participation, the importance of different factors in their decision to attend, and preferred content and delivery methods. They also completed ratings of their child’s behaviour using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Results Overall, 15% of fathers had participated in a parenting intervention or treatment for child behaviour, with significantly higher rates of participation for fathers of children with high versus low levels of externalising problems. Fathers rated understanding what is involved in the program and knowing that the facilitator is trained as the two most important factors in their decision to participate. There were several barriers to participation that fathers of children with high-level externalising problems were more likely to endorse, across practical barriers and help-seeking attitudes, compared to fathers of children with low-level externalising problems

Measurement Differences from Rating Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms in Response to Differentially Distressing Traumatic Events

Science.gov (United States)

Elhai, Jon D.; Fine, Thomas H.

2012-01-01

The authors explored differences in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms as a result of rating symptoms from two separate, differentially distressing traumatic events. In an initial sample of 400 nonclinical participants, the authors inquired through a web survey about previous psychological trauma, instructing participants to nominate…

Reasons for non-attendance to cervical screening and preferences for HPV self-sampling in Dutch women

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bosgraaf, R.P.; Ketelaars, P.J.W.; Verhoef, V.M.; Massuger, L.F.A.G.; Meijer, C.J.W.; Melchers, W.J.G.; Bekkers, R.L.M.

2014-01-01

OBJECTIVES: High attendance rates in cervical screening are essential for effective cancer prevention. Offering HPV self-sampling to non-responders increases participation rates. The objectives of this study were to determine why non-responders do not attend regular screening, and why they do or do

Selective information sampling

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Peter A. F. Fraser-Mackenzie

2009-06-01

Full Text Available This study investigates the amount and valence of information selected during single item evaluation. One hundred and thirty-five participants evaluated a cell phone by reading hypothetical customers reports. Some participants were first asked to provide a preliminary rating based on a picture of the phone and some technical specifications. The participants who were given the customer reports only after they made a preliminary rating exhibited valence bias in their selection of customers reports. In contrast, the participants that did not make an initial rating sought subsequent information in a more balanced, albeit still selective, manner. The preliminary raters used the least amount of information in their final decision, resulting in faster decision times. The study appears to support the notion that selective exposure is utilized in order to develop cognitive coherence.

Nurse executive transformational leadership found in participative organizations.

Science.gov (United States)

Dunham-Taylor, J

2000-05-01

The study examined a national sample of 396 randomly selected hospital nurse executives to explore transformational leadership, stage of power, and organizational climate. Results from a few nurse executive studies have found nurse executives were transformational leaders. As executives were more transformational, they achieved better staff satisfaction and higher work group effectiveness. This study integrates Bass' transformational leadership model with Hagberg's power stage theory and Likert's organizational climate theory. Nurse executives (396) and staff reporting to them (1,115) rated the nurse executives' leadership style, staff extra effort, staff satisfaction, and work group effectiveness using Bass and Avolio's Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire. Executives' bosses (360) rated executive work group effectiveness. Executives completed Hagberg's Personal Power Profile and ranked their organizational climate using Likert's Profile of Organizational Characteristics. Nurse executives used transformational leadership fairly often; achieved fairly satisfied staff levels; were very effective according to bosses; were most likely at stage 3 (power by achievement) or stage 4 (power by reflection); and rated their hospital as a Likert System 3 Consultative Organization. Staff satisfaction and work group effectiveness decreased as nurse executives were more transactional. Higher transformational scores tended to occur with higher educational degrees and within more participative organizations. Transformational qualities can be enhanced by further education, by achieving higher power stages, and by being within more participative organizations.

Labour force participation in Canada: Trends and shifts

OpenAIRE

Irene Ip

1998-01-01

A key determinant of the potential growth of an economy is the rate at which the labour force increases, which depends both on population growth and on changes in the participation rate. Cyclical factors related to the economic environment can play a significant role in affecting the participation rate, as can structural factors and demographic trends. From the mid-1970s to the end of the 1980s, the participation rate rose almost without interruption to a record high of 67.5 per cent. In cont...

Exploring the Legionella pneumophila positivity rate in hotel water samples from Antalya, Turkey.

Science.gov (United States)

Sepin Özen, Nevgün; Tuğlu Ataman, Şenay; Emek, Mestan

2017-05-01

The genus Legionella is a fastidious Gram-negative bacteria widely distributed in natural waters and man made water supply systems. Legionella pneumophila is the aetiological agent of approximately 90% of reported Legionellosis cases, and serogroup 1 is the most frequent cause of infections. Legionnaires' disease is often associated with travel and continues to be a public health concern at present. The correct water management quality practices and rapid methods for analyzing Legionella species in environmental water is a key point for the prevention of Legionnaires' disease outbreaks. This study aimed to evaluate the positivity rates and serotyping of Legionella species from water samples in the region of Antalya, Turkey, which is an important tourism center. During January-December 2010, a total of 1403 samples of water that were collected from various hotels (n = 56) located in Antalya were investigated for Legionella pneumophila. All samples were screened for L. pneumophila by culture method according to "ISO 11731-2" criteria. The culture positive Legionella strains were serologically identified by latex agglutination test. A total of 142 Legionella pneumophila isolates were recovered from 21 (37.5%) of 56 hotels. The total frequency of L. pneumophila isolation from water samples was found as 10.1%. Serological typing of 142 Legionella isolates by latex agglutination test revealed that strains belonging to L. pneumophila serogroups 2-14 predominated in the examined samples (85%), while strains of L. pneumophila serogroup 1 were less numerous (15%). According to our knowledge, our study with the greatest number of water samples from Turkey demonstrates that L. pneumophila serogroups 2-14 is the most common isolate. Rapid isolation of L. pneumophila from environmental water samples is essential for the investigation of travel related outbreaks and the possible resources. Further studies are needed to have epidemiological data and to determine the types of L

Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) participation among college students with an autism spectrum disorder.

Science.gov (United States)

Wei, Xin; Yu, Jennifer W; Shattuck, Paul; McCracken, Mary; Blackorby, Jose

2013-07-01

Little research has examined the popular belief that individuals with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are more likely than the general population to gravitate toward science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. This study analyzed data from the National Longitudinal Transition Study-2, a nationally representative sample of students with an ASD in special education. Findings suggest that students with an ASD had the highest STEM participation rates although their college enrollment rate was the third lowest among 11 disability categories and students in the general population. Disproportionate postsecondary enrollment and STEM participation by gender, family income, and mental functioning skills were found for young adults with an ASD. Educational policy implications are discussed.

Improving the Quality of Staff and Participant Interaction in an Acquired Brain Injury Organization

Science.gov (United States)

Guercio, John M.; Dixon, Mark R.

2010-01-01

Weekly observations of direct-care staff in a facility for persons with brain injury yielded less than optimal interactional style with facility residents. Following an observational baseline, staff were asked to self-rate a 15-min video sample of their interaction behavior with participants on their unit. They were then asked to compare their…

Safety leadership at construction sites: the importance of rule-oriented and participative leadership.

Science.gov (United States)

Grill, Martin; Pousette, Anders; Nielsen, Kent; Grytnes, Regine; Törner, Marianne

2017-07-01

Objectives The construction industry accounted for >20% of all fatal occupational accidents in Europe in 2014. Leadership is an essential antecedent to occupational safety. The aim of the present study was to assess the influence of transformational, active transactional, rule-oriented, participative, and laissez-faire leadership on safety climate, safety behavior, and accidents in the Swedish and Danish construction industry. Sweden and Denmark are similar countries but have a large difference in occupational accidents rates. Methods A questionnaire study was conducted among a random sample of construction workers in both countries: 811 construction workers from 85 sites responded, resulting in site and individual response rates of 73% and 64%, respectively. Results The results indicated that transformational, active transactional, rule-oriented and participative leadership predict positive safety outcomes, and laissez-faire leadership predict negative safety outcomes. For example, rule-oriented leadership predicts a superior safety climate (β=0.40, Pleadership on workers' safety behavior was moderated by the level of participative leadership (β=0.10, Pleadership behaviors on safety outcomes were largely similar in Sweden and Denmark. Rule-oriented and participative leadership were more common in the Swedish than Danish construction industry, which may partly explain the difference in occupational accident rates. Conclusions Applying less laissez-faire leadership and more transformational, active transactional, participative and rule-oriented leadership appears to be an effective way for construction site managers to improve occupational safety in the industry.

Radon concentration and exhalation rates in building material samples from crushing zone in Shivalik Foot Hills

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pundir, Anil; Kamboj, Sunil; Bansal, Vakul; Chauhan, R.P.; Rana, Rajinder Singh

2012-01-01

Radon ( 222 Rn) is an inert radioactive gas in the decay chain of uranium ( 238 U). It continuously emanates from soil to the atmosphere. Radon and its progeny are the major natural radioactive sources for the ambient radioactivity on Earth. A number of studies on radon were performed in recent decades focusing on its transport and movement in the atmosphere under different meteorological conditions. Building materials are the main source of radon inside buildings. Some construction materials are naturally more radioactive and removal of such material from the earth's crust and their subsequent use in construction of buildings further enhances the radioactivity level. The knowledge of radioactivity level in the building materials makes us aware about the management, guidelines and standards in construction of buildings. The main objective of the present investigations is to measure radon Concentration and exhalation rates in the samples collected from the Crushing zone of Shivalik foot hills. Different types of materials are being used in Northern part of India for construction of dwellings. For the measurement of radon concentration and its exhalation rates in building materials, LR-115 detectors were exposed in closed plastic canisters for three months. At the end of the exposure time, the detectors were subjected to a chemical etching process in 2.5N NaOH solution. The tracks produced by the alpha particles were observed and counted under an optical Olympus microscope at 600X. The measured track density was converted into radon concentration using a calibration factor. The surface and mass exhalation rates of radon have also been calculated using present data. The results indicate that the radon concentration varies appreciably from sample to sample and they were found to satisfy the safety criteria. There are samples in which radon concentration is higher and may enhance the indoor radiation levels when used as building construction materials. (author)

Women's participation in developing west China.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, D

2000-06-01

In China, the underdeveloped economy of the west has limited women's employment opportunities compared with their counterparts in the eastern and central region. Most women workers are engaged in agricultural production offering few opportunities for career development. Education, awareness of participation, fertility level, and health conditions are the compounding factors that hindered women's employment. According to a 10% sampling survey of the 4th population census in 1990, a high percentage of illiterates and semi-illiterates and a high dropout rate among girl students are noted. Moreover, a survey of maternal mortality rates indicated that the rate in west China was still far higher than that in central and eastern areas. In the context of its fertility, it is evident that the average age at first marriages and childbirth for women are considerably lower than the national average, while the percentage of women having multiple children is markedly higher than the national level. The paper proposes the following: improve education for women, especially girls; promote gender equality; publicize and implement the family planning policy; and increase spending on improving young girls' nutrition and on acquisition of medical equipment in western China for a balanced national economic development.

Low methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus carriage rate among Italian dental students

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Petti, S.; Kakisina, N.; Volgenant, C.M.C.; Messano, G.A.; Barbato, E.; Passariello, C.; de Soet, J.J.

2015-01-01

We assessed methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) carriage rate among dental students from an Italian university. A total of 157 subjects participated (67 preclinical students and 90 clinical students); samples were collected from the nose, mouth, and skin. Five preclinical students and

The determination of volatile chlorinated hydrocarbons in air. Sampling rate and efficiency of diffuse samplers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Giese, U.; Stenner, H.; Kettrup, A.

1989-05-01

When applicating diffusive sampling-systems to workplace air-monitoring it is necessary to know the behaviour of the diffusive-rate and the efficiency in dependence of concentration, exposition time and the type of pollutant. Especially concerning mixtures of pollutants there are negative influences by competition and mutual displacement possible. Diffusive-rate and discovery for CH/sub 2/Cl/sub 2/ and CHCl/sub 3/ were investigated using two different types of diffuse samplers. For this it was necessary to develop suitable defices for standard gas generation and for the exposition of diffusive-samplers to a standard gas mixture. (orig.).

Do East Asian and Euro-Canadian women differ in sexual psychophysiology research participation?

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Woo, Jane S T; Brotto, Lori A; Yule, Morag A

2010-07-01

Evidence from studies of ethnic differences in sexual conservativeness and Papanicolaou (Pap) testing behaviors suggests that there may be culture-linked differences in rates of participation in physically invasive sexuality studies, resulting in volunteer bias. The effects of ethnicity and acculturation on participation in female psychophysiological sexual arousal research were investigated in a sample of Euro-Canadian (n = 50) and East Asian (n = 58) women. Participants completed a battery of questionnaires and were given either course credits or $10 for their participation. Participants were then informed about the opportunity to participate in a second phase of the study, which involved psychophysiological sexual arousal testing and which was completely optional. Contrary to expectations, the results showed that the East Asian women were more likely to participate in Phase 2 than the Euro-Canadian women. Among the East Asian women, greater heritage acculturation and lower mainstream acculturation predicted a lower likelihood of Phase 2 participation. The findings suggest the need to be wary of overgeneralizing female psychophysiological sexual arousal research results and may have implications for improving Pap testing behaviors in East Asian women.

Sample size calculation while controlling false discovery rate for differential expression analysis with RNA-sequencing experiments.

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Bi, Ran; Liu, Peng

2016-03-31

RNA-Sequencing (RNA-seq) experiments have been popularly applied to transcriptome studies in recent years. Such experiments are still relatively costly. As a result, RNA-seq experiments often employ a small number of replicates. Power analysis and sample size calculation are challenging in the context of differential expression analysis with RNA-seq data. One challenge is that there are no closed-form formulae to calculate power for the popularly applied tests for differential expression analysis. In addition, false discovery rate (FDR), instead of family-wise type I error rate, is controlled for the multiple testing error in RNA-seq data analysis. So far, there are very few proposals on sample size calculation for RNA-seq experiments. In this paper, we propose a procedure for sample size calculation while controlling FDR for RNA-seq experimental design. Our procedure is based on the weighted linear model analysis facilitated by the voom method which has been shown to have competitive performance in terms of power and FDR control for RNA-seq differential expression analysis. We derive a method that approximates the average power across the differentially expressed genes, and then calculate the sample size to achieve a desired average power while controlling FDR. Simulation results demonstrate that the actual power of several popularly applied tests for differential expression is achieved and is close to the desired power for RNA-seq data with sample size calculated based on our method. Our proposed method provides an efficient algorithm to calculate sample size while controlling FDR for RNA-seq experimental design. We also provide an R package ssizeRNA that implements our proposed method and can be downloaded from the Comprehensive R Archive Network ( http://cran.r-project.org ).

AREA EFFICIENT FRACTIONAL SAMPLE RATE CONVERSION ARCHITECTURE FOR SOFTWARE DEFINED RADIOS

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Latha Sahukar

2014-09-01

Full Text Available The modern software defined radios (SDRs use complex signal processing algorithms to realize efficient wireless communication schemes. Several such algorithms require a specific symbol to sample ratio to be maintained. In this context the fractional rate converter (FRC becomes a crucial block in the receiver part of SDR. The paper presents an area optimized dynamic FRC block, for low power SDR applications. The limitations of conventional cascaded interpolator and decimator architecture for FRC are also presented. Extending the SINC function interpolation based architecture; towards high area optimization and providing run time configuration with time register are presented. The area and speed analysis are carried with Xilinx FPGA synthesis tools. Only 15% area occupancy with maximum clock speed of 133 MHz are reported on Spartan-6 Lx45 Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA.

Measurement of radon exhalation rates in some soil samples collected near the international monument Taj Mahal, Agra

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sharma, Jyoti; Kumar, Rupesh; Indolia, R.S.; Swarup, R.; Mahur, A.K.; Singh, Hargyan; Sonkawade, R.G.

2011-01-01

Human beings are exposed to ionizing radiation from natural sources due to the occurrence of natural radioactive elements in solids, rocks, sand, soil etc. used as building construction materials and to the internal exposure from radioactive elements through good, water and air. Radon exhalation rate is of prime importance for the estimation of radiation risk from various materials. In the present study soil samples collected near the Tajmahal Agra. Sealed Can Technique was adopted for radon exhalation measurements. All the soil samples collected were grinded, dried and sieved through a 100 mesh sieve. Equal amount of each sieved (100μm grain size) sample (100 gm) was placed at the base of the Cans of 7.5 cm height and 7.0 cm diameter similar to those used in the calibration experiment (Singh et al., 1997). LR-115 type II plastic track detector (2 cm x 2 cm) was fixed on the top inside of the cylindrical Can. Radon exhalation rate varies from 529 mBqm -2 h -1 to 1254 mBqm -2 h -1 . The results will be presented. (author)

Bias due to differential participation in case-control studies and review of available approaches for adjustment.

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Aigner, Annette; Grittner, Ulrike; Becher, Heiko

2018-01-01

Low response rates in epidemiologic research potentially lead to the recruitment of a non-representative sample of controls in case-control studies. Problems in the unbiased estimation of odds ratios arise when characteristics causing the probability of participation are associated with exposure and outcome. This is a specific setting of selection bias and a realistic hazard in many case-control studies. This paper formally describes the problem and shows its potential extent, reviews existing approaches for bias adjustment applicable under certain conditions, compares and applies them. We focus on two scenarios: a characteristic C causing differential participation of controls is linked to the outcome through its association with risk factor E (scenario I), and C is additionally a genuine risk factor itself (scenario II). We further assume external data sources are available which provide an unbiased estimate of C in the underlying population. Given these scenarios, we (i) review available approaches and their performance in the setting of bias due to differential participation; (ii) describe two existing approaches to correct for the bias in both scenarios in more detail; (iii) present the magnitude of the resulting bias by simulation if the selection of a non-representative sample is ignored; and (iv) demonstrate the approaches' application via data from a case-control study on stroke. The bias of the effect measure for variable E in scenario I and C in scenario II can be large and should therefore be adjusted for in any analysis. It is positively associated with the difference in response rates between groups of the characteristic causing differential participation, and inversely associated with the total response rate in the controls. Adjustment in a standard logistic regression framework is possible in both scenarios if the population distribution of the characteristic causing differential participation is known or can be approximated well.

Measurement of radon activity, exhalation rate and radiation dose in fly ash and coal samples from NTPC, Badarpur, Delhi, India

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gupta, Mamta; Verma, K.D.; Mahur, A.K.; Prasad, R.; Sonkawade, R.G.

2013-01-01

In the present study radon activities and exhalation rates from fly ash and coal samples from NTPC (National Thermal Power Corporation) situated at Badarpur, Delhi, India, have been measured. 'Sealed Can Technique' using LR-115 type II track detectors was employed. In fly ash samples, radon activity has been found to vary from 400.0 ± 34.7 to 483.9 ± 38.1Bqm -3 with an average value of 447.1 ± 36.6 Bqm -3 and in coal samples, radon activity has been found to vary from 504.0 ± 39.0 to 932.1 ± 52.9 Bqm -3 with an average value of 687.2 ± 45.2 Bqm -3 . Radon exhalation rate from coal is found to be higher than radon exhalation rate from its ash products, whereas the opposite is expected. Indoor inhalation exposure (radon) effective dose has also been estimated. (author)

Sample size for comparing negative binomial rates in noninferiority and equivalence trials with unequal follow-up times.

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Tang, Yongqiang

2017-05-25

We derive the sample size formulae for comparing two negative binomial rates based on both the relative and absolute rate difference metrics in noninferiority and equivalence trials with unequal follow-up times, and establish an approximate relationship between the sample sizes required for the treatment comparison based on the two treatment effect metrics. The proposed method allows the dispersion parameter to vary by treatment groups. The accuracy of these methods is assessed by simulations. It is demonstrated that ignoring the between-subject variation in the follow-up time by setting the follow-up time for all individuals to be the mean follow-up time may greatly underestimate the required size, resulting in underpowered studies. Methods are provided for back-calculating the dispersion parameter based on the published summary results.

The Forecasting of Labour Force Participation and the Unemployment Rate in Poland and Turkey Using Fuzzy Time Series Methods

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Yolcu Ufuk

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Fuzzy time series methods based on the fuzzy set theory proposed by Zadeh (1965 was first introduced by Song and Chissom (1993. Since fuzzy time series methods do not have the assumptions that traditional time series do and have effective forecasting performance, the interest on fuzzy time series approaches is increasing rapidly. Fuzzy time series methods have been used in almost all areas, such as environmental science, economy and finance. The concepts of labour force participation and unemployment have great importance in terms of both the economy and sociology of countries. For this reason there are many studies on their forecasting. In this study, we aim to forecast the labour force participation and unemployment rate in Poland and Turkey using different fuzzy time series methods.

Patient characteristics and participation in a genetic study: a type 2 diabetes cohort.

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Amiri, Loabat; Cassidy-Bushrow, Andrea E; Dakki, Heather; Li, Jia; Wells, Karen; Oliveria, Susan A; Yood, Marianne Ulcickas; Thomas, Abraham; Lanfear, David E

2014-01-01

Recruitment of large, diverse populations into genetic studies remains challenging. Potential strategies to overcome limitations include leveraging electronic health data and minimizing patient burden. We sought to describe the overall participation rate and identify characteristics associated with participation in a genetic substudy of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, in which patients were identified via electronic hospital data and asked to participate by providing DNA samples by mail. During a phone interview, participants (n = 455) were asked to take part in a genetic substudy. Subjects verbally consenting were mailed saliva collection kits and written consent forms. We examined demographic and clinical variables associated with verbal consent and DNA kit return using logistic regression. Overall, 90% (n = 410) verbally consented to the genetic substudy during interviews. However, of those consenting, only 70% returned the DNA kit (n = 287). Among those consenting, after covariate adjustment, male sex (odds ratio [OR], 1.70; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.09-2.65), African American race (OR, 0.61; 95% CI, 0.39-0.95), hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) (OR, 0.87; 95% CI, 0.75-1.00), and physical activity (OR, 0.58; 95% CI, 0.37-0.91) were significantly associated with DNA kit return. To our knowledge, we are the first to demonstrate an inverse association between HbA1c and participation in genetic research, potentially indicating a compliance-related trait needing further exploration. The DNA kit return rate being notably lower than the verbal consent rate suggests that the greater convenience of a telephone/mail-in process did not drastically enhance full participation. Direct comparison to in-person donation may be warranted.

Alcohol Use, Age, and Self-Rated Mental and Physical Health in a Community Sample of Lesbian and Bisexual Women.

Science.gov (United States)

Veldhuis, Cindy B; Talley, Amelia E; Hancock, David W; Wilsnack, Sharon C; Hughes, Tonda L

2017-12-01

Given that self-perceptions of mental and physical health are important predictors of health outcomes and well-being, particularly among older adults, this study focuses on associations among age, alcohol consumption, and indicators of both self-rated mental health and self-rated physical health in a sample of sexual minority women (SMW). This study uses a community sample of SMW to examine the associations among age, drinking, and self-rated mental and physical health. Heavy drinking among older adult SMW (55+) was less prevalent than among young SMW, ages 18-25 and ages 26-39, but similar to rates reported among SMW ages 40-54. In addition, older SMW reported significantly higher levels of self-rated mental health, compared with SMW in the other age groups, but we found no significant associations between age and self-rated physical health. Across all age groups, moderate drinkers reported better self-rated physical health than alcohol abstainers. Overall, these results suggest that, among SMW, drinking does not decline as sharply with age as it does for heterosexual women in the general population. Given the current and projected increases in the aging population and the risks that heavy drinking presents for morbidity and mortality, interventions aimed at older SMW are needed.

The Role of Private Information in Short-term Fluctuations of Won/Dollar Exchange Rates

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Haesik Park

1999-12-01

Full Text Available In this paper, we have examined the short-run movement of the won/dollar exchange rate using information obtained from the inter-bank market in Korea. First, we constructed the hourly measure of excess demand for dollar and used it as a proxy for the trading pattern of market participants. To construct this time series, we relied on the bid and ask won/dollar exchange rates collected on the two-minute interval. We then estimated the structural VAR model consisting of the actually observed won/dollar exchange rate and the proxied trading pattern of market participants to see if private information, as opposed to public information, is relevant for explaining the hourly movement of the won/dollar exchange rate. Private information is found to account for more 30% of hourly variations of the won/dollar exchange rate. Next, we constructed the trading pattern of market participants on a daily basis using the same data set employed to build the hourly measure. We then examined whether private information is useful for predicting the daily won/dollar exchange rate movement. We found that the forecast model using both private and public information reduces out-of-sample forecast errors of an alternative model relying only on public information by 20~25%. Also, the out-of-sample forecast of the model using both private and public information is found to be more accurate than the random walk model.

Natural radioactivity and dose rates for soil samples around Tiruchirapalli, South India using γ-ray spectrometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Senthilkumar, Bojarajan; Manikandan, Sabapathy; Musthafa, Mohamed Saiyad

2012-01-01

The activity concentrations and the gamma-absorbed dose rates of the naturally occurring radionuclides 226 Ra, 232 Th, and 40 K were determined for 40 soil samples collected from Tiruchirapalli, South India, using γ-ray spectrometry. The average activity concentrations of 226 Ra, 232 Th, and 40 K in the soil samples were found to be 29.9, 39.0, and 369.7 Bq kg -1 , respectively. The measured activity concentrations of both 226 Ra and 40 K in the soil were lower than the world average, whereas, the activity of 232 Th was higher than the world average. The concentrations of these radionuclides were also compared with the average activity of the Indian soil. The radiological hazard index was calculated and compared with the internationally approved values. The average external absorbed gamma dose rate was observed to be 79.9 nGy h -1 , with a corresponding average annual effective dose of 97.9 mSv y -1 , which was above the world average values. The values of Ra eq and H ex were found to be within the criterion limit, whereas, the radioactivity level index (l γ ) and total gamma dose rate were above the worldwide average values. (author)

Relationship between the stuttering severity index and speech rate

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Claudia Regina Furquim de Andrade

Full Text Available CONTEXT: The speech rate is one of the parameters considered when investigating speech fluency and is an important variable in the assessment of individuals with communication complaints. OBJECTIVE: To correlate the stuttering severity index with one of the indices used for assessing fluency/speech rate. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: Fluency and Fluency Disorders Investigation Laboratory, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo. PARTICIPANTS: Seventy adults with stuttering diagnosis. MAIN MEASUREMENTS: A speech sample from each participant containing at least 200 fluent syllables was videotaped and analyzed according to a stuttering severity index test and speech rate parameters. RESULTS: The results obtained in this study indicate that the stuttering severity and the speech rate present significant variation, i.e., the more severe the stuttering is, the lower the speech rate in words and syllables per minute. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: The results suggest that speech rate is an important indicator of fluency levels and should be incorporated in the assessment and treatment of stuttering. This study represents a first attempt to identify the possible subtypes of developmental stuttering. DEFINITION: Objective tests that quantify diseases are important in their diagnosis, treatment and prognosis.

Using the Health Belief Model to Explain Mothers' and Fathers' Intention to Participate in Universal Parenting Programs.

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Salari, Raziye; Filus, Ania

2017-01-01

Using the Health Belief Model (HBM) as a theoretical framework, we studied factors related to parental intention to participate in parenting programs and examined the moderating effects of parent gender on these factors. Participants were a community sample of 290 mothers and 290 fathers of 5- to 10-year-old children. Parents completed a set of questionnaires assessing child emotional and behavioral difficulties and the HBM constructs concerning perceived program benefits and barriers, perceived child problem susceptibility and severity, and perceived self-efficacy. The hypothesized model was evaluated using structural equation modeling. The results showed that, for both mothers and fathers, perceived program benefits were associated with higher intention to participate in parenting programs. In addition, higher intention to participate was associated with lower perceived barriers only in the sample of mothers and with higher perceived self-efficacy only in the sample of fathers. No significant relations were found between intention to participate and perceived child problem susceptibility and severity. Mediation analyses indicated that, for both mothers and fathers, child emotional and behavioral problems had an indirect effect on parents' intention to participate by increasing the level of perceived benefits of the program. As a whole, the proposed model explained about 45 % of the variance in parental intention to participate. The current study suggests that mothers and fathers may be motivated by different factors when making their decision to participate in a parenting program. This finding can inform future parent engagement strategies intended to increase both mothers' and fathers' participation rates in parenting programs.

Tattoos, body piercings, and self-injury: is there a connection? Investigations on a core group of participants practicing body modification.

Science.gov (United States)

Stirn, Aglaja; Hinz, Andreas

2008-05-01

Reliable psychosocial data about practitioners of body piercing and tattooing are few and controversial. The goal of this study was to reinvestigate the issue by studying a large sample of individuals with body modifications (BMs), focusing on the motives and relations to biographical events. A 55-item anonymous self-report questionnaire was distributed among volunteers of what is considered to be a core group of individuals wearing BMs (N=432). Results show that BMs changed the participants' attitude toward their body considerably, and 34% of all participants reported BM practices in conjunction with decisive biographical events. Twenty-seven percent of the participants admitted self-cutting during childhood. This group differed from the group without self-cutting with respect to several features before, during, and after BM. The rate of medical complications of BM was 16% in the total sample, with a remarkably higher rate (26%) among participants with a history of self-cutting. The data suggest that the significance of BMs ranges from simple peer group imitations to highly informative symptoms of possibly severe psychopathological conditions. In the latter case, BMs sometimes serve as therapeutic substitutes.

Plan demographics, participants' saving behavior, and target-date fund investments.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Youngkyun

2009-05-01

This analysis explores (1) whether plan demographic characteristics would affect individual participant contribution rates and target-date fund investments and (2) equity glide paths for participants in relation to plan demographics by considering target replacement income and its success rate. PLAN DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS IN PARTICIPANT CONTRIBUTION RATES: This study finds empirical evidence that 401(k) plan participants' contribution rates differ by plan demographics based on participants' income and/or tenure. In particular, participants in 401(k) plans dominated by those with low income and short tenure tend to contribute less than those in plans dominated by participants with high income and long tenure. Future research will explore how participant contribution behavior may also be influenced by incentives provided by employers through matching formulae. PLAN DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS IN TARGET-DATE FUND INVESTMENTS: The study also finds empirical evidence that participants' investments in target-date funds with different equity allocations differ by plan demographics based on participants' income and/or tenure. In particular, target-date fund users with 90 percent or more of their account balances in target-date funds who are in 401(k) plans dominated by low-income and short-tenure participants tend to hold target-date funds with lower equity allocations, compared with their counterparts in plans dominated by high-income and long-tenure participants. Future research will focus on the extent to which these characteristics might influence the selection of target-date funds by plan sponsors. EQUITY GLIDE PATHS: Several stylized equity glide paths as well as alternative asset allocations are compared for participants at various starting ages to demonstrate the interaction between plan demographics and equity glide paths/asset allocations in terms of success rates in meeting various replacement income targets. The equity glide path/asset allocation providing

Accounting for Diversity in Suicide Research: Sampling and Sample Reporting Practices in the United States.

Science.gov (United States)

Cha, Christine B; Tezanos, Katherine M; Peros, Olivia M; Ng, Mei Yi; Ribeiro, Jessica D; Nock, Matthew K; Franklin, Joseph C

2018-04-01

Research on suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STB) has identified many risk factors, but whether these findings generalize to diverse populations remains unclear. We review longitudinal studies on STB risk factors over the past 50 years in the United States and evaluate the methodological practices of sampling and reporting sample characteristics. We found that articles frequently reported participant age and sex, less frequently reported participant race and ethnicity, and rarely reported participant veteran status or lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender status. Sample reporting practices modestly and inconsistently improved over time. Finally, articles predominantly featured White, non-Hispanic, young adult samples. © 2017 The American Association of Suicidology.

Application of HDF5 in long-pulse quasi-steady state data acquisition at high sampling rate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Y.; Wang, F.; Li, S.; Xiao, B.J.; Yang, F.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • The new data-acquisition system supports long-pulse EAST data acquisition. • The new data-acquisition system is capable for most of the high frequency signals of EAST experiments. • The system's total throughput is about 500 MB/s. • The system uses HDF5 to store data. - Abstract: A new high sampling rate quasi-steady state data-acquisition system has been designed for the microwave reflectometry diagnostic of EAST experiments. In order to meet the requirements of long-pulse discharge and high sampling rate, it is designed based on PXI Express technology. A high-performance digitizer National Instruments PXIe-5122 with two synchronous analog input channels in which the maximum sampling rate is 100 MHz has been adopted. Two PXIe-5122 boards at 60 MSPS and one PXIe-6368 board at 2 MSPS are used in the system and the total throughput is about 500 MB/s. To guarantee the large amounts of data being saved continuously in the long-pulse discharge, an external hard-disk data stream enclosure NI HDD-8265 in which the capacity of sustained speed of reading and writing is 700 MB/s. And in RAID-5 mode its storage capacity is 80% of the total. The obtained raw data firstly stream continuously into NI HDD-8265 during the discharge. Then it will be transferred to the data server automatically and converted into HDF5 file format. HDF5 is an open source file format for data storage and management which has been widely used in various fields, and suitable for long term case. The details of the system are described in the paper

Measurement of solid flow rates and sampling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Caillot, A.

1984-01-01

Given the fact that very fine sediments are carriers of numerous pollutant products, in order to be able to ensure realistic and vigilant control of the aquatic environment we have to take into account sedimentary transport. The movement of sediments may be due to natural events (currents, swell, winds), or to human intervention (dredging, emptying of dam reservoirs, release of wastes and so forth). Their circulation, at times highly complex, especially in estuaries, may alternate with periods of rest - and therefore periods of accumulation of pollutants - which may be fairly long. Despite the plethora of available methods and techniques, the amounts of sediment transported by drift or in suspension are very difficult to assess. The physico-chemical nature and the behaviour of these substances in water makes it awkward to select samples, in space and time, for the purpose of analysis. The sampling should be carried out with the mechanical means suited to the circumstances and to the aim in mind. However, by taking into consideration the hydrosedimentary mechanisms known by the hydrologists and sedimentologists it is possible to improve the selection of the sites to be monitored as well as to choose more carefully (and therefore to limit) the samples to be analysed. Environmental monitoring may thus be performed more efficiently and at lower cost. (author)

Feasibility of self-sampled dried blood spot and saliva samples sent by mail in a population-based study.

Science.gov (United States)

Sakhi, Amrit Kaur; Bastani, Nasser Ezzatkhah; Ellingjord-Dale, Merete; Gundersen, Thomas Erik; Blomhoff, Rune; Ursin, Giske

2015-04-11

In large epidemiological studies it is often challenging to obtain biological samples. Self-sampling by study participants using dried blood spots (DBS) technique has been suggested to overcome this challenge. DBS is a type of biosampling where blood samples are obtained by a finger-prick lancet, blotted and dried on filter paper. However, the feasibility and efficacy of collecting DBS samples from study participants in large-scale epidemiological studies is not known. The aim of the present study was to test the feasibility and response rate of collecting self-sampled DBS and saliva samples in a population-based study of women above 50 years of age. We determined response proportions, number of phone calls to the study center with questions about sampling, and quality of the DBS. We recruited women through a study conducted within the Norwegian Breast Cancer Screening Program. Invitations, instructions and materials were sent to 4,597 women. The data collection took place over a 3 month period in the spring of 2009. Response proportions for the collection of DBS and saliva samples were 71.0% (3,263) and 70.9% (3,258), respectively. We received 312 phone calls (7% of the 4,597 women) with questions regarding sampling. Of the 3,263 individuals that returned DBS cards, 3,038 (93.1%) had been packaged and shipped according to instructions. A total of 3,032 DBS samples were sufficient for at least one biomarker analysis (i.e. 92.9% of DBS samples received by the laboratory). 2,418 (74.1%) of the DBS cards received by the laboratory were filled with blood according to the instructions (i.e. 10 completely filled spots with up to 7 punches per spot for up to 70 separate analyses). To assess the quality of the samples, we selected and measured two biomarkers (carotenoids and vitamin D). The biomarker levels were consistent with previous reports. Collecting self-sampled DBS and saliva samples through the postal services provides a low cost, effective and feasible

Mothers' and fathers' ratings of family relationship quality: associations with preadolescent and adolescent anxiety and depressive symptoms in a clinical sample.

Science.gov (United States)

Queen, Alexander H; Stewart, Lindsay M; Ehrenreich-May, Jill; Pincus, Donna B

2013-06-01

This study examined the independent associations among three family relationship quality factors--cohesion, expressiveness, and conflict--with youth self-reported depressive and anxiety symptoms in a clinical sample of anxious and depressed youth. Ratings of family relationship quality were obtained through both mother and father report. The sample included families of 147 preadolescents and adolescents (56.6 % female; 89.8 % Caucasian), 11-18 years old (M = 13.64, SD = 1.98) assigned a principal diagnosis of an anxiety or depressive disorder. When controlling for age and concurrent anxiety symptoms, regression analyses revealed that for boys, both father- and mother-rated family cohesion predicted depressive symptoms. For girls, mother-rated family expressiveness and conflict predicted depressive symptoms. Youth anxiety symptoms were not significantly associated with any family relationship variables, controlling for concurrent depressive symptoms. Findings suggest that parent-rated family relationship factors may be more related to youth depressive than anxiety symptoms in this clinical sample. In addition, family cohesion, as perceived by parents, may be more related to boys' depression, whereas expressiveness and conflict (as rated by mothers) may be more related to girls' depression. Clinical implications and recommendations for future research are discussed.

Colour Doppler and microbubble contrast agent ultrasonography do not improve cancer detection rate in transrectal systematic prostate biopsy sampling.

Science.gov (United States)

Taverna, Gianluigi; Morandi, Giovanni; Seveso, Mauro; Giusti, Guido; Benetti, Alessio; Colombo, Piergiuseppe; Minuti, Francesco; Grizzi, Fabio; Graziotti, Pierpaolo

2011-12-01

What's known on the subject? and What does the study add? Transrectal gray-scale ultrasonography guided prostate biopsy sampling is the method for diagnosing prostate cancer (PC) in patients with an increased prostate specific antigen level and/or abnormal digital rectal examination. Several imaging strategies have been proposed to optimize the diagnostic value of biopsy sampling, although at the first biopsy nearly 10-30% of PC still remains undiagnosed. This study compares the PC detection rate when employing Colour Doppler ultransongraphy with or without the injection of SonoVue™ microbubble contrast agent, versus the transrectal ultrasongraphy-guided systematic biopsy sampling. The limited accuracy, sensitivity, specificity and the additional cost of using the contrast agent do not justify its routine application in PC detection. • To compare prostate cancer (PC) detection rate employing colour Doppler ultrasonography with or without SonoVue™ contrast agent with transrectal ultrasonography-guided systematic biopsy sampling. • A total of 300 patients with negative digital rectal examination and transrectal grey-scale ultrasonography, with PSA values ranging between 2.5 and 9.9 ng/mL, were randomized into three groups: 100 patients (group A) underwent transrectal ultrasonography-guided systematic bioptic sampling; 100 patients (group B) underwent colour Doppler ultrasonography, and 100 patients (group C) underwent colour Doppler ultrasonography before and during the injection of SonoVue™. • Contrast-enhanced targeted biopsies were sampled into hypervascularized areas of peripheral, transitional, apical or anterior prostate zones. • All the patients included in Groups B and C underwent a further 13 systematic prostate biopsies. The cancer detection rate was calculated for each group. • In 88 (29.3%) patients a histological diagnosis of PC was made, whereas 22 (7.4%) patients were diagnosed with high-grade prostatic intraepithelial

Individual differences in zoo-housed squirrel monkeys' (Saimiri sciureus) reactions to visitors, research participation, and personality ratings.

Science.gov (United States)

Polgár, Zita; Wood, Lara; Haskell, Marie J

2017-05-01

Understanding individual differences in captive squirrel monkeys is a topic of importance both for improving welfare by catering to individual needs, and for better understanding the results and implications of behavioral research. In this study, 23 squirrel monkeys (Saimiri sciureus), housed in an environment that is both a zoo enclosure and research facility, were assessed for (i) the time they spent by an observation window under three visitor conditions: no visitors, small groups, and large groups; (ii) their likelihood of participating in voluntary research; and (iii) zookeepers, ratings of personality. A Friedman's ANOVA and Wilcoxon post-hoc tests comparing mean times found that the monkeys spent more time by the window when there were large groups present than when there were small groups or no visitors. Thus, visitors do not seem to have a negative effect and may be enriching for certain individuals. Through GLMM and correlational analyses, it was found that high scores on the personality trait of playfulness and low scores on cautiousness, depression, and solitude were significant predictors of increased window approach behavior when visitors were present. The GLMM and correlational analyses assessing the links between personality traits and research participation found that low scores of cautiousness and high scores of playfulness, gentleness, affection, and friendliness, were significant predictors. The implications of these results are discussed in relation to selection bias and its potential confounding effect on cognitive studies with voluntary participation. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The saving and empowering young lives in Europe (SEYLE) randomized controlled trial (RCT): methodological issues and participant characteristics.

Science.gov (United States)

Carli, Vladimir; Wasserman, Camilla; Wasserman, Danuta; Sarchiapone, Marco; Apter, Alan; Balazs, Judit; Bobes, Julio; Brunner, Romuald; Corcoran, Paul; Cosman, Doina; Guillemin, Francis; Haring, Christian; Kaess, Michael; Kahn, Jean Pierre; Keeley, Helen; Keresztény, Agnes; Iosue, Miriam; Mars, Ursa; Musa, George; Nemes, Bogdan; Postuvan, Vita; Reiter-Theil, Stella; Saiz, Pilar; Varnik, Peeter; Varnik, Airi; Hoven, Christina W

2013-05-16

Mental health problems and risk behaviours among young people are of great public health concern. Consequently, within the VII Framework Programme, the European Commission funded the Saving and Empowering Young Lives in Europe (SEYLE) project. This Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) was conducted in eleven European countries, with Sweden as the coordinating centre, and was designed to identify an effective way to promote mental health and reduce suicidality and risk taking behaviours among adolescents. To describe the methodological and field procedures in the SEYLE RCT among adolescents, as well as to present the main characteristics of the recruited sample. Analyses were conducted to determine: 1) representativeness of study sites compared to respective national data; 2) response rate of schools and pupils, drop-out rates from baseline to 3 and 12 month follow-up, 3) comparability of samples among the four Intervention Arms; 4) properties of the standard scales employed: Beck Depression Inventory, Second Edition (BDI-II), Zung Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (Z-SAS), Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), World Health Organization Well-Being Scale (WHO-5). Participants at baseline comprised 12,395 adolescents (M/F: 5,529/6,799; mean age=14.9±0.9) from Austria, Estonia, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Romania, Slovenia and Spain. At the 3 and 12 months follow up, participation rates were 87.3% and 79.4%, respectively. Demographic characteristics of participating sites were found to be reasonably representative of their respective national population. Overall response rate of schools was 67.8%. All scales utilised in the study had good to very good internal reliability, as measured by Cronbach's alpha (BDI-II: 0.864; Z-SAS: 0.805; SDQ: 0.740; WHO-5: 0.799). SEYLE achieved its objective of recruiting a large representative sample of adolescents within participating European countries. Analysis of SEYLE data will shed light on the effectiveness

Rates and risks for prolonged grief disorder in a sample of orphaned and widowed genocide survivors.

Science.gov (United States)

Schaal, Susanne; Jacob, Nadja; Dusingizemungu, Jean-Pierre; Elbert, Thomas

2010-07-06

The concept of Prolonged Grief Disorder (PGD) has been defined in recent years by Prigerson and co-workers, who have developed and empirically tested consensus and diagnostic criteria for PGD. Using these most recent criteria defining PGD, the aim of this study was to determine rates of and risks for PGD in survivors of the 1994 Rwandan genocide who had lost a parent and/or the husband before, during or after the 1994 events. The PG-13 was administered to 206 orphans or half orphans and to 194 widows. A regression analysis was carried out to examine risk factors of PGD. 8.0% (n = 32) of the sample met criteria for PGD with an average of 12 years post-loss. All but one person had faced multiple losses and the majority indicated that their grief-related loss was due to violent death (70%). Grief was predicted mainly by time since the loss, by the violent nature of the loss, the severity of symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and the importance given to religious/spiritual beliefs. By contrast, gender, age at the time of bereavement, bereavement status (widow versus orphan), the number of different types of losses reported and participation in the funeral ceremony did not impact the severity of prolonged grief reactions. A significant portion of the interviewed sample continues to experience grief over interpersonal losses and unresolved grief may endure over time if not addressed by clinical intervention. Severity of grief reactions may be associated with a set of distinct risk factors. Subjects who lose someone through violent death seem to be at special risk as they have to deal with the loss experience as such and the traumatic aspects of the loss. Symptoms of PTSD may hinder the completion of the mourning process. Religious beliefs may facilitate the mourning process and help to find meaning in the loss. These aspects need to be considered in the treatment of PGD.

Psychometric properties of a German parent rating scale for oppositional defiant and conduct disorder (FBB-SSV) in clinical and community samples.

Science.gov (United States)

Görtz-Dorten, Anja; Ise, Elena; Hautmann, Christopher; Walter, Daniel; Döpfner, Manfred

2014-08-01

The Fremdbeurteilungsbogen für Störungen des Sozialverhaltens (FBB-SSV) is a commonly used DSM- and ICD-based rating scale for disruptive behaviour problems in Germany. This study examined the psychometric properties of the FBB-SSV rated by parents in both a clinical sample (N = 596) and a community sample (N = 720) of children aged 4-17 years. Results indicate that the FBB-SSV is internally consistent (α = .69-.90). Principal component analyses produced two-factor structures that are largely consistent with the distinction between oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) and conduct disorder (CD). Diagnostic accuracy was examined using receiver operating characteristic analyses, which showed that the FBB-SSV is excellent at discriminating children with ODD/CD from those in the community sample (AUC = .91). It has satisfactory diagnostic accuracy for detecting ODD/CD in the clinical sample (AUC = .76). Overall, the results show that the FBB-SSV is a reliable and valid instrument. This finding provides further support for the clinical utility of DSM- and ICD-based rating scales.

Thermodynamic and structural models compared with the initial dissolution rates of open-quotes SONclose quotes glass samples

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tovena, I.; Advocat, T.; Ghaleb, D.; Vernaz, E.; Larche, F.

1994-01-01

The experimentally determined initial dissolution rate R 0 of nuclear glass was correlated with thermodynamic parameters and structural parameters. The initial corrosion rates of six open-quotes R7T7close quotes glass samples measured at 100 degrees C in a Soxhlet device were correlated with the glass free hydration energy and the glass formation enthalpy. These correlations were then tested with a group of 26 SON glasses selected for their wide diversity of compositions. The thermodynamic models provided a satisfactory approximation of the initial dissolution rate determined under Soxhlet conditions for SON glass samples that include up to 15 wt% of boron and some alumina. Conversely, these models are inaccurate if the boron concentration exceeds 15 wt% and the glass contains no alumina. Possible correlations between R 0 and structural parameters, such as the boron coordination number and the number of nonbridging oxygen atoms, were also investigated. The authors show that R 0 varies inversely with the number of 4-coordinate boron atoms; conversely, the results do not substantiate published reports of a correlation between R 0 and the number of nonbridging oxygen atoms

The Africa Yoga Project: A Participant-Driven Concept Map of Kenyan Teachers' Reported Experiences.

Science.gov (United States)

Klein, Jessalyn E; Cook-Cottone, Catherine; Giambrone, Carla

2015-01-01

The Africa Yoga Project (AYP) trains and funds Kenyans to teach community yoga classes. Preliminary research with a small sample of AYP teachers suggested the program had a positive impact. This study used concept mapping to explore the experiences of a larger sample. Participants brainstormed statements about how practicing and/or teaching yoga changed them. They sorted statements into self-defined piles and rated them in terms of perceived importance. Multidimensional scaling (MDS) of sort data calculated statement coordinates wherein each statement is placed in proximity to other statements as a function of how frequently statements are sorted together by participants. These results are then and mapped in a two-dimensional space. Hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) of these data identified clusters (i.e., concepts) among statements. Cluster average importance ratings gave the concept map depth and indicated concept importance. Bridging analysis and researchers' conceptual understanding of yoga literature facilitated HCA interpretive decisions. Of 72 AYP teachers, 52 and 48 teachers participated in brainstorming and sorting/rating activities, respectively. Teachers brainstormed 93 statements about how they had changed. The resultant MDS statement map had adequate validity (stress value = .29). HCA created a 12-cluster solution with the following concepts of perceived change: Identity as a Yoga Teacher; Prosocial Development; Existential Possibility; Genuine Positive Regard; Value and Respect for Others (highest importance); Presence, Acceptance, and Competence; Service and Trust; Non-judgment and Emotion Regulation (lowest importance); Engagement and Connection; Interpersonal Effectiveness; Psychosocial Functioning; and Physical Competence and Security. Teachers perceived the AYP as facilitating change across physical, mental, and spiritual domains. Additional research is needed to quantify and compare this change to other health promotion program outcomes.

The effect of sampling rate on interpretation of the temporal characteristics of radiative and convective heating in wildland flames

Science.gov (United States)

David Frankman; Brent W. Webb; Bret W. Butler; Daniel Jimenez; Michael Harrington

2012-01-01

Time-resolved radiative and convective heating measurements were collected on a prescribed burn in coniferous fuels at a sampling frequency of 500 Hz. Evaluation of the data in the time and frequency domain indicate that this sampling rate was sufficient to capture the temporal fluctuations of radiative and convective heating. The convective heating signal contained...

Methods for sampling geographically mobile female traders in an East African market setting

Science.gov (United States)

Achiro, Lillian; Kwena, Zachary A.; McFarland, Willi; Neilands, Torsten B.; Cohen, Craig R.; Bukusi, Elizabeth A.; Camlin, Carol S.

2018-01-01

Background The role of migration in the spread of HIV in sub-Saharan Africa is well-documented. Yet migration and HIV research have often focused on HIV risks to male migrants and their partners, or migrants overall, often failing to measure the risks to women via their direct involvement in migration. Inconsistent measures of mobility, gender biases in those measures, and limited data sources for sex-specific population-based estimates of mobility have contributed to a paucity of research on the HIV prevention and care needs of migrant and highly mobile women. This study addresses an urgent need for novel methods for developing probability-based, systematic samples of highly mobile women, focusing on a population of female traders operating out of one of the largest open air markets in East Africa. Our method involves three stages: 1.) identification and mapping of all market stall locations using Global Positioning System (GPS) coordinates; 2.) using female market vendor stall GPS coordinates to build the sampling frame using replicates; and 3.) using maps and GPS data for recruitment of study participants. Results The location of 6,390 vendor stalls were mapped using GPS. Of these, 4,064 stalls occupied by women (63.6%) were used to draw four replicates of 128 stalls each, and a fifth replicate of 15 pre-selected random alternates for a total of 527 stalls assigned to one of five replicates. Staff visited 323 stalls from the first three replicates and from these successfully recruited 306 female vendors into the study for a participation rate of 94.7%. Mobilization strategies and involving traders association representatives in participant recruitment were critical to the study’s success. Conclusion The study’s high participation rate suggests that this geospatial sampling method holds promise for development of probability-based samples in other settings that serve as transport hubs for highly mobile populations. PMID:29324780

Reliability and validity of teacher-rated symptoms of oppositional defiant disorder and conduct disorder in a clinical sample.

Science.gov (United States)

Ise, Elena; Görtz-Dorten, Anja; Döpfner, Manfred

2014-01-01

It is recommended to use information from multiple informants when making diagnostic decisions concerning oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) and conduct disorder (CD). The purpose of this study was to investigate the reliability and validity of teacher-rated symptoms of ODD and CD in a clinical sample. The sample comprised 421 children (84% boys; 6-17 years) diagnosed with ODD, CD, and/or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Teachers completed a standardized ODD/CD symptom rating scale and the Teacher Report Form (TRF). The reliability (internal consistency) of the symptom rating scale was high (α = 0.90). Convergent and divergent validity were demonstrated by substantial correlations with similar TRF syndrome scales and low-to-moderate correlations with dissimilar TRF scales. Discriminant validity was shown by the ability of the symptom rating scale to differentiate between children with ODD/CD and those with ADHD. Factorial validity was demonstrated by principal component analysis, which produced a two-factor solution that is largely consistent with the two-dimensional model of ODD and CD proposed by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)-IV-TR, although some CD symptoms representing aggressive behavior loaded on the ODD dimension. These findings suggest that DSM-IV-TR-based teacher rating scales are useful instruments for assessing disruptive behavior problems in children and adolescents.

Participant, Rater, and Computer Measures of Coherence in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Science.gov (United States)

Rubin, David C.; Deffler, Samantha A.; Ogle, Christin M.; Dowell, Nia M.; Graesser, Arthur C.; Beckham, Jean C.

2015-01-01

We examined the coherence of trauma memories in a trauma-exposed community sample of 30 adults with and 30 without PTSD. The groups had similar categories of traumas and were matched on multiple factors that could affect the coherence of memories. We compared the transcribed oral trauma memories of participants with their most important and most positive memories. A comprehensive set of 28 measures of coherence including 3 ratings by the participants, 7 ratings by outside raters, and 18 computer-scored measures, provided a variety of approaches to defining and measuring coherence. A MANOVA indicated differences in coherence among the trauma, important, and positive memories, but not between the diagnostic groups or their interaction with these memory types. Most differences were small in magnitude; in some cases, the trauma memories were more, rather than less, coherent than the control memories. Where differences existed, the results agreed with the existing literature, suggesting that factors other than the incoherence of trauma memories are most likely to be central to the maintenance of PTSD and thus its treatment. PMID:26523945

Promoting research participation: why not advertise altruism?

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, Brian; Entwistle, Vikki; Haddow, Gill; Wells, Mary

2008-04-01

Participation rates have a major impact on the quality, cost and timeliness of health research. There is growing evidence that participation rates may be falling and that new research governance structures and procedures may be increasing the likelihood of recruitment bias. It may be possible to encourage public reflection about research participation and enhance recruitment by providing information about the potential benefits of research to others as well as to research participants and by stimulating debate and influencing social expectations about involvement. Publicly funded and charitable bodies use various forms of advertising to encourage altruistic behaviour and generate social expectations about donating money, blood and organs for the benefit of others. Consideration should be given to the use of similar persuasive communications to promote wider participation in health research generally.

What influences malaysian nurses to participate in continuing professional education activities?

Science.gov (United States)

Chong, Mei Chan; Sellick, Kenneth; Francis, Karen; Abdullah, Khatijah Lim

2011-03-01

A cross sectional descriptive study, which involved government hospitals and health clinics from Peninsular Malaysia sought to identify the continuing professional education (CPE) needs and their readiness for E-learning. This paper focuses on the first phase of that study that aimed to determine the factors that influence nurses' participation in CPE. Multistage cluster sampling was used to recruit 1,000 nurses randomly from 12 hospitals and 24 health clinics from four states in Peninsular Malaysia who agreed to be involved. The respondent rate was 792 (79.2%), of which 562 (80%) had participated in CPE in the last 12 months. Findings suggested that updating knowledge and providing quality care are the most important factors that motivate participation in CPE, with respective means of 4.34 and 4.39. All the mean scores for educational opportunity were less than 3.0. Chi-square tests were used to test the association of demographic data and CPE participation. All demographical data were significantly associated with CPE participation, except marital status. Implementation of mandatory CPE is considered an important measure to increase nurse's participation in CPE. However, effective planning that takes into consideration the learning needs of nurses is recommended. Copyright © 2011 Korean Society of Nursing Science. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Community Participation for Sustainable Tourism Model in Manado Coastal Area

Science.gov (United States)

Warouw, F. F.; Langitan, F. W.; Alamsyah, A. T.

2018-02-01

Manado city with the potential for coastal tourism which is at the center of the world’s coral triangle is developing a tourism development policy. Tourism that is being developed should certainly be able to adapt to changing conditions of today’s dynamic environment. The extent to which the adaptation process is determined by the communities involved in the development of tourism. Based on data from the population in the city of Manado, there are currently 410 481 thousand inhabitants. This study tried to reveal the extent of community participation in the city of Manado in particular involvement in the development of tourism in coastal Bay of Manado. Level of community participation in the development of tourism in the city of Manado is measured in the form of quantitative research in the form of questionnaires to the community based on the level of community participation developed by Arnstein Sheery by purposive sampling technique. The level of participation was developed by Arnstein Sheery row of low level ketinggi namely: Manipulation, Therapy, informing, Consultation, placation, partnership, Delegaten Power, Citizen Control. Findings community level participation in the development of coastal tourism on Manado bay civilized level of consultation. Consultation rate shows that the government invite the public opinion after the given information to the public and has been a two-way dialogue between government and society. Community has provided input and active discussion by way of the two-way dialogue. Although there has been a two-way dialogue, but the successful rate is low because there is no guarantee that the concerns and ideas of the community will be considered. This requires the development of community-based programs in order to increase the degree of participation so that community participation will increase. To conclude, the program needs to be based on input from the community’s needs and it has to involve the public directly to tourism

THE ALFALFA H α SURVEY. I. PROJECT DESCRIPTION AND THE LOCAL STAR FORMATION RATE DENSITY FROM THE FALL SAMPLE

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sistine, Angela Van; Salzer, John J.; Janowiecki, Steven; Sugden, Arthur; Giovanelli, Riccardo; Haynes, Martha P.; Jaskot, Anne E.; Wilcots, Eric M.

2016-01-01

The ALFALFA H α survey utilizes a large sample of H i-selected galaxies from the ALFALFA survey to study star formation (SF) in the local universe. ALFALFA H α contains 1555 galaxies with distances between ∼20 and ∼100 Mpc. We have obtained continuum-subtracted narrowband H α images and broadband R images for each galaxy, creating one of the largest homogeneous sets of H α images ever assembled. Our procedures were designed to minimize the uncertainties related to the calculation of the local SF rate density (SFRD). The galaxy sample we constructed is as close to volume-limited as possible, is a robust statistical sample, and spans a wide range of galaxy environments. In this paper, we discuss the properties of our Fall sample of 565 galaxies, our procedure for deriving individual galaxy SF rates, and our method for calculating the local SFRD. We present a preliminary value of log(SFRD[ M ⊙ yr −1 Mpc −3 ]) = −1.747 ± 0.018 (random) ±0.05 (systematic) based on the 565 galaxies in our Fall sub-sample. Compared to the weighted average of SFRD values around z ≈ 2, our local value indicates a drop in the global SFRD of a factor of 10.2 over that lookback time.

Prospective assessment of the false positive rate of the Australian snake venom detection kit in healthy human samples.

Science.gov (United States)

Nimorakiotakis, Vasilios Bill; Winkel, Kenneth D

2016-03-01

The Snake Venom Detection Kit (SVDK; bioCSL Pty Ltd, Australia) distinguishes venom from the five most medically significant snake immunotypes found in Australia. This study assesses the rate of false positives that, by definition, refers to a positive assay finding in a sample from someone who has not been bitten by a venomous snake. Control unbroken skin swabs, simulated bite swabs and urine specimens were collected from 61 healthy adult volunteers [33 males and 28 females] for assessment. In all controls, simulated bite site and urine samples [a total of 183 tests], the positive control well reacted strongly within one minute and no test wells reacted during the ten minute incubation period. However, in two urine tests, the negative control well gave a positive reaction (indicating an uninterpretable test). A 95% confidence interval for the false positive rate, on a per-patient rate, derived from the findings of this study, would extend from 0% to 6% and, on a per-test basis, it would be 0-2%. It appears to be a very low incidence (0-6%) of intrinsic true false positives for the SVDK. The clinical impresssion of a high SVDK false positive rate may be mostly related to operator error. Crown Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Nurses as participants in research: an evaluation of recruitment techniques.

Science.gov (United States)

Luck, Lauretta; Chok, Harrison Ng; Wilkes, Lesley

2017-09-19

Recruitment and retention of participants, as well as response rates, can be challenging in nursing research. This can be because of the questions asked; the choice of methodology; the methods used to collect data; the characteristics of potential participants; the sample size required; and the duration of the study. Additionally, conducting research with nurses as participants presents several issues for them, including the time needed to participate in the research, the competing commitments for clinical practice, the political and environmental climate, and recruitment itself. To report on research studies conducted by the authors at a tertiary teaching hospital, to show the lessons learned when recruiting nurses to participate in nursing research. The authors discuss factors that supported recruitment of nurses in these studies, including the use of the personal touch and multiple recruitment strategies in a single study. Videos and photography facilitate interdisciplinary research and can be a valuable means of non-verbal data collection, especially with participants affected by disabilities, and can support research methods, such as the use of questionnaires. Recruiting nurses for research can be challenging. We suggest that researchers consider using more than one recruitment strategy when recruiting nurse participants. Recruitment is more successful if researchers align the aim(s) of the research with nurse's concerns and contexts. ©2012 RCN Publishing Company Ltd. All rights reserved. Not to be copied, transmitted or recorded in any way, in whole or part, without prior permission of the publishers.

Personality, self-rated health, and subjective age in a life-span sample: the moderating role of chronological age.

Science.gov (United States)

Stephan, Yannick; Demulier, Virginie; Terracciano, Antonio

2012-12-01

The present study tested whether chronological age moderates the association between subjective age and self-rated health and personality in a community-dwelling life-span sample (N = 1,016; age range: 18-91 years). Self-rated health, extraversion, and openness to experience were associated with a younger subjective age at older ages. Conscientious individuals felt more mature early in life. Conscientiousness, neuroticism, and agreeableness were not related to subjective age at older ages. These findings suggest that with aging self-rated health and personality traits are increasingly important for subjective age. 2013 APA, all rights reserved

Investigation of (n, 2n) reaction and fission rates in iron-shielded uranium samples bombarded by 14.9 MeV neutrons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shani, G.

1976-01-01

The effect of the thickness of iron shielding on the (n, 2n) reaction rate in a fusion reactor (hybrid) blanket is investigated. The results are compared with the fission rate-dependence. Samples of natural uranium are irradiated with 14 MeV neutrons, with iron slabs of various thickness between the neutron generator target and the samples. Both reactions are threshold reactions but the fact that the 238 U (n, 2n) reaction threshold is at 6 MeV and that of fission is at 2 MeV makes the ratio between the two very much geometry-dependent. Two geometrical effects take place, the 1/r 2 and the build-up. While the build-up affects the (n, 2n) reaction rate, the fission rate is affected more by the 1/r 2 effect. The reason is that both elastic and inelastic scattering end up with neutrons with energy above fission threshold, while only elastic scattering brings high energy neutrons to the sample and causes (n, 2n) reaction. A comparison is made with calculated results where the geometrical effects do not exist. (author)

Examination of anonymous canine faecal samples provides data on endoparasite prevalence rates in dogs for comparative studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Hinney, Barbara; Gottwald, Michaela; Moser, Jasmine; Reicher, Bianca; Schäfer, Bhavapriya Jasmin; Schaper, Roland; Joachim, Anja; Künzel, Frank

2017-10-15

Several endoparasites of dogs cannot only be detrimental to their primary host but might also represent a threat to human health because of their zoonotic potential. Due to their high dog population densities, metropolitan areas can be highly endemic for such parasites. We aimed to estimate the prevalence of endoparasites in dogs in the Austrian capital of Vienna by examining a representative number of canine faecal samples and to compare the prevalences with two neighbouring peri-urban and rural regions. In addition we analysed whether the density of dog populations and cleanliness of dog zones correlated with parasite occurrence. We collected 1001 anonymous faecal samples from 55 dog zones from all 23 districts of the federal state of Vienna, as well as 480 faecal samples from the Mödling district and Wolkersdorf with a peri-urban and rural character, respectively. Faeces were examined by flotation and by Baermann technique. Additionally we evaluated 292 Viennese, 102 peri-urban and 50 rural samples for Giardia and Cryptosporidium by GiardiaFASTest ® and CryptoFASTest ® . Samples from "clean" dog zones were compared to samples from "dirty" zones. The infection rate of Toxocara was surprisingly low, ranging from 0.6% to 1.9%. Trichuris was the most frequent helminth (1.8-7.5%) and Giardia the most frequent protozoan (4.0-10.8%). Ancylostomatidae, Crenosoma, Capillaria, Taeniidae, Cystoisospora and Sarcocystis were found in 1.8-2.2%, 0-0.9%, 0-0.9%, 0-0.6%, 0.3-3.1% and 0-0.6% of the samples, respectively. Samples from "dirty" dog zones in Vienna showed a significantly higher rate of parasites overall (p=0.003) and of Trichuris (p=0.048) compared to samples from "clean" dog zones. There were no statistically significant differences in densely vs. less densely populated areas of Vienna. Samples from the rural region of Wolkersdorf had significantly higher overall parasite, Trichuris and Cystoisospora prevalences than the peri-urban Mödling district and Vienna (p

Mathematical model applied to decomposition rate of RIA radiotracers: 125I-insulin used as sample model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mesquita, C.H. de; Hamada, M.M.

1987-09-01

A mathematical model is described to fit the decomposition rate of labelled RIA compounds. The model was formulated using four parameters: one parameter correlated with the radioactive decay constant; the chemical decomposition rate 'K * ' of the radiolabelled molecules; the natural chemical decomposition rate 'K' and; the fraction 'f * ' of the labelled molecules in the substrate. According to the particular values that these parameters can assume, ten cases were discussed. To determine one of these cases which fit the experimental data, three types of samples were need: radioactive; simulated radiotracer ('false radiolabelled') and; on labelled common substrate. The radioinsulin 125 I was used as an example to illustrate the model application. The experimental data substantiate that the insulin labelled according to the substorchiometric procedures and kept at freezer temperature were degraded with K=0.45% per day. (Author) [pt

Sampling methodologies for epidemiologic surveillance of men who have sex with men and transgender women in Latin America: an empiric comparison of convenience sampling, time space sampling, and respondent driven sampling.

Science.gov (United States)

Clark, J L; Konda, K A; Silva-Santisteban, A; Peinado, J; Lama, J R; Kusunoki, L; Perez-Brumer, A; Pun, M; Cabello, R; Sebastian, J L; Suarez-Ognio, L; Sanchez, J

2014-12-01

Alternatives to convenience sampling (CS) are needed for HIV/STI surveillance of most-at-risk populations in Latin America. We compared CS, time space sampling (TSS), and respondent driven sampling (RDS) for recruitment of men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender women (TW) in Lima, Peru. During concurrent 60-day periods from June-August, 2011, we recruited MSM/TW for epidemiologic surveillance using CS, TSS, and RDS. A total of 748 participants were recruited through CS, 233 through TSS, and 127 through RDS. The TSS sample included the largest proportion of TW (30.7 %) and the lowest percentage of subjects who had previously participated in HIV/STI research (14.9 %). The prevalence of newly diagnosed HIV infection, according to participants' self-reported previous HIV diagnosis, was highest among TSS recruits (17.9 %) compared with RDS (12.6 %) and CS (10.2 %). TSS identified diverse populations of MSM/TW with higher prevalences of HIV/STIs not accessed by other methods.

[Motivation for weight loss among weight loss treatment participants].

Science.gov (United States)

Czeglédi, Edit

2017-12-01

Unrealistic expectations about weight goal and about weight loss-related benefits can hinder the effort for a successful long-term weight control. To explore weight loss-related goals and their background among overweight/obese patients. Study sample consisted of patients who participated in the inpatient weight loss treatment in the Lipidological Department of Szent Imre Hospital (n = 339, 19% men). Mean age: 50.2 years (SD = 13.47 years), mean BMI: 38.6 (SD = 7.58). self-reported anthropometric data, type and number of treated illnesses, Goals and Relative Weights Questionnaire, Motivations for Weight Loss Scale, Body Shape Questionnaire. Participants would feel disappointed with a possible 10% weight loss in a half-year time span. The acceptable weight loss percentage was higher among women, younger participants and among those who had more excess weight. Motivation regarding the increase in social desirability by weight loss is in association with body dissatisfaction, health related motivation is in association with the number of treated illnesses. Our results are contributing to the understanding of motivational factors behind weight reduction efforts, considering these can improve treatment success rates. Orv Hetil. 2017; 158(49): 1960-1967.

Sample size calculation for comparing two negative binomial rates.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Haiyuan; Lakkis, Hassan

2014-02-10

Negative binomial model has been increasingly used to model the count data in recent clinical trials. It is frequently chosen over Poisson model in cases of overdispersed count data that are commonly seen in clinical trials. One of the challenges of applying negative binomial model in clinical trial design is the sample size estimation. In practice, simulation methods have been frequently used for sample size estimation. In this paper, an explicit formula is developed to calculate sample size based on the negative binomial model. Depending on different approaches to estimate the variance under null hypothesis, three variations of the sample size formula are proposed and discussed. Important characteristics of the formula include its accuracy and its ability to explicitly incorporate dispersion parameter and exposure time. The performance of the formula with each variation is assessed using simulations. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Impact of changing from staining to culture techniques on detection rates of Campylobacter spp. in routine stool samples in Chile.

Science.gov (United States)

Porte, Lorena; Varela, Carmen; Haecker, Thomas; Morales, Sara; Weitzel, Thomas

2016-05-13

Campylobacter is a leading cause of bacterial gastroenteritis, but sensitive diagnostic methods such as culture are expensive and often not available in resource limited settings. Therefore, direct staining techniques have been developed as a practical and economical alternative. We analyzed the impact of replacing Campylobacter staining with culture for routine stool examinations in a private hospital in Chile. From January to April 2014, a total of 750 consecutive stool samples were examined in parallel by Hucker stain and Campylobacter culture. Isolation rates of Campylobacter were determined and the performance of staining was evaluated against culture as the gold standard. Besides, isolation rates of Campylobacter and other enteric pathogens were compared to those of past years. Campylobacter was isolated by culture in 46 of 750 (6.1 %) stool samples. Direct staining only identified three samples as Campylobacter positive and reached sensitivity and specificity values of 6.5 and 100 %, respectively. In comparison to staining-based detection rates of previous years, we observed a significant increase of Campylobacter cases in our patients. Direct staining technique for Campylobacter had a very low sensitivity compared to culture. Staining methods might lead to a high rate of false negative results and an underestimation of the importance of campylobacteriosis. With the inclusion of Campylobacter culture, this pathogen became a leading cause of intestinal infection in our patient population.

Japanese study on stratification, health, income, and neighborhood: study protocol and profiles of participants.

Science.gov (United States)

Takada, Misato; Kondo, Naoki; Hashimoto, Hideki

2014-01-01

The Japanese Study on Stratification, Health, Income, and Neighborhood (J-SHINE) aims to clarify the complex associations between social factors and health from an interdisciplinary perspective and to provide a database for use in various health policy evaluations. J-SHINE is an ongoing longitudinal panel study of households of adults aged 25-50 years. The wave 1 survey was carried out in 2010 among adults randomly selected from the resident registry of four urban and suburban municipalities in the greater Tokyo metropolitan area, Japan. In 2011, surveys for the participants' spouse/partner and child were additionally conducted. The wave 2 survey was conducted in 2012 for the wave 1 participants and will be followed by the wave 2 survey for spouse/partner and child in 2013. Wave 1 sample sizes were 4357 for wave 1 participants (valid response rate: 31.3%; cooperation rate: 51.8%), 1873 for spouse/partner (response rate: 61.9%), and 1520 for child (response rate: 67.7%). Wave 2 captured 69.0% of wave 1 participants. Information gathered covered socio-demographics, household economy, self-reported health conditions and healthcare utilization, stress and psychological values, and developmental history. A subpopulation underwent physiological (n = 2468) and biomarker (n = 1205) measurements. Longitudinal survey data, including repeated measures of social factors evaluated based on theories and techniques of various disciplines, like J-SHINE, should contribute toward opening a web of causality for society and health, which may have important policy implications for recent global health promotion strategies such as the World Health Organization's Social Determinants of Health approach and the second round of Japan's Healthy Japan 21.

Parent-child agreement on the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Functioning (BRIEF) in a community sample of adolescents.

Science.gov (United States)

Egan, Kaitlyn N; Cohen, L Adelyn; Limbers, Christine

2018-03-06

Despite its widespread use, a minimal amount is known regarding the agreement between parent and youth ratings of youth's executive functioning on the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Functioning (BRIEF) in typically developing youth. The present study examined parent-child agreement on the BRIEF with a community sample of adolescents and their parents. Ninety-seven parent-child dyads (M age  = 13.91 years; SD = .52) completed the BRIEF self- and parent-report forms and a demographic questionnaire. Intraclass Correlation Coefficients (ICCs) and paired sample t-tests were used to evaluate agreement between self- and parent-reports on the BRIEF. Total sample ICCs indicated moderate to good parent-child agreement (0.46-0.68). Parents from the total sample reported significantly higher mean T-scores for their adolescents on Inhibit, Working Memory, Planning/Organization, Behavioral Regulation Index (BRI), Metacognition Index, and Global Executive Composite. Differences were found in regard to gender and race/ethnicity: ICCs were higher between parent-girl dyads on the scales that comprise the BRI than between parent-boy dyads. Parent-adolescent ICCs were also higher for adolescents who self-identified as White in comparison to those who identified as Non-White/Mixed Race on Emotional Control. These findings suggest gender and racial/ethnic differences should be considered when examining parent-child agreement on the BRIEF in typically developing adolescents.

Feasibility of self-sampled dried blood spot and saliva samples sent by mail in a population-based study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sakhi, Amrit Kaur; Bastani, Nasser Ezzatkhah; Ellingjord-Dale, Merete; Gundersen, Thomas Erik; Blomhoff, Rune; Ursin, Giske

2015-01-01

In large epidemiological studies it is often challenging to obtain biological samples. Self-sampling by study participants using dried blood spots (DBS) technique has been suggested to overcome this challenge. DBS is a type of biosampling where blood samples are obtained by a finger-prick lancet, blotted and dried on filter paper. However, the feasibility and efficacy of collecting DBS samples from study participants in large-scale epidemiological studies is not known. The aim of the present study was to test the feasibility and response rate of collecting self-sampled DBS and saliva samples in a population–based study of women above 50 years of age. We determined response proportions, number of phone calls to the study center with questions about sampling, and quality of the DBS. We recruited women through a study conducted within the Norwegian Breast Cancer Screening Program. Invitations, instructions and materials were sent to 4,597 women. The data collection took place over a 3 month period in the spring of 2009. Response proportions for the collection of DBS and saliva samples were 71.0% (3,263) and 70.9% (3,258), respectively. We received 312 phone calls (7% of the 4,597 women) with questions regarding sampling. Of the 3,263 individuals that returned DBS cards, 3,038 (93.1%) had been packaged and shipped according to instructions. A total of 3,032 DBS samples were sufficient for at least one biomarker analysis (i.e. 92.9% of DBS samples received by the laboratory). 2,418 (74.1%) of the DBS cards received by the laboratory were filled with blood according to the instructions (i.e. 10 completely filled spots with up to 7 punches per spot for up to 70 separate analyses). To assess the quality of the samples, we selected and measured two biomarkers (carotenoids and vitamin D). The biomarker levels were consistent with previous reports. Collecting self-sampled DBS and saliva samples through the postal services provides a low cost, effective and feasible

Developing the Communicative Participation Item Bank: Rasch Analysis Results from a Spasmodic Dysphonia Sample

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Baylor, Carolyn R.; Yorkston, Kathryn M.; Eadie, Tanya L.; Miller, Robert M.; Amtmann, Dagmar

2009-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to conduct the initial psychometric analyses of the Communicative Participation Item Bank--a new self-report instrument designed to measure the extent to which communication disorders interfere with communicative participation. This item bank is intended for community-dwelling adults across a range of…

THE ALFALFA H α SURVEY. I. PROJECT DESCRIPTION AND THE LOCAL STAR FORMATION RATE DENSITY FROM THE FALL SAMPLE

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sistine, Angela Van [Department of Physics, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI 53211 (United States); Salzer, John J.; Janowiecki, Steven [Department of Astronomy, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405 (United States); Sugden, Arthur [Department of Endocrinology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115 (United States); Giovanelli, Riccardo; Haynes, Martha P. [Center for Astrophysics and Planetary Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853 (United States); Jaskot, Anne E. [Department of Astronomy, Smith College, Northampton, MA 01063 (United States); Wilcots, Eric M. [Department of Astronomy, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706 (United States)

2016-06-10

The ALFALFA H α survey utilizes a large sample of H i-selected galaxies from the ALFALFA survey to study star formation (SF) in the local universe. ALFALFA H α contains 1555 galaxies with distances between ∼20 and ∼100 Mpc. We have obtained continuum-subtracted narrowband H α images and broadband R images for each galaxy, creating one of the largest homogeneous sets of H α images ever assembled. Our procedures were designed to minimize the uncertainties related to the calculation of the local SF rate density (SFRD). The galaxy sample we constructed is as close to volume-limited as possible, is a robust statistical sample, and spans a wide range of galaxy environments. In this paper, we discuss the properties of our Fall sample of 565 galaxies, our procedure for deriving individual galaxy SF rates, and our method for calculating the local SFRD. We present a preliminary value of log(SFRD[ M {sub ⊙} yr{sup −1} Mpc{sup −3}]) = −1.747 ± 0.018 (random) ±0.05 (systematic) based on the 565 galaxies in our Fall sub-sample. Compared to the weighted average of SFRD values around z ≈ 2, our local value indicates a drop in the global SFRD of a factor of 10.2 over that lookback time.

Maternal labor force participation and differences by education in an urban birth cohort study - 1998-2010

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Natasha Pilkauskas

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Background: Maternal labor force participation has increased dramatically over the last 40 years, yet surprisingly little is known about longitudinal patterns of maternal labor force participation in the years after a birth, or how these patterns vary by education. Objective: We document variation by maternal education in mothers' labor force participation (timing, intensity, non-standard work, multiple job-holding over the first nine years after the birth of a child. Methods: We use the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (N~3000 to predict longitudinal labor force participation in a recent longitudinal sample of mothers who gave birth in large US cities between 1998 and 2000. Families were followed until children were age 9, through 2010. Results: Labor force participation gradually increases in the years after birth for mothers with high school or less education, whereas for mothers with some college or more, participation increases between ages 1 and 3 and then remains mostly stable thereafter. Mothers with less than high school education have the highest rates of unemployment (actively seeking work, which remain high compared with all other education groups, whose unemployment declines over time. Compared with all other education groups, mothers with some college have the highest rates of labor force participation, but Contribution: Simple conceptualizations of labor force participation do not fully capture the dynamics of labor force attachment for mothers in terms of intensity, timing of entry, and type of work hours, as well as differences by maternal education.

Microfinance participation and contraceptive decision-making: results from a national sample of women in Bangladesh.

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Murshid, N S; Ely, G E

2016-10-01

Our objective was to assess whether microfinance participation affords greater contraceptive decision-making power to women. Population based secondary data analysis. In this cross-sectional study using nationally representative data from the Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey 2011 we conducted multinomial logistic regression to estimate the odds of contraceptive decision-making by respondents and their husbands based on microfinance participation. Microfinance participation was measured as a dichotomous variable and contraceptive decision-making was conceptualized based on who made decisions about contraceptive use: respondents only; their partners or husbands only; or both. The odds of decision-making by the respondent, with the reference case being joint decision-making, were higher for microfinance participants, but they were not significant. The odds of decision-making by the husband, with the reference case again being joint decision-making, were significantly lower among men who were partnered with women who participated in microfinance (RRR = 0.70, P participation by women allowed men to share decision-making power with their wives that resulted in higher odds of joint decision-making. Copyright © 2016 The Royal Society for Public Health. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Radioactivity Levels And Gamma Dose Rate In Soil Samples From Federation Of Bosnia And Herzegovina

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deljkic, D.; Kadic, I.; Ilic, Z.; Vidic, A.

2015-01-01

Activity concentrations of 226Ra, 232Th, 40K and 137Cs in soil samples collected from different regions of Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina have been measured by gamma-ray spectrometry. The measured activity concentrations for these radionuclides are compared with the reported data from different other countries and it is found that measured activity concentrations are comparable with the worldwide measured average values reported by the UNSCEAR. Experimental results were obtained by using a high-purity germanium (HPGe) detector and gamma - ray spectrometry analysis system at Institute for Public Health FBiH (Radiation Protection Center). The measuring time of all soil samples was 86000 seconds. It was found that the soil specific activity ranges from 24.59 to 161.20 Bq/kg for 226Ra, from 17.60 to 66.45 Bq/kg for 232Th, from 179.50 to 598.04 Bq kg-1 for 40K and from 11.13 to 108.69 Bq/kg for 137Cs with the mean values of 62.34; 46.97; 392.76 and 51.49 Bq/kg, respectively. The radium equivalent activity in all the soil samples is lower than the safe limit (370 Bq/kg), ranges from 63.58 to 287.03 Bq/kg with the mean value of 159.71 Bq/kg. Man-made radionuclide 137Cs is also present in detectable amount in all soil samples. Presence of 137Cs indicates that the samples in this area also receive some fallout from nuclear accident in Chernobyl power plant in 1986. The value of external radiation hazard indices is found to be less than unity (mean value of 0.43). Absorbed dose rates and effective dose equivalents are also determined for the samples. The concentration of radionuclides found in the soil samples during the present study does not pose any potential health hazard to the general public. (author).

Researching participation in adult education

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kondrup, Sissel

It is a widespread perception that the challenge of increasing participation in adult education and training has intensified due to the transformation from industrial to knowledge based societies and the transformation implies that it becomes pivotal to increase the supply of highly qualified...... labour. This has fostered an interest in examining why and how people engage in adult education, how participation and especially non-participation in adult education can be explained and how participation rates can be increased. In this paper I outline different traditions within research on recruitment...... to and participation in adult education and training focusing primarily on unskilled and low skilled workers. I present how the traditions contribute to the perception of what effects participation and argue that the existing traditions must be extended and a new framework must be applied in order to understand how...

Assessing Patient Participation in Health Policy Decision-Making in Cyprus

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kyriakos Souliotis

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Although the importance of patient participation in the design and evaluation of health programs and services is well-documented, there is scarcity of research with regard to patient association (PA participation in health policy decision-making processes. To this end, the present study aimed to validate further a previously developed instrument as well as to investigate the degree of PA participation in health policy decision-making in Cyprus. A convenient sample of 114 patients-members of patients associations took part in the study. Participants were recruited from an umbrella organization, the Pancyprian Federation of Patient Associations and Friends (PFPA. PA participation in health policy decision-making was assessed with the Health Democracy Index (HDI, an original 8-item tool. To explore its psychometric properties, Cronbach α was computed as regards to its internal consistency, while its convergent validity was tested against a self-rated question enquiring about the degree of PA participation in health policy decision-making. The findings revealed that the HDI has good internal consistency and convergent validity. Furthermore, PAs were found to participate more in consultations in health-related organizations and the Ministry of Health (MoH as well as in reforms or crucial decisions in health policy. Lower levels were documented with regard to participation in hospital boards, ethics committees in clinical trials and health technology assessment (HTA procedures. Overall, PA participation levels were found to be lower than the mid-point of the scale. Targeted interventions aiming to facilitate patients’ involvement in health policy decision-making processes and to increase its impact are greatly needed in Cyprus.

Assessing Patient Participation in Health Policy Decision-Making in Cyprus.

Science.gov (United States)

Souliotis, Kyriakos; Agapidaki, Eirini; Peppou, Lily Evangelia; Tzavara, Chara; Samoutis, George; Theodorou, Mamas

2016-06-20

Although the importance of patient participation in the design and evaluation of health programs and services is well-documented, there is scarcity of research with regard to patient association (PA) participation in health policy decision-making processes. To this end, the present study aimed to validate further a previously developed instrument as well as to investigate the degree of PA participation in health policy decision-making in Cyprus. A convenient sample of 114 patients-members of patients associations took part in the study. Participants were recruited from an umbrella organization, the Pancyprian Federation of Patient Associations and Friends (PFPA). PA participation in health policy decision-making was assessed with the Health Democracy Index (HDI), an original 8-item tool. To explore its psychometric properties, Cronbach α was computed as regards to its internal consistency, while its convergent validity was tested against a self-rated question enquiring about the degree of PA participation in health policy decision-making. The findings revealed that the HDI has good internal consistency and convergent validity. Furthermore, PAs were found to participate more in consultations in health-related organizations and the Ministry of Health (MoH) as well as in reforms or crucial decisions in health policy. Lower levels were documented with regard to participation in hospital boards, ethics committees in clinical trials and health technology assessment (HTA) procedures. Overall, PA participation levels were found to be lower than the mid-point of the scale. Targeted interventions aiming to facilitate patients' involvement in health policy decision-making processes and to increase its impact are greatly needed in Cyprus. © 2016 by Kerman University of Medical Sciences.

A Systematic Review of Consent Procedures, Participation Rates, and Main Findings of Health-Related Research in Alternative High Schools from 2010 to 2015

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, Karen E.; Morris, Marian; Rew, Lynn; Simonton, Amanda J.

2016-01-01

There is a well-established link between educational attainment and health. Alternative high schools (AHSs) serve students who are at risk for school dropout. Health-related research conducted in AHSs has been sparse. Achieving high participation rates is critical to producing generalizable results and can be challenging in research with…

Predictors of return rate discrimination in slot machine play.

Science.gov (United States)

Coates, Ewan; Blaszczynski, Alex

2014-09-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the extent to which accurate estimates of payback percentages and volatility combined with prior learning, enabled players to successfully discriminate between multi-line/multi-credit slot machines that provided differing rates of reinforcement. The aim was to determine if the capacity to discriminate structural characteristics of gaming machines influenced player choices in selecting 'favourite' slot machines. Slot machine gambling history, gambling beliefs and knowledge, impulsivity, illusions of control, and problem solving style were assessed in a sample of 48 first year undergraduate psychology students. Participants were subsequently exposed to a choice paradigm where they could freely select to play either of two concurrently presented PC-simulated slot machines programmed to randomly differ in expected player return rates (payback percentage) and win frequency (volatility). Results suggest that prior learning and cognitions (particularly gambler's fallacy) but not payback, were major contributors to the ability of a player to discriminate volatility between slot machines. Participants displayed a general tendency to discriminate payback, but counter-intuitively placed more bets on the slot machine with lower payback percentage rates.

Sample intake position and loading rates from nonpoint source pollution

Science.gov (United States)

McGuire, P. E.; Daniel, T. C.; Stoffel, D.; Andraski, B.

1980-01-01

Paired water samples were simultaneously activated from two different vertical positions within the approach section of a flow-control structure to determine the effect of sample intake position on nonpoint runoff parameter concentrations and subsequent event loads. Suspended solids (SS), total phosphorus (TP) and organic plus exchangeable nitrogen [(Or+Ex)-N] were consistently higher throughout each runoff event when sampled from the floor of the approach section as opposed to those samples taken at midstage. Dissolved molybdate reactive phosphorus (DMRP) and ammonium (NH4-N) concentrations did not appear to be significantly affected by the vertical difference in intake position. However, the nitrate plus nitrite nitrogen [(NO3+NO2)-N] concentrations were much higher when sampled from the midstage position. Although the concentration differences between the two methods were not appreciable, when evaluated in terms of event loads, discrepancies were evident for all parameters. Midstage sampling produced event loads for SS, TP, (Or + Ex)-N, DMRP, NH4-N, and (NO3+NO2)-N that were 44,39,35,80,71, and 181%, respectively, of floor sampling loads. Differences in loads between the two methods are attributed to the midstage position, sampling less of the bed load. The correct position will depend on the objective; however, such differences should be recognized during the design phase of the monitoring program.

Dynamic Stock Market Participation of Households

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Khorunzhina, Natalia

This paper develops and estimates a dynamic model of stock market participation, where consumers’ decisions regarding stock market participation are influenced by participation costs. The practical significance of the participation costs is considered as being a channel through which financial...... education programs can affect consumers’ investment decisions. Using household data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics, I estimate the magnitude of the participation cost, allowing for individual heterogeneity in it. The results show the average stock market articipation cost is about 5% of labor...... income; however, it varies substantially over consumers’ life. The model successfully predicts the level of the observed articipation rate and the increasing pattern of stock market participation over the consumers’ life cycle....

Poverty and program participation among immigrant children.

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Borjas, George J

2011-01-01

Researchers have long known that poverty in childhood is linked with a range of negative adult socioeconomic outcomes, from lower educational achievement and behavioral problems to lower earnings in the labor market. But few researchers have explored whether exposure to a disadvantaged background affects immigrant children and native children differently. George Borjas uses Current Population Survey (CPS) data on two specific indicators of poverty-the poverty rate and the rate of participation in public assistance programs-to begin answering that question. He finds that immigrant children have significantly higher rates both of poverty and of program participation than do native children. Nearly half of immigrant children are being raised in households that receive some type of public assistance, compared with roughly one-third of native children. Although the shares of immigrant and native children living in poverty are lower, the rate for immigrant children is nonetheless about 15 percentage points higher than that for native children-about the same as the gap in public assistance. Poverty and program participation rates among different groups of immigrant children also vary widely, depending in part on place of birth (foreign- or U.S.-born), parents (immigrant or native), and national origin. According to the CPS data, these native-immigrant differences persist into young adulthood. In particular, the program participation and poverty status of immigrant children is strongly correlated with their program participation and poverty status when they become young adults. But it is not possible, says Borjas, to tell whether the link results from a set of permanent factors associated with specific individuals or groups that tends to lead to "good" or "bad" outcomes systematically over time or from exposure during childhood to adverse socioeconomic outcomes, such as poverty or welfare dependency. Future research must explore the causal impact of childhood poverty on

Interview and recollection-based research with child disaster survivors: Participation-related changes in emotion and perceptions of participation

Science.gov (United States)

Hambrick, Erin P.; O’Connor, Bridget M.; Vernberg, Eric M.

2015-01-01

Objective Research suggests that some types of trauma research can be conducted safely with children ages 10 and older. The aim of this project was to learn more about potential risks or benefits of conducting research with younger children or with child disaster survivors, specifically about research that includes children providing trauma recollections. Method Fifty 8- to 12-year-old children who experienced a devastating tornado participated in an in-person interview that included both individual and joint (mother-child) recollections of their tornado experiences one year following exposure. These 50 children also rated three emotions at three timepoints and rated their perceptions (e.g., benefit and regret) of research post-participation. Children (N = 28) also participated in phone surveys three months later to assess persistent participation-related emotions and perceptions. Results Child reported emotions worsened from pre- to during participation; however, reports of emotions returned to pre-participation levels post-participation and remained so at the 3-month follow-up. Sixty-four percent of children reported at least some participation benefit and no participation regret immediately post-participation, as did 89.3% at the 3-month follow-up. Four percent of children reported some participation regret (no benefit) post-participation, and 0% three months later. No children requested to stop participating, and none required post-research connection with crisis services. Posttraumatic stress symptom severity, tornado exposure, and age were largely unrelated to child-reported emotions and perceptions of research. Conclusions Results indicate that carefully planned and executed disaster-related research that includes children providing recollections research can be conducted with preadolescents with little risk and some benefit. PMID:26390107

High School Graduate Participation Rates: Proportions of Sacramento Area High School Graduates Enrolled in Los Rios Community College District, Fall 1998-Fall 1994.

Science.gov (United States)

Los Rios Community Coll. District, Sacramento, CA. Office of Planning and Research.

This report profiles the enrollment patterns of recent high school graduates of the Greater Sacramento Metropolitan Area who attend Los Rios colleges (California). This summary and the full data report provide the District and its colleges with research information on rates of participation by students who graduated from Los Rios Community College…

Social capital, social participation and life satisfaction among Chilean older adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Ponce, María Soledad Herrera; Rosas, Raúl Pedro Elgueta; Lorca, María Beatriz Fernández

2014-10-01

To examine factors associated with social participation and their relationship with self-perceived well-being in older adults. This study was based on data obtained from the National Socioeconomic Characterization (CASEN) Survey conducted in Chile, in 2011, on a probability sample of households. We examined information of 31,428 older adults living in these households. Descriptive and explanatory analyses were performed using linear and multivariate logistic regression models. We assessed the respondents' participation in different types of associations: egotropic, sociotropic, and religious. Social participation increased with advancing age and then declined after the age of 80. The main finding of this study was that family social capital is a major determinant of social participation of older adults. Their involvement was associated with high levels of self-perceived subjective well-being. We identified four settings as sources of social participation: home-based; rural community-based; social policy programs; and religious. Older adults were significantly more likely to participate when other members of the household were also involved in social activities evidencing an intergenerational transmission of social participation. Rural communities, especially territorial associations, were the most favorable setting for participation. There has been a steady increase in the rates of involvement of older adults in social groups in Chile, especially after retirement. Religiosity remains a major determinant of associativism. The proportion of participation was higher among older women than men but these proportions equaled after the age of 80. Self-perceived subjective well-being is not only dependent upon objective factors such as health and income, but is also dependent upon active participation in social life, measured as participation in associations, though its effects are moderate.

Admission rates and costs associated with emergency presentation of urolithiasis: analysis of the Nationwide Emergency Department Sample 2006-2009.

Science.gov (United States)

Eaton, Samuel H; Cashy, John; Pearl, Jeffrey A; Stein, Daniel M; Perry, Kent; Nadler, Robert B

2013-12-01

We sought to examine a large nationwide (United States) sample of emergency department (ED) visits to determine data related to utilization and costs of care for urolithiasis in this setting. Nationwide Emergency Department Sample was analyzed from 2006 to 2009. All patients presenting to the ED with a diagnosis of upper tract urolithiasis were analyzed. Admission rates and total cost were compared by region, hospital type, and payer type. Numbers are weighted estimates that are designed to approximate the total national rate. An average of 1.2 million patients per year were identified with the diagnosis of urolithiasis out of 120 million visits to the ED annually. Overall average rate of admission was 19.21%. Admission rates were highest in the Northeast (24.88%), among teaching hospitals (22.27%), and among Medicare patients (42.04%). The lowest admission rates were noted for self-pay patients (9.76%) and nonmetropolitan hospitals (13.49%). The smallest increases in costs over time were noted in the Northeast. Total costs were least in nonmetropolitan hospitals; however, more patients were transferred to other hospitals. When assessing hospital ownership status, private for-profit hospitals had similar admission rates compared with private not-for-profit hospitals (16.6% vs 15.9%); however, costs were 64% and 48% higher for ED and inpatient admission costs, respectively. Presentation of urolithiasis to the ED is common, and is associated with significant costs to the medical system, which are increasing over time. Costs and rates of admission differ by region, payer type, and hospital type, which may allow us to identify the causes for cost discrepancies and areas to improve efficiency of care delivery.

The cross-cultural equivalence of participation instruments: a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Stevelink, S A M; van Brakel, W H

2013-07-01

Concepts such as health-related quality of life, disability and participation may differ across cultures. Consequently, when assessing such a concept using a measure developed elsewhere, it is important to test its cultural equivalence. Previous research suggested a lack of cultural equivalence testing in several areas of measurement. This paper reviews the process of cross-cultural equivalence testing of instruments to measure participation in society. An existing cultural equivalence framework was adapted and used to assess participation instruments on five categories of equivalence: conceptual, item, semantic, measurement and operational equivalence. For each category, several aspects were rated, resulting in an overall category rating of 'minimal/none', 'partial' or 'extensive'. The best possible overall study rating was five 'extensive' ratings. Articles were included if the instruments focussed explicitly on measuring 'participation' and were theoretically grounded in the ICIDH(-2) or ICF. Cross-validation articles were only included if it concerned an adaptation of an instrument developed in a high or middle-income country to a low-income country or vice versa. Eight cross-cultural validation studies were included in which five participation instruments were tested (Impact on Participation and Autonomy, London Handicap Scale, Perceived Impact and Problem Profile, Craig Handicap Assessment Reporting Technique, Participation Scale). Of these eight studies, only three received at least two 'extensive' ratings for the different categories of equivalence. The majority of the cultural equivalence ratings given were 'partial' and 'minimal/none'. The majority of the 'none/minimal' ratings were given for item and measurement equivalence. The cross-cultural equivalence testing of the participation instruments included leaves much to be desired. A detailed checklist is proposed for designing a cross-validation study. Once a study has been conducted, the checklist can

Optimization of sampling parameters for standardized exhaled breath sampling.

Science.gov (United States)

Doran, Sophie; Romano, Andrea; Hanna, George B

2017-09-05

The lack of standardization of breath sampling is a major contributing factor to the poor repeatability of results and hence represents a barrier to the adoption of breath tests in clinical practice. On-line and bag breath sampling have advantages but do not suit multicentre clinical studies whereas storage and robust transport are essential for the conduct of wide-scale studies. Several devices have been developed to control sampling parameters and to concentrate volatile organic compounds (VOCs) onto thermal desorption (TD) tubes and subsequently transport those tubes for laboratory analysis. We conducted three experiments to investigate (i) the fraction of breath sampled (whole vs. lower expiratory exhaled breath); (ii) breath sample volume (125, 250, 500 and 1000ml) and (iii) breath sample flow rate (400, 200, 100 and 50 ml/min). The target VOCs were acetone and potential volatile biomarkers for oesophago-gastric cancer belonging to the aldehyde, fatty acids and phenol chemical classes. We also examined the collection execution time and the impact of environmental contamination. The experiments showed that the use of exhaled breath-sampling devices requires the selection of optimum sampling parameters. The increase in sample volume has improved the levels of VOCs detected. However, the influence of the fraction of exhaled breath and the flow rate depends on the target VOCs measured. The concentration of potential volatile biomarkers for oesophago-gastric cancer was not significantly different between the whole and lower airway exhaled breath. While the recovery of phenols and acetone from TD tubes was lower when breath sampling was performed at a higher flow rate, other VOCs were not affected. A dedicated 'clean air supply' overcomes the contamination from ambient air, but the breath collection device itself can be a source of contaminants. In clinical studies using VOCs to diagnose gastro-oesophageal cancer, the optimum parameters are 500mls sample volume

Relationships between Participants' International Prostate Symptom Score and BPH Impact Index Changes and Global Ratings of Change in a Trial of Phytotherapy for Men with Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms

Science.gov (United States)

Barry, Michael J.; Cantor, Alan; Roehrborn, Claus G.

2014-01-01

Purpose To relate changes in AUA Symptom Index (AUASI) scores with bother measures and global ratings of change among men with lower urinary tract symptoms enrolled in a trial of saw palmetto. Materials and Methods To be eligible, men were ≥45 years old, had ajpeak uroflow ≥4 ml/sec, and an AUASI score ≥ 8 and ≤ 24. Participants self-administered the AUASI, IPSS quality of life item (IPSS QoL), BPH Impact Index (BII) and two global change questions at baseline and 24, 48, and 72 weeks. Results Among 357 participants, global ratings of “a little better” were associated with mean decreases in AUASI scores from 2.8 to 4.1 points, across three time points. The analogous range for mean decreases in BII scores was 1.0 to 1.7 points, and for the IPSS QoL item 0.5 to 0.8 points. At 72 weeks, for the first global change question, each change measure could discriminate between participants rating themselves at least a little better versus unchanged or worse 70-72% of the time. A multivariable model increased discrimination to 77%. For the second global change question, each change measure correctly discriminated ratings of at least a little better versus unchanged or worse 69-74% of the time, and a multivariable model increased discrimination to 79%. Conclusions Changes in AUASI scores could discriminate between participants rating themselves at least a little better versus unchanged or worse. Our findings support the practice of powering studies to detect group mean differences in AUASI scores of at least 3 points. PMID:23017510

Association of Wage With Employee Participation in Health Assessments and Biometric Screening.

Science.gov (United States)

Sherman, Bruce W; Addy, Carol

2018-02-01

To understand differences in health risk assessment (HRA) and biometric screening participation rates among benefits-enrolled employees in association with wage category. Cross-sectional analysis of employee eligibility file and health benefits (wellness and claims) data. Data from self-insured employers participating in the RightOpt private exchange (Conduent HR Services) during 2014. Active employees from 4 companies continuously enrolled in health insurance for which wage data were available. Measures included HRA and biometric screening participation rates and wage status, with employee age, sex, employer, job tenure, household income, geographic location, and health benefits deductible as a percentage of total wages serving as covariates. Employees were separated into 5 groups based on wage status. Logistic regression analysis incorporated other measures as covariates to adjust for differences between groups, with HRA and biometric screening participation rates determined as binary outcomes. Participation rates for HRA and biometric screening were 90% and 87%, respectively, in the highest wage category, decreasing to 67% and 60%, respectively, among the lowest wage category. Employee wage status is associated with significant differences in HRA and biometric participation rates. Generalizing the results generated by modest participation in these offerings to entire populations may risk misinterpretation of results based on variable participation rates across wage categories.

Effects of horticultural therapy on mood and heart rate in patients participating in an inpatient cardiopulmonary rehabilitation program.

Science.gov (United States)

Wichrowski, Matthew; Whiteson, Jonathan; Haas, François; Mola, Ana; Rey, Mariano J

2005-01-01

To assess the effects of horticultural therapy (HT) on mood state and heart rate (HR) in patients participating in an inpatient cardiac rehabilitation program. Cardiac rehabilitation inpatients (n = 107) participated in the study. The HT group consisted of 59 subjects (34 males, 25 females). The control group, which participated in patient education classes (PECs), consisted of 48 subjects (31 males, 17 females). Both HT sessions and PEC are components of the inpatient rehabilitation program. Each group was evaluated before and after a class in their respective modality. Evaluation consisted of the completion of a Profile of Mood States (POMS) inventory, and an HR obtained by pulse oximetry. Changes in the POMS total mood disturbance (TMD) score and HR between preintervention and postintervention were compared between groups. There was no presession difference in either TMD score (16 +/- 3.6 and 19.0 +/- 3.2, PEC and HT, respectively) or HR (73.5 +/- 2.5 and 79 +/- 1.8, PEC and HT, respectively). Immediately following the intervention, the HT TMD was significantly reduced (post-TMD = 1.6 +/- 3.2, P < .001), while PEC TMD was not significantly changed (TMD = 17.0 +/- 28.5). After intervention, HR fell in HT by 4 +/- 9.6 bpm (P < .001) but was unchanged in PEC. These findings indicate that HT improves mood state, suggesting that it may be a useful tool in reducing stress. Therefore, to the extent that stress contributes to coronary heart disease, these findings support the role of HT as an effective component of cardiac rehabilitation.

Estimating pesticide sampling rates by the polar organic chemical integrative sampler (POCIS) in the presence of natural organic matter and varying hydrodynamic conditions

Science.gov (United States)

Charlestra, Lucner; Amirbahman, Aria; Courtemanch, David L.; Alvarez, David A.; Patterson, Howard

2012-01-01

The polar organic chemical integrative sampler (POCIS) was calibrated to monitor pesticides in water under controlled laboratory conditions. The effect of natural organic matter (NOM) on the sampling rates (Rs) was evaluated in microcosms containing -1 of total organic carbon (TOC). The effect of hydrodynamics was studied by comparing Rs values measured in stirred (SBE) and quiescent (QBE) batch experiments and a flow-through system (FTS). The level of NOM in the water used in these experiments had no effect on the magnitude of the pesticide sampling rates (p > 0.05). However, flow velocity and turbulence significantly increased the sampling rates of the pesticides in the FTS and SBE compared to the QBE (p < 0.001). The calibration data generated can be used to derive pesticide concentrations in water from POCIS deployed in stagnant and turbulent environmental systems without correction for NOM.

Twinning rate in a sample from a Brazilian hospital with a high standard of reproductive care

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Gloria Maria Duccini Dal Colletto

Full Text Available CONTEXT: Epidemiological studies on twin births have been motivated mostly by the positive correlation between twinning rate and human fertility, prematurity, low birth weight, increased risk of infant death and long term risk for morbidity. OBJECTIVE: This paper intends to estimate the incidence of multiple births in a private hospital in Brazil with a high standard of reproductive care, and to evaluate the effects of maternal age, gestation order and assisted fertilization on twinning rate. DESIGN: Retrospective analysis. SETTING: First-class tertiary private hospital, São Paulo, Brazil. PARTICIPANTS: The multiple birth rate was investigated among 7,997 deliveries from 1995 to 1998, including 7,786 singletons, 193 twins, 17 triplets and one quadruplet. RESULTS: The rates per 1,000 dizygotic and monozygotic pairs and for triplets were estimated as 19.51, 4.50 and 2.13, respectively. The dizygotic and triplet rates were the highest observed in Brazil up to the present day. The twinning rate among primigravidae older than 30 years was very high (45.02 per 1,000 and was due to a disproportionately high frequency of dizygotic pairs. The triplet rate was also very high among the mothers of this age group (5.71 per 1,000. These facts are strong indicators that these women were the ones most frequently submitted to assisted reproductive techniques. The mean maternal age of the studied population was about six years higher than that estimated for mothers in the general population of southeastern Brazil. Primigravidae aged under 30 years as well as multigravidae showed similar twinning rates, which were almost 20 per 1,000. Among the deliveries of multigravidae older than 30 years, an unusually high frequency of monozygotic twins was observed (7.04 per 1,000, probably as a consequence of the residual effect of long-term use of oral contraceptives. CONCLUSIONS: The dizygotic twinning rate increased from 13.51 to 28.98 per 1,000 over the four years

Psychometric Properties of the Orgasm Rating Scale in Context of Sexual Relationship in a Spanish Sample.

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Arcos-Romero, Ana Isabel; Moyano, Nieves; Sierra, Juan Carlos

2018-05-01

The Orgasm Rating Scale (ORS) is one of the few self-reported measures that evaluates the multidimensional subjective experience of orgasm. The objective of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of the ORS in context of sex-with-partner in a Spanish sample. We examined a sample of 842 adults from the general Spanish population (310 men, 532 women; mean age = 27.12 years, SD = 9.8). The sample was randomly divided into two, with a balanced proportion of men and women between each sub-sample. Sub-sample 1 consisted of 100 men and 200 women (33.3% and 66.6%) with a mean age of 27.77 years (SD = 10.05). Sub-sample 2 consisted of 210 men and 332 women (38.7% and 61.3%) with a mean age of 26.77 years (SD = 9.65). The ORS, together with the Sexual Opinion Survey-6 and the Massachusetts General Hospital-Sexual Functioning Questionnaire, was administered online. The survey included a consent form, in which confidentiality and anonymity were guaranteed. Based on exploratory factor analysis, we obtained a reduced 25-item version of the ORS, distributed along 4 dimensions (affective, sensory, intimacy, and rewards). We performed both exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis. The Spanish version of the ORS had adequate values of reliability that ranged from .78-.93. The 4 factors explained 59.78% of the variance. The factor structure was invariant across gender at a configural level. Scores from the ORS positively correlated with erotophilia and sexual satisfaction. The scale was useful to differentiate between individuals with orgasmic difficulties and individuals with no difficulties. We found that individuals with orgasmic difficulties showed a lower intensity in the affective, intimacy, and sensorial manifestations of orgasm. This version of the ORS could provide an optimum measure for the clinical assessment to identify individuals with difficulties in their orgasmic capacity, thus, it could be used as screening device for orgasmic

Fluidic sampling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Houck, E.D.

1992-01-01

This paper covers the development of the fluidic sampler and its testing in a fluidic transfer system. The major findings of this paper are as follows. Fluidic jet samples can dependably produce unbiased samples of acceptable volume. The fluidic transfer system with a fluidic sampler in-line will transfer water to a net lift of 37.2--39.9 feet at an average ratio of 0.02--0.05 gpm (77--192 cc/min). The fluidic sample system circulation rate compares very favorably with the normal 0.016--0.026 gpm (60--100 cc/min) circulation rate that is commonly produced for this lift and solution with the jet-assisted airlift sample system that is normally used at ICPP. The volume of the sample taken with a fluidic sampler is dependant on the motive pressure to the fluidic sampler, the sample bottle size and on the fluidic sampler jet characteristics. The fluidic sampler should be supplied with fluid having the motive pressure of the 140--150 percent of the peak vacuum producing motive pressure for the jet in the sampler. Fluidic transfer systems should be operated by emptying a full pumping chamber to nearly empty or empty during the pumping cycle, this maximizes the solution transfer rate

Relationship between Sedentary and Active Leisure Participation ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This study used the Catharsis Theory and the Stimulation Theory to examine the relationship between sedentary leisure participation (watching television (TV), videos or DVDs and computer or video game playing) and active leisure participation (strength sport, recreational sport and team sport) within a sample of 1134 ...

Developing Water Sampling Standards

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Environmental Science and Technology, 1974

1974-01-01

Participants in the D-19 symposium on aquatic sampling and measurement for water pollution assessment were informed that determining the extent of waste water stream pollution is not a cut and dry procedure. Topics discussed include field sampling, representative sampling from storm sewers, suggested sampler features and application of improved…

Patient Participation in Decision Making During Nursing Care in Greece--A Comparative Study.

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Kolovos, Petros; Kaitelidou, Daphne; Lemonidou, Chrysoula; Sachlas, Athanasios; Sourtzi, Panayota

2015-01-01

To describe patient participation in decision making during nursing care from patients' and nursing staff' perspectives. The sample consisted of medical and surgical patients (n = 300) and the nursing staff (n = 118) working in the respective wards in three general hospitals. A questionnaire was used for the study; data were collected from April 2009 to September 2010. Data were analyzed by an exploratory factor analysis. Patient participation was recorded at a medium level during nursing care, although it was rated as important from both patients and nursing staff. Exploratory factor analysis revealed the factor structure for the planning and implementation of the nursing care. Providers and receivers of nursing care perceived participation in a similar way. Interpersonal interaction was supported from older and less educated patients, as well as from university-educated nurses. Patient participation was greater in practical aspects of care and limited in technical medical issues and supportive services. Patient participation, although moderate, was evident during nursing care in hospital settings. Paternalism in the decision-making process was the dominant trend, whereas interpersonal interaction between the parties was recognized as a prerequisite for planning nursing care. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Individual social capital, neighbourhood deprivation, and self-rated health in England.

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Verhaeghe, Pieter-Paul; Tampubolon, Gindo

2012-07-01

Individual social capital is increasingly considered to be an important determinant of an individual's health. This study examines the extent to which individual social capital is associated with self-rated health and the extent to which individual social capital mediates t.he relationship between neighbourhood deprivation and self-rated health in an English sample. Individual social capital was conceptualized and operationalized in both the social cohesion- and network resource tradition, using measures of generalized trust, social participation and social network resources. Network resources were measured with the position generator. Multilevel analyses were applied to wave 2 and 3 of the Taking Part Surveys of England, which consist of face-to-face interviews among the adult population in England (N(i) = 25,366 respondents, N(j) = 12,388 neighbourhoods). The results indicate that generalized trust, participation with friends and relatives and having network members from the salariat class are positively associated with self-rated health. Having network members from the working class is, however, negatively related to self-rated health. Moreover, these social capital elements are partly mediating the negative relationship between neighbourhood deprivation and self-rated health. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Olympic participation and performance since 1896

OpenAIRE

Kuper, Gerard; Sterken, Elmer

2003-01-01

We analyze the decision to participate and performance at the Modern Olympic Summer Games at the country level. We use an unbalanced panel of 118 countries over all 24 editions of the Summer Games since 1896. The main focus of the paper is on economic, geographic and demographic determinants of Olympic participation and success. We estimate the impact of income per capita, population size, home advantage, and some fixed country factors on participation and success rates. We present separate r...

Effects of statistical quality, sampling rate and temporal filtering techniques on the extraction of functional parameters from the left ventricular time-activity curves

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Guignard, P.A.; Chan, W. (Royal Melbourne Hospital, Parkville (Australia). Dept. of Nuclear Medicine)

1984-09-01

Several techniques for the processing of a series of curves derived from two left ventricular time-activity curves acquired at rest and during exercise with a nuclear stethoscope were evaluated. They were three and five point time smoothing. Fourier filtering preserving one to four harmonics (H), truncated curve Fourier filtering, and third degree polynomial curve fitting. Each filter's ability to recover, with fidelity, systolic and diastolic function parameters was evaluated under increasingly 'noisy' conditions and at several sampling rates. Third degree polynomial curve fittings and truncated Fourier filters exhibited very high sensitivity to noise. Three and five point time smoothing had moderate sensitivity to noise, but were highly affected by sampling rate. Fourier filtering preserving 2H or 3H produced the best compromise with high resilience to noise and independence of sampling rate as far as the recovery of these functional parameters is concerned.

Effects of statistical quality, sampling rate and temporal filtering techniques on the extraction of functional parameters from the left ventricular time-activity curves

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guignard, P.A.; Chan, W.

1984-01-01

Several techniques for the processing of a series of curves derived from two left ventricular time-activity curves acquired at rest and during exercise with a nuclear stethoscope were evaluated. They were three and five point time smoothing. Fourier filtering preserving one to four harmonics (H), truncated curve Fourier filtering, and third degree polynomial curve fitting. Each filter's ability to recover, with fidelity, systolic and diastolic function parameters was evaluated under increasingly 'noisy' conditions and at several sampling rates. Third degree polynomial curve fittings and truncated Fourier filters exhibited very high sensitivity to noise. Three and five point time smoothing had moderate sensitivity to noise, but were highly affected by sampling rate. Fourier filtering preserving 2H or 3H produced the best compromise with high resilience to noise and independence of sampling rate as far as the recovery of these functional parameters is concerned. (author)

Obese Employee Participation Patterns in a Wellness Program.

Science.gov (United States)

Fink, Jennifer T; Smith, David R; Singh, Maharaj; Ihrke, Doug M; Cisler, Ron A

2016-04-01

The purpose of this research was to retrospectively examine whether demographic differences exist between those who participated in an employee wellness program and those who did not, and to identify the selection of employees' choice in weight management activities. A nonequivalent, 2-group retrospective design was used. This study involved employees at a large, not-for-profit integrated health system. Of the total organization employee pool (29,194), 19,771 (68%) employees volunteered to be weighed (mean body mass index [BMI]=28.9) as part of an employee wellness program. Weight management activities available included: (1) Self-directed 5% total body weight loss; (2) Healthy Solutions at home; (3) Weight Watchers group meetings; (4) Weight Watchers online; and (5) Employee Assistance Program (EAP)-directed healthy weight coaching. Measures were participation rate and available weight management activity participation rate among obese employees across demographic variables, including sex, age, race, job type, and job location. The analysis included chi-square tests for all categorical variables; odds ratios were calculated to examine factors predictive of participation. Of the total 19,771 employees weighed, 6375 (32%) employees were obese (defined as BMI ≥30); of those, 3094 (49%) participated in available weight management activities. Participation was higher among females, whites, those ages >50 years, and non-nursing staff. In conclusion, participation rate varied significantly based on demographic variables. Self-directed 5% weight loss was the most popular weight management activity selected. (Population Health Management 2016;19:132-135).

Upper Limb Absence: Predictors of Work Participation and Work Productivity.

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Postema, Sietke G; Bongers, Raoul M; Brouwers, Michael A; Burger, Helena; Norling-Hermansson, Liselotte M; Reneman, Michiel F; Dijkstra, Pieter U; van der Sluis, Corry K

2016-06-01

To analyze work participation, work productivity, contributing factors, and physical work demands of individuals with upper limb absence (ULA). Cross-sectional study: postal survey (response rate, 45%). Twelve rehabilitation centers and orthopedic workshops. Individuals (n=207) with unilateral transverse upper limb reduction deficiency (RD) or acquired amputation (AA), at or proximal to the carpal level, between the ages of 18 and 65 years, and a convenience sample of control subjects (n=90) matched on age and sex. Not applicable. Employment status, self-reported work productivity measured with the Quality-Quantity method, and self-reported upper extremity work demands measured with the Upper Extremity Work Demands scale. Seventy-four percent of the individuals with RD and 57% of the individuals with AA were employed (vs 82% of the control group and 66% of the general population). Male sex, younger age, a medium or higher level of education, prosthesis use, and good general health were predictors of work participation. Work productivity was similar to that of the control group. Higher work productivity was inversely related to musculoskeletal complaint-related pain. When having predominantly mentally demanding work, individuals with ULA perceived higher upper extremity work demands compared with controls. Work participation of individuals with RD was slightly higher compared with that of the general population, whereas employment rates of individuals with AA were slightly lower. Furthermore, work productivity did not differ between individuals with RD, AA, and controls. Copyright © 2016 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Participants, Physicians or Programmes: Participants' educational level and initiative in cancer screening.

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Willems, Barbara; Bracke, Piet

2018-04-01

This study is an in-depth examination of at whose initiative (participant, physician or screening programme) individuals participate in cervical, breast and colorectal cancer screening across the EU-28. Special attention is paid to (1) the association with educational attainment and (2) the country's cancer screening strategy (organised, pilot/regional or opportunistic) for each type of cancer screened. Data were obtained from Eurobarometer 66.2 'Health in the European Union' (2006). Final samples consisted of 10,186; 5443 and 9851 individuals for cervical, breast, and colorectal cancer, respectively. Multinomial logistic regressions were performed. Surprisingly, even in countries with organised screening programmes, participation in screenings for cervical, breast and colorectal cancer was most likely to be initiated by the general practitioner (GP) or the participant. In general, GPs were found to play a crucial role in making referrals to screenings, regardless of the country's screening strategy. The results also revealed differences between educational groups with regard to their incentive to participate in cervical and breast cancer screening and, to a lesser extent, in colorectal cancer screening. People with high education are more likely to participate in cancer screening at their own initiative, while people with less education are more likely to participate at the initiative of a physician or a screening programme. Albeit, the results varied according to type of cancer screening and national screening strategy. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Suicide Ideation among Participants in an After-School Program: A Convenience Sample

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Yang, Raymond K.; Burrola, Kimberly S.; Bryan, Carey H.

2009-01-01

This exploratory study examined differences between elementary-age youth who have considered suicide and their peers using a data set that was collected from elementary school-age children (N = 51) who participated in an after-school program. Data were collected using a standardized survey assessing daily activities, social support, self-esteem,…

A novel recursive Fourier transform for nonuniform sampled signals: application to heart rate variability spectrum estimation.

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Holland, Alexander; Aboy, Mateo

2009-07-01

We present a novel method to iteratively calculate discrete Fourier transforms for discrete time signals with sample time intervals that may be widely nonuniform. The proposed recursive Fourier transform (RFT) does not require interpolation of the samples to uniform time intervals, and each iterative transform update of N frequencies has computational order N. Because of the inherent non-uniformity in the time between successive heart beats, an application particularly well suited for this transform is power spectral density (PSD) estimation for heart rate variability. We compare RFT based spectrum estimation with Lomb-Scargle Transform (LST) based estimation. PSD estimation based on the LST also does not require uniform time samples, but the LST has a computational order greater than Nlog(N). We conducted an assessment study involving the analysis of quasi-stationary signals with various levels of randomly missing heart beats. Our results indicate that the RFT leads to comparable estimation performance to the LST with significantly less computational overhead and complexity for applications requiring iterative spectrum estimations.

Delay discounting, self-control, and substance use among adult drug court participants.

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Jones, Craig G A; Fearnley, Helen; Panagiotopoulos, Barbara; Kemp, Richard I

2015-08-01

The current study examined the relationship between two measures of impulsiveness and the odds of substance use among a sample of participants on an Australian drug court (n=80). Participants completed a computer-based delay discounting task, a paper-based delay discounting task, and a questionnaire-based measure of self-control. The delay discounting tasks measured individual differences in the value attributed to distal outcomes, which is one aspect of impulsive behavior that has been found to be over-represented among illicit drug users. The relationship between the measures of impulsiveness and the odds of substance use was assessed by fitting longitudinal panel regression models with adjustment for informative treatment dropout. Consistent with previous research, drug court participants were found to have higher discount rates (i.e. were more impulsive) than a noncriminal population of university students (n=101). Drug court participants also discounted delayed gains more than delayed losses. Delay discounting was not significantly associated with the odds of substance use on the drug court program. There was a positive relationship between the survey-based measure of impulsivity and the mean substance use frequency. The authors conclude that impulsivity is correlated with substance use among drug court participants but not when measuring impulsivity using a delay discounting paradigm.

Contingency inferences driven by base rates: Valid by sampling

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Florian Kutzner

2011-04-01

Full Text Available Fiedler et al. (2009, reviewed evidence for the utilization of a contingency inference strategy termed pseudocontingencies (PCs. In PCs, the more frequent levels (and, by implication, the less frequent levels are assumed to be associated. PCs have been obtained using a wide range of task settings and dependent measures. Yet, the readiness with which decision makers rely on PCs is poorly understood. A computer simulation explored two potential sources of subjective validity of PCs. First, PCs are shown to perform above chance level when the task is to infer the sign of moderate to strong population contingencies from a sample of observations. Second, contingency inferences based on PCs and inferences based on cell frequencies are shown to partially agree across samples. Intriguingly, this criterion and convergent validity are by-products of random sampling error, highlighting the inductive nature of contingency inferences.

Influence of sport participation on community integration and quality of life: a comparison between sport participants and non-sport participants with spinal cord injury.

Science.gov (United States)

McVeigh, Sonja A; Hitzig, Sander L; Craven, B Cathy

2009-01-01

To determine whether community integration and/or quality of life (QoL) among people living with chronic spinal cord injury (SCI) are superior among sport participants vs non-sport participants. Cross-sectional study. Persons (n=90) living in the community with SCI (ASIA Impairment Scale A-D), level C5 or below, > 15 years of age, >12 months postinjury, and requiring a wheelchair for >1 hours/day were divided into 2 groups based on their self-reported sport participation at interview: sport participants (n=45) and non-sport participants (n 5). Independent-sample t tests revealed that both Community Integration Questionnaire (CIQ) and Reintegration to Normal Living Index (RNL) total mean scores were higher among sport participants vs nonsport participants (P sport participants. Similarly, the unadjusted odds ratio of a high RNL score was 7.00 (95% CI 2.3, 21.0) among current sport participants. Regression-adjusted odds ratios of high CIQ and high RNL scores were 1.36 (95% CI 0.09, 1.45) and 0.15 (95% CI 0.04, 0.55), respectively. The odds ratio for pre-SCI sport participation predicting post-SCI sport participation was 3.06 (95% CI 1.23, 7.65). CIQ and QoL scores were higher among sport participants compared to non-sport participants. There was an association between mean CIQ and RNL scores for both groups. Sport participants were 4.75 and 7.00 times as likely to have high CIQ and QoL scores. Both groups had a similar likelihood of high CIQ and RNL scores after adjusting for important confounders. Individuals who participated in sports prior to SCI were more likely to participate in sports post-SCI.

Social capital, social participation and life satisfaction among Chilean older adults

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María Soledad Herrera Ponce

2014-10-01

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE To examine factors associated with social participation and their relationship with self-perceived well-being in older adults. METHODS This study was based on data obtained from the National Socioeconomic Characterization (CASEN Survey conducted in Chile, in 2011, on a probability sample of households. We examined information of 31,428 older adults living in these households. Descriptive and explanatory analyses were performed using linear and multivariate logistic regression models. We assessed the respondents’ participation in different types of associations: egotropic, sociotropic, and religious. RESULTS Social participation increased with advancing age and then declined after the age of 80. The main finding of this study was that family social capital is a major determinant of social participation of older adults. Their involvement was associated with high levels of self-perceived subjective well-being. We identified four settings as sources of social participation: home-based; rural community-based; social policy programs; and religious. Older adults were significantly more likely to participate when other members of the household were also involved in social activities evidencing an intergenerational transmission of social participation. Rural communities, especially territorial associations, were the most favorable setting for participation. There has been a steady increase in the rates of involvement of older adults in social groups in Chile, especially after retirement. Religiosity remains a major determinant of associativism. The proportion of participation was higher among older women than men but these proportions equaled after the age of 80. CONCLUSIONS Self-perceived subjective well-being is not only dependent upon objective factors such as health and income, but is also dependent upon active participation in social life, measured as participation in associations, though its effects are moderate.

Flow rate and source reservoir identification from airborne chemical sampling of the uncontrolled Elgin platform gas release

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, James D.; Mobbs, Stephen D.; Wellpott, Axel; Allen, Grant; Bauguitte, Stephane J.-B.; Burton, Ralph R.; Camilli, Richard; Coe, Hugh; Fisher, Rebecca E.; France, James L.; Gallagher, Martin; Hopkins, James R.; Lanoiselle, Mathias; Lewis, Alastair C.; Lowry, David; Nisbet, Euan G.; Purvis, Ruth M.; O'Shea, Sebastian; Pyle, John A.; Ryerson, Thomas B.

2018-03-01

An uncontrolled gas leak from 25 March to 16 May 2012 led to evacuation of the Total Elgin wellhead and neighbouring drilling and production platforms in the UK North Sea. Initially the atmospheric flow rate of leaking gas and condensate was very poorly known, hampering environmental assessment and well control efforts. Six flights by the UK FAAM chemically instrumented BAe-146 research aircraft were used to quantify the flow rate. The flow rate was calculated by assuming the plume may be modelled by a Gaussian distribution with two different solution methods: Gaussian fitting in the vertical and fitting with a fully mixed layer. When both solution methods were used they compared within 6 % of each other, which was within combined errors. Data from the first flight on 30 March 2012 showed the flow rate to be 1.3 ± 0.2 kg CH4 s-1, decreasing to less than half that by the second flight on 17 April 2012. δ13CCH4 in the gas was found to be -43 ‰, implying that the gas source was unlikely to be from the main high pressure, high temperature Elgin gas field at 5.5 km depth, but more probably from the overlying Hod Formation at 4.2 km depth. This was deemed to be smaller and more manageable than the high pressure Elgin field and hence the response strategy was considerably simpler. The first flight was conducted within 5 days of the blowout and allowed a flow rate estimate within 48 h of sampling, with δ13CCH4 characterization soon thereafter, demonstrating the potential for a rapid-response capability that is widely applicable to future atmospheric emissions of environmental concern. Knowledge of the Elgin flow rate helped inform subsequent decision making. This study shows that leak assessment using appropriately designed airborne plume sampling strategies is well suited for circumstances where direct access is difficult or potentially dangerous. Measurements such as this also permit unbiased regulatory assessment of potential impact, independent of the emitting

Population levels of sport participation: implications for sport policy

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R. M. Eime

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Participation in sport can contribute to health-enhancing levels of leisure-time physical activity. There are recent reports that participation in sport in Australia is decreasing. However, these studies are limited to ages 15 years and over. Methods This study integrates sports club membership data from five popular team sports and investigates sport participation across the lifespan (4–100 years by sex and region (metropolitan/non-metropolitan. Results Overall participant numbers per annum increased from 414,167 in 2010 to 465,403 in 2012 corresponding to a rise in the proportion of Victorian’s participating in these sports from 7.5 % in 2010 to 8.3 % in 2012. The highest proportion of participants was in the 10–14 year age range, with participation rates of 36 % in 2010 and 40 % in 2012. There was a considerably lower participation rate in the 15–19 year age group compared to the 10–14 age group, in all three years studied, and the decline continued progressively with increasing age. Male and female age profiles of participation were generally similar in shape, but the female peak at age 10–14 was sharper than for the males, and conversely there were very few 4 year old female participants. Participation rates were generally higher in non-metropolitan than metropolitan areas; the difference increased with increasing age from 4 to 34 years, then steadily declined, reaching parity at around 60 years of age. Conclusions It is a positive sign that participation in these popular sports increased by over 50,000 participants from 2010 to 2012. Large proportions of the population aged 5–14 participate in club based sport. Participation rates decline sharply in late adolescence, particularly for females, and while this may not be a concern from a broad health perspective so long as they transition into other forms of physical activity, it is certainly a matter of concern for the sport sector. It is recommended

Internet trials: participant experiences and perspectives.

Science.gov (United States)

Mathieu, Erin; Barratt, Alexandra; Carter, Stacy M; Jamtvedt, Gro

2012-10-23

Use of the Internet to conduct randomised controlled trials is increasing, and provides potential to increase equity of access to medical research, increase the generalisability of trial results and decrease the costs involved in conducting large scale trials. Several studies have compared response rates, completeness of data, and reliability of surveys using the Internet and traditional methods, but very little is known about participants' attitudes towards Internet-based randomised trials or their experience of participating in an Internet-based trial. To obtain insights into the experiences and perspectives of participants in an Internet-based randomised controlled trial, their attitudes to the use of the Internet to conduct medical research, and their intentions regarding future participation in Internet research. All English speaking participants in a recently completed Internet randomised controlled trial were invited to participate in an online survey. 1246 invitations were emailed. 416 participants completed the survey between May and October 2009 (33% response rate). Reasons given for participating in the Internet RCT fell into 4 main areas: personal interest in the research question and outcome, ease of participation, an appreciation of the importance of research and altruistic reasons. Participants' comments and reflections on their experience of participating in a fully online trial were positive and less than half of participants would have participated in the trial had it been conducted using other means of data collection. However participants identified trade-offs between the benefits and downsides of participating in Internet-based trials. The main trade-off was between flexibility and convenience - a perceived benefit - and a lack connectedness and understanding - a perceived disadvantage. The other tradeoffs were in the areas of: ease or difficulty in use of the Internet; security, privacy and confidentiality issues; perceived benefits and

TCF-1 participates in the occurrence of dedifferentiated chondrosarcoma.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Xiaolong; Tang, Xiaodong; Guo, Wei; Yang, Kang; Ren, Tingting

2016-10-01

The present study demonstrated that T cell factor 1 (TCF-1) protein, a component of the canonical Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, can regulate the expression of runt-related transcription factor 2 (runx2) gene and Sry-related HMG box 9 (sox9) gene, which may participate in the differentiation of chondrosarcoma. Dedifferentiated chondrosarcoma (DDCS) is a special variant of conventional chondrosarcoma (CCS), associated with poor survival and high metastasis rate. However, little is known about the mechanism of its occurrence; thus, no effective treatment is available except surgery. Earlier, high expression of runx2 and low expression of sox9 were found in DDCS compared with CCS. Using Western blot to detect clinical tissue samples (including 8 CCS samples and 8 DDCS samples) and immunohistochemistry to detect 85 different-grade chondrosarcoma specimens, a high expression of TCF-1 in DDCS tissues was found compared with CCS tissues. This difference in expression was related to patients' prognosis. Results of luciferase, chromatin immunoprecipitation, and gel electrophoresis mobility shift assays demonstrated that TCF-1 protein could bind to the promoter of runx2 gene directly and sox9 gene indirectly. Hence, it could regulate expression of runx2 gene positively and sox9 gene negatively. Furthermore, in vitro and in vivo experiments showed that TCF-1 protein was closely related to the phenotype and aggressiveness of chondrosarcoma. In conclusion, this study proved that TCF-1 participates in the dedifferentiation of DDCS, which may be mediated by runx2 gene and sox9 gene. Also, TCF-1 can be of important prognostic value and a promising therapeutic target for DDCS patients.

Participation in leisure activities during brain injury rehabilitation.

Science.gov (United States)

Fleming, Jennifer; Braithwaite, Helen; Gustafsson, Louise; Griffin, Janelle; Collier, Ann Maree; Fletcher, Stephanie

2011-01-01

To describe and compare pre- and post-injury leisure activities of individuals receiving brain injury rehabilitation and explore levels of leisure participation and satisfaction. Cross-sectional descriptive study incorporating a survey of current and past leisure activities. Questionnaires were completed by 40 individuals with an acquired brain injury receiving inpatient or outpatient rehabilitation. Shortened Version of the Nottingham Leisure Questionnaire and Changes in Leisure Questionnaire (developed for this study). Leisure participation declined following injury, particularly in social leisure activities. Pre-injury activities with high rates of discontinued or decreased participation were driving, going to pubs and parties, do-it-yourself activities and attending sports events. Inpatient participants generally attributed decreased participation to the hospital environment, whereas outpatient participants reported this predominantly as a result of disability. Post-injury levels of perceived leisure satisfaction were significantly lower for the inpatient group compared to pre-injury, but not for the outpatient group. Uptake of some new leisure activities was reported post-injury, however not at the rate to which participation declined. Leisure participation decreases during brain injury rehabilitation compared to pre-injury levels. Re-engagement in relevant, age-appropriate leisure activities needs to be addressed during rehabilitation to improve participation in this domain.

Error baseline rates of five sample preparation methods used to characterize RNA virus populations.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jeffrey R Kugelman

Full Text Available Individual RNA viruses typically occur as populations of genomes that differ slightly from each other due to mutations introduced by the error-prone viral polymerase. Understanding the variability of RNA virus genome populations is critical for understanding virus evolution because individual mutant genomes may gain evolutionary selective advantages and give rise to dominant subpopulations, possibly even leading to the emergence of viruses resistant to medical countermeasures. Reverse transcription of virus genome populations followed by next-generation sequencing is the only available method to characterize variation for RNA viruses. However, both steps may lead to the introduction of artificial mutations, thereby skewing the data. To better understand how such errors are introduced during sample preparation, we determined and compared error baseline rates of five different sample preparation methods by analyzing in vitro transcribed Ebola virus RNA from an artificial plasmid-based system. These methods included: shotgun sequencing from plasmid DNA or in vitro transcribed RNA as a basic "no amplification" method, amplicon sequencing from the plasmid DNA or in vitro transcribed RNA as a "targeted" amplification method, sequence-independent single-primer amplification (SISPA as a "random" amplification method, rolling circle reverse transcription sequencing (CirSeq as an advanced "no amplification" method, and Illumina TruSeq RNA Access as a "targeted" enrichment method. The measured error frequencies indicate that RNA Access offers the best tradeoff between sensitivity and sample preparation error (1.4-5 of all compared methods.

Error baseline rates of five sample preparation methods used to characterize RNA virus populations

Science.gov (United States)

Kugelman, Jeffrey R.; Wiley, Michael R.; Nagle, Elyse R.; Reyes, Daniel; Pfeffer, Brad P.; Kuhn, Jens H.; Sanchez-Lockhart, Mariano; Palacios, Gustavo F.

2017-01-01

Individual RNA viruses typically occur as populations of genomes that differ slightly from each other due to mutations introduced by the error-prone viral polymerase. Understanding the variability of RNA virus genome populations is critical for understanding virus evolution because individual mutant genomes may gain evolutionary selective advantages and give rise to dominant subpopulations, possibly even leading to the emergence of viruses resistant to medical countermeasures. Reverse transcription of virus genome populations followed by next-generation sequencing is the only available method to characterize variation for RNA viruses. However, both steps may lead to the introduction of artificial mutations, thereby skewing the data. To better understand how such errors are introduced during sample preparation, we determined and compared error baseline rates of five different sample preparation methods by analyzing in vitro transcribed Ebola virus RNA from an artificial plasmid-based system. These methods included: shotgun sequencing from plasmid DNA or in vitro transcribed RNA as a basic “no amplification” method, amplicon sequencing from the plasmid DNA or in vitro transcribed RNA as a “targeted” amplification method, sequence-independent single-primer amplification (SISPA) as a “random” amplification method, rolling circle reverse transcription sequencing (CirSeq) as an advanced “no amplification” method, and Illumina TruSeq RNA Access as a “targeted” enrichment method. The measured error frequencies indicate that RNA Access offers the best tradeoff between sensitivity and sample preparation error (1.4−5) of all compared methods. PMID:28182717

Monte Carlo Simulation Of The Portfolio-Balance Model Of Exchange Rates: Finite Sample Properties Of The GMM Estimator

OpenAIRE

Hong-Ghi Min

2011-01-01

Using Monte Carlo simulation of the Portfolio-balance model of the exchange rates, we report finite sample properties of the GMM estimator for testing over-identifying restrictions in the simultaneous equations model. F-form of Sargans statistic performs better than its chi-squared form while Hansens GMM statistic has the smallest bias.

Using Mechanical Turk to recruit participants for internet intervention research: experience from recruitment for four trials targeting hazardous alcohol consumption.

Science.gov (United States)

Cunningham, John A; Godinho, Alexandra; Kushnir, Vladyslav

2017-12-01

Mechanical Turk (MTurk) is an online portal operated by Amazon where 'requesters' (individuals or businesses) can submit jobs for 'workers.' MTurk is used extensively by academics as a quick and cheap means of collecting questionnaire data, including information on alcohol consumption, from a diverse sample of participants. We tested the feasibility of recruiting for alcohol Internet intervention trials through MTurk. Participants, 18 years or older, who drank at least weekly were recruited for four intervention trials (combined sample size, N = 11,107). The same basic recruitment strategy was employed for each trial - invite participants to complete a survey about alcohol consumption (less than 15 min in length, US$1.50 payment), identify eligible participants who drank in a hazardous fashion, invite those eligible to complete a follow-up survey ($10 payment), randomize participants to be sent or not sent information to access an online intervention for hazardous alcohol use. Procedures where put in place to optimize the chances that participants could only complete the baseline survey once. There was a substantially slower rate of recruitment by the fourth trial compared to the earlier trials. Demographic characteristics also varied across trials (age, sex, employment and marital status). Patterns of alcohol consumption, while displaying some differences, did not appear to vary in a linear fashion between trials. It is possible to recruit large (but not inexhaustible) numbers of people who drink in a hazardous fashion. Issues for online intervention research when employing this sample are discussed.

The influence of stress, depression, and anxiety on PSA screening rates in a nationally representative sample.

Science.gov (United States)

Kotwal, Ashwin A; Schumm, Phil; Mohile, Supriya G; Dale, William

2012-12-01

Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing for prostate cancer is controversial, with concerning rates of both overscreening and underscreening. The reasons for the observed rates of screening are unknown, and few studies have examined the relationship of psychological health to PSA screening rates. Understanding this relationship can help guide interventions to improve informed decision-making for screening. A nationally representative sample of men 57-85 years old without prostate cancer (N = 1169) from the National Social life, Health and Aging Project was analyzed. The independent relationship of validated psychological health scales measuring stress, anxiety, and depression to PSA testing rates was assessed using multivariable logistic regression analyses. PSA screening rates were significantly lower for men with higher perceived stress [odds ratio (OR) = 0.76, P = 0.006], but not for higher depressive symptoms (OR = 0.89, P = 0.22) when accounting for stress. Anxiety influences PSA screening through an interaction with number of doctor visits (P = 0.02). Among the men who visited the doctor once those with higher anxiety were less likely to be screened (OR = 0.65, P = 0.04). Conversely, those who visited the doctor 10+ times with higher anxiety were more likely to be screened (OR = 1.71, P = 0.04). Perceived stress significantly lowers PSA screening likelihood, and it seems to partly mediate the negative relationship of depression with screening likelihood. Anxiety affects PSA screening rates differently for men with different numbers of doctor visits. Interventions to influence PSA screening rates should recognize the role of the patients' psychological state to improve their likelihood of making informed decisions and improve screening appropriateness.

Efficient inference of population size histories and locus-specific mutation rates from large-sample genomic variation data.

Science.gov (United States)

Bhaskar, Anand; Wang, Y X Rachel; Song, Yun S

2015-02-01

With the recent increase in study sample sizes in human genetics, there has been growing interest in inferring historical population demography from genomic variation data. Here, we present an efficient inference method that can scale up to very large samples, with tens or hundreds of thousands of individuals. Specifically, by utilizing analytic results on the expected frequency spectrum under the coalescent and by leveraging the technique of automatic differentiation, which allows us to compute gradients exactly, we develop a very efficient algorithm to infer piecewise-exponential models of the historical effective population size from the distribution of sample allele frequencies. Our method is orders of magnitude faster than previous demographic inference methods based on the frequency spectrum. In addition to inferring demography, our method can also accurately estimate locus-specific mutation rates. We perform extensive validation of our method on simulated data and show that it can accurately infer multiple recent epochs of rapid exponential growth, a signal that is difficult to pick up with small sample sizes. Lastly, we use our method to analyze data from recent sequencing studies, including a large-sample exome-sequencing data set of tens of thousands of individuals assayed at a few hundred genic regions. © 2015 Bhaskar et al.; Published by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press.

Rural And Urban Youth Participation In Community Development In ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The focused on participation in community development activities, constraints to and benefits derived from participation. It compared rural and urban youth participation in community development activities in Ido local government area of Oyo State. Proportionate random sampling was used to select 2 rural, 1 urban ...

Rationale and design of the iPap trial: a randomized controlled trial of home-based HPV self-sampling for improving participation in cervical screening by never- and under-screened women in Australia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sultana, Farhana; Gertig, Dorota M; English, Dallas R; Simpson, Julie A; Brotherton, Julia ML; Drennan, Kelly; Mullins, Robyn; Heley, Stella; Wrede, C David; Saville, Marion

2014-01-01

Organized screening based on Pap tests has substantially reduced deaths from cervical cancer in many countries, including Australia. However, the impact of the program depends upon the degree to which women participate. A new method of screening, testing for human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA to detect the virus that causes cervical cancer, has recently become available. Because women can collect their own samples for this test at home, it has the potential to overcome some of the barriers to Pap tests. The iPap trial will evaluate whether mailing an HPV self-sampling kit increases participation by never- and under-screened women within a cervical screening program. The iPap trial is a parallel randomized controlled, open label, trial. Participants will be Victorian women age 30–69 years, for whom there is either no record on the Victorian Cervical Cytology Registry (VCCR) of a Pap test (never-screened) or the last recorded Pap test was between five to fifteen years ago (under-screened). Enrolment information from the Victorian Electoral Commission will be linked to the VCCR to determine the never-screened women. Variables that will be used for record linkage include full name, address and date of birth. Never- and under-screened women will be randomly allocated to either receive an invitation letter with an HPV self-sampling kit or a reminder letter to attend for a Pap test, which is standard practice for women overdue for a test in Victoria. All resources have been focus group tested. The primary outcome will be the proportion of women who participate, by returning an HPV self-sampling kit for women in the self-sampling arm, and notification of a Pap test result to the Registry for women in the Pap test arm at 3 and 6 months after mailout. The most important secondary outcome is the proportion of test-positive women who undergo further investigations at 6 and 12 months after mailout of results. The iPap trial will provide strong evidence about whether HPV self-sampling

Using Facebook to Recruit Parents to Participate in a Family Program to Prevent Teen Drug Use.

Science.gov (United States)

Oesterle, Sabrina; Epstein, Marina; Haggerty, Kevin P; Moreno, Megan A

2018-05-01

Despite strong evidence that family programs are effective in preventing adolescent substance use, recruiting parents to participate in such programs remains a persistent challenge. This study explored the feasibility of using Facebook to recruit parents of middle school students to a self-directed family program to prevent adolescent drug use. The study used paid Facebook ads aiming to recruit 100 parents in Washington and Colorado using marijuana- or parenting-focused messages. All ad-recruited parents were also invited to refer others in order to compare Facebook recruitment to web-based respondent-driven sampling. Despite offering a $15 incentive for each successfully referred participant, the majority of the screened (70.4%) and eligible (65.1%) parents were recruited through Facebook ads. Yet, eligibility and consent rates were significantly higher among referred (76.6 and 57.3%, respectively) than Facebook-recruited parents (60.0 and 36.6%, respectively). Click-through rates on Facebook were higher for marijuana-focused than parenting-focused ads (0.72 and 0.65%, respectively). The final sample (54% Facebook-recruited) consisted of 103 demographically homogeneous parents (female, educated, non-Hispanic White, and mostly from Washington). Although Facebook was an effective and efficient method to recruit parents to a study with equal to better cost-effectiveness than traditional recruitment strategies, the promise of social media to reach a diverse population was not realized. Additional approaches to Facebook recruitment are needed to reach diverse samples in real-world settings and increase public health impact of family programs.

Condom-related problems among a racially diverse sample of young men who have sex with men.

Science.gov (United States)

Du Bois, Steve N; Emerson, Erin; Mustanski, Brian

2011-10-01

We described frequencies of condom-related problems in a racially diverse sample of young men who have sex with men (YMSM), and tested these condom-related problems as an explanation for racial disparities in HIV rates among YMSM. Participants were 119 YMSM from a longitudinal study of sexual minority health behaviors. Almost all participants (95.4%) experienced at least one condom error. On average, African American and non-African American YMSM experienced the same number of recent condom-related problems. Therefore, differences in condom-related problems are unlikely to explain racial disparities in HIV rates among YMSM. When serving YMSM, providers should both promote condom use and explain steps to correct condom use.

Recruitment of mental health survey participants using Internet advertising: content, characteristics and cost effectiveness.

Science.gov (United States)

Batterham, Philip J

2014-06-01

Postal and telephone survey research is threatened by declining response rates and high cost. Online recruitment is becoming more popular, although there is little empirical evidence about its cost-effectiveness or the representativeness of online samples. There is also limited research on optimal strategies for developing advertising content for online recruitment. The present study aimed to assess these aspects of online recruitment. Two mental health surveys used advertisements within a social network website (Facebook) to recruit adult Australian participants. The initial survey used advertisements linking directly to an external survey website, and recruited 1283 participants at $9.82 per completed survey. A subsequent survey used advertisements linking to a Facebook page that featured links to the external survey, recruiting 610 participants at $1.51 per completion. Both surveys were more cost-effective than similar postal surveys conducted previously, which averaged $19.10 per completion. Online and postal surveys both had somewhat unrepresentative samples. However, online surveys tended to be more successful in recruiting hard-to-reach populations. Advertising using "problem" terminology was more effective than "positive" terminology, while there was no significant effect of altruistic versus self-gain terminology. Online recruitment is efficient, flexible and cost-effective, suggesting that online recruitment has considerable potential for specific research designs. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The association between Internet addiction and personality disorders in a general population-based sample.

Science.gov (United States)

Zadra, Sina; Bischof, Gallus; Besser, Bettina; Bischof, Anja; Meyer, Christian; John, Ulrich; Rumpf, Hans-Jürgen

2016-12-01

Background and aims Data on Internet addiction (IA) and its association with personality disorder are rare. Previous studies are largely restricted to clinical samples and insufficient measurement of IA. Methods Cross-sectional analysis data are based on a German sub-sample (n = 168; 86 males; 71 meeting criteria for IA) with increased levels of excessive Internet use derived from a general population sample (n = 15,023). IA was assessed with a comprehensive standardized interview using the structure of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview and the criteria of Internet Gaming Disorder as suggested in DSM-5. Impulsivity, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and self-esteem were assessed with the widely used questionnaires. Results Participants with IA showed higher frequencies of personality disorders (29.6%) compared to those without IA (9.3%; p < .001). In males with IA, Cluster C personality disorders were more prevalent than among non-addicted males. Compared to participants who had IA only, lower rates of remission of IA were found among participants with IA and additional cluster B personality disorder. Personality disorders were significantly associated with IA in multivariate analysis. Comorbidity of IA and personality disorders must be considered in prevention and treatment.

Older adults in jail: high rates and early onset of geriatric conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Greene, Meredith; Ahalt, Cyrus; Stijacic-Cenzer, Irena; Metzger, Lia; Williams, Brie

2018-02-17

The number of older adults in the criminal justice system is rapidly increasing. While this population is thought to experience an early onset of aging-related health conditions ("accelerated aging"), studies have not directly compared rates of geriatric conditions in this population to those found in the general population. The aims of this study were to compare the burden of geriatric conditions among older adults in jail to rates found in an age-matched nationally representative sample of community dwelling older adults. This cross sectional study compared 238 older jail inmates age 55 or older to 6871 older adults in the national Health and Retirement Study (HRS). We used an age-adjusted analysis, accounting for the difference in age distributions between the two groups, to compare sociodemographics, chronic conditions, and geriatric conditions (functional, sensory, and mobility impairment). A second age-adjusted analysis compared those in jail to HRS participants in the lowest quintile of wealth. All geriatric conditions were significantly more common in jail-based participants than in HRS participants overall and HRS participants in the lowest quintile of net worth. Jail-based participants (average age of 59) experienced four out of six geriatric conditions at rates similar to those found in HRS participants age 75 or older. Geriatric conditions are prevalent in older adults in jail at significantly younger ages than non-incarcerated older adults suggesting that geriatric assessment and geriatric-focused care are needed for older adults cycling through jail in their 50s and that correctional clinicians require knowledge about geriatric assessment and care.

ICD-11 Prevalence Rates of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Complex Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in a German Nationwide Sample.

Science.gov (United States)

Maercker, Andreas; Hecker, Tobias; Augsburger, Mareike; Kliem, Sören

2018-04-01

Prevalence rates are still lacking for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and complex PTSD (CPTSD) diagnoses based on the new ICD-11 criteria. In a nationwide representative German sample (N = 2524; 14-99 years), exposure to traumatic events and symptoms of PTSD or CPTSD were assessed with the International Trauma Questionnaire. A clinical variant of CPTSD with a lower threshold for core PTSD symptoms was also calculated, in addition to conditional prevalence rates dependent on trauma type and differential predictors. One-month prevalence rates were as follows: PTSD, 1.5%; CPTSD, 0.5%; and CPTSD variant, 0.7%. For PTSD, the highest conditional prevalence was associated with kidnapping or rape, and the highest CPTSD rates were associated with sexual childhood abuse or rape. PTSD and CPTSD were best differentiated by sexual violence. Combined PTSD and CPTSD (ICD-11) rates were in the range of previously reported prevalences for unified PTSD (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition; ICD-10). Evidence on differential predictors of PTSD and CPTSD is still preliminary.

Projected increased growth rate of anesthesia professional-delivered sedation for colonoscopy and EGD in the United States: 2009 to 2015.

Science.gov (United States)

Inadomi, John M; Gunnarsson, Candace L; Rizzo, John A; Fang, Hai

2010-09-01

Anesthesia professional-delivered sedation has become increasingly common when performing colonoscopy and EGD. To provide an estimate of anesthesia professional-participation rates in colonoscopy and EGD procedures and to examine rate changes over time and geographic variations for both procedures. Retrospective sample design. National survey data from i3 Innovus for the period 2003 to 2007 on the use rate of anesthesia professionals in both procedures. A sample of 3688 observations included 3-digit zip code-level information on anesthesia professional use rates. Data were linked to the Bureau of Health Professions' Area Resource File to control for sociodemographic factors and provider supply characteristics for anesthesia professional use rates. Multivariable regression analyses were performed to identify factors predicting the use rate of anesthesia professionals in these procedures and to forecast use rates for the years 2009 to 2015. For colonoscopy and EGD, anesthesia professional participation is projected to grow from 23.9% and 24.4% in 2007 to 53.4% and 52.9% by 2015, respectively. Average growth rates were highest in the northeast for colonoscopy (145.8%) and EGD (146.6%). Anesthesia professional use rates were significantly greater in areas having a higher percentage of older subjects (45 years and older), higher per capita income and lower unemployment rates, and higher per capita inpatient admissions and were significantly lower in areas having more per capita outpatient visits for both procedures. Nonexperimental retrospective sample study design. Database sample may not be nationally representative. Market area characteristics were used to control for socioeconomic and demographic factors. However, there may remain some important market factors that we were unable to control. Anesthesia professional-delivered sedation is projected to grow substantially for both procedures. Copyright 2010 American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. Published by

Associations between labial and whole salivary flow rates, systemic diseases and medications in a sample of older people

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Smidt, Dorte; Torpet, Lis Andersen; Nauntofte, Birgitte

2010-01-01

Smidt D, Torpet LA, Nauntofte B, Heegaard KM, Pedersen AML. Associations between labial and whole salivary flow rates, systemic diseases and medications in a sample of older people. Community Dent Oral Epidemiol 2010; 38: 422-435. © 2010 John Wiley & Sons A/S Abstract - Objective: To investigate...... the associations between age, gender, systemic diseases, medications and labial and whole salivary flow rates in older people. Methods: Unstimulated labial (LS) and unstimulated (UWS) and chewing-stimulated (SWS) whole salivary flow rates were measured in 389 randomly selected community-dwelling Danish women...... and 279 men aged 65-97 years. Systemic diseases, medications (coded according to the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) Classification System), tobacco and alcohol consumption were registered. Results: The number of diseases and medications was higher and UWS lower in the older age groups. On average...

Community-Based Rehabilitation to Improve Stroke Survivors' Rehabilitation Participation and Functional Recovery.

Science.gov (United States)

Ru, Xiaojuan; Dai, Hong; Jiang, Bin; Li, Ninghua; Zhao, Xingquan; Hong, Zhen; He, Li; Wang, Wenzhi

2017-07-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a community-based rehabilitation appropriate technique (CRAT) intervention program in increasing rehabilitation participation and improving functional recovery of stroke survivors. This study followed a quasi-experimental design. In each of 5 centers servicing approximately 50,000 individuals, 2 communities were designated as either the intervention or control community. A CRAT intervention program, including 2-year rehabilitation education and 3-month CRAT treatment, was regularly implemented in the intervention communities, whereas there was no special intervention in the control community. Two sampling surveys, at baseline and after intervention, were administered to evaluate the rehabilitation activity undertaken. In intervention communities, stroke survivor's motor function, daily activity, and social activity were evaluated pretreatment and posttreatment, using the Fugl-Meyer Motor Function Assessment, Barthel index, and Social Functional Activities Questionnaire. The proportion of individuals participating in rehabilitation-related activity was increased significantly (P rehabilitation (P 0.05). Community-based rehabilitation appropriate technique increases rehabilitation participation rates and enhances motor function, daily activity, and social activity of stroke survivors.

Trends in female labor force participation in Sweden.

Science.gov (United States)

Gustafsson, S; Jacobsson, R

1985-01-01

The labor force participation of Swedish married women increased form 49.1% to 83.5% in the past 2 decades. Results from cross section analyses carried out on micro data from 3 standard of living investigations, done in 1968, 1974, and 1981, are used to predict changes over time. Women's real wages have increased over time more than men's real wages; in combination with estimated positve own wages elasticities, this change is the most important determinant of the increase in female labor supply. The labor force participation of married women ages 20-59 has increased from 49.1% in 1963 to 83.5% in 1982; the increase is especially large for women with children under 7. Over the decades 1920-1965, when real wages of woman increased more than real incomes of men, the labor force participation rates of married women increased even faster. From 1963-1981 a dramatic narrowing of the male-female wage gap occurred; most of the decrease is a result of factors other than the human capital variables accumulated at school and on the job. The effect of centralized collective bargaining and a strong union policy to increase low wages may be important explanatory factors. Generous parental leaves and subsidized day care may have an increasing effect on fertility; but instead, fertility has decreased, perhaps less than it might have done in the absence of such policies. By using individual cross section data from the 3 standard of living investigations, estimates of participation are performed. The own wage effects of the participation equation are positive and significant but decreasing over time. Important institutional changes between the sample periods are the extended parental leaves and the increased supply of government subsidized day care.

Impact of Intercollegiate Athletic Participation on Leadership Development

Science.gov (United States)

Huntrods, Clint S.; An, Brian P.; Pascarella, Ernest T.

2017-01-01

This study examined the effects of participation in intercollegiate athletics on leadership development using a multi-institutional, longitudinal sample of students at four-year institutions. Using Astin's (1993) Input-Environment-Outcome model, we examined whether athletic participation influenced leadership development using the Socially…

Evaluation of Self-Ratings for Health Information Behaviour Skills Requires More Heterogeneous Sample, but Finds that Public Library Print Collections and Health Information Literacy of Librarians Needs Improvement

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carol Perryman

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Objective – To understand public library users’ perceptions of ability to locate, evaluate, and use health information; to identify barriers experienced in finding and using health information; and to compare self-ratings of skills to an administered instrument. Design – Mixed methods. Setting – Main library and two branches of one public library system in Florida. Subjects – 20 adult library users purposively selected from 131 voluntary respondents to a previously conducted survey (Yi, 2014 based on age range, ethnicity, gender, and educational level. Of the 20, 13 were female; 11 White, 8 Black, 1 Native American; most had attained college or graduate school education levels (9 each, with 2 having graduated from high school. 15 respondents were aged 45 or older. Methods – Intensive interviews conducted between April and May 2011 used critical incident technique to inquire about a recalled health situation. Participants responded to questions about skill self-appraisal, health situation severity, information seeking and assessment behaviour, use of information, barriers, and outcome. Responses were compared to results of the short form of the Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults (S-TOFHLA test, administered to participants. Main Results – On a scale of 100, participants’ S-TOFHLA scores measured at high levels of proficiency, with 90% rating 90 points or above. Self-ratings of ability to find health information related to recalled need were ”excellent” (12 participants or “good” (8 participants. Fourteen participants did not seek library assistance; 12 began their search on the Internet, 5 searched the library catalogue, and 3 reported going directly to the collection. Resource preferences were discussed, although no frequency descriptions were provided. 90% of participants self-rated their ability to evaluate the quality of health information as “good” or “excellent.” Participants selected authority

Technology use, cesarean section rates, and perinatal mortality at Danish maternity wards

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lidegaard, O; Jensen, L M; Weber, Tom

1994-01-01

Fifty-eight Danish maternity units, managing 99% of Danish deliveries, participated in a cross sectional study to assess the relationship between use of birth-related technologies, cesarean section rates and perinatal mortality for births after 35 completed weeks of gestation. A regional technology...... index (0-10) was calculated for each maternity unit according to its use of ante and intra partum fetal heart rate monitoring (FHM), hormone analysis (human placental lactogen (HPL) and/or estriol (O3)), fetal blood samples (scalp-pH), intrauterine catheter and umbilical cord-pH. Maternity units using...

An empirical investigation of incompleteness in a large clinical sample of obsessive compulsive disorder.

Science.gov (United States)

Sibrava, Nicholas J; Boisseau, Christina L; Eisen, Jane L; Mancebo, Maria C; Rasmussen, Steven A

2016-08-01

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a disorder with heterogeneous clinical presentations. To advance our understanding of this heterogeneity we investigated the prevalence and clinical features associated with incompleteness (INC), a putative underlying core feature of OCD. We predicted INC would be prominent in individuals with OCD and associated with greater severity and impairment. We examined the impact of INC in 307 adults with primary OCD. Participants with clinically significant INC (22.8% of the sample) had significantly greater OCD severity, greater rates of comorbidity, poorer ratings of functioning, lower quality of life, and higher rates of unemployment and disability. Participants with clinically significant INC were also more likely to be diagnosed with OCPD and to endorse symmetry/exactness obsessions and ordering/arranging compulsions than those who reported low INC. Our findings provide evidence that INC is associated with greater severity, comorbidity, and impairment, highlighting the need for improved assessment and treatment of INC in OCD. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sample Length Affects the Reliability of Language Sample Measures in 3-Year-Olds: Evidence from Parent-Elicited Conversational Samples

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Ling-Yu; Eisenberg, Sarita

2015-01-01

Purpose: The goal of this study was to investigate the extent to which sample length affected the reliability of total number of words (TNW), number of different words (NDW), and mean length of C-units in morphemes (MLCUm) in parent-elicited conversational samples for 3-year-olds. Method: Participants were sixty 3-year-olds. A 22-min language…

On incomplete sampling under birth-death models and connections to the sampling-based coalescent.