Social desirability bias in personality testing: Implications for astronaut selection

Science.gov (United States)

Sandal, Gro M.; Musson, Dave; Helmreich, Robert. L.; Gravdal, Lene

2005-07-01

The assessment of personality is recognized by space agencies as an approach to identify candidates likely to perform optimally during spaceflights. In the use of personality scales for selection, the impact of social desirability (SD) has been cited as a concern. Study 1 addressed the impact of SD on responses to the Personality Characteristic Inventory (PCI) and NEO-FFI. This was achieved by contrasting scores from active astronauts (N=65) with scores of successful astronaut applicants (N=63), and between pilots applicants (N=1271) and pilot research subjects (N=120). Secondly, personality scores were correlated with scores on the Marlow Crown Social Desirability Scale among applicants to managerial positions (N=120). The results indicated that SD inflated scores on PCI scales assessing negative interpersonal characteristics, and impacted on four of five scales in NEO-FFI. Still, the effect sizes were small or moderate. Study 2 addressed performance implications of SD during an assessment of males applying to work as rescue personnel operations in the North Sea (N=22). The results showed that SD correlated negatively with cognitive test performance, and positively with discrepancy in performance ratings between self and two observers. In conclusion, caution is needed in interpreting personality scores in applicant populations. SD may be a negative predictor for performance under stress.

Desire

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rösing, Lilian Munk

2017-01-01

In this chapter I shall try to explain desire according to psychoanalysis (here primarily Sigmund Freud and Jacques Lacan), and why desire is also a concept for that which drives language, literature, and the reader. I hope to show what it means to focus on the dynamics of desire when analysing...

Perceived partner fertility desires and influence on contraceptive use.

Science.gov (United States)

Gibbs, Susannah E; Moreau, Caroline

2017-08-01

Perceived discordance of fertility desires may be more common among couples with certain sociodemographic characteristics and may lead to lower contraceptive use. Using nationally representative data from adults ages 15-49 in France in 2010, we analysed associations between sociodemographic characteristics, perceived discordance of fertility desires and contraceptive use with design-based logistic regression. Only 8% of participants perceived discordant fertility desires while 92% perceived concordance with partner fertility desire. Discordance varied by age and relationship duration and by the presence of children from previous relationships. Perceived discordance was not associated with use of a hormonal or highly effective method. Beyond own intentions, perception of a partner's fertility desires was associated with using a highly effective method among participants using any method. Engaging men and couples in family planning programmes may be important for achieving both partners' desired fertility goals.

Achieving the Desired Transformation: Thoughts on Next Steps for Outcomes-Based Medical Education.

Science.gov (United States)

Holmboe, Eric S; Batalden, Paul

2015-09-01

Since the introduction of the outcomes-based medical education (OBME) movement, progress toward implementation has been active but challenging. Much of the angst and criticism has been directed at the approaches to assessment that are associated with outcomes-based or competency frameworks, particularly defining the outcomes. In addition, these changes to graduate medical education (GME) are concomitant with major change in health care systems--specifically, changes to increase quality and safety while reducing cost. Every sector, from medical education to health care delivery and financing, is in the midst of substantial change and disruption.The recent release of the Institute of Medicine's report on the financing and governance of GME highlights the urgent need to accelerate the transformation of medical education. One source of continued tension within the medical education community arises from the assumption that the much-needed increases in value and improvement in health care can be achieved by holding the current educational structures and architecture of learning in place while concomitantly withdrawing resources. The authors of this Perspective seek to reframe the important and necessary debate surrounding the current challenges to implementing OBME. Building on recent change and service theories (e.g., Theory U and coproduction), they propose several areas of redirection, including reexamination of curricular models and greater involvement of learners, teachers, and regulators in cocreating new training models, to help facilitate the desired transformation in medical education.

Developing the desire for change

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gooch, B.G.

1987-01-01

This article leads the reader through the process of developing human potential by examining the assumption that development and change are synonymous concepts, and that many basic assumptions held regarding human reaction to change are false. If trainees proceed down the path filled with false premises, their task of improving performance is made more difficult. After resolution of basic truths concerning the nature of change, the article examines the process of creating a desire within individuals that will lead beyond motivation to activation. The article attempts to identify and discuss factors that are important to creating within individuals the desire to improve their performance

Desire thinking: what is it and what drives it?

Science.gov (United States)

Caselli, Gabriele; Spada, Marcantonio M

2015-05-01

The aim of this study was to provide an overview of the construct of desire thinking and test a metacognitive model of desire thinking and craving, based on the work of Spada, Caselli and Wells (2012; 2013), which aims to explain the perseveration of desire thinking. We conducted two studies involving four clinical samples (total N = 493) and a community sample (N = 494) presenting with different addictive behaviors. The relationships among variables were examined by testing the fit of path models within each sample. In the model presented it was proposed that positive metacognitions about desire thinking are associated with, in turn, imaginal prefiguration and verbal perseveration, marking the activation of desire thinking. Verbal perseveration is then associated to negative metacognitions about desire thinking and craving denoting the pathological escalation of desire thinking. Finally, a direct association between positive metacognitions about desire thinking and negative metacognitions about desire thinking would mark those occasions where target-achieving behaviour runs as an automatized schemata without the experience of craving. Results indicated a good model fit in the clinical sample and a variation in the model structure in the community sample. These findings provide further support for the application of metacognitive theory to desire thinking and craving in addictive behaviors. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Achieveing Organizational Excellence Through

OpenAIRE

Mehdi Abzari; Mohammadreza Dalvi

2009-01-01

AbstractToday, In order to create motivation and desirable behavior in employees, to obtain organizational goals,to increase human resources productivity and finally to achieve organizational excellence, top managers oforganizations apply new and effective strategies. One of these strategies to achieve organizational excellenceis creating desirable corporate culture. This research has been conducted to identify the path to reachorganizational excellence by creating corporate culture according...

Application of desirability function for optimizing the performance characteristics of carbonitrided bushes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Boby John

2013-06-01

Full Text Available The performance of a product is generally characterized by more than one response variable. Hence the management often faces the problem of simultaneous optimization of many response variables. This study was undertaken to simultaneously optimize the surface hardness and case depth of carbonitrided bushes. Even though lots of literature has been published on various methodologies for tackling the multi-response optimization problem, the simultaneous optimization of heat treated properties of carbonitrided bushes are not reported yet. In this research the effect of four factors and two interactions on surface hardness and case depth of carbontirded bushes were studied using design of experiments. Based on the experimental results, the expected values of the heat treated properties of the bushes were estimated for all possible combination of factors. Then the best combination which, simultaneously optimized the response variables, was arrived at using desirability function. The study showed that the optimum combination obtained through desirability function approach not only minimized the variation around the targets of surface hardness and case depth but also was superior to the ones obtained by optimizing the response variables separately. Moreover this study provides a useful and effective approach to design the production process to manufacture bushes with customer specified surface hardness and case depth targets.

Achievement Goals and Achievement Emotions: Testing a Model of Their Joint Relations with Academic Performance

Science.gov (United States)

Pekrun, Reinhard; Elliot, Andrew J.; Maier, Markus A.

2009-01-01

The authors propose a theoretical model linking achievement goals and achievement emotions to academic performance. This model was tested in a prospective study with undergraduates (N = 213), using exam-specific assessments of both goals and emotions as predictors of exam performance in an introductory-level psychology course. The findings were…

"Tu Que Te Mereces Un Principe, Un Dentista": The Use of Metaphors of Love, Desire, and Gender in Personal Ads on the Internet to Perform Heterosexuality. Creating and Supporting Ideologies of Heteronormativity and Sexuality in Spanish

Science.gov (United States)

Rojas-Sosa, Deyanira

2009-01-01

This study investigates how heterosexuality is performed and achieved in everyday language use, specifically in personal ads from the Internet. Within personal ads, it focuses on the metaphors used by ad posters to articulate concepts of love, desire, gender and sexuality. The aim was to determine how the use of certain metaphors reflects ad…

MULTILOOP PI CONTROLLER FOR ACHIEVING SIMULTANEOUS TIME AND FREQUENCY DOMAIN SPECIFICATIONS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. SENTHILKUMAR

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Most of the controllers in control system are designed to satisfy either time domain or frequency domain specifications. This work presents the computation of a multiloop PI controller for achieving time and frequency domain specifications simultaneously. The desired time and frequency domain measures are to be specified initially to the design. To obtain the desired value of the performance measures the graphical relationship between the PI controller and the performance criteria is given. Thus by using graphical method a set of PI controller parameters to meet the desired performance measures are obtained in an effective and simpler way. The coupled tank has become a classic design of control engineering for multivariable process. The proposed control strategy has been implemented in the same coupled tank process and validated through simulation studies.

Classroom Environment, Achievement Goals and Maths Performance: Gender Differences

Science.gov (United States)

Gherasim, Loredana Ruxandra; Butnaru, Simona; Mairean, Cornelia

2013-01-01

This study investigated how gender shapes the relationships between classroom environment, achievement goals and maths performance. Seventh-grade students ("N"?=?498) from five urban secondary schools filled in achievement goal orientations and classroom environment scales at the beginning of the second semester. Maths performance was…

Achievement goals, self-handicapping, and performance: a 2 x 2 achievement goal perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Ntoumanis, Nikos; Thøgersen-Ntoumani, Cecilie; Smith, Alison L

2009-11-01

Elliot and colleagues (2006) examined the effects of experimentally induced achievement goals, proposed by the trichotomous model, on self-handicapping and performance in physical education. Our study replicated and extended the work of Elliot et al. by experimentally promoting all four goals proposed by the 2 x 2 model (Elliot & McGregor, 2001), measuring the participants' own situational achievement goals, using a relatively novel task, and testing the participants in a group setting. We used a randomized experimental design with four conditions that aimed to induce one of the four goals advanced by the 2 x 2 model. The participants (n = 138) were undergraduates who engaged in a dart-throwing task. The results pertaining to self-handicapping partly replicated Elliot and colleagues' findings by showing that experimentally promoted performance-avoidance goals resulted in less practice. In contrast, the promotion of mastery-avoidance goals did not result in less practice compared with either of the approach goals. Dart-throwing performance did not differ among the four goal conditions. Personal achievement goals did not moderate the effects of experimentally induced goals on self-handicapping and performance. The extent to which mastery-avoidance goals are maladaptive is discussed, as well as the interplay between personal and experimentally induced goals.

The object of sexual desire: examining the "what" in "what do you desire?".

Science.gov (United States)

Mark, Kristen; Herbenick, Debby; Fortenberry, Dennis; Sanders, Stephanie; Reece, Michael

2014-11-01

Over the past two decades, sexual desire and desire discrepancy have become more frequently studied as have potential pharmaceutical interventions to treat low sexual desire. However, the complexities of sexual desire-including what exactly is desired-remain poorly understood. To understand the object of men's and women's sexual desire, evaluate gender differences and similarities in the object of desire, and examine the impact of object of desire discrepancies on overall desire for partner in men and women in the context of long-term relationships. A total of 406 individuals, 203 men and 203 women in a relationship with one another, completed an online survey on sexual desire. Reports of the object of sexual desire in addition to measures of sexual desire for current partner were collected from both members of the couple. There were significant gender differences in the object of sexual desire. Men were significantly more likely to endorse desire for sexual release, orgasm, and pleasing their partner than were women. Women were significantly more likely to endorse desire for intimacy, emotional closeness, love, and feeling sexually desirable than men. Discrepancies within the couple with regard to object of desire were related to their level of sexual desire for partner, accounting for 17% of variance in men's desire and 37% of variance in women's desire. This research provides insights into the conceptualization of sexual desire in long-term relationships and the multifaceted nature of sexual desire that may aid in more focused ways to maintain desire over long-term relationships. Future research on the utility of this perspective of sexual desire and implications for clinicians working with couples struggling with low sexual desire in their relationships is discussed. © 2014 International Society for Sexual Medicine.

Decoupling dehumidification and cooling for energy saving and desirable space air conditions in hot and humid Hong Kong

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, W.L.; Chen Hua; Leung, Y.C.; Zhang, Y.

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► The combined use of dedicated ventilation and dry cooling (DCDV) system was investigated. ► Investigations were based actual equipment performance data and realistic building and system characteristics. ► DCDV system could save 54% of the annual energy use for air-conditioning. ► DCDV system could better achieve the desired space air conditions. ► DCDV system could decouple dehumidification and cooling. - Abstract: The combined use of dedicated outdoor air ventilation (DV) and dry cooling (DC) air-conditioning system to decouple sensible and latent cooling for desirable space air conditions, better indoor air quality, and energy efficiency is proposed for hot and humid climates like Hong Kong. In this study, the performance and energy saving potential of DCDV system in comparison to conventional systems (constant air volume (CAV) system with and without reheat) for air conditioning of a typical office building in Hong Kong are evaluated. Through hour-by-hour simulations, using actual equipment performance data and realistic building and system characteristics, the cooling load profile, resultant indoor air conditions, condensation at the DC coil, and energy consumptions are calculated and analyzed. The results indicate that with the use of DCDV system, the desirable indoor conditions could be achieved and the annual energy use could be reduced by 54% over CAV system with reheat. The condensate-free characteristic at the DC coil to reduce risk of catching disease could also be realized.

Executive Function and the Development of Belief-Desire Psychology

Science.gov (United States)

Rakoczy, Hannes

2010-01-01

In two studies children's performance on tasks requiring the ascription of beliefs and desires was investigated in relation to their executive function. Study 1 (n = 80) showed that 3- and 4-year-olds were more proficient at ascribing subjective, mutually incompatible desires and desire-dependent emotions to two persons than they were at ascribing…

Goods and Services Tax (GST: The Importance of Comprehension Towards Achieving the Desired Awareness Among Malaysian

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Othman Rani Diana

2017-01-01

Full Text Available In line with the implementation of value added tax (VAT by 160 countries, Malaysia has taken its own path with the introduction of goods and services tax (GST starting from 1 April 2015 to replace its previous tax system. This new tax system has been announced on 25 October 2013, which has given about 17 months for businesses and people in Malaysia to make a complete preparation for GST. GST is proven to be the fairer tax system to overcome the previous one which was not only limited in scope, but also came with a number of inherent weaknesses. Therefore, in order to achieve the desired awareness regarding GST, it is essential that all Malaysians have the required level of understanding in terms of its concepts, scopes, charges and mechanisms. This paper discusses the benefits of GST for the nation in the long run as well as the negative perceptions from the public. This should reveal the additional steps to be taken by the regulators in ensuring a better comprehension of this new tax system among the citizens as a support for the government’s tax reform, which has been programmed for Malaysia to move towards a high-income nation.

Performance-based planning and programming guidebook.

Science.gov (United States)

2013-09-01

"Performance-based planning and programming (PBPP) refers to the application of performance management principles within the planning and programming processes of transportation agencies to achieve desired performance outcomes for the multimodal tran...

A meta-analysis of self-reported achievement goals and nonself-report performance across three achievement domains (work, sports, and education.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nico W Van Yperen

Full Text Available During the past three decades, the achievement goal approach to achievement motivation has emerged as an influential area of research, and is dedicated to understanding the reasons behind the individual's drive to achieve competence and performance. However, the current literature on achievement goals is segmented rather than integrated. That is, citations across the three major and distinct achievement domains (work, education, and sports are more the exception than the rule and similarities and differences between findings for the different achievement domains have yet to be tested. The purpose of the present study was to examine the relationships between self-reported achievement goals and nonself-report performance through meta-analysis, and the moderating potential of achievement domain. Identifying achievement domain as moderator improves our understanding to which contexts we can (not generalize conclusions to, it helps to understand seemingly inconsistent findings, and opens avenues for future research on the underlying processes. Because the achievement goal (AG measure used in a study is partially confounded with achievement domain, we examined the moderating role of this variable as well. Our findings suggest that - overall - approach goals (either mastery or performance were associated positively with performance attainment, whereas avoidance goals (either mastery or performance were associated negatively with performance attainment. These relationships were moderated by achievement domain. For example, relative to the education or work domain, in the sports domain, we did not observe negative correlations between avoidance goals and performance. The absence of statistical moderation due to AG measure suggests that the observed moderation of achievement domain cannot be explained by the AG measure utilized. We suggest further steps to integrate the achievement goal literature, and accordingly, to broaden and deepen understanding of

A meta-analysis of self-reported achievement goals and nonself-report performance across three achievement domains (work, sports, and education).

Science.gov (United States)

Van Yperen, Nico W; Blaga, Monica; Postmes, Tom

2014-01-01

During the past three decades, the achievement goal approach to achievement motivation has emerged as an influential area of research, and is dedicated to understanding the reasons behind the individual's drive to achieve competence and performance. However, the current literature on achievement goals is segmented rather than integrated. That is, citations across the three major and distinct achievement domains (work, education, and sports) are more the exception than the rule and similarities and differences between findings for the different achievement domains have yet to be tested. The purpose of the present study was to examine the relationships between self-reported achievement goals and nonself-report performance through meta-analysis, and the moderating potential of achievement domain. Identifying achievement domain as moderator improves our understanding to which contexts we can (not) generalize conclusions to, it helps to understand seemingly inconsistent findings, and opens avenues for future research on the underlying processes. Because the achievement goal (AG) measure used in a study is partially confounded with achievement domain, we examined the moderating role of this variable as well. Our findings suggest that - overall - approach goals (either mastery or performance) were associated positively with performance attainment, whereas avoidance goals (either mastery or performance) were associated negatively with performance attainment. These relationships were moderated by achievement domain. For example, relative to the education or work domain, in the sports domain, we did not observe negative correlations between avoidance goals and performance. The absence of statistical moderation due to AG measure suggests that the observed moderation of achievement domain cannot be explained by the AG measure utilized. We suggest further steps to integrate the achievement goal literature, and accordingly, to broaden and deepen understanding of performance

The business of desire: "Russian" bars in Amman, Jordan.

Science.gov (United States)

Beňová, Lenka

2017-10-01

This paper discusses the type of work migrant women from the former Eastern European countries perform in nightclubs in Amman, Jordan. The fieldwork for this qualitative study was conducted in 2010 and is based on in-depth interviews with 13 women. The topic is approached from the perspective of describing women's choices and journeys to this work. It juxtaposes the sexualised nature of their work with their yearning for a "normal" family life, which they imagine, yet know, is impossible to achieve with the men they meet in their workplaces. Layered on top of these private desires among both women and their clients is the business strategy of the clubs, which operate in the lucrative but marginal space of selling exotic but respectable seduction. I draw on the literature about female migration to the Middle East in order to argue that hostesses in these bars perform affective labour akin to care work, within the neoliberal global economy that individualises risk.

A Model of Statistics Performance Based on Achievement Goal Theory.

Science.gov (United States)

Bandalos, Deborah L.; Finney, Sara J.; Geske, Jenenne A.

2003-01-01

Tests a model of statistics performance based on achievement goal theory. Both learning and performance goals affected achievement indirectly through study strategies, self-efficacy, and test anxiety. Implications of these findings for teaching and learning statistics are discussed. (Contains 47 references, 3 tables, 3 figures, and 1 appendix.)…

The ethical desirability of moral bioenhancement: A review of reasons

NARCIS (Netherlands)

J. Specker (Jona); F. Focquaert (Farah); K. Raus (Kasper); S. Sterckx (Sigrid); M.H.N. Schermer (Maartje)

2014-01-01

textabstractBackground: The debate on the ethical aspects of moral bioenhancement focuses on the desirability of using biomedical as opposed to traditional means to achieve moral betterment. The aim of this paper is to systematically review the ethical reasons presented in the literature for and

Extending hierarchical achievement motivation models: the role of motivational needs for achievement goals and academic performance

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bipp, T.; Dam, van K.

2014-01-01

In the current study, we investigated the role of three basic motivational needs (need for power, affiliation, achievement) as antecedents of goals within the 2 × 2 achievement goal framework, and examined their combined predictive validity with regard to academic performance in a sample of 120

Desired emotional states: their nature, causes, and implications for emotion regulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Tamir, Maya; Gutentag, Tony

2017-10-01

Emotion regulation is a process directed toward achieving desired emotions. People want to experience different emotions at different times and for different reasons, leading them to change emotions accordingly. Research on desired emotions has made several discoveries. First, what people want to feel varies across individuals and across situations. Second, what people want to feel depends on how much they value emotions and on the extent to which they expect emotions to yield behavioral, social, or epistemic benefits. Third, what people want to feel sets the direction of emotion regulation and can shape emotional experiences and subsequent behavior. Identifying and understanding desired emotional states can promote healthier emotion regulation and emotional experiences, and more adaptive personal and social functioning. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Windows PowerShell desired state configuration revealed

CERN Document Server

Chaganti, Ravikanth

2014-01-01

Desired State Configuration (DSC) is a powerful new configuration management platform that makes it easier than ever to perform cross-platform configuration management of your infrastructure, whether on-premise or in the cloud. DSC provides the management platform and Application Programming Interface (API) that can be used with any programming language. Windows PowerShell Desired State Configuration Revealed will take you through this new technology from start to finish and demonstrates the DSC interfaces through Windows PowerShell. DSC allows you to manage target devices by simply declarin

Team performance: Pitfalls and solutions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, R.R.; Eckert, M.J.

1988-01-01

Team building is often used as a focal point and process for improving performance. In many cases these efforts are successful in achieving the desired goals and the team building is confirmed as an effective approach. The authors have been involved in a number of successful, and some unsuccessful, efforts. This paper is concerned primarily with those cases where a team approach did not achieve the desired improvement. These experiences offer an opportunity to better understand the conditions under which team building works and to identify how a complete assessment of the prevailing conditions can provide corrections to improve the probability of success

Componential Analysis of Analogical-Reasoning Performance of High and Low Achievers.

Science.gov (United States)

Armour-Thomas, Eleanor; Allen, Brenda A.

1990-01-01

Assessed analogical reasoning in high- and low-achieving students at the high school level and determined whether analogical reasoning was related to academic achievement in ninth grade students (N=54). Results indicated that high achievers performed better than low achievers on all types of analogical-reasoning processes. (Author/ABL)

Establishing seismic design criteria to achieve an acceptable seismic margin

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kennedy, R.P.

1997-01-01

In order to develop a risk based seismic design criteria the following four issues must be addressed: (1) What target annual probability of seismic induced unacceptable performance is acceptable? (2). What minimum seismic margin is acceptable? (3) Given the decisions made under Issues 1 and 2, at what annual frequency of exceedance should the Safe Shutdown Earthquake ground motion be defined? (4) What seismic design criteria should be established to reasonably achieve the seismic margin defined under Issue 2? The first issue is purely a policy decision and is not addressed in this paper. Each of the other three issues are addressed. Issues 2 and 3 are integrally tied together so that a very large number of possible combinations of responses to these two issues can be used to achieve the target goal defined under Issue 1. Section 2 lays out a combined approach to these two issues and presents three potentially attractive combined resolutions of these two issues which reasonably achieves the target goal. The remainder of the paper discusses an approach which can be used to develop seismic design criteria aimed at achieving the desired seismic margin defined in resolution of Issue 2. Suggestions for revising existing seismic design criteria to more consistently achieve the desired seismic margin are presented

A realização imaginária do desejo inconsciente num grupo terapêutico de crianças em idade pré-escolar Imaginary achievement of unconscious desire in a therapy group of pre-school-aged-children

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jefferson Silva Krug

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Alguns teóricos têm observado que os grupos, assim como os sonhos, podem fornecer um espaço privilegiado para a realização imaginária de desejos inconscientes de seus membros. Por meio de relatos de sessões de um grupo terapêutico formado por crianças em idade pré-escolar, objetivou-se conhecer as formas de organização e de expressão do grupo que possibilitaram a realização imaginária de desejos inconscientes de seus membros. Mediante Análise Textual Qualitativa, constatou-se que a realização dos desejos foi possível pela articulação dinâmica entre desejos manifestos, formas de expressão e modos pelos quais o grupo organiza seus processos, influenciados pelas características do desenvolvimento psicossexual das crianças.A few theoreticians have observed that groups, as well as dreams, may provide a privileged space for the imaginary achievement of their members' unconscious desires. Through reports of sessions of a therapy group comprising children at pre-school age, this study aimed at learning the organization and expression forms of the group that rendered possible the imaginary achievement of their members' unconscious desires. Qualitative Textual Analysis led to find out that the achievement of desires was possible through the dynamic articulation among the expressed desires, forms of expressions and ways in which the group organizes its processes, influenced by the characteristics of the children's psychosexual development.

Metrics help rural hospitals achieve world-class performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Goodspeed, Scott W

2006-01-01

This article describes the emerging trend of using metrics in rural hospitals to achieve world-class performance. This trend is a response to the fact that rural hospitals have small patient volumes yet must maintain a profit margin in order to fulfill their mission to the community. The conceptual idea for this article is based largely on Robert Kaplan and David Norton's Balanced Scorecard articles in the Harvard Business Review. The ideas also come from the experiences of the 60-plus rural hospitals that are using the Balanced Scorecard and their implementation of metrics to influence performance and behavior. It is indeed possible for rural hospitals to meet and exceed the unique needs of patients and physicians (customers), to achieve healthy profit margins, and to be the rural hospital of choice that employees are proud to work for.

A Meta-Analysis of Self-Reported Achievement Goals and Nonself-Report Performance across Three Achievement Domains (Work, Sports, and Education)

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Van Yperen, Nico W.; Blaga, Monica; Postmes, Tom

2014-01-01

During the past three decades, the achievement goal approach to achievement motivation has emerged as an influential area of research, and is dedicated to understanding the reasons behind the individual's drive to achieve competence and performance. However, the current literature on achievement

Holistic Performance Measurement to Achieve Sustainable Competitive Advantage

OpenAIRE

Keni Keni

2013-01-01

In the past, companies used balanced scorecard to measure its performance. Now, balanced scorecard as a performance measurement tool is no longer sufficient because business has been affected by changes to the natural environment and developing social expectations. In order to achieve sustainable competitive advantage, companies are beginning to address the risks and opportunities associated with these changes in their longer-term business planning. To turn risks into opportunities, companies...

Routing performance analysis and optimization within a massively parallel computer

Science.gov (United States)

Archer, Charles Jens; Peters, Amanda; Pinnow, Kurt Walter; Swartz, Brent Allen

2013-04-16

An apparatus, program product and method optimize the operation of a massively parallel computer system by, in part, receiving actual performance data concerning an application executed by the plurality of interconnected nodes, and analyzing the actual performance data to identify an actual performance pattern. A desired performance pattern may be determined for the application, and an algorithm may be selected from among a plurality of algorithms stored within a memory, the algorithm being configured to achieve the desired performance pattern based on the actual performance data.

Multifaceted Sexual Desire and Hormonal Associations: Accounting for Social Location, Relationship Status, and Desire Target.

Science.gov (United States)

Chadwick, Sara B; Burke, Shannon M; Goldey, Katherine L; van Anders, Sari M

2017-11-01

Sexual desire is typically measured as a unitary erotic phenomenon and is often assumed by biological and biomedical researchers, as well as the lay public, to be directly connected to physiological parameters like testosterone (T). In the present study, we empirically examined how conceptualizing sexual desire as multifaceted might clarify associations with T and contextual variables. To do so, we used the Sexual Desire Questionnaire (DESQ), which assesses multifaceted dyadic sexual desire, to explore how contextual variables such as social location, relationship status, and desire target (e.g., partner vs. stranger) might be meaningful for reports of sexual desire and associated hormonal correlations. We focused on women (N = 198), because sexual desire and testosterone are generally unlinked in healthy men. Participants imagined a partner or stranger while answering the 65 DESQ items and provided a saliva sample for hormone assay. Analyses showed that the DESQ factored differently for the current sample than in previous research, highlighting how sexual desire can be constructed differently across different populations. We also found that, for the Intimacy, Eroticism, and Partner Focus factors, mean scores were higher when the desire target was a partner relative to a stranger for participants in a relationship, but equally high between partner versus stranger target for single participants. DESQ items resolved into meaningful hormonal desire components, such that high endorsement of Fantasy Experience was linked to higher T, and higher cortisol was linked with lower endorsement of the Intimacy factor. We argue that conceptualizing desire as multifaceted and contextualized when assessing hormonal links-or questions in general about desire-can clarify some of its complexities and lead to new research avenues.

Normative influence and desired family size among young people in rural Egypt.

Science.gov (United States)

Harbour, Catherine

2011-06-01

Research has identified the lack of acceptance of a two-child-family norm as the biggest obstacle to achieving replacement-level fertility in Egypt. This analysis examines norms about desired family size for 1,366 males and 1,367 females aged 15-24 in 2004 in rural Minya governorate. Two-level random-effects multivariate logistic regression models, stratified by sex and grouped by neighborhood, are used to assess normative influence at the household and neighborhood levels, controlling for individual- and household-level covariates. In the final model, young males in neighborhoods where more people desire a small family are 33 percent more likely to desire a small family than are young males in other neighborhoods. Young females in households with one or more adults preferring a small family are 78 percent more likely to desire a small family, and young females in households with one or more young people who prefer a small family are 37 percent more likely to desire a small family themselves, compared with those living with adults or with young people, respectively, who do not prefer a small family. Programs aiming to reduce fertility should be aware of gender differences in the sources of normative influence on desired family size.

How to achieve the desired outcomes of advance care planning in nursing homes: a theory of change.

Science.gov (United States)

Gilissen, J; Pivodic, L; Gastmans, C; Vander Stichele, R; Deliens, L; Breuer, E; Van den Block, L

2018-02-14

Change map presented here illustrates a theory of how ACP is expected to work in order to achieve its desired long-term outcomes while highlighting organisational factors that potentially facilitate the implementation and sustainability of ACP. We provide the first comprehensive rationale of how ACP is expected to work in nursing homes, something that has been called for repeatedly.

Assessment of Sexual Desire for Clinical Trials of Women With Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder: Measures, Desire-Related Behavior, and Assessment of Clinical Significance.

Science.gov (United States)

Pyke, Robert E; Clayton, Anita H

2018-01-19

The Female Sexual Function Index-desire subscale is the standard measure for clinical trials of hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD), but lacks items assessing sexually related behaviors and attitudes toward partner. Counting satisfying sexual events is criticized, but sexual behavior remains important. Mean treatment differences cannot define clinical significance; responder and remitter analyses help. We reviewed measures on sexual desire and sexual behavior relevant to HSDD, and how to assess clinical significance. We conducted a literature review of measures of sexual desire comparing expert-proposed criteria for dysfunctional desire, expert-developed scales, and scales from patient input. Commonly recognized symptoms of HSDD were identified. Results of HSDD trials and scale validation studies were evaluated to extract responder and remitter values. The utility of distribution-based measures of responders and remitters was assessed. Symptom relevance was evaluated as the proportion of symptom sets that included the item; responder and remitter cut points were determined by distribution-based methods. 12 Validated rating scales, 5 scales primarily derived from expert recommendations and 7 scales initially from patient input, and 5 sets of diagnostic criteria for conditions like HSDD were compared. Content varied highly between scales despite compliance with U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommendations for patient-reported outcomes. This disunity favors an expert-recommended scale such as the Elements of Desire Questionnaire with each of the common items, plus a measure of frequency of sexual activity, eg, item in the Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System. Registrational drug trials, but not psychological treatment trials, usually give responder/remitter analyses, using dichotomized global impressions or anchor-based definitions. Distribution-based methods are more uniformly applicable to define responder and remitter status. The

Sexual Desire in Sexual Minority and Majority Women and Men: The Multifaceted Sexual Desire Questionnaire.

Science.gov (United States)

Chadwick, Sara B; Burke, Shannon M; Goldey, Katherine L; Bell, Sarah N; van Anders, Sari M

2017-11-01

Sexual desire is increasingly understood to be multifaceted and not solely erotically oriented, but measures are still generally unitary and eroticism-focused. Our goals in this article were to explore the multifaceted nature of sexual desire and develop a measure to do so, and to determine how multifaceted sexual desire might be related to gender/sex and sexual orientation/identity. In the development phase, we generated items to form the 65-item Sexual Desire Questionnaire (DESQ). Next, the DESQ was administered to 609 women, 705 men, and 39 non-binary identified participants. Results showed that the DESQ demonstrated high reliability and validity, and that sexual desire was neither unitary nor entirely erotic, but instead was remarkably multifaceted. We also found that multifaceted sexual desire was in part related to social location variables such as gender/sex and sexual orientation/identity. We propose the DESQ as a measure of multifaceted sexual desire that can be used to compare factor themes, total scores, and scores across individual items in diverse groups that take social context into account. Results are discussed in light of how social location variables should be considered when making generalizations about sexual desire, and how conceptualizations of desire as multifaceted may provide important insights.

Leadership Competencies Desired by Employers of Business ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

One hundred and sixty top management and senior administrative staff of selected business organizations in Anambra State, Nigeria were surveyed to ascertain the leadership competencies they desire of business education graduates for effective job performance. The survey made use of a 15 item structured ...

From Sexual Desire Discrepancies to Desirable Sex: Creating the Optimal Connection.

Science.gov (United States)

Kleinplatz, Peggy J; Paradis, Nicolas; Charest, Maxime; Lawless, Shannon; Neufeld, Marlene; Neufeld, Robert; Pratt, Danielle; Ménard, A Dana; Buduru, Bogdan; Rosen, Lianne

2017-11-21

Beginning in 2005, our team conducted a series of studies on optimal sexual experiences. We have applied our findings to develop a group therapy intervention for couples presenting with low sexual desire/frequency and sexual desire discrepancy. The goal was to improve the quality of erotic intimacy by focusing on such elements as being fully embodied during sex, increasing authenticity, trustworthiness, and vulnerability. Twenty-eight heterosexual individuals (14 couples) were seen in 16 hours of couples group therapy. Each completed the New Sexual Satisfaction Scale in pretests, posttests and six-month follow-ups. Significant differences in satisfaction (p creating just enough safety to enable couples to take erotic risks and thereby create desirable sexual intimacy.

Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Goldstein, Irwin; Kim, Noel N.; Clayton, Anita H

2017-01-01

The objective of the International Society for the Study of Women's Sexual Health expert consensus panel was to develop a concise, clinically relevant, evidence-based review of the epidemiology, physiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment of hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD), a sexual...... dysfunction affecting approximately 10% of adult women. Etiologic factors include conditions or drugs that decrease brain dopamine, melanocortin, oxytocin, and norepinephrine levels and augment brain serotonin, endocannabinoid, prolactin, and opioid levels. Symptoms include lack or loss of motivation...... to participate in sexual activity due to absent or decreased spontaneous desire, sexual desire in response to erotic cues or stimulation, or ability to maintain desire or interest through sexual activity for at least 6 months, with accompanying distress. Treatment follows a biopsychosocial model and is guided...

The Role of Achievement Goals in the Development of Interest: Reciprocal Relations between Achievement Goals, Interest, and Performance

Science.gov (United States)

Harackiewicz, Judith M.; Durik, Amanda M.; Barron, Kenneth E.; Linnenbrink-Garcia, Lisa; Tauer, John M.

2008-01-01

The dynamics of individual and situational interest and academic performance were examined in the college classroom and 7 semesters later in conjunction with achievement goals. At the beginning of an introductory psychology course, participants reported their initial interest in psychology, achievement goals, and situational interest in course…

Optimal Control Allocation with Load Sensor Feedback for Active Load Suppression, Flight-Test Performance

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, Christopher J.; Goodrick, Dan

2017-01-01

The problem of control command and maneuver induced structural loads is an important aspect of any control system design. The aircraft structure and the control architecture must be designed to achieve desired piloted control responses while limiting the imparted structural loads. The classical approach is to utilize high structural margins, restrict control surface commands to a limited set of analyzed combinations, and train pilots to follow procedural maneuvering limitations. With recent advances in structural sensing and the continued desire to improve safety and vehicle fuel efficiency, it is both possible and desirable to develop control architectures that enable lighter vehicle weights while maintaining and improving protection against structural damage. An optimal control technique has been explored and shown to achieve desirable vehicle control performance while limiting sensed structural loads to specified values. This technique has been implemented and flown on the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Full-scale Advanced Systems Testbed aircraft. The flight tests illustrate that the approach achieves the desired performance and show promising potential benefits. The flights also uncovered some important issues that will need to be addressed for production application.

Quantitative Guidance for Stove Usage and Performance to Achieve Health and Environmental Targets.

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, Michael A; Chiang, Ranyee A

2015-08-01

Displacing the use of polluting and inefficient cookstoves in developing countries is necessary to achieve the potential health and environmental benefits sought through clean cooking solutions. Yet little quantitative context has been provided on how much displacement of traditional technologies is needed to achieve targets for household air pollutant concentrations or fuel savings. This paper provides instructive guidance on the usage of cooking technologies required to achieve health and environmental improvements. We evaluated different scenarios of displacement of traditional stoves with use of higher performing technologies. The air quality and fuel consumption impacts were estimated for these scenarios using a single-zone box model of indoor air quality and ratios of thermal efficiency. Stove performance and usage should be considered together, as lower performing stoves can result in similar or greater benefits than a higher performing stove if the lower performing stove has considerably higher displacement of the baseline stove. Based on the indoor air quality model, there are multiple performance-usage scenarios for achieving modest indoor air quality improvements. To meet World Health Organization guidance levels, however, three-stone fire and basic charcoal stove usage must be nearly eliminated to achieve the particulate matter target (< 1-3 hr/week), and substantially limited to meet the carbon monoxide guideline (< 7-9 hr/week). Moderate health gains may be achieved with various performance-usage scenarios. The greatest benefits are estimated to be achieved by near-complete displacement of traditional stoves with clean technologies, emphasizing the need to shift in the long term to near exclusive use of clean fuels and stoves. The performance-usage scenarios are also provided as a tool to guide technology selection and prioritize behavior change opportunities to maximize impact.

Desiring foods: Cultivating non-attachment to nourishment in Buddhist Sri Lanka.

Science.gov (United States)

Van Daele, Wim

2016-10-01

Food and desire are intimately entangled whereby food becomes a core tool to manage desire in fashioning oneself as a morally virtuous person. This paper looks at the ways in which Buddhist texts conceptualize human interactions with food and formulate prescriptions on how to handle food as a means of developing an attitude of non-attachment that aids in achieving nirvana-the extinguishing of desire to get released from the cycle of death and rebirth. The particular texts-the Agañña Sutta, the Āhāra Patikūlasaññā, and the Vinaya Pitaka- discussed here exhibit an attitude of deep ambiguity towards food in its capacity to incite desire. On the one hand nutrition is required to maintain life, but on the other, food can potentially be the cause of a degenerate state of mankind and a source of moral degradation. Hence, the Buddhist development of a dispassionate attitude towards food seeks to enable both nourishment and the pursuit of the extinction of the flame of desire in nirvana. Even though the texts formulate practical prescriptions for monks on how to relate to food to aid them in their pursuit, they also serve as moral standards for lay Sinhalese Buddhists who seek to model their everyday behaviour accordingly. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The problem of social desirability bias when measuring desire for adolescent pregnancy.

Science.gov (United States)

Payne, Beth A

2018-06-07

Accurate reporting of pregnancy desire is instrumental to develop programs that meet the needs of adolescents and can ensure their right to safety and support during their development into adulthood. In the paper by Estrada et al. the authors present much needed data on pregnancy desire in Latin America through secondary analysis of the UNICEF Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (https://mics.unicef.org/surveys). In this study the authors found that pregnancy desire varied significantly by region, ranging from 38% in Panama to 79% in Cuba. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

The suicidal desire of Tolstoy.

Science.gov (United States)

Pridmore, Saxby; Pridmore, William

2011-06-01

To explore whether a healthy, successful individual may experience suicidal desires. Examination of "A Confession" by Leo Tolstoy. Confirmation that a physically and mentally healthy, well resourced individual may experience suicidal desires. To reduce suicide rates, a broader understanding of the factors which contribute to suicidal desires is required.

What Makes Women Experience Desire?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Laan, Ellen; Both, Stephanie

2008-01-01

What makes women experience sexual desire? According to Kaplan, normal sexual response starts with desire, progresses through excitement or arousal, and ends with orgasm (Kaplan, 1974). This model implies that sexual desire is something you either have or don't have, and, if you don't have it, there

Hypothetical model of factors determining performance and sports achievement in team sports

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Trninić Marko

2011-01-01

Full Text Available The objective of this paper is formation of a comprehensive hypothetical dynamic interactional process model structured by assumed constructs, i.e. processes or mechanisms that obtain real features and influences on athlete's performance and athletic achievement. Thus there are formed and assumed reciprocal relations between high training and competition - based stress as the input variable, cognitive appraisal and interpretation as the mediator, and mood state as the moderator based on the development of the dynamic systems theory. Also, proposed model uses basic assumptions of the Action-Theory approach and it is in accordance with the contemporary socialcognitive view of team functioning in sports. Within the process model, the output variables are measures of efficacy evident through athlete's individual and team performance and athletic achievement. The situation, the team and athlete attributes, the performance and the athletic achievement are joined variables, and the individual and the collective efficacy are the consequence of their reciprocal interaction. Therefore, there are complex and reciprocal interactive processes in real sports and explorative situations amongst the attributes of athlete and team and the behaviour and situation that determine performance and athletic achievement. This is probably the result of an integrated network of reciprocal multi-causal activity of a set of stated assumed constructs from different theories. Thus the hypothetical model is an effort to describe elaborate correlations and/or interdependencies between internal and external determinants which presumably affect athlete's performance and athletic achievement.

Test Anxiety and Academic Performance among Undergraduates: The Moderating Role of Achievement Motivation.

Science.gov (United States)

Balogun, Anthony Gbenro; Balogun, Shyngle Kolawole; Onyencho, Chidi Victor

2017-02-13

This study investigated the moderating role of achievement motivation in the relationship between test anxiety and academic performance. Three hundred and ninety three participants (192 males and 201 females) selected from a public university in Ondo State, Nigeria using a purposive sampling technique, participated in the study. They responded to measures of test anxiety and achievement motivation. Three hypotheses were tested using moderated hierarchical multiple regression analysis. Results showed that test anxiety had a negative impact on academic performance (β = -.23; p motivation had a positive impact on academic performance (β = .38; p motivation significantly moderated the relationship between test anxiety and academic performance (β = .10; p students' achievement motivation.

Performance-approach and performance-avoidance classroom goals and the adoption of personal achievement goals.

Science.gov (United States)

Schwinger, Malte; Stiensmeier-Pelster, Joachim

2011-12-01

Students' perceptions of classroom goals influence their adoption of personal goals. To assess different forms of classroom goals, recent studies have favoured an overall measure of performance classroom goals, compared to a two-dimensional assessment of performance-approach and performance-avoidance classroom goals (PAVCG). This paper considered the relationship between students' perceptions of classroom goals and their endorsement of personal achievement goals. We proposed that three (instead of only two) classroom goals need to be distinguished. We aimed to provide evidence for this hypothesis by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and also by divergent associations between the respective classroom goal and students' personal goal endorsement. A total of 871 (474 female) 10th grade students from several German high schools participated in this study. Students responded to items assessing their perception of mastery, performance-approach, and performance-avoidance goals in the classroom. Additionally, the students reported how much they personally pursue mastery, performance-approach, and performance-avoidance goals. All items referred to German as a specific school subject. RESULTS.A CFA yielded empirical support for the proposed distinction of three (instead of only two) different kinds of classroom goals. Moreover, in hierarchical linear modelling (HLM) analyses all three classroom goals showed unique associations with students' personal goal adoption. The findings emphasized the need to distinguish performance-approach and PAVCG. Furthermore, our results suggest that multiple classroom goals have interactive effects on students' personal achievement strivings. ©2010 The British Psychological Society.

CITYkeys Smart city performance measurement system

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Huovila, A.; Airaksinen, M.; Pinto-Seppa, I.; Piira, K.; Bosch, P.R.; Penttinen, T.; Neumann, H.M.; Kontinakis, N.

2017-01-01

Cities are tackling their economic, social and environmental challenges through smart city solutions. To demonstrate that these solutions achieve the desired impact, an indicator-based assessment system is needed. This paper presents the process of developing CITYkeys performance measurement system

Dynamic Effects of Performance-Avoidance Goal Orientation on Student Achievement in Language and Mathematics.

Science.gov (United States)

Stamovlasis, Dimitrios; Gonida, Sofia-Eleftheria N

2018-07-01

The present study used achievement goal theory (AGT) as a theoretical framework and examined the role of mastery and performance goals, both performance-approach and performance-avoidance, on school achieve-ment within the nonlinear dynamical systems (NDS) perspective. A series of cusp catastrophe models were applied on students' achievement in a number of school subjects, such as mathematics and language for elementary school and algebra, geometry, ancient and modern Greek language for high school, using achievement goal orientations as control variables. The participants (N=224) were students attending fifth and eighth grade (aged 11 and 14, respectively) in public schools located in northern Greece. Cusp analysis based on the probability density function was carried out by two procedures, the maximum likelihood and the least squares. The results showed that performance-approach goals had no linear effect on achievement, while the cusp models implementing mastery goals as the asymmetry factor and performance-avoidance as the bifurcation, proved superior to their linear alternatives. The results of the study based on NDS support the multiple goal perspective within AGT. Theoretical issues, educational implications and future directions are discussed.

The impact of the achievement motive on athletic performance in adolescent football players.

Science.gov (United States)

Zuber, Claudia; Conzelmann, Achim

2014-01-01

Researchers largely agree that there is a positive relationship between achievement motivation and athletic performance, which is why the achievement motive is viewed as a potential criterion for talent. However, the underlying mechanism behind this relationship remains unclear. In talent and performance models, main effect, mediator and moderator models have been suggested. A longitudinal study was carried out among 140 13-year-old football talents, using structural equation modelling to determine which model best explains how hope for success (HS) and fear of failure (FF), which are the aspects of the achievement motive, motor skills and abilities that affect performance. Over a period of half a year, HS can to some extent explain athletic performance, but this relationship is not mediated by the volume of training, sport-specific skills or abilities, nor is the achievement motive a moderating variable. Contrary to expectations, FF does not explain any part of performance. Aside from HS, however, motor abilities and in particular skills also predict a significant part of performance. The study confirms the widespread assumption that the development of athletic performance in football depends on multiple factors, and in particular that HS is worth watching in the medium term as a predictor of talent.

Relation between Self-Esteem and Socially Desirable Responding and the Role of Socially Desirable Responding in the Relation between Self-Esteem and Performance

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Chiungjung

2013-01-01

This investigation examines the relation between self-esteem and socially desirable responding by integrating previous findings via a meta-analysis. In 55 studies containing 73 independent samples (N?=?11,901), the correlation between self-esteem and Impression Management was weak, that between self-esteem and Self-Deceptive Enhancement was from…

TOUCHING MOMENTS: DESIRE MODULATES THE NEURAL ANTICIPATION OF ACTIVE ROMANTIC CARESS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sjoerd J.H. Ebisch

2014-02-01

Full Text Available A romantic caress is a basic expression of affiliative behavior and a primary reinforcer. Given its inherent affective valence, its performance also would imply the prediction of reward values. For example, touching a person for whom one has strong passionate feelings likely is motivated by a strong desire for physical contact and associated with the anticipation of hedonic experiences. The present study aims at investigating how the anticipatory neural processes of active romantic caress are modulated by the intensity of the desire for affective contact as reflected by passionate feelings for the other. Functional magnetic resonance imaging scanning was performed in romantically involved partners using a paradigm that allowed to isolate the specific anticipatory representations of active romantic caress, compared with control caress, while testing for the relationship between neural activity and measures of feelings of passionate love for the other. The results demonstrated that right posterior insula activity in anticipation of romantic caress significantly co-varied with the intensity of desire for union with the other. This effect was independent of the sensory-affective properties of the performed touch, like its pleasantness. Furthermore, functional connectivity analysis showed that the same posterior insula cluster interacted with brain regions related to sensory-motor functions as well as to the processing and anticipation of reward. The findings provide insight on the neural substrate mediating between the desire for and the performance of romantic caress. In particular, we propose that anticipatory activity patterns in posterior insula may modulate subsequent sensory-affective processing of skin-to-skin contact.

«Desire is everything». Desires, dreams, obsessions of collectors and antiquarians

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Beatrice Laghezza

2013-06-01

Full Text Available The aim of this essay is to intersect the figures of the collector and the antiquarian with the dynamics of desire, and identify the possible connections between the three themes. Therefore, a thematic and comparative approach was chosen, while the sample text were drawn from the Italian literature of the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The textual analysis will reveal the various desires moving collectors and antiquarians in search of the items that make up their collections: greed, pathological need of wealth, fantasies of martyrdom, love, ambition to excel, dreams of omnipotence, libido, jealousy, Illusion of immortality, attraction to the perverse, flâneuristic curiosity. But at the top of this list there is undoubtedly the desire to listen to literature’s description of life.

What is desirable and feasible in dose reconstruction for application in epidemiological studies?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bouville, A.; Anspaugh, L.; Beebe, G.W.

1996-01-01

Formal epidemiologic studies are intended to increase scientific knowledge about the quantitative risk that is associated with radiation exposure. Dosimetric data are needed for such studies. What dosimetric data are desirable? Doses are needed for a large number of people with a large gradation of radiation exposures in order to ensure a sufficient power for the epidemiological study. The characteristics of the desirable doses are, in some respects, different from those calculated for radiation protection purposes. The desirable data are: absorbed doses to the individual organs or tissues of interest, instead of effective doses; absorbed doses delivered over limited time periods, instead of committed doses; doses specific to the individuals that are subjects in the epidemiological studies, instead of average doses over population groups; and very accurate and precise doses. What dosimetric data are feasible? Most of the characteristics of the desirable dosimetric data are usually achievable. However, uncertainties can be fairly large and estimated with a large degree of subjectivity. Also, for practical reasons, it may not be feasible to estimate individual doses for all subjects

A Bit too Skinny for Me: Women's Homosocial Constructions of Heterosexual Desire in Online Dating

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mortensen, Kristine Køhler

2018-01-01

, online dating practices are rich fields for investigating the workings of desire. Based on audiovisual recordings of two Danish female friends engaging in online dating activities, this article demonstrates how participants, through joint stance-taking, co-construct shared desire and adjust individually......-produced desire to create homosocial affiliation. Hence, in this case, heterosexual desire construction is a collaborative undertaking generated through homosocial bonding. The performed desire carries a strong physical focus, partly produced by the participants’ attention to bodily detail and partly through...

The Effect of Teacher Performance in Implementation of The 2013 Curriculum Toward Chemistry Learning Achievement

Science.gov (United States)

Dewi, L. P.; Djohar, A.

2018-04-01

This research is a study about implementation of the 2013 Curriculum on Chemistry subject. This study aims to determine the effect of teacher performance toward chemistry learning achievement. The research design involves the independent variable, namely the performance of Chemistry teacher, and the dependent variable that is Chemistry learning achievement which includes the achievement in knowledge and skill domain. The subject of this research are Chemistry teachers and High School students in Bandung City. The research data is obtained from questionnaire about teacher performance assessed by student and Chemistry learning achievement from the students’ report. Data were analyzed by using MANOVA test. The result of multivariate significance test shows that there is a significant effect of teacher performance toward Chemistry learning achievement in knowledge and skill domain with medium effect size.

Optimization of magnetosome production by Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans using desirability function approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yan, Lei; Zhang, Shuang; Liu, Hetao; Wang, Weidong; Chen, Peng; Li, Hongyu

2016-01-01

Present study aimed to resolve the conflict between cell growth and magnetosome formation of Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans (A. ferrooxidans) in batch experiments by applying response surface methodology (RSM) integrated a desirability function approach. The effects of several operating parameters on cell growth (OD_6_0_0) and magnetosome production (C_m_a_g) were evaluated. The maximum overall desirability (D) of 0.923 was achieved at iron concentration of 125.07 mM, shake speed of 122.37 rpm and nitrogen concentration of 2.40 g/L. Correspondingly, the OD_6_0_0 and C_m_a_g were 0.522 and 1.196, respectively. The confirmation experiment confirmed that the optimum OD_6_0_0 and C_m_a_g obtained were in good agreement with the predicted values. The inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometer (ICP-AES) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analyses revealed that the production of magnetosomes could be improved via optimization. X-ray diffraction (XRD) showed the magnetosomes are magnetite. Results indicated that RSM with a desirability function was a useful technique to get the maximum OD_6_0_0 and C_m_a_g simultaneously. - Highlights: • Optimization of magnetosome production by A. ferrooxidans using BBD of RSM. • Desirability function was used for concurrent maximization of cell and magnetosome yield. • ICP-AES results showed an increase in intracellular iron content through optimizing. • TEM showed a 2.5 fold increase in magnetosome number after optimization. • The methodology demonstrated a useful tool with an overall desirability of 0.923.

Trigerred desire – new look at hypoactive sexual desire disorder among women

OpenAIRE

Iniewicz, Grzegorz; Strzelczak, Anna

2013-01-01

This article aims to present controversy surrounding current desire disorder criteria listed in DSM IV. Developed by Masters and Jonhson in 1996, completed later by Kaplan in 1974, the human sexual response cycle which is the basis for contemporary desire disorder criteria, in some aspects stands in opposition to the results of the newest research. This paper presents evidence to change the DSM criteria suggested by Basson and analyzes recent proposals for DSM V criteria for consideration of ...

Linking performance incentives to ethical practice

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Boudi FB

2018-02-01

Full Text Available No abstract available. Article truncated after 150 words. Health spending is a huge part of the United States economy as it is a large business. We all have seen increasing inclusion of corporate practices in health care. One such inclusion is the incentive programs which have at their core the goal of production of the desired behavioral outcomes directly related either to performance output or extraordinary achievement. However, management influence on the organization’s ethical environment and culture can inadvertently encourage or endorse unethical behavior despite the best intentions. One way would be failing to link performance incentives to ethical practice. When leaders create strong incentives to accomplish a goal without creating equally strong incentives to adhere to ethical practice in achieving the desired goal, they effectively set the stage for ethical malpractice. Incentivizing ethical practice is equally important as incentivizing other behaviors (1. In the health care industry, unlike in the sales industry, professionalism and patient care are …

The Problem: Low-Achieving Districts and Low-Performing Boards

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David E. Lee

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Effective school districts maintain superintendent and school board collegiality which can foster success and connectedness among members. Delagardelle and Alsbury (2008 found that superintendents and board members are not consistent in their perceptions about the work the board does, and Glass (2007 found that states do not require boards to undergo evaluation for effectiveness. In the current study, 115 board meetings were observed using the School Board Video Project (SBVP survey, which was created in 2012 by researchers to uncover school board meetings’ effectiveness. MANOVA, Univariate ANOVA, and Pearson Chi-Square test results revealed significant differences between low-, medium-, and high-performing districts’ school board meetings. Evidence indicated that low-performing districts’ board meetings were: less orderly; had less time spent on student achievement; lacked respectful and attentive engagement across speakers; had board meeting members who seemed to advance their own agenda; had less effective working relationships among the governance team; had fewer board members who relied on the superintendent for advice and input; had one member, other than the board president, stand out for taking excessive time during meetings; and did not focus on policy items as much as high- and medium-performing school districts. The research concluded that more school board members from low-performing districts needed training to improve their effectiveness. Furthermore, highly refined and target-enhanced school board training programs might lead to lasting governance success and more effective teaming that could improve district, and ultimately, student achievement.

Socially desirable responding by bariatric surgery candidates during psychological assessment.

Science.gov (United States)

Ambwani, Suman; Boeka, Abbe G; Brown, Joshua D; Byrne, T Karl; Budak, Amanda R; Sarwer, David B; Fabricatore, Anthony N; Morey, Leslie C; O'Neil, Patrick M

2013-01-01

Most bariatric surgery programs in the United States require preoperative psychological evaluations for candidates for surgery. Among those who perform these evaluations is concern that many patients engage in "impression management" or minimizing the symptoms of distress to receive a recommendation to proceed with surgery from the mental health professional. We sought to assess the prevalence of socially desirable responding and its associations with measures of psychological functioning among bariatric surgery candidates at 2 academic medical centers in the United States. The participants were male (n = 66) and female (n = 293) bariatric surgery candidates who presented for psychological evaluation. The participants completed 2 measures of socially desirable response styles (Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale and Personality Assessment Inventory Positive Impression Management scale) and standardized measures of anxiety, depression, and alcohol-related problems. The participants exhibited elevated scores on the social desirability indicators, with 33.3-39.8% scoring above the recommended cut-score on the Personality Assessment Inventory Positive Impression Management scale and 62.3-67% scoring 1 standard deviation above the standardization mean on the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale. Scores on the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale and Personality Assessment Inventory Positive Impression Management scale correlated inversely with the clinical measures of anxiety and depression, and the high/low scorers on the social desirability indices exhibited significant differences in anxiety and depression. Thus, elevated scores on the social desirability indices were associated with underreporting of certain clinical symptoms. A substantial proportion of bariatric surgery candidates appear to present themselves in an overly favorable light during the psychological evaluation. This response style is associated with less reporting of psychological

Performance on large-scale science tests: Item attributes that may impact achievement scores

Science.gov (United States)

Gordon, Janet Victoria

Significant differences in achievement among ethnic groups persist on the eighth-grade science Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL). The WASL measures academic performance in science using both scenario and stand-alone question types. Previous research suggests that presenting target items connected to an authentic context, like scenario question types, can increase science achievement scores especially in underrepresented groups and thus help to close the achievement gap. The purpose of this study was to identify significant differences in performance between gender and ethnic subgroups by question type on the 2005 eighth-grade science WASL. MANOVA and ANOVA were used to examine relationships between gender and ethnic subgroups as independent variables with achievement scores on scenario and stand-alone question types as dependent variables. MANOVA revealed no significant effects for gender, suggesting that the 2005 eighth-grade science WASL was gender neutral. However, there were significant effects for ethnicity. ANOVA revealed significant effects for ethnicity and ethnicity by gender interaction in both question types. Effect sizes were negligible for the ethnicity by gender interaction. Large effect sizes between ethnicities on scenario question types became moderate to small effect sizes on stand-alone question types. This indicates the score advantage the higher performing subgroups had over the lower performing subgroups was not as large on stand-alone question types compared to scenario question types. A further comparison examined performance on multiple-choice items only within both question types. Similar achievement patterns between ethnicities emerged; however, achievement patterns between genders changed in boys' favor. Scenario question types appeared to register differences between ethnic groups to a greater degree than stand-alone question types. These differences may be attributable to individual differences in cognition

Social jetlag, academic achievement and cognitive performance: Understanding gender/sex differences.

Science.gov (United States)

Díaz-Morales, Juan F; Escribano, Cristina

2015-01-01

Adolescents in high school suffer from circadian misalignment, undersleeping on weekdays and oversleeping on weekends. Since high schools usually impose early schedules, adolescents suffer from permanent social jetlag (SJL) and thus are a suitable population to study the effects of SJL on both academic and cognitive performance. In this study, 796 adolescents aged 12-16 years reported information about their sleep habits, morningness-eveningness (M-E), cognitive abilities and grade point average (GPA). Time in bed on both weekdays and weekends was not related to cognitive abilities, and only time in bed on weekdays was related to academic achievement. SJL was negatively related to academic achievement, cognitive abilities (except for vocabulary and verbal fluency abilities) and general cognitive ability (g), whereas M-E was slightly positively related to academic achievement and marginally negatively related to inductive reasoning. Results separated by sex/gender indicated that SJL may be more detrimental to girls' performance, as it was negatively related to a greater number of cognitive abilities and GPA.

Pleasure/Desire, Sexularism and Sexuality Education

Science.gov (United States)

Rasmussen, Mary Louise

2012-01-01

Pleasure and desire have been important components of researchers' vision for sexuality education for over 20 years, a trend inspired by Michelle Fine's seminal paper, "Sexuality, Schooling, and Adolescent Females: The Missing Discourse of Desire." This essay considers how discourses related to pleasure and desire have been taken up in the USA and…

Selecting Environmental Performance Indicators : The Case of Numico

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Scherpereel, C.; Koppen, van C.S.A.; Heering, G.B.F.

2001-01-01

In order to achieve both efficient and reliable external communication adapted to the company's specific conditions, it is desirable to establish a clear relation between the environmental performance indicators (EPIs) used internally for environmental management and the EPIs used externally for

Validation of Scores on the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale and the Balanced Inventory of Desirable Responding

Science.gov (United States)

Leite, Walter L.; Beretvas, S. Natasha

2005-01-01

The Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale (MCSDS), the most commonly used social desirability bias (SDB) assessment, conceptualizes SDB as an individual's need for approval. The Balanced Inventory of Desirable Responding (BIDR) measures SDB as two separate constructs: impression management and self-deception. Scores on SDB scales are commonly…

From Desires, Obligations and Norms to Goals

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dignum, F.P.M.; Kinny, D.; Sonenberg, L.

2002-01-01

Traditional models of agents based on Beliefs, Desires and Intentions usually only include either desires or goals. Therefore the process whereby goals arise from desires is given scant attention. In this paper we argue that the inclusion of both desires and goals in the same model can be

A bit too skinny for me: women’s homosocial constructions of heterosexual desire in online dating

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mortensen, Kristine Køhler

2015-01-01

relations. Thus, online dating practices are rich fields for investigating the workings of desire. Based on audiovisual recordings of two Danish female friends engaging in online dating activities, this article demonstrates how participants, through joint stance-taking, co-construct shared desire and adjust...... individually-produced desire to create homosocial affiliation. Hence, in this case,heterosexual desire construction is a collaborative undertaking generated through homosocial bonding. The performed desire carries a strong physical focus, partly produced by the participants' attention to bodily detail...

Ethics and desire: Il responsabile delle risorse umane by Abram Yehoshua

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Emanuele Zinato

2013-06-01

Full Text Available This work offers a Freudian lecture of Yehoshua’s novel, based on the contrast between ethical project and dynamics of desire. The protagonist is a human resources manager from Jerusalem going to Russia with the corpse of an employee dead in an attack; he has a metamorphosis that seems on one hand functional to the construction of a moral apologue: as in Lévinas’ late thinking, so in Yehoshua the responsibility for the Other is entrenched in our subjective being. The Manager arbitrary inverts his route and brings back to Jerusalem the victim’s coffin, mother and child because this allegoric City belongs to everyone and its sharing is the only achievable reparation. What stays in the background in the ‘ethical’ interpretation of the text is the role of desire. The beginning of the inquiry on Julia’s corpse causes in the text the emerging of symmetrization (as Matte Blanco would say. Julia’s body, desirable althought (or because closed in a coffin, causes the breaking in a dimension that, potentially, don’t know the distinction between things but, conversely, assimilate and confuse them in a unique reality.

Renewable Energy Certificate and Perform, Achieve, Trade mechanisms to enhance the energy security for India

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kumar, Rajesh; Agarwala, Arun

2013-01-01

The Renewable Energy Certificate and Perform Achieve Trade mechanisms in India are designed to target energy generation and saving, respectively, in line with Clean Development Mechanism implemented by United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The Renewable Energy Certificate System is a voluntary regulation in India for renewable energy generators and is designed for effective implementation of inter-state transactions by introducing the Renewable Purchase Obligation regulation for consumers and a flexible trading platform for transactions across the country. Another initiative, the Perform Achieve Trade scheme, is an enhanced energy efficiency trading mechanism based on consumption targets that require large energy user sectors to improve efficiency by 1–2% per year. The Perform Achieve Trade programme has introduced mechanisms for the identification of industry sector, designated customer, specific energy consumption and target setting. The Perform Achieve Trade design issues are in test phase in the first cycle of the scheme which will run from 2012 to 2015. This paper discusses key design issues about boundary and target setting for Renewable Energy Certificate and Perform Achieve Trade energy saving certificate (ESCert) A data sharing and trading mechanism for Perform Achieve Trade is also proposed for review and coordination among regulator, designated consumers and traders in the market. - Highlights: ► Renewable Energy Certificate’ and ‘Perform Achieve Trade’ are energy certification programmes. ► REC and PAT programme implementation and the institutional network work are presented. ► The trading and communication network propose for possible linkage between REC, PAT and CDM. ► Independent associations in parallel with CERC and BEE are redefined for two tier review of scheme

Object of desire self-consciousness theory.

Science.gov (United States)

Bogaert, Anthony F; Brotto, Lori A

2014-01-01

In this article, the authors discuss the construct of object of desire self-consciousness, the perception that one is romantically and sexually desirable in another's eyes. The authors discuss the nature of the construct, variations in its expression, and how it may function as part of a self-schemata or script related to romance and sexuality. The authors suggest that object of desire self-consciousness may be an adaptive, evolved psychological mechanism allowing sexual and romantic tactics suitable to one's mate value. The authors also suggest that it can act as a signal that one has high mate value in the sexual marketplace. The authors then review literature (e.g., on fantasies, on sexual activity preferences, on sexual dysfunctions, on language) suggesting that object of desire self-consciousness plays a particularly important role in heterosexual women's sexual/romantic functioning and desires.

Correlates of Achieving the Guidelines of Four Forms of Physical Activity, and the Relationship between Guidelines Achievement and Academic Performance: Undergraduate Students in Finland.

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El Ansari, Walid; Suominen, Sakari; Draper, Steve

2017-06-01

We surveyed and compared, by gender, the levels and correlates of achieving the international guidelines of four forms of physical activity (PA): moderate PA (MPA), vigorous PA (VPA), moderate or vigorous PA (MVPA), and muscle strengthening PA (MSPA). The study assessed the associations between achieving the guidelines of the four PA forms and a range of socio-demographic, health and academic performance variables. Data was collected across the seven faculties of the University of Turku (2013-2014 from a representative sample of 1,189 undergraduates). An English language online self-administered questionnaire assessed frequency and duration of PA/week for each form of PA. We employed cut-offs for the guidelines in accordance with the American Heart Association. Chi-square statistic tested the differences in PA, socio-demographic variables and academic performance between males and females. Binary logistic regression examined the factors associated with achieving the four PA guidelines and linear regression examined the association between the frequency of PA and academic performance. Achievement of PA guidelines was relatively low across the sample. Female students were less likely to achieve the VPA or MSPA guidelines, but were more health conscious and in generally exhibited better academic performace than males. High health awareness and excellent/very good self-rated health were the strongest predictors of achieving all forms of PA. Parents' education level was positively related to likelihood of achieving the VPA, MVPA and MSPA guidelines. Achieving the MPA guidelines (but not VPA or MSPA) was positively associated with subjective perceptions of better academic performance. Achievement of PA guidelines was generally low for this sample of Finnish students, and was associated with positive health status and high health awareness. Universities need a holistic approach to improve awareness of health and promote PA in students' lifestyles. Copyright© by the

Hypoactive sexual desire disorder.

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Davison, Sonia L

2012-08-01

Hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD) is the most prevalent female sexual dysfunction, with estimates of prevalence approximating 10%. By definition it is a deficiency of sexual desire that causes distress. HSDD has no single cause, but physiological, psychological and socio-cultural factors underpinning female sexual desire may all be important in its development. Medical therapeutic strategies to date have concentrated on modulation of hormone levels, particularly androgen administration, yet few products have been approved for the treatment of HSDD in developed countries. More recent medical targets have included agents with 5-hydroxytryptamine agonist activity. Psychological therapeutic approaches have been infrequently studied but concentrate on cognitive behavioural therapy. HSDD is an evolving diagnosis, the existence of which has been questioned by some critics. Whilst HSDD remains the subject of ongoing research, its title and definition are under debate as a new edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of the American Psychiatric Association approaches publication in 2012.

Sexual Desire and Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder in Women. Introduction and Overview. Standard Operating Procedure (SOP Part 1)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bitzer, Johannes; Giraldi, Annamaria; Pfaus, Jim

2013-01-01

Introduction.  Hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD) is defined in Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fourth Edition as persistent or recurrent deficiency (or absence) of sexual fantasies/thoughts, and/or desire for or receptivity to sexual activity, which causes personal...... must be based on a biopsychosocial, multidimensional, and integrative perspective. Bitzer J, Giraldi A, and Pfaus J. Sexual desire and hypoactive sexual desire disorder in women. Introduction and overview. Standard operating procedure (SOP part 1). J Sex Med **;**:**-**....

Prediction of intrinsic motivation and sports performance using 2 x 2 achievement goal framework.

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Li, Chiung-Huang; Chi, Likang; Yeh, Suh-Ruu; Guo, Kwei-Bin; Ou, Cheng-Tsung; Kao, Chun-Chieh

2011-04-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of 2 x 2 achievement goals on intrinsic motivation and performance in handball. Participants were 164 high school athletes. All completed the 2 x 2 Achievement Goals Questionnaire for Sport and the Intrinsic Motivation subscale of the Sport Motivation Scale; the coach for each team rated his athletes' overall sports performance. Using simultaneous-regression analyses, mastery-approach goals positively predicted both intrinsic motivation and performance in sports, whereas performance-avoidance goals negatively predicted sports performance. These results suggest that athletes who pursue task mastery and improvement of their competence perform well and enjoy their participation. In contrast, those who focus on avoiding normative incompetence perform poorly.

Desired lifetime and end-of-life desires across adulthood from 20 to 90: a dual-source information model.

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Lang, Frieder R; Baltes, Paul B; Wagner, Gert G

2007-09-01

How long do people want to live, and how does scientific research on aging affect such desires? A dual-source information model proposes that aging expectations and desires are informed differently by two sources: personal experiences on the one hand, and scientific and societal influences on the other. Two studies with independent German national samples explored desires regarding length of life and end of life among adults between the ages of 20 and 90. FINDINGS ARE: First, desired lifetime is consistent at around 85 years with few age differences. Second, experimental induction of good or bad news from research on aging has little effect in Study 1. Third, interest in science has moderating effects on desired lifetime in Study 2. Fourth, there is a high prevalence of a strong desire to control the "when and how" of one's death, although only 11% of the individuals completed a living will. Findings are consistent with the dual-source information model.

Predicting subjective vitality and performance in sports: the role of passion and achievement goals.

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Li, Chiung-Huang

2010-06-01

The major purpose of this study was to test the hypothesized paths from dualistic passions through achievement goals to subjective vitality and performance in sports. 645 high school athletes participated. The proposed structural equation model, with relationships between dualistic passions and subjective vitality and sports performance mediated by achievement goals, fit the data well, especially for mastery-approach and performance-approach goals. Harmonious and obsessive passions may lead athletes to high performance via the adoption of mastery-approach goals. However, these passions seem to have two paths influencing personal functioning: direct effects make players feel energetic, and indirect effects on subjective vitality through adoption of mastery-approach and performance-approach goals.

Motivation and performance within a collaborative computer-based modeling task: Relations between students' achievement goal orientation, self-efficacy, cognitive processing and achievement

OpenAIRE

Sins, P.H.M.; van Joolingen, W.R.; Savelsbergh, E.R.; van Hout-Wolters, B.H.A.M.

2008-01-01

Purpose of the present study was to test a conceptual model of relations among achievement goal orientation, self-efficacy, cognitive processing, and achievement of students working within a particular collaborative task context. The task involved a collaborative computer-based modeling task. In order to test the model, group measures of mastery-approach goal orientation, performance-avoidance goal orientation, self-efficacy, and achievement were employed. Students’ cognitive processing was a...

Predicting Examination Performance Using an Expanded Integrated Hierarchical Model of Test Emotions and Achievement Goals

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Putwain, Dave; Deveney, Carolyn

2009-01-01

The aim of this study was to examine an expanded integrative hierarchical model of test emotions and achievement goal orientations in predicting the examination performance of undergraduate students. Achievement goals were theorised as mediating the relationship between test emotions and performance. 120 undergraduate students completed…

Striving for Excellence Sometimes Hinders High Achievers: Performance-Approach Goals Deplete Arithmetical Performance in Students with High Working Memory Capacity

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Crouzevialle, Marie; Smeding, Annique; Butera, Fabrizio

2015-01-01

We tested whether the goal to attain normative superiority over other students, referred to as performance-approach goals, is particularly distractive for high-Working Memory Capacity (WMC) students—that is, those who are used to being high achievers. Indeed, WMC is positively related to high-order cognitive performance and academic success, a record of success that confers benefits on high-WMC as compared to low-WMC students. We tested whether such benefits may turn out to be a burden under performance-approach goal pursuit. Indeed, for high achievers, aiming to rise above others may represent an opportunity to reaffirm their positive status—a stake susceptible to trigger disruptive outcome concerns that interfere with task processing. Results revealed that with performance-approach goals—as compared to goals with no emphasis on social comparison—the higher the students’ WMC, the lower their performance at a complex arithmetic task (Experiment 1). Crucially, this pattern appeared to be driven by uncertainty regarding the chances to outclass others (Experiment 2). Moreover, an accessibility measure suggested the mediational role played by status-related concerns in the observed disruption of performance. We discuss why high-stake situations can paradoxically lead high-achievers to sub-optimally perform when high-order cognitive performance is at play. PMID:26407097

Knowing versus liking: Separating normative knowledge from social desirability in first impressions of personality.

Science.gov (United States)

Rogers, Katherine H; Biesanz, Jeremy C

2015-12-01

There are strong differences between individuals in the tendency to view the personality of others as similar to the average person. That is, some people tend to form more normatively accurate impressions than do others. However, the process behind the formation of normatively accurate first impressions is not yet fully understood. Given that the average individual's personality is highly socially desirable (Borkenau & Zaltauskas, 2009; Wood, Gosling & Potter, 2007), individuals may achieve high normative accuracy by viewing others as similar to the average person or by viewing them in an overly socially desirable manner. The average self-reported personality profile and social desirability, despite being strongly correlated, independently and strongly predict first impressions. Further, some individuals have a more accurate understanding of the average individual's personality than do others. Perceivers with more accurate knowledge about the average individual's personality rated the personality of specific others more normatively accurately (more similar to the average person), suggesting that individual differences in normative judgments include a component of accurate knowledge regarding the average personality. In contrast, perceivers who explicitly evaluated others more positively formed more socially desirable impressions, but not more normatively accurate impressions. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

ACHIEVING MATURITY (AND MEASURING PERFORMANCE THROUGH MODEL-BASED PROCESS IMPROVEMENT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jose Marcelo Almeida Prado Cestari

2013-08-01

Full Text Available This paper presents the approach adopted by a software development unit in order to achieve the maturity level 3 of CMMI-DEV and therefore obtaining better performance. Through historical research and secondary data analysis of the organization, the paper intends to answer the following research question: "Could the adoption of maturity/best practices models bring better performance results to small and medium organizations?" Data and analysis conducted show that, besides the creation of indicator’s based management, there are some quantitative performance improvements in indicators such as: Schedule Deviation Rate, Effort Deviation Rate, Percent Late Delivery, Productivity Deviation and Internal Rework Rate

Unconscious motivation. Part II: Implicit attitudes and L2 achievement

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Ali H. Al-Hoorie

2016-12-01

Full Text Available This paper investigates the attitudinal/motivational predictors of second language (L2 academic achievement. Young adult learners of English as a foreign language (N = 311 completed several self-report measures and the Single-Target Implicit Association Test. Examination of the motivational profiles of high and low achievers revealed that attachment to the L1 community and the ought-to L2 self were negatively associated with achievement, while explicit attitudes toward the L2 course and implicit attitudes toward L2 speakers were positively associated with it. The relationship between implicit attitudes and achievement could not be explained either by social desirability or by other cognitive confounds, and remained significant after controlling for explicit self-report measures. Explicit–implicit congruence also revealed a similar pattern, in that congruent learners were more open to the L2 community and obtained higher achievement. The results also showed that neither the ideal L2 self nor intended effort had any association with actual L2 achievement, and that intended effort was particularly prone to social desirability biases. Implications of these findings are discussed.

A Proposed Model for Assessing Organisational Culture Towards Achieving Business Objectives

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Hafez Salleh

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Most of the traditional business performances measures are based on productivity and process criteria, which mainly focus on method of investment appraisal such as payback method, return on investment (ROI, cost-benefits analysis (CBA, net present value (NPV, internal rate of return (IRR. However, the measurement scales of business performance are not limited to those measures. One element that has strong correlation to the business performances is ‘organisational culture’. Many studies proved that one of the significant criteria for achieving desired business objectives is the right organisational culture within workplace. Basically, the measurement of organisational culture is reflecting on two distinct elements: organisational culture and business objectives. In broader perspective, an organisation is considered effective if it meets its business objectives. This paper aims to present and discuss the preliminary culture model to indicate the culture performance within organisational. The model has been developed through literature review, expert opinion and experience which is anticipated of being able to potentially measure the culture capability of organisations across industries to “successfully achieve business objectives”. The model is composed of six progressive stages of maturity that an organisation can achieve its culture performance. For each maturity stage, the model describes a set of characteristics that must be in place for the company to achieve each stage. The validity of the proposed model will be tested by a few case studies. The idea is to provide managers with a qualitative measurement tools to enable them to identify where culture improvements are required within their organisations and to indicate their readiness for achieving business objectives.

Social Desirability and Self-Reports: Testing a Content and Response-Style Model of Socially Desirable Responding

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Arta Dodaj

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Personality assessment as a pre-employment screening procedure receives great interest from both researchers and practitioners. One key concern for selection specialists is represented by the response distortion among job applicants completing personality inventories. There are different operationalizations of socially desirable responding. One of the most accepted operationalizations was provided by Paulhus who distinguished between two social desirability factors (the egoistic and moralistic bias as well as their conscious and unconscious aspects (management and enhancement. The aim of the study reported here is to test the basic assumption of the Paulhus model of socially desirable responding. A convenience sample of 200 students (N = 21.61; SD = 1.46 completed the Comprehensive Inventory of Desirable Responding (Paulhus, 2006 and the International Personality Item Pool Questionnaire (Goldberg, 1999; by Goldberg et al., 2006. Questionnaires were applied in three conditions: honest responding, responding as an ideal manager job applicant, and as an ideal teacher applicant. Results give partial support to the existence of egoistic and moralistic bias. However, conscious and unconscious aspects of distortion were not found. In conclusion it could be said that Paulhus’ model doesn’t provide a full answer to the problem of the nature of socially desirable responding.

Cognitive performance and academic achievement: How do family and school converge?

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Ana Filipa Alves

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Children enter the school system with different educational experiences, leaving also with different levels of learning and school results. In this study, we intend to understand the impact of family and school on children's cognitive performance and academic achievement during elementary education. The sample consists of 406 Portuguese children, from preschool and the 1st cycle of Basic Education, aged from 4 to 10 years old. Through full structural equation model, it was observed that the latent variable family (parents’ schooling and socioeconomic level and the latent variable school (community and type of school have a significant impact on academic achievement. However, only family presents a significant impact on cognitive performance. These data suggest that the impact of school on intelligence quotient is not expressive in early academic years, where family present higher explanation of the variance.

Login | Desire2Learn@UWM

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Libraries A-Z Directory UW-Milwaukee Logo Desire2Learn@UWM Logo Desire2Learn@UWM, UW-Milwaukee Login For Students For Instructors Get Help With D2L Login UWM ePantherID This is the login option for UWM students ? Contact support for help with your ePantherID Non-ePantherID This is the login option used for D2L

A Comparison of Low Performing Students' Achievements in Factoring Cubic Polynomials Using Three Different Strategies

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Ogbonnaya, Ugorji I.; Mogari, David L.; Machisi, Eric

2013-01-01

In this study, repeated measures design was employed to compare low performing students' achievements in factoring cubic polynomials using three strategies. Twenty-five low-performing Grade 12 students from a secondary school in Limpopo province took part in the study. Data was collected using achievement test and was analysed using repeated…

Beyond Measurement-Driven Instruction: Achieving Deep Learning Based on Constructivist Learning Theory, Integrated Assessment, and a Flipped Classroom Approach

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Bernauer, James A.; Fuller, Richard G.

2017-01-01

The authors focus on the critical role of assessment within a flipped classroom environment where instruction is based on constructivist learning theory and where desired student outcomes are at the higher levels of Bloom's Taxonomy. While assessment is typically thought of in terms of providing summative measures of performance or achievement, it…

Know thyself: misperceptions of actual performance undermine achievement motivation, future performance, and subjective well-being.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Young-Hoon; Chiu, Chi-Yue; Zou, Zhimin

2010-09-01

Contrary to the popular assumption that self-enhancement improves task motivation and future performance, the authors propose that both inflated and deflated self-assessments of performance are linked to an increased likelihood of practicing self-handicapping and having relatively poor performance in future tasks. Consistent with this proposal, we found that irrespective of the level of actual performance, compared with accurate self-assessment, both inflated and deflated self-assessments of task performance are associated with a greater tendency to (a) practice self-handicapping (Study 1: prefer to work under distraction; Study 2: withhold preparatory effort), (b) perform relatively poorly in a subsequent task (Study 3), (c) have relatively low academic achievement (Study 4), and (d) report a relatively low level of subjective well-being (Study 5). The authors discuss these results in terms of their educational implications. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved).

ORGANIZATIONAL CITIZENSHIP BEHAVIOR – PERFORMANCE SOURCE IN ROMANIAN SMES

OpenAIRE

ALEXANDRA MIHAELA POPESCU; ANGELA VLADESCU

2011-01-01

Citizenship behavior is an important factor, both in human society and organizational evolution. This is a determinant element due to economical enterprises performances growth, given that, intake staff to achieve desired performances is defining. This paper, analyzing small and medium enterprises performances by organizational citizenship behavior, is, relating to information that we have, the first one at national level. Highlighting the effects of organizational citizenship behavior, on a ...

The electronic-cigarette: effects on desire to smoke, withdrawal symptoms and cognition.

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Dawkins, Lynne; Turner, John; Hasna, Surrayyah; Soar, Kirstie

2012-08-01

Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) are battery operated devices that deliver nicotine via inhaled vapour. Few studies have evaluated acute effects on craving and mood, and none have explored effects on cognition. This study aimed to explore the effects of the White Super e-cigarette on desire to smoke, nicotine withdrawal symptoms, attention and working memory. Eighty-six smokers were randomly allocated to either: 18 mg nicotine e-cigarette (nicotine), 0mg e-cigarette (placebo), or just hold the e-cigarette (just hold) conditions. Participants rated their desire to smoke and withdrawal symptoms at baseline (T1), and five (T2) and twenty (T3) minutes after using the e-cigarette ad libitum for 5 min. A subset of participants completed the Letter Cancellation and Brown-Peterson Working Memory Tasks. After 20 min, compared with the just hold group, desire to smoke and some aspects of nicotine withdrawal were significantly reduced in the nicotine and placebo group; the nicotine e-cigarette was superior to placebo in males but not in females. The nicotine e-cigarette also improved working memory performance compared with placebo at the longer interference intervals. There was no effect of nicotine on Letter Cancellation performance. To conclude, the White Super e-cigarette alleviated desire to smoke and withdrawal symptoms 20 min after use although the nicotine content was more important for males. This study also demonstrated for the first time that the nicotine e-cigarette can enhance working memory performance. Further evaluation of the cognitive effects of the e-cigarette and its efficacy as a cessation tool is merited. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

How to Achieve Quality Business Performance in an Organization

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Merima Bekri ć

2013-02-01

Full Text Available RQ: The research question is the influence of quality management on quality business performance.Purpose: Determine which top management approaches are essential for business excellence and leadership approaches that achieve quality business.Method: Analysis of articles from the Journal Organization from the last 5 years and one article from the Journal of Universal Excellent to obtain data.Results: Characteristics of managers and individual employees influence the quality of an organization's performance and business excellence. This is rudimentary for an organization to perform successfully. The results show the weaknesses that an organization can improve in.Organization: The research study facilitates in improving long-term success of an organization. The results can assist in further decision-making and timely responses to changes in its internal and external environment.Society: Better business performance contributes to the wider environment, as this also ensures stability of an organization.Originality: A different approach in viewing management issuesand searching for improvements. There are not many review articles on this topic.Limitations: The analysis was conducted with only ten articles.

How to achieve and prove performance improvement - 15 years of experience in German wastewater benchmarking.

Science.gov (United States)

Bertzbach, F; Franz, T; Möller, K

2012-01-01

This paper shows the results of performance improvement, which have been achieved in benchmarking projects in the wastewater industry in Germany over the last 15 years. A huge number of changes in operational practice and also in achieved annual savings can be shown, induced in particular by benchmarking at process level. Investigation of this question produces some general findings for the inclusion of performance improvement in a benchmarking project and for the communication of its results. Thus, we elaborate on the concept of benchmarking at both utility and process level, which is still a necessary distinction for the integration of performance improvement into our benchmarking approach. To achieve performance improvement via benchmarking it should be made quite clear that this outcome depends, on one hand, on a well conducted benchmarking programme and, on the other, on the individual situation within each participating utility.

Measuring social desirability across language and sex: A comparison of Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale factor structures in English and Mandarin Chinese in Malaysia.

Science.gov (United States)

Kurz, A Solomon; Drescher, Christopher F; Chin, Eu Gene; Johnson, Laura R

2016-06-01

Malaysia is a Southeast Asian country in which multiple languages are prominently spoken, including English and Mandarin Chinese. As psychological science continues to develop within Malaysia, there is a need for psychometrically sound instruments that measure psychological phenomena in multiple languages. For example, assessment tools for measuring social desirability could be a useful addition in psychological assessments and research studies in a Malaysian context. This study examined the psychometric performance of the English and Mandarin Chinese versions of the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale when used in Malaysia. Two hundred and eighty-three students (64% female; 83% Chinese, 9% Indian) from two college campuses completed the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale in their language of choice (i.e., English or Mandarin Chinese). Proposed factor structures were compared with confirmatory factor analysis, and multiple indicators-multiple causes models were used to examine measurement invariance across language and sex. Factor analyses supported a two-factor structure (i.e., Attribution and Denial) for the measure. Invariance tests revealed the scale was invariant by sex, indicating that social desirability can be interpreted similarly across sex. The scale was partially invariant by language version, with some non-invariance observed within the Denial factor. Non-invariance may be related to differences in the English and Mandarin Chinese languages, as well as cultural differences. Directions for further research include examining the measurement of social desirability in other contexts where both English and Mandarin Chinese are spoken (i.e., China) and further examining the causes of non-invariance on specific items. © 2016 The Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Daily online testing in large classes: boosting college performance while reducing achievement gaps.

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James W Pennebaker

Full Text Available An in-class computer-based system, that included daily online testing, was introduced to two large university classes. We examined subsequent improvements in academic performance and reductions in the achievement gaps between lower- and upper-middle class students in academic performance. Students (N = 901 brought laptop computers to classes and took daily quizzes that provided immediate and personalized feedback. Student performance was compared with the same data for traditional classes taught previously by the same instructors (N = 935. Exam performance was approximately half a letter grade above previous semesters, based on comparisons of identical questions asked from earlier years. Students in the experimental classes performed better in other classes, both in the semester they took the course and in subsequent semester classes. The new system resulted in a 50% reduction in the achievement gap as measured by grades among students of different social classes. These findings suggest that frequent consequential quizzing should be used routinely in large lecture courses to improve performance in class and in other concurrent and subsequent courses.

Rational desires and the limitation of life-sustaining treatment.

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Savulescu, Julian

1994-07-01

It is accepted that treatment of previously competent, now incompetent patients can be limited if that is what the patient would desire, if she were now competent. Expressed past preferences or an advance directive are often taken to constitute sufficient evidence of what a patient would now desire. I distinguish between desires and rational desires. I argue that for a desire to be an expression of a person's autonomy, it must be or satisfy that person's rational desires. A person rationally desires a course of action if that person desires it while being in possession of all available relevant facts, without committing relevant error of logic, and "vividly imagining" what its consequences would be like for her. I argue that some competent, expressed desires obstruct autonomy. I show that several psychological mechanisms operate to prevent a person rationally evaluating what future life in a disabled state would be like. Rational evaluation is difficult. However, treatment limitation, if it is to respect autonomy, must be in accord with a patient's rational desires, and not merely her expressed desires. I illustrate the implications of these arguments for the use of advance directives and for the treatment of competent patients.

THE IMPACT OF MARKETING PERFORMANCES ON ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCES IN THE CONTEXT OF ROMANIAN SUPPLY CHAINS

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Gyula Laszlo FLORIAN

2015-06-01

Full Text Available In order to achieve the desired performances and the increased value added to the final consumer, organizations need not only to integrate their core businesses and align them to business strategy but also to embrace the marketing philosophy. After presenting the main issues in operationalizing the marketing performances, we propose an empirical research using a working dataset of 64 firms from various industries to analyze the relationship between marketing and organizational performances. The research methodology employed is based on structural equations modeling. Results document that marketing orientation influences organizational performances in the framework of the supply chain management strategic approach to organizational performances.

A Desire for Social Media Is Associated With a Desire for Solitary but Not Social Activities.

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Hill, Lauren; Zheng, Zane

2017-01-01

While social media is an aspect of life for many, it brings to light the lack of interpersonal connection when browsing activity occurs. The displacement theory suggests that the quality of one's offline interactions is affected by how much time an individual allots to those exchanges. Depending on the amount of time spent online, interpersonal connections may suffer and lead to negative psychological consequences. Our study aimed to explore the relationship between the desirability of social media and socialization preferences through a cue-based perceptual judgment task where participants ( N = 136) rated 40 gray-scale images in terms of their desirability. The image categories included social media icons, singular scenes depicting an isolated activity, social scenes representing an interactive activity, and traffic signs as the control. We also included questionnaires to assess depressiveness and aspects of social media usage. Our findings suggest that the immediate desire for social media is potentially linked to one's desire for social isolation as represented by the singular scene category, the intensity of participant's reported daily usage, and the extent to which social media is perceived to impact real social life. To our knowledge, this is the first report on the initial desirability judgment of social media and its association with other factors. Further research is needed to distinguish the variability in users' aim of using social media and if that is related to one's perceived feelings of social connectedness and solitude.

Achieving the optimal performance of the CMS ECAL in Run II

CERN Document Server

Sun, Menglei

2016-01-01

Many physics analyses using the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) detector at the LHC require accurate, high resolution electron and photon energy measurements. Particularly important are decays of the Higgs boson resulting in electromagnetic particles in the final state. Di-photon events in CMS are also a very important channel in the search for Higgs boson production in association with other particles or in the search for possible new resonances of higher mass. The requirement for high performance electromagnetic calorimetry therefore remains high during LHC Run II. Following the excellent performance achieved in Run~I at a center of mass energy of 7 and 8 TeV, the CMS electromagnetic calorimeter (ECAL) started operating at the LHC in Spring 2015 with proton-proton collisions at 13 TeV center-of-mass energy. The instantaneous luminosity delivered by the LHC during Run~II is expected to exceed the levels achieved in Run I, using 25 ns bunch spacing. The average number of concurrent proton-proton collisions per bu...

Performance-based alternative assessments as a means of eliminating gender achievement differences on science tests

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, Norman Merrill

1998-09-01

Historically, researchers have reported an achievement difference between females and males on standardized science tests. These differences have been reported to be based upon science knowledge, abstract reasoning skills, mathematical abilities, and cultural and social phenomena. This research was designed to determine how mastery of specific science content from public school curricula might be evaluated with performance-based assessment models, without producing gender achievement differences. The assessment instruments used were Harcourt Brace Educational Measurement's GOALSsp°ler: A Performance-Based Measure of Achievement and the performance-based portion of the Stanford Achievement Testspcopyright, Ninth Edition. The identified independent variables were test, gender, ethnicity, and grade level. A 2 x 2 x 6 x 12 (test x gender x ethnicity x grade) factorial experimental design was used to organize the data. A stratified random sample (N = 2400) was selected from a national pool of norming data: N = 1200 from the GOALSsp°ler group and N = 1200 from the SAT9spcopyright group. The ANOVA analysis yielded mixed results. The factors of test, gender, ethnicity by grade, gender by grade, and gender by grade by ethnicity failed to produce significant results (alpha = 0.05). The factors yielding significant results were ethnicity, grade, and ethnicity by grade. Therefore, no significant differences were found between female and male achievement on these performance-based assessments.

Cutoff score of the sexual interest and desire inventory-female for diagnosis of hypoactive sexual desire disorder

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Clayton, Anita H.; Segraves, Robert T.; Bakish, David; Goldmeier, David; Tignol, Jean; van Lunsen, Rik H. W.; Nappi, Rossella E.; Wunderlich, Glen; Kimura, Toshio; Lewis-D'Agostino, Diane J.; Pyke, Robert

2010-01-01

To determine the most appropriate cutoff value for the Sexual Interest and Desire Inventory-Female (SIDI-F) score to discriminate between women with hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD) and those with no female sexual dysfunction (FSD). The SIDI-F is a clinician-rated instrument consisting of 13

Boredom in Achievement Settings: Exploring Control-Value Antecedents and Performance Outcomes of a Neglected Emotion

Science.gov (United States)

Pekrun, Reinhard; Goetz, Thomas; Daniels, Lia M.; Stupnisky, Robert H.; Perry, Raymond P.

2010-01-01

The linkages of achievement-related boredom with students' appraisals and performance outcomes were examined in a series of 5 exploratory, cross-sectional, and predictive investigations. Studies 1 and 2 assessed students' boredom in a single achievement episode (i.e., state achievement boredom); Studies 3, 4, and 5 focused on their habitual…

Relationship of Mathematics Olympiad Performance of Gifted Students with IQ and Mathematics Achievement

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ali İhsan BORAN

2015-04-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study is to investigate relationship of mathematics Olympiad (analysis-algebra and geometry scores of gifted students with IQ scores (verbal, performance and general and mathematics achievement scores of the gifted students. Study group of the study included 64 gifted students (27 girls and 37 boys who took courses from one Science and Art Center. Data of study involved scores of the participants on mathematics Olympiad exam, WISC-R test and school mathematics achievement. For analysis of the data Pearson correlation analysis, Spearman correlation analysis, independent groups’ t-test and Mann Whitney U test were utilized. The findings showed that there was no significant relationship between the Olympiad scores on analysis-algebra and geometry and IQ scores (general, performance and verbal. But the Olympiad scores on analysis-algebra and geometry factors were significantly related to school mathematics achievement. Comparing IQ scores of highest and lowest scorer groups on the Olympiad scores showed that there were no significant differences between IQ scores (general, performance and verbal of the groups. However school mathematics scores of the participants significantly differed in terms of groups determined based on analysis-algebra and geometry scores.

Secondary Students' Writing Achievement Goals: Assessing the Mediating Effects of Mastery and Performance Goals on Writing Self-Efficacy, Affect, and Writing Achievement

Science.gov (United States)

Yilmaz Soylu, Meryem; Zeleny, Mary G.; Zhao, Ruomeng; Bruning, Roger H.; Dempsey, Michael S.; Kauffman, Douglas F.

2017-01-01

The two studies reported here explored the factor structure of the newly constructed Writing Achievement Goal Scale (WAGS), and examined relationships among secondary students' writing achievement goals, writing self-efficacy, affect for writing, and writing achievement. In the first study, 697 middle school students completed the WAGS. A confirmatory factor analysis revealed a good fit for this data with a three-factor model that corresponds with mastery, performance approach, and performance avoidance goals. The results of Study 1 were an indication for the researchers to move forward with Study 2, which included 563 high school students. The secondary students completed the WAGS, as well as the Self-efficacy for Writing Scale, and the Liking Writing Scale. Students also self-reported grades for writing and for language arts courses. Approximately 6 weeks later, students completed a statewide writing assessment. We tested a theoretical model representing relationships among Study 2 variables using structural equation modeling including students' responses to the study scales and students' scores on the statewide assessment. Results from Study 2 revealed a good fit between a model depicting proposed relationships among the constructs and the data. Findings are discussed relative to achievement goal theory and writing. PMID:28878707

Testosterone and sexual desire in healthy women and men.

Science.gov (United States)

van Anders, Sari M

2012-12-01

Sexual desire is typically higher in men than in women, with testosterone (T) thought to account for this difference as well as within-sex variation in desire in both women and men. However, few studies have incorporated both hormonal and social or psychological factors in studies of sexual desire. The present study addressed how three psychological domains (sexual-relational, stress-mood, body-embodiment) were related to links between T and sexual desire in healthy adults and whether dyadic and solitary desire showed associations with T. Participants (n = 196) were recruited as part of the Partnering, Physiology, and Health study, which had 105 men and 91 women who completed questionnaires and provided saliva for cortisol and T assays. T was positively linked to solitary desire in women, with masturbation frequency influencing this link. In contrast, T was negatively correlated with dyadic desire in women, but only when cortisol and perceived social stress were controlled. Replicating past findings, no significant correlations between T and desire in men were apparent, but these analyses showed that the null association remained even when psychological and confound variables were controlled. Men showed higher desire than women, but masturbation frequency rather than T influenced this difference. Results were discussed in terms of challenges to assumptions of clear links between T and desire, gendered approaches to T, and the unitarity of desire.

Achievement Motivation and EEG Spectral Power

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Elena V. Vorobyeva

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Achievement motivation is a psychological category which implies a desire to achieve significant (powerful results in certain sphere. According to the results of psychophysiological research people who are motivated for success are very active before they are instructed by the researcher which proves that they aimed at the perception of the referent situation and the intense level of expectations. One of the vital issues today is a problem how genes influence human behaviour. Thus on the basis of contemporary researches we can conclude that such influence is regulated by brain processes.

Assemblaged by desire: Potterheads’ productive consumption

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André Luiz Maranhão de Souza Leão

2018-02-01

Full Text Available The Harry Potter saga became one of the cultural products with a major impact on the twenty-first century. Its fans, called potterheads, relate in a social space known as fandom. Their practices are based on the appropriation of the cultural text in a productive consumption process within a context of participatory culture. Assuming desire from the perspective of Deleuzian assemblage theory, which presents this concept as a flow of productive energy that is articulated through a collective force, this study aimed to understand how potterheads’ productive consumption is assemblaged by desire. We therefore explored multifocal data concerning practices of potterheads available on digital platforms using Foucauldian Discourse Analysis. Our results revealed that potterheads’ desire assemblage maintains their bond with the canonical universe of the saga, as a way of maintaining identity and security in the transition to adult life, through relationships in the fandom and in pursuit of broader social legitimacy. The study contributes theoretically by adopting the Deleuzian notion of desire as a lens to understand the collective action of consumers in cultural contexts of practice.

The Effects of the Classroom Performance System on Student Participation, Attendance, and Achievement

Science.gov (United States)

Termos, Mohamad Hani

2013-01-01

The Classroom Performance System (CPS) is an instructional technology that increases student performance and promotes active learning. This study assessed the effect of the CPS on student participation, attendance, and achievement in multicultural college-level anatomy and physiology classes, where students' first spoken language is not English.…

Sexual desire in a nationally representative Danish population

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Eplov, Lene; Giraldi, Annamaria; Davidsen, Michael

2007-01-01

of self-reported sexual desire and decrease in sexual desire over a 5-year period was calculated for the two genders across age cohorts. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the relationship between potential determinants and sexual desire. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The frequency of self...

Sex Differences in Affect Behaviors, Desired Social Responses, and Accuracy at Understanding the Social Desires of Other People

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Jacob M. Vigil

2008-07-01

Full Text Available I recently proposed a socio-relational framework that suggests that phenotypic variation in the expression of discrete affect behaviors (e.g., expressed anger vs. sadness may reflect two basic dimensions of behavioral response. The first dimension is the motivation to selectively attract or avoid interactions with different people. The second dimension is the behavioral display of either personal capacity or trustworthiness cues, often through the expression of dominant and submissive behaviors, respectively (Vigil, in press. Sex differences in affect behaviors (e.g., externalizing vs. internalizing displays may reflect developmental sensitivities to advertise capacity and trustworthiness cues somewhat differently, due to the unique social dynamics and relational constraints under which males and females evolved. In this study, I use a series of self-report questionnaires to examine two basic assumptions of the framework. The first assumption is that sex differences in nonverbal affect behaviors (aggression vs. crying reflect the desire for, and are effective for causing other people to either avoid or comfort the individual, respectively. I hypothesized that males would report a greater likelihood of responding to various distress moods with aggressive, rather than crying behaviors, and that males would desire, and believe male peers similarly desire distancing responses from others when feeling these moods. Instead, females were hypothesized to report more crying behaviors, and to desire, and believe female peers desire more comforting responses from others. The second assumption is that people are more accurate at inferring the desired social responses (i.e., to be left alone or comforted when experiencing distress of same-sex, rather than opposite-sex peers. I hypothesized that people's beliefs of same-sex peers are more similar to the self-reported desires of the male and female participants, themselves, than their beliefs of opposite

Good governance: Performance values and procedural values in conflict

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Graaf, G.; Paanakker, H.L.

2015-01-01

Good governance codes usually end with a list of public values no one could oppose. A recurrent issue is that not all of these values—however desirable they are—can be achieved at the same time. With its focus on performance and procedural values of governance, this article zooms in on the conflict

Corporate Governance as a Crucial Factor in Achieving Sustainable Corporate Performance

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Julija Bistrova

2014-06-01

Full Text Available In the developed stock markets the corporate governance aspect is crucial in the stock portfolio selection process for investor seeking to achieve shareholder value sustainability. In the emerging markets the importance of the corporate governance role just starts to be realized by the investors and by the corporate managers. The present research, looking at the stock performance leaders and laggards, analyzes whether the corporate governance system matters to achieve long-term shareholder value within the Central and Eastern European stock markets universe. Corporate governance quality was assessed and compared among the out- and underperformers. The financial results plausibility and the ownership structure were considered as well. Additionally, the authors analyzed whether the quality of corporate governance influences the economic performance of the company. The obtained results provide the proof that the corporate governance does matter as the market outperformers have above average corporate governance quality and provide trustworthy financial results more often than the underperforming companies. Besides, well-governed companies are also able to deliver more attractive financial results.

Influential third party on water right conflict: A Game Theory approach to achieve the desired equilibrium (case study: Ilam dam, Iran).

Science.gov (United States)

Zanjanian, Hossein; Abdolabadi, Hamid; Niksokhan, Mohammad Hossein; Sarang, Amin

2018-05-15

Allocating water to organizational stakeholders poses a vital challenge to water managers. Organizations which benefit from water as the primary factor input attempt to achieve their objectives using cost-effective and quick-return strategies, such as increasing the water rights. In such circumstances, lack of water probably results in the conflict. Recognizing the management approaches, organizational priorities, and the stakeholders' influence power can play a dominant role in analyzing the future of such conflicts. In this paper, we analyzed the conflict of water allocation in Ilam dam among organizational stakeholders. We defined the strategies based on the background of the game and organizational objectives. The influence power of stakeholders and the numerical weights of strategies were quantified based on the expert judgment method. The relative priorities of strategies were then calculated for each state of the conflict. We used the GMCR + model to study the actions of stakeholders. Results suggest that the Jihad Agriculture Organization and the Water and Wastewater Company withdraw more water; hence, there exists no water to meet the environmental water right. In this case, the participation of the third party, such as the Governorship and the Justice can change the future of the conflict, and result in moving to the optimal state. However, results from Inverse GMCR analysis demonstrate that Justice is the most influential third party that can move the conflict towards a desired equilibrium (optimal case). Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Secondary Students' Writing Achievement Goals: Assessing the Mediating Effects of Mastery and Performance Goals on Writing Self-Efficacy, Affect, and Writing Achievement

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Meryem Yilmaz Soylu

2017-08-01

Full Text Available The two studies reported here explored the factor structure of the newly constructed Writing Achievement Goal Scale (WAGS, and examined relationships among secondary students' writing achievement goals, writing self-efficacy, affect for writing, and writing achievement. In the first study, 697 middle school students completed the WAGS. A confirmatory factor analysis revealed a good fit for this data with a three-factor model that corresponds with mastery, performance approach, and performance avoidance goals. The results of Study 1 were an indication for the researchers to move forward with Study 2, which included 563 high school students. The secondary students completed the WAGS, as well as the Self-efficacy for Writing Scale, and the Liking Writing Scale. Students also self-reported grades for writing and for language arts courses. Approximately 6 weeks later, students completed a statewide writing assessment. We tested a theoretical model representing relationships among Study 2 variables using structural equation modeling including students' responses to the study scales and students' scores on the statewide assessment. Results from Study 2 revealed a good fit between a model depicting proposed relationships among the constructs and the data. Findings are discussed relative to achievement goal theory and writing.

Medicare Accountable Care Organizations of Diverse Structures Achieve Comparable Quality and Cost Performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Comfort, Leeann N; Shortell, Stephen M; Rodriguez, Hector P; Colla, Carrie H

2018-01-31

To examine whether an empirically derived taxonomy of Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) is associated with quality and spending performance among patients of ACOs in the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP). Three waves of the National Survey of ACOs and corresponding publicly available Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services performance data for NSACO respondents participating in the MSSP (N = 204); SK&A Office Based Physicians Database from QuintilesIMS. We compare the performance of three ACO types (physician-led, integrated, and hybrid) for three domains: quality, spending, and likelihood of achieving savings. Sources of performance variation within and between ACO types are compared for each performance measure. There is greater heterogeneity within ACO types than between ACO types. There were no consistent differences in quality by ACO type, nor were there differences in likelihood of achieving savings or overall spending per-person-year. There was evidence for higher spending on physician services for physician-led ACOs. ACOs of diverse structures perform comparably on core MSSP quality and spending measures. CMS should maintain its flexibility and continue to support participation of diverse ACOs. Future research to identify modifiable organizational factors that account for performance variation within ACO types may provide insight as to how best to improve ACO performance based on organizational structure and ownership. © Health Research and Educational Trust.

The Best Achievable ℋ2 Tracking Performances for SIMO Feedback Control Systems

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Shinji Hara

2007-01-01

Full Text Available This paper is concerned with the inherent ℋ2 tracking performance limitation of single-input and multiple-output (SIMO linear time-invariant (LTI feedback control systems. The performance is measured by the tracking error between a step reference input and the plant output with additional penalty on control input. We employ the plant augmentation strategy, which enables us to derive analytical closed-form expressions of the best achievable performance not only for discrete-time system, but also for continuous-time system by exploiting the delta domain version of the expressions.

Motivation, Compensation, and Performance for Science and Technological Teachers

Science.gov (United States)

Abast, R. M.; Sangi, N. M.; Tumanduk, M. S. S. S.; Roring, R.

2018-02-01

This research is operationally aimed to obtain the result of analysis and interpretation about: relationship of achievement motive, compensation with performance at a junior high school in Manado, Indonesia. This research applies a quantitative approach with correlation analysis method. The research was conducted at one junior high school in Manado, Indonesia. The results showed achievement motive at the school teachers is quite high. This result means that, generally, the teachers of the school have a desire to improve achievement; the performance at the school is good enough. This result means that in general, the performance of teachers at the school is increasing, there is a linkage degree and determinative power between the achievement motive with the performance of teachers at the school amounted 0.773% or 77.3%, compensation for the school teachers in Manado is good enough. This result means that the compensation received is satisfactory, there is a linkage degree and determinative power between compensation and performance of the school teachers in Manado amounted to 0.582 or 58.2%.

Commissioning of Japanese x-ray free electron laser, SACLA and achieved laser performance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tanaka, Hitoshi; Amselem, Arnaud; Aoyagi, Hideki

2012-01-01

After 8 months of beam commissioning of SPring-8 Angstrom Compact free electron LAser, SACLA reached the primary target performance, i.e., a shortest laser wavelength of ∼0.6 Angstrom and a laser pulse energy value of sub-mJ at a wavelength of 1.2 Angstrom. This success was due to the following four factors; (1) performance estimation of each component of SACLA required for the target laser performance and its achievement, (2) elaboration of beam diagnostics and control systems enabling precise accelerator and undulator tuning, (3) a rational and strategic commissioning plan, (4) most adequate response to various accidental events during the beam commissioning period. This article, in order to light up the above four factors leading us to the success, starts with the features of SACLA and critical tolerance for the sub-system components, and then, explains our approach to achieve the target laser performance and how the beam commissioning of SACLA proceeded. At last, the article summarizes the present laser and operational status. (author)

Optimizing the design of very high power, high performance converters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Edwards, R.J.; Tiagha, E.A.; Ganetis, G.; Nawrocky, R.J.

1980-01-01

This paper describes how various technologies are used to achieve the desired performance in a high current magnet power converter system. It is hoped that the discussions of the design approaches taken will be applicable to other power supply systems where stringent requirements in stability, accuracy and reliability must be met

Towards integrating environmental performance in divisional performance measurement

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Collins C Ngwakwe

2014-08-01

Full Text Available This paper suggests an integration of environmental performance measurement (EPM into conventional divisional financial performance measures as a catalyst to enhance managers’ drive toward cleaner production and sustainable development. The approach is conceptual and normative; and using a hypothetical firm, it suggests a model to integrate environmental performance measure as an ancillary to conventional divisional financial performance measures. Vroom’s motivation theory and other literature evidence indicate that corporate goals are achievable in an environment where managers’ efforts are recognised and thus rewarded. Consequently the paper suggests that environmentally motivated managers are important to propel corporate sustainability strategy toward desired corporate environmental governance and sustainable economic development. Thus this suggested approach modestly adds to existing environmental management accounting (EMA theory and literature. It is hoped that this paper may provide an agenda for further research toward a practical application of the suggested method in a firm.

The Jackson Career Explorer: Correlates With Self-Monitoring and Social Desirability.

Science.gov (United States)

Schermer, Julie Aitken

2018-01-01

The Jackson Career Explorer (JCE) is a short form and continuous version of the Jackson Vocational Interest Survey measuring 34 vocational interest dimensions which can be reduced to seven factors (six vocational interest factors and one work style factor). Both the scales and factors were examined for possible significant correlations with social desirability and self-monitoring. Volunteer participants ( N = 779) aged 14 to 92 years completed the JCE, a social desirability scale, and a self-monitoring scale. Social desirability did not correlate significantly with the JCE scales and factors. Self-monitoring was found to correlate significantly with only a few of the JCE dimensions, including the performing arts, dominant leadership, and law scales as well as the business factor. Interestingly, the accountability JCE work style scale, which assesses a preference to work in an environment requiring high levels of honesty, had a significant negative correlation with self-monitoring. These results add to the validity of the JCE and add information to the area of vocational interest assessment.

School Achievement and Performance in Chilean High Schools: The Mediating Role of Subjective Wellbeing in School-Related Evaluations

Science.gov (United States)

López, Verónica; Oyanedel, Juan C.; Bilbao, Marian; Torres, Javier; Oyarzún, Denise; Morales, Macarena; Ascorra, Paula; Carrasco, Claudia

2017-01-01

School achievement gaps and school failure are problematic issues in Latin America, and are mainly explained by the socio-economic status (SES) of the students. What schools can do to improve school achievement and reduce school failure is a critical issue, both for school management and teacher training. In this study, we present the association of individual and school-related socio-emotional variables with school achievement and performance, controlling for the effects of SES. A probabilistic sample of 4,964 students, drawn from 191 schools enrolled in year 10 in urban areas of Chile, answered questionnaires assessing subjective wellbeing, social wellbeing in school, school climate, school social wellbeing and students’ perceptions of teachers’ wellbeing. Using structural equation modeling, and controlling for SES, we modeled subjective wellbeing as a mediator of the relationship between school-related variables, such as school climate and perception of teacher’s wellbeing, and (a) school achievement, and (b) school performance. School achievement was computed as a product of (a) the probability of passing the school year, and (b) the percentage of yearly attendance at school. Data on school achievement was drawn from administrative registries from the Chilean Ministry of Education. School performance was computed as the estimated grade point average (GPA) at the end of the school year, based on the students’ previous 5-year GPAs, and was also obtained through administrative data of the last 5 years. Findings reveal the mediating role of subjective wellbeing in the relationship between school-related evaluations (students’ social wellbeing at school, their perception of teachers’ wellbeing and school climate) and school achievement. For school achievement, two variables were mediated (students’ social wellbeing at school and school climate). However, for school performance, no significant mediations were found. We conclude that, on the one hand

School Achievement and Performance in Chilean High Schools: The Mediating Role of Subjective Wellbeing in School-Related Evaluations.

Science.gov (United States)

López, Verónica; Oyanedel, Juan C; Bilbao, Marian; Torres, Javier; Oyarzún, Denise; Morales, Macarena; Ascorra, Paula; Carrasco, Claudia

2017-01-01

School achievement gaps and school failure are problematic issues in Latin America, and are mainly explained by the socio-economic status (SES) of the students. What schools can do to improve school achievement and reduce school failure is a critical issue, both for school management and teacher training. In this study, we present the association of individual and school-related socio-emotional variables with school achievement and performance, controlling for the effects of SES. A probabilistic sample of 4,964 students, drawn from 191 schools enrolled in year 10 in urban areas of Chile, answered questionnaires assessing subjective wellbeing, social wellbeing in school, school climate, school social wellbeing and students' perceptions of teachers' wellbeing. Using structural equation modeling, and controlling for SES, we modeled subjective wellbeing as a mediator of the relationship between school-related variables, such as school climate and perception of teacher's wellbeing, and (a) school achievement, and (b) school performance. School achievement was computed as a product of (a) the probability of passing the school year, and (b) the percentage of yearly attendance at school. Data on school achievement was drawn from administrative registries from the Chilean Ministry of Education. School performance was computed as the estimated grade point average (GPA) at the end of the school year, based on the students' previous 5-year GPAs, and was also obtained through administrative data of the last 5 years. Findings reveal the mediating role of subjective wellbeing in the relationship between school-related evaluations (students' social wellbeing at school, their perception of teachers' wellbeing and school climate) and school achievement. For school achievement, two variables were mediated (students' social wellbeing at school and school climate). However, for school performance, no significant mediations were found. We conclude that, on the one hand, after

The effect of authentic leadership, organizational justice, and achievement motivation on teachers' performance in vocational high school seventeen Temanggung

Science.gov (United States)

Sugi, Slamet, Achmad; Martono, S.

2018-03-01

Teachers' performance in Temanggung in 2016 did not show maximal result. It was shown from many indicators. The low score of UN, UKG and PKB result. Individual performance was different. Achievement motivation could be seen through their attitude and behavior performances. The purpose of this research is to know the effect of authentic leadership, organizational justice, and achievement motivation on teachers' performance. The objects of this research are authentic leadership, organizational justice, achievement motivation and teachers' performance in Vocational High School Seventeen in Temanggung. The research method used is quantitative. Data collection was done by questioners. Then, the data were analyzed by using Path SPSS 16. The result of this research showed that authentic leadership, organizational justice, achievement motivation had significant effect on teachers' performance in Vocational High School Seventeen in Temanggung.

Children's understanding of the distinction between intentions and desires.

Science.gov (United States)

Schult, Carolyn A

2002-01-01

Much of the previous research on children's understanding of intentions confounded intentions with desires. Intentions and desires are different, in that a desire can be satisfied in a number of ways, but an intention must be satisfied by carrying out the intended action. Children 3 through 7 years of age and adults were presented with situations in which intentions were satisfied but desires were not, or vice versa, in a story-comprehension task (N = 71) and a target-hitting game (N = 45). Although 3- and 4-year-olds were unable to differentiate desires and intentions consistently, 5- and 7-year-olds often matched the adult pattern. Younger children's difficulties in understanding intentions are discussed in terms of their use of a desire-outcome matching strategy and the representational complexities of intentions.

Artificial Intelligence Mechanisms on Interactive Modified Simplex Method with Desirability Function for Optimising Surface Lapping Process

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Pongchanun Luangpaiboon

2014-01-01

Full Text Available A study has been made to optimise the influential parameters of surface lapping process. Lapping time, lapping speed, downward pressure, and charging pressure were chosen from the preliminary studies as parameters to determine process performances in terms of material removal, lap width, and clamp force. The desirability functions of the-nominal-the-best were used to compromise multiple responses into the overall desirability function level or D response. The conventional modified simplex or Nelder-Mead simplex method and the interactive desirability function are performed to optimise online the parameter levels in order to maximise the D response. In order to determine the lapping process parameters effectively, this research then applies two powerful artificial intelligence optimisation mechanisms from harmony search and firefly algorithms. The recommended condition of (lapping time, lapping speed, downward pressure, and charging pressure at (33, 35, 6.0, and 5.0 has been verified by performing confirmation experiments. It showed that the D response level increased to 0.96. When compared with the current operating condition, there is a decrease of the material removal and lap width with the improved process performance indices of 2.01 and 1.14, respectively. Similarly, there is an increase of the clamp force with the improved process performance index of 1.58.

Unrealized fertility: Fertility desires at the end of the reproductive career

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John Casterline

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Background: 'Unrealized fertility' is a failure to achieve desired fertility. Unrealized fertility has been examined in low-fertility societies but, with the exception of research on infertility, has been neglected in research on non-Western societies. Objective: We conduct a multicountry investigation of one form of unrealized fertility, namely a reproductive career which ends with the woman desiring further children. Methods: We analyze 295,854 women aged 44‒48 in 252 surveys (DHS, RHS, PAP conducted in the period 1986-2015 in 78 countries. Two indicators of unrealized fertility are constructed: (i a comparison of ideal versus actual number of children; (ii the desire for another child. We estimate multilevel regressions with covariates at individual and aggregate levels. Results: Unrealized fertility is far more prevalent according to the first indicator than the second. It is more common among women with fewer living children and women whose first birth occurs after age 20, and it is distinctly higher in sub-Saharan Africa and lower in South Asia. The evidence on trend over the course of fertility transition is mixed: for the second indicator but not the first, the net effect is a reduction in the prevalence of unrealized fertility as fertility declines. Conclusions: Unrealized fertility occurs frequently in most societies and therefore deserves more rigorous research, especially on its consequences for emotional, social, economic, and demographic outcomes. Contribution: We provide the first comprehensive documentation of the prevalence of unrealized fertility across a broad set of contemporary non-Western societies.

Factors Affecting Fertility Desires in the Philippines

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Clarissa C. David

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Factors affecting fertility desires in the Philippines were examined using data from a national survey and from individual and group qualitative interviews involving 143 respondents. Fertility goals usually range from two to three children, but evidence suggests that they are dynamic and may change over a person’s lifetime. Qualitative interviews reveal that when negotiating about family size, it is the partner who wants more children that will be followed. A strong demand for gender balance among offspring creates a willingness to have more children than originally desired. Fertility goals increase over time among women. While those who start childbirth at a very young age successfully space their children, they tend to want larger families than those who start late. Initial fertility goals among women are generally low but may increase because of higher fertility desires among men, a demand for gender balance in children, and the desire for babies once their children have grown.

Rethinking Social Desirability Scales: From Impression Management to Interpersonally Oriented Self-Control.

Science.gov (United States)

Uziel, Liad

2010-05-01

Social desirability (specifically, impression management) scales are widely used by researchers and practitioners to screen individuals who bias self-reports in a self-favoring manner. These scales also serve to identify individuals at risk for psychological and health problems. The present review explores the evidence with regard to the ability of these scales to achieve these objectives. In the first part of the review, I present six criteria to evaluate impression management scales and conclude that they are unsatisfactory as measures of response style. Next, I explore what individual differences in impression management scores actually do measure. I compare two approaches: a defensiveness approach, which argues that these scales measure defensiveness that stems from vulnerable self-esteem, and an adjustment approach, which suggests that impression management is associated with personal well-being and interpersonal adjustment. Data from a wide variety of fields including social behavior, affect and well-being, health, and job performance tend to favor the adjustment approach. Finally, I argue that scales measuring impression management should be redefined as measures of interpersonally oriented self-control that identify individuals who demonstrate high levels of self-control, especially in social contexts. © The Author(s) 2010.

Desired Fertility and Number of Children Born Across Time and Space.

Science.gov (United States)

Günther, Isabel; Harttgen, Kenneth

2016-02-01

Economists have often argued that high fertility rates are mainly driven by women's demand for children (and not by family planning efforts) with low levels of unwanted fertility across countries (and hence with little room for family planning efforts to reduce population growth). We study the relationship between wanted fertility and number of children born in a panel of 200 country-years controlling for country fixed effects and global time trends. In general, we find a close relationship between wanted and actual fertility, with one desired child leading to one additional birth. However, our results also indicate that in the last 20 years, the level of unwanted births has stayed at 2 across African countries but has, on average, decreased from 1 to close to 0 in other developing countries. Hence, women in African countries are less able to translate child preferences into birth outcomes than women in other developing countries, and forces other than fertility demand have been important for previous fertility declines in many developing countries. Family planning efforts only partially explain the observed temporal and spatial differences in achieving desired fertility levels.

Dysregulated sexuality and high sexual desire: distinct constructs?

Science.gov (United States)

Winters, Jason; Christoff, Kalina; Gorzalka, Boris B

2010-10-01

The literature on dysregulated sexuality, whether theoretical, clinical or empirical, has failed to differentiate the construct from high sexual desire. In this study, we tested three hypotheses which addressed this issue. A sample of 6458 men and 7938 women, some of whom had sought treatment for sexual compulsivity, addiction or impulsivity, completed an online survey comprised of various sexuality measures. Men and women who reported having sought treatment scored significantly higher on measures of dysregulated sexuality and sexual desire. For men, women, and those who had sought treatment, dysregulated sexuality was associated with increased sexual desire. Confirmatory factor analysis supported a one-factor model, indicating that, in both male and female participants, dysregulated sexuality and sexual desire variables loaded onto a single underlying factor. The results of this study suggest that dysregulated sexuality, as currently conceptualized, labelled, and measured, may simply be a marker of high sexual desire and the distress associated with managing a high degree of sexual thoughts, feelings, and needs.

Sexual Desire and Arousal Disorders in Women

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Laan, Ellen; Both, Stephanie

2011-01-01

According to incentive motivation theory, sexual desire is the result of the interplay between a sensitive sexual response system and stimuli that activate the system. From this notion it follows that sexual desire is not a cause but a consequence of sexual arousal. The effects of hormones, somatic

AN EXPLORATORY RESEARCH REGARDING CUSTOMER ORIENTATION AND PERFORMANCE IN HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

FLAVIA DANA OLTEAN

2013-08-01

Full Text Available The main objective of this research is to present the importance of the customer orientation from themanagerial perspective and to analyze the influence of customer orientation over the performance indicators in thehotels from Mures county (Romania . For achieving this objective, the data have been collected by means of 42surveys addressed to managers and owners who are active in the industry of hospitability, and the results indicated apartial confirmation of the tested hypotheses and the results from previous international research. The conclusions ofthe study present importance for the decisional authorities associated with hotel units which desire to achieve thesatisfaction of the customers, gaining the brand loyalty and implicitly the desired economic efficiency and add to theinternational literature aspects referring to the industry of hospitality from Romania.

The effects of training and competition on achievement goals, motivational responses, and performance in a golf-putting task

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Pol, P.K.C. van de; Kavussanu, M.; Ring, C.

2012-01-01

This study examined whether (a) training and competition influence achievement goals, effort, enjoyment, tension, and performance; (b) achievement goals mediate the effects of training and competition on effort, enjoyment, tension, and performance; and (c) the context influences the relationships

Self-Transcendence, Sexual Desire, and Sexual Frequency.

Science.gov (United States)

Costa, Rui Miguel; Pestana, José; Costa, David

2018-01-02

Self-forgetfulness is a facet of self-transcendence characterized by tendency to experience altered states of consciousness. We examined associations of self-forgetfulness with sexual desire and frequency. Two hundred sixty-one Portuguese men and women completed the self-forgetfulness subscale of the Temperament and Character Inventory-Revised, a measure of openness to experience, and a questionnaire on desired and actual frequency of vaginal intercourse, noncoital sex, and masturbation in the past month. In simple and partial correlations controlling for openness to experience and relationship status, women's self-forgetfulness correlated with desired frequency of intercourse and noncoital sex. For men, self-forgetfulness correlated with actual frequency of intercourse and noncoital sex.

Association between scores in high school, aptitude and achievement exams and early performance in health science college

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Al-Alwan Ibrahim

2009-01-01

Full Text Available This retrospective study was carried out to assess the correlation between admi-ssion criteria to health science colleges, namely, final high school grade and Saudi National Apti-tude and Achievement exams, and early academic performance in these colleges. The study inclu-ded 91 male students studying in the two-year pre-professional program at the King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences (KSAU-HS, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Records of these students were used to extract relevant information and their academic performance (based on the grade point average achieved at the end of the first semester of the pre-professional program, which were analytically studied. Pearson correlation coefficient was used to assess the associa-tions between the different scores. SPSS statistical program (version 12.0 was used for data ana-lyses. We found a strong correlation between the academic performance and the Achievement Exam, Aptitude Exam and high school final grade, with Pearson Correlation Coefficients of 0.96, 0.93, 0.87, respectively. The Saudi National Achievement Exam showed the most significant correla-tion. Our results indicate that academic performance showed good correlation with the admission criteria used, namely final high school grade, Saudi National Aptitude and Achievement Exams.

To master or perform? Exploring relations between achievement goals and conceptual change learning.

Science.gov (United States)

Ranellucci, John; Muis, Krista R; Duffy, Melissa; Wang, Xihui; Sampasivam, Lavanya; Franco, Gina M

2013-09-01

Research is needed to explore conceptual change in relation to achievement goal orientations and depth of processing. To address this need, we examined relations between achievement goals, use of deep versus shallow processing strategies, and conceptual change learning using a think-aloud protocol. Seventy-three undergraduate students were assessed on their prior knowledge and misconceptions about Newtonian mechanics, and then reported their achievement goals and participated in think-aloud protocols while reading Newtonian physics texts. A mastery-approach goal orientation positively predicted deep processing strategies, shallow processing strategies, and conceptual change. In contrast, a performance-approach goal orientation did not predict either of the processing strategies, but negatively predicted conceptual change. A performance-avoidance goal orientation negatively predicted deep processing strategies and conceptual change. Moreover, deep and shallow processing strategies positively predicted conceptual change as well as recall. Finally, both deep and shallow processing strategies mediated relations between mastery-approach goals and conceptual change. Results provide some support for Dole and Sinatra's (1998) Cognitive Reconstruction of Knowledge Model of conceptual change but also challenge specific facets with regard to the role of depth of processing in conceptual change. © 2012 The British Psychological Society.

The psychology of voice and performance capabilities in masculine and feminine cultures and contexts

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Van den Bos, K.; Brockner, J.; Stein, J.H.; Steiner, D.D.; van Yperen, N.W.; Dekker, D.

2010-01-01

In this article, we examine the hypothesis that in masculine cultures or in other contexts that emphasize competitive achievement, those with higher performance capabilities will feel empowered to have input in decisions and, hence, will desire opportunities to voice their opinions about decisions

Race/ethnic differences in desired body mass index and dieting practices among young women attending college in Hawai'i.

Science.gov (United States)

Schembre, Susan M; Nigg, Claudio R; Albright, Cheryl L

2011-07-01

In accordance with the sociocultural model, race/ethnicity is considered a major influence on factors associated with body image and body dissatisfaction, and eating disorders are often characterized as problems that are primarily limited to young White women from Western cultures. The purpose of this study was to determine whether there are differences that exist by race in desired body weight; the importance placed on those ideals; and dieting strategies among White, Asian American, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islanders, and other mixed-race young women in Hawai'i. A total of 144 female college students 18-20 years of age were surveyed about body weight as well as eating and exercise habits. Results demonstrated that all the young women wanted to lose weight. However, there were no differences in desired body weight or desired weight change by race after controlling for body mass index suggesting that current weight rather than race/ethnicity is the predominant influence on weight-related concerns. Young White women placed the greatest level of importance on achieving a lower body weight, which corresponded with a greater likelihood to be attempting weight loss (dieting) and greater endorsement of behaviors consistent with weight loss compared to their counterparts. Findings imply that, for young women, race/ethnicity may not have as significant an impact on factors associated with body weight ideals as previously believed. Rather, differences in the value placed on achieving a desired body weight, as it relates to disordered eating, should be further explored among race/ethnic groups.

School Achievement and Performance in Chilean High Schools: The Mediating Role of Subjective Wellbeing in School-Related Evaluations

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Verónica López

2017-07-01

Full Text Available School achievement gaps and school failure are problematic issues in Latin America, and are mainly explained by the socio-economic status (SES of the students. What schools can do to improve school achievement and reduce school failure is a critical issue, both for school management and teacher training. In this study, we present the association of individual and school-related socio-emotional variables with school achievement and performance, controlling for the effects of SES. A probabilistic sample of 4,964 students, drawn from 191 schools enrolled in year 10 in urban areas of Chile, answered questionnaires assessing subjective wellbeing, social wellbeing in school, school climate, school social wellbeing and students’ perceptions of teachers’ wellbeing. Using structural equation modeling, and controlling for SES, we modeled subjective wellbeing as a mediator of the relationship between school-related variables, such as school climate and perception of teacher’s wellbeing, and (a school achievement, and (b school performance. School achievement was computed as a product of (a the probability of passing the school year, and (b the percentage of yearly attendance at school. Data on school achievement was drawn from administrative registries from the Chilean Ministry of Education. School performance was computed as the estimated grade point average (GPA at the end of the school year, based on the students’ previous 5-year GPAs, and was also obtained through administrative data of the last 5 years. Findings reveal the mediating role of subjective wellbeing in the relationship between school-related evaluations (students’ social wellbeing at school, their perception of teachers’ wellbeing and school climate and school achievement. For school achievement, two variables were mediated (students’ social wellbeing at school and school climate. However, for school performance, no significant mediations were found. We conclude that, on the

Queer Theory and Discourses of Desire

OpenAIRE

Vasvári, Louise O.

2006-01-01

In her paper "Queer Theory and Discourses of Desire," Louise O. Vasvári proposes that the multiplicity of ways that language constructs -- or silences -- the socially constructed expression of erotic desire is a necessary complement to the study of gendered and of sexual identity. Vasvári contributes to queer theory and its subfield, queer linguistics, with the term "queer" understood as more inclusive and less male-oriented than "gay" where queer theory seeks to read between and outside the ...

Topology of sustainable management in dynamical Earth system models with desirable states

Science.gov (United States)

Heitzig, J.; Kittel, T.

2015-03-01

To keep the Earth system in a desirable region of its state space, such as the recently suggested "tolerable environment and development window", "planetary boundaries", or "safe (and just) operating space", one not only needs to understand the quantitative internal dynamics of the system and the available options for influencing it (management), but also the structure of the system's state space with regard to certain qualitative differences. Important questions are: which state space regions can be reached from which others with or without leaving the desirable region? Which regions are in a variety of senses "safe" to stay in when management options might break away, and which qualitative decision problems may occur as a consequence of this topological structure? In this article, as a complement to the existing literature on optimal control which is more focussed on quantitative optimization and is much applied in both the engineering and the integrated assessment literature, we develop a mathematical theory of the qualitative topology of the state space of a dynamical system with management options and desirable states. We suggest a certain terminology for the various resulting regions of the state space and perform a detailed formal classification of the possible states with respect to the possibility of avoiding or leaving the undesired region. Our results indicate that before performing some form of quantitative optimization, the sustainable management of the Earth system may require decisions of a more discrete type that come in the form of several dilemmata, e.g., choosing between eventual safety and uninterrupted desirability, or between uninterrupted safety and increasing flexibility. We illustrate the concepts and dilemmata with conceptual models from classical mechanics, climate science, ecology, economics, and coevolutionary Earth system modelling and discuss their potential relevance for the climate and sustainability debate.

Gambling-machines and the Automation of Desire

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César Albarrán Torres

2014-10-01

Full Text Available This paper deals with the relationship between gamblers and Electronic Gaming Machines (EGMs, which leads to the automation of desire through procedures. "Pokies", as EGMs are known in the Australian context, are both desiring­machines (Deleuze and Guattari and cross­platform media where digital gambling and videogame conventions and procedures intersect. I make a case that, as desiring­machines (entities that are defined by their connections, pokies and gamblers form couplings that generate assemblages, which are "passional", "a composition of desire" (Deleuze and Guattari. I also argue that pokies share aesthetic and procedural similarities with videogames and that the gameplay's objective is not always to merely win money, but to fulfil a desire to accomplish missions and embark on adventures. I also argue that these "missions" are related to chasing, the overarching procedure that defines EGM consumption and allows for the automation of gambler­pokie couplings. The aesthetics of most of these procedure­ images can be traced back to a postcolonial disposition over foreign lands, peoples and cultures ­faux Chinese and Aboriginal lore, exotic deserts, untamed jungles and Arctic landscapes that need to be conquered. This disposition echoes notions such as class­ related aspiration (desire and exotica. I analyse the imagery in some of the pokies that circulate in the New South Wales (Australia EGM market. This reading of Electronic Gaming Machines adds a ludic dimension to the analysis of a highly class­bound social practice that is part of a wider socioeconomic trend that points towards a new and contradictory consumption ethic. The application of videogame theory is absent in current discussions on poker machine interfaces and legislation, which generally focus on the figure of the pathological gambler and disregard the complexities of gambling platforms.

"Non-Coercive Rearrangements": Theorizing Desire in TESOL

Science.gov (United States)

Motha, Suhanthie; Lin, Angel

2014-01-01

In this article, the authors argue that at the center of every English language learning moment lies desire: desire for the language; for the identities that English represents; for capital, power, and images that are associated with English; for what is believed to lie beyond the doors that English unlocks. However, despite its centrality within…

The Self-Justifying Desire for Happiness

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rodogno, Raffaele

2004-01-01

In Happiness, Tabensky equates the notion of happiness to Aristotelian eudaimonia. I shall claim that doing so amounts to equating two concepts that moderns cannot conceptually equate, namely, the good for a person and the good person or good life. In §2 I examine the way in which Tabensky deals...... with this issue and claim that his idea of happiness is as problematic for us moderns as is any translation of the notion of eudaimonia in terms of happiness. Naturally, if happiness understood as eudaimonia is ambiguous, so will be the notion of a desire for happiness, which we find at the core of Tabensky......'s whole project. In §3 I shall be concerned with another aspect of the desire for happiness; namely, its alleged self-justifying nature. I will attempt to undermine the idea that this desire is self-justifying by undermining the criterion on which Tabensky takes self-justifiability to rest, i.e. its...

The Desire for Impact

NARCIS (Netherlands)

A.J. Dur (Robert)

2004-01-01

textabstractThis paper explores the meaning and implications of the desire by workers for impact. We find that this impact motive can make firms in a competitive labor market act as monopsonists, lead workers with the same characteristics but at different firms to earn different wages, may alleviate

Desire, Sexual Harassment, and Pedagogy in the University Classroom.

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, Alison

1996-01-01

Intense desires surface daily in university classrooms. Tensions and energies generated by students' and teachers' desires to teach, learn, and be admired can be erotically charged. Webs of desire, power, and vulnerability can form productive or destructive pedagogical relationships. The paper discusses the interplay of these factors in university…

Desirable Elements for a Particle System Interface

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Daniel Schroeder

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Particle systems have many applications, with the most popular being to produce special effects in video games and films. To permit particle systems to be created quickly and easily, Particle System Interfaces (PSIs have been developed. A PSI is a piece of software designed to perform common tasks related to particle systems for clients, while providing them with a set of parameters whose values can be adjusted to create different particle systems. Most PSIs are inflexible, and when clients require functionality that is not supported by the PSI they are using, they are forced to either find another PSI that meets their requirements or, more commonly, create their own particle system or PSI from scratch. This paper presents three original contributions. First, it identifies 18 features that a PSI should provide in order to be capable of creating diverse effects. If these features are implemented in a PSI, clients will be more likely to be able to accomplish all desired effects related to particle systems with one PSI. Secondly, it introduces a novel use of events to determine, at run time, which particle system code to execute in each frame. Thirdly, it describes a software architecture called the Dynamic Particle System Framework (DPSF. Simulation results show that DPSF possesses all 18 desirable features.

The Impact of Physics Teachers' Pedagogical Content Knowledge and Motivation on Students' Achievement and Interest

Science.gov (United States)

Keller, Melanie M.; Neumann, Knut; Fischer, Hans E.

2017-01-01

This paper examines students' achievement and interest and the extent to which they are predicted by teacher knowledge and motivation. Student achievement and interest are both considered desirable outcomes of school instruction. Teacher pedagogical content knowledge has been identified a major predictor of student achievement in previous…

Desire thinking as a confounder in the relationship between mindfulness and craving: Evidence from a cross-cultural validation of the Desire Thinking Questionnaire.

Science.gov (United States)

Chakroun-Baggioni, Nadia; Corman, Maya; Spada, Marcantonio M; Caselli, Gabriele; Gierski, Fabien

2017-10-01

Desire thinking and mindfulness have been associated with craving. The aim of the present study was to validate the French version of the Desire Thinking Questionnaire (DTQ) and to investigate the relationship between mindfulness, desire thinking and craving among a sample of university students. Four hundred and ninety six university students completed the DTQ and measures of mindfulness, craving and alcohol use. Results from confirmatory factor analyses showed that the two-factor structure proposed in the original DTQ exhibited suitable goodness-of-fit statistics. The DTQ also demonstrated good internal reliability, temporal stability and predictive validity. A set of linear regressions revealed that desire thinking had a confounding effect in the relationship between mindfulness and craving. The confounding role of desire thinking in the relationship between mindfulness and craving suggests that interrupting desire thinking may be a viable clinical option aimed at reducing craving. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Sexual Desire Disorders

OpenAIRE

Montgomery, Keith A.

2008-01-01

Hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD) and sexual aversion disorder (SAD) are an under-diagnosed group of disorders that affect men and women. Despite their prevalence, these two disorders are often not addressed by healthcare providers and patients due their private and awkward nature. As physicians, we need to move beyond our own unease in order to adequately address our patients’ sexual problems and implement appropriate treatment. Using the Sexual Response Cycle as the model of the phys...

The Stability of Social Desirability: A Latent Change Analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Haberecht, Katja; Schnuerer, Inga; Gaertner, Beate; John, Ulrich; Freyer-Adam, Jennis

2015-08-01

Social desirability has been shown to be stable in samples with higher school education. However, little is known about the stability of social desirability in more heterogeneous samples differing in school education. This study aimed to investigate the stability of social desirability and which factors predict interindividual differences in intraindividual change. As part of a randomized controlled trial, 1,243 job seekers with unhealthy alcohol use were systematically recruited at three job agencies. A total of 1,094 individuals (87.8%) participated in at least one of two follow-ups (6 and 15 months after baseline) and constitute this study's sample. The Social Desirability Scale-17 was applied. Two latent change models were conducted: Model 1 tested for interindividual differences in intraindividual change of social desirability between both follow-ups; Model 2 included possible predictors (age, sex, education, current employment status) of interindividual differences in intraindividual change. Model 1 revealed a significant decrease of social desirability over time. Model 2 revealed school education to be the only significant predictor of change. These findings indicate that stability of social desirability may depend on school education. It may not be as stable in individuals with higher school education as in individuals with lower education. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Microscopic Model of Automobile Lane-changing Virtual Desire Trajectory by Spline Curves

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Yulong Pei

2010-05-01

Full Text Available With the development of microscopic traffic simulation models, they have increasingly become an important tool for transport system analysis and management, which assist the traffic engineer to investigate and evaluate the performance of transport network systems. Lane-changing model is a vital component in any traffic simulation model, which could improve road capacity and reduce vehicles delay so as to reduce the likelihood of congestion occurrence. Therefore, this paper addresses the virtual desire trajectory, a vital part to investigate the behaviour divided into four phases. Based on the boundary conditions, β-spline curves and the corresponding reverse algorithm are introduced firstly. Thus, the relation between the velocity and length of lane-changing is constructed, restricted by the curvature, steering velocity and driving behaviour. Then the virtual desire trajectory curves are presented by Matlab and the error analysis results prove that this proposed description model has higher precision in automobile lane-changing process reconstruction, compared with the surveyed result. KEY WORDS: traffic simulation, lane-changing model, virtual desire trajectory, β-spline curves, driving behaviour

Becoming-Teachers: Desiring Students

Science.gov (United States)

Mercieca, Duncan

2012-01-01

This article proposes a reading of the lives of teachers through a Deleuzian-Guattarian materialistic approach. By asking the question "what kind of life do teachers live?" this article reminds us that teachers sometimes welcome the imposed policies, procedures and programmes, the consequences of which remove them from students. This desire is…

Achieving swift equilibration of a Brownian particle using flow-fields

Science.gov (United States)

Patra, Ayoti; Jarzynski, Christopher

Can a system be driven to a targeted equilibrium state on a timescale that is much shorter than its natural equilibration time? In a recent experiment, the swift equilibration of an overdamped Brownian particle was achieved by use of an appropriately designed, time-dependent optical trap potential. Motivated by these results, we develop a general theoretical approach for guiding an ensemble of Brownian particles to track the instantaneous equilibrium distribution of a desired potential U (q , t) . In our approach, we use flow-fields associated with the parametric evolution of the targeted equilibrium state to construct an auxiliary potential U (q , t) , such that dynamics under the composite potential U (t) + U (t) achieves the desired evolution. Our results establish a close connection between the swift equilibration of Brownian particles, quantum shortcuts to adiabaticity, and the dissipationless driving of a classical, Hamiltonian system.

A Systematic Approach for Understanding and Modeling the Performance of Network Security Devices

OpenAIRE

Beyene, Yordanos

2014-01-01

In this dissertation, we attempt to understand and predict the performance of security devices. More specifically, we examine the following types of questions: (a) Given a security device, and a traffic load, can we predict the performance of the device? (b) Given a traffic load and a security device, how can we tune the performance of the device to achieve the desired trade-off between security and performance? We consider both stateful firewalls and Network Intrusion Prevention systems (NIP...

Identifying Achievement Goals and Their Relationship to Academic Achievement in Undergraduate Pharmacy Students

Science.gov (United States)

Sainsbury, Erica; Rose, Grenville; Smith, Lorraine

2014-01-01

Objectives. To compare the achievement goal orientations of first-year with those of third-year undergraduate Australian pharmacy students and to examine the relationship of goal orientations to academic achievement. Methods. The Achievement Goal Questionnaire was administered to first-year and third-year students during class time. Students’ grades were obtained from course coordinators. Results. More first-year students adopted performance-approach and mastery-approach goals than did third-year students. Performance-approach goals were positively correlated with academic achievement in the first year. Chinese Australian students scored the highest in adopting performance-approach goals. Vietnamese Australian students adopted mastery-avoidance goals more than other ethnicities. First-year students were more strongly performance approach goal-oriented than third-year students. Conclusion. Adopting performance-approach goals was positively correlated with academic achievement, while adopting avoidance goals was not. Ethnicity has an effect on the adoption of achievement goals and academic achievement. PMID:25258438

Identification and comparison of structural factors of innovation capability in ESCO with desirable status

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Fatemeh Jalali

2014-12-01

Full Text Available The present study describes the identification and comparison of structural factors of innovation capability in Esfahan Steel Company (ESCO. Innovation is a crucial factor in growth, success, and survival of organizations. Since the innovation for organizations is not possible without the level of innovation capabilities and the need for steel products and imports of goods from developed countries has greatly increased, this study intends to investigate the factors affecting the subject that may be able to increase the production and reduce the need to import it. Evaluation of the innovation capability factors of ESCO compared with its desired status in industry can help companies develop innovative strategies and also achieve organizational goals. Statistical analysis methods and mean comparison test by examining the structure of the innovation capability in the form of a standard questionnaire was employed. The findings suggest that the innovation capability in the existing situation of ESCO in comparison with the desired situation is significantly different.

Maintaining sexual desire in intimate relationships: the importance of approach goals.

Science.gov (United States)

Impett, Emily At; Strachman, Amy; Finkel, Eli J; Gable, Shelly L

2008-05-01

Three studies tested whether adopting strong (relative to weak) approach goals in relationships (i.e., goals focused on the pursuit of positive experiences in one's relationship such as fun, growth, and development) predict greater sexual desire. Study 1 was a 6-month longitudinal study with biweekly assessments of sexual desire. Studies 2 and 3 were 2-week daily experience studies with daily assessments of sexual desire. Results showed that approach relationship goals buffered against declines in sexual desire over time and predicted elevated sexual desire during daily sexual interactions. Approach sexual goals mediated the association between approach relationship goals and daily sexual desire. Individuals with strong approach goals experienced even greater desire on days with positive relationship events and experienced less of a decrease in desire on days with negative relationships events than individuals who were low in approach goals. In two of the three studies, the association between approach relationship goals and sexual desire was stronger for women than for men. Implications of these findings for maintaining sexual desire in long-term relationships are discussed. (c) 2008 APA, all rights reserved

Can achievement emotions be used to better understand motivation, learning, and performance in medical education?

Science.gov (United States)

Artino, Anthony R; Holmboe, Eric S; Durning, Steven J

2012-01-01

In this article, we consider an emergent theory of human emotion. The overarching purpose of the article is to introduce medical education researchers to the notion of achievement emotions and provide a brief overview of how this work can inform the theory, research, and practice of medical education. First, we define achievement emotions and describe one of the leading contemporary theories of achievement emotions, control-value theory (Pekrun R. 2006. The control-value theory of achievement emotions: Assumptions, corollaries, and implications for educational research and practice. Educ Psychol Rev 18:315-341.). Next, we distinguish between different types of achievement emotions, their proximal causes, and their consequences for motivation, learning, and performance, and we discuss several implications for educational practice. Finally, we end with a call for more research on achievement emotions in medical education to facilitate our understanding of emotions and their impact on important educational outcomes.

The anatomy of a forbidden desire: men, penetration and semen exchange.

Science.gov (United States)

Holmes, Dave; Warner, Dan

2005-03-01

The rising popularity of unprotected anal sex (bareback sex) among men who have sex with men (MSM) is perplexing healthcare providers working in sexual health clinics. Epidemiological research on the topic overlooks several socio-cultural and psychological dimensions. Our research attempts to construct an appropriate theoretical edifice by which we can understand this sexual practice. In order to achieve this objective, a qualitative design was selected and 18 semiconductive in-depth interviews were carried out with barebackers from five European and North American cities. We then analyzed the data using two theoretical approaches that were sensitive to the issues of desire, transgression and pleasure. These theories are those of the late French psychoanalyst, Jacques Lacan, and those of poststructural thinkers, Gilles Deleuze and Felix Guattari. These theoretical frameworks helped shed light on the significance of bareback sex, and can potentially influence healthcare providers in gaining a better understanding not only of their clients, but also of their own role in the circuitry of desire at work within bareback. We found that while the exchange of semen constitutes a dangerous and irrational practice to healthcare professionals, it is nevertheless a significant variable in the sexual lives of barebackers that needs to be taken into consideration in the provision of healthcare services.

Sexual desire in trans persons: associations with sex reassignment treatment.

Science.gov (United States)

Wierckx, Katrien; Elaut, Els; Van Hoorde, Birgit; Heylens, Gunter; De Cuypere, Griet; Monstrey, Stan; Weyers, Steven; Hoebeke, Piet; T'Sjoen, Guy

2014-01-01

Sex steroids and genital surgery are known to affect sexual desire, but little research has focused on the effects of cross-sex hormone therapy and sex reassignment surgery on sexual desire in trans persons. This study aims to explore associations between sex reassignment therapy (SRT) and sexual desire in a large cohort of trans persons. A cross-sectional single specialized center study including 214 trans women (male-to-female trans persons) and 138 trans men (female-to-male trans persons). Questionnaires assessing demographics, medical history, frequency of sexual desire, hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD), and treatment satisfaction. In retrospect, 62.4% of trans women reported a decrease in sexual desire after SRT. Seventy-three percent of trans women never or rarely experienced spontaneous and responsive sexual desire. A third reported associated personal or relational distress resulting in a prevalence of HSDD of 22%. Respondents who had undergone vaginoplasty experienced more spontaneous sexual desire compared with those who planned this surgery but had not yet undergone it (P = 0.03). In retrospect, the majority of trans men (71.0%) reported an increase in sexual desire after SRT. Thirty percent of trans men never or rarely felt sexual desire; 39.7% from time to time, and 30.6% often or always. Five percent of trans men met the criteria for HSDD. Trans men who were less satisfied with the phalloplasty had a higher prevalence of HSDD (P = 0.02). Trans persons who were more satisfied with the hormonal therapy had a lower prevalence of HSDD (P = 0.02). HSDD was more prevalent in trans women compared with trans men. The majority of trans women reported a decrease in sexual desire after SRT, whereas the opposite was observed in trans men. Our results show a significant sexual impact of surgical interventions and both hormonal and surgical treatment satisfaction on the sexual desire in trans persons. © 2013 International Society for Sexual

Clash of Desires: Detective vs. Femme Fatale

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Veronika Pituková

2013-06-01

Full Text Available This article discusses the theme of desire presented in American hard-boiled detective fiction and its subsequent transformation on the screen in form of films noir of the 1940’s. The works in focus are novels The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett, Farewell, My Lovely by Raymond Chandler and Build My Gallows High by Daniel Mainwaring and their film noir adaptations – The Maltese Falcon (1941, Murder, My Sweet (1944 and Out of the Past (1947. The proposed paper seeks to offer a contrastive analysis of the novels and the films and situate them in their respective social and cultural contexts. The central conflict of this article is presented by the clash between the femme fatale’s and detective’s desires. Hard-boiled novels present femme fatale as a dame with a past, a spider woman, and the detective as a hero with no future, caught in her web of intrigues. The only way out for the detective is to suppress the sexual desire for the woman and hold strong to his professional code. The femme fatale’s desire for more and for better is deadly and dangerous for those who succumb to her lure, but the detective’s desire for truth can be fatal for the dark lady too.  This clash presented in the novels is confronted with the 1940’s Hollywood production. When the detective frees himself from the sexual lure of the fatal woman he has a chance to live and even bring her to justice, but she can still escape or decide herself what to do with her destiny. Both, the dame and the hero are victims of their desires. The 1940’s films noir’s femme fatales have to pay for their crimes, no matter how crafty, seductive or manipulative they are.  Thus these films present the masculine dominance as strong and undefeated.

The Desire for (Danish) Quality in High and Low Income Countries

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nguyen, Daniel Xuyen

with sales. These correlations are significantly different across destination countries within product categories, but across years for a given product-destination pair. While some existing theories perform better than others at predicting these patterns, none can reconcile the variation across countries......We estimate the correlation between firm prices and sales within a CN8 product-country-year market. We do this for every market to which at least 16 different Danish firms exported between 1999 and 2006. Approximately 60% of Danish exports are to markets in which the price is negatively correlated....... To fully explain the patterns, We introduce a model in which the price-sales correlation can be interpreted as the market's desire for high quality goods over low cost substitutes. We discover an inverted U shaped relation between a country's desire for quality and its per capita GDP, which we term...

Achievement goals and interpersonal behaviour: How mastery and performance goals shape information exchange

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Poortvliet, P.M.; Janssen, O.; Van Yperen, N.W.; Van de Vliert, E.

2007-01-01

The present research examines the impact of achievement goals on task-related information exchange. Studies 1 and 2 reveal that relative to those with mastery goals or no goal, individuals pursuing performance goals were less open in their information giving to exchange partners. Study 2 further

Making Employee Recognition a Tool for Achieving Improved Performance: Implication for Ghanaian Universities

Science.gov (United States)

Amoatemaa, Abena Serwaa; Kyeremeh, Dorcas Darkoah

2016-01-01

Many organisations are increasingly making use of employee recognition to motivate employees to achieve high performance and productivity. Research has shown that effective recognition occurs in organisations that have strong supportive culture, understand the psychology of praising employees for their good work, and apply the principles of…

Social desirability in personality inventories: Symptoms, diagnosis and prescribed cure

OpenAIRE

Bäckström, Martin; Björklund, Fredrik

2013-01-01

An analysis of social desirability in personality assessment is presented. Starting with the symptoms, Study 1 showed that mean ratings of graded personality items are moderately to strongly linearly related to social desirability (Self Deception, Impression formation, and the first Principal Component), suggesting that item popularity may be a useful heuristic tool for identifying items which elicit socially desirable responding. We diagnose the cause of socially desirable responding as an i...

Performance Monitoring and Evaluation in Botswana’s Public Service: Achievements and Challenges

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dorothy Mpabanga

2016-03-01

Full Text Available The paper aims to explore the implementation of performance monitoring and evaluation tools used in Botswana’s public service. The paper also identifies achievements and challenges of implementing performance monitoring and evaluation system and suggests ways for improvement. This paper uses secondary data sources. The paper reveals lack of performance monitoring and evaluation skills, poor supervision, poor conditions of service and a poor work ethic as some of the factors contributing to ineffective use of performance monitoring and evaluation tools in the service. Leadership commitment and support, benchmarking reforms, training and education, developed administrative and governance structures as well as well-defined public policy and program formulation and implementation processes are some of the success factors to enhanced performance management and evaluation systems in Botswana. The paper argues for adoption of a developmental-led model in order to enhance existing performance monitoring and evaluation system that would improve implementation of government policies and programs. Botswana has been striving to excel in service delivery through performance monitoring and evaluation oriented reforms.

An Interactive Procedure to Preserve the Desired Edges during the Image Processing of Noise Reduction

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Lin-Tsang Lee

2010-01-01

Full Text Available The paper propose a new procedure including four stages in order to preserve the desired edges during the image processing of noise reduction. A denoised image can be obtained from a noisy image at the first stage of the procedure. At the second stage, an edge map can be obtained by the Canny edge detector to find the edges of the object contours. Manual modification of an edge map at the third stage is optional to capture all the desired edges of the object contours. At the final stage, a new method called Edge Preserved Inhomogeneous Diffusion Equation (EPIDE is used to smooth the noisy images or the previously denoised image at the first stage for achieving the edge preservation. The Optical Character Recognition (OCR results in the experiments show that the proposed procedure has the best recognition result because of the capability of edge preservation.

Loss of sexual desire in the postmenopausal woman

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wylie, Kevan; Daines, Brian; Jannini, Emmanuele A

2007-01-01

INTRODUCTION: Hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD) is a common clinical problem that may bother women. AIM: To provide a clear clinical pathway for the assessment and management of women presenting with symptoms of loss of sexual interest and desire (HSDD). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Patient self...

Empower, Inspire, Achieve: (Dis)Empowerment and the Paralympic Games

Science.gov (United States)

Purdue, David E. J.; Howe, P. David

2012-01-01

This paper undertakes a critical examination of the International Paralympic Committee's desire to use the Paralympic Games as a vehicle to empower individuals with a disability. We achieve this by applying Pierre Bourdieu's sociological concepts of habitus and capital to semi-structured interviews conducted with Paralympic stakeholders.…

Designing Hyperchaotic Cat Maps With Any Desired Number of Positive Lyapunov Exponents.

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Hua, Zhongyun; Yi, Shuang; Zhou, Yicong; Li, Chengqing; Wu, Yue

2018-02-01

Generating chaotic maps with expected dynamics of users is a challenging topic. Utilizing the inherent relation between the Lyapunov exponents (LEs) of the Cat map and its associated Cat matrix, this paper proposes a simple but efficient method to construct an -dimensional ( -D) hyperchaotic Cat map (HCM) with any desired number of positive LEs. The method first generates two basic -D Cat matrices iteratively and then constructs the final -D Cat matrix by performing similarity transformation on one basic -D Cat matrix by the other. Given any number of positive LEs, it can generate an -D HCM with desired hyperchaotic complexity. Two illustrative examples of -D HCMs were constructed to show the effectiveness of the proposed method, and to verify the inherent relation between the LEs and Cat matrix. Theoretical analysis proves that the parameter space of the generated HCM is very large. Performance evaluations show that, compared with existing methods, the proposed method can construct -D HCMs with lower computation complexity and their outputs demonstrate strong randomness and complex ergodicity.

Desired emotions across cultures: A value-based account.

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Tamir, Maya; Schwartz, Shalom H; Cieciuch, Jan; Riediger, Michaela; Torres, Claudio; Scollon, Christie; Dzokoto, Vivian; Zhou, Xiaolu; Vishkin, Allon

2016-07-01

Values reflect how people want to experience the world; emotions reflect how people actually experience the world. Therefore, we propose that across cultures people desire emotions that are consistent with their values. Whereas prior research focused on the desirability of specific affective states or 1 or 2 target emotions, we offer a broader account of desired emotions. After reporting initial evidence for the potential causal effects of values on desired emotions in a preliminary study (N = 200), we tested the predictions of our proposed model in 8 samples (N = 2,328) from distinct world cultural regions. Across cultural samples, we found that people who endorsed values of self-transcendence (e.g., benevolence) wanted to feel more empathy and compassion, people who endorsed values of self-enhancement (e.g., power) wanted to feel more anger and pride, people who endorsed values of openness to change (e.g., self-direction) wanted to feel more interest and excitement, and people who endorsed values of conservation (e.g., tradition) wanted to feel more calmness and less fear. These patterns were independent of differences in emotional experience. We discuss the implications of our value-based account of desired emotions for understanding emotion regulation, culture, and other individual differences. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Performance Evaluation of Methods for Estimating Achievable Throughput on Cellular Connections

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mikkelsen, Lars Møller; Højholt, Nikolaj Bove; Madsen, Tatiana Kozlova

2015-01-01

The continuous increase in always connected devices and the advance in capabilities of networks and services offered via the network is evident. The target group of most of these devices and services is users, so how users perceive the network performance is of great importance. Estimating achiev...... AT, due to its much reduced resource consumption. Based on real-life measurements of the two methods we conclude that TOPP is a good candidate to estimate AT, based on similarity in results with BTC....

Factors Influencing Pregnancy Desires among HIV Positive Women ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Factors Influencing Pregnancy Desires among HIV Positive Women in Sibande District in Mpumalanga, South Africa. ... Gender and Behaviour ... The objective of the study is to present findings on factors influencing pregnancy desires amongst HIV positive women that have participated in Prevention of Mother to child ...

Evidence-based treatments for low sexual desire in women.

Science.gov (United States)

Brotto, Lori A

2017-04-01

Low sexual desire is the most common sexual complaint in women, with multinational studies finding that at least a third of women experience low sexual desire. No single etiology for the development of Female Sexual Interest/Arousal Disorder, the diagnosis laid out by the 5th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, has been established. There has been considerable interest in pharmacological approaches to improving low desire, and agents targeting a range of neurotransmitters have been examined. To date, only flibanserin, a centrally acting medication targeting the serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine systems, has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Despite statistically significant effects on sexual desire, sexual distress, and sexually satisfying events, side-effects are significant, and flibanserin is completely contraindicated with alcohol. As such, there has been renewed interest in advancing the science of psychological approaches to low desire, including cognitive behavioral and mindfulness therapies. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Satisfaction with appearance and the desired treatment to improve aesthetics.

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Zarea, Bader K

2013-01-01

Objective. To identify participants' satisfaction with appearance and the desired treatment to improve aesthetics. Materials and Methods. 220 participants (127 males and 93 females, mean age = 21.4 ± 1.5 years) were recruited into the study. A structured questionnaire was used to assess patients' satisfaction with appearance and what treatment they desire to improve aesthetics. Participants scored the level of satisfaction with appearance using visual analogue scale. Results. The VAS mean score of satisfaction with general appearance was 6.8 ± 2.3. Half participants were dissatisfied with tooth appearance and 65.9% were dissatisfied with tooth colour. Higher VAS scores were associated with higher desire for all treatments that improve tooth appearance (P feeling of poor tooth alignment, presence of fractured anterior teeth, and increased desire for orthodontic, crowns, and dentures treatments (P desire for tooth whitening and tooth coloured fillings (P desire for aesthetic treatments.

EMPLOYEE ADAPTATION AS KEY ACTIVITY IN HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT UPON IMPLEMENTING AND MAINTAINING DESIRED ORGANISATIONAL CULTURE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zdenko Stacho

2017-11-01

Full Text Available In order to achieve the greatest possible equivalence between human resources in a company and desired organisational culture elements declared by a company, it is necessary to interconnect activities within individual functions of human resource management with desired values, attitudes and work behaviour. Such an interconnection is crucial for a positive response of employees to a suitable organisational culture, its embedding in their behaviour and subsequent sharing and spreading of organisational values. This paper will specifically define individual activities related to the adaptation of employees which need to be carried out in this regard. Based on a research conducted between 2011 and 2013, the paper will also define the present state and level of focus of organisations operating in Slovakia on both organisational culture as a whole and organisational culture in the context of employee adaptation.

Dental esthetic satisfaction, received and desired dental treatments for improvement of esthetics.

Science.gov (United States)

Akarslan, Zühre Zafersoy; Sadik, Burak; Erten, Hüya; Karabulut, Erdem

2009-01-01

The purposes of this research were to investigate factors influencing patients' satisfaction with their present dental esthetic, received previous dental treatments on anterior teeth and basic treatments that they wanted to undergo to improve their dental appearance. A total of 1014 patients who attended a dental school in a major city in Turkey participated in the study. The participants were surveyed with a questionnaire containing questions about gender, age, education level, self-reported tooth appearance, received previous dental treatments on anterior teeth and desired basic esthetic dental treatments. Statistical analysis of the verifying data was made with descriptive statistics, chi2 test and multiple logistic regression analyses. According to the analyses of the verifying data, 55.1% of the patients were dissatisfied with the color of their teeth, 42.7% with dental appearance, 29.9% with crowding of anterior teeth, 23.3% were hiding teeth while smiling, 16.1% had non-esthetic restorations and 11.9% thought that their anterior teeth were protruding. Esthetic restoration was found to be the most-performed treatment recently (29.0%) and whitening of teeth was the most-desired dental treatment (49.0%). Gender, age and education level had an effect on satisfaction and received previous and desired dental treatments for improvement of esthetics. Many of the Turkish patients surveyed in the study were dissatisfied and desired the improvement of dental esthetics. Therefore, dentists should consider this as an important dimension in their practice.

Romantic love and sexual desire in close relationships.

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Gonzaga, Gian C; Turner, Rebecca A; Keltner, Dacher; Campos, Belinda; Altemus, Margaret

2006-05-01

Drawing on recent claims in the study of relationships, attachment, and emotion, the authors hypothesized that romantic love serves a commitment-related function and sexual desire a reproduction-related function. Consistent with these claims, in Study 1, brief experiences of romantic love and sexual desire observed in a 3-min interaction between romantic partners were related to distinct feeling states, distinct nonverbal displays, and commitment- and reproductive-related relationship outcomes, respectively. In Study 2, the nonverbal display of romantic love was related to the release of oxytocin. Discussion focuses on the place of romantic love and sexual desire in the literature on emotion. 2006 APA, all rights reserved

Use of Social Desirability Scales in Clinical Psychology: A Systematic Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Perinelli, Enrico; Gremigni, Paola

2016-06-01

There is still an open debate about the utility of social desirability indicators. This report systematically reviewed the use of social desirability scales in studies addressing social desirability in clinical psychology. A systematic review (January 2010-March 2015) was conducted, including 35 studies meeting the inclusion criteria of being published in peer-reviewed journals and describing quantitative findings about an association of social desirability with clinical psychology variables using a cross-sectional or longitudinal design. Social desirability was associated with self-reports of various clinical-psychological dimensions. Most of the included studies treated social desirability as a 1-dimensional variable and only 10 of 35 disentangled the impression management and self-deception components. Although theoretical literature does not consider social desirability a mere response bias, only 4 of the reviewed articles controlled for the possible suppressor effect of personality variables on social desirability, while the majority focused upon the stylistic (response bias) rather than the substantive (personality) nature of this construct. The present review highlighted some limitations in the use of social desirability scales in recent clinical psychology research and tried to offer a few suggestions for handling this issue. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Topology of sustainable management of dynamical systems with desirable states: from defining planetary boundaries to safe operating spaces in the Earth System

Science.gov (United States)

Heitzig, Jobst; Kittel, Tim; Donges, Jonathan; Molkenthin, Nora

2016-04-01

To keep the Earth System in a desirable region of its state space, such as defined by the recently suggested "tolerable environment and development window", "guardrails", "planetary boundaries", or "safe (and just) operating space for humanity", one not only needs to understand the quantitative internal dynamics of the system and the available options for influencing it (management), but also the structure of the system's state space with regard to certain qualitative differences. Important questions are: Which state space regions can be reached from which others with or without leaving the desirable region? Which regions are in a variety of senses "safe" to stay in when management options might break away, and which qualitative decision problems may occur as a consequence of this topological structure? In this work, we develop a mathematical theory of the qualitative topology of the state space of a dynamical system with management options and desirable states, as a complement to the existing literature on optimal control which is more focussed on quantitative optimization and is much applied in both the engineering and the integrated assessment literature. We suggest a certain terminology for the various resulting regions of the state space and perform a detailed formal classification of the possible states with respect to the possibility of avoiding or leaving the undesired region. Our results indicate that before performing some form of quantitative optimization such as of indicators of human well-being for achieving certain sustainable development goals, a sustainable and resilient management of the Earth System may require decisions of a more discrete type that come in the form of several dilemmas, e.g., choosing between eventual safety and uninterrupted desirability, or between uninterrupted safety and larger flexibility. We illustrate the concepts and dilemmas drawing on conceptual models from climate science, ecology, coevolutionary Earth System modeling

Is there a correlation between androgens and sexual desire in women?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wåhlin-Jacobsen, Sarah; Pedersen, Anette Tønnes; Kristensen, Ellids

2015-01-01

between serum levels of androgens and sexual desire in women and whether the level of ADT-G is better correlated than the level of circulating androgens with sexual desire. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study including 560 healthy women aged 19-65 years divided into three age groups. Correlations...... (DHEAS), and ADT-G were analyzed using mass spectrometry. RESULTS: Sexual desire correlated overall with FT and androstenedione in the total cohort of women. In a subgroup of women aged 25-44 years with no use of systemic hormonal contraception, sexual desire correlated with TT, FT, androstenedione......, and DHEAS. In women aged 45-65 years, androstenedione correlated with sexual desire. No correlations between ADT-G and sexual desire were identified. CONCLUSIONS: In the present study, FT and androstenedione were statistically significantly correlated with sexual desire in the total cohort of women. ADT...

Increasing women's sexual desire: The comparative effectiveness of estrogens and androgens.

Science.gov (United States)

Cappelletti, Maurand; Wallen, Kim

2016-02-01

Both estradiol and testosterone have been implicated as the steroid critical for modulating women's sexual desire. By contrast, in all other female mammals only estradiol has been shown to be critical for female sexual motivation and behavior. Pharmaceutical companies have invested heavily in the development of androgen therapies for female sexual desire disorders, but today there are still no FDA approved androgen therapies for women. Nonetheless, testosterone is currently, and frequently, prescribed off-label for the treatment of low sexual desire in women, and the idea of testosterone as a possible cure-all for female sexual dysfunction remains popular. This paper places the ongoing debate concerning the hormonal modulation of women's sexual desire within a historical context, and reviews controlled trials of estrogen and/or androgen therapies for low sexual desire in postmenopausal women. These studies demonstrate that estrogen-only therapies that produce periovulatory levels of circulating estradiol increase sexual desire in postmenopausal women. Testosterone at supraphysiological, but not at physiological, levels enhances the effectiveness of low-dose estrogen therapies at increasing women's sexual desire; however, the mechanism by which supraphysiological testosterone increases women's sexual desire in combination with an estrogen remains unknown. Because effective therapies require supraphysiological amounts of testosterone, it remains unclear whether endogenous testosterone contributes to the modulation of women's sexual desire. The likelihood that an androgen-only clinical treatment will meaningfully increase women's sexual desire is minimal, and the focus of pharmaceutical companies on the development of androgen therapies for the treatment of female sexual desire disorders is likely misplaced. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Paedophilia, Sexual Desire, and Perversity.

Science.gov (United States)

Spiecker, Ben; Steutel, Jan

1997-01-01

Criticizes justifications given by pedophiles for having sex with children, including an analysis of "sexual desire" and "erotic." Raises the question of whether pedophile activities can ever be morally permissible. Uses principles of mutual consent and non-exploitation to answer negatively. Examines whether pedophile desires…

Achieving performance breakthroughs in an HMO business process through quality planning.

Science.gov (United States)

Hanan, K B

1993-01-01

Kaiser Permanente's Georgia Region commissioned a quality planning team to design a new process to improve payments to its suppliers and vendors. The result of the team's effort was a 73 percent reduction in cycle time. This team's experiences point to the advantages of process redesign as a quality planning model, as well as some general guidelines for its most effective use in teams. If quality planning project teams are carefully configured, sufficiently expert in the existing process, and properly supported by management, organizations can achieve potentially dramatic improvements in process performance using this approach.

Shrinking an arbitrary object as one desires using metamaterials

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Wei Xiang; Cui, Tie Jun; Yang, Xin Mi; Ma, Hui Feng; Cheng, Qiang

2011-05-01

Based on transformation optics, we present a shrinking device, which can transform an arbitrary object virtually into a small-size object with different material parameters as one desires. Such an illusion device will confuse the detectors or the viewers, and hence the real size and material parameters of the enclosed object cannot be perceived. We fabricated and measured a shrinking device by using metamaterials, which works at the nonresonant frequency and has low loss. The device has been validated by both numerical simulations and experiments on circular and square objects. Good shrinking performance has been demonstrated.

The effects of chronic achievement motivation and achievement primes on the activation of achievement and fun goals.

Science.gov (United States)

Hart, William; Albarracín, Dolores

2009-12-01

This research examined the hypothesis that situational achievement cues can elicit achievement or fun goals depending on chronic differences in achievement motivation. In 4 studies, chronic differences in achievement motivation were measured, and achievement-denoting words were used to influence behavior. The effects of these variables were assessed on self-report inventories, task performance, task resumption following an interruption, and the pursuit of means relevant to achieving or having fun. Findings indicated that achievement priming (vs. control priming) activated a goal to achieve and inhibited a goal to have fun in individuals with chronically high-achievement motivation but activated a goal to have fun and inhibited a goal to achieve in individuals with chronically low-achievement motivation.

Achievement Emotions and Academic Performance: Longitudinal Models of Reciprocal Effects.

Science.gov (United States)

Pekrun, Reinhard; Lichtenfeld, Stephanie; Marsh, Herbert W; Murayama, Kou; Goetz, Thomas

2017-09-01

A reciprocal effects model linking emotion and achievement over time is proposed. The model was tested using five annual waves of the Project for the Analysis of Learning and Achievement in Mathematics (PALMA) longitudinal study, which investigated adolescents' development in mathematics (Grades 5-9; N = 3,425 German students; mean starting age = 11.7 years; representative sample). Structural equation modeling showed that positive emotions (enjoyment, pride) positively predicted subsequent achievement (math end-of-the-year grades and test scores), and that achievement positively predicted these emotions, controlling for students' gender, intelligence, and family socioeconomic status. Negative emotions (anger, anxiety, shame, boredom, hopelessness) negatively predicted achievement, and achievement negatively predicted these emotions. The findings were robust across waves, achievement indicators, and school tracks, highlighting the importance of emotions for students' achievement and of achievement for the development of emotions. © 2017 The Authors. Child Development © 2017 Society for Research in Child Development, Inc.

[Desire for a child and desired children--possibilities and limits of reproductive biomedicine].

Science.gov (United States)

Krones, Tanja; Neuwohner, Elke; El Ansari, Susan; Wissner, Thomas; Richter, Gerd

2006-03-01

Definition of problem: Reproductive Biomedicine and new reproductive technologies (ART) belong to the fields of medicine that initiated most of the discussion on enhancement and desire fulfilling medicine in bioethics during the last years. One of the crucial questions to be answered is the definition of the right to procreate/right for a genetically related child. Closely connected are controversial opinions in regard to the definition of sterility as a disease/illness, or a mere fate, or malfunction, which does not have to be medically cured. Arguments: After a cursory description of the national and international debate, we introduce some results of our 'bioethical field studies', exploring and comparing the views of experts (human geneticists, ethicists, pediatricians, obstetricians and midwifes) and couples/patients (IVF couples, high genetic risk couples and couples with no known risk for an inherited disease or infertility problem) on sterility, the right to procreate, possibilities and appropriate limits of IVF in Germany. According to the WHO, sterility has to be defined as an illness, if the respective couples have a desire for a child. IVF can be a means for a cure. Since 2004, Germany does no longer supply a thoroughly insurer financed IVF treatment. Our surveys indicate that this change, though supported by many experts, is hard to accept for couples concerned. Only obstetricians share the WHO's view that sterility should count as an illness. Many ethicists see a proclaimed human right to procreate as merely negative right, although many support free IVF treatment for poor couples. We challenge the expert majority view on the basis of the capability approach (Amartya Sen) and functional liberalism (Herlinde Pauer Studer) and with a view to the international state of the art in IVF. The desire to have children cannot be reduced to a non-authoritative preference whose fulfillment is optional, but has to be conceptualized as a normative need that ought to

Performance assessments insights on the use of cements in waste management

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Snyder K.

2011-04-01

Full Text Available The use of cementitious materials has been proposed in a variety of waste management systems because these materials can have a variety of desirable performance characteristics: hydraulic isolation, chemical isolation, structural stability. Cementitious barriers are commonly engineered with a goal of achieving the highest quality material possible (e.g. minimizing hydraulic conductivity, porosity, tortuosity, diffusivity. However, a single performance goal may not be optimum when practical considerations of designs and performance characteristics are considered simultaneously. In addition, laboratory-scale optimized designs may have field-scale characteristics that are less than ideal.

Everyday temptations: an experience sampling study of desire, conflict, and self-control.

Science.gov (United States)

Hofmann, Wilhelm; Baumeister, Roy F; Förster, Georg; Vohs, Kathleen D

2012-06-01

How often and how strongly do people experience desires, to what extent do their desires conflict with other goals, and how often and successfully do people exercise self-control to resist their desires? To investigate desire and attempts to control desire in everyday life, we conducted a large-scale experience sampling study based on a conceptual framework integrating desire strength, conflict, resistance (use of self-control), and behavior enactment. A sample of 205 adults wore beepers for a week. They furnished 7,827 reports of desire episodes and completed personality measures of behavioral inhibition system/behavior activation system (BIS/BAS) sensitivity, trait self-control, perfectionism, and narcissistic entitlement. Results suggest that desires are frequent, variable in intensity, and largely unproblematic. Those urges that do conflict with other goals tend to elicit resistance, with uneven success. Desire strength, conflict, resistance, and self-regulatory success were moderated in multiple ways by personality variables as well as by situational and interpersonal factors such as alcohol consumption, the mere presence of others, and the presence of others who already had enacted the desire in question. Whereas personality generally had a stronger impact on the dimensions of desire that emerged early in its course (desire strength and conflict), situational factors showed relatively more influence on components later in the process (resistance and behavior enactment). In total, these findings offer a novel and detailed perspective on the nature of everyday desires and associated self-regulatory successes and failures. 2012 APA, all rights reserved

Using Emotionally Focused Therapy to Treat Sexual Desire Discrepancy in Couples.

Science.gov (United States)

Girard, Abby; Woolley, Scott R

2017-11-17

Couples in committed relationships encounter a multitude of issues. According to Metz and McCarthy (2010), when couples report high sexual satisfaction, it accounts for 15% to 20% of their overall relationship satisfaction. However, when couples report low sexual satisfaction, it contributes 50% to 70% of their overall satisfaction with their partner. Issues of sexual desire, currently referred to as sexual desire discrepancy, are among the most difficult to treat. Although there are many factors contributing to the issue of sexual desire discrepancy, current literature highlights the importance of emotional intimacy as an outcome and predictor of increased sexual desire. Given the complex nature of sexual desire, clinicians often lack the understanding and treatment options that are systemic. By viewing sexual desire discrepancy as a relational problem that can be treated using emotionally focused therapy, clinicians are better equipped to work with emotional and sexual factors that impact desire and couple distress.

From desires to behavior: Moderating factors in a fertility transition

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sarah R. Hayford

2012-05-01

Full Text Available BACKGROUND Extensive research in both developed and developing countries has shown that preferences and intentions for future childbearing predict behavior. However, very little of this research has examined high-fertility contexts in sub-Saharan Africa. In particular, the factors that increase or decrease correspondence between fertility desires and behavior in these settings are not well understood. OBJECTIVE This article documents the degree to which the desire to stop childbearing predicts fertility behavior over the short term among married women in rural southern Mozambique, a context where fertility transition is still in the early stages. Analyses test the moderating powers of individual, household, and community characteristics. METHODS Analyses use data from a longitudinal survey of married women of reproductive age (N=1678 carried out in 2006 and 2009 in rural areas of southern Mozambique. Logistic regression models are estimated to predict childbearing between 2006 and 2009 based on desires to stop childbearing and characteristics measured in 2006. RESULTS As expected, the desire to stop childbearing is strongly predictive of fertility behavior. Household wealth, local adult AIDS mortality, and being married to an unsuccessful labor migrant are associated with higher correspondence between reported desire to stop childbearing and fertility behavior. CONCLUSIONS Both factors related to the ability to carry out desires to stop childbearing and factors related to the strength and consistency of these desires moderate the association between desires and behaviors. Future research should expand measurement of fertility preferences to incorporate their strength and consistency as well as direction.

Desire for autonomy in health care decisions: a general population survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Cullati, Stéphane; Courvoisier, Delphine S; Charvet-Bérard, Agathe I; Perneger, Thomas V

2011-04-01

To examine factors associated with desire for autonomy in health care decisions in the general population. Mailed survey of 2348 residents of Geneva, Switzerland. Participants answered questions on a scale measuring their desire for autonomy in health care decisions. The scale was scored between 0 (lowest desire for autonomy) and 100 (highest desire for autonomy). On average the respondents favoured shared or active involvement in medical decisions (mean score 62.0, SD 20.9), but attitudes varied considerably. In the multivariate model, factors associated with a higher desire for autonomy included female gender, younger age, higher education, living alone, reporting an excellent global health and - a new observation compared to previous studies - having made several medical decisions in the past 6 months. The attitudes of the general public appear to be consistent with the model of shared decision making. However, people vary considerably in their desire for autonomy. An explicit assessment of each individual's desire for autonomy may improve the decision-making process. Such an assessment should be repeated regularly, as familiarity with medical decisions may increase the desire for autonomy. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Violation of eating expectancies does not reduce conditioned desires for chocolate.

Science.gov (United States)

van den Akker, Karolien; van den Broek, Myrr; Havermans, Remco C; Jansen, Anita

2016-05-01

Although eating desires can be easily learned, their extinction appears more difficult. The present two-session study aimed to investigate the role of eating expectancies in the short and longer-term extinction of eating desires. In addition, the relationship between eating desires and conditioned evaluations was examined to test whether they might share a similar mechanism. It was hypothesized that the short-term extinction of eating desires would be more successful after the disconfirmation of eating expectancies (instructed extinction or IE), while resulting in worse longer-term extinction because omission of the food reward during extinction is not surprising. In contrast to the hypotheses, it was found that IE had no effect on the short-term and longer-term extinction of eating desires. Eating desires correlated with conditioned evaluations only to some extent. It is concluded that eating expectancies do not mediate the short-term extinction of conditioned eating desires. In addition, their longer-term extinction does not appear to be facilitated by a greater violation of eating expectancies. This suggests that it might not be necessary to focus on expectancy violation in cue exposure therapy to reduce eating desires. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Performance of adaptive MS-GSC in the presence of cochannel interference

KAUST Repository

Daghfous, Mohamed A.

2011-07-01

Minimum-selection generalized selection combining (MS-GSC) has been proposed as a power-saving variant of conventional generalized selection combining (GSC). Existing performance results of this scheme are limited to interference-free environments under multipath fading. This paper addresses the scenario when the received desired signal on each diversity branch is corrupted by multiple interfering signals and background noise, wherein desired and undesired signals undergo mutually independent Rayleigh fading. In the absence of perfect tracking of the instantaneous interference power on diversity branches, the adaptation thresholds that are set on the combined signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) to enhance either the spectral efficiency or power efficiency in noise-limited environments may not guarantee the target performance. This paper aims to study the effect of cochannel interference on the performance of bandwidth- and power-efficient SNR-based MS-GSC. Through the analysis, new analytical results for some important performance measures of adaptive MS-GSC schemes are presented. Numerical comparisons to clarify the impact of cochannel interference on the achieved performance of the adaptation schemes under consideration are provided. © 2011 IEEE.

Influence at work and the desire for more influence

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Markey, Raymond; Ravenswood, Katherine; Webber, Don J.

2013-01-01

What determines whether workers want more influence in their workplace? Much of the literature on employee voice assumes that employees desire a say in how they do their work, and that where they lack influence they are more likely to desire a greater say. This econometric study of 536 Danish...... and New Zealand employees in four industries indicates that workers’ desire for more influence was not dependent on how much influence they thought they already had. What mattered was age, length of service and specific organisational characteristics. Those who wanted more influence were not learning new...... things and did not feel that they received sufficient information about the workplace, and those who felt appreciated by management did not desire more influence. The results support human resource management literature that suggests the importance of integrated and mutually supportive ‘bundles...

Signification, communication, and the subject of desire

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Flávio Vinicius Cauduro

2008-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Every product of design must evoke appropriate sensorial and symbolic resonances in the subjects to which it is offered, not simply by satisfying to their specific .rational. needs but mainly by appealing to their 'irrational' desires. Thus, a successful product is one that evokes a polymorphous, complex 'image' of itself in people's minds, onto which targeted subjects may project their respective desires. According to Lacan.s theories, therefore, any successful product is one that becomes a mediating sign between the conscious subject and his unconcious 'object' of desire, which means that products are consumed not merely for their 'objective' properties, as commodities, but as brands imbued with specific images and fantasies. Keywords: signification; desire; design Resumo Significação, comunicação e o sujeito do desejo - Todo produto de design precisa despertar ressonâncias sensoriais e simbólicas apropriadas nos sujeitos aos quais se oferece. Não simplesmente apelando para necessidades racionais específicas de seus consumidores em potencial, mas principalmente se dirigindo aos seus desejos. Por isso, qualquer produto de sucesso, de acordo com as teorias de Lacan, é aquele que se torna um signo mediador entre o sujeito consciente e seu inconsciente 'objeto' de desejo, o que significa que produtos não são simplesmente consumidos por suas propriedades 'objetivas', como mercadorias, mas como marcas, com imagens e fantasias específicas. Palavras-chave: significação; desejo; design

From simple desires to ordinary beliefs: the early development of everyday psychology.

Science.gov (United States)

Wellman, H M; Woolley, J D

1990-06-01

We provide evidence for the claim that before young children construe human action in terms of beliefs and desires they understand action only in terms of simple desires. This type of naive psychology--a simple desire psychology--constitutes a coherent understanding of human action, but it differs from the belief--desire psychology of slightly older children and adults. In this paper we characterize what we mean by a simple desire psychology and report two experiments. In Experiment 1 we demonstrate that 2-year-old can predict actions and reactions related to simple desires. In Experiment 2 we demonstrate that many 2-year-old pass desire reasoning tasks while at the same time failing belief reasoning tasks that are passed by slightly older children, and that are as comparable as possible to the desire tasks they pass with ease.

SPIRAL2/DESIR high resolution mass separator

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kurtukian-Nieto, T., E-mail: kurtukia@cenbg.in2p3.fr [Centre d’Études Nucléaires de Bordeaux Gradignan, Université Bordeaux 1-CNRS/IN2P3, BP 120, F-33175 Gradignan Cedex (France); Baartman, R. [TRIUMF, 4004 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver B.C., V6T 2A3 (Canada); Blank, B.; Chiron, T. [Centre d’Études Nucléaires de Bordeaux Gradignan, Université Bordeaux 1-CNRS/IN2P3, BP 120, F-33175 Gradignan Cedex (France); Davids, C. [Physics Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL 60439 (United States); Delalee, F. [Centre d’Études Nucléaires de Bordeaux Gradignan, Université Bordeaux 1-CNRS/IN2P3, BP 120, F-33175 Gradignan Cedex (France); Duval, M. [GANIL, CEA/DSM-CNRS/IN2P3, Bd Henri Becquerel, BP 55027, F-14076 Caen Cedex 5 (France); El Abbeir, S.; Fournier, A. [Centre d’Études Nucléaires de Bordeaux Gradignan, Université Bordeaux 1-CNRS/IN2P3, BP 120, F-33175 Gradignan Cedex (France); Lunney, D. [CSNSM-IN2P3-CNRS, Université de Paris Sud, F-91405 Orsay (France); Méot, F. [BNL, Upton, Long Island, New York (United States); Serani, L. [Centre d’Études Nucléaires de Bordeaux Gradignan, Université Bordeaux 1-CNRS/IN2P3, BP 120, F-33175 Gradignan Cedex (France); Stodel, M.-H.; Varenne, F. [GANIL, CEA/DSM-CNRS/IN2P3, Bd Henri Becquerel, BP 55027, F-14076 Caen Cedex 5 (France); and others

2013-12-15

DESIR is the low-energy part of the SPIRAL2 ISOL facility under construction at GANIL. DESIR includes a high-resolution mass separator (HRS) with a designed resolving power m/Δm of 31,000 for a 1 π-mm-mrad beam emittance, obtained using a high-intensity beam cooling device. The proposed design consists of two 90-degree magnetic dipoles, complemented by electrostatic quadrupoles, sextupoles, and a multipole, arranged in a symmetric configuration to minimize aberrations. A detailed description of the design and results of extensive simulations are given.

Strengthening Performance Management in the IAEA Department of Safeguards

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Villiers, V. Z. de

2015-01-01

This paper will describe an initiative to develop a management support tool to improve performance management in the IAEA Department of Safeguards. The envisaged mechanism should enable the Department to (a) plan, assess and report on the achievement of its objectives and (b) to improve its performance on a continuous basis. The performance management tool should be aligned with related processes in the Department and the IAEA as a whole such as strategic planning, programming and budget, the result-based management approach and various reporting mechanisms. It should be integrated with existing and planned information and other management systems. The initially, departmental working group that was established for this initiative focussed on two aspects: confirmation of the overall and specific objectives to be achieved by the Department of Safeguards, and compiling an inventory of indicators of activities, outputs and outcomes that were being used in the Department. This exercise confirmed that alignment and prioritization of activities relating to assessment of, and reporting on, performance could be improved. A value creation map was subsequently developed to assist in focussing the performance management tool to identified needs of stakeholders. Other activities of the working group included the determination of the desired characteristics of a hierarchy of performance indicators to be used to drive desired behaviour across organizational levels. Complexities to be handled included the following: · reflecting the appropriate component of the results chain (such as activities, outputs, outcomes and impact); · maintaining the linkages between objectives and performance indicators across organizational levels; · developing a balanced set of performance indicators (e.g. reflecting in-field and Headquarters activities, incorporating all main components of Departmental processes and balanced scorecard perspectives, measurable vs qualitative indicators); and �

On the achievable performance using variable geometry active secondary suspension systems in commercial vehicles

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Evers, W.J.; Besselink, I.G.M.; Teerhuis, A.P.; Nijmeijer, H.

2011-01-01

There is a need to further improve driver comfort in commercial vehicles. The variable geometry active suspension offers an interesting option to achieve this in an energy efficient way. However, the optimal control strategy and the overal performance potential remains unclear. The aim of this paper

The Level of Desirability of Information Technology Systems and Its Relation with Organizational Commitment

Science.gov (United States)

Allammeh, Sayyed Mohsen; Shavaran, Hamidreza; Dabaghi, Azizollah; Arbabisarjou, Azizollah

2011-01-01

Purpose: This paper aims to define Information Technology (IT) desirability and determine IT relationship with organizational commitment. The existence of such a relationship between IT & organizational commitment can guide the organizational leaders to promote and to develop the IT potentials in order to improve the performance of employees,…

Comparisons of Student Achievement Levels by District Performance and Poverty. ACT Research Report Series 2016-11

Science.gov (United States)

Dougherty, Chrys; Shaw, Teresa

2016-01-01

This report looks at student achievement levels in Arkansas school districts disaggregated by district poverty and by the district's performance relative to other districts. We estimated district performance statistics by subject and grade level (4, 8, and 11-12) for longitudinal student cohorts, using statistical models that adjusted for district…

A meta-analysis of the impact of situationally induced achievement goals on task performance

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Van Yperen, Nico W.; Blaga, Monica; Postmes, Thomas

2015-01-01

The purpose of this research was to meta-analyze studies which experimentally induced an achieve- ment goal state to examine its causal effect on the individual’s performance at the task at hand, and to investigate the moderator effects of feedback anticipation and time pressure. The data set

Predicting race performance in triathlon: the role of perfectionism, achievement goals, and personal goal setting.

Science.gov (United States)

Stoeber, Joachim; Uphill, Mark A; Hotham, Sarah

2009-04-01

The question of how perfectionism affects performance is highly debated. Because empirical studies examining perfectionism and competitive sport performance are missing, the present research investigated how perfectionism affected race performance and what role athletes' goals played in this relationship in two prospective studies with competitive triathletes (Study 1: N = 112; Study 2: N = 321). Regression analyses showed that perfectionistic personal standards, high performance-approach goals, low performance-avoidance goals, and high personal goals predicted race performance beyond athletes' performance level. Moreover, the contrast between performance-avoidance and performance-approach goals mediated the relationship between perfectionistic personal standards and performance, whereas personal goal setting mediated the relationship between performance-approach goals and performance. The findings indicate that perfectionistic personal standards do not undermine competitive performance, but are associated with goals that help athletes achieve their best possible performance.

BIOPSYCHOSOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HYPOACTIVE SEXUAL DESIRE IN WOMEN: A NARRATIVE REVIEW

Science.gov (United States)

Malary, Mina; Khani, Soghra; Pourasghar, Mehdi; Moosazadeh, Mahmood; Hamzehgardeshi, Zeinab

2015-01-01

Background: As a mental response to sexual stimuli, sexual desire determines human sexual behavior and represents the cognitive capacity of sexual stimulation, so that avoiding sexual activity has a very negative effect on the discharge of intimacy and joy in couple’s relationship and threatens the stability relationship, which can finally end in sexual dissatisfaction and divorce; it may even affect the reproduction. This study, reviews the literature on biopsychosocial determinants of hypoactive sexual desire disorder in women in childbearing ages. Method: The search was done from January to March 2015 by the use of the data bases ProQuest, Pubmed, CINAHL, Ovid and Medline and the words sexual desire, related factors and biopsychosocial determinants were used as free text words. The words reduce sexual desire, hypoactive sexual desire disorder, dyadic relationship, biopsychosocial factors and women were used as keywords in the search. Also, the articles focusing on any aspects of sexual desire such as biological, social and psychological factors and relationship factors alone or integrated, were included in the study. The articles which specifically targeted the hypoactive sexual desire disorder in pregnant and lactating women and also the articles targeting biopsychosocial factors related to other types of sexual function disorder such as arousal disorder, orgasm disorder and dyspareunia, were all excluded from this study. Findings: After reviewing the literature, the findings were categorized in three main class of effect of biologic factors on sexual desire and sexual hypoactivity, the effect of psychological factors on sexual desire and the effect of cultural factors and couple’s relationship on sexual desire, each of these domains cover a wide range (such as hormonal changes, chronic diseases, psychological difficulties (perceived stress, anxiety, depression). Incompatibility of couples, the spouse’s sexual function disorder) which may overlap. Because

Social desirability in personality inventories: symptoms, diagnosis and prescribed cure.

Science.gov (United States)

Bäckström, Martin; Björklund, Fredrik

2013-04-01

An analysis of social desirability in personality assessment is presented. Starting with the symptoms, Study 1 showed that mean ratings of graded personality items are moderately to strongly linearly related to social desirability (Self Deception, Impression formation, and the first Principal Component), suggesting that item popularity may be a useful heuristic tool for identifying items which elicit socially desirable responding. We diagnose the cause of socially desirable responding as an interaction between the evaluative content of the item and enhancement motivation in the rater. Study 2 introduced a possible cure; evaluative neutralization of items. To test the feasibility of the method lay psychometricians (undergraduates) reformulated existing personality test items according to written instructions. The new items were indeed lower in social desirability while essentially retaining the five factor structure and reliability of the inventory. We conclude that although neutralization is no miracle cure, it is simple and has beneficial effects. © 2012 The Authors. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology © 2012 The Scandinavian Psychological Associations.

Key Performance Indicator (KPI) for Research and Technology Development Program: Achievements of 2006 to 2015

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nik Arlina Nik Ali; Fairuz Faisal

2016-01-01

Conducting research and development (R&D) is one of the four main functions of Malaysian Nuclear Agency as stated in the Federal Government Gazette (No.2) 2013 (PU (A) 184) under the Ministerial Functions Act 1969 (Act 2), gazetted in the Warta Kerajaan dated 26 June 2013.The achievement of Key Performance Indicators (KPI) for Research and Technological Development Program (PPT) indicates the role of Nuclear Malaysia as a research institution . This paper discusses the achievements of the project, fundsand research outputfrom 2005 to 2015. (author)

Hypersexuality and high sexual desire: exploring the structure of problematic sexuality.

Science.gov (United States)

Carvalho, Joana; Štulhofer, Aleksandar; Vieira, Armando L; Jurin, Tanja

2015-06-01

The concept of hypersexuality has been accompanied by fierce debates and conflicting conclusions about its nature. One of the central questions under the discussion is a potential overlap between hypersexuality and high sexual desire. With the relevant research in its early phase, the structure of hypersexuality remains largely unknown. The aim of the present study was to systematically explore the overlap between problematic sexuality and high sexual desire. A community online survey was carried out in Croatia in 2014. The data were first cluster analyzed (by gender) based on sexual desire, sexual activity, perceived lack of control over one's sexuality, and negative behavioral consequences. Participants in the meaningful clusters were then compared for psychosocial characteristics. To complement cluster analysis (CA), multigroup confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) of the same four constructs was carried out. Indicators representing the proposed structure of hypersexuality were included: sexual desire, frequency of sexual activity, lack of control over one's sexuality, and negative behavioral outcomes. Psychosocial characteristics such as religiosity, attitudes toward pornography, and general psychopathology were also evaluated. CA pointed to the existence of two meaningful clusters, one representing problematic sexuality, that is, lack of control over one's sexuality and negative outcomes (control/consequences cluster), and the other reflecting high sexual desire and frequent sexual activity (desire/activity cluster). Compared with the desire/activity cluster, individuals from the control/consequences cluster reported more psychopathology and were characterized by more traditional attitudes. Complementing the CA findings, CFA pointed to two distinct latent dimensions-problematic sexuality and high sexual desire/activity. Our study supports the distinctiveness of hypersexuality and high sexual desire/activity, suggesting that problematic sexuality might be more

Sexual desire changes during menstrual cycle and relationship with premenstrual syndrome

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kiani Asiabar A.

2007-09-01

Full Text Available Background: Sexual function in women may be affected by their menstrual cycle. Lack of sexual drive is a deficiency or absence of sexual fantasies and desire for sexual activity. This study aims at determining the changes in sexual desire during the menstrual cycle and those associated with premenstrual syndrome (PMS and evaluates sexual desire during the menstrual cycle and the associated changes with PMS. Methods: The sample for this cross-sectional study includes 150 women employed in factories in Tehran. The instruments for data collection were questionnaires and journals of premenstrual experiences.Results: Analysis of the data showed that the mean age of the subjects was 31 years standard deviation = 8.46(. The most frequent decrease in sexual desire was during the week prior to the start of menstrual bleeding (27.3% and the least frequent was from the end of bleeding to one week before the next period of menstrual bleeding (5.3%. In 24.7% of the cases, an increase in sexual desire occurred during the middle of the menstrual cycle and 27.3% during the course of menstrual bleeding. Moreover, 10.7% of the subjects had an increase in sexual desire during the week before bleeding. Furthermore, a positive correlation was found between changes in sexual desire and PMS (p<0.001. In addition, a positive correlation was found between changes in sexual desire and breast tenderness, joint and muscle pain. Conclusions: The sexual desire of women, with or without PMS, changes during the menstrual cycle. The greatest decrease in sexual desire occurs during the first week before menstrual bleeding in women with PMS. Such information can greatly help toward understanding and treatment in sexual therapy for couples.

International migration desires related to subjective well-being

OpenAIRE

Cai, Ruohong; Esipova, Neli; Oppenheimer, Michael; Feng, Shuaizhang

2014-01-01

Previous research on the determinants of international migration has largely focused on objective factors, such as income. We instead use subjective well-being (SWB) to explain international migration desires, an expressed willingness to migrate. We find that individuals with higher SWB have lower international migration desires. At the individual level, the SWB-migration relationship appears to be more robust than the income-migration relationship. At the country level, national average SWB ...

The Balanced Inventory of Desirable Responding Short Form (BIDR-16

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Claire M. Hart

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Self-report studies often call for assessment of socially desirable responding. Many researchers use the Marlowe–Crowne Scale for its brief versions; however, this scale is outdated, and contemporary models of social desirability emphasize its multi-dimensional nature. The 40-item Balanced Inventory of Desirable Responding (BIDR incorporates Self-Deceptive Enhancement (honest but overly positive responding and Impression Management (bias toward pleasing others. However, its length limits its practicality. This article introduces the BIDR-16. In four studies, we shorten the BIDR from 40 items to 16 items, while retaining its two-factor structure, reliability, and validity. This short form will be invaluable to researchers wanting to assess social desirability when time is limited.

Fake and fan film trailers as incarnations of audience anticipation and desire

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kathleen Amy Williams

2012-03-01

Full Text Available In the lead-up to the release of some feature films, fake and fan trailers are created by users and uploaded to YouTube and other Web sites. These trailers demonstrate that users are literate not only in the form of the trailer itself, but also in the Hollywood system and how it markets products to audiences. Circulating in a networked environment online, these texts, which play with the form of the trailer, perform and embody users' and fans' desire to see not just the feature film but also the official trailer itself. I discuss these fake and fan trailers in relation to cinematic anticipation and describe how they navigate both spatial and temporal bounds. Using the architectural concept of the desire line, I argue that spatial frameworks can be usefully employed to consider how users navigate online spaces, media, and concepts through the form of the trailer.

Sexual Orientation as Interpretation? Sexual Desires, Concepts, and Choice

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Díaz-León E.

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Are sexual orientations freely chosen? The idea that someone’s sexual orientation is not a choice is very influential in the mainstream LGBT political movement. But do we have good reasons to believe it is not a choice? Going against the orthodoxy, William Wilkerson has recently argued that sexual orientation is partly constituted by our interpretations of our own sexual desires, and we choose these interpretations, so sexual orientation is partly constituted by choice. In this paper I aim to examine the question of whether our interpretations of our own sexual desires are constitutive of our sexual orientations. I will argue that whereas Wilkerson’s argument for the claim that sexual orientations are in part constituted by our chosen interpretations of our sexual desires is not sound, there are good reasons for endorsing a weaker claim, namely, that there are different but equally apt descriptions of the same sexual desires, depending on which concepts we have.

Satisfaction with Appearance and the Desired Treatment to Improve Aesthetics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bader K. Al-Zarea

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Objective. To identify participants’ satisfaction with appearance and the desired treatment to improve aesthetics. Materials and Methods. 220 participants (127 males and 93 females, mean age = 21.4 ± 1.5 years were recruited into the study. A structured questionnaire was used to assess patients’ satisfaction with appearance and what treatment they desire to improve aesthetics. Participants scored the level of satisfaction with appearance using visual analogue scale. Results. The VAS mean score of satisfaction with general appearance was 6.8 ± 2.3. Half participants were dissatisfied with tooth appearance and 65.9% were dissatisfied with tooth colour. Higher VAS scores were associated with higher desire for all treatments that improve tooth appearance (. Dissatisfaction with tooth appearance increased with increased dissatisfaction with teeth colour, feeling of poor tooth alignment, presence of fractured anterior teeth, and increased desire for orthodontic, crowns, and dentures treatments (. Dissatisfaction with tooth colour was associated with increased desire for tooth whitening and tooth coloured fillings (. Conclusions. Participants had high levels of dissatisfaction with tooth appearance and tooth colour. Dissatisfaction with tooth colour contributed to the increased dissatisfaction with tooth appearance. Dissatisfaction with tooth appearance, colour, alignment, and condition was significantly related to high desire for aesthetic treatments.

The honeymoon effect in job performance - Temporal increases in the predictive power of achievement motivation

Science.gov (United States)

Helmreich, Robert L.; Sawin, Linda L.; Carsrud, Alan L.

1986-01-01

Correlations between a job performance criterion and personality measures reflecting achievement motivation and an interpersonal orientation were examined at three points in time after completion of job training for a sample of airline reservations agents. Although correlations between the personality predictors and performance were small and nonsignificant for the 3-month period after beginning the job, by the end of six and eight months a number of significant relationships had emerged. Implications for the utility of personality measures in selection and performance prediction are discussed.

Desire for Sweet Taste Unchanged After Eating: Evidence of a Dessert Mentality?

Science.gov (United States)

Harington, Kate; Smeele, Rebecca; Van Loon, Fiona; Yuan, Jannie; Haszard, Jillian Joy; Drewer, Amanda; Venn, Bernard Joseph

2016-08-01

Added sugars provide calories and desirability to foods and beverages. Our aim was to test whether desire for a sweet taste would be better maintained than a desire for other tastes for 3 hours after a test meal. Eighty-three young adults ate 2 slices of bread on 2 separate occasions after which they were asked to rate their desire for savory, sweet, fatty, or salty tastes and to specify the number of servings of white rice, pizza, cheese and crackers, sweet biscuits, and pasta they could consume. Desirability was assessed using 100-mm visual analog scales (VAS), with 0 mm representing no desire and 100 mm great desire. When participants provided a quantitative assessment of the servings of foods that they wanted to eat following the bread meal, desire decreased on average for all foods measured, χ 2 (3) = 2.63, p = 0.452. Mean (95% confidence interval [CI]) change in VAS taste desirability 30 minutes after eating declined for salty (14.5 mm [10.5, 18.6]), fatty (11.2 mm [7.1, 15.2]), and savory (24.1 mm [19.7, 28.5]) tastes (p foods and beverages. Targeting familial and cultural practices that discourage the consumption of added sugar foods might be useful to combat desire-driven food intake.

Relationships of cognitive and metacognitive learning strategies to mathematics achievement in four high-performing East Asian education systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Areepattamannil, Shaljan; Caleon, Imelda S

2013-01-01

The authors examined the relationships of cognitive (i.e., memorization and elaboration) and metacognitive learning strategies (i.e., control strategies) to mathematics achievement among 15-year-old students in 4 high-performing East Asian education systems: Shanghai-China, Hong Kong-China, Korea, and Singapore. In all 4 East Asian education systems, memorization strategies were negatively associated with mathematics achievement, whereas control strategies were positively associated with mathematics achievement. However, the association between elaboration strategies and mathematics achievement was a mixed bag. In Shanghai-China and Korea, elaboration strategies were not associated with mathematics achievement. In Hong Kong-China and Singapore, on the other hand, elaboration strategies were negatively associated with mathematics achievement. Implications of these findings are briefly discussed.

Desirable and undesirable future thoughts call for different scene construction processes.

Science.gov (United States)

de Vito, S; Neroni, M A; Gamboz, N; Della Sala, S; Brandimonte, M A

2015-01-01

Despite the growing interest in the ability of foreseeing (episodic future thinking), it is still unclear how healthy people construct possible future scenarios. We suggest that different future thoughts require different processes of scene construction. Thirty-five participants were asked to imagine desirable and less desirable future events. Imagining desirable events increased the ease of scene construction, the frequency of life scripts, the number of internal details, and the clarity of sensorial and spatial temporal information. The initial description of general personal knowledge lasted longer in undesirable than in desirable anticipations. Finally, participants were more prone to explicitly indicate autobiographical memory as the main source of their simulations of undesirable episodes, whereas they equally related the simulations of desirable events to autobiographical events or semantic knowledge. These findings show that desirable and undesirable scenarios call for different mechanisms of scene construction. The present study emphasizes that future thinking cannot be considered as a monolithic entity.

Patterns of workplace supervisor support desired by abused women.

Science.gov (United States)

Perrin, Nancy A; Yragui, Nanette L; Hanson, Ginger C; Glass, Nancy

2011-07-01

The purpose of this study was to understand differences in patterns of supervisor support desired by female victims of intimate partner violence (IPV) and to examine whether the pattern of support desired at work is reflective of a woman's stage of change in the abusive relationship, IPV-related work interference, and IPV-related job reprimands or job loss. We conducted interviews in Spanish or English with adult women working in low-income jobs who had been physically or sexually abused by an intimate partner/ ex-partner in the past year ( N = 133). Cluster analysis revealed three distinct clusters that form a hierarchy of type of support wanted: those who desired limited support; those who desired confidential, time-off, and emotional support; and those who desired support in wide variety of ways from their supervisor. The clusters appeared to reflect stages of behavior change in an abusive relationship. Specifically, the limited-support cluster may represent an early precontemplation stage, with women reporting the least interference with work. The support-in-every-way cluster may represent later stages of change, in which women are breaking away from the abusive partner and report the greatest interference with work. Women in the confidential-, time-off-, and emotional-support cluster are in a transition stage in which they are considering change and are exploring options in their abusive relationship. Understanding the hierarchy of the type of support desired, and its relationship to stages of change in the abusive relationship and work interference, may provide a strong foundation for developing appropriate and effective workplace interventions to guide supervisors in providing support to women experiencing IPV.

Achieving excellence in human performance through leadership, education, and training in nuclear power industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Clark, C.R.; Kazennov, A.; Kossilov, A.; Mazour, T.; Yoder, J.

2004-01-01

Full text: In order to achieve and maintain high levels of safety and productivity, nuclear power plants are required to be staffed with an adequate number of highly qualified and experienced personnel who are duly aware of the technical and administrative requirements for safety and are motivated to adopt a positive attitude to safety, as an element of safety culture. To establish and maintain a high level of human performance, appropriate education and training programmes should be in place and kept under constant review to ensure their relevance. As the nuclear power industry continues to be challenged by increasing safety requirements, a high level of competition and decreasing budgets, it becomes more important than ever to maintain excellence in human performance and ensure that NPP personnel training provides a value to the organization. Nuclear industry managers and supervisors bear the primary responsibility to assure that people perform their jobs safely and effectively. Training personnel must be responsive to the needs of the organization, working hand-in-hand with line managers and supervisors to ensure that human performance improvement needs are properly analyzed, and that training as well as other appropriate interventions are developed and implemented in the most effective and efficient way possible. The International Atomic Energy Agency together with its Member States has provided for coordinated information exchange and developed guidance on methods and practices to identify and improve the effectiveness NPP personnel training. This has resulted in: plant performance improvements, improved human performance, meeting goals and objectives of the business (quality, safety, productivity), and more effective training programs. This article describes the IAEA activities and achievements in the subject area for systematically understanding and improving human performance in nuclear power industry. The article also describes cooperation programmes

A mediation analysis of achievement motives, goals, learning strategies, and academic achievement.

Science.gov (United States)

Diseth, Age; Kobbeltvedt, Therese

2010-12-01

Previous research is inconclusive regarding antecedents and consequences of achievement goals, and there is a need for more research in order to examine the joint effects of different types of motives and learning strategies as predictors of academic achievement. To investigate the relationship between achievement motives, achievement goals, learning strategies (deep, surface, and strategic), and academic achievement in a hierarchical model. Participants were 229 undergraduate students (mean age: 21.2 years) of psychology and economics at the University of Bergen, Norway. Variables were measured by means of items from the Achievement Motives Scale (AMS), the Approaches and Study Skills Inventory for Students, and an achievement goal scale. Correlation analysis showed that academic achievement (examination grade) was positively correlated with performance-approach goal, mastery goal, and strategic learning strategies, and negatively correlated with performance-avoidance goal and surface learning strategy. A path analysis (structural equation model) showed that achievement goals were mediators between achievement motives and learning strategies, and that strategic learning strategies mediated the relationship between achievement goals and academic achievement. This study integrated previous findings from several studies and provided new evidence on the direct and indirect effects of different types of motives and learning strategies as predictors of academic achievement.

Study of flowability effect on self-planarization performance at SOC materials

Science.gov (United States)

Yun, Huichan; Kim, Jinhyung; Park, Youjung; Kim, Yoona; Jeong, Seulgi; Baek, Jaeyeol; Yoon, Byeri; Lim, Sanghak

2017-03-01

For multilayer process, importance of carbon-based spin-on hardmask material that replaces amorphous carbon layer (ACL) is ever increasing. Carbon-based spin-on hardmask is an organic polymer with high carbon content formulated in organic solvents for spin-coating application that is cured through baking. In comparison to CVD process for ACL, carbon-based spin-on hardmask material can offer several benefits: lower cost of ownership (CoO) and improved process time, as well as better gap-fill and planarization performances. Thus carbon-based spin-on hardmask material of high etch resistance, good gap-fill properties and global planarization performances over various pattern topographies are desired to achieve the fine patterning and high aspect ratio (A/R). In particular, good level of global planarization of spin coated layer over the underlying pattern topographies is important for self-aligned double patterning (SADP) process as it dictates the photolithographic margin. Herein, we report a copolymer carbon-based spin-on hardmask resin formulation that exhibits favorable film shrinkage profile and good etch resistance properties. By combining the favorable characteristics of each resin - one resin with good shrinkage property and the other with excellent etch resistance into the copolymer, it was possible to achieve a carbonbased spin-on hardmask formulation with desirable level of etch resistance and the planarization performances across various underlying substrate pattern topographies.

Achieving cost/performance balance ratio using tiered storage caching techniques: A case study with CephFS

Science.gov (United States)

Poat, M. D.; Lauret, J.

2017-10-01

As demand for widely accessible storage capacity increases and usage is on the rise, steady IO performance is desired but tends to suffer within multi-user environments. Typical deployments use standard hard drives as the cost per/GB is quite low. On the other hand, HDD based solutions for storage is not known to scale well with process concurrency and soon enough, high rate of IOPs create a “random access” pattern killing performance. Though not all SSDs are alike, SSDs are an established technology often used to address this exact “random access” problem. In this contribution, we will first discuss the IO performance of many different SSD drives (tested in a comparable and standalone manner). We will then be discussing the performance and integrity of at least three low-level disk caching techniques (Flashcache, dm-cache, and bcache) including individual policies, procedures, and IO performance. Furthermore, the STAR online computing infrastructure currently hosts a POSIX-compliant Ceph distributed storage cluster - while caching is not a native feature of CephFS (only exists in the Ceph Object store), we will show how one can implement a caching mechanism profiting from an implementation at a lower level. As our illustration, we will present our CephFS setup, IO performance tests, and overall experience from such configuration. We hope this work will service the community’s interest for using disk-caching mechanisms with applicable uses such as distributed storage systems and seeking an overall IO performance gain.

Teen lesbian desires and identities in international cinema: 1931-2007.

Science.gov (United States)

Beirne, Rebecca

2012-01-01

This article provides an overview of representations of teenage lesbian desires and/or identity in a global cinematic context, addressing twenty-seven films from fourteen nations released between 1931 and 2007. Despite temporal and geographical differences, three main forms of film texts emerged: those that engaged in sub or somewhat textual depictions of teen lesbian desires and relationships; others that offered a tragic take on lesbian desire; and the dominant form, engaging with a coming of age narrative structure.

Modeling relationships of achievement motivation and physical fitness with academic performance in Japanese schoolchildren: Moderation by gender.

Science.gov (United States)

Ishihara, Toru; Morita, Noriteru; Nakajima, Toshihiro; Okita, Koichi; Sagawa, Masato; Yamatsu, Koji

2018-04-25

The aim of this study was to determine, using structural equation modeling, the comprehensive relationships of achievement motivation (self-fulfillment achievement motivation [SFAM] and competitive achievement motivation [CAM]), daily behaviors (exercise habits, screen time, and learning duration), body mass index [BMI], and cardiorespiratory fitness [CRF]) with academic performance among schoolchildren. Three hundred twenty-five schoolchildren (172 males and 153 females; 12-13 years old) were recruited. Academic performance was assessed using the total grade points in 8 academic subjects (GP8); CRF using the 20-m shuttle run; and achievement motivation, daily behaviors, and socioeconomic status using questionnaires. Socioeconomic status was included as a control variable. In males, two cascade associations of achievement motivation to GP8 were detected: (1) SFAM → screen time/learning duration → GP8, and (2) CAM → exercise habit → CRF → GP8 (χ 2  = 8.72, p = .19, AGFI = .92). In females, two cascade associations were also detected: (1) SFAM → screen time/learning habit → GP8, and (2) exercise habit → BMI 2  → GP8 (χ 2  = 6.17, p = .41, AGFI = .93). Our results suggest that greater achievement motivation is associated with academic success via various physiological/behavioral factors, and that these associations differ by gender. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Human Sexual Desire Disorder: Do We Have a Problem?

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McNab, Warren L.; Henry, Jean

2006-01-01

Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder (HSDD), loss of sexual desire for sexual activity, is one of the most common sexual dysfunctions of men and women in the United States. This article presents an overview of this specific sexual dysfunction including incidence, possible causes, treatment options, and the role of the health educator in addressing…

Paralyzed by desire: a new type of body integrity identity disorder.

Science.gov (United States)

Giummarra, Melita J; Bradshaw, John L; Hilti, Leonie M; Nicholls, Michael E R; Brugger, Peter

2012-03-01

Body incongruity in body integrity identity disorder (BIID) manifests in the desire to have a healthy limb amputated. We describe a variant of the disorder: the desire to become paralyzed (paralysis-BIID). Sixteen otherwise healthy participants, recruited through Internet-based forums, websites, or word of mouth, completed questionnaires about details of their desire and accompanying symptoms. Onset of the desire for paralysis typically preceded puberty. All participants indicated a specific level for desired spinal cord injury. All participants simulated paralysis through mental imagery or physical pretending, and 9 (56%) reported erotic interest in paraplegia and/or disability. Our key new finding was that 37.5% of paralysis-BIID participants were women, compared with 4.4% women in a sample of 68 individuals with amputation-BIID. BIID reflects a disunity between self and body, usually with a prominent sexual component. Sex-related differences are emerging: unlike men, a higher proportion of women desire paralysis than desire amputation, and, while men typically seek unilateral amputation, women typically seek bilateral amputation. We propose that these sex-related differences in BIID manifestation may relate to sex differences in cerebral lateralization, or to disruption of representation and/or processing of body-related information in right-hemisphere frontoparietal networks.

Metacognition, achievement goals, study strategies and academic achievement: pathways to achievement

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vrugt, A.; Oort, F.J.

2008-01-01

The purpose of this research was to develop and test a model of effective selfregulated learning. Based on effort expenditure we discerned effective self-regulators and less effective self-regulators. The model comprised achievement goals (mastery, performance-approach and -avoidance goals),

Breaking up with Deleuze: Desire and Valuing the Irreconcilable

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Tuck, Eve

2010-01-01

In this article, Eve Tuck grapples with Gilles Deleuze's conceptualization of desire, finding it simultaneously generative and unsatisfying. Recognizing that Deleuze will not "say" what Tuck wants him to say about desire--that it is smart, and constitutes expertise--Tuck reasons that there is only one thing she can do: break up with Deleuze. The…

Theory of Mind, Social Desirability, and Unlikely Symptom Reporting in Offenders With and Without Psychopathy.

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Nentjes, Lieke; Bernstein, David P; Arntz, Arnoud; Slaats, Mariëtte E; Hannemann, Tina

2015-08-01

The current study investigated the relationship between psychopathy and theory of mind (ToM), by comparing the performance of nonpsychopathic offenders (n = 40), psychopathic offenders (n = 42), and nonoffender controls (n = 26) on Happé's test of ToM (Happé, 1994). In addition, we investigated whether offenders' ToM skills would moderate the association between the antisocial psychopathy component (Factor 2) and self-presentation (i.e., the tendency to report social desirability and unlikely symptoms). Results showed groups did not differ in ToM performance. As expected though, ToM moderated the association between psychopathy and self-presentation: only for offenders relatively high in ToM, Factor 2 was strongly related to less social desirability and more unlikely symptom reporting. These results could indicate that offenders who are high in both ToM and Factor 2 exaggerate their mental dysfunction to express their need for clinical attention. Results are used to critically evaluate the interpretation of occurrences in which offenders overplay their psychopathology.

Time under control: time perspective and desire for control in substance use.

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Fieulaine, Nicolas; Martinez, Frederic

2010-08-01

To investigate the role of time perspective and desire for control in self-reported substance use and to test for a moderating effect of desire for control in the relation between time perspective and substance use. A random sample of 240 persons, aged 15 years and over, selected in various public spaces in an urban region in central France. Time perspective was measured using subscales of the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory (ZTPI, Zimbardo & Boyd, 1999), Desire for control was measured using a translated version of the Desire for Control Scale (DCS, Burger & Cooper, 1979), and substance use was self-reported. After controlling for age and gender, significant links were found between time perspective and substance use. Desire for control did not appear to be directly related to substance use. The interaction effect between TP and desire for control appeared to be related to substance use. There was evidence that the relation between TP and substance use is buffered by low desire for control. This study converges with previous studies demonstrating the relation between TP and substance use, but provides evidence of the moderating role played by desire for control. Desire for control thus appears as worthy of interest in the analysis of self-regulatory process, and further research on the links between TP and various aspects of control is required. In order to be more effective, the design of future studies and interventions based on time-related issues should consider how desire for control plays a part in establishing vulnerability profiles. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Patterns of Workplace Supervisor Support Desired by Abused Women

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Perrin, Nancy A.; Yragui, Nanette L.; Hanson, Ginger C.; Glass, Nancy

2011-01-01

The purpose of this study was to understand differences in patterns of supervisor support desired by female victims of intimate partner violence (IPV) and to examine whether the pattern of support desired at work is reflective of a woman's stage of change in the abusive relationship, IPV-related work interference, and IPV-related job reprimands or…

The analyst's desire in the clinic of anorexia

OpenAIRE

Silva, Mariana Benatto Pereira da; Pereira, Mario Eduardo Costa; Celeri, Eloísa Helena Valler

2010-01-01

The present work deals with the issue of the analyst's desire in the psychoanalytical treatment of anorexia. It analyzes important elements to establish transference in these cases, as the pursuit of death and the choice of refusing food as a way of controlling the demands of the Other. It then discusses the "analist's desire" function in this clinic. Rejecting the definition of a treatment model and the structural categorization of anorexia, we can find in the cases of the girl of Angouleme ...

Foreword: Biology/embodiment/desire.

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Terry, Jennifer; Willey, Angela

2018-04-03

The sexological roots of "lesbian" and the "queer" turn from biologized categories of sexual difference pose an exciting set of questions and tensions for thinking about queer feminism and biological meanings. This issue seeks to open space to explore how we might reconcile assumptions about "female same-sex sexuality" that often accompany "lesbian" with queer and trans-feminist treatments of science, embodiment, and desiring, while at the same time insisting on the importance of an undertheorized dyke legacy for thinking the at-once material and political nature of sexuality.

Visualizing desirable patient healthcare experiences.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Sandra S; Kim, Hyung T; Chen, Jie; An, Lingling

2010-01-01

High healthcare cost has drawn much attention and healthcare service providers (HSPs) are expected to deliver high-quality and consistent care. Therefore, an intimate understanding of the most desirable experience from a patient's and/or family's perspective as well as effective mapping and communication of such findings should facilitate HSPs' efforts in attaining sustainable competitive advantage in an increasingly discerning environment. This study describes (a) the critical quality attributes (CQAs) of the experience desired by patients and (b) the application of two visualization tools that are relatively new to the healthcare sector, namely the "spider-web diagram" and "promotion and detraction matrix." The visualization tools are tested with primary data collected from telephone surveys of 1,800 patients who had received care during calendar year 2005 at 6 of 61 hospitals within St. Louis, Missouri-based, Ascension Health. Five CQAs were found by factor analysis. The spider-web diagram illustrates that communication and empowerment and compassionate and respectful care are the most important CQAs, and accordingly, the promotion and detraction matrix shows those attributes that have the greatest effect for creating promoters, preventing detractors, and improving consumer's likelihood to recommend the healthcare provider.

A Comprehensive Review of the Literature on the Effects of Breakfast on Mental Performance and Scholastic Achievement.

Science.gov (United States)

Purnell, James P.

A review of the literature on the effects of breakfast on mental performance and scholastic achievement reveals a dichotomy between the theoretical and the empirical literature. Whereas theoretical considerations maintain that breakfast makes a significant difference in mental performance in the late morning hours, empirical evidence can be…

The Influence of the Antecedent Variable on the Teachers' Performance through Achievement Motivation in Senior High School

Science.gov (United States)

Dewi, Erni R.; Bundu, Patta; Tahmir, Suradi

2016-01-01

This study aims at analysing whether the antecedent variable directly affects the performance of the high school teachers or not. In addition, this research strives to find out whether the antecedent variable indirectly affects the teachers' performance through the achievement motivation of the high school teachers. It was a quantitative research…

Desiring the dark : 'a taste for the unusual' in North Korean tourism?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Buda, Dorina Maria; Shim, David

2015-01-01

Desire is a continuous force, fundamentally eccentric and insatiable, yet insufficiently explored in tourism studies. To examine desire in tourism to 'unusual' places of darkness and danger we propose four interpretations of this psychoanalytic concept: desire as recognition, 'object' cause of

Cross-cultural differences in social desirability scales: Influence of cognitive ability

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aletta Odendaal

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Orientation: The use of personality tests for selection and screening has been consistently criticised resulting from the risk of socially desirable responding amongst job applicants. Research purpose: This study examined the magnitude of culture and language group meanscore differences amongst job applicants and the moderating effect of race on the relationship between social desirability and cognitive ability. Motivation for the study: The influence of cognitive ability and potential race and ethnic group differences in social desirability scale scores, which can lead to disproportional selection ratios, has not been extensively researched in South Africa. Research design, approach and method: A quantitative, cross-sectional research design, based on secondary datasets obtained from the test publisher, was employed. The dataset consisted of 1640 job applicants across industry sectors. Main findings: Moderated multiple regression analyses revealed that the relationship between social desirability and general reasoning was moderated by culture and language, with group differences in social desirability being more pronounced at the low general reasoning level. This suggests that social desirability scales may be an ambiguous indicator of faking as the scales may indicate tendency to fake, but not the ability to fake, that is likely to be connected to the level of cognitive ability of the respondent. Practical/managerial implications: Individual differences in social desirability are not fully explained by cognitive ability as cultural differences also played a role. Responding in a certain manner, reflects a level of psychological sophistication that is informed by the level of education and socio-economic status. In relation to selection practice, this study provided evidence of the potentially adverse consequences of using social desirability scales to detect response distortion. Contribution/value-add: The exploration of cross

Cooperation, but not competition, improves 4-year-old children's reasoning about others' diverse desires.

Science.gov (United States)

Jin, Xinyi; Li, Pengchao; He, Jie; Shen, Mowei

2017-05-01

Three experiments examined whether cooperation or competition affects 4-year-old children's reasoning about other people's desires-which differed from their own-in a gift selection task. Experiment 1 (N=72) found that children's performance in selecting an adult-preferred gift for an adult experimenter was enhanced by a short period of preceding cooperative, but not competitive or individualistic, play with the experimenter. Experiment 2 (N=24) ruled out the alternative explanation that children resisted satisfying their opponent after competition. Experiment 3 (N=48) replicated the cooperation advantage in selecting a gift for someone else, indicating that children's understanding of diverse desires was generally improved by cooperation but not competition. These findings support the constructivist view of social development and highlight the advantage of cooperation. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Desirable characteristics for teachers of High Ability/Gifted students

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Alexandra da Costa Souza Martins

2011-06-01

Full Text Available This study investigated the desirable educational background for a teacher to work with high ability/gifted students, desirable characteristics these teachers should present and conceptions on high ability/giftedness. The participants were 20 public school teachers from a city surrounding Brasilia. Of this group, ten were elementary school teachers working with initial grades and ten were undergraduate Pedagogy teachers. A qualitative approach was used and data were collected by means of a semi-structured interview. A content analysis was then conducted. In relation to the desirable educational background for a teach of high ability/gifted students, participants indicated the need of continuous training, under graduation curriculum adapted to the theme and graduation courses in the area. The desirable features for teachers of high ability/gifted students were related to personological attributes (personality traits and intellectual ability, as well as professional characteristics. The conceptions on high ability/giftedness presented by the participants were, in general, close to those found in the literature and used as reference for this study. However, there was lack of information on how to apply the theory into real practice, as well as several wrong ideas on the topic.

Perceptions of desirable graduate competencies for science and technology new graduates

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Coll, Richard K.; Zegwaard, Karsten E.

2006-05-01

Work-integrated learning (WIL) programmes that combine on-campus classroom-based study with off-campus authentic work experience are a growing area of interest internationally. Despite widespread practice of WIL, there are few reports that shed light on appropriate pedagogies for the work experience in particular. As with any form of education, providers hold certain views as to desirable outcomes in terms of graduate profiles and of desirable graduate competencies. A complication for multi-party WIL programmes is that educational stakeholders (e.g., staff working in tertiary education provider institutions and employers) may hold different views as to desirable graduate competencies. Here we argue that an understanding of stakeholder views of desirable graduate competencies is an essential prerequisite of pedagogical design. The research reported here is an intrinsic case study and comprised an investigation of perceptions of 24 desirable graduate competencies for new science and technology graduates entering the workforce both today, and in ten years’ time. Stakeholders for four sector stakeholder groups (n = 458): undergraduate students (n = 71), recent graduates (n = 143), employers of graduates (n = 172), and faculty (n = 72), were surveyed using a previously reported and validated instrument. The research findings suggest that science and technology stakeholders see all 24 competencies as desirable, and see the importance of all skills and some skills in particular as likely to increase in ten years’ time. Despite emphasis on cognitive and technical skills (often termed ‘hard’ skills), the single most desirable skill is ability and willingness to learn, a behavioural skill (often termed ‘soft’ skills). It is proposed that classroom-based instruction is unlikely to produce graduates with the desired skills, and that work-integrated learning may have a role to play in the development of graduate competencies.

THE STUDY OF RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SOCIAL INTELLIGENCE AND ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCE (CASE STUDY: ARDABIL REGIONAL WATER COMPANY'S MANAGERS

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Habib Ebrahimpoor‎

2013-06-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to investigate the relationships among dimensions of social intelligence, social skills, social information processing, social awareness, social desirability of organizational performance. Methods: This research was a descriptive study. The population in this study comprised all experts, assistants and managers of regional water companies in Ardabil province, and was about 164 randomly selected people. And to gather data from field methods the means of questionnaires were used. Tromso questionnaire was chosen and designed to measure social intelligence and organizational performance by assessing specific questions about Balanced Scorecard as independent variable. To achieve the multiplier effect of each variable on the dependent variable, Pearson correlation test was performed. Results indicated that social skills, social information processing, social awareness and social desirability of improving organizational performance had the most important part in social information processing, and social awareness and social skills played a secondary role in improving performance.

Achievement goals affect metacognitive judgments

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Ikeda, Kenji; Yue, Carole L.; Murayama, Kou; Castel, Alan D.

2017-01-01

The present study examined the effect of achievement goals on metacognitive judgments, such as judgments of learning (JOLs) and metacomprehension judgments, and actual recall performance. We conducted five experiments manipulating the instruction of achievement goals. In each experiment, participants were instructed to adopt mastery-approach goals (i.e., develop their own mental ability through a memory task) or performance-approach goals (i.e., demonstrate their strong memory ability through getting a high score on a memory task). The results of Experiments 1 and 2 showed that JOLs of word pairs in the performance-approach goal condition tended to be higher than those in the mastery-approach goal condition. In contrast, cued recall performance did not differ between the two goal conditions. Experiment 3 also demonstrated that metacomprehension judgments of text passages were higher in the performance-approach goal condition than in the mastery-approach goals condition, whereas test performance did not differ between conditions. These findings suggest that achievement motivation affects metacognitive judgments during learning, even when achievement motivation does not influence actual performance. PMID:28983496

How many trials are needed to achieve performance stability of the Timed Up & Go test in patients with hip fracture?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kristensen, Morten T; Ekdahl, Charlotte; Kehlet, Henrik

2010-01-01

To examine the number of trials needed to achieve performance stability of the Timed Up & Go (TUG) test using a standardized walking aid in patients with hip fracture who are allowed full weight bearing (FWB).......To examine the number of trials needed to achieve performance stability of the Timed Up & Go (TUG) test using a standardized walking aid in patients with hip fracture who are allowed full weight bearing (FWB)....

Relationship between Motivation to Achieve and Professional Competence in the Performance of Elementary School Teachers

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Sumantri, Mohamad Syarif; Whardani, Prayuningtyas Angger

2017-01-01

This study aims to determine the relationship between achievement motivation and professional competence with regard to the performance of teachers in public elementary schools in Central Java. The quantitative method is used in this study. The results of this study indicate that (1) there is a significant positive relationship between achievement…

Unpacking a Liturgical Framing of Desire for the Purposes of Educational Research

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Renga, Ian Parker

2017-01-01

Much of the public discourse on education arguably reinforces the assumption that most stakeholders share the same desires for teaching and learning--desires reflecting a liberal paradigm that stresses individualism, control, and efficiency. But there are other desires, and additional empirical research informed by a Vygotskian sociocultural…

Outcomes Desired by Practitioners and Academics.

Science.gov (United States)

Neff, Bonita Dostal; Walker, Gael; Smith, Michael F.; Creedon, Pam J.

1999-01-01

Uses data from the national survey described elsewhere in this issue to develop profiles of the desired characteristics of entry-level and advanced-level practitioners, and for educators teaching public relations in undergraduate and graduate programs. Finds unexpectedly strong agreement between educators and practitioners regarding these issues,…

Perceived ability and social support as mediators of achievement motivation and performance anxiety.

Science.gov (United States)

Abrahamsen, F E; Roberts, G C; Pensgaard, A M; Ronglan, L T

2008-12-01

The present study is founded on achievement goal theory (AGT) and examines the relationship between motivation, social support and performance anxiety with team handball players (n=143) from 10 elite teams. Based on these theories and previous findings, the study has three purposes. First, it was predicted that the female athletes (n=69) would report more performance worries and more social support use than males (n=74). The findings support the hypothesis for anxiety, but not for social support use. However, females report that they felt social support was more available than males. Second, we predicted and found a positive relationship between the interaction of ego orientation and perceptions of a performance climate on performance anxiety, but only for females. As predicted, perceived ability mediated this relationship. Finally, we predicted that perceptions of a performance climate were related to the view that social support was less available especially for the male athletes. Simple correlation supports this prediction, but the regression analyses did not reach significance. Thus, we could not test for mediation of social support between motivational variables and anxiety. The results illustrate that fostering a mastery climate helps elite athletes tackle competitive pressure.

Socially desirable responding and impression management in the endorsement of love styles.

Science.gov (United States)

Davies, M F

2001-09-01

In 2 experiments, the researcher investigated the social desirability of different love styles (Eros, Ludus, Storge, Pragma, Mania, and Agape). In Experiment 1, the Marlowe-Crowne measure of social desirability (D. P. Crowne & D. Marlowe, 1960) was correlated negatively with possessive, dependent (Mania) love styles in both men and women. In men, social desirability was correlated positively with romantic, passionate love (Eros) and game-playing love (Ludus), but negatively with all-giving, selfless love (Agape). In women, social desirability was correlated positively with Agape, but negatively with Ludus. In Experiment 2, the researcher replicated these findings using an impression management manipulation (good, bad, and honest responding). The gender differences in social desirability of different love styles are explained in terms of traditional and nontraditional gender role socialization.

Four Language Skills Performance, Academic Achievement, and Learning Strategy Use in Preservice Teacher Training Programs

Science.gov (United States)

Shawer, Saad Fathy

2016-01-01

This article examines the differences in language learning strategies (LLS) use between preservice teachers of English as a foreign language (EFL) and Arabic as a second language (ASL). It also examines the relationship between LLS use and language performance (academic achievement and four language skills) among ASL students. The study made use…

Assessment of Suicide Ideation and Parasuicide: Hopelessness and Social Desirability.

Science.gov (United States)

Linehan, Marsha M.; Nielsen, Stevan L.

1981-01-01

Shoppers completed the Beck Hopelessness Scale, the Edwards Social Desirability Inventory, and a survey of past suicidal behavior. Results indicated hopelessness and social desirability were reliably related to reports of past suicidal behavior, to frequency of current suicidal ideation, and to subjects' predictions of future suicide potential.…

Pilot study: EatFit impacts sixth graders' academic performance on achievement of mathematics and english education standards.

Science.gov (United States)

Shilts, Mical Kay; Lamp, Cathi; Horowitz, Marcel; Townsend, Marilyn S

2009-01-01

Investigate the impact of a nutrition education program on student academic performance as measured by achievement of education standards. Quasi-experimental crossover-controlled study. California Central Valley suburban elementary school (58% qualified for free or reduced-priced lunch). All sixth-grade students (n = 84) in the elementary school clustered in 3 classrooms. 9-lesson intervention with an emphasis on guided goal setting and driven by the Social Cognitive Theory. Multiple-choice survey assessing 5 education standards for sixth-grade mathematics and English at 3 time points: baseline (T1), 5 weeks (T2), and 10 weeks (T3). Repeated measures, paired t test, and analysis of covariance. Changes in total scores were statistically different (P academic performance measured by achievement of specific mathematics and English education standards. Nutrition educators can show school administrators and wellness committee members that this program can positively impact academic performance, concomitant to its primary objective of promoting healthful eating and physical activity.

Sociosexual attitudes and dyadic sexual desire independently predict women's preferences for male vocal masculinity.

Science.gov (United States)

O'Connor, Jillian J M; Jones, Benedict C; Fraccaro, Paul J; Tigue, Cara C; Pisanski, Katarzyna; Feinberg, David R

2014-10-01

Research suggests that the desire to behave sexually with a partner (dyadic sexual desire) may reflect desire for intimacy whereas solitary sexual desire may reflect pleasure seeking motivations more generally. Because direct reproductive success can only be increased with a sexual partner, we tested whether dyadic sexual desire was a better predictor of women's preferences for lower pitched men's voices (a marker of relatively high reproductive success) than was solitary sexual desire. In Study 1, women (N = 95) with higher dyadic sexual desire scores on the Sexual Desire Inventory-2 preferred masculinized male voices more than did women with lower dyadic sexual desire scores. We did not find a significant relationship between women's vocal masculinity preferences and their solitary sexual desire scores. In Study 2, we tested whether the relationship between voice preferences and dyadic sexual desire scores was related to differences in sociosexual orientation. Women (N = 80) with more positive attitudes towards uncommitted sex had stronger vocal masculinity preferences regardless of whether men's attractiveness was judged for short-term or long-term relationships. Independent of the effect of sociosexual attitudes, dyadic sexual desire positively predicted women's masculinity preferences when assessing men's attractiveness for short-term but not long-term relationships. These effects were independent of women's own relationship status and hormonal contraceptive use. Our results provide further evidence that women's mate preferences may independently reflect individual differences in both sexual desire and openness to short-term relationships, potentially with the ultimate function of maximizing the fitness benefits of women's mate choices.

Social Desirability, Environmental Attitudes, and General Ecological Behaviour in Children

Science.gov (United States)

Oerke, Britta; Bogner, Franz X.

2013-01-01

Socially desirable responses have been widely discussed as potentially biasing self-reported measures of environmental attitude and behaviour assessment. The direct and moderating effect of social desirability on children has not been analysed before. By applying a Lie scale together with a two-factor environmental attitude set measure and a scale…

Maintaining Sexual Desire in Long-Term Relationships: A Systematic Review and Conceptual Model.

Science.gov (United States)

Mark, Kristen P; Lasslo, Julie A

The most universally experienced sexual response is sexual desire. Though research on this topic has increased in recent years, low and high desire are still problematized in clinical settings and the broader culture. However, despite knowledge that sexual desire ebbs and flows both within and between individuals, and that problems with sexual desire are strongly linked to problems with relationships, there is a critical gap in understanding the factors that contribute to maintaining sexual desire in the context of relationships. This article offers a systematic review of the literature to provide researchers, educators, clinicians, and the broader public with an overview and a conceptual model of nonclinical sexual desire in long-term relationships. First, we systematically identified peer-reviewed, English-language articles that focused on the maintenance of sexual desire in the context of nonclinical romantic relationships. Second, we reviewed a total of 64 articles that met inclusion criteria and synthesized them into factors using a socioecological framework categorized as individual, interpersonal, and societal in nature. These findings are used to build a conceptual model of maintaining sexual desire in long-term relationships. Finally, we discuss the limitations of the existing research and suggest clear directions for future research.

The Political Economy of Desire in Ritual and Activism in SriLanka (abstract

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Wim Van Daele

2013-02-01

Full Text Available Amidst the complexity of the development-religion nexus, this chapter examines desire and its varying expressions as fundamental concerns of many religions motivating both development and alternatives to development. In Sri Lanka, as people deal with social change, the neoliberal and globalised development is understood and re-interpreted through local idioms and formations of desire. The neoliberal economy cultivates desire and, as such, leads to a perceived increase in the presence of pretas (greedy, hungry ghosts that occasionally emerge when people die. The hungry ghosts, as fetishised formations of desire, resonate with consumers and entrepreneurs, who exhibit an insatiable hunger for ever more material wealth. Hence, the ritual appeasement of hungry ghosts and the social activism of groups such as the Movement for National Land and Agricultural Reform are clearly linked by their mutual concern with the existential insecurity of fellow human and non-human beings caused by excessive and unbalanced desire. However, the explicit articulation of specific concerns regarding desire diverges between ritual action and social activism. Ritual materialises and condenses the anxiety related to desire, whereas social activism describes the fetishisation of desire in more abstract economic, political and scientific terms.

Feedforward/feedback control synthesis for performance and robustness

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Wie, Bong; Liu, Qiang

1990-01-01

Both feedforward and feedback control approaches for uncertain dynamical systems are investigated. The control design objective is to achieve a fast settling time (high performance) and robustness (insensitivity) to plant modeling uncertainty. Preshapong of an ideal, time-optimal control input using a 'tapped-delay' filter is shown to provide a rapid maneuver with robust performance. A robust, non-minimum-phase feedback controller is synthesized with particular emphasis on its proper implementation for a non-zero set-point control problem. The proposed feedforward/feedback control approach is robust for a certain class of uncertain dynamical systems, since the control input command computed for a given desired output does not depend on the plant parameters.

Adolescent Narcissism, Aggression, and Prosocial Behavior: The Relevance of Socially Desirable Responding.

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Barry, Christopher T; Lui, Joyce H L; Anderson, Alexandra C

2017-01-01

An important threat to validity in personality research pertains to an individual's motivation to respond in a socially desirable manner on self-report inventories. This issue was examined in this study in the context of narcissism, aggression, and prosocial behavior in a sample of at-risk adolescents. Participants were 161 adolescents (128 males, 29 females, 4 not reported) ranging in age from 16 to 19 years who were attending a residential program for youth who have dropped out of school. Overall, socially desirable response tendencies were negatively correlated with vulnerable narcissism and self-reported aggression. Moreover, low socially desirable responses strengthened the relation between narcissism and self-reported aggression. Socially desirable responding was not associated with self- or peer-reported prosocial behavior and did not moderate the relation between narcissism and prosocial behavior. These findings indicate that the relation between narcissism and aggression is attenuated by concerns with social desirability. However, further work is needed in broader samples of adolescents to more closely examine whether social desirability concerns actually mitigate aggression among some youth or signify underreporting of one's problem behaviors.

Achieving desired images while avoiding undesired images: exploring the role of self-monitoring in impression management.

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Turnley, W H; Bolino, M C

2001-04-01

A study was conducted to test the hypothesis that high self-monitors more effectively manage impressions than low self-monitors do. Students in work groups indicated the extent to which they used 5 impression-management tactics over the course of a semester-long project. At the project's conclusion, students provided their perceptions of the other members of their group. The relationship between impression management and image favorability was then examined across 339 student-student dyads. The results generally suggest that high self-monitors can use impression-management tactics more effectively than can low self-monitors. In particular, high self-monitors appear to be more adept than low self-monitors at using ingratiation, self-promotion, and exemplification to achieve favorable images among their colleagues.

The ethical desirability of moral bioenhancement: a review of reasons

Science.gov (United States)

2014-01-01

Background The debate on the ethical aspects of moral bioenhancement focuses on the desirability of using biomedical as opposed to traditional means to achieve moral betterment. The aim of this paper is to systematically review the ethical reasons presented in the literature for and against moral bioenhancement. Discussion A review was performed and resulted in the inclusion of 85 articles. We classified the arguments used in those articles in the following six clusters: (1) why we (don’t) need moral bioenhancement, (2) it will (not) be possible to reach consensus on what moral bioenhancement should involve, (3) the feasibility of moral bioenhancement and the status of current scientific research, (4) means and processes of arriving at moral improvement matter ethically, (5) arguments related to the freedom, identity and autonomy of the individual, and (6) arguments related to social/group effects and dynamics. We discuss each argument separately, and assess the debate as a whole. First, there is little discussion on what distinguishes moral bioenhancement from treatment of pathological deficiencies in morality. Furthermore, remarkably little attention has been paid so far to the safety, risks and side-effects of moral enhancement, including the risk of identity changes. Finally, many authors overestimate the scientific as well as the practical feasibility of the interventions they discuss, rendering the debate too speculative. Summary Based on our discussion of the arguments used in the debate on moral enhancement, and our assessment of this debate, we advocate a shift in focus. Instead of speculating about non-realistic hypothetical scenarios such as the genetic engineering of morality, or morally enhancing ‘the whole of humanity’, we call for a more focused debate on realistic options of biomedical treatment of moral pathologies and the concrete moral questions these treatments raise. PMID:25227512

Study strategies and beliefs about learning as a function of academic achievement and achievement goals.

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Geller, Jason; Toftness, Alexander R; Armstrong, Patrick I; Carpenter, Shana K; Manz, Carly L; Coffman, Clark R; Lamm, Monica H

2018-05-01

Prior research by Hartwig and Dunlosky [(2012). Study strategies of college students: Are self-testing and scheduling related to achievement? Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 19(1), 126-134] has demonstrated that beliefs about learning and study strategies endorsed by students are related to academic achievement: higher performing students tend to choose more effective study strategies and are more aware of the benefits of self-testing. We examined whether students' achievement goals, independent of academic achievement, predicted beliefs about learning and endorsement of study strategies. We administered Hartwig and Dunlosky's survey, along with the Achievement Goals Questionnaire [Elliot, A. J., & McGregor, H. A. (2001). A 2 × 2 achievement goal framework. Journal of Personality & Social Psychology, 80, 501-519] to a large undergraduate biology course. Similar to results by Hartwig and Dunlosky, we found that high-performing students (relative to low-performing students) were more likely to endorse self-testing, less likely to cram, and more likely to plan a study schedule ahead of time. Independent of achievement, however, achievement goals were stronger predictors of certain study behaviours. In particular, avoidance goals (e.g., fear of failure) coincided with increased use of cramming and the tendency to be driven by impending deadlines. Results suggest that individual differences in student achievement, as well as the underlying reasons for achievement, are important predictors of students' approaches to studying.

Achieving palliative care research efficiency through defining and benchmarking performance metrics.

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Lodato, Jordan E; Aziz, Noreen; Bennett, Rachael E; Abernethy, Amy P; Kutner, Jean S

2012-12-01

Research efficiency is gaining increasing attention in the research enterprise, including palliative care research. The importance of generating meaningful findings and translating these scientific advances to improved patient care creates urgency in the field to address well documented system inefficiencies. The Palliative Care Research Cooperative Group (PCRC) provides useful examples for ensuring research efficiency in palliative care. Literature on maximizing research efficiency focuses on the importance of clearly delineated process maps, working instructions, and standard operating procedures in creating synchronicity in expectations across research sites. Examples from the PCRC support these objectives and suggest that early creation and employment of performance metrics aligned with these processes are essential to generate clear expectations and identify benchmarks. These benchmarks are critical in effective monitoring and ultimately the generation of high-quality findings that are translatable to clinical populations. Prioritization of measurable goals and tasks to ensure that activities align with programmatic aims is critical. Examples from the PCRC affirm and expand the existing literature on research efficiency, providing a palliative care focus. Operating procedures, performance metrics, prioritization, and monitoring for success should all be informed by and inform the process map to achieve maximum research efficiency.

E-BANKING AND BANKS’ PERFORMANCE IN ROMANIA

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Lavinia M. GUȚU

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Banks are important entities in the economy as they have a significant role in maintaining and encouraging the development of economic sectors. This is possible through the work of refocusing resources from those who have surplus to those who are in a deficit situation. Therefore, like any other company, the performance is highly desirable for banks. It is therefore essential to identify which are the main factors influencing the achievement of this goal. From this perspective, this paper aims to analyze the microeconomic factors affecting the financial performance of banks in Romania. Special attention will be paid to Internet technology or ICT as part of new banking technologies because, so far, in Romania, there are few studies of this kind.

Motives Emanating from Personality Associated with Achievement in a Finnish Senior High School: Physical Activity, Curiosity, and Family Motives

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Froiland, John Mark; Mayor, Päivi; Herlevi, Marjaana

2015-01-01

Numerous studies indicate that intrinsic motivation predicts academic achievement. However, relatively few have examined various subtypes of intrinsic motivation that predict overall achievement, such as motivation for exercise and physical activity. Based upon the 16 basic desires theory of personality, the current study examined the motives of…

Exploring the motivations and emotions underlying rewarding self-gift giving and how they encourage achievement oriented goals.

OpenAIRE

Karayiannis, Georgios

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study is to explore consumers’ descriptions of rewarding self-gift behaviour during the entire consumption process, including the motivations and emotions involved and how these encourage towards the achievement of personal oriented goals. The study specifically focuses on luxury self-gifts and attempts to incorporate desires and the cycle of desire with self-gift giving. In doing so, the study adopts an interpretive approach, consistent with the author’s philosophical ass...

Reproductive Healthcare Needs and Desires in a Cohort of HIV-Positive Women

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Martina L. Badell

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Background. The aim of this study was to determine current contraceptive use, contraceptive desires and knowledge, future fertility desires, and sterilization regret in a cohort of HIV-positive women. Study Design. 127 HIV-positive women receiving care at an urban infectious disease clinic completed a survey addressing their contraceptive and reproductive histories as well as their future contraceptive and fertility desires. Results. The most common forms of contraception used were sterilization (44.4% and condoms (41.3%. Less than 1% used a long-term reversible method of contraception (LARC despite these being the methods that best fit their desired attributes of a contraceptive method. Overall, 29.4% desired future fertility. Only 50.6% of those sexually active had spoken with a provider within the last year regarding their contraceptive plans. There was a high degree of sterilization regret (36.4%, and 18.2% of sterilized women desired future fertility. Multivariate analysis found women in a monogamous relationship had a statistically increased rate of regret compared to women who were not sexually active (OR 13.8, 95% CI 1.6–119, =0.17. Conclusion. Given the diversity in contraceptive and fertility desires, coupled with a higher rate of sterilization regret than is seen in the general population, integration of comprehensive family planning services into HIV care via increased contraceptive education and access is imperative.

Reproductive healthcare needs and desires in a cohort of HIV-positive women.

Science.gov (United States)

Badell, Martina L; Lathrop, Eva; Haddad, Lisa B; Goedken, Peggy; Nguyen, Minh Ly; Cwiak, Carrie A

2012-01-01

The aim of this study was to determine current contraceptive use, contraceptive desires and knowledge, future fertility desires, and sterilization regret in a cohort of HIV-positive women. 127 HIV-positive women receiving care at an urban infectious disease clinic completed a survey addressing their contraceptive and reproductive histories as well as their future contraceptive and fertility desires. The most common forms of contraception used were sterilization (44.4%) and condoms (41.3%). Less than 1% used a long-term reversible method of contraception (LARC) despite these being the methods that best fit their desired attributes of a contraceptive method. Overall, 29.4% desired future fertility. Only 50.6% of those sexually active had spoken with a provider within the last year regarding their contraceptive plans. There was a high degree of sterilization regret (36.4%), and 18.2% of sterilized women desired future fertility. Multivariate analysis found women in a monogamous relationship had a statistically increased rate of regret compared to women who were not sexually active (OR 13.8, 95% CI 1.6-119, P = 0.17). Given the diversity in contraceptive and fertility desires, coupled with a higher rate of sterilization regret than is seen in the general population, integration of comprehensive family planning services into HIV care via increased contraceptive education and access is imperative.

Performance measures for improving the prevention of venous thromboembolism: achievement in clinical practice.

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Wilson, Kenneth C; Merli, Geno J

2011-10-01

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a common complication during and after hospitalization for acute medical illness or surgery. Despite the existence of evidence-based guidelines for VTE prevention, real-world prescribing practices are frequently suboptimal. Specific performance measures relating to VTE prevention and treatment have been developed by US health care organizations to increase adherence with best-practice recommendations and ultimately reduce the number of preventable VTE events. Two measures developed by the Surgical Care Improvement Project have been endorsed by the National Quality Forum (NQF) and focus on VTE prevention. In addition, six measures have been developed recently by The Joint Commission in collaboration with the NQF; three measures relate to VTE prevention and three focus on treatment. To attain widespread achievement of these performance goals, it is essential to raise awareness of their existence and specifications. It is also imperative that hospitals develop and implement effective VTE protocols. The use of multiple, active strategies, such as computer decision support systems with regular audit and feedback, may be particularly valuable approaches to improve current practices within an integrated quality improvement program. During practical implementation of VTE protocols at Norton Healthcare (Kentucky's largest healthcare system), strong leadership, physician engagement, and caregiver accountability were identified as key factors influencing the process. As such, more hospitals may be able to increase adherence with guidelines, improve achievement of quality goals, and help to reduce the substantial burden associated with avoidable VTE.

INFORMATION SYSTEM DESIGN OF PERFORMANCE ACHIEVEMENTS MONITORING IN THE UNIVERSITY: A CASE STUDY IN BINUS UNIVERSITY

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Irma Irawati Ibrahim

2012-05-01

Full Text Available Dashboard is a computer interface that displays a variety of charts, graphs, tables, which are selected reports from various data that are considered important to display rapidly, with an attractive appearance, dynamic, and relevant so that it can immediately be seen quickly to analyze a condition. Dashboard information system is widely used in various companies as a support system for decision-making where Dashboard usually displays data business trends of the company or the achievement of KPI (Key Performance Indicator of a company. The method used is descriptive analysis by means of collecting information that areimportant for universities to be considered asthe Key Success Factors (KSF of the university, and then, the design of the dashboard is made in accordance with these important factors.The result of this study is a grand design of information systems for the university performance monitoring, starting from the reception of students, faculty performance, student academic achievement, effectiveness and efficiency of services, including graduates. It is expected that by the time the system has been fully implemented, the university can take action quickly and accurately with respect to the required conditions.Keywords: Information System Dashboard; Dashboard; Academic Dashboard; University Dashboard

Configurational Paths to Social Performance in SMEs: The Interplay of Innovation, Sustainability, Resources and Achievement Motivation

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Sascha Kraus

2017-10-01

Full Text Available In today’s world of increasing ecological, social and economic issues, the question as to how businesses can become a vehicle towards more sustainable development has become more relevant than ever. Crucial to a more sustainable economy is the successful implementation of sustainable practices through entrepreneurial activities. Although there are attempts to describe how sustainable entrepreneurs differentiate themselves, the question of how some entrepreneurs manage to successfully create a sustainable enterprise, while others do not, remains unanswered. The aim of this research is to find causal patterns that explain the success of sustainable entrepreneurs, using their social performance as a measure. Using a configuration approach-based fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA of 598 Austrian small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs, we could identify four different combinations of the interconnected variables of innovation orientation, environmental sustainability, resource leveraging and achievement motivation, which all lead to social performance depending on the respective networking intensity of the firms. The only variable that is included in all combinations is environmental sustainability, thus indicating it may be either crucial to or a prerequisite for achieving social performance in SMEs.

Best Practices in Human Resource Management: The Source of Excellent Performance and Sustained Competitiveness

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Martin Šikýř

2013-03-01

Full Text Available Based on summarizing the results of the global research on human resource management and the author’s dissertation research on best practices in human resource management, the paper attempts to explain the essence of the positive relationship between best practices in human resource management and organizational performance and competitiveness. It supports the assumption that the essence is the optimal system of human resource management, based on proven best practices in job design, employee selection, performance management, employee compensation or employee training, that enables managers to achieve expected organizational performance and competitiveness by achieving desired employee abilities, motivation and performance. The author's dissertation research verified the theoretical assumptions about application of best practices in human resources management and through a questionnaire survey examined the views of executives and HR managers from Czech TOP 100 companies or the best employers in the Czech Republic.

High school achievement as a predictor for university performance

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Meshkani Z

2004-07-01

Full Text Available Background: The high-school grade point average ( GPA-H and university entrance examination can predict the university achievement and Purpose. To examine the predictive value of GPA-H for GPA-U Methods: In this cross sectional study, the subjects were 240 medical students at basic science phase of their medical education. Data were collected by a questionnaire, consisting of questions measuring factual background variable and 10 Llikert-type questions measuring attitude. The multiple regression analysis was used. Results: The analysis showed that student GPA were a better predictor for educational achievement of medical students than rank on university entrance exam and students with high GPA have not been on probation at all. Also parent's education and occupation influence the students' attitudes toward their medical study. Conclusion: High-school GPA is a predictor for university GPA .This may warrant further investigation into criteria of medical university entrance exam. Keywords: UNIVERSITY ACHIEVEMENT, HIGH-SCHOOL GPA, UNIVERSITY SUCCESS, PREDICTOR

Borders, boundaries and desirable wishes

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Luca Pinciaroli

2015-05-01

Full Text Available “Borders, boundaries and desirable wishes” is the title of the residential workshop offered to a group of young adults (aged 18-25 of the Centro di Salute Mentale (Mental Health Center of the DSM Basaglia of ASL TO2 in Turin. The idea of the workshop, the definition of the objectives and the topics, which are clearly expressed in the title, come from the work of the team dedicated to group psychotherapies, which has been offering group psychodrama sessions to young adults of this age since 2008. In the delicate move to the adult age, these young adults are lost and stuck in static realities where it is not possible to open up to the dimension of desire nor to the transforming encounter with the Other, since they didn’t have the experience of boundaries and lack. These two elements are necessary to acquire the ability to make projects for oneself. During the workshop the following instruments were used: group, psychodrama and art therapy. The group, as a paternal function, ensured the presence of safe boundaries enabling individuals to experiment; psychodrama and art therapy enabled the bodies to experience encounters and transformations, using doing as a metaphor for the movement against the inhibition of doing and as a way to show oneself to the Other and be able to see the Other. 

Enriching the hierarchical model of achievement motivation: autonomous and controlling reasons underlying achievement goals.

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Michou, Aikaterini; Vansteenkiste, Maarten; Mouratidis, Athanasios; Lens, Willy

2014-12-01

The hierarchical model of achievement motivation presumes that achievement goals channel the achievement motives of need for achievement and fear of failure towards motivational outcomes. Yet, less is known whether autonomous and controlling reasons underlying the pursuit of achievement goals can serve as additional pathways between achievement motives and outcomes. We tested whether mastery approach, performance approach, and performance avoidance goals and their underlying autonomous and controlling reasons would jointly explain the relation between achievement motives (i.e., fear of failure and need for achievement) and learning strategies (Study 1). Additionally, we examined whether the autonomous and controlling reasons underlying learners' dominant achievement goal would account for the link between achievement motives and the educational outcomes of learning strategies and cheating (Study 2). Six hundred and six Greek adolescent students (Mage = 15.05, SD = 1.43) and 435 university students (Mage M = 20.51, SD = 2.80) participated in studies 1 and 2, respectively. In both studies, a correlational design was used and the hypotheses were tested via path modelling. Autonomous and controlling reasons underlying the pursuit of achievement goals mediated, respectively, the relation of need for achievement and fear of failure to aspects of learning outcomes. Autonomous and controlling reasons underlying achievement goals could further explain learners' functioning in achievement settings. © 2014 The British Psychological Society.

Intergalactic Encounters: Desire and the Political Immediacy of Children's Drawing

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Schulte, Christopher M.

2015-01-01

The author of this article creates a semblance between Deleuze and Guattari's conception of a politics of desire and the four realities, as outlined by Brent and Marjorie Wilson. By making this theoretical move, the author advances the idea that children's drawing unfolds from one moment to the next through the assemblages of desire that are most…

The analyst's desire in the clinic of anorexia

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Mariana Benatto Pereira da Silva

2010-06-01

Full Text Available The present work deals with the issue of the analyst's desire in the psychoanalytical treatment of anorexia. It analyzes important elements to establish transference in these cases, as the pursuit of death and the choice of refusing food as a way of controlling the demands of the Other. It then discusses the "analist's desire" function in this clinic. Rejecting the definition of a treatment model and the structural categorization of anorexia, we can find in the cases of the girl of Angouleme (Charcot and Sidonie (M. Mannoni present possible subjective ways to get out of this psychopathological impasse, by means of this function.

Phenomenological Psychopathology: From Spatial Disorder to the Problem of Disembodied Desire

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Daria Dibitonto

2014-12-01

Full Text Available This study presents a phenomenological analysis of a case of schizotypal personality disorder used as a concrete starting point to formulate a basic phenomenological theory of embodied and disembodied desire. After describing the core symptoms of the patient (i.e. mainly his spatial disorder from a first-person per-spective, the problem of disembodied desire is introduced in relation to patient’s imaginary that is lived as an isolated experience condemned to remaining unrealized. The case analysis refers to Blankenburg’s concept of the loss of natural self-experience and to its contemporary development, i.e., the psychopathology of common sense, conceiving schizophrenia, and schizotypal personality disorder, as a syndrome rooted in ipseity disturbance and in disembodiment of the self. Disembodied desire is then qualified as a disorder due not to neurotic defense mechanisms, but rather to more pervasive self-disorders. In the final part, the problem of disembodied desire is addressed starting from a basic phenomenological theory of desire, dealing both with drive intentionality, as the transcendental condition of the ego-constitution, and with imagination, as the distanced self-representation of drive and as a structural possibility of distancing the immediacy of bodily experience.

When nursing takes ownership of financial outcomes: achieving exceptional financial performance through leadership, strategy, and execution.

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Goetz, Kristopher; Janney, Michelle; Ramsey, Kristin

2011-01-01

With nurses and unlicensed supportive personnel composing the greatest percentage of the workforce at any hospital, it is not surprising nursing leadership plays an increasing role in the attainment of financial goals. The nursing leadership team at one academic medical center reduced costs by more than $10 million over 4 years while outperforming national benchmarks on nurse-sensitive quality indicators. The most critical success factor in attaining exceptional financial performance is a personal and collective accountability to achieving outcomes. Whether it is financial improvement, advancing patient safety, or ensuring a highly engaged workforce, success will not be attained without thoughtful, focused leadership. The accountability model ensures there is a culture built around financial performance where nurses and leaders think and act, on a daily basis, in a manner necessary to understand opportunities, find answers, and overcome obstacles. While structures, processes, and tools may serve as the means to achieve a target, it is leadership's responsibility to set the right goal and motivate others.

Towards achieving small-incision cataract surgery 99.8% of the time.

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Thomas R

2000-01-01

Full Text Available A surgical approach designed to reliably attain the modern goal of small incision cataract surgery 99.8% of the time is described. Phacoemulsification as well as a manual small incision technique is utilised to achieve the desired outcome as often as possible and for all types of cataracts. The logic, and required surgical steps are described and illustrated. This surgical technique allows the advantages of small incision surgery to be reliably achieved. The method is flexible and allows decisions and steps to be modified depending on the skill and comfort zone of the individual surgeon.

Desirable difficulties in vocabulary learning

OpenAIRE

Bjork, RA; Kroll, JF

2015-01-01

© 2015 by the Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. In this article we discuss the role of desirable difficulties in vocabulary learning from two perspectives, one having to do with identifying conditions of learning that impose initial challenges to the learner but then benefit later retention and transfer, and the other having to do with the role of certain difficulties that are intrinsic to language processes, are engaged during word learning, and reflect how language is underst...

Women’s sexual desire: challenging narratives of “Dysfunction”

OpenAIRE

Graham, Cynthia A.; Boynton, Petra M.; Gould, Kate

2017-01-01

Recent changes in the classification of female sexual dysfunction in the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) and the US Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) approval of the first drug to treat low sexual desire in women (flibanserin) have highlighted the intense focus on sexual desire problems in women. We first discuss the rationale for the DSM changes and outline the DSM-5 criteria for Female Sexual Interest/Arousal Disorder. We provide an overvi...

The relation between social desirability and different measures of heroin craving

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Marissen, Marlies A. E.; Franken, Ingmar H. A.; Blanken, Peter; Hendriks, Vincent M.; van den Brink, Wim

2005-01-01

A low association between self-reported craving and physiological measures of craving is often found. Social desirability might influence this relation between subjective and physiological reactivity. Subjects were seventy-six in-patient abstinent heroin abusers. Social desirability, general craving

Is love colorblind? Political orientation and interracial romantic desire.

Science.gov (United States)

Eastwick, Paul W; Richeson, Jennifer A; Son, Deborah; Finkel, Eli J

2009-09-01

The present research examined the association of political orientation with ingroup favoritism in two live romantic contexts. In Study 1, White participants had sequential interactions with both a White and Black confederate and reported their romantic desire for each. In Study 2, both White and Black participants speed-dated multiple potential romantic partners and reported whether they would be interested in meeting each speed-dating partner again. In both studies, White participants' political conservatism positively predicted the strength of the ingroup-favoring bias: White conservatives were less likely than White liberals to desire Black (interracial) relative to White potential romantic partners. In contrast, Black participants' political conservatism negatively predicted the strength of the ingroup-favoring bias: Consistent with system-justification theory, Black conservatives were more likely than Black liberals to desire White (interracial) relative to Black potential romantic partners. Political orientation may be a key factor that influences the initiation of interracial romantic relationships.

Achievement motive of future physical education teachers

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Lazarević Dušanka

2007-01-01

Full Text Available This paper presents the results of the research of the characteristics of achievement motive of future physical education teachers. Starting from understanding of the importance of achievement motive for the successful accomplishment of professional goals and roles of teachers, the aim of our research is to examine the level of achievement motive, the characteristics of its structure and differences according to gender. The instrument MOP2002 (Franceško et al., 2002a was applied, which presupposes the complex structure of this motive. The sample consisted of 373 students (263 male and 110 female of the Faculty of Sport and Physical Education in Belgrade. The results show that their achievement motive is characterized by the tendency towards high level of presence, and its structure is in the largest degree determined by the components accomplishing goals as a source of pleasure and perseverance in accomplishing goals, which is followed by orientation towards planning. The component competing with others is demonstrated in a moderate degree and it is least expressed. It was shown that female students have a larger degree of achievement motive when compared to male students, and accomplishing goals as a source of pleasure and perseverance in accomplishing goals mostly contribute to the difference in structure of achievement motive. It can be expected that the achievement motive, with the structure and degree of presence determined in our respondents, will contribute that they, as future teachers, become a good motivational model and the creators of a desirable motivational climate.

Achievement goals and perfectionism of high school students

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Milojević Milica

2009-01-01

Full Text Available This research has been investigating one of the most contemporary approaches of achievement motivation - Achievement Goal Theory, which uses the construct of achievement goals. The construct of achievement goals involves three types of achievement goals: mastery goals, performance approach goals and performance avoidance goals. The main goal of the research was to examine correlation between perfectionism and its aspects with particular types of achievement goals. Also, the goal was to investigate the difference concerning gender regarding the achievement goals. The sample consisted of 200 senior year high school participants. The following instruments were used: Multi-dimensional scale of perfectionism (MSP and Test of achievement goals (TCP. The research results indicate that there is significant positive correlation between: perfectionism with performance approach goals and performance avoidance goals, concern over mistakes and parental expectations with performance approach goals and performance avoidance goals, personal standards and organization with mastery goals and performance approach goals, parental criticism and doubts about action with performance avoidance goals. Significant negative correlation was found between parental criticism and mastery goals. The results concerning the second goal indicates the female subjects have higher average scores in mastery goals.

Negotiating the Lack of Intimacy in Assisted Living: Resident Desires, Barriers, and Strategies.

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Bender, Alexis A; Burgess, Elisabeth O; Barmon, Christina

2017-12-01

Despite continuity in the desire for sex and partnership, many older adults experience a lack of intimacy in late life. The use of assisted living is a complicating factor for understanding issues of partnership, sex, and intimacy for older adults. Using in-depth interviews with 23 assisted living residents and grounded theory methods, we examined how residents negotiate a lack of intimacy in assisted living. The process of negotiation entailed three factors: desire, barriers, and strategies. Although some residents continued to desire intimacy, there was a marked absence of dating or intimacy in our study sites. Findings highlight unique barriers to acting on desire and the strategies residents used as aligning actions between desire and barriers. This research expands previous studies of sexuality and older adults by examining the complex ways in which they balanced desire and barriers through the use of strategies within the assisted living environment.

Metal matrix composite fabrication processes for high performance aerospace structures

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Ponzi, C.

A survey is conducted of extant methods of metal matrix composite (MMC) production in order to serve as a basis for prospective MMC users' selection of a matrix/reinforcement combination, cost-effective primary fabrication methods, and secondary fabrication techniques for the achievement of desired performance levels. Attention is given to the illustrative cases of structural fittings, control-surface connecting rods, hypersonic aircraft air inlet ramps, helicopter swash plates, and turbine rotor disks. Methods for technical and cost analysis modeling useful in process optimization are noted.

Understanding the DNA damage response in order to achieve desired gene editing outcomes in mosquitoes.

Science.gov (United States)

Overcash, Justin M; Aryan, Azadeh; Myles, Kevin M; Adelman, Zach N

2015-02-01

Mosquitoes are high-impact disease vectors with the capacity to transmit pathogenic agents that cause diseases such as malaria, yellow fever, chikungunya, and dengue. Continued growth in knowledge of genetic, molecular, and physiological pathways in mosquitoes allows for the development of novel control methods and for the continued optimization of existing ones. The emergence of site-specific nucleases as genomic engineering tools promises to expedite research of crucial biological pathways in these disease vectors. The utilization of these nucleases in a more precise and efficient manner is dependent upon knowledge and manipulation of the DNA repair pathways utilized by the mosquito. While progress has been made in deciphering DNA repair pathways in some model systems, research into the nature of the hierarchy of mosquito DNA repair pathways, as well as in mechanistic differences that may exist, is needed. In this review, we will describe progress in the use of site-specific nucleases in mosquitoes, along with the hierarchy of DNA repair in the context of mosquito chromosomal organization and structure, and how this knowledge may be manipulated to achieve precise chromosomal engineering in mosquitoes.

Satisfaction with Appearance and the Desired Treatment to Improve Aesthetics

OpenAIRE

Al-Zarea, Bader K.

2013-01-01

Objective. To identify participants’ satisfaction with appearance and the desired treatment to improve aesthetics. Materials and Methods. 220 participants (127 males and 93 females, mean age = 21.4 ± 1.5 years) were recruited into the study. A structured questionnaire was used to assess patients’ satisfaction with appearance and what treatment they desire to improve aesthetics. Participants scored the level of ...

Desired and Actual Labour Supply of Unmarried Men and Women in the Netherlands

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Euwals, R.W.; van Soest, A.H.O.

1996-01-01

Desired and actual working hours of unmarried adults are analyzed.A discrete structural neoclassical model is used to explain desired hours.Desired hours depend on gross wage rates, tax and benefit rules, other income, and some background variables.The model takes account of fixed costs of working

Redefining Female Desire: Angela Carter's Bloody Chamber

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sabrina Antonella Abeni

2014-03-01

This article analyses some passages of those tales, combining them with the ideas expressed by the author in her famous essay, demonstrating the originality and unconventionality of her interpretation of female desire, subject to misunderstanding and disputes, but strongly appreciated in recent years .

Behavioral Performance and Neural Areas Associated with Memory Processes Contribute to Math and Reading Achievement in 6-year-old Children.

Science.gov (United States)

Blankenship, Tashauna L; Keith, Kayla; Calkins, Susan D; Bell, Martha Ann

2018-01-01

Associations between working memory and academic achievement (math and reading) are well documented. Surprisingly, little is known of the contributions of episodic memory, segmented into temporal memory (recollection proxy) and item recognition (familiarity proxy), to academic achievement. This is the first study to observe these associations in typically developing 6-year old children. Overlap in neural correlates exists between working memory, episodic memory, and math and reading achievement. We attempted to tease apart the neural contributions of working memory, temporal memory, and item recognition to math and reading achievement. Results suggest that working memory and temporal memory, but not item recognition, are important contributors to both math and reading achievement, and that EEG power during a working memory task contributes to performance on tests of academic achievement.

Adolescent Desire for Cosmetic Surgery: Associations with Bullying and Psychological Functioning.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Kirsty; Guy, Alexa; Dale, Jeremy; Wolke, Dieter

2017-05-01

Adolescent bullying may be a key driver of interest in cosmetic surgery. This study examined the extent of such interest and whether any effect was sex-specific, and examined psychological functioning as a potential mechanism through which bullying involvement may lead to a wish for cosmetic surgery. A two-stage design was used. In the first stage, 2782 adolescents (aged 11 to 16 years) were screened for bullying involvement using self-reports and peer nominations. In the second stage, 752 adolescents who were bullies, victims, bully-victims, or uninvolved in bullying reported their desire for cosmetic surgery. Psychological functioning was constructed as a composite of self-esteem and emotional problems (assessed at stage 1) and body-esteem scores (assessed at stage 2). Adolescents involved in bullying in any role were significantly more interested in cosmetic surgery than uninvolved adolescents. Desire for cosmetic surgery was greatest in adolescents who were bullied (victims and bully-victims) and girls. Desire for cosmetic surgery was highest in girls, but sex did not interact with bullying role. Being victimized by peers resulted in poor psychological functioning, which increased desire for cosmetic surgery. In contrast, desire for cosmetic surgery in bullies was not related to psychological functioning, which was in the normal range. Bullying victimization is related to poor psychological functioning, and both are related to a greater desire for cosmetic surgery in adolescents. Cosmetic surgeons should screen candidates for psychological vulnerability and may want to include a short screening questionnaire for a history of peer victimization.

Achievement Emotions and Academic Performance: Longitudinal Models of Reciprocal Effects

Science.gov (United States)

Pekrun, Reinhard; Lichtenfeld, Stephanie; Marsh, Herbert W.; Murayama, Kou; Goetz, Thomas

2017-01-01

A reciprocal effects model linking emotion and achievement over time is proposed. The model was tested using five annual waves of the Project for the Analysis of Learning and Achievement in Mathematics (PALMA) longitudinal study, which investigated adolescents' development in mathematics (Grades 5-9; N = 3,425 German students; mean starting…

High-Performance and Omnidirectional Thin-Film Amorphous Silicon Solar Cell Modules Achieved by 3D Geometry Design.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Dongliang; Yin, Min; Lu, Linfeng; Zhang, Hanzhong; Chen, Xiaoyuan; Zhu, Xufei; Che, Jianfei; Li, Dongdong

2015-11-01

High-performance thin-film hydrogenated amorphous silicon solar cells are achieved by combining macroscale 3D tubular substrates and nanoscaled 3D cone-like antireflective films. The tubular geometry delivers a series of advantages for large-scale deployment of photovoltaics, such as omnidirectional performance, easier encapsulation, decreased wind resistance, and easy integration with a second device inside the glass tube. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

A national survey into desirable personality traits in anaesthesia trainees in a developing country.

Science.gov (United States)

Khan, Fauzia Anis; Minai, Fauzia

2010-03-01

To explore personality traits considered to be important in selection of trainees by consultant anaesthetists in a developing country. A questionnaire listing 28 traits was sent to 125 consultant anaesthetists. The raters were asked to mark each trait on a scale of 1 to 10, with one being least desirable and 10 as most desirable. Listing of five most desirable and one least desirable trait was also required. The response rate was 79%. The most desirable trait was identified as reliability by 40%, followed by honesty 17%, functionality under stress 9%, punctuality 7%, and discipline 4%. The least desirable trait was considered as resourcefulness (21%), sense of humour (20%), unassuming mannerism (15%), high self esteem (11%), inquisitive (5%) and expedious (5%). Some traits have been identified as more desirable than others for trainees in our country. We plan to assess these in structured behavioural interviews in our residency programme.

Neural substrates of sexual desire in individuals with problematic hypersexual behavior

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ji-Woo eSeok

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Studies on the characteristics of individuals with hypersexual disorder have been accumulating due to increasing concerns about problematic hypersexual behavior (PHB. Currently, relatively little is known about the underlying behavioral and neural mechanisms of sexual desire. Our study aimed to investigate the neural correlates of sexual desire with event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI. Twenty-three individuals with PHB and 22 age-matched healthy controls were scanned while they passively viewed sexual and nonsexual stimuli. The subjects’ levels of sexual desire were assessed in response to each sexual stimulus. Relative to controls, individuals with PHB experienced more frequent and enhanced sexual desire during exposure to sexual stimuli. Greater activation was observed in the caudate nucleus, inferior parietal lobe, dorsal anterior cingulate gyrus, thalamus, and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in the PHB group than in the control group. In addition, the hemodynamic patterns in the activated areas differed between the groups. Consistent with the findings of brain imaging studies of substance and behavior addiction, individuals with the behavioral characteristics of PHB and enhanced desire exhibited altered activation in the prefrontal cortex and subcortical regions. In conclusion, our results will help to characterize the behaviors and associated neural mechanisms of individuals with PHB.

Identification of desired outcomes for school nursing practice.

Science.gov (United States)

Selekman, Janice; Guilday, Patricia

2003-12-01

The Scope and Standards of Professional School Nursing Practice states that school nurses should evaluate the quality and effectiveness of their practice. School nurses have not yet identified and adopted outcomes by which this effectiveness can be measured. This study used focus groups during a national meeting of school nurse leaders to identify the desired outcomes that could be used to measure the efficacy of school nursing practice. Ten desired outcome themes were identified with numerous specific indicators as possible ways to measure the desired outcome in each theme. The student-, school-, and nurse-focused outcome themes were as follows: (a) increased student seat time, (b) receipt of first aid and acute care measures, (c) receipt of competent health-related interventions or skills, (d) meeting of the comprehensive needs of children with chronic conditions, (e) enhanced school health via wellness promotion and disease prevention measures, (f) referrals, (g) safe environment, (h) enhanced school health via community outreach, (i) cost-effective school nurse services, and (j) student, parent, and staff satisfaction. The school nurse participants were supportive of having potential outcomes identified and unanimously endorsed the findings at the conclusion of the study. They have provided a comprehensive framework from which evaluation tools can be developed to measure the efficacy of school nursing.

Problematic internet pornography use: The role of craving, desire thinking, and metacognition.

Science.gov (United States)

Allen, Andrew; Kannis-Dymand, Lee; Katsikitis, Mary

2017-07-01

Defined as sexually explicit material that elicits erotic thoughts, feelings, and behaviours, internet pornography is a prevalent form of media that may facilitate problematic use and craving for engagement. Research suggests that superordinate cognitions and information processing, such as desire thinking and metacognition, are central to the activation and escalation of craving in addictive behaviours. The current study aimed to contribute to the literature by testing the proposed metacognitive model of desire thinking and craving in a sample of problematic pornography users, while revising the model by incorporating negative affect. From a theoretical perspective, environmental cues trigger positive metacognitions about desire thinking that directly influence desire thinking, resulting in the escalation of craving, negative metacognitions, and negative affect. Participants were recruited via an online survey and screened for problematic internet pornography use. Path analyses were used to investigate relationships among the aforementioned constructs in a final sample of 191 participants. Consistent with previous research, results of this study validated the existence of metacognitive processes in the activation of desire thinking and escalation of craving, while indicating that desire thinking has the potential to influence negative affect. Additionally, results supported the role of significant indirect relationships between constructs within the revised model of metacognition, desire thinking, and psychopathology. Collectively, the findings demonstrate the clinical value of a metacognitive conceptualisation of problematic pornography use. Exploring the metacognitive mechanisms that underpin problematic internet pornography use may give rise to the development of new treatment and relapse prevention strategies. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Desired Diversity and Symptomatic Anxiety

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Friis Christensen, Jannick; Muhr, Sara Louise

2018-01-01

of diversity that, however, constantly change due to the empty form of diversity. Anxiety manifests itself in the obsession of unobtainable idealised forms of diversity as well as in the uncertainty associated with the traumatic experience of always falling short of what is desired in an object...... – the experience of failed diversity. Conclusively, we discuss the productive potential of the power of lack. The impossibility of diversity is what, at once, conditions the possibility of diversity. We therefore suggest that the symptomatic anxiety provoked by the lack should be enjoyed in order to engage...

Is High Sexual Desire a Risk for Women's Relationship and Sexual Well-Being?

Science.gov (United States)

Štulhofer, Aleksandar; Bergeron, Sophie; Jurin, Tanja

2016-09-01

Historically, women's sexual desire has been deemed socially problematic. The growing popularity of the concept of hypersexuality-which lists high sexual desire among its core components-poses a risk of re-pathologizing female sexual desire. Data from a 2014 online survey of 2,599 Croatian women aged 18-60 years was used to examine whether high sexual desire is detrimental to women's relationship and sexual well-being. Based on the highest scores on an indicator of sexual desire, 178 women were classified in the high sexual desire (HSD) group; women who scored higher than one standard deviation above the Hypersexual Disorder Screening Inventory mean were categorized in the hypersexuality (HYP) group (n = 239). Fifty-seven women met the classification criteria for both groups (HYP&HSD). Compared to other groups, the HSD was the most sexually active group. Compared to controls, the HYP and HYP&HSD groups-but not the HSD group-reported significantly more negative consequences associated with their sexuality. Compared to the HYP group, women with HSD reported better sexual function, higher sexual satisfaction, and lower odds of negative behavioral consequences. The findings suggest that, at least among women, hypersexuality should not be conflated with high sexual desire and frequent sexual activity.

Assessing food appeal and desire to eat: the effects of portion size & energy density.

Science.gov (United States)

Burger, Kyle S; Cornier, Marc A; Ingebrigtsen, Jan; Johnson, Susan L

2011-09-25

Visual presentation of food provides considerable information such as its potential for palatability and availability, both of which can impact eating behavior. We investigated the subjective ratings for food appeal and desire to eat when exposed to food pictures in a fed sample (n=129) using the computer paradigm ImageRate. Food appeal and desire to eat were analyzed for the effects of food group, portion size and energy density of the foods presented as well as by participant characteristics. Food appeal ratings were significantly higher than those for desire to eat (57.9±11.6 v. 44.7±18.0; pappeal. Food category analyses revealed that fruit was the highest rated food category for both appeal and desire, followed by discretionary foods. Additionally, overweight individuals reported higher ratings of desire to eat large portions of food compared to smaller portions (pappeal and desire (r's=-0.27; p'sappeal and desire to eat foods when assessing these ratings using the same type of metric. Additionally, relations among food appeal and desire to eat ratings and body mass show overweight individuals could be more responsive to visual foods cues in a manner that contributes to obesity.

The Value of Full Correction: Achieving Excellent and Affordable Results.

Science.gov (United States)

Kaplan, Julie Bass

2016-01-01

Patients often come to medical aesthetic offices with hopes to fully correct lost facial volume and achieve a natural appearance. Unfortunately, the cost per syringe of dermal filler can be a barrier to desired outcomes. Many aesthetic practitioners do the best they can with the amount of product the patient can afford, often falling short of the "wow" effect for the patient. This article describes what one office implemented to solve the conundrum of affordability while still allowing offices to cover its own financial realities. This tool can help patients achieve beautiful, natural, and affordable outcomes while helping offices advance in manufacturer's tiers, improve word-of-mouth advertising, and increase job satisfaction.

The attitudes of mental health professionals towards patients' desire for children.

Science.gov (United States)

Krumm, Silvia; Checchia, Carmen; Badura-Lotter, Gisela; Kilian, Reinhold; Becker, Thomas

2014-03-02

When a patient with a serious mental illness expresses a desire for children, mental health professionals are faced with an ethical dilemma. To date, little research has been conducted into their strategies for dealing with these issues. Seven focus groups with a total of 49 participants from all professional groups active in mental health (nurses, psychologists, social workers and psychiatrists) were conducted in a 330-bed psychiatric hospital. Group discussions were transcribed verbatim and analysed by the documentary method described by Bohnsack. Mental health professionals did not feel that their patients' desire for children was as important in daily practice as were parenting issues. When discussing the desire for children on the part of patients, the following themes emerged: "the patient's own decision", "neutrality", "the patient's well-being", "issues affecting the children of mentally ill parents" and "appropriate parenthood". In order to cope with what they perceived as conflicting norms, mental health professionals developed the following (discursive) strategies: "subordination of child welfare", "de-professionalisation", "giving rational advice" and "resignation". The theme of "reproductive autonomy" dominated mental health professionals' discourse on the desire for children among psychiatric patients. "Reproductive autonomy" stood in conflict with another important theme (patient's children). Treating reproductive issues as taboo is the result of the gap between MHPs' perceptions of (conflicting) norms when dealing with a patient's desire for children and the limited opportunities to cope with them appropriately.In order to support both patients with a desire for children and mental health professionals who are charged with providing counselling for such patients, there is a need to encourage ethical reflection and to focus on clinical recommendations in this important area.

The Social Desirability of Social Value Orientations

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bekkers, René

2001-01-01

To what degree are social value orientations as measured by decomposed games vulnerable to social desirability concerns? In contrast to prior research (Platow, 1994), this study, using a large scale survey in The Netherlands (n=450), shows that respondents classified as ‘prosocial’ agree more often

What factors determine academic achievement in high achieving undergraduate medical students? A qualitative study.

Science.gov (United States)

Abdulghani, Hamza M; Al-Drees, Abdulmajeed A; Khalil, Mahmood S; Ahmad, Farah; Ponnamperuma, Gominda G; Amin, Zubair

2014-04-01

Medical students' academic achievement is affected by many factors such as motivational beliefs and emotions. Although students with high intellectual capacity are selected to study medicine, their academic performance varies widely. The aim of this study is to explore the high achieving students' perceptions of factors contributing to academic achievement. Focus group discussions (FGD) were carried out with 10 male and 9 female high achieving (scores more than 85% in all tests) students, from the second, third, fourth and fifth academic years. During the FGDs, the students were encouraged to reflect on their learning strategies and activities. The discussion was audio-recorded, transcribed and analysed qualitatively. Factors influencing high academic achievement include: attendance to lectures, early revision, prioritization of learning needs, deep learning, learning in small groups, mind mapping, learning in skills lab, learning with patients, learning from mistakes, time management, and family support. Internal motivation and expected examination results are important drivers of high academic performance. Management of non-academic issues like sleep deprivation, homesickness, language barriers, and stress is also important for academic success. Addressing these factors, which might be unique for a given student community, in a systematic manner would be helpful to improve students' performance.

Designing the Desirable Smart Home: A Study of Household Experiences and Energy Consumption Impacts

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Rikke Hagensby; Kjeldskov, Jesper; Skov, Mikael

2018-01-01

Research has shown that desirable designs shape the use and experiences people have when interacting with technology. Nevertheless, how desirability influences energy consumption is often overlooked, particularly in HCI studies evaluating the sustainability benefits of smart home technology....... In this paper, we present a qualitative study with 23 Australian households who reflect on their experiences of living with smart home devices. Drawing on Nelson and Stolterman’s concept of desiderata we develop a typology of householders’ desires for the smart home and their energy implications. We structure...... these desires as three smart home personas: the helper, optimiser and hedonist, which align with desiderata’s three approaches to desire (reason, ethics and aesthetics). We use these insights to discuss how desirability can be used within HCI for steering design of the smart home towards sustainability....

An Examination of Secondary School Students' Academic Achievement in Science Course and Achievement Scores in Performance Assignments with Regard to Different Variables: A Boarding School Example

Science.gov (United States)

Bozdogan, Aykut Emre; Günaydin, Esra; Okur, Alperen

2014-01-01

The aim of the study is to explore the academic achievement and performance tasks of students studying in a regional primary boarding school in science course with regard to different variables. The study was carried out via survey method and total 96 students, 57 of them boarding students and 39 of them non-boarding students studying in the 5th,…

Sexual desire, not hypersexuality, is related to neurophysiological responses elicited by sexual images

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vaughn R. Steele

2013-07-01

Full Text Available Background: Modulation of sexual desires is, in some cases, necessary to avoid inappropriate or illegal sexual behavior (downregulation of sexual desire or to engage with a romantic partner (upregulation of sexual desire. Some have suggested that those who have difficulty downregulating their sexual desires be diagnosed as having a sexual “addiction”. This diagnosis is thought to be associated with sexual urges that feel out of control, high-frequency sexual behavior, consequences due to those behaviors, and poor ability to reduce those behaviors. However, such symptoms also may be better understood as a non-pathological variation of high sexual desire. Hypersexuals are thought to be relatively sexual reward sensitized, but also to have high exposure to visual sexual stimuli. Thus, the direction of neural responsivity to sexual stimuli expected was unclear. If these individuals exhibit habituation, their P300 amplitude to sexual stimuli should be diminished; if they merely have high sexual desire, their P300 amplitude to sexual stimuli should be increased. Neural responsivity to sexual stimuli in a sample of hypersexuals could differentiate these two competing explanations of symptoms. Methods: Fifty-two (13 female individuals who self-identified as having problems regulating their viewing of visual sexual stimuli viewed emotional (pleasant sexual, pleasant-non-sexual, neutral, and unpleasant photographs while electroencephalography was collected. Results: Larger P300 amplitude differences to pleasant sexual stimuli, relative to neutral stimuli, was negatively related to measures of sexual desire, but not related to measures of hypersexuality. Conclusion: Implications for understanding hypersexuality as high desire, rather than disordered, are discussed.

Openness to language and value diversity fosters multicultural team creativity and performance

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lauring, Jakob; Paunova, Minna; Butler, Christina

2015-01-01

Multicultural teams are increasingly employed by organizations as a way to achieve international coordination, particularly when creativity and innovation are desired. Unfortunately, studies often fail to demonstrate the purported benefits associated with these teams, reporting difficulties with ...... open to value diversity. We conclude that multicultural teams are in want of a climate that is welcoming to both linguistic and cultural differences and suggest implications for theory and practice....... with communication and social integration, inhibiting creativity and performance. A survey-based study of multicultural academic teams (n = 1085) demonstrates that teams that are open to language diversity are more creative and perform better. We observe that performance is enhanced even further when teams are also...

Long distance atomic teleportation with as good success as desired

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mishra, Manoj K.; Prakash, Hari

2015-01-01

Long distance atomic teleportation (LDAT) is of prime importance in long distance quantum communication. Scheme proposed by Bose et al. (1999) in principle enables us to have LDAT using cavity decay. However it gives message state dependent fidelity and success rate. Here, using interaction of entangled coherent states with atom–cavity systems and a two-step measurement, we show how, LDAT can be achieved with unit fidelity and as good success as desired under ideal conditions. The scheme is unique in that, the first measurement predicts success or failure. If success is predicted then second measurement gives perfect teleportation. If failure is predicted the message-qubit remains conserved therefore a second attempt may be started. We found that even in presence of decoherence due to dissipation of energy our scheme gives message state independent success rate and almost perfect teleportation in single attempt with mean fidelity of teleportation equal to 0.9 at long distances. However if first attempt fails, unlike ideal case where message-qubit remains conserved with unit fidelity, in presence of decoherence the message-qubit remains conserved to some degree, therefore mean fidelity of teleportation can be increased beyond 0.9 by repeating the process

Long distance atomic teleportation with as good success as desired

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mishra, Manoj K., E-mail: manoj.qit@gmail.com [Physics Department, University of Allahabad (India); Space Applications Centre, Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), Ahmedabad (India); Prakash, Hari [Physics Department, University of Allahabad (India); Indian Institute of Information Technology, Allahabad (India)

2015-09-15

Long distance atomic teleportation (LDAT) is of prime importance in long distance quantum communication. Scheme proposed by Bose et al. (1999) in principle enables us to have LDAT using cavity decay. However it gives message state dependent fidelity and success rate. Here, using interaction of entangled coherent states with atom–cavity systems and a two-step measurement, we show how, LDAT can be achieved with unit fidelity and as good success as desired under ideal conditions. The scheme is unique in that, the first measurement predicts success or failure. If success is predicted then second measurement gives perfect teleportation. If failure is predicted the message-qubit remains conserved therefore a second attempt may be started. We found that even in presence of decoherence due to dissipation of energy our scheme gives message state independent success rate and almost perfect teleportation in single attempt with mean fidelity of teleportation equal to 0.9 at long distances. However if first attempt fails, unlike ideal case where message-qubit remains conserved with unit fidelity, in presence of decoherence the message-qubit remains conserved to some degree, therefore mean fidelity of teleportation can be increased beyond 0.9 by repeating the process.

Effect of professional society recommendations on women's desire for a routine pelvic examination.

Science.gov (United States)

Sawaya, George F; Smith-McCune, Karen K; Gregorich, Steven E; Moghadassi, Michelle; Kuppermann, Miriam

2017-09-01

The American College of Physicians strongly recommends against performing pelvic examinations in asymptomatic, nonpregnant women, citing evidence of harm (false-positive testing, unnecessary surgery) and no evidence of benefit. In contrast, the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends pelvic examinations in asymptomatic women beginning at age 21 years, citing expert opinion. We sought to evaluate if providing women with professional societies' conflicting statements about pelvic examinations (recommendations and rationales) would influence their desire for a routine examination. We recruited 452 women ages 21-65 years from 2 women's clinics to participate in a 50-minute face-to-face interview about cervical cancer screening that included a 2-phase study related to pelvic examinations. In the first phase, 262 women were asked about their desire for the examination without being provided information about professional societies' recommendations. In the second phase, 190 women were randomized to review summaries of the American College of Physicians or American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists statement followed by an interview. First-phase participants served as the referent: 79% (208/262) indicated they would want a routine examination if given a choice. In the second phase, a similar percentage of women randomized to the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists summary had this desire (82%: 80/97; adjusted odds ratio, 1.37; 95% confidence interval, 0.69-2.70). Women randomized to the American College of Physicians summary, however, were less likely to indicate they would opt for an examination (39%: 36/93; adjusted odds ratio, 0.12; 95% confidence interval, 0.06-0.21). Overall, 94% (179/190) believed the potential benefits and harms should be discussed prior to the examination. Providing women with a professional society's recommendation advising against routine pelvic examinations substantially reduced their desire to

Assessing the Psychometric Properties of a Scenario-Based Measure of Achievement Guilt and Shame

Science.gov (United States)

Thompson, Ted; Sharp, Jessica; Alexander, James

2008-01-01

In this study, the psychometric properties of the scenario-based Achievement Guilt and Shame Scale (AGSS) were established. The AGSS and scales assessing interpersonal guilt and shame, high standards, overgeneralization, self-criticism, self-esteem, academic self-concept, fear of failure, and tendency to respond in a socially desirable manner were…

The attitudes of mental health professionals towards patients’ desire for children

Science.gov (United States)

2014-01-01

Background When a patient with a serious mental illness expresses a desire for children, mental health professionals are faced with an ethical dilemma. To date, little research has been conducted into their strategies for dealing with these issues. Methods Seven focus groups with a total of 49 participants from all professional groups active in mental health (nurses, psychologists, social workers and psychiatrists) were conducted in a 330-bed psychiatric hospital. Group discussions were transcribed verbatim and analysed by the documentary method described by Bohnsack. Results Mental health professionals did not feel that their patients’ desire for children was as important in daily practice as were parenting issues. When discussing the desire for children on the part of patients, the following themes emerged: “the patient’s own decision”, “neutrality”, “the patient’s well-being”, “issues affecting the children of mentally ill parents” and “appropriate parenthood”. In order to cope with what they perceived as conflicting norms, mental health professionals developed the following (discursive) strategies: "subordination of child welfare", "de-professionalisation", "giving rational advice" and "resignation". Conclusions The theme of “reproductive autonomy” dominated mental health professionals’ discourse on the desire for children among psychiatric patients. “Reproductive autonomy” stood in conflict with another important theme (patient’s children). Treating reproductive issues as taboo is the result of the gap between MHPs’ perceptions of (conflicting) norms when dealing with a patient’s desire for children and the limited opportunities to cope with them appropriately. In order to support both patients with a desire for children and mental health professionals who are charged with providing counselling for such patients, there is a need to encourage ethical reflection and to focus on clinical recommendations in this important

Hypoactive sexual desire disorder: inventing a disease to sell low libido.

Science.gov (United States)

Meixel, Antonie; Yanchar, Elena; Fugh-Berman, Adriane

2015-10-01

Condition branding is a marketing technique in which companies develop conditions concurrently with developing drugs; examples include gastro-oesophageal reflux disease, premenstrual dysphoric disorder, social anxiety disorder, erectile dysfunction and hypoactive sexual desire disorder. Although it is illegal for pharmaceutical companies to market drugs prior to regulatory approval, there are no restrictions on marketing diseases, and industry seeks to establish a disease state in the minds of clinicians years before an expected drug launch. Continuing medical education (CME) courses are an important part of promotion prior to drug approval and have become a key marketing tool for increasing clinician receptivity to new products. We systematically identified 14 free, internet-based, industry-funded, accredited CME modules on hypoactive sexual desire disorder in women which came out before a new drug, flibanserin, was being considered for regulatory approval in the USA. Common themes in these modules included the following: (1) Hypoactive sexual desire disorder is common, underdiagnosed and can have a profound effect on quality of life. (2) Women may not be aware that they are sick or distressed. (3) Simple questionnaires can assist clinicians in diagnosing the disorder. (4) It is problematic that there are medicines available to treat sexual problems for men but not women. In fact, there is no scientifically established norm for sexual activity, feelings or desire, and there is no evidence that hypoactive sexual desire disorder is a medical condition. Hypoactive sexual desire disorder is a typical example of a condition that was sponsored by industry to prepare the market for a specific treatment. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

A University Engagement Model for Achieving Technology Adoption and Performance Improvement Impacts in Healthcare, Manufacturing, and Government

Science.gov (United States)

McKinnis, David R.; Sloan, Mary Anne; Snow, L. David; Garimella, Suresh V.

2014-01-01

The Purdue Technical Assistance Program (TAP) offers a model of university engagement and service that is achieving technology adoption and performance improvement impacts in healthcare, manufacturing, government, and other sectors. The TAP model focuses on understanding and meeting the changing and challenging needs of those served, always…

Differences in sexual guilt and desire in east Asian and Euro-Canadian men.

Science.gov (United States)

Brotto, Lori A; Woo, Jane S T; Gorzalka, Boris B

2012-01-01

Differences in sexual desire between individuals of East Asian and European descent are well-documented, with East Asian individuals reporting lower sexual desire. The mechanisms that underlie this disparity have received little empirical attention. Recent research has found that sex guilt, "a generalized expectancy for self-mediated punishment for violating or for anticipating violating standards of proper sexual conduct" (Mosher & Cross, 1971 , p. 27), mediates the relationship between culture and sexual desire in East Asian and Euro-Canadian women. The goal of this study was to explore this role of sex guilt in men. Male Euro-Canadian (n = 38) and East Asian (n = 45) university students completed online questionnaires. The East Asian men reported significantly lower sexual desire and significantly higher sex guilt. Sex guilt was a significant mediator of the relationship between ethnicity and sexual desire, as well as a significant mediator between mainstream acculturation and sexual desire. Among the East Asian men, mainstream acculturation was significantly and negatively correlated with sex guilt such that increasing mainstream acculturation was associated with less sex guilt. The diagnostic and clinical implications of the findings are discussed.

Tracking the Market Performance of Companies That Integrate a Culture of Health and Safety: An Assessment of Corporate Health Achievement Award Applicants.

Science.gov (United States)

Fabius, Raymond; Loeppke, Ronald R; Hohn, Todd; Fabius, Dan; Eisenberg, Barry; Konicki, Doris L; Larson, Paul

2016-01-01

The aim of this study was to assess the hypothesis that stock market performance of companies achieving high scores on either health or safety in the Corporate Health Achievement Award (CHAA) process will be superior to average index performance. The stock market performance of portfolios of CHAA winners was examined under six different scenarios using simulation and past market performance in tests of association framed to inform the investor community. CHAA portfolios out-performed the S&P average on all tests. This study adds to the growing evidence that a healthy and safe workforce correlates with a company's performance and its ability to provide positive returns to shareholders. It advances the idea that a proven set of health and safety metrics based on the CHAA evaluation process merits inclusion with existing measures for market valuation.

Social desirability response tendencies in psychiatric inpatient children.

Science.gov (United States)

Mabe, P A; Treiber, F A

1989-03-01

This study examined the substantive features of children's social desirability (SD) tendencies that could influence the nature and severity of psychopathology. Examinations of substantive features of SD responding in an inpatient child psychiatry unit (N = 76) suggested that higher scores on the Children's Social Desirability questionnaire were associated strongly with (1) lower mental age; (2) higher scores on self-reported social competence; (3) lower scores on self-reported anger; and (4) lower scores on parent-reported externalization behavioral disturbance. Results were interpreted as suggesting that SD responding for child inpatients may reflect a mixed picture of negative features of cognitive and social immaturity that could affect adversely their ability to judge their own and others' social behavior and of positive features of less external behavioral disturbance and more prosocial attitudes and behaviors.

What's in a Kiss? The Effect of Romantic Kissing on Mate Desirability

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rafael Wlodarski

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Past research suggests that various courtship rituals, such as romantic kissing, may convey useful mate quality information. Two studies were carried out to examine how purported romantic kissing abilities, as a potential cue to some form of mate information, affect appraisals of potential mating partners. In Experiment 1, 724 participants were presented with vignette descriptions of potential mating partners and were asked to rate partner desirability for various mating-related situations. The primary result of this experiment was that purported kissing ability increased mate desirability in “casual sex” mating situations for women to a greater extent than for men. Experiment 2 repeated the same procedure with another 178 participants, this time including visual information alongside vignette descriptions containing kissing-related information to examine the relative effects of these two modalities. It was found that the presence of a picture alongside a descriptive vignette negated the effect of kissing-related information only when rating potential partners on attractiveness or desirability for further courtship, though not when evaluating partners for casual sex or long-term relationship scenarios. Visual information containing “attractive” photos of potential partners was also found to have a greater effect on men's ratings of partner desirability than on women's ratings of partner desirability. The results are discussed in light of romantic kissing's potential function of conveying important mate quality and desirability information, and its relative role in the presence of additional visual mate cues.

Impact of co-channel interference on the performance of adaptive generalized transmit beamforming

KAUST Repository

Radaydeh, Redha Mahmoud Mesleh

2011-08-01

The impact of co-channel interference on the performance of adaptive generalized transmit beamforming for low-complexity multiple-input single-output (MISO) configuration is investigated. The transmit channels are assumed to be sufficiently separated and undergo Rayleigh fading conditions. Due to the limited space, a single receive antenna is employed to capture desired user transmission. The number of active transmit channels is adjusted adaptively based on statistically unordered and/or ordered instantaneous signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs), where the transmitter has no information about the statistics of undesired signals. The adaptation thresholds are identified to guarantee a target performance level, and the adaptation schemes with enhanced spectral efficiency or power efficiency are studied and their performance are compared under various channels conditions. To facilitate comparison studies, results for the statistics of instantaneous combined signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR) are derived, which can be applied for different fading conditions of interfering signals. The statistics for combined SNR and combined SINR are then used to quantify various performance measures, considering the impact of non-ideal estimation of the desired user channel state information (CSI) and the randomness in the number of active interferers. Numerical and simulation comparisons for the achieved performance of the adaptation schemes are presented. © 2006 IEEE.

Relationships between Time-Management Skills, Facebook Interpersonal Skills and Academic Achievement among Junior High School Students

Science.gov (United States)

Tsai, Hsien-Chang; Liu, Shih-Hsiung

2015-01-01

Effective time-management skills and interpersonal interactions with familiar friends for learning matters on Facebook are desired characteristics for adolescents attempting to improve their academic achievements. This study identifies the relationships between time-management skills and Facebook interpersonal skills with the academic achievement…

Realizing a desired family size: when should couples start?

Science.gov (United States)

Habbema, J Dik F; Eijkemans, Marinus J C; Leridon, Henri; te Velde, Egbert R

2015-09-01

Until what age can couples wait to start a family without compromising their chances of realizing the desired number of children? The latest female age at which a couple should start trying to become pregnant strongly depends on the importance attached to achieving a desired family size and on whether or not IVF is an acceptable option in case no natural pregnancy occurs. It is well established that the treatment-independent and treatment-dependent chances of pregnancy decline with female age. However, research on the effect of age has focused on the chance of a first pregnancy and not on realizing more than one child. An established computer simulation model of fertility, updated with recent IVF success rates, was used to simulate a cohort of 10 000 couples in order to assess the chances of realizing a one-, two- or three-child family, for different female ages at which the couple starts trying to conceive. The model uses treatment-independent pregnancy chances and pregnancy chances after IVF/ICSI. In order to focus the discussion, we single out three levels of importance that couples could attach to realizing a desired family size: (i) Very important (equated with aiming for at least a 90% success chance). (ii) Important but not at all costs (equated with a 75% success chance) (iii) Good to have children, but a life without children is also fine (equated with a 50% success chance). In order to have a chance of at least 90% to realize a one-child family, couples should start trying to conceive when the female partner is 35 years of age or younger, in case IVF is an acceptable option. For two children, the latest starting age is 31 years, and for three children 28 years. Without IVF, couples should start no later than age 32 years for a one-child family, at 27 years for a two-child family, and at 23 years for three children. When couples accept 75% or lower chances of family completion, they can start 4-11 years later. The results appeared to be robust for

Hypoactive sexual desire dysfunction in community-dwelling older women.

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Zeleke, Berihun M; Bell, Robin J; Billah, Baki; Davis, Susan R

2017-04-01

To determine the prevalence of hypoactive sexual desire dysfunction (HSDD) and its associated factors in women aged 65 to 79 years. A questionnaire-based, cross-sectional study was conducted amongst community-dwelling older women. Participants were recruited between April and August 2014 from a national database based on electoral rolls. Sexual function and sexual distress were assessed by the Female Sexual Function Index and the Female Sexual Distress Scale-Revised, respectively. HSDD was defined as the presence of both low sexual desire and sexually related personal distress. The mean ± SD age of the 1,548 women was 71 ± 3.4 years and 52.6% were partnered. Among the participants, 88.0% (95% confidence interval [CI], 86.3%-89.6%) had low sexual desire, 15.5% (95% CI, 13.8%-17.4%) had sexually related personal distress, and 13.6% (95% CI, 11.9%-15.4%) had HSDD. The HSDD was more common among partnered than among unpartnered women (23.7% vs 5.9%; P dysfunction (AOR = 1.92; 95% CI, 1.29-2.92), and having moderate-to-severe depressive symptoms (AOR = 4.15; 95% CI, 2.16-7.96) were independently associated with having HSDD. In a subanalysis, HSDD was more common among sexually active than sexually inactive women (31.5% vs 17.3%; P sexually active women had HSDD, as did 22% (95% CI, 11.5%-37.8%) of unpartnered sexually active women. HSDD is common and associated with potentially modifiable risk factors in older women. It should not be assumed that unpartnered older women are sexually inactive or are not distressed by low sexual desire.

Gender Differences in Achievement Goals and Performances in English Language and Mathematics of Senior Secondary Schools Students in Borno State, Nigeria

Science.gov (United States)

Musa, Alice K. J.; Dauda, Bala; Umar, Mohammad A.

2016-01-01

The paper investigated gender difference in achievement goals and performance in English Language and Mathematics of senior secondary schools students in Borno State, Nigeria. The study specifically sought to determine gender differences in students' academic performances in English Language, Mathematics and overall academic performance as well as…

Strategies to optimize lithium-ion supercapacitors achieving high-performance: Cathode configurations, lithium loadings on anode, and types of separator

Science.gov (United States)

Cao, Wanjun; Li, Yangxing; Fitch, Brian; Shih, Jonathan; Doung, Tien; Zheng, Jim

2014-12-01

The Li-ion capacitor (LIC) is composed of a lithium-doped carbon anode and an activated carbon cathode, which is a half Li-ion battery (LIB) and a half electrochemical double-layer capacitor (EDLC). LICs can achieve much more energy density than EDLC without sacrificing the high power performance advantage of capacitors over batteries. LIC pouch cells were assembled using activated carbon (AC) cathode and hard carbon (HC) + stabilized lithium metal power (SLMP®) anode. Different cathode configurations, various SLMP loadings on HC anode, and two types of separators were investigated to achieve the optimal electrochemical performance of the LIC. Firstly, the cathode binders study suggests that the PTFE binder offers improved energy and power performances for LIC in comparison to PVDF. Secondly, the mass ratio of SLMP to HC is at 1:7 to obtain the optimized electrochemical performance for LIC among all the various studied mass ratios between lithium loading amounts and active anode material. Finally, compared to the separator Celgard PP 3501, cellulose based TF40-30 is proven to be a preferred separator for LIC.

Relationship among prospective parents' locus of control, social desirability, and choice of psychoprophylaxis.

Science.gov (United States)

Windwer, C

1977-01-01

This study sought to determine if there is a relationship among locus of control, social desirability, and choice of psychoprophylaxis (PPM). It was hypothesized that internal locus of control and low social desirability would correlate significantly with the choice of PPM by husbands and wives; that externally controlled wives who participated in PPM would have more internally controlled husbands than externally controlled wives who participated in PPM would have more internally controlled husbands than externally controlled wives who did not participate; and that locus of control and social desirability, when taken together, would be better predictors of choice of PPM than either taken separately. Ninety-eight middle-class nulliparous couples, participant and non-participant, were studied in the seventh or eighth month of the wife's pregnancy. Rotter's I-E Scale and the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale were used to measure locus of control and social desirability. Study findings did not support the hypotheses.

Achievement motivation and memory: achievement goals differentially influence immediate and delayed remember-know recognition memory.

Science.gov (United States)

Murayama, Kou; Elliot, Andrew J

2011-10-01

Little research has been conducted on achievement motivation and memory and, more specifically, on achievement goals and memory. In the present research, the authors conducted two experiments designed to examine the influence of mastery-approach and performance-approach goals on immediate and delayed remember-know recognition memory. The experiments revealed differential effects for achievement goals over time: Performance-approach goals showed higher correct remember responding on an immediate recognition test, whereas mastery-approach goals showed higher correct remember responding on a delayed recognition test. Achievement goals had no influence on overall recognition memory and no consistent influence on know responding across experiments. These findings indicate that it is important to consider quality, not just quantity, in both motivation and memory, when studying relations between these constructs.

Achievement goal profiles and developments in effort and achievement in upper elementary school.

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Hornstra, Lisette; Majoor, Marieke; Peetsma, Thea

2017-12-01

The multiple goal perspective posits that certain combinations of achievement goals are more favourable than others in terms of educational outcomes. This study aimed to examine longitudinally whether students' achievement goal profiles and transitions between profiles are associated with developments in self-reported and teacher-rated effort and academic achievement in upper elementary school. Participants were 722 fifth-grade students and their teachers in fifth and sixth grade (N = 68). Students reported on their achievement goals and effort in language and mathematics three times in grade 5 to grade 6. Teachers rated students' general school effort. Achievement scores were obtained from school records. Goal profiles were derived with latent profile and transition analyses. Longitudinal multilevel analyses were conducted. Theoretically favourable goal profiles (high mastery and performance-approach goals, low on performance-avoidance goals), as well as transitions from less to more theoretically favourable goal profiles, were associated with higher levels and more growth in effort for language and mathematics and with stronger language achievement gains. Overall, these results provide support for the multiple goal perspective and show the sustained benefits of favourable goal profiles beyond effects of cognitive ability and background characteristics. © 2017 The Authors. British Journal of Education Psychology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of British Psychological Society.

Probing the implicit suicidal mind: does the Death/Suicide Implicit Association Test reveal a desire to die, or a diminished desire to live?

Science.gov (United States)

Harrison, Dominique P; Stritzke, Werner G K; Fay, Nicolas; Ellison, T Mark; Hudaib, Abdul-Rahman

2014-09-01

Assessment of implicit self-associations with death relative to life, measured by a death/suicide implicit association test (d/s-IAT), has shown promise in the prediction of suicide risk. The current study examined whether the d/s-IAT reflects an individual's desire to die or a diminished desire to live and whether the predictive utility of implicit cognition is mediated by life-oriented beliefs. Four hundred eight undergraduate students (285 female; Mage = 20.36 years, SD = 4.72) participated. Participants completed the d/s-IAT and self-report measures assessing 6 indicators of suicide risk (suicide ideation frequency and intensity, depression, nonsuicidal self-harm thoughts frequency and intensity, and nonsuicidal self-harm attempts), as well as survival and coping beliefs and history of prior suicide attempts. The d/s-IAT significantly predicted 5 out of the 6 indicators of suicide risk above and beyond the strongest traditional indicator of risk, history of prior suicide attempts. However, the effect of the d/s-IAT on each of the risk indicators was mediated by individuals' survival and coping beliefs. Moreover, the distribution of d/s-IAT scores primarily reflected variability in self-associations with life. Implicit suicide-related cognition appears to reflect a gradual diminishing of the desire to live, rather than a desire to die. Contemporary theories of suicide and risk assessment protocols need to account for the dynamic relationship between both risk and life-oriented resilience factors, and intervention strategies aimed at enhancing engagement with life should be a routine part of suicide risk management. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved.

Media Impacts on Women's Fertility Desires: A Prolonged Exposure Experiment.

Science.gov (United States)

Knobloch-Westerwick, Silvia; Willis, Laura E; Kennard, Ashley R

2016-06-01

Media exposure may have implications for family planning, a public health issue of key importance. Drawing on social comparison theory and social identity theory, a prolonged exposure experiment examined whether media portrayals of women's social roles affect fertility desires among 166 American, nonstudent, never married, childless women ages 21-35 years old. After sign-up and baseline sessions, participants viewed magazine pages five days in a row. Stimuli presented women in either mother/homemaker roles, beauty ideal roles, or professional roles. Three days later, participants again indicated their number of desired children and time planned until first birth. Exposure to mother/homemaker and beauty ideal portrayals increased the number of desired children across time. Exposure to professional portrayals increased the time planned until 1st birth compared to beauty ideal portrayals-this impact was partially mediated by a shift toward more progressive gender norms (per social identity theory) and assimilation (per social comparison theory).

Flipping the Identity Coin: The Comparative Effect of Perceived, Projected and Desired Organizational Identity on Organizational Identification and Desired Behavior

NARCIS (Netherlands)

M.N. Elstak (Mirdita)

2007-01-01

textabstractIt is especially during times of uncertainty or change in an organization, that a major concern for organizational management is how to elicit and maintain a high degree of identification and desired behavior from their members. Traditionally, scholars have taken a "bottom-up approach"

Optimal Machining Parameters for Achieving the Desired Surface Roughness in Turning of Steel

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

LB Abhang

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Due to the widespread use of highly automated machine tools in the metal cutting industry, manufacturing requires highly reliable models and methods for the prediction of output performance in the machining process. The prediction of optimal manufacturing conditions for good surface finish and dimensional accuracy plays a very important role in process planning. In the steel turning process the tool geometry and cutting conditions determine the time and cost of production which ultimately affect the quality of the final product. In the present work, experimental investigations have been conducted to determine the effect of the tool geometry (effective tool nose radius and metal cutting conditions (cutting speed, feed rate and depth of cut on surface finish during the turning of EN-31 steel. First and second order mathematical models are developed in terms of machining parameters by using the response surface methodology on the basis of the experimental results. The surface roughness prediction model has been optimized to obtain the surface roughness values by using LINGO solver programs. LINGO is a mathematical modeling language which is used in linear and nonlinear optimization to formulate large problems concisely, solve them, and analyze the solution in engineering sciences, operation research etc. The LINGO solver program is global optimization software. It gives minimum values of surface roughness and their respective optimal conditions.

[Desire for amputation in body integrity identity disorder].

Science.gov (United States)

Blom, Rianne M; Hennekam, Raoul C M

2014-01-01

Body integrity identity disorder (BIID) is a rare neuropsychiatric disorder in which patients experience a mismatch between the real and experienced body from childhood. BIID results in a strong desire to amputate or paralyse one or more limbs. We describe two BIID patients. A 40-year-old healthy male suffered daily from his desire for amputation, and therefore made a request for amputation at our academic medical centre. A 61-year-old male proceeded to self-amputation to create the body he had wished for, thereby curing himself from BIID. To date, no treatment has been found for BIID. Therefore patients often proceed to self-amputation, which could lead to serious and even dangerous complications. These case histories suggest that elective amputation may be a treatment for BIID. Many doctors, however, will question the admissibility of amputation of a healthy limb.

Distributed control software of high-performance control-loop algorithm

CERN Document Server

Blanc, D

1999-01-01

The majority of industrial cooling and ventilation plants require the control of complex processes. All these processes are highly important for the operation of the machines. The stability and reliability of these processes are leading factors identifying the quality of the service provided. The control system architecture and software structure, as well, are required to have high dynamical performance and robust behaviour. The intelligent systems based on PID or RST controllers are used for their high level of stability and accuracy. The design and tuning of these complex controllers require the dynamic model of the plant to be known (generally obtained by identification) and the desired performance of the various control loops to be specified for achieving good performances. The concept of having a distributed control algorithm software provides full automation facilities with well-adapted functionality and good performances, giving methodology, means and tools to master the dynamic process optimization an...

Development of Mix Design Method in Efforts to Increase Concrete Performance Using Portland Pozzolana Cement (PPC)

Science.gov (United States)

Krisnamurti; Soehardjono, A.; Zacoeb, A.; Wibowo, A.

2018-01-01

Earthquake disaster can cause infrastructure damage. Prevention of human casualties from disasters should do. Prevention efforts can do through improving the mechanical performance of building materials. To achieve high-performance concrete (HPC), usually used Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC). However, the most widely circulating cement types today are Portland Pozzolana Cement (PPC) or Portland Composite Cement (PCC). Therefore, the proportion of materials used in the HPC mix design needs to adjust to achieve the expected performance. This study aims to develop a concrete mix design method using PPC to fulfil the criteria of HPC. The study refers to the code/regulation of concrete mixtures that use OPC based on the results of laboratory testing. This research uses PPC material, gravel from Malang area, Lumajang sand, water, silica fume and superplasticizer of a polycarboxylate copolymer. The analyzed information includes the investigation results of aggregate properties, concrete mixed composition, water-binder ratio variation, specimen dimension, compressive strength and elasticity modulus of the specimen. The test results show that the concrete compressive strength achieves value between 25 MPa to 55 MPa. The mix design method that has developed can simplify the process of concrete mix design using PPC to achieve the certain desired performance of concrete.

Patterns of Asexuality in China: Sexual Activity, Sexual and Romantic Attraction, and Sexual Desire.

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Lijun; Su, Yanchen

2018-05-01

This study examined patterns of asexuality in Chinese asexual people in terms of sexual activities, sexual/romantic attraction, and sexual desire. The sample included 227 (64 men and 163 women) asexual participants and 57 (26 men and 31 women) uncertain asexual participants recruited from social networks for asexual people. The control group included 217 (115 men and 102 women) heterosexual participants recruited from general social networks. Participants scoring 40 or higher on the Asexuality Identification Scale were classified as asexual. Asexual participants reported having less frequent masturbation, sexual intercourse experience, and sexual and romantic attraction compared to heterosexual participants. Lower sexual attraction among asexuals indicated that "people who experience little or no sexual attraction" would be a more appropriate definition of asexuality. The pattern of uncertain asexual participants' sexual/romantic attraction and sexual desire was intermediate between heterosexual and asexual participants. Asexual participants scored significantly lower on dyadic sexual desire and slightly lower on solitary sexual desire than heterosexual participants. There were significant differences in sexual activities and solitary sexual desire among romantic orientation categories. Homoromantic participants showed higher dyadic sexual desire and were more likely to engage in masturbation, indicating the heterogeneity among asexual people. The findings indicated that Chinese asexual people showed similar patterns of asexuality as in Western nations. Specifically, asexual people have little or no sexual attraction, non-partner-orientated sexual desire, and are heterogeneous in sexual activities and sexual desire. This implies similar mechanisms underlying the etiology of asexuality across cultures.

Two novel combined drug treatments for women with hypoactive sexual desire disorder

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Poels, Saskia; Bloemers, Jos; van Rooij, Kim; Koppeschaar, Hans; Olivier, Berend|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/073067199; Tuiten, Adriaan

Low sexual desire is the most common sexual complaint in women. As a result, many women suffer from sexual dissatisfaction which often negatively interferes with their quality of life. These complaints have been classified as the condition Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder (HSDD), and have recently

Filtering of Discrete-Time Switched Neural Networks Ensuring Exponential Dissipative and $l_{2}$ - $l_{\\infty }$ Performances.

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Hyun Duck; Ahn, Choon Ki; Karimi, Hamid Reza; Lim, Myo Taeg

2017-10-01

This paper studies delay-dependent exponential dissipative and l 2 - l ∞ filtering problems for discrete-time switched neural networks (DSNNs) including time-delayed states. By introducing a novel discrete-time inequality, which is a discrete-time version of the continuous-time Wirtinger-type inequality, we establish new sets of linear matrix inequality (LMI) criteria such that discrete-time filtering error systems are exponentially stable with guaranteed performances in the exponential dissipative and l 2 - l ∞ senses. The design of the desired exponential dissipative and l 2 - l ∞ filters for DSNNs can be achieved by solving the proposed sets of LMI conditions. Via numerical simulation results, we show the validity of the desired discrete-time filter design approach.

Conception of PIPERADE: A high-capacity Penning-trap mass separator for high isobaric contamination at DESIR

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Minaya Ramirez, E., E-mail: minaya@ipno.in2p3.fr [Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik, 69117 Heidelberg (Germany); Alfaurt, P.; Aouadi, M.; Ascher, P.; Blank, B. [Centre d’Etudes Nucléaires de Bordeaux-Gradignan (France); Blaum, K. [Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik, 69117 Heidelberg (Germany); Cam, J.-F. [Laboratoire de Physique Corpusculaire, Caen (France); Chauveau, P. [Grand Accélérateur National d’Ions Lourds CEA/DSM-CNRS-IN2P3, Caen (France); Daudin, L. [Centre d’Etudes Nucléaires de Bordeaux-Gradignan (France); Delahaye, P. [Grand Accélérateur National d’Ions Lourds CEA/DSM-CNRS-IN2P3, Caen (France); Delalee, F. [Centre d’Etudes Nucléaires de Bordeaux-Gradignan (France); Dupré, P. [Centre de Sciences Nucléaires et de Sciences de la Matière, Orsay (France); El Abbeir, S.; Gerbaux, M.; Grévy, S.; Guérin, H. [Centre d’Etudes Nucléaires de Bordeaux-Gradignan (France); Lunney, D. [Centre de Sciences Nucléaires et de Sciences de la Matière, Orsay (France); Metz, F. [Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik, 69117 Heidelberg (Germany); Naimi, S. [Riken, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198 (Japan); Perrot, L. [Institut de Physique Nucléaire, Orsay (France); and others

2016-06-01

The DESIR (decay, excitation and storage of radioactive ions) facility at GANIL-SPIRAL2 will receive a large variety of exotic nuclei at low energy (up to 60 keV) with high intensities. However, the production methods of radioactive beams are non selective, limiting the purity of the beams of interest. Moreover, the high precision needed for nuclear structure and astrophysics studies using beta decay spectroscopy, laser spectroscopy and trap-based experiments at DESIR requires highly pure samples of exotic nuclei. The aim of the double-Pennig-trap mass separator PIPERADE is to deliver large and very pure samples of exotic nuclei to the different experiments in DESIR. New excitation schemes and a large inner diameter of the first trap will mitigate space charge effects to attempt trapping of up to 10{sup 5} ions per pulse. The purification cycle will be performed in a few milliseconds so that short-lived nuclei can be purified. To extract the nuclides of interest from the large amount of isobaric contaminants, a resolving power of 10{sup 5} is mandatory. Afterwards the ions of interest will be accumulated in the second trap until they constitute a sufficiently pure sample for the measurements. The status of the project is presented.

Resolving Conflicts between Beliefs, Obligations, Intentions, and Desires

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Broersen, J.M.; Dastani, M.M.; Torre, L. van der

2001-01-01

This paper provides a logical analysis of conflicts between informational, motivational and deliberative attitudes such as beliefs, obligations, intentions, and desires. The contributions are twofold. First, conflict resolutions are classi ed based on agent types, and formalized in an extension

Brain activity and desire for internet video game play

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Doug Hyun; Bolo, Nicolas; Daniels, Melissa A.; Arenella, Lynn; Lyoo, In Kyoon; Renshaw, Perry F.

2010-01-01

Objective Recent studies have suggested that the brain circuitry mediating cue induced desire for video games is similar to that elicited by cues related to drugs and alcohol. We hypothesized that desire for internet video games during cue presentation would activate similar brain regions to those which have been linked with craving for drugs or pathological gambling. Methods This study involved the acquisition of diagnostic MRI and fMRI data from 19 healthy male adults (ages 18–23 years) following training and a standardized 10-day period of game play with a specified novel internet video game, “War Rock” (K-network®). Using segments of videotape consisting of five contiguous 90-second segments of alternating resting, matched control and video game-related scenes, desire to play the game was assessed using a seven point visual analogue scale before and after presentation of the videotape. Results In responding to internet video game stimuli, compared to neutral control stimuli, significantly greater activity was identified in left inferior frontal gyrus, left parahippocampal gyrus, right and left parietal lobe, right and left thalamus, and right cerebellum (FDR video game (MIGP) cohort showed significantly greater activity in right medial frontal lobe, right and left frontal pre-central gyrus, right parietal post-central gyrus, right parahippocampal gyrus, and left parietal precuneus gyrus. Controlling for total game time, reported desire for the internet video game in the MIGP cohort was positively correlated with activation in right medial frontal lobe and right parahippocampal gyrus. Discussion The present findings suggest that cue-induced activation to internet video game stimuli may be similar to that observed during cue presentation in persons with substance dependence or pathological gambling. In particular, cues appear to commonly elicit activity in the dorsolateral prefrontal, orbitofrontal cortex, parahippocampal gyrus, and thalamus. PMID:21220070

Brain activity and desire for Internet video game play.

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Doug Hyun; Bolo, Nicolas; Daniels, Melissa A; Arenella, Lynn; Lyoo, In Kyoon; Renshaw, Perry F

2011-01-01

Recent studies have suggested that the brain circuitry mediating cue-induced desire for video games is similar to that elicited by cues related to drugs and alcohol. We hypothesized that desire for Internet video games during cue presentation would activate similar brain regions to those that have been linked with craving for drugs or pathologic gambling. This study involved the acquisition of diagnostic magnetic resonance imaging and functional magnetic resonance imaging data from 19 healthy male adults (age, 18-23 years) following training and a standardized 10-day period of game play with a specified novel Internet video game, "War Rock" (K2 Network, Irvine, CA). Using segments of videotape consisting of 5 contiguous 90-second segments of alternating resting, matched control, and video game-related scenes, desire to play the game was assessed using a 7-point visual analogue scale before and after presentation of the videotape. In responding to Internet video game stimuli, compared with neutral control stimuli, significantly greater activity was identified in left inferior frontal gyrus, left parahippocampal gyrus, right and left parietal lobe, right and left thalamus, and right cerebellum (false discovery rate Internet video game showed significantly greater activity in right medial frontal lobe, right and left frontal precentral gyrus, right parietal postcentral gyrus, right parahippocampal gyrus, and left parietal precuneus gyrus. Controlling for total game time, reported desire for the Internet video game in the subjects who played more Internet video game was positively correlated with activation in right medial frontal lobe and right parahippocampal gyrus. The present findings suggest that cue-induced activation to Internet video game stimuli may be similar to that observed during cue presentation in persons with substance dependence or pathologic gambling. In particular, cues appear to commonly elicit activity in the dorsolateral prefrontal, orbitofrontal

Effects of Humor Production, Humor Receptivity, and Physical Attractiveness on Partner Desirability

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michelle Tornquist

2015-10-01

Full Text Available This study examined women’s and men’s preferences for humor production and humor receptivity in long-term and short-term relationships, and how these factors interact with physical attractiveness to influence desirability. Undergraduates viewed photographs of the opposite sex individuals who were high or low in physical attractiveness, along with vignettes varying in humor production and receptivity. Participants rated physical attractiveness and desirability for long-term and short-term relationships. The main findings were that individuals desired partners who were high in humor production and receptivity, though the effects were particularly pronounced for women judging long-term relationships. Moreover, humor production was more important than receptivity for women’s ratings of male desirability. Notably, we also found that ratings of physical attractiveness were influenced by the humor conditions. These results are discussed in terms of the fitness indicator, interest indicator, and encryption hypotheses of the evolutionary functions of humor.

Rational Inference of Beliefs and Desires From Emotional Expressions.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Yang; Baker, Chris L; Tenenbaum, Joshua B; Schulz, Laura E

2018-04-01

We investigated people's ability to infer others' mental states from their emotional reactions, manipulating whether agents wanted, expected, and caused an outcome. Participants recovered agents' desires throughout. When the agent observed, but did not cause the outcome, participants' ability to recover the agent's beliefs depended on the evidence they got (i.e., her reaction only to the actual outcome or to both the expected and actual outcomes; Experiments 1 and 2). When the agent caused the event, participants' judgments also depended on the probability of the action (Experiments 3 and 4); when actions were improbable given the mental states, people failed to recover the agent's beliefs even when they saw her react to both the anticipated and actual outcomes. A Bayesian model captured human performance throughout (rs ≥ .95), consistent with the proposal that people rationally integrate information about others' actions and emotional reactions to infer their unobservable mental states. Copyright © 2017 Cognitive Science Society, Inc.

Neutronics performances study of silicon carbide as an inert matrix to achieve very high burn-up for light water reactor fuels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chabert, C.; Coulon-Picard, E.; Pelletier, M.

2007-01-01

In order to extend the actual limits of light water reactors, the Cea has put emphasis on the exploration of major fuel innovations that would allow us to increase the competitiveness, the safety and flexibility, while keeping the standard PWR environment. Different fuel concepts have been chosen and are actually studied to evaluate their advantages and drawbacks. The objectives of these new fuels are to increase the safety performances and to achieve a very high burn-up. One concept is a CERCER fuel with silicon carbide (SiC) as an inert matrix devoted to reduce the fuel temperature at nominal conditions. Besides the investigation of the neutronic performance, analyses on the thermomechanical performances, the fuel fabrication, the fuel reprocessing and economic aspects have been performed. This paper presents particularly neutronic results obtained for the CERCER fuel. The results show that a very high burn-up, a high safety performance and a better competitiveness cannot be achieved with this fuel concept. (authors)

Development of a Generic Performance Measurement Model in an Emergency Department

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sørup, Christian Michel; Lundager Forberg, Jakob

, and the use of triage. All of the mentioned initiatives are new and not well validated to date. It would be desirable to enable measurement of each of the initiative’s effects. The goal of this PhD project was to develop a performance measurement model for EDs. The new model comprises only the most important...... performance measures that provide an estimate for overall ED performance levels. Furthermore, a thorough analysis of the interdependencies between the included performance measures was conducted in order to gain deeper knowledge of the ED as a system. The model enables monitoring of how well the ED performs...... over time, including how performance is impacted by the various initiatives. In the end, the developed model will be an important management tool to meet the management’s vision of providing the best possible care for the acute patient meanwhile achieving the highest possible utilisation of resources....

Performance Evaluation of Sadoghi Hospital Based on «EFQM» Organizational Excellence Model

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A Sanayeei

2013-04-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Realm of health care that organizations have faced in recent years has been described with high level of dynamism and development. To survive in such conditions, performance evaluation can have an effective role in satisfying proper quality for services. This study aimed to evaluate the performance of Shahid Sadoghi Yazd hospital through EFQM approach. Methods: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study. Data collection instrument was EFQM organization Excellence Model questionnaire which was completed by all the managers. The research data was gathered from a sample of 302 patients, staff, personnel and medical staff working in different parts of the hospital. Random stratified samples were selected and descriptive statistics were utilized in order to analyze the data. Results: The results revealed that Shahid Sadoughi hospital acquired 185.41 points out of the total 500 points considered in the model EFQM. In other words, the rating reflects the fact that regarding the defined desired position, the hospital has not achieved the desired rating. Conclusion: Since the hospital performance is posited in a low-middle class, much more attention is required in regard to therapeutic management in this hospital. Therefore, codifying an efficient and effective program to improve the hospital performance is necessary. Furthermore, it seems that EFQM model can be considered as a comprehensive model for performance evaluation in hospitals.

Achieving a Launch on Demand Capability

Science.gov (United States)

Greenberg, Joel S.

2002-01-01

The ability to place payloads [satellites] into orbit as and when required, often referred to as launch on demand, continues to be an elusive and yet largely unfulfilled goal. But what is the value of achieving launch on demand [LOD], and what metrics are appropriate? Achievement of a desired level of LOD capability must consider transportation system thruput, alternative transportation systems that comprise the transportation architecture, transportation demand, reliability and failure recovery characteristics of the alternatives, schedule guarantees, launch delays, payload integration schedules, procurement policies, and other factors. Measures of LOD capability should relate to the objective of the transportation architecture: the placement of payloads into orbit as and when required. Launch on demand capability must be defined in probabilistic terms such as the probability of not incurring a delay in excess of T when it is determined that it is necessary to place a payload into orbit. Three specific aspects of launch on demand are considered: [1] the ability to recover from adversity [i.e., a launch failure] and to keep up with the steady-state demand for placing satellites into orbit [this has been referred to as operability and resiliency], [2] the ability to respond to the requirement to launch a satellite when the need arises unexpectedly either because of an unexpected [random] on-orbit satellite failure that requires replacement or because of the sudden recognition of an unanticipated requirement, and [3] the ability to recover from adversity [i.e., a launch failure] during the placement of a constellation into orbit. The objective of this paper is to outline a formal approach for analyzing alternative transportation architectures in terms of their ability to provide a LOD capability. The economic aspect of LOD is developed by establishing a relationship between scheduling and the elimination of on-orbit spares while achieving the desired level of on

The Desired Image of the Future Economy of the Industrial Region: Development Trends and Evaluation Methodology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Olga Aleksandrovna Romanova

2017-09-01

Full Text Available In the article, the authors emphasize that industrial regions play an important role in the increasing of technological independence of Russia. We show that the decline in the share of processing industries in the gross regional product can not be treated as a negative de-industrialization of the economy. The article proves that the increase in the speed of changements, instability of socio-economic systems, the diverse risks predetermine the need to develop new methodological approaches to predictive research. The studies aimed at developing a technology for the design of the desired image of the future and the methodology for its evaluation are of high importance. For the initial stage of the research, the authors propose the methodological approach for assessing the desired image of the future of metallurgy as one of the most important industry of the region. We propose the term of «technological image of the regional metallurgy». We show that repositioning the image of the regional metallurgical complex is quite a long process. This have determined the need to define the stages of repositioning. The proposed methodology of the evaluation of desired future includes the methodological provisions to quantify the characteristics of goals achieved at the respective stages of the repositioning of the metallurgy. The methodological approach to the design of the desired image of the future implies the following stages: the identification of the priority areas of the technological development of regional metallurgy on the basis of bibliometric and patent analysis; the evaluation of dynamics of the development of the structure of metal products domestic consumption based on comparative analysis and relevant analytical methods as well as its forecasting; the design of the factor model, allowing to identify the parameters quantifying the technological image of the regional metallurgy based on the principal components method,; systematization of

Racial and Social Class Differences in How Parents Respond to Inadequate Achievement: Consequences for Children's Future Achievement.

Science.gov (United States)

Robinson, Keith; Harris, Angel L

2013-12-01

Despite numerous studies on parental involvement in children's academic schooling, there is a dearth of knowledge on how parents respond specifically to inadequate academic performance. This study examines whether 1) racial differences exist in parenting philosophy for addressing inadequate achievement, 2) social class has implications for parenting philosophy, and 3) parents' philosophies are consequential for children's academic achievement. Using data from the Child Development Supplement (N=1041) to the Panel Study of Income Dynamics, we sort parents into two categories-those whose parenting repertoires for addressing poor achievement include punitive responses and those whose repertoires do not. We then determine whether racial differences exist between these categories and how various responses within the aforementioned categories are related to students' academic achievement. The findings show that white and black parents have markedly different philosophies on how to respond to inadequate performance, and these differences appear to impact children's achievement in dramatically different ways. Educators and policy makers should pay particular attention to how parents respond to inadequate achievement as imploring parents of inadequately performing students to be more involved without providing them with some guidance might exacerbate the problem.

Sexual life and fertility desire in long-term HIV serodiscordant couples in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: a grounded theory study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hailemariam Tewodros G

2012-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Even though remarkable progress has been achieved, HIV/AIDS continues to be a major global health priority. HIV discordant relationship is one of the emerging issues in HIV prevention endeavour. In Ethiopia, very little is known about HIV-serodiscordant couples particularly how they manage their sexual relationship and fertility desire. Therefore, we conduct this study with the aim of exploring the experiences of HIV discordant couples about their sexual life, and fertility desire in the context of long-term relationships in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Methods A grounded theory approach was employed using in-depth interviews among 36 informants in ART/PMTCT centers of three public hospitals, a health center and one PLHIV association in Addis Ababa. Theoretical sampling was used to recruit 28 clients who lived in a discordant relationship and eight health care providers as key informants. Data collection and analysis were undertaken simultaneously using a constant comparison. The analysis was facilitated using OpenCode software. Results A grounded theory pertaining to sexual life and desire to have a child among HIV discordant couples emerged as “maintaining the relationship” as a core category. Couples pass through a social process of struggle to maintain their relationship. The causal conditions for couples to enter into the process of struggle to maintain their relationship were collectively categorized as “Entering in-to a transition” (knowing HIV serostatus and this includes mismatch of desire to have a child, controversy on safe sex versus desire to have a child, and undeniable change in sexual desire and practice through time were the features in entering into-transition. Then after the transition, couples engaged in certain actions/strategies that are categorized as “dealing with discordancy” such as entertaining partner’s interest by scarifying once self interest to maintain their relationship. Conclusions

Revolutionary and Christian Ecumenes and Desire for Modernity in the Vietnamese Highlands

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Salemink, Oscar

2015-01-01

Inspired by a critical reading of James Scott's The Art of Not Being Governed (2009) which argued that Highlanders in Southeast Asia have intentionally evaded ‘state capture and state formations’, I offer a contrasting vision of Highlander motivations and desires from the Central Highlands...... in scholarship but in such phrases as ‘remote and backward areas’. For postcolonial Vietnam, I show that Highlanders were often motivated by the desire to become modern, and enacted such desires by joining ecumenes that embody modern universals, in particular revolutionary and Christian ecumenes, exemplifying...... oppositional pathways to modernity that contrast with those offered by authors Tania Li and Holly High....

A study on Irrational Beliefs and Emotions Associated with the Sexual Desire of Infertile Women

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N Honarparvaran

2013-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background & aim: The main aim of this study was to determine the irrational beliefs and emotions associated with the sexual desire of infertile women in Shiraz. Methods: one hundred infertile women were selected by simple random method and examined with Tangi’s test of self conscious affect, Jonse’s irrational beliefs, and Hulbert’s index sexual desire. Regression analysis was used to test the hypotheses. Results: Results showed that there was a linear relation between irrational beliefs and self conscious affect with rate of sexual desire and irrational beliefs had reversal impact on sexual desire. Two subscale perfectionism and high self had reversal affect on sexual desire in infertile women. Conclusions: This study showed that infertility threatens women’s mental health. Key words: Self Conscious Affect, Irrational Believes, Sexual Desire, Infertility Women

Extending Antecedents of Achievement Goals: The Double-Edged Sword Effect of Social-Oriented Achievement Motive and Gender Differences

Science.gov (United States)

Nie, Youyan; Liem, Gregory Arief D.

2013-01-01

Underpinned by the hierarchical model of approach and avoidance motivation, the study examined the differential relations of individual-oriented and social-oriented achievement motives to approach and avoidance achievement goals (mastery-approach, performance-approach, mastery-avoidance, performance-avoidance). A total of 570 Chinese high school…

Controlling Initial and Final Radii to Achieve a Low-Complexity Sphere Decoding Technique in MIMO Channels

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Fatemeh Eshagh Hosseini

2012-01-01

Full Text Available In order to apply sphere decoding algorithm in multiple-input multiple-output communication systems and to make it feasible for real-time applications, its computational complexity should be decreased. To achieve this goal, this paper provides some useful insights into the effect of initial and the final sphere radii and estimating them effortlessly. It also discusses practical ways of initiating the algorithm properly and terminating it before the normal end of the process as well as the cost of these methods. Besides, a novel algorithm is introduced which utilizes the presented techniques according to a threshold factor which is defined in terms of the number of transmit antennas and the noise variance. Simulation results show that the proposed algorithm offers a desirable performance and reasonable complexity satisfying practical constraints.

Anger and Desire for Retribution among Bereaved Parents.

Science.gov (United States)

Drenovsky, Cynthia K.

1994-01-01

Logit results show suddenness of death contributes to likelihood parent will feel anger while anticipatory socialization to death or recency of death decreases odds of feeling anger toward child. All variables decrease likelihood parents will feel desire to punish someone for death of child. (BF)

Desired machines: cinema and the world in its own image.

Science.gov (United States)

Canales, Jimena

2011-09-01

In 1895 when the Lumière brothers unveiled their cinematographic camera, many scientists were elated. Scientists hoped that the machine would fulfill a desire that had driven research for nearly half a century: that of capturing the world in its own image. But their elation was surprisingly short-lived, and many researchers quickly distanced themselves from the new medium. The cinematographic camera was soon split into two machines, one for recording and one for projecting, enabling it to further escape from the laboratory. The philosopher Henri Bergson joined scientists, such as Etienne-Jules Marey, who found problems with the new cinematographic order. Those who had worked to make the dream come true found that their efforts had been subverted. This essay focuses on the desire to build a cinematographic camera, with the purpose of elucidating how dreams and reality mix in the development of science and technology. It is about desired machines and their often unexpected results. The interplay between what "is" (the technical), what "ought" (the ethical), and what "could" be (the fantastical) drives scientific research.

Performance Improvement in 503A Compounding Pharmacies: A PLAN FOR ASSESSMENT, IMPLEMENTATION, AND SUSTAINED SUCCESS.

Science.gov (United States)

Pritchett, Jon; Mixon, William; O'Connell, Kevin

2016-01-01

Performance improvement is the continual effort to objectively assess current performance and then restructure the practices that support it to more closely achieve desired performance. A plan for performance improvement, unlike other approaches to correcting problems in job fulfillment, is a systematic method used to first find the root causes of areas of concern and then apply corrections to remedy those deficits. Implementing a performance improvement plan that can be easily adapted to ensure compliance with evolving and increasingly complex state and federal regulations is crucial to a successful compounding practice. In this article, we discuss the need for performance improvement in 503A compounding pharmacies, list the steps necessary to develop such a plan, and present three case reports of performance improvement plans in differing compounding settings.

Experimental study of performance of a dry cooling and dedicated ventilation (DCDV) system under different space cooling load conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jia, Jie; Lee, W.L.; Chen, Hua

2013-01-01

Highlights: • This is an experimental study of the use of DCDV system for achieving the decoupling and energy saving objectives. • The study focuses on side-by-side comparison of the DCDV and conventional systems. • DCDV system can better achieve the desired space air conditions and is more energy efficient. • A prediction model has been developed to relate the possible condensation period with different operating parameters. • The results are useful for wider application of DCDV system. - Abstract: The use of DCDV system for decoupling dehumidification from cooling to achieve energy saving objective for air-conditioning of office environments in Hong Kong was confirmed effective based on simulation studies by the authors. However, given that simulation typically assumes a perfect control and feedback system, whether or not the benefits of DCDV system can be realized in practice, in particular under various space part load ratio (PLR) and sensible heat ratio (SHR) conditions, is subject to experimental verifications. In this study, a prototype which could be switched between the proposed DCDV system mode and the conventional system mode was constructed in a test facility for laboratory experiments. Through two sets of identical experiments under various space cooling load conditions, it was found that if compared to the conventional system, DCDV system could perform slightly better in achieving the desired indoor condition and in reducing the moisture-related air quality problems, but would result in 1–3% higher in cooling output. As for the overall coefficient of performance (COP o ), the DCDV system was found performed better by 5.6–7.2%. Additional experimental analysis was conducted for the development of a prediction model to relate the possible condensation period (ψ) on the DC coil with different operating parameters

Social desirability and self-reported health risk behaviors in web-based research: three longitudinal studies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Göritz Anja S

2010-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background These studies sought to investigate the relation between social desirability and self-reported health risk behaviors (e.g., alcohol use, drug use, smoking in web-based research. Methods Three longitudinal studies (Study 1: N = 5612, 51% women; Study 2: N = 619, 60%; Study 3: N = 846, 59% among randomly selected members of two online panels (Dutch; German using several social desirability measures (Marlowe-Crowne Scale; Balanced Inventory of Desirable Responding; The Social Desirability Scale-17 were conducted. Results Social desirability was not associated with self-reported current behavior or behavior frequency. Socio-demographics (age; sex; education did not moderate the effect of social desirability on self-reported measures regarding health risk behaviors. Conclusions The studies at hand provided no convincing evidence to throw doubt on the usefulness of the Internet as a medium to collect self-reports on health risk behaviors.

Prioritization in medical school simulation curriculum development using survey tools and desirability function: a pilot experiment.

Science.gov (United States)

Ingrassia, Pier Luigi; Barozza, Ludovico Giovanni; Franc, Jeffrey Michael

2018-01-01

In Italy, there is no framework of procedural skills that all medical students should be able to perform autonomously at graduation. The study aims at identifying (1) a set of essential procedural skills and (2) which abilities could be potentially taught with simulation. Desirability score was calculated for each procedure to determine the most effective manner to proceed with simulation curriculum development. A web poll was conducted at the School of Medicine in Novara, looking at the level of expected and self-perceived competency for common medical procedures. Three groups were enrolled: (1) faculty, (2) junior doctors in their first years of practice, and (3) recently graduated medical students. Level of importance of procedural skills for independent practice expressed by teachers, level of mastery self-perceived by learners (students and junior doctors) and suitability of simulation training for the given technical skills were measured. Desirability function was used to set priorities for future learning. The overall mean expected level of competency for the procedural skills was 7.9/9. Mean level of self reported competency was 4.7/9 for junior doctors and 4.4/9 for recently graduated students. The highest priority skills according to the desirability function were urinary catheter placement, nasogastric tube insertion, and incision and drainage of superficial abscesses. This study identifies those technical competencies thought by faculty to be important and assessed the junior doctors and recent graduates level of self-perceived confidence in performing these skills. The study also identifies the perceived utility of teaching these skills by simulation. The study prioritizes those skills that have a gap between expected and observed competency and are also thought to be amenable to teaching by simulation. This allows immediate priorities for simulation curriculum development in the most effective manner. This methodology may be useful to researchers in

Achieving Performance Speed-up in FPGA Based Bit-Parallel Multipliers using Embedded Primitive and Macro support

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Burhan Khurshid

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Modern Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA are fast moving into the consumer market and their domain has expanded from prototype designing to low and medium volume productions. FPGAs are proving to be an attractive replacement for Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASIC primarily because of the low Non-recurring Engineering (NRE costs associated with FPGA platforms. This has prompted FPGA vendors to improve the capacity and flexibility of the underlying primitive fabric and include specialized macro support and intellectual property (IP cores in their offerings. However, most of the work related to FPGA implementations does not take full advantage of these offerings. This is primarily because designers rely mainly on the technology-independent optimization to enhance the performance of the system and completely neglect the speed-up that is achievable using these embedded primitives and macro support. In this paper, we consider the technology-dependent optimization of fixed-point bit-parallel multipliers by carrying out their implementations using embedded primitives and macro support that are inherent in modern day FPGAs. Our implementation targets three different FPGA families viz. Spartan-6, Virtex-4 and Virtex-5. The implementation results indicate that a considerable speed up in performance is achievable using these embedded FPGA resources.

Optimizing a desirable fare structure for a bus-subway corridor.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Bing-Zheng; Ge, Ying-En; Cao, Kai; Jiang, Xi; Meng, Lingyun; Liu, Ding; Gao, Yunfeng

2017-01-01

This paper aims to optimize a desirable fare structure for the public transit service along a bus-subway corridor with the consideration of those factors related to equity in trip, including travel distance and comfort level. The travel distance factor is represented by the distance-based fare strategy, which is an existing differential strategy. The comfort level one is considered in the area-based fare strategy which is a new differential strategy defined in this paper. Both factors are referred to by the combined fare strategy which is composed of distance-based and area-based fare strategies. The flat fare strategy is applied to determine a reference level of social welfare and obtain the general passenger flow along transit lines, which is used to divide areas or zones along the corridor. This problem is formulated as a bi-level program, of which the upper level maximizes the social welfare and the lower level capturing traveler choice behavior is a variable-demand stochastic user equilibrium assignment model. A genetic algorithm is applied to solve the bi-level program while the method of successive averages is adopted to solve the lower-level model. A series of numerical experiments are carried out to illustrate the performance of the models and solution methods. Numerical results indicate that all three differential fare strategies play a better role in enhancing the social welfare than the flat fare strategy and that the fare structure under the combined fare strategy generates the highest social welfare and the largest resulting passenger demand, which implies that the more equity factors a differential fare strategy involves the more desirable fare structure the strategy has.

Optimizing a desirable fare structure for a bus-subway corridor

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Bing-Zheng; Ge, Ying-En; Cao, Kai; Jiang, Xi; Meng, Lingyun; Liu, Ding; Gao, Yunfeng

2017-01-01

This paper aims to optimize a desirable fare structure for the public transit service along a bus-subway corridor with the consideration of those factors related to equity in trip, including travel distance and comfort level. The travel distance factor is represented by the distance-based fare strategy, which is an existing differential strategy. The comfort level one is considered in the area-based fare strategy which is a new differential strategy defined in this paper. Both factors are referred to by the combined fare strategy which is composed of distance-based and area-based fare strategies. The flat fare strategy is applied to determine a reference level of social welfare and obtain the general passenger flow along transit lines, which is used to divide areas or zones along the corridor. This problem is formulated as a bi-level program, of which the upper level maximizes the social welfare and the lower level capturing traveler choice behavior is a variable-demand stochastic user equilibrium assignment model. A genetic algorithm is applied to solve the bi-level program while the method of successive averages is adopted to solve the lower-level model. A series of numerical experiments are carried out to illustrate the performance of the models and solution methods. Numerical results indicate that all three differential fare strategies play a better role in enhancing the social welfare than the flat fare strategy and that the fare structure under the combined fare strategy generates the highest social welfare and the largest resulting passenger demand, which implies that the more equity factors a differential fare strategy involves the more desirable fare structure the strategy has. PMID:28981508

[Parenting facts and desires in relation to sexual orientation and gender identity].

Science.gov (United States)

Kleinert, Evelyn; Riekena, Boris; Stöbel-Richter, Yve

2012-08-01

Homosexual parents as well as gay and lesbian individuals wanting children are increasingly a topic of public discourse. To estimate the importance of parenting for this group, 1 289 non-heterosexual individuals were examined by means of an anonymous online survey. Their answers were compared to 1 022 heterosexual participants of a representative control group. The respondents were questioned concerning their motives for desiring children, the external factors influencing this desire and their ideal number of children. 80% of the non-heterosexual respondents and 49% of the control group indicated that they have no children. In both groups emotional motives were reported to have far greater influence on their parenting desire than social recognition or personal and financial constraints. 85% of the non-heterosexual respondents and 60% of the control group have fewer children than they would like to have. Both groups considered work and their financial situation as the most important external factors influencing the realization of their desire to have children. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Does social desirability compromise self-reports of physical activity in web-based research?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Göritz Anja S

2011-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background This study investigated the relation between social desirability and self-reported physical activity in web-based research. Findings A longitudinal study (N = 5,495, 54% women was conducted on a representative sample of the Dutch population using the Marlowe-Crowne Scale as social desirability measure and the short form of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. Social desirability was not associated with self-reported physical activity (in MET-minutes/week, nor with its sub-behaviors (i.e., walking, moderate-intensity activity, vigorous-intensity activity, and sedentary behavior. Socio-demographics (i.e., age, sex, income, and education did not moderate the effect of social desirability on self-reported physical activity and its sub-behaviors. Conclusions This study does not throw doubt on the usefulness of the Internet as a medium to collect self-reports on physical activity.

Association of 5-HTTLPR Polymorphism with the Nursing Diagnoses and the Achievement of Nursing Outcomes in Patients with Major Depression.

Science.gov (United States)

Prokofieva, Margarita; Karadima, Georgia; Koukia, Evmorfia; Michou, Vassiliki; Kyprianidou, Chrysoula; Papageorgiou, Chrysovalantis V; Alexiadis, Evangelos; Constantoulakis, Pantelis; Dikeos, Dimitris

2017-10-01

The aim of this study is to investigate whether a 44-base-pair insertion/deletion polymorphism in the upstream regulatory region of the serotonin transporter gene (5-HTTLPR) is associated with the nursing diagnoses and the achievement of the desired nursing outcomes in inpatients with major depression. Thirty five patients were evaluated. The nursing diagnoses of risk for suicide and imbalanced nutrition are reported less often in homozygotes of the high-expressing gene (L A ). Carriers of the low-expressing genes (L G or S) have a worse response to interventions which aim to increase low self-esteem, indicating that they may need more intensive care in order to achieve the desired outcome. Genetics in psychiatric nursing could help refine personalized care, however further studies with large sample sizes and multiple gene evaluations are needed.

Participation and Performance Reporting for the Alternate Assessment Based on Modified Achievement Standards (AA-MAS). Technical Report 58

Science.gov (United States)

Albus, Deb; Thurlow, Martha L.; Lazarus, Sheryl S.

2011-01-01

This report examines publicly reported participation and performance data for the alternate assessment based on modified achievement standards (AA-MAS). The authors' analysis of these data included all states publicly reporting AA-MAS data, regardless of whether they had received approval to use the results for Title I accountability calculations.…

Sustainable Retirement: A Look At Consumer Desires

OpenAIRE

Dr Jon D. Stanford; Michael Drew; Bill Stanhope

2003-01-01

This paper examines the findings of the research project, 'Retirement Savings: Drivers and Desires', commissioned by the Investment and Financial Services Association Ltd (IFSA) in 2001. The paper investigates retirement savings decision-making and retirement income product stream choice. This paper presents a quantitative analysis of questionnaire data relating to decision-making and product stream choice and discusses these issues in the context of established research findings about retire...

Clinical and theoretical parallels between desire for limb amputation and gender identity disorder.

Science.gov (United States)

Lawrence, Anne A

2006-06-01

Desire for amputation of a healthy limb has usually been regarded as a paraphilia (apotemnophilia), but some researchers propose that it may be a disorder of identity, similar to Gender Identity Disorder (GID) or transsexualism. Similarities between the desire for limb amputation and nonhomosexual male-to-female (MtF) transsexualism include profound dissatisfaction with embodiment, related paraphilias from which the conditions plausibly derive (apotemnophilia and autogynephilia), sexual arousal from simulation of the sought-after status (pretending to be an amputee and transvestism), attraction to persons with the same body type one wants to acquire, and an elevated prevalence of other paraphilic interests. K. Freund and R. Blanchard (1993) proposed that nonhomosexual MtF transsexualism represents an erotic target location error, in which men whose preferred erotic targets are women also eroticize their own feminized bodies. Desire for limb amputation may also reflect an erotic target location error, occurring in combination with an unusual erotic target preference for amputees. This model predicts that persons who desire limb amputation would almost always be attracted to amputees and would display an increased prevalence of gender identity problems, both of which have been observed. Persons who desire limb amputation and nonhomosexual MtF transsexuals often assert that their motives for wanting to change their bodies reflect issues of identity rather than sexuality, but because erotic/romantic orientations contribute significantly to identity, such distinctions may not be meaningful. Experience with nonhomosexual MtF transsexualism suggests possible directions for research and treatment for persons who desire limb amputation.

Effects of Sex, Social Desirability, and Birth Order on the Defense Mechanisms Inventory.

Science.gov (United States)

Dudley, Gary E.

1978-01-01

Investigated effects of sex difference, social desirability instructions, and birth order of respondents on defense mechanisms inventory (DMI). Sex difference was found in projection only. Social desirability effects were found in turning-against-others, projection, principalization, and reversal. Thus, an interpretive caution is in order…

Electrolyte bi-layering strategy to improve the performance of an intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cell: A review

Science.gov (United States)

Shri Prakash, B.; Pavitra, R.; Senthil Kumar, S.; Aruna, S. T.

2018-03-01

Lowering of operation temperature has become one of the primary goals of solid oxide fuel (SOFC) research as reduced temperature improves the prospects for widespread commercialization of this energy system. Reduced operational temperature also mitigates the issues associated with high temperature SOFCs and paves way not only for the large scale stationary power generation but also makes SOFCs viable for portable and transport applications. However, there are issues with electrolyte and cathode materials at low temperatures, individually as well as in association with other components, which makes the performance of the SOFCs less satisfactory than expected at lowered temperatures. Bi-layering of electrolytes and impregnation of cathodes have emerged as two important strategies to overcome these issues and achieve higher performance at low temperatures. This review article provides the perspective on the strategy of bi-layering of electrolyte to achieve the desired high performance from SOFC at low to intermediate temperatures.

Self-transcendence and Eros: The human condition between desire ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

2011-07-12

Jul 12, 2011 ... The balanced unity of mind and body, conscious and ... repression of emotion and imagination and its desire to preserve an increasingly ...... Wider (1977:152) cites Edelman's theory of different neural and cognitive maps.

Fertility Desires and Intentions among HIV-Positive Women during ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

AJRH Managing Editor

Keywords: fertility intentions; desire for children; Post-natal women; HIV; reproductive health; contraception. Résumé ... that there are gaps between the intention to delay pregnancy .... wage earner, support from family member/friend). 26 (19.0).

A new screening method for selection of desired recombinant ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

A new screening method for selection of desired recombinant plasmids in molecular cloning. ... African Journal of Biotechnology ... Regarding the facts of this study, after digestion process, the products directly were subjected to ligation. Due to ...

[Modification of sexual desire and orgasm after radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer].

Science.gov (United States)

Messaoudi, R; Menard, J; Parquet, H; Ripert, T; Staerman, F

2011-01-01

To assess the impact of RP on patients' sexual desire and orgasm. Prospective, cross-sectional survey using a 16-item self-administered questionnaire. We assessed relevant domains of male sexual function (erectile function, sexual desire, and orgasm), psychological impact and treatment of ED. A total of 63 consecutive patients after RP were included (mean age: 63.9). Median time between questionnaire and RP was 26.8 months (range 6-67). After RP, 74.6 % of patients used ED treatments. Lower sexual desire and intercourse frequency were reported in respectively 52.4 and 79.4 %. Orgasm was modified in most patients: 39.7 % described loss of orgasm and 38.1 % reported decreased intensity. Involuntary loss of urine at orgasm (climacturia) was reported in 25.4 %. Negative psychological impact was reported in 68.3 % (loss of self-esteem, loss of masculinity, anxiety). RP adversely affected erectile and orgasmic functions but also sexual desire, self-esteem and masculinity despite treatments. Candidates for RP should be aware of ED but also of other postoperative sexual dysfunctions. 2010 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Comparing continuous and dichotomous scoring of the balanced inventory of desirable responding.

Science.gov (United States)

Stöber, Joachim; Dette, Dorothea E; Musch, Jochen

2002-04-01

The Balanced Inventory of Desirable Responding (BIDR; Paulhus, 1994) is a widely used instrument to measure the 2 components of social desirability: self-deceptive enhancement and impression management. With respect to scoring of the BIDR, Paulhus (1994) authorized 2 methods, namely continuous scoring (all answers on the continuous answer scale are counted) and dichotomous scoring (only extreme answers are counted). In this article, we report 3 studies with student samples, and continuous and dichotomous scoring of BIDR subscales are compared with respect to reliability, convergent validity, sensitivity to instructional variations, and correlations with personality. Across studies, the scores from continuous scoring (continuous scores) showed higher Cronbach's alphas than those from dichotomous scoring (dichotomous scores). Moreover, continuous scores showed higher convergent correlations with other measures of social desirability and more consistent effects with self-presentation instructions (fake-good vs. fake-bad instructions). Finally, continuous self-deceptive enhancement scores showed higher correlations with those traits of the Five-factor model for which substantial correlations were expected (i.e., Neuroticism, Extraversion, and Conscientiousness). Consequently, these findings indicate that continuous scoring may be preferable to dichotomous scoring when assessing socially desirable responding with the BIDR.

Predictors of sexual assertiveness: the role of sexual desire, arousal, attitudes, and partner abuse.

Science.gov (United States)

Santos-Iglesias, Pablo; Sierra, Juan Carlos; Vallejo-Medina, Pablo

2013-08-01

This study was conducted to test interpersonal, attitudinal, and sexual predictors of sexual assertiveness in a Spanish sample of 1,619 men and 1,755 women aged 18-87 years. Participants completed measures of sexual assertiveness, solitary and dyadic sexual desire, sexual arousal, erectile function, sexual attitudes, and frequency of partner abuse. In men, higher sexual assertiveness was predicted by less non-physical abuse, more positive attitudes toward sexual fantasies and erotophilia, higher dyadic desire, and higher sexual arousal. In women, higher sexual assertiveness was predicted by less non-physical abuse, less solitary sexual desire and higher dyadic sexual desire, arousal, erotophilia, and positive attitudes towards sexual fantasies. Results were discussed in the light of prevention and educational programs that include training in sexual assertiveness skills.

Retaining your high performers: moderators of the performance-job satisfaction-voluntary turnover relationship.

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Nyberg, Anthony

2010-05-01

Two divergent ideas explain the relationship between performance and voluntary turnover. One suggests that higher performing employees, who are rewarded for their superior work product, will desire to remain with an organization that values their performance and will, consequently, be less likely than lower performing employees to voluntarily leave. An alternative idea suggests that higher performing employees, who are more desirable to external companies as a result of their superior work product, will have more external job opportunities and will, consequently, be more likely than their lower performing colleagues to voluntarily leave. The current study evaluated the behaviors and attitudes of 12,545 insurance employees over a 3-year period to examine how these 2 divergent expectations influence the performance-voluntary turnover relationship. Results show that both pay growth and the relevant unemployment rate interact with performance to influence the performance-voluntary turnover relationship and that they work independently of employee job satisfaction influences. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved.

Cryogenics system: strategy to achieve nominal performance and reliable operation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bremer, J.; Brodzinski, K.; Casas, J.; Claudet, S.; Delikaris, D.; Delruelle, N.; Ferlin, G.; Fluder, C.; Perin, A.; Perinic, G.; Pezzetti, M.; Pirotte, O.; Tavian, L.; Wagner, U.

2012-01-01

During the LHC operation in 2010 and 2011, the cryogenic system has achieved an availability level fulfilling the overall requirement. To reach this level, the cryogenic system has profited like many other beam-dependent systems from the reduced beam parameters. Therefore, impacts of some failures occurred during the LHC operation were mitigated by using the over-capacity margin, the existing built-in redundancy in between adjacent sector cryogenic plants and the 'cannibalization' of spares on two idle cryogenic plants. These two first years of operation were also crucial to identify the weaknesses of the present cryogenic maintenance plan and new issues like SEUs. After the LS1, nominal beam parameters are expected and the mitigated measures will be less effective or not applicable at all. Consequently, a consolidation plan to improve the MTBF and the MTTR of the LHC cryogenic system is under definition. Concerning shutdown periods, the present cryogenic sectorization imposes some restrictions in the type of interventions (e.g. cryo-magnet removal) which can be done without affecting the operating conditions of the adjacent sector. This creates additional constrains and possible extra down-time in the schedule of the shutdowns including the hardware commissioning. This presentation focuses on the consolidation plan foreseen during the LS1 to improve the performance of the LHC cryogenic system in terms of availability and sectorization. (authors)

RULES FOR SELECTING AND USING KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS FOR THE SERVICE INDUSTRY

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Alexandra - Elena RUSĂNEANU

2014-06-01

Full Text Available There is no question that performance is the desired result of every activity or action. In order to correctly measure an organization’s performance it is necessary to select key performance indicators (KPIs that will deliver long-term value to the company. KPIs are presenting performance information for all levels of the organization and they are reflecting the progress made so far to achieve strategic objectives. The selection of the key performance indicators must be made according to the organization’s industry and activity. The company must truly understand its business and its mission. Also, KPIs must be closely linked to the strategic objectives. The focus of this research is to present effective rules for defining key performance indicators for the Service industry. This sector of economy consists in generating intangible goods like experience, expertise and information. Therefore, monitoring this type of services requires a different approach when defining performance indicators compared to the manufacturing industry.

Effects of Gender, Mathematics Anxiety and Achievement Motivation on College Students’ Achievement in Mathematics

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Ajogbeje Oke James

2013-07-01

Full Text Available The urge to excel or perform maximally in mathematics varies from individual to individual because achievement motivation is often developed or learnt during socialization and learning experiences. The study examined the relationship between College of Education students’ achievement motivation and mathematics achievement, correlation coefficient between mathematics anxiety and college students’ achievement motivation as well as mathematics anxiety and mathematics achievement. The sample, 268 College of Education students offering mathematics as one of their subject combination, was selected using purposive sampling techniques. Three research instruments namely: Mathematics Anxiety Scale (MAS, Achievement Motivation Scale (AMS and Mathematics Achievement Test (MAT were used to collect data for the study. Data collected for the study were analyzed using correlational analysis and ANOVA. The results showed that a significantly low negative correlation coefficient existed between mathematics anxiety and mathematics achievement. There is a negative and significant correlation coefficient between mathematics anxiety and achievement motivation. Similarly, a positive and significant correlation coefficient also exists between achievement motivation and mathematics achievement. Based on the findings of the study, it was recommended that mathematics teachers should adopt activity based strategies and conducive learning environment in order to reduce college students’ anxieties in mathematics learning.

Do you get what you ask? The gender gap in desired and realised wages

OpenAIRE

Jaanika Meriküll; Pille Mõtsmees

2015-01-01

This paper will study the gender wage gap in desired wages, realised wages and reservation wages. The notion of desired wages shows workers� first bet to potential employers during the job-search process. Two datasets are employed, the electronic job-search portal database, where individuals signal their desired wages, and the labour force survey, where realised wages and reservation wages are reported. The Oaxaca-Ransom decomposition is implemented to investigate the contribution of charac...

Empathic Concern and the Desire to Help as Separable Components of Compassionate Responding.

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Ministero, Lauren M; Poulin, Michael J; Buffone, Anneke E K; DeLury, Shane

2018-04-01

When do people experience versus regulate responses to compassion-evoking stimuli? We hypothesized that compassionate responding is composed of two factors-empathic concern and the desire to help-and that these would be differentially affected by perspective taking and self-affirmation. Exploratory (Study 1) and confirmatory (Study 2) factor analyses indicated that a compassion measure consisted of two factors corresponding to empathic concern and the desire to help. In Study 1 ( N = 237), participants with high emotion regulation ability reported less empathic concern for multiple children than for one, but perspective taking prevented this effect. In Study 2 ( N = 155), participants reported less desire to help multiple children, but only in the presence of self-affirmation. In both the studies, empathic concern predicted greater distress while the desire to help predicted greater chances of donating. Compassionate responding may consist of two separable facets that collapse under distinct conditions and that predict distinct outcomes.

Quantifying Faculty Productivity in Japan: Development and Application of the Achievement-Motivated Key Performance Indicator. Research & Occasional Paper Series: CSHE.8.16

Science.gov (United States)

Aida, Misako; Watanabe, Satoshi P.

2016-01-01

Universities throughout the world are trending toward more performance based methods to capture their strengths, weaknesses and productivity. Hiroshima University has developed an integrated objective measure for quantifying multifaceted faculty activities, namely the "Achievement-Motivated Key Performance Indicator" (A-KPI), in order to…

Assessing food appeal and desire to eat: the effects of portion size & energy density

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Cornier Marc A

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Visual presentation of food provides considerable information such as its potential for palatability and availability, both of which can impact eating behavior. Methods We investigated the subjective ratings for food appeal and desire to eat when exposed to food pictures in a fed sample (n = 129 using the computer paradigm ImageRate. Food appeal and desire to eat were analyzed for the effects of food group, portion size and energy density of the foods presented as well as by participant characteristics. Results Food appeal ratings were significantly higher than those for desire to eat (57.9 ± 11.6 v. 44.7 ± 18.0; p r = 0.20; p p r's = - 0.27; p's Conclusions Results support the hypothesis that individuals differentiate between food appeal and desire to eat foods when assessing these ratings using the same type of metric. Additionally, relations among food appeal and desire to eat ratings and body mass show overweight individuals could be more responsive to visual foods cues in a manner that contributes to obesity.

Time-to-event analysis as a framework for quantifying fish passage performance: Chapter 9.1

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Castro-Santos, Theodore R.; Perry, Russell W.; Adams, Noah S.; Beeman, John W.; Eiler, John H.

2012-01-01

Fish passage is the result of a sequence of processes, whereby fish must approach, enter, and pass a structure. Each of these processes takes time, and fishway performance is best quantified in terms of the rates at which each process is completed. Optimal performance is achieved by maximizing the rates of approach, entry, and passage through safe and desirable routes. Sometimes, however, it is necessary to reduce rates of passage through less desirable routes in order to increase proportions passing through the preferred route. Effectiveness of operational or structural modifications for achieving either of these goals is best quantified by applying time-to-event analysis, commonly known as survival analysis methods, to telemetry data. This set of techniques allows for accurate estimation of passage rates and covariate effects on those rates. Importantly, it allows researchers to quantify rates that vary over time, as well as the effects of covariates that also vary over time. Finally, these methods are able to control for competing risks, i.e., the presence of alternate passage routes, failure to pass, or other fates that remove fish from the pool of candidates available to pass through a particular route. In this chapter, we present a model simulation of telemetered fish passing a hydroelectric dam, and provide step-by-step guidance and rationales for performing time-to-event analysis on the resulting data. We demonstrate how this approach removes bias from performance estimates that can result from using methods that focus only on proportions passing each route. Time-to-event analysis, coupled with multinomial models for measuring survival, provides a comprehensive set of techniques for quantifying fish passage, and a framework from which performance among different sites can be better understood.

Men's sexual response to female partner's intranasal oxytocin administration for hypoactive sexual desire disorder: an open prospective cohort study.

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Muin, Dana A; Sheikh Rezaei, Safoura; Tremmel-Scheinost, Max; Salama, Mohamed; Luger, Anton; Wolzt, Michael; Husslein, Peter W; Bayerle-Eder, Michaela

2017-03-01

To study sexual function, quality of life, and depression in men, whose female partners are undergoing double-blind placebo-controlled randomized treatment for hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD). Open prospective cohort study of 22 weeks. Academic medical center. Male partners of 30 premenopausal and postmenopausal women with HSDD. Baseline, 3-month, and 5-month assessment (for 8 weeks each) of male response to female partner's use of oxytocin nasal spray (32 IE) and placebo within 50 minutes before sexual intercourse. Primary outcome parameters were Sexual Life Quality Questionnaire-Male, Sexual Activity Record, Partner Performance Questionnaire, and Hamilton Depression Scale. Male Sexual Life Quality questionnaire improved significantly from -7.4 ± 9.9 at baseline to 8.2 ± 12 with female partners' treatment with oxytocin nasal spray and to 10.8 ± 13.8 with placebo. Frequency of intercourse improved slightly but not significantly from 6.3 ± 3.9 at baseline to 7.3 ± 4 with female oxytocin therapy, but not with placebo. Male desire and arousal remained stable throughout the study period. Evaluation of female partners' performance by men improved significantly from 8.9 ± 2.8 at baseline to 10.6 ± 2.2 with oxytocin and to 11.2 ± 2.6 with placebo. Female treatment with either oxytocin or placebo for HSDD significantly improves male sexual quality of life and evaluation of female partner's sexual performance with no difference between oxytocin and placebo on any outcome parameters. A nonsignificant improvement was seen in the frequency of intercourse, male arousal, desire, satisfaction, and Hamilton depression scale. NCT02229721. Copyright © 2016 American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Correlates of the desired family size among Indian communities.

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Joshi, N V; Gadgil, M; Patil, S

1996-06-25

The People of India database of the Anthropological Survey of India documents 631 cultural, ecological, and economic traits of the 4635 communities to which the entire Indian population is assigned. Focusing on 1342 communities of South India, we looked for correlates of low (1 or 2 children) and high (4 or more children) desired family size (DFS) reported as the norm for any given community by key informants. We found 10 cultural and 18 economic traits to be significantly correlated to high DFS and 21 cultural and 9 economic traits to low DFS. The economic traits so identified are compatible with high family size being desired by parents who have little capability of investing in quality of offspring, but whose children contribute economically from an early age. In contrast, communities desiring low family size are part of the modern intensive agriculture/organized industry/services sector and invest heavily in educating their children. A composite index based on 27 economic traits (CEI) has a high predictive value with respect to the DFS for the entire set of 4635 Indian communities. The 31 cultural traits highly correlated to high or low DFS constitute 5 clusters that can be identified as characterizing scheduled tribes, scheduled castes, rural and landless lower castes, urban upper castes, and Moslems. Whereas economic traits have similar influence on DFS within each of these ethnic categories, Moslems demonstrate a significantly higher DFS for lower values of CEI.

Desirable forest structures for a restored Front Range

Science.gov (United States)

Yvette L. Dickinson; Rob Addington; Greg Aplet; Mike Babler; Mike Battaglia; Peter Brown; Tony Cheng; Casey Cooley; Dick Edwards; Jonas Feinstein; Paula Fornwalt; Hal Gibbs; Megan Matonis; Kristen Pelz; Claudia Regan

2014-01-01

As part of the federal Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program administered by the US Forest Service, the Colorado Front Range Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Project (FR-CFLRP, a collaborative effort of the Front Range Roundtable1 and the US Forest Service) is required to define desired conditions for lower montane ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa...

Grounding desire and motivated behavior: A theoretical framework and review of empirical evidence

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Papies, E.K.; Barsalou, L.W.

2015-01-01

Experiencing and dealing with desire is a central part of human existence. Whether it is for food, drink, sex, fame, social connectedness, or world peace, our desires shape and energize much of our daily life. A large literature, especially in social and health psychology, has focused on the ways in

Effective Duration of Gas Nitriding Process on AISI 316L for the Formation of a Desired Thickness of Surface Nitrided Layer

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Mahmoud Hassan R. S.

2014-07-01

Full Text Available High temperature gas nitriding performed on AISI 316L at the temperature of 1200°C. The microstructure of treated AISI 316L samples were observed to identify the formation of the microstructure of nitrided surface layer. The grain size of austenite tends to be enlarged when the nitriding time increases, but the austenite single phase structure is maintained even after the long-time solution nitriding. Using microhardness testing, the hardness values drop to the center of the samples. The increase in surface hardness is due to the high nitrogen concentration at or near the surface. At 245HV, the graph of the effective duration of nitriding process was plotted to achieve the maximum depth of nitrogen diffuse under the surface. Using Sigma Plot software best fit lines of the experimental result found and plotted to find out effective duration of nitriding equation as Y=1.9491(1-0.7947x, where Y is the thickness of nitrided layer below the surface and X is duration of nitriding process. Based on this equation, the duration of gas nitriding process can be estimated to produce desired thickness of nitrided layer.

Effects of Humor Production, Humor Receptivity, and Physical Attractiveness on Partner Desirability

OpenAIRE

Michelle Tornquist; Dan Chiappe

2015-01-01

This study examined women’s and men’s preferences for humor production and humor receptivity in long-term and short-term relationships, and how these factors interact with physical attractiveness to influence desirability. Undergraduates viewed photographs of the opposite sex individuals who were high or low in physical attractiveness, along with vignettes varying in humor production and receptivity. Participants rated physical attractiveness and desirability for long-term and short-term rela...

Self-Perceived Attractiveness, Romantic Desirability and Self-Esteem: A Mating Sociometer Perspective

OpenAIRE

Christopher Bale; John Archer

2013-01-01

Sociometer theory proposes that self-esteem is an adaptation which evolved to monitor and regulate interpersonal relationships. It is therefore sensitive to self-assessments in domains relevant to relational desirability. Positive relationships between self-perceived physical attractiveness and self-esteem found in previous studies may reflect the functioning of a mating sociometer, designed to monitor individuals’ desirability as romantic or sexual partners. We thus predicted that these rela...

Teori Adult Learning, Ekspriental Learning Cycle Dan Perubahan Performance Individu Dalam Pendidikan Dan Pelatihan

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Moh. Dannur

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Teori belajar merupakan hal yang sangat penting dalam Manajmen Pendidikan dan Pelatihan apabila ingin meraih hasil yang maksimal dalam proses transformasi pengetahuan. Adult Learning dan Ekspriental Learning Cycle salah satu teori yang paling masyhur di dalamnya. Dalam upaya meraih hasil yang maksimal juga perlu adanya pengetahuan tentang motivasi dan faktor-faktor dalam pengembangan individu, perubahan performanya, serta dinamika individu kelompok. Sehingga dengan pengetahuan yang dimilikiakan dengan mudah merealisasikan yang diinginkan. Kata kunci: Adult learning, expriental learning cycle, performance.  Learning theory is very important in Management of Education and Training if you want to achieve the maximum results in the transformation process of knowledge. Adult Learning and Expriental Learning Cycle are the most famous theories within it. In the effort to achieve the maximum results also needs the knowledge about motivation, the factors in the development of individuals, the changes of performance, and the dynamics of individual groups. So with this knowledge you will easily realize the thing you desired. Keywords: Adult learning, expriental learning cycle, performance.

Relationships between Learning Styles and Academic Achievement and Brain Hemispheric Dominance and Academic Performance in Business and Accounting Courses.

Science.gov (United States)

Carthey, Joseph H.

A study determined if relationships exist between learning styles and academic achievement and brain hemispheric dominance and academic performance in the courses of principles of management, business law, intermediate accounting, and principles of economics. All second-year accounting students (64 students) at Northeast Iowa Community College…

The Impact of Desired Family Size Upon Family Planning Practices in Rural East Pakistan

Science.gov (United States)

Mosena, Patricia Wimberley

1971-01-01

Results indicated that women whose desired family size is equal to or less than their actual family size have significantly greater frequencies practicing family planning than women whose desired size exceeds their actual size. (Author)

Characteristics that perinatal nurse managers desire in new nurse hires.

Science.gov (United States)

Falls, Emily; Hensel, Desiree

2012-04-01

Nursing leaders have proposed that nurses must have the Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN) competencies to work in complex health care systems. Using the QSEN framework, this study explored what characteristics perinatal nurse managers desired most in new nurses. This study used a survey design and a convenience sample of perinatal nurse managers working in Indiana hospitals (N = 46). Managers were more likely to hire nurses with experience, positive references, and excellent attendance. Of the QSEN competencies, managers looked most for teamwork and collaboration, followed by safety and patient-centered care. In addition to the traditional qualities desired in new nurses, the QSEN competencies are gaining importance among perinatal managers. Copyright 2012, SLACK Incorporated.

Metrics, Dollars, and Systems Change: Learning from Washington State's Student Achievement Initiative to Design Effective Postsecondary Performance Funding Policies. A State Policy Brief

Science.gov (United States)

Jenkins, Davis; Shulock, Nancy

2013-01-01

The Student Achievement Initiative (SAI), adopted by the Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges in 2007, is one of a growing number of performance funding programs that have been dubbed "performance funding 2.0." Unlike previous performance funding models, the SAI rewards colleges for students' intermediate…

High social desirability and prefrontal cortical activity in cancer patients: a preliminary study.

Science.gov (United States)

Tashiro, Manabu; Juengling, Freimut D; Moser, Ernst; Reinhardt, Michael J; Kubota, Kazuo; Yanai, Kazuhiko; Sasaki, Hidetada; Nitzsche, Egbert U; Kumano, Hiroaki; Itoh, Masatoshi

2003-04-01

Social desirability is sometimes associated with poor prognosis in cancer patients. Psycho-neuro-immune interaction has been hypothesized as an underlying mechanism of the negative clinical outcome. Purpose of this study was to examine possible effects of high social desirability on the regional brain activity in patients with malignant diseases. Brain metabolism of 16 patients with various malignant diseases was measured by PET with 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG). Patients were divided into 2 groups using median split on Marlowe & Crown's Social Desirability Scale (MC), controlling for age, gender, and for severity of depression and anxiety, the possible two major influential factors. A group comparison of the regional cerebral activity was calculated on a voxel-by-voxel basis using statistical parametric mapping (SPM). The subgroup comparison showed that the high social desirability was associated with relatively increased metabolism in the cortical regions in the prefrontal, temporal and occipital lobes as well as in the anterior cingulate gyrus. High social desirability seems to be associated with increased activity in the prefrontal and other cortical areas. The finding is in an accordance with previous studies that demonstrated an association between prefrontal damage and anti-social behavior. Functional neuroimaging seems to be useful not only for psychiatric evaluation of major factors such as depression and anxiety but also for further psychosocial factors in cancer patients.

Animation-assisted CPRII program as a reminder tool in achieving effective one-person-CPR performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Choa, Minhong; Cho, Junho; Choi, Young Hwan; Kim, Seungho; Sung, Ji Min; Chung, Hyun Soo

2009-06-01

The objective of this study is to compare the skill retention of two groups of lay persons, six months after their last CPR training. The intervention group was provided with animation-assisted CPRII (AA-CPRII) instruction on their cellular phones, and the control group had nothing but what they learned from their previous training. This study was a single blind randomized controlled trial. The participants' last CPR trainings were held at least six months ago. We revised our CPR animation for on-site CPR instruction content emphasizing importance of chest compression. Participants were randomized into two groups, the AA-CPRII group (n=42) and the control group (n=38). Both groups performed three cycles of CPR and their performances were video recorded. These video clips were assessed by three evaluators using a checklist. The psychomotor skills were evaluated using the ResusciAnne SkillReporter. Using the 30-point scoring checklist, the AA-CPRII group had a significantly better score compared to the control group (pCPR could be used as a reminder tool in achieving effective one-person-CPR performance. By installing the CPR instruction on cellular phones and having taught them CPR with it during the training enabled participants to perform better CPR.

The common neural bases between sexual desire and love: a multilevel kernel density fMRI analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Cacioppo, Stephanie; Bianchi-Demicheli, Francesco; Frum, Chris; Pfaus, James G; Lewis, James W

2012-04-01

One of the most difficult dilemmas in relationship science and couple therapy concerns the interaction between sexual desire and love. As two mental states of intense longing for union with others, sexual desire and love are, in fact, often difficult to disentangle from one another. The present review aims to help understand the differences and similarities between these two mental states using a comprehensive statistical meta-analyses of all functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies on sexual desire and love. Systematic retrospective review of pertinent neuroimaging literature. Review of published literature on fMRI studies illustrating brain regions associated with love and sexual desire to date. Sexual desire and love not only show differences but also recruit a striking common set of brain areas that mediate somatosensory integration, reward expectation, and social cognition. More precisely, a significant posterior-to-anterior insular pattern appears to track sexual desire and love progressively. This specific pattern of activation suggests that love builds upon a neural circuit for emotions and pleasure, adding regions associated with reward expectancy, habit formation, and feature detection. In particular, the shared activation within the insula, with a posterior-to-anterior pattern, from desire to love, suggests that love grows out of and is a more abstract representation of the pleasant sensorimotor experiences that characterize desire. From these results, one may consider desire and love on a spectrum that evolves from integrative representations of affective visceral sensations to an ultimate representation of feelings incorporating mechanisms of reward expectancy and habit learning. © 2012 International Society for Sexual Medicine.

Impression management and achievement motivation:Investigating substantive links

OpenAIRE

Elliot, Andrew J.; Aldhobaiban, Nawal; Murayama, Kou; Kobeisy, Ahmed; Gocłowska, Małgorzata A.; Khyat, Aber

2018-01-01

In the present research we investigate impression management (IM) as a substantive personality variable by linking it to differentiated achievement motivation constructs, namely achievement motives (workmastery, competitiveness, fear of failure) and achievement goals (mastery-approach, mastery-avoidance, performance-approach, performance-avoidance). Study 1 revealed that IM was a positive predictor of workmastery and a negative predictor of competitiveness (with and without self-deceptive enh...

Impact of treatment for depression on desire for hastened death in patients with advanced AIDS.

Science.gov (United States)

Breitbart, William; Rosenfeld, Barry; Gibson, Christopher; Kramer, Michael; Li, Yuelin; Tomarken, Alexis; Nelson, Christian; Pessin, Hayley; Esch, Julie; Galietta, Michele; Garcia, Nerina; Brechtl, John; Schuster, Michael

2010-01-01

Despite the development of multi-drug regimens for HIV, palliative care and quality-of-life issues in patients with advanced AIDS remain important areas of clinical investigation. Authors assessed the impact of treatment for depression on desire for hastened death in patients with advanced AIDS. Patients with advanced AIDS (N=372) were interviewed shortly after admission to a palliative-care facility, and were reinterviewed monthly for the next 2 months. Patients diagnosed with a major depressive syndrome were provided with antidepressant treatment and reinterviewed weekly. Desire for hastened death was assessed with two questionnaire measures. Desire for death was highly associated with depression, and it decreased dramatically in patients who responded to antidepressant treatment. Little change in desire for hastened death was observed in patients whose depression did not improve. Although improved depression was not significantly associated with the use of antidepressant medication, those individuals prescribed antidepressant medication showed the largest decreases in desire for hastened death. Successful treatment for depression appears to substantially decrease desire for hastened death in patients with advanced AIDS. The authors discuss implications of these findings for palliative-care treatment and the physician-assisted suicide debate.

Quality of life, social desirability and their relationship in opium addicted persons in southeast of Iran.

Science.gov (United States)

Arab, Mansour; Kohan, Mehri; Ranjbar, Hadi; Arab, Nanaz; Rayani, Masoud; Mirrashidi, Salehe Sadat; Rafiei, Hossein; Amiri, Masoud

2014-02-22

Addiction leads to many problems which may adversely affect addicted people, their families and impose health care agencies with many challenges. This study aimed to examined quality of life (QoL), social desirability and their relationship among opium addicted persons in southeast of Iran. In a cross-sectional study conducted from September 2012 to January 2013, 123 addicted people were studied. Date collection tools were; checklist of demographic data, Iranian version of the 36-item short form QoL (SF-36) and Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale (MC-SDS). While mean score of QoL was 60.4±29.5, mean score of social desirability were 14.2±3.7. Low, moderate and high levels of social desirability were observed in 4.9%, 90.2% and 4.9% of participants, respectively. Pearson's correlation were not significant between mean score of social desirability and mean score of QoL (p=0.969, r=0.004). Addicted participants of present study showed a moderate level of QoL and social desirability, without any significant relationship between QoL and social desirability. Further research is suggested in addicts with social and cultural differences.

MudGet: Reproduction of the desired lighting environment using a smart-LED

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Yong Hwi Kim

2017-07-01

Full Text Available With the emergence of smart LEDs, lighting based interior design is becoming popular. However, most of the smart LED-based lighting systems rely on expert-human intervention to create a desired atmosphere. For convenience, commercial lighting systems offer a number of options but their usability is fairly restricted. Therefore, an intuitive interface is required for novice users to generate the desired lighting environment. In this paper, we have developed a software, named MudGet, which automatically extracts the light mood from a digital image and controls the LED lamps to reproduce a desired lighting effect according to the extracted light mood. In our method, the light mood is regarded as a set of the representative colors of the digital image. The representative colors are extracted by utilizing K-means clustering algorithm. The dimming parameters are set for which each of the LED lamps create the lighting environment with the mood extracted by the software. To evaluate the feasibility of mood reproduction qualitatively, the degree of similarity between the light mood in the digital image and the reproduced result using LEDs is evaluated by a user study under a miniaturized experimental set. We observe that users can easily produce a desired atmosphere through the proposed MudGet software.

Control-value theory: using achievement emotions to improve understanding of motivation, learning, and performance in medical education: AMEE Guide No. 64.

Science.gov (United States)

Artino, Anthony R; Holmboe, Eric S; Durning, Steven J

2012-01-01

In this AMEE Guide, we consider the emergent theoretical and empirical work on human emotion and how this work can inform the theory, research, and practice of medical education. In the Guide, we define emotion, in general, and achievement emotions, more specifically. We describe one of the leading contemporary theories of achievement emotions, control-value theory (Pekrun 2006), and we distinguish between different types of achievement emotions, their proximal antecedents, and their consequences for motivation, learning, and performance. Next, we review the empirical support for control-value theory from non-medical fields and suggest several important implications for educational practice. In this section, we highlight the importance of designing learning environments that foster a high degree of control and value for students. Finally, we end with a discussion of the need for more research on achievement emotions in medical education, and we propose several key research questions we believe will facilitate our understanding of achievement emotions and their impact on important educational outcomes.

The desired moral attitude of the physician: (II) compassion.

Science.gov (United States)

Gelhaus, Petra

2012-11-01

Professional medical ethics demands of health care professionals in addition to specific duties and rules of conduct that they embody a responsible and trustworthy personality. In the public discussion, different concepts are suggested to describe the desired implied attitude of physicians. In a sequel of three articles, a set of three of these concepts is presented in an interpretation that is meant to characterise the morally emotional part of this attitude: "empathy", "compassion" and "care". In the first article of the series, "empathy" has been developed as a mainly cognitive and morally neutral capacity of understanding. In this article, the emotional and virtuous core of the desired professional attitude-compassion-is elaborated. Compassion is distinguished from sympathy, empathy and pity. Several problems of compassion as a spontaneous, warm emotion for being a professional virtue are discussed: especially questions of over-demand, of justice and of concerns because of a possible threat to the patient's dignity and autonomy. An interpretation of compassion as processed and learned professional attitude, that founds dignity on the general idea of man as a sentient being and on solidarity, not on his independence and capacities, is developed. It is meant to rule out the possible side effects and to make compassion as a professional attitude and as professional virtue attractive, teachable and acquirable. In order to reach the adequate warmth and closeness for the particular physician-patient-relation, professional compassion has to be combined with the capacity of empathy. If appropriate, the combination of both empathy and compassion as "empathic compassion" can demand a much warmer attitude towards the patient than each of the elements alone, or the simple addition of them can provide. The concept of "care" that will be discussed in a forthcoming article of this sequel is a missing necessary part to describe the active potential of the desired moral

Social desirability bias in dietary self-report may compromise the validity of dietary intake measures.

Science.gov (United States)

Hebert, J R; Clemow, L; Pbert, L; Ockene, I S; Ockene, J K

1995-04-01

Self-report of dietary intake could be biased by social desirability or social approval thus affecting risk estimates in epidemiological studies. These constructs produce response set biases, which are evident when testing in domains characterized by easily recognizable correct or desirable responses. Given the social and psychological value ascribed to diet, assessment methodologies used most commonly in epidemiological studies are particularly vulnerable to these biases. Social desirability and social approval biases were tested by comparing nutrient scores derived from multiple 24-hour diet recalls (24HR) on seven randomly assigned days with those from two 7-day diet recalls (7DDR) (similar in some respects to commonly used food frequency questionnaires), one administered at the beginning of the test period (pre) and one at the end (post). Statistical analysis included correlation and multiple linear regression. Cross-sectionally, no relationships between social approval score and the nutritional variables existed. Social desirability score was negatively correlated with most nutritional variables. In linear regression analysis, social desirability score produced a large downward bias in nutrient estimation in the 7DDR relative to the 24HR. For total energy, this bias equalled about 50 kcal/point on the social desirability scale or about 450 kcal over its interquartile range. The bias was approximately twice as large for women as for men and only about half as large in the post measures. Individuals having the highest 24HR-derived fat and total energy intake scores had the largest downward bias due to social desirability. We observed a large downward bias in reporting food intake related to social desirability score. These results are consistent with the theoretical constructs on which the hypothesis is based. The effect of social desirability bias is discussed in terms of its influence on epidemiological estimates of effect. Suggestions are made for future work

An investigation into between-meal food desires among hospitalised haematological cancer patients

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Okkels, S. L.; Bredie, Wender; Klausen, Tobias Wirenfeldt

2016-01-01

haematological cancer patients, screened for nutrition-related symptoms, participated. Univariate statistical models were used to investigate the influence of time-of-day and food texture on between-meal desires. Results: Fresh fruit, ice cream, cheese and mashed potatoes with bacon were the most desired food......Background & aims: Hospitalised haematological cancer patients often suffer from reduced appetite and food intake, which negatively influences the patients' well-being and nutritional status. The aim of this study was to identify specific between-meal food desires in a patient group, in order...... to increase food intake. The study was conducted using a picture-aided questionnaire, and relating the preferences to factors that could easily be implemented in the hospital menu, such as time of the day and texture. Moreover, the results of the questionnaire were verified by acceptance tests on six selected...

Sex differences in mathematics and reading achievement are inversely related: within- and across-nation assessment of 10 years of PISA data.

Science.gov (United States)

Stoet, Gijsbert; Geary, David C

2013-01-01

We analyzed one decade of data collected by the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), including the mathematics and reading performance of nearly 1.5 million 15 year olds in 75 countries. Across nations, boys scored higher than girls in mathematics, but lower than girls in reading. The sex difference in reading was three times as large as in mathematics. There was considerable variation in the extent of the sex differences between nations. There are countries without a sex difference in mathematics performance, and in some countries girls scored higher than boys. Boys scored lower in reading in all nations in all four PISA assessments (2000, 2003, 2006, 2009). Contrary to several previous studies, we found no evidence that the sex differences were related to nations' gender equality indicators. Further, paradoxically, sex differences in mathematics were consistently and strongly inversely correlated with sex differences in reading: Countries with a smaller sex difference in mathematics had a larger sex difference in reading and vice versa. We demonstrate that this was not merely a between-nation, but also a within-nation effect. This effect is related to relative changes in these sex differences across the performance continuum: We did not find a sex difference in mathematics among the lowest performing students, but this is where the sex difference in reading was largest. In contrast, the sex difference in mathematics was largest among the higher performing students, and this is where the sex difference in reading was smallest. The implication is that if policy makers decide that changes in these sex differences are desired, different approaches will be needed to achieve this for reading and mathematics. Interventions that focus on high-achieving girls in mathematics and on low achieving boys in reading are likely to yield the strongest educational benefits.

AN ARCHITECTONICS OF DESIRE: THE PERSON ON THE PATH ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

In fact, in most of the tomes of spiritual ascetics, desire is a dirty word. It indicates egoism and .... of probing John's anthropology and psychology, the soul itself may be .... “entailment thesis” of memory, in which what is bequeathed as memory.

Achieving excellence in training

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mangin, A.M.; Solymossy, J.M.

1983-01-01

Operating a nuclear power plant is a uniquely challenging activity, requiring a high degree of competence from all who are involved. Achieving and maintaining this competence requires excellence in training. But what does excellence mean, and how do we achieve it. Based on the experience gained by INPO in plant training evaluations and accreditation activities, this paper describes some of the actions that can be taken to achieve the quality appropriate for nuclear power plant training. These actions are discussed in relation to the four phases of a performance-based training system: (1) needs analysis, (2) program design and development, (3) implementation, and (4) evaluation and improvement

Is Romantic Desire Predictable? Machine Learning Applied to Initial Romantic Attraction.

Science.gov (United States)

Joel, Samantha; Eastwick, Paul W; Finkel, Eli J

2017-10-01

Matchmaking companies and theoretical perspectives on close relationships suggest that initial attraction is, to some extent, a product of two people's self-reported traits and preferences. We used machine learning to test how well such measures predict people's overall tendencies to romantically desire other people (actor variance) and to be desired by other people (partner variance), as well as people's desire for specific partners above and beyond actor and partner variance (relationship variance). In two speed-dating studies, romantically unattached individuals completed more than 100 self-report measures about traits and preferences that past researchers have identified as being relevant to mate selection. Each participant met each opposite-sex participant attending a speed-dating event for a 4-min speed date. Random forests models predicted 4% to 18% of actor variance and 7% to 27% of partner variance; crucially, however, they were unable to predict relationship variance using any combination of traits and preferences reported before the dates. These results suggest that compatibility elements of human mating are challenging to predict before two people meet.

Associations of adolescent hopelessness and self-worth with pregnancy attempts and pregnancy desire.

Science.gov (United States)

Fedorowicz, Anna R; Hellerstedt, Wendy L; Schreiner, Pamela J; Bolland, John M

2014-08-01

We examined the associations of pregnancy desire (ambivalence or happiness about a pregnancy in the next year) and recent pregnancy attempts with hopelessness and self-worth among low-income adolescents. To evaluate independent associations among the study variables, we conducted gender-stratified multivariable logistic regression analyses with data derived from 2285 sexually experienced 9- to 18-year-old participants in the Mobile Youth Survey between 2006 and 2009. Fifty-seven percent of youths reported a desire for pregnancy and 9% reported pregnancy attempts. In multivariable analyses, hopelessness was positively associated and self-worth was negatively associated with pregnancy attempts among both female and male youths. Hopelessness was weakly associated (P = .05) with pregnancy desire among female youths. The negative association of self-worth and the positive association of hopelessness with pregnancy attempts among young men as well as young women and the association of hopelessness with pregnancy desire among young women raise questions about why pregnancy is apparently valued by youths who rate their social and cognitive competence as low and who live in an environment with few options for material success.

Laser performance operations model (LPOM): a computational system that automates the setup and performance analysis of the national ignition facility

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shaw, M; House, R; Williams, W; Haynam, C; White, R; Orth, C; Sacks, R [Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 7000 East Avenue, Livermore, CA, 94550 (United States)], E-mail: shaw7@llnl.gov

2008-05-15

The National Ignition Facility (NIF) is a stadium-sized facility containing a 192-beam, 1.8 MJ, 500-TW, 351-nm laser system together with a 10-m diameter target chamber with room for many target diagnostics. NIF will be the world's largest laser experimental system, providing a national center to study inertial confinement fusion and the physics of matter at extreme energy densities and pressures. A computational system, the Laser Performance Operations Model (LPOM) has been developed and deployed that automates the laser setup process, and accurately predict laser energetics. LPOM determines the settings of the injection laser system required to achieve the desired main laser output, provides equipment protection, determines the diagnostic setup, and supplies post shot data analysis and reporting.

Achieving optimum diffraction based overlay performance

Science.gov (United States)

Leray, Philippe; Laidler, David; Cheng, Shaunee; Coogans, Martyn; Fuchs, Andreas; Ponomarenko, Mariya; van der Schaar, Maurits; Vanoppen, Peter

2010-03-01

Diffraction Based Overlay (DBO) metrology has been shown to have significantly reduced Total Measurement Uncertainty (TMU) compared to Image Based Overlay (IBO), primarily due to having no measurable Tool Induced Shift (TIS). However, the advantages of having no measurable TIS can be outweighed by increased susceptibility to WIS (Wafer Induced Shift) caused by target damage, process non-uniformities and variations. The path to optimum DBO performance lies in having well characterized metrology targets, which are insensitive to process non-uniformities and variations, in combination with optimized recipes which take advantage of advanced DBO designs. In this work we examine the impact of different degrees of process non-uniformity and target damage on DBO measurement gratings and study their impact on overlay measurement accuracy and precision. Multiple wavelength and dual polarization scatterometry are used to characterize the DBO design performance over the range of process variation. In conclusion, we describe the robustness of DBO metrology to target damage and show how to exploit the measurement capability of a multiple wavelength, dual polarization scatterometry tool to ensure the required measurement accuracy for current and future technology nodes.

Acupuncture in Premenopausal Women With Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder: A Prospective Cohort Pilot Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Susan H. Oakley, MD, FACOG

2016-09-01

Conclusion: In this cohort of premenopausal women with HSDD, 5 weeks of acupuncture therapy was associated with significant improvements in sexual function, particularly desire. This supports a role for acupuncture as a therapeutic option for women with low desire.

Optimized distributed systems achieve significant performance improvement on sorted merging of massive VCF files.

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Xiaobo; Gao, Jingjing; Jin, Peng; Eng, Celeste; Burchard, Esteban G; Beaty, Terri H; Ruczinski, Ingo; Mathias, Rasika A; Barnes, Kathleen; Wang, Fusheng; Qin, Zhaohui S

2018-06-01

Sorted merging of genomic data is a common data operation necessary in many sequencing-based studies. It involves sorting and merging genomic data from different subjects by their genomic locations. In particular, merging a large number of variant call format (VCF) files is frequently required in large-scale whole-genome sequencing or whole-exome sequencing projects. Traditional single-machine based methods become increasingly inefficient when processing large numbers of files due to the excessive computation time and Input/Output bottleneck. Distributed systems and more recent cloud-based systems offer an attractive solution. However, carefully designed and optimized workflow patterns and execution plans (schemas) are required to take full advantage of the increased computing power while overcoming bottlenecks to achieve high performance. In this study, we custom-design optimized schemas for three Apache big data platforms, Hadoop (MapReduce), HBase, and Spark, to perform sorted merging of a large number of VCF files. These schemas all adopt the divide-and-conquer strategy to split the merging job into sequential phases/stages consisting of subtasks that are conquered in an ordered, parallel, and bottleneck-free way. In two illustrating examples, we test the performance of our schemas on merging multiple VCF files into either a single TPED or a single VCF file, which are benchmarked with the traditional single/parallel multiway-merge methods, message passing interface (MPI)-based high-performance computing (HPC) implementation, and the popular VCFTools. Our experiments suggest all three schemas either deliver a significant improvement in efficiency or render much better strong and weak scalabilities over traditional methods. Our findings provide generalized scalable schemas for performing sorted merging on genetics and genomics data using these Apache distributed systems.

Factors influencing patient satisfaction with dental appearance and treatments they desire to improve aesthetics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hassan Nurhidayati

2011-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background We assessed factors influencing patients' satisfaction with their dental appearance and the treatments they desired to improve dental aesthetics. Methods A cross-sectional study was performed out among 235 adult patients who visited the Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia dental clinic. A structured, interviewer-guided questionnaire was used to identify patient satisfaction with their general dental appearance, cosmetic elements and desired treatments. Results The 235 patients consisted of 70 males (29.8% and 165 females (70.2%, of mean age 31.5 years (SD 13.0. Of these patients, 124 (52.8% were not satisfied with their general dental appearance. In addition, 132 patients (56.2% were not happy with the color of their teeth, 76 (32.3%, regarded their teeth were poorly aligned, 62 (26.4%, as crowded and 56 (23.4% protruded. Dissatisfaction with tooth color was significantly higher in female than in male patients (odds ratio [OR] of 1.99 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.13-3.50. Tooth whitening was the treatment most desired by patients (48.1%. Results of multiple logistic regression analysis showed that patient dissatisfaction with general dental appearance was significantly associated with female gender (OR = 2.18; 95% CI: 1.18-4.03, unhappiness with tooth color (OR = 3.05; 95% CI: 1.74-5.34 and the opinion that their teeth protruded (OR = 2.91, 95% CI: 1.44-5.91. Conclusions Most patients in this study were not satisfied with their dental appearance with a greater percentage of females expressing dissatisfaction than males. An age was not associated with satisfaction. Unhappiness with tooth color and feelings of having protruding teeth also had a significant negative influence on patient satisfaction with general dental appearance.

De Dicto Moral Desires and the Moral Sentiments : Adam Smith on the Role of De Dicto Moral Desires in the Virtuous Agent

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Archer, Alfred

2017-01-01

What role should a motivation to do the right thing, read de dicto, play in the life of a virtuous agent? According to a prominent argument from Michael Smith, those who are only ever motivated by such a desire are moral fetishists. Smith’s argument is designed to support motivational judgment

Achievement motivation, competitiveness and sports performance in a team of sportsmen soccer players between 14 and 24 years old

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alejo García-Naveira

2011-05-01

Full Text Available In order to identify to what extent competitiveness trait is related to sport performance in soccer, and to what extent the age and sport category can influence these variables, a descriptive cross-sectional study has been developed. The variables age, sport category, sport performance, achievement motivation (Me, motivation to avoid the failure (Mef and competitiveness trait have been assessed in 151 men soccer players (between 14 and 24 y.o. of a Spanish sport club. The results indicated that the sport performance ascends with age. Consequently, a direct relationship between the sport category and the performance has been observed. Me, Mef and competitiveness trait have been associated with the performance and has varied based on the sport category. No correlation between Me, Mef, competitiveness and age of the sportsmen has been found

Aporia – Exploring Continuation Desire in a Game focused on Environmental Storytelling

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)