Life History Strategy and Disordered Eating Behavior

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Catherine Salmon

2009-10-01

Full Text Available A sample of female undergraduates completed a packet of questionnaires consisting of the Arizona Life History Battery, a modified version of the Eating Disorders Inventory, the Behavioral Regulation scales from the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function, and two measures of Female Intrasexual Competitiveness that distinguished between competition for mates and competition for status. As predicted, Executive Functions completely mediated the relation between Slow Life History Strategy and Disordered Eating Behavior. Surprisingly, however, the relation between Female Intrasexual Competitiveness (competition for mates and competition for status and Disordered Eating Behavior was completely spurious, with executive functions serving as a common cause underlying the inhibition of both Disordered Eating Behavior and Female Intrasexual Competitiveness. The protective function of Slow Life History Strategy with respect to Disordered Eating Behavior apparently resides in a higher degree of Behavioral Regulation, a type of Executive Function. The enhanced Behavioral Regulation or self-control, of individuals with a Slow Life History Strategy is also protective against hazardously escalated levels of Female Intrasexual Competitiveness.

Asthma management simulation for children: translating theory, methods, and strategies to effect behavior change.

Science.gov (United States)

Shegog, Ross; Bartholomew, L Kay; Gold, Robert S; Pierrel, Elaine; Parcel, Guy S; Sockrider, Marianna M; Czyzewski, Danita I; Fernandez, Maria E; Berlin, Nina J; Abramson, Stuart

2006-01-01

Translating behavioral theories, models, and strategies to guide the development and structure of computer-based health applications is well recognized, although a continued challenge for program developers. A stepped approach to translate behavioral theory in the design of simulations to teach chronic disease management to children is described. This includes the translation steps to: 1) define target behaviors and their determinants, 2) identify theoretical methods to optimize behavioral change, and 3) choose educational strategies to effectively apply these methods and combine these into a cohesive computer-based simulation for health education. Asthma is used to exemplify a chronic health management problem and a computer-based asthma management simulation (Watch, Discover, Think and Act) that has been evaluated and shown to effect asthma self-management in children is used to exemplify the application of theory to practice. Impact and outcome evaluation studies have indicated the effectiveness of these steps in providing increased rigor and accountability, suggesting their utility for educators and developers seeking to apply simulations to enhance self-management behaviors in patients.

Utility strategies in times of more competition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Adams, H.W.

1993-01-01

The international economy currently goes through a lasting recession. Saturated markets and a weak demand aggravate the situaton. The German industry, in addition, must face the structural and economic changes in Eastern Europe. The pending tasks and problems, and the resulting financial burdens cannot be fully estimated yet. The electric utilities are very much involved, and must adopt new motivation, organization and cooperation strategies to survive on the expanded markets. These strategies are briefly discussed. (orig.) [de

Optimal urban water conservation strategies considering embedded energy: coupling end-use and utility water-energy models.

Science.gov (United States)

Escriva-Bou, A.; Lund, J. R.; Pulido-Velazquez, M.; Spang, E. S.; Loge, F. J.

2014-12-01

Although most freshwater resources are used in agriculture, a greater amount of energy is consumed per unit of water supply for urban areas. Therefore, efforts to reduce the carbon footprint of water in cities, including the energy embedded within household uses, can be an order of magnitude larger than for other water uses. This characteristic of urban water systems creates a promising opportunity to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions, particularly given rapidly growing urbanization worldwide. Based on a previous Water-Energy-CO2 emissions model for household water end uses, this research introduces a probabilistic two-stage optimization model considering technical and behavioral decision variables to obtain the most economical strategies to minimize household water and water-related energy bills given both water and energy price shocks. Results show that adoption rates to reduce energy intensive appliances increase significantly, resulting in an overall 20% growth in indoor water conservation if household dwellers include the energy cost of their water use. To analyze the consequences on a utility-scale, we develop an hourly water-energy model based on data from East Bay Municipal Utility District in California, including the residential consumption, obtaining that water end uses accounts for roughly 90% of total water-related energy, but the 10% that is managed by the utility is worth over 12 million annually. Once the entire end-use + utility model is completed, several demand-side management conservation strategies were simulated for the city of San Ramon. In this smaller water district, roughly 5% of total EBMUD water use, we found that the optimal household strategies can reduce total GHG emissions by 4% and utility's energy cost over 70,000/yr. Especially interesting from the utility perspective could be the "smoothing" of water use peaks by avoiding daytime irrigation that among other benefits might reduce utility energy costs by 0.5% according to our

Learning a decision maker's utility function from (possibly) inconsistent behavior

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Thomas Dyhre; Jensen, Finn Verner

2004-01-01

developed for learning the probabilities from a database.However, methods for learning the utilities have only received limitedattention in the computer science community. A promising approach for learning a decision maker's utility function is to takeoutset in the decision maker's observed behavioral...... patterns, and then find autility function which (together with a domain model) can explainthis behavior. That is, it is assumed that decision maker's preferences arereflected in the behavior. Standard learning algorithmsalso assume that the decision maker is behavioralconsistent, i.e., given a model ofthe...... decision problem, there exists a utility function which canaccount for all the observed behavior. Unfortunately, this assumption israrely valid in real-world decision problems, and in these situationsexisting learning methods may only identify a trivial utilityfunction. In this paper we relax...

The Shape of Utility Functions and Organizational Behavior

NARCIS (Netherlands)

J.M.E. Pennings; A. Smidts (Ale)

2002-01-01

textabstractBased on measurements with 332 owner-managers, the global shape of the utility function (i.e., S-shaped versus concave or convex over the total range of outcomes) appears to discriminate organizational behavior. Whereas the degree of risk aversion, based on the local shape of the utility

Identification of animal behavioral strategies by inverse reinforcement learning.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shoichiro Yamaguchi

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Animals are able to reach a desired state in an environment by controlling various behavioral patterns. Identification of the behavioral strategy used for this control is important for understanding animals' decision-making and is fundamental to dissect information processing done by the nervous system. However, methods for quantifying such behavioral strategies have not been fully established. In this study, we developed an inverse reinforcement-learning (IRL framework to identify an animal's behavioral strategy from behavioral time-series data. We applied this framework to C. elegans thermotactic behavior; after cultivation at a constant temperature with or without food, fed worms prefer, while starved worms avoid the cultivation temperature on a thermal gradient. Our IRL approach revealed that the fed worms used both the absolute temperature and its temporal derivative and that their behavior involved two strategies: directed migration (DM and isothermal migration (IM. With DM, worms efficiently reached specific temperatures, which explains their thermotactic behavior when fed. With IM, worms moved along a constant temperature, which reflects isothermal tracking, well-observed in previous studies. In contrast to fed animals, starved worms escaped the cultivation temperature using only the absolute, but not the temporal derivative of temperature. We also investigated the neural basis underlying these strategies, by applying our method to thermosensory neuron-deficient worms. Thus, our IRL-based approach is useful in identifying animal strategies from behavioral time-series data and could be applied to a wide range of behavioral studies, including decision-making, in other organisms.

California Women and the Strategies Utilized on the Path to the Superintendency

Science.gov (United States)

Guzman, Anna-Maria

2012-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify leadership strategies utilized and the barriers encountered by females in pursuit of the role of superintendent. This study also intended to identify the strategies women used to overcome these barriers. Methodology: This study utilized descriptive research. Descriptive research involves gathering…

Selenium Utilization Strategy by Microalgae

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Hiroya Araie

2009-11-01

Full Text Available The diversity of selenoproteins raises the question of why so many life forms require selenium. Selenoproteins are found in bacteria, archaea, and many eukaryotes. In photosynthetic microorganisms, the essential requirement for selenium has been reported in 33 species belonging to six phyla, although its biochemical significance is still unclear. According to genome databases, 20 species are defined as selenoprotein-producing organisms, including five photosynthetic organisms. In a marine coccolithophorid, Emiliania huxleyi (Haptophyta, we recently found unique characteristics of selenium utilization and novel selenoproteins using 75Se-tracer experiments. In E. huxleyi, selenite, not selenate, is the main substrate used and its uptake is driven by an ATP-dependent highaffinity, active transport system. Selenite is immediately metabolized to low-molecular mass compounds and partly converted to at least six selenoproteins, named EhSEP1–6. The most (EhSEP2 and second-most abundant selenoproteins (EhSEP1 are disulfide isomerase (PDI homologous protein and thioredoxin reductase (TR 1, respectively. Involvement of selenium in PDI is unique in this organism, while TR1 is also found in other organisms. In this review, we summarize physiological, biochemical, and molecular aspects of selenium utilization by microalgae and discuss their strategy of selenium utilization.

Strategic Risk Management Behavior: What Can Utility Functions Tell Us

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Pennings, J.M.E.; Garcia, P.

2004-01-01

Abstract The validity of the utility concept, particularly in an expected utility framework, has been questioned because of its inability to predict revealed behavior. In this paper we focus on the global shape of the utility function instead of the local shape of the utility function. We examine

Preservice Teachers' Knowledge and Perceptions of Effective Behavior Management Strategies

Science.gov (United States)

Nields, Allison N.

2014-01-01

This study examined student teachers' perceptions and knowledge of behavior management strategies. A questionnaire that included questions about broad behavior management techniques, behavioral learning theory, and behavior management strategies related to behavioral learning theory was given to sixty-one student teacher candidates at a large…

Strategies Utilized by Professional Nurses in the Primary Health ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Strategies Utilized by Professional Nurses in the Primary Health Care Facilities Regarding Adherence of Patients to Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART) in Capricorn District, Limpopo Province, South Africa.

Strategies to Position Behavior Analysis as the Contemporary Science of What Works in Behavior Change

OpenAIRE

Smith, Julie M.

2015-01-01

The negative perception of behavior analysis by the public, and conveyed in mass media, is well-recognized by the professional community of behavior analysts. Several strategies for correcting this perception have been deployed in the field by organizational behavior management practitioners, in particular, with encouraging results. These strategies include (a) reframing behaviorism in a more resonant format, (b) pushing direct outcome comparisons between behavior analysis and its rivals, and...

Electric utility fuel choice behavior in the United States

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Joskow, P.L.; Mishkin, F.S.

1977-10-01

Electric utility fuel choice behavior is analyzed by a conditional logit model to determine the effects of changing oil prices of five plants. Three of the plants faced favorable expected coal prices and, like many areas of the country, were insensitive to changing oil prices. This was not the case at the New England plant, however, where relatively small price increases would decrease the likelihood of choosing oil as an alternative fuel for new plants. The modeling of utility behavior in fuel decisions is felt to be applicable to other industries where a continuum of decision possibilities does not reasonably characterize choice alternatives. New behavior models are urged in order to obtain better predictions of the effects of a changing economic environment. 10 references.

Behavioral health service utilization and preferences of older adults receiving home-based aging services.

Science.gov (United States)

Gum, Amber M; Iser, Lindsay; Petkus, Andrew

2010-06-01

To examine use of behavioral health services, treatment preferences, and facilitators and barriers to service use in older adults receiving home-based services within the aging network. Cross-sectional survey. Interviews were conducted in participants' homes. One hundred forty-two clients receiving home-based aging services. Structured Clinical Interview for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition; Brief Symptom Inventory-18; Discrimination-Devaluation Scale; utilization of behavioral health services; and preferences, facilitators, and barriers for behavioral health services. Use of psychotropic medication was high (54.2%), primarily received in primary care settings (58.8%), with a few visits a year (54.0%). Participants were more likely to be taking psychotropic medication if they were younger and white. Approximately one-third of participants on antidepressant or antianxiety medication still met criteria for an Axis I disorder. Twenty-one participants (14.8%) reported receiving counseling within the past year, with a few visits or less a year for most (57.1%). Almost all were willing to see at least one professional (97.2%) and try prescribed medications or counseling (90.1%). The most common barriers to service use were practical: affordability (71.8%), difficulty traveling (62.7%), and lack of transportation (45.8%). Aging network clients receiving home-based services have ready access to psychotropic medications but receive very few specialty behavioral health services and medication monitoring visits. They are willing to use a variety of behavioral health services and perceive mainly practical barriers to using services. The aging network has significant potential to enhance access to service utilization; strategies for integrating behavioral health services in the aging network are discussed.

Behavioral Correlates of Coping Strategies in Close Relationships

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Claude Bélanger

2012-08-01

Full Text Available The main objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between specific coping strategies and problem-solving/communication behaviors in close relationships. The sample consisted of 72 couples who completed the Dyadic Adjustment Scale and the Marital Coping Questionnaire and who also participated in a filmed 30-minute discussion where they had to solve a relational problem. Observed behaviors were coded using a macroscopic coding system for dyadic interactions. For both men and women, results show significant relationships between coping strategies, marital interaction, and marital adjustment. For women, coping strategies and behavioral dimensions independently accounted for observed fluctuations in marital satisfaction scores. Theoretical implications of these results are discussed.

ASSESSING TAXPAYER BEHAVIOR IN UTILIZING E-FILLING TAX SYSTEM WITH THE PERSPECTIVE OF TECHNOLOGY ACCEPTANCE MODEL AND THE THEORY OF PLANNED BEHAVIOR

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maharani H.

2017-07-01

Full Text Available This study aims to assess the factors which influence taxpayer behavior in utilizing e-filling tax system. This study combines Technology Acceptance Model and the Theory of Planned Behavior. The data was collected through a survey method. It took 100 respondents of the personal taxpayers of the Pratama Gresik Utara tax office's employee in utilizing the e-filing to submit their tax return. In order to assess the data, the researchers used Partial Least Square statistical method. The finding shows that the intention construct has a positive influence over the e-filling utilization behavior. Behavioral control has a positive influence over the behavior through the e-filing utilization intention. Easy of use, purpose, attitude, subjective norm, and behavioral control have a positive influence over the e-filing utilization intention. Credibility has a negative influence over the e-filing utilization intention. This study involved the Application Service Provider, Directorate General of Taxes, and KPP Pratama which have to more pay attention the behavior, intention, easy of use, purpose, attitude, subjective norm, and behavioral control of the taxpayer.

Mental and Social Health Impacts the Use of Protective Behavioral Strategies in Reducing Risky Drinking and Alcohol Consequences

Science.gov (United States)

LaBrie, Joseph W.; Kenney, Shannon R.; Lac, Andrew; Garcia, Jonathan A.; Ferraiolo, Paul

2009-01-01

The present study is the first to examine the moderating effects of mental and social health status in the relationship between protective behavioral strategies utilized to reduce high-risk drinking (e.g., alternating alcoholic and nonalcoholic drinks or avoiding drinking games) and alcohol outcomes (drinking variables and alcohol-related negative…

The utility of theory of planned behavior in predicting consistent ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

admin

disease. Objective: To examine the utility of theory of planned behavior in predicting consistent condom use intention of HIV .... (24-25), making subjective norms as better predictors of intention ..... Organizational Behavior and Human Decision.

Workplace deviance: strategies for modifying employee behavior.

Science.gov (United States)

Pulich, Marcia; Tourigny, Louise

2004-01-01

More than ever, today's health care employees must perform their jobs as efficiently and effectively as possible. Job performance must integrate both technical and necessary soft skills. Workplace deviant behaviors are counterproductive to good job performance. Various deviant behaviors are examined. Areas and strategies of managerial intervention are reviewed which will enable the prevention or modification of undesired employee behaviors.

Utilization of High-Temperature Slags From Metallurgy Based on Crystallization Behaviors

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Yongqi; Zhang, Zuotai

2018-05-01

Here, following the principle of modifying crystallization behaviors, including avoidance and optimization, we review recent research on the utilization of hot slags. Because of the high-temperature property (1450-1650°C), the utilization of hot slags are much different from that of other wastes. We approach this issue from two main directions, namely, material recycling and heat utilization. From the respect of material recycling, the utilization of slags mainly follows total utilization and partial utilization, whereas the heat recovery from slags follows two main paths, namely, physical granulation and chemical reaction. The effective disposal of hot slags greatly depends on clarifying the crystallization behaviors, and thus, we discuss some optical techniques and their applicable scientific insights. For the purpose of crystallization avoidance, characterizing the glass-forming ability of slags is of great significance, whereas for crystallization modification, the selection of chemical additives and control of crystallization conditions comprise the central routes.

Effect of Pediatric Behavioral Health Screening and Colocated Services on Ambulatory and Inpatient Utilization.

Science.gov (United States)

Hacker, Karen A; Penfold, Robert B; Arsenault, Lisa N; Zhang, Fang; Soumerai, Stephen B; Wissow, Lawrence S

2015-11-01

The study sought to determine the impact of a pediatric behavioral health screening and colocation model on utilization of behavioral health care. In 2003, Cambridge Health Alliance, a Massachusetts public health system, introduced behavioral health screening and colocation of social workers sequentially within its pediatric practices. An interrupted time-series study was conducted to determine the impact on behavioral health care utilization in the 30 months after model implementation compared with the 18 months prior. Specifically, the change in trends of ambulatory, emergency, and inpatient behavioral health utilization was examined. Utilization data for 11,223 children ages ≥4 years 9 months to <18 years 3 months seen from 2003 to 2008 contributed to the study. In the 30 months after implementation of pediatric behavioral health screening and colocation, there was a 20.4% cumulative increase in specialty behavioral health visit rates (trend of .013% per month, p=.049) and a 67.7% cumulative increase in behavioral health primary care visit rates (trend of .019% per month, p<.001) compared with the expected rates predicted by the 18-month preintervention trend. In addition, behavioral health emergency department visit rates increased 245% compared with the expected rate (trend .01% per month, p=.002). After the implementation of a behavioral health screening and colocation model, more children received behavioral health treatment. Contrary to expectations, behavioral health emergency department visits also increased. Further study is needed to determine whether this is an effect of how care was organized for children newly engaged in behavioral health care or a reflection of secular trends in behavioral health utilization or both.

Characterization of PTO and Idle Behavior for Utility Vehicles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Duran, Adam W. [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Konan, Arnaud M. [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Miller, Eric S. [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Kelly, Kenneth J. [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Prohaska, Robert S. [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

2017-09-28

This report presents the results of analyses performed on utility vehicle data composed primarily of aerial lift bucket trucks sampled from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory's Fleet DNA database to characterize power takeoff (PTO) and idle operating behavior for utility trucks. Two major data sources were examined in this study: a 75-vehicle sample of Odyne electric PTO (ePTO)-equipped vehicles drawn from multiple fleets spread across the United States and 10 conventional PTO-equipped Pacific Gas and Electric fleet vehicles operating in California. Novel data mining approaches were developed to identify PTO and idle operating states for each of the datasets using telematics and controller area network/onboard diagnostics data channels. These methods were applied to the individual datasets and aggregated to develop utilization curves and distributions describing PTO and idle behavior in both absolute and relative operating terms. This report also includes background information on the source vehicles, development of the analysis methodology, and conclusions regarding the study's findings.

Condom utilization and sexual behavior of female sex workers in Northwest Ethiopia: A cross-sectional study.

Science.gov (United States)

Tamene, Masresha Molla; Tessema, Gizachew Assefa; Beyera, Getahun Kebede

2015-01-01

Sexually transmitted infections are among the most important public health problems in the world. People who indulge in unsafe sex, such as female sex workers are the most at risk population groups due to multiple sexual partners and inconsistent condom use. The aim of this study was to assess condom utilization and sexual behavior of female sex workers in Gondar town, Northwest Ethiopia. A quantitative cross-sectional study triangulated with qualitative method was conducted from March 20 - April 10, 2014 in Gondar town. The quantitative data were collected through interviewing 488 female sex workers while in-depth interview was administered to collect qualitative data from 10 female sex workers. The collected data were entered into EPI-INFO version 3.5.3 and exported to SPSS version 20.0 software for analysis. Logistic regression analysis was done to determine the association between condom utilization and independent variables. This study revealed that less than half (47.7%) of the respondents utilized condom with any type of client. Secondary education or above, perceiving themselves at risk of HIV/AIDS infection, having awareness that sexually transmitted infections could increase HIV infection, being tested for HIV/AIDS in the last 12 months, and having lower number of clients in a month were positively associated with condom utilization. This finding depicted that condom utilization was low among female sex workers. Thus, developing and implementing target oriented behavioral change and communication strategies are needed to prevent the risk of acquiring HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections in female sex workers.

Using goal setting as a strategy for dietary behavior change.

Science.gov (United States)

Cullen, K W; Baranowski, T; Smith, S P

2001-05-01

Recent reviews have noted that behavioral theory-based nutrition education programs are more successful at achieving food behavior change than knowledge-based programs and that a clear understanding of the mechanisms of behavior change procedures enable dietetics professionals to more effectively promote change. Successful dietary behavior change programs target 1 or more of the personal, behavioral, or environmental factors that influence the behavior of interest and apply theory-based strategies to influence or change those factors. Goal setting is a strategy that is frequently used to help people change. A 4-step goal-setting process has been identified: recognizing a need for change; establishing a goal; adopting a goal-directed activity and self-monitoring it; and self-rewarding goal attainment. The applications of goal setting in dietary interventions for adults and children are reviewed here. Because interventions using goal setting appear to promote dietary change, dietitians should consider incorporating the goal-setting strategies to enhance the behavior change process in nutrition education programs.

Growth strategies of electric utilities in context of deregulation and liberalization of electricity market

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maria Đogić

2017-01-01

Full Text Available This paper identifies the growth strategies adopted by the electric utilities sector in the context of changes resulting from the deregulation and liberalization of the electricity market. Strategies pursued by the electric utilities sector were rarely the subject of research in the field of strategic management despite the fact that electricity is an indispensable element of everyday life and the economy as a whole. Therefore, a case study of the largest incumbent electric utilities in the Republic of Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, and Macedonia has been conducted, and differences in the degree of market liberalization and core features of these companies have been noted. Research findings have shown that the degree of deregulation can affect the growth strategies of electric utilities. In those countries where the degree of deregulation is lower, electric utilities focus on the domestic market. On the other hand, a higher level of deregulation enables electric utilities to achieve their growth through diversification or innovation. Given the fact that the analyzed electric utilities are operating within relatively small economies, they cannot compete with electric utilities in developed countries, and, apart from international electricity trading, are mostly focused on their domestic markets.

Risk management strategies utilized by small scale poultry farmers ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Birds can only tolerate narrow temperature changes; therefore, poultry flocks are vulnerable to climate induced risk. This study investigated risk management strategies utilized by small scale poultry farmers in Oyo state. A total of 118 respondents were sampled using multi stage sampling procedure. Interview schedule was ...

The energy-efficiency business - Energy utility strategies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Loebbe, S.

2009-01-01

This article takes a look at the energy-efficiency business and the advantages it offers. The author quotes that energy-efficiency can contribute to making savings in primary energy, minimise the economic impact of global warming, improve reliability of supply and protect the gross national product. The advantages of new products for the efficient use of energy are reviewed and the resulting advantages for power customers are noted. Also, possibilities for the positioning of electricity suppliers in the environmental niche is noted. The partial markets involved and estimates concerning the impact of energy-efficiency measures are reviewed. Climate protection, co-operation with energy agencies, consulting services and public relations aspects are also discussed. The prerequisites for successful marketing by the utilities are examined and new business models are discussed along with the clear strategies needed. The development from an electricity utility to a system-competence partner is reviewed

Comparing strategies to assess multiple behavior change in behavioral intervention studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Drake, Bettina F; Quintiliani, Lisa M; Sapp, Amy L; Li, Yi; Harley, Amy E; Emmons, Karen M; Sorensen, Glorian

2013-03-01

Alternatives to individual behavior change methods have been proposed, however, little has been done to investigate how these methods compare. To explore four methods that quantify change in multiple risk behaviors targeting four common behaviors. We utilized data from two cluster-randomized, multiple behavior change trials conducted in two settings: small businesses and health centers. Methods used were: (1) summative; (2) z-score; (3) optimal linear combination; and (4) impact score. In the Small Business study, methods 2 and 3 revealed similar outcomes. However, physical activity did not contribute to method 3. In the Health Centers study, similar results were found with each of the methods. Multivitamin intake contributed significantly more to each of the summary measures than other behaviors. Selection of methods to assess multiple behavior change in intervention trials must consider study design, and the targeted population when determining the appropriate method/s to use.

General Parenting Strategies: Practical Suggestions for Common Child Behavior Issues.

Science.gov (United States)

Kavan, Michael G; Saxena, Shailendra K; Rafiq, Naureen

2018-05-15

Parents often seek guidance from physicians on child behavior problems. Questions may range from general parenting strategies to managing specific child behaviors. Physicians and their staff can identify problematic parent-child interactions or behaviors within the office setting and assist parents by providing effective monitoring tools for behavior problems. Effective strategies for influencing a child's behavior include positive reinforcement to increase appropriate behavior, extinction (planned ignoring) for most low-level problematic behaviors, and time-out from reinforcement for more problematic behaviors. Written contracting provides parents the opportunity to communicate with their children about important behaviors and strengthens the commitment of each party to improve behavior. Parents should be cautioned about the use of punishment (e.g., scolding, taking away privileges or possessions) because it suppresses behavior only temporarily. Physicians should discourage physical or corporal punishment because it is related to negative parent-child relationships, increased aggressiveness, antisocial behavior, lower cognitive ability, lower self-esteem, mental health problems, and increased risk of physical abuse.

Evaluating the combined effectiveness of influenza control strategies and human preventive behavior.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Liang Mao

Full Text Available Control strategies enforced by health agencies are a major type of practice to contain influenza outbreaks. Another type of practice is the voluntary preventive behavior of individuals, such as receiving vaccination, taking antiviral drugs, and wearing face masks. These two types of practices take effects concurrently in influenza containment, but little attention has been paid to their combined effectiveness. This article estimates this combined effectiveness using established simulation models in the urbanized area of Buffalo, NY, USA. Three control strategies are investigated, including: Targeted Antiviral Prophylaxis (TAP, workplace/school closure, community travel restriction, as well as the combination of the three. All control strategies are simulated with and without regard to individual preventive behavior, and the resulting effectiveness are compared. The simulation outcomes suggest that weaker control strategies could suffice to contain influenza epidemics, because individuals voluntarily adopt preventive behavior, rendering these weaker strategies more effective than would otherwise have been expected. The preventive behavior of individuals could save medical resources for control strategies and avoid unnecessary socio-economic interruptions. This research adds a human behavioral dimension into the simulation of control strategies and offers new insights into disease containment. Health policy makers are recommended to review current control strategies and comprehend preventive behavior patterns of local populations before making decisions on influenza containment.

Electric utilities strategies in final energy markets; Nuove strategie d'impresa sui mercati finali dell'energia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bianchi, A. [RIE S.r.L., Bologna (Italy)

2000-07-01

In rapidly changing markets, electric utilities pay growing attention to customers and service. They are aware that competition needs strategies capable of transforming and strengthening the privileged position resulting from the knowledge of the market. Moreover, this aspect is the link between different value chains to describe new multi utility approaches. [Italian] In mercati in rapida evoluzione, cresce nelle compagnie energetiche l'attenzione al cliente e al servizio; la concorrenza va affrontata con strategie di trasformazione e rafforzamento della posizione di privilegio che la conoscenza del mercato offre. Questo elemento rappresenta poi il ponte tra catene del valore diverse, verso un nuovo approccio multi-servizi.

Factors Associated with South Korean Early Childhood Educators' Observed Behavior Support Strategies

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Yeon Ha; Stormont, Melissa

2012-01-01

This study was an exploratory study of 34 South Korean early childhood educators' strategies for addressing behavior problems in natural settings. Factors related to teachers' strategy implementation were also explored. Four specific teacher behaviors were observed: precorrection, behavioral-specific praise, redirection, and reprimand/punishment.…

Utility-Marketing Partnerships: An Effective Strategy for Marketing Green Power?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bird, L. A.; Brown, E. S.

2006-04-01

This paper explores whether partnerships between utilities and independent marketers are an effective strategy for marketing green power. We present case studies of voluntary and mandatory partnerships covering green power program design and implementation in both regulated and restructured electricity markets. We also include perspectives (based on interviews) from utilities, marketers, and regulators involved in developing and implementing these partnerships. From these case studies and interviews, we describe lessons learned about developing effective partnerships, including such issues as respective roles in marketing and administration, product branding, and contract and incentive structures. Based on experience to date, strategic partnerships between utilities and marketers can be an effective approach to marketing green power. Partnerships leverage the sales and resource procurement experience of marketers and the utility?s reputation and access to customers. Further, partnerships can create greater incentives for success because marketers have a vested financial interest in maximizing customer participation and green power sales.

Effects of Strategies Marketing of Collective Buying about Impulsive Behavior

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Suzi Elen Ferreira Dias

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Brazil has the second largest e-commerce market in the world. One model used in this sector is "collective buying", a feature of which is impulse sales. Consumer behavior can be influenced by several factors, two of which are addressed in this article: the individual impulsivity of consumers and strategies of mix marketing. Impulsive buying is characterized by an unplanned purchase, i.e. the need to acquire the product arises just before the purchase. Consumers respond differently to mixed strategies depending on their degree of impulsivity. Thus, this article aims to analyze the efficacy of different marketing mix strategies for impulsive and non-impulsive consumer purchasing behavior. 137 participants were given a questionnaire containing the Buying Impulsiveness scale from Rook and Fisher (1995, and statements about the marketing strategies used by collective buying sites. Through a regression analysis, three strategies were found to relate more to impulsivity: search for products from well-known brands, search for deals with big discounts and confidence in receiving the product. For e-commerce and researchers, this study elucidates which strategies, from the consumer's perspective, effectively persuade purchasing behavior.

Utility of the theories of reasoned action and planned behavior for predicting physician behavior: a prospective analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Millstein, S G

1996-09-01

The utility of the theory of reasoned action (TRA) and the theory of planned behavior (TPB) for prospectively predicting physicians' delivery of preventive services was compared. Primary care physicians (N = 765) completed 2 mail surveys at periods 6 months apart. The addition of perceived behavioral control to the TRA model significantly increased the variance accounted for in behavioral intention and subsequent behavior (p behavioral control had direct effects on behavior and interacted with social norms and behavioral intentions. Applications of models such as the TRA or TPB have focused primarily on predicting the behavioral intentions and behaviors of patients. Results suggest that these models have relevance for studying the behavior of health care providers as well.

Energy minimization strategies and renewable energy utilization for desalination: a review.

Science.gov (United States)

Subramani, Arun; Badruzzaman, Mohammad; Oppenheimer, Joan; Jacangelo, Joseph G

2011-02-01

Energy is a significant cost in the economics of desalinating waters, but water scarcity is driving the rapid expansion in global installed capacity of desalination facilities. Conventional fossil fuels have been utilized as their main energy source, but recent concerns over greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions have promoted global development and implementation of energy minimization strategies and cleaner energy supplies. In this paper, a comprehensive review of energy minimization strategies for membrane-based desalination processes and utilization of lower GHG emission renewable energy resources is presented. The review covers the utilization of energy efficient design, high efficiency pumping, energy recovery devices, advanced membrane materials (nanocomposite, nanotube, and biomimetic), innovative technologies (forward osmosis, ion concentration polarization, and capacitive deionization), and renewable energy resources (solar, wind, and geothermal). Utilization of energy efficient design combined with high efficiency pumping and energy recovery devices have proven effective in full-scale applications. Integration of advanced membrane materials and innovative technologies for desalination show promise but lack long-term operational data. Implementation of renewable energy resources depends upon geography-specific abundance, a feasible means of handling renewable energy power intermittency, and solving technological and economic scale-up and permitting issues. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Features of brand perception by people with different strategies of consumer behavior

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Antonova N. V.

2018-03-01

Full Text Available The article describes the results of the research of perception of the domestic and foreign clothing brands by Russian consumers with various strategies of consumer behavior. The study involved 169 people of various ages (m = 24.5 years. Methods of research: a the method of semantic differential for the analysis of the image of the brand, developed by F.N. Vinokurov; b an adapted methodology for researching consumer behavior strategies. Based on the obtained results, it is concluded that there are specific features of perception of domestic and foreign brands by Russian consumers with different consumer behavior strategies: 1 the image of the Russian brand is more complicated, includes 5 factors, while the image of the foreign brand includes 3 factors; 2 8 basic and three generalized strategies of consumer behavior of Russians are singled out, and the content of strategies differs from the content of strategies of foreign consumers; 3 the peculiarities of brand perception in people with different consumer behavior strategies are highlighted, and it is found that the perception of foreign brands is more closely connected with the strategies of consumer behavior than the perception of domestic brands; 4 brand image (primarily such parameters as “reliability” and “positivity” of the brand is more significant for rational and impulsive consumers and to a lesser extent for brand-dependent ones. The obtained results can be used in the construction of brand communication, as well as a basis for further research of the mechanisms of perception of brands as objects of social cognition.

Derivative Trade Optimizing Model Utilizing GP Based on Behavioral Finance Theory

Science.gov (United States)

Matsumura, Koki; Kawamoto, Masaru

This paper proposed a new technique which makes the strategy trees for the derivative (option) trading investment decision based on the behavioral finance theory and optimizes it using evolutionary computation, in order to achieve high profitability. The strategy tree uses a technical analysis based on a statistical, experienced technique for the investment decision. The trading model is represented by various technical indexes, and the strategy tree is optimized by the genetic programming(GP) which is one of the evolutionary computations. Moreover, this paper proposed a method using the prospect theory based on the behavioral finance theory to set psychological bias for profit and deficit and attempted to select the appropriate strike price of option for the higher investment efficiency. As a result, this technique produced a good result and found the effectiveness of this trading model by the optimized dealings strategy.

The Use of Protective Behavioral Strategies Is Related to Reduced Risk in Heavy Drinking College Students with Poorer Mental and Physical Health

Science.gov (United States)

LaBrie, Joseph W.; Kenney, Shannon R.; Lac, Andrew

2010-01-01

The present study examined the moderating role of health status (physical, mental, and social health) and the relationships between protective behavioral strategies utilized to reduce high-risk drinking (e.g., avoiding drinking games, setting consumption limits, or having a designated driver) and alcohol use and negative consequences in a sample…

The Relationship between Emotion Regulation Strategies and Interpersonal Behavior among Substance Abusers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adel Zahed

2009-10-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Individuals with substance abuse show signs of negative emotion regulation strategies and impaired interpersonal behaviors. The aim of the present research was to determine the relationship between emotion regulation strategies and interpersonal behavior among substance abusers. Method: The research design was a correlation study. The research sample consisted of 100 who were selected of the substance abusers that referred to clinical of addiction withdrawal by random sample method in Ardabil city. To collect the data, Emotion regulation Scale and Interpersonal Reactivity Index were used. Results: The results showed that positive and negative emotion regulation strategies were correlated to interpersonal behavior in substance abusers. The results of multiple regression analysis showed positive and negative emotion regulation strategies explained 16 percent of interpersonal behavior variance. Also the results showed that “putting into perspective“ was found to be the best predictor for interpersonal behavior. Conclusion: These results have important implications in psychopathological of substance abuse. On the basis of these results, clinicians can use emotion regulation strategies in order to cope substance abuse.

Market behavior and performance of different strategy evaluation schemes

OpenAIRE

Yongjoo Baek; Sang Hoon Lee; Hawoong Jeong

2010-01-01

Strategy evaluation schemes are a crucial factor in any agent-based market model, as they determine the agents' strategy preferences and consequently their behavioral pattern. This study investigates how the strategy evaluation schemes adopted by agents affect their performance in conjunction with the market circumstances. We observe the performance of three strategy evaluation schemes, the history-dependent wealth game, the trend-opposing minority game, and the trend-following majority game,...

What is heartburn worth? A cost-utility analysis of management strategies.

Science.gov (United States)

Heudebert, G R; Centor, R M; Klapow, J C; Marks, R; Johnson, L; Wilcox, C M

2000-03-01

To determine the best treatment strategy for the management of patients presenting with symptoms consistent with uncomplicated heartburn. We performed a cost-utility analysis of 4 alternatives: empirical proton pump inhibitor, empirical histamine2-receptor antagonist, and diagnostic strategies consisting of either esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) or an upper gastrointestinal series before treatment. The time horizon of the model was 1 year. The base case analysis assumed a cohort of otherwise healthy 45-year-old individuals in a primary care practice. Empirical treatment with a proton pump inhibitor was projected to provide the greatest quality-adjusted survival for the cohort. Empirical treatment with a histamine2 receptor antagonist was projected to be the least costly of the alternatives. The marginal cost-effectiveness of using a proton pump inhibitor over a histamine2-receptor antagonist was approximately $10,400 per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) gained in the base case analysis and was less than $50,000 per QALY as long as the utility for heartburn was less than 0.95. Both diagnostic strategies were dominated by proton pump inhibitor alternative. Empirical treatment seems to be the optimal initial management strategy for patients with heartburn, but the choice between a proton pump inhibitor or histamine2-receptor antagonist depends on the impact of heartburn on quality of life.

Ethnic and racial differences in mental health service utilization for suicidal ideation and behavior in a nationally representative sample of adolescents.

Science.gov (United States)

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

2016-09-15

This study examined racial/ethnic differences in mental health treatment utilization for suicidal ideation and behavior in a nationally representative sample of adolescents. Data were drawn from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Participants included 4176 depressed adolescents with suicidal ideation and behavior in the previous year. Weighted logistic regressions were estimated to examine whether adolescent racial/ethnic minorities had lower rates of past-year treatment for suicidal ideation and behavior in inpatient or outpatient settings, while adjusting for age, depressive symptom severity, family income, and health insurance status. Among adolescents with any suicidal ideation and behavior, and suicide attempts specifically, non-Hispanic blacks and Native Americans were less likely than whites to receive outpatient treatment, and multiracial adolescents were less likely to be admitted to inpatient facilities. Apart from Hispanics, racial/ethnic minorities were generally less likely to receive mental health care for suicidal ideation, particularly within psychiatric outpatient settings. A pattern emerged with racial/ethnic differences in treatment receipt being greatest for adolescents with the least severe suicidal ideation and behavior. The cross-sectional data limits our ability to form causal inferences. Strikingly low rates of treatment utilization for suicidal ideation and behavior were observed across all racial/ethnic groups. Certain racial/ethnic minorities may be less likely to seek treatment for suicidal ideation and behavior when symptoms are less severe, with this gap in treatment use narrowing as symptom severity increases. Native Americans were among the racial/ethnic groups with lowest treatment utilization, but also among the highest for rates of suicide attempts, highlighting the pressing need for strategies to increase mental health service use in this particularly vulnerable population. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights

Ethnic and racial differences in mental health service utilization for suicidal ideation and behavior in a nationally representative sample of adolescents

Science.gov (United States)

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

2016-01-01

Background This study examined racial/ethnic differences in mental health treatment utilization for suicidal ideation and behavior in a nationally representative sample of adolescents. Method Data were drawn from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Participants included 4,176 depressed adolescents with suicidal ideation and behavior in the previous year. Weighted logistic regressions were estimated to examine whether adolescent racial/ethnic minorities had lower rates of past-year treatment for suicidal ideation and behavior in inpatient or outpatient settings, while adjusting for age, depressive symptom severity, family income, and health insurance status. Results Among adolescents with any suicidal ideation and behavior, and suicide attempts specifically, non-Hispanic blacks and Native Americans were less likely than whites to receive outpatient treatment, and multiracial adolescents were less likely to be admitted to inpatient facilities. Apart from Hispanics, racial/ethnic minorities were generally less likely to receive mental health care for suicidal ideation, particularly within psychiatric outpatient settings. A pattern emerged with racial/ethnic differences in treatment receipt being greatest for adolescents with the least severe suicidal ideation and behavior. Limitations The cross-sectional data limits our ability to form causal inferences. Conclusion Strikingly low rates of treatment utilization for suicidal ideation and behavior were observed across all racial/ethnic groups. Certain racial/ethnic minorities may be less likely to seek treatment for suicidal ideation and behavior when symptoms are less severe, with this gap in treatment use narrowing as symptom severity increases. Native Americans were among the racial/ethnic groups with lowest treatment utilization, but also among the highest for rates of suicide attempts, highlighting the pressing need for strategies to increase mental health service use in this particularly vulnerable

The Informational Content of the Shape of Utility Functions: Financial Strategic Behavior

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Pennings, J.M.E.; Garcia, P.

2009-01-01

Recently, Pennings and Smidts (2003) showed a relationship between organizational behavior and the global shape of the utility function. Their results suggest that the shape of the utility function may be related to `higher-order¿ decisions. This research examines the relationship between financial

Teaching Students with Behavioral Disorders to Use a Negotiation Procedure: Impact on Classroom Behavior and Conflict Resolution Strategy

Science.gov (United States)

Bullock, Cathy

2012-01-01

The impact of the instruction of a six-step problem solving negotiation procedure on the conflict resolution strategies and classroom behavior of six elementary students with challenging behaviors was examined. Moderately positive effects were found for the following negotiation strategies used by students: independent problem solving, problem…

Using Neural Data to Test A Theory of Investor Behavior: An Application to Realization Utility.

Science.gov (United States)

Frydman, Cary; Barberis, Nicholas; Camerer, Colin; Bossaerts, Peter; Rangel, Antonio

2014-04-01

We use measures of neural activity provided by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to test the "realization utility" theory of investor behavior, which posits that people derive utility directly from the act of realizing gains and losses. Subjects traded stocks in an experimental market while we measured their brain activity. We find that all subjects exhibit a strong disposition effect in their trading, even though it is suboptimal. Consistent with the realization utility explanation for this behavior, we find that activity in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, an area known to encode the value of options during choices, correlates with the capital gains of potential trades; that the neural measures of realization utility correlate across subjects with their individual tendency to exhibit a disposition effect; and that activity in the ventral striatum, an area known to encode information about changes in the present value of experienced utility, exhibits a positive response when subjects realize capital gains. These results provide support for the realization utility model and, more generally, demonstrate how neural data can be helpful in testing models of investor behavior.

Integrated EAP/Managed Behavioral Health Plan Utilization by Persons with Substance Use Disorders

Science.gov (United States)

Levy Merrick, Elizabeth S.; Hodgkin, Dominic; Hiatt, Deirdre; Horgan, Constance M.; Greenfield, Shelly F.; McCann, Bernard

2011-01-01

New federal parity and health reform legislation, promising increased behavioral health care access and a focus on prevention, has heightened interest in employee assistance programs (EAPs). This study investigated service utilization by persons with a primary substance use disorder (SUD) diagnosis in a managed behavioral healthcare organization's integrated EAP/managed behavioral health care product (N=1,158). In 2004, 25.0% of clients used the EAP first for new treatment episodes. After initial EAP utilization, 44.4% received no additional formal services through the plan and 40.4% received regular outpatient services. Overall, outpatient care, intensive outpatient/day treatment, and inpatient/residential detoxification were most common. About half of clients had co-occurring psychiatric diagnoses. Mental health service utilization was extensive. Findings suggest that for service users with primary SUD diagnoses in an integrated EAP/MBHC product, the EAP benefit plays a key role at the front end of treatment and is often only one component of treatment episodes. PMID:21185684

Electric utility strategies and the emerging industry structure - Part 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Motupalli, S.

1991-01-01

The electric utility industry is our most capital intensive industry by far. Over the past few decades, socioeconomic and technological forces have been quietly revolutionizing the way the industry conducts itself. During the 1980s, these changes have been particularly intense, often catching both regulators and regulated ill-prepared to develop effective and profitable strategies to deal with such change. Much has already been written about these changes: independent power producers, competitive procurement of resources, incentive-based regulation, the benefits of affiliated company structures, mergers and consolidation, customer energy conservation, and marketing strategy development are all currently highly popular article and seminar topics. The author's object in this two-part series is to facilitate development of a decision framework to put these various changes in perspective, to help develop effective strategies through better focused and equipped planning methodologies. Gaining an understanding of the role, strengths and weaknesses of the various players in an industry and the structural constraints in which they operate is a necessary precursor to developing effective operating strategies to deal with change or to manipulate industry forces in your favor. Michael Port's popular five forces model provides a convenient way to develop such an understanding. It provides a way to map the industry forces driving profitability, through a review of the strengths, weaknesses and leverage of: current industry players, suppliers to the industry, customers for the industry's product, new entrants into the market, and substitute products providing equal or better value. Part 1 of this series reviews each of these five forces along some key dimensions to determine their direction of change or influence, and whether this change impacts a utility's competitive position favorably or unfavorably

Utility of Interactional Strategies in the Study of Formal Operations Reasoning.

Science.gov (United States)

Siegler, Robert S.

This paper argues in favor of using interactional strategies in the study of formal operations reasoning. Interactional designs allow a convergent approach to specifying processes underlying the interaction of variables. In contrast, current methodologies contain two inherent disadvantages: they have limited utility in specifying the processes…

A strategy for investment in space resource utilization

Science.gov (United States)

Mendell, Wendell W.

1992-01-01

Considerations governing a strategy for investment in the utilization of space resources are discussed. It is suggested on the basis of an examination of current trends in terms of historical processes which operate on new frontiers that the limited markets and unfamiliar technologies associated with space commercialization today may change dramatically in 20 years when lunar resources are accessible. It is argued that the uncertainty of such projections discourages investment at a useful scale unless a strategy for technology development can be implemented which provides tangible and marketable benefits in the intermediate term. At present, technologies can be identified which will be required (and therefore valuable) at the time of lunar settlement, and whose development can be planned to yield marketable intermediate products on earth. It is concluded that the formation of precompetitive collaborative research consortia in the industrial sector could reduce technical and economic risk in the early stages and could promote a favorable political environment for the future growth of space activities.

Reading comprehension metacognitive strategies as a means for controlling behavior

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dinorah Aladina Caballero López

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Textual comprehension implies the use of various metacognitive strategies by the students when they have to face a text to be competent readers. That is why the objective of this article is to illustrate the application of metacognitive strategies in order to achieve an efficient textual comprehension, taking into account the self – regulation the student exerts over his own learning process. It is applied as the main method historical-logical studies based on a professional-researching systematic practice; at the same time observation is largely used. The main result is the introduction of metacognitive strategies in reading comprehension, which subsequently favor the self-control of personal behavior. The article is the result of a research project sponsored by the department of Special Education. Key words: reading comprehension, metacognitive strategies, behavior self-control.

Improving Inappropriate Social Behavior of Autistic Students Using the LISTEN Intervention Strategy

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Shammari, Zaid; Daniel, Cathy; Faulkner, Paula; Yawkey, Thomas D.

2010-01-01

A case study was conducted on the development of the LISTEN intervention strategy for use with autistic students to improve inappropriate social behaviors. The study was conducted in a special education classroom in an autism school in Kuwait. Examination of LISTEN Intervention Strategy applications included: duration of targeted behavior; methods…

A strategy for improving the profitability of utility power plants in a deregulated industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reinhart, E.R.

1996-01-01

When deregulation of the utility industry becomes a reality in the near future, power plant managers and engineers will face a completely changed business climate. Surviving in a competitive business world will require a dramatic alteration in the way most utility power plants are maintained and upgraded, and in their budget planning. Strategies will have to be developed and implemented that follow the guidelines of good business practices in competitive industries. Some utilities have already started to reduce overhead maintenance costs. Key aspects of their programs can serve as examples to other utilities who want to develop a strategy to improve their operating cost effectiveness. Cost-cutting measures have included development of procedures and data bases that allowed utilities to become independent of original equipment manufacturer (OEM) support and to keep their costs for maintenance, repairs, and replacement of power plant components to a minimum. Also, scheduled power plant outages based on the concepts of reliability-centered maintenance (Smith, 1993), remaining life assessment, and advanced integrity monitors instead of a fixed calendar (Swanekamp, 1996), have allowed utilities to extend the time between some outages by several years. These and other innovative approaches will become critical to power plants operating in the new, deregulated business climate. Examples of actual cost savings are presented here

The impact of cost recovery on electric utilities' Clean Air Act compliance strategies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bensinger, D.L.

1993-01-01

By 1995, over 200 electric power plant units in twenty one states must comply with Phase I of the acid rain requirements in Title IV of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments (CAAA). By the year 2000, an additional 2200 units must comply with the Title IV. Compliance costs are expected to necessitate significant electricity rate increases. In order to recover their compliance costs, utilities must file rate increase requests with state public utility commissions (PUC's), and undergo a rate proceeding involving public heatings. Because of the magnitude of cost and the complexity of compliance options, including interaction with Titles I and III of the CAAA, extensive PUC reviews of compliance strategies are likely. These reviews could become as adversarial as the nuclear prudence reviews of the 1980's. A lack of understanding of air pollution and the CAA by much of the general public and the flexibility of compliance options creates an environment conducive to adverse public reaction to the cost of complying with the Clean Air Act. Public attitudes toward pollution control technologies will be greatly affected by these hearings, and the early plant hearings will shape the utility rate making process under the Clean Air Act. Inadequate cost recovery due to constrained compliance strategies or adverse hearings could significantly inhibit industry willingness to invest in certain control technologies or advanced combustion technologies. There are already signs that Clean Air Act compliance will be the prudence issue of the 1990's for utilities, even where state statutes mandate particular compliance approaches. Specific actions should be undertaken now by the utility industry to improve the probability of sound cost recovery decisions, preserve compliance options, including multimedia strategies, and avoid the social- and cost-acceptance problems of nuclear power

Punishment Strategies: First Choice or Last Resort

Science.gov (United States)

Lukowiak, Twila; Bridges, Jennifer

2010-01-01

Is it appropriate to implement punishment strategies in the home and school settings when children display disrespectful and inappropriate behaviors? This article depicts the advantages and disadvantages of teachers and parents utilizing an array of punishment strategies including: (a) reprimands, (b) response cost, (c) timeout, and (d) corporal…

Utility-Marketer Partnerships. An Effective Strategy for Marketing Green Power?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bird, L. A. [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Brown, E. S. [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

2006-04-01

This paper explores whether partnerships between utilities and independent marketers are an effective strategy for marketing green power. We present case studies of voluntary and mandatory partnerships covering green power program design and implementation in both regulated and restructured electricity markets. We also include perspectives (based on interviews) from utilities, marketers, and regulators involved in developing and implementing these partnerships. From these case studies and interviews, we describe lessons learned about developing effective partnerships, including such issues as respective roles in marketing and administration, product branding, and contract and incentive structures. Based on experience to date, strategic partnerships between utilities and marketers can be an effective approach to marketing green power. Partnerships leverage the sales and resource procurement experience of marketers and the utility’s reputation and access to customers. Further, partnerships can create greater incentives for success because marketers have a vested financial interest in maximizing customer participation and green power sales.

Market behavior and performance of different strategy evaluation schemes.

Science.gov (United States)

Baek, Yongjoo; Lee, Sang Hoon; Jeong, Hawoong

2010-08-01

Strategy evaluation schemes are a crucial factor in any agent-based market model, as they determine the agents' strategy preferences and consequently their behavioral pattern. This study investigates how the strategy evaluation schemes adopted by agents affect their performance in conjunction with the market circumstances. We observe the performance of three strategy evaluation schemes, the history-dependent wealth game, the trend-opposing minority game, and the trend-following majority game, in a stock market where the price is exogenously determined. The price is either directly adopted from the real stock market indices or generated with a Markov chain of order ≤2 . Each scheme's success is quantified by average wealth accumulated by the traders equipped with the scheme. The wealth game, as it learns from the history, shows relatively good performance unless the market is highly unpredictable. The majority game is successful in a trendy market dominated by long periods of sustained price increase or decrease. On the other hand, the minority game is suitable for a market with persistent zigzag price patterns. We also discuss the consequence of implementing finite memory in the scoring processes of strategies. Our findings suggest under which market circumstances each evaluation scheme is appropriate for modeling the behavior of real market traders.

[Multilateral Strategies Utilizing Exosomes for Cancer Therapy].

Science.gov (United States)

Nishida-Aoki, Nao; Ochiya, Takahiro

2017-05-01

Exosomes are nano-sized extracellular vesicles which transfer their components such as RNA, DNA, and proteins from one cell to another cell. The components are released to the cytoplasm of the recipient cells, having an effect on the cells. Cancerderived exosomes promote cancer progression, invasion, gain of drug resistance, and metastasis. Recently, according to their characteristics, it is expected to apply exosomes to cancer therapies, such as utilizing exosomes as drug delivery systems(DDS) for anticancer drugs and as cancer vaccines to enhance immunity to cancer cells. More, as the cancer-derived exosomes have cancer-promoting effects on multiple stages, inhibiting the function of the cancer-derived exosomes would be helpful to cancer therapies by suppressing cancer progression. DDS and cancer vaccines utilizing exosomes are now undergoing clinical studies, although DDS is suffering from loading efficiency. Treatments by inhibiting the functions of cancer-derived exosomes have still only few reports at experimental levels. Recently, we showed in a mouse model that disruption of cancer-derived exosomes by antibodies could suppress lung metastasis of the human breast cancer cells. Exosomes will provide us the multiple strategies to fight with cancer, which can be applied to cancers from many organs. It is important to confirm safety and overcome technical problems to bring exosomes in practical use.

Teacher Perceptions and Behavioral Strategies for Students with Emotional Disturbance across Educational Environments

Science.gov (United States)

Evans, Chan; Weiss, Stacy L.; Cullinan, Douglas

2012-01-01

The present study examined problem characteristics of students with emotional disturbance in 3 educational environments, the behavior management and intervention strategies their teachers used, and what relation exists between problem characteristics and intervention strategies. Teachers completed a behavior problems rating scale and they…

Opioid management strategy decreases admissions in high-utilizing adults with sickle cell disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Mager, Amy; Pelot, Kristin; Koch, Kathryn; Miller, Lawrence; Hubler, Collin; Ndifor, Anisah; Coan, Canice; Leonard, Cynthia; Field, Joshua J

A subset of adults with sickle cell disease (SCD) heavily utilizes the emergency department (ED) and hospital. The objective of our study was to determine the efficacy of a multidisciplinary strategy to address unmet needs in highly utilizing adults with SCD. In a prospective study, adults with SCD with ≥10 admissions per year were assessed by a multidisciplinary team for gaps in medical, social, and psychological care. Thereafter, the team decided upon the subject's predominant domain that drove admissions and instituted an interventional plan. All plans included an opioid management strategy. Preintervention and postintervention admission rate, as well as opioid use, was compared. Twelve subjects were enrolled. Median rate of ED and hospital admissions preintervention was 25 per year. The predominant domains identified were social needs (n = 6), psychological disorder (n = 1), and substance use disorder (n = 5). Multifaceted interventional plans were developed to address a wide range of gaps in care, but an opioid management strategy was the only intervention successfully completed. Even so, when the preintervention versus postintervention admission rate was compared, regardless of the domain, there was a 40 percent decline in hospital admissions (p = 0.03). Consistent with the successful implementation of an opioid management plan, the decrease in admissions was accompanied by a 37 percent decrease in intravenous opioid use (p = 0.02) and 10 percent decrease in oral opioid use (p = 0.04). An opioid management strategy, as part of a larger effort to improve care for high-utilizing adults with SCD, decreased rate of admissions and opioid use.

Prevalence of behavior changing strategies in fitness video games: theory-based content analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Lyons, Elizabeth Jane; Hatkevich, Claire

2013-05-07

Fitness video games are popular, but little is known about their content. Because many contain interactive tools that mimic behavioral strategies from weight loss intervention programs, it is possible that differences in content could affect player physical activity and/or weight outcomes. There is a need for a better understanding of what behavioral strategies are currently available in fitness games and how they are implemented. The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of evidence-based behavioral strategies across fitness video games available for home use. Games available for consoles that used camera-based controllers were also contrasted with games available for a console that used handheld motion controllers. Fitness games (N=18) available for three home consoles were systematically identified and play-tested by 2 trained coders for at least 3 hours each. In cases of multiple games from one series, only the most recently released game was included. The Sony PlayStation 3 and Microsoft Xbox360 were the two camera-based consoles, and the Nintendo Wii was the handheld motion controller console. A coding list based on a taxonomy of behavioral strategies was used to begin coding. Codes were refined in an iterative process based on data found during play-testing. The most prevalent behavioral strategies were modeling (17/18), specific performance feedback (17/18), reinforcement (16/18), caloric expenditure feedback (15/18), and guided practice (15/18). All games included some kind of feedback on performance accuracy, exercise frequency, and/or fitness progress. Action planning (scheduling future workouts) was the least prevalent of the included strategies (4/18). Twelve games included some kind of social integration, with nine of them providing options for real-time multiplayer sessions. Only two games did not feature any kind of reward. Games for the camera-based consoles (mean 12.89, SD 2.71) included a greater number of strategies than those

Intervention Strategies Based on Information-Motivation-Behavioral Skills Model for Health Behavior Change: A Systematic Review

OpenAIRE

Chang, Sun Ju; Choi, Suyoung; Kim, Se-An; Song, Misoon

2014-01-01

Purpose: This study systematically reviewed research on behavioral interventions based on the information-motivation-behavioral skills (IMB) model to investigate specific intervention strategies that focus on information, motivation, and behavioral skills and to evaluate their effectiveness for people with chronic diseases. Methods: A systematic review was conducted in accordance with the guidelines of both the National Evidence-based Healthcare Collaborating Agency and Im and Chang. A lit...

Condom utilization and sexual behavior of female sex workers in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

People who indulge in unsafe sex, such as female sex workers are the most at risk population groups due to multiple sexual partners and inconsistent condom use. The aim of this study was to assess condom utilization and sexual behavior of female sex workers in Gondar town, Northwest Ethiopia. Methods: A quantitative ...

Strategies to Increase Behavior-Specific Teacher Praise in an Inclusive Environment

Science.gov (United States)

Musti-Rao, Shobana; Haydon, Todd

2011-01-01

Managing students' disruptive behavior in the classroom can be a time-consuming task and greatly reduces the amount of time teachers spend on instruction. Although there are several research-validated classroom management strategies, teachers are more likely to adopt strategies that are less time-consuming than strategies that take more time or…

An NMR strategy for fragment-based ligand screening utilizing a paramagnetic lanthanide probe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saio, Tomohide; Ogura, Kenji; Shimizu, Kazumi; Yokochi, Masashi; Burke, Terrence R.; Inagaki, Fuyuhiko

2011-01-01

A nuclear magnetic resonance-based ligand screening strategy utilizing a paramagnetic lanthanide probe is presented. By fixing a paramagnetic lanthanide ion to a target protein, a pseudo-contact shift (PCS) and a paramagnetic relaxation enhancement (PRE) can be observed for both the target protein and its bound ligand. Based on PRE and PCS information, the bound ligand is then screened from the compound library and the structure of the ligand–protein complex is determined. PRE is an isotropic paramagnetic effect observed within 30 Å from the lanthanide ion, and is utilized for the ligand screening in the present study. PCS is an anisotropic paramagnetic effect providing long-range (∼40 Å) distance and angular information on the observed nuclei relative to the paramagnetic lanthanide ion, and utilized for the structure determination of the ligand–protein complex. Since a two-point anchored lanthanide-binding peptide tag is utilized for fixing the lanthanide ion to the target protein, this screening method can be generally applied to non-metal-binding proteins. The usefulness of this strategy was demonstrated in the case of the growth factor receptor-bound protein 2 (Grb2) Src homology 2 (SH2) domain and its low- and high-affinity ligands.

CACNA1C gene regulates behavioral strategies in operant rule learning.

Science.gov (United States)

Koppe, Georgia; Mallien, Anne Stephanie; Berger, Stefan; Bartsch, Dusan; Gass, Peter; Vollmayr, Barbara; Durstewitz, Daniel

2017-06-01

Behavioral experiments are usually designed to tap into a specific cognitive function, but animals may solve a given task through a variety of different and individual behavioral strategies, some of them not foreseen by the experimenter. Animal learning may therefore be seen more as the process of selecting among, and adapting, potential behavioral policies, rather than mere strengthening of associative links. Calcium influx through high-voltage-gated Ca2+ channels is central to synaptic plasticity, and altered expression of Cav1.2 channels and the CACNA1C gene have been associated with severe learning deficits and psychiatric disorders. Given this, we were interested in how specifically a selective functional ablation of the Cacna1c gene would modulate the learning process. Using a detailed, individual-level analysis of learning on an operant cue discrimination task in terms of behavioral strategies, combined with Bayesian selection among computational models estimated from the empirical data, we show that a Cacna1c knockout does not impair learning in general but has a much more specific effect: the majority of Cacna1c knockout mice still managed to increase reward feedback across trials but did so by adapting an outcome-based strategy, while the majority of matched controls adopted the experimentally intended cue-association rule. Our results thus point to a quite specific role of a single gene in learning and highlight that much more mechanistic insight could be gained by examining response patterns in terms of a larger repertoire of potential behavioral strategies. The results may also have clinical implications for treating psychiatric disorders.

Transformation strategies for multi-utility companies; Transformationsstrategien fuer Multi Utility-Unternehmen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Apking, W.; Bosse, F.; Kroepelin, C.; Schaudinn, D.; Uhlmann, K. [PriceWaterhouseCoopers Unternehmensberatung GmbH, Hamburg (Germany)

2000-05-01

Energy supply companies (resellers) and electric utilities as traders in the liberalized markets increasingly focus their activities on their core businesses and offer their capabilites also in other branches of industry, thus achieving synergistic effects. The evolution of e-commerce in the energy supply sector in Germany is described in this article, and recommendations are given to companies as to suitable change management strategies for successful marketing and procurement via the world wide web, using IP technologies as a basis for transactions. (CB) [German] Energieversorgungsunternehmen (EVU) besinnen sich auf ihre Kernkompetenzen, bieten diese auch in anderen Branchen an und erzielen damit Synergieeffekte. Ein weiterer Aspekt ist die zunehmende Vernetzung der europaeischen Stromnetze. Die Konvergenz der Maerkte wird ferner durch den Einsatz von IP(Internet-Protokoll)-Technologien vorangetrieben, da das Internet eine Informations- und Transaktionsplattform fuer saemtliche Marktteilnehmer schafft. Welche diesbezueglichen Transformationsstrategien von den EVU bereits heute zu ergreifen sind, wird anschaulich aus einem hierzu entwickelten Modell abgeleitet. (orig./CB)

The Elementary School Teachers’ Successful Guidance Strategies for Intervening Children’s Bullying Behaviors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Su-Fen Tu

2015-06-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to explore the guidance strategies adopted by elementary homeroom teachers for their interventions on children’s bullying behaviors. Adopted a multiple case study approach, 11 homeroom teachers participated voluntarily through school counselors’ recommendation where semi-structured interviews were conducted. Their average age was 40.14 years old (SD=7.60 and they averaged 15.45 years (SD=6.80 of teaching experience. All participants had previous experience in successfully helping children who had bullying behaviors toward classmates. The results indicated three categories of successful guidance strategies: individual guidance, class management, and systems’ collaboration. Regarding individual guidance, the teachers were able (1 to understand in depth about the factors involved in bullying; (2 to set clear interpersonal boundaries with the bullies; (3 to recognize and reinforce the children’s personal strengths; (4 to face the children’s provoking behaviors with calm manners; (5 to adopt win-win strategies in disciplining. Regarding class management, the teachers were able (1 to set clear safety rules and execute them consistently, (2 to encourage altruistic and empathetic behaviors and to facilitate positive behaviors in class. Regarding the systems’ collaboration, the teachers cooperated mainly with the parents and resources at schools. Teachers’ guidance strategies and models in helping bullies, as well as the impacts of Chinese culture on the teachers’ guidance strategies are discussed.

Preventing and Addressing Challenging Behavior: Common Questions and Practical Strategies

Science.gov (United States)

Hemmeter, Mary Louise; Ostrosky, Michaelene M.; Corso, Robert M.

2012-01-01

The purpose of this article is to offer preschool teachers strategies for preventing challenging behavior and supporting the development of social skills and emotional competencies. This article is framed in a question and answer format using questions from teachers who the authors have worked with in the past. These questions and strategies are…

Applying Instructional Design Strategies and Behavior Theory to Household Disaster Preparedness Training.

Science.gov (United States)

Thomas, Tracy N; Sobelson, Robyn K; Wigington, Corinne J; Davis, Alyson L; Harp, Victoria H; Leander-Griffith, Michelle; Cioffi, Joan P

Interventions and media campaigns promoting household disaster preparedness have produced mixed results in affecting behaviors. In large part, this is due to the limited application of instructional design strategies and behavior theory, such as the Transtheoretical Model (TTM). This study describes the development and evaluation of Ready CDC, an intervention designed to increase household disaster preparedness among the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) workforce. (1) Describe the instructional design strategies employed in the development of Ready CDC and (2) evaluate the intervention's impact on behavior change and factors influencing stage progression for household disaster preparedness behavior. Ready CDC was adapted from the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA's) Ready campaign. Offered to CDC staff September 2013-November 2015, it consisted of a preassessment of preparedness attitudes and behaviors, an in-person training, behavioral reinforcement communications, and a 3-month follow-up postassessment. Ready CDC employed well-accepted design strategies, including presenting stimulus material and enhancing transfer of desired behavior. Excluding those in the TTM "maintenance" stage at baseline, this study determined 44% of 208 participants progressed at least 1 stage for developing a written disaster plan. Moreover, assessment of progression by stage found among participants in the "precontemplation" (n = 16), "contemplation" (n = 15), and "preparation" (n = 125) stages at baseline for assembling an emergency kit, 25%, 27%, and 43% moved beyond the "preparation" stage, respectively. Factors influencing stage movement included knowledge, attitudes, and community resiliency but varied depending on baseline stage of change. Employing instructional strategies and behavioral theories in preparedness interventions optimizes the potential for individuals to adopt preparedness behaviors. Study findings suggest that stage movement toward

How Do Junior High School Students Utilize Interactional Strategies in Speaking Activity?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hidayatul Avia

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Interactional strategies are very important especially for English as a foreign language learners which can help the learners negotiate of the meaning during the interaction in speaking activity. The aim of this research is to analyze the interactional strategies (ISs utilized by three students at different levels (Low, Average, High in speaking activity at the eighth grade students of SMP Islam As-Sakinah Sidoarjo. This research uses qualitative descriptive as a research design, which all of the data are obtained through observation and interview for three students at different level such as low level learner (LLL, average level learner (ALL and high level learner (HLL. In brief, the results of this research show that LLL uses all aspects of interactional strategies in her speaking activity, average level learner (ALL uses some aspects of interactional strategies and high level learner (HLL almost never use the aspects of interactional strategies in his speaking activities.

Social Utility versus Social Desirability of Students' Attributional Self-Presentation Strategies

Science.gov (United States)

Matteucci, Maria Cristina

2014-01-01

Research on impression management has shown that students can manage their social images by providing attributional self-presentation strategies (ASPSs). Based on the distinction between social desirability judgments and social utility judgments, two studies were conducted to examine the students' understanding of the impact of ASPSs both on…

Prevalence of Behavior Changing Strategies in Fitness Video Games: Theory-Based Content Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Hatkevich, Claire

2013-01-01

Background Fitness video games are popular, but little is known about their content. Because many contain interactive tools that mimic behavioral strategies from weight loss intervention programs, it is possible that differences in content could affect player physical activity and/or weight outcomes. There is a need for a better understanding of what behavioral strategies are currently available in fitness games and how they are implemented. Objective The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of evidence-based behavioral strategies across fitness video games available for home use. Games available for consoles that used camera-based controllers were also contrasted with games available for a console that used handheld motion controllers. Methods Fitness games (N=18) available for three home consoles were systematically identified and play-tested by 2 trained coders for at least 3 hours each. In cases of multiple games from one series, only the most recently released game was included. The Sony PlayStation 3 and Microsoft Xbox360 were the two camera-based consoles, and the Nintendo Wii was the handheld motion controller console. A coding list based on a taxonomy of behavioral strategies was used to begin coding. Codes were refined in an iterative process based on data found during play-testing. Results The most prevalent behavioral strategies were modeling (17/18), specific performance feedback (17/18), reinforcement (16/18), caloric expenditure feedback (15/18), and guided practice (15/18). All games included some kind of feedback on performance accuracy, exercise frequency, and/or fitness progress. Action planning (scheduling future workouts) was the least prevalent of the included strategies (4/18). Twelve games included some kind of social integration, with nine of them providing options for real-time multiplayer sessions. Only two games did not feature any kind of reward. Games for the camera-based consoles (mean 12.89, SD 2.71) included a

Dividendová strategie – součást behaviorální ekonomie

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kateřina Fojtů

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Purpose of the article: Purpose of this paper is criticaly analyse the role of dividend by using knowledge from the field of behavioral economics. Concepts such as moral hazard and asymmetric information are associated with behavioral finance and decision-making processes of companies. Behavioral economics sees the individual as irrational man who does not try to maximize his/her benefit, but mainly to minimize the risk in decision making. Against the background of the analyzed issue is made specific comparisons of dividend investment strategies with neutral/market strategies. Methods: Primary and secondary research was used in this article. Secondary research was based on a search of scientific articles and literature on the theory of dividend, shares and behavioral economics. Data from two previously conducted studies were used. Primary research was conducted on two stock indexes (dividend strategy vs. neutral/market strategy using selected statistical methods, and then the connection was sought between dividend policy and the return that these strategies bring. Scientific aim: The aim of this paper was to make a critical analysis of investment dividend strategy compared with a neutral/market strategies using statistical methods. Findings: It can be concluded that long-term investing in dividend stocks gives the investor a slightly higher valuation, at about the same risk than investing in stocks covering the whole market. Conclusions: Based on the results of studies conducted by Credist Suisse, Professor Siegel and based on our research can be identified dividend strategy. This strategy provides one of the best conditions return and risk, both in the development of the medium-term and long-term trend. This strategy follows the newly formed STOXX indexes, DJ, MSCI, S & P or WisdomTree.

The Examination of the Relation between Teacher Candidates' Problem Solving Appraisal and Utilization of Motivated Strategies for Learning

Science.gov (United States)

Turgut, Ozden; Ocak, Gurbuz

2017-01-01

This study examines the relation between teacher candidates' problem solving appraisal and utilization of motivated strategies for learning. The study has been carried out with 416 teacher candidates. A correlation has been used between problem solving appraisal and utilization of motivated strategies for learning. Besides, regression analysis has…

A Multicast Protocol Utilizing On-demand Routing Strategy for MPRN

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

无

2002-01-01

This paper proposes a multicast protocol utilizing ondemand routing strategy for mobile packet radio network. It does not maintain permanent route tables with full topological views. Instead, multicast senders apply on-demand procedures to dynamically discover routes and build forwarding group in this protocol. The data packets are propagated by each forwarding group member via scoped flooding, so the protocol can reduce network bandwidth overhead and avoid the propagation of potentially large routing updates throughout the network.

Strategies Utilized by Superintendents and Mathematics District Personnel That Impact Minority Student Outcomes in Algebra

Science.gov (United States)

DuPree, Jared Bernard

2013-01-01

This study applies the constructs from effective instruction from the literature on teacher education to understand the impact of school district strategies on algebra outcomes for minority students. The purpose of this study was to examine the strategies utilized by superintendents and district personnel and the impact of these identified…

A Study of Preservice Educators' Dispositions to Change Behavior Management Strategies

Science.gov (United States)

Shook, Alison C.

2012-01-01

Student behavior problems contribute to poor academic achievement and poor teacher retention. This study investigated preservice teachers' dispositions to implement positive and proactive strategies for managing behavior in the general education elementary urban classroom. The author interviewed 19 preservice teachers in a large urban school…

Utilizing Gaze Behavior for Inferring Task Transitions Using Abstract Hidden Markov Models

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniel Fernando Tello Gamarra

2016-12-01

Full Text Available We demonstrate an improved method for utilizing observed gaze behavior and show that it is useful in inferring hand movement intent during goal directed tasks. The task dynamics and the relationship between hand and gaze behavior are learned using an Abstract Hidden Markov Model (AHMM. We show that the predicted hand movement transitions occur consistently earlier in AHMM models with gaze than those models that do not include gaze observations.

A Review of Single-Case Studies Utilizing Self-Monitoring Interventions to Reduce Problem Classroom Behaviors

Science.gov (United States)

Sheffield, Kim; Waller, Raymond J.

2010-01-01

Trying to manage the problem behaviors of one or two students in the classroom can take teachers away from valuable instructional time with all students. However, these problem behaviors can be reduced and student engagement increased by teachers implementing effective behavior management strategies. 2008). Because behavior management is only one…

Differences and Agreement in Perception of Child Picky Eating Among Center- and Home-Based Childcare Providers and Parents and Its Impact on Utilized Mealtime Strategies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Virginia Luchini

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Picky eating is a problematic eating behavior caregivers may encounter with children under their care. A picky eater (PE is typically characterized as consuming a narrow range of food, as well as rejecting several food items. Much of the literature regarding PEs involves parents, although use of nonparental childcare arrangements in the United States has increased in the past several decades. Although data on parental mealtime strategies exist, little is known about how parent and childcare provider pickiness perceptions differ between types of childcare, such as center-based childcare (CBCC and home-based childcare (HBCC, or how these perceptions influence the mealtime strategies utilized. The objectives of this study were to (1 compare perceptions of child pickiness between parents and childcare providers, (2 compare percent agreement in pickiness perception between the dyads of CBCC parents and providers and HBCC parents and providers, and (3 identify mealtime strategy utilization based on pickiness perception. A total of 52 child, parent, and childcare provider triads participated in the study and completed the Mealtime Assessment Survey and the Parent/Teacher Mealtime Strategy Survey regarding the same child. Results showed that parents are 1.4 times more likely than childcare providers to perceive a child as being picky, HBCC parents and providers are 1.4 times more likely to perceive a child as being picky than CBCC parents and providers, CBCC parents and providers disagree more in their perception of child pickiness than HBCC parents and providers (41% vs 26%, and finally, perception of child pickiness has a greater influence on mealtime strategies utilized by parents. These results can be used to focus intervention efforts aimed at improving child eating habits across the home and childcare location.

Utilizing Weak Indicators to Detect Anomalous Behaviors in Networks

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Egid, Adin Ezra [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

2018-02-06

We consider the use of a novel weak in- dicator alongside more commonly used weak indicators to help detect anomalous behavior in a large computer network. The data of the network which we are studying in this research paper concerns remote log-in information (Virtual Private Network, or VPN sessions) from the internal network of Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). The novel indicator we are utilizing is some- thing which, while novel in its application to data science/cyber security research, is a concept borrowed from the business world. The Her ndahl-Hirschman Index (HHI) is a computationally trivial index which provides a useful heuristic for regulatory agencies to ascertain the relative competitiveness of a particular industry. Using this index as a lagging indicator in the monthly format we have studied could help to detect anomalous behavior by a particular or small set of users on the network. Additionally, we study indicators related to the speed of movement of a user based on the physical location of their current and previous logins. This data can be ascertained from the IP addresses of the users, and is likely very similar to the fraud detection schemes regularly utilized by credit card networks to detect anomalous activity. In future work we would look to nd a way to combine these indicators for use as an internal fraud detection system.

Competitive business and marketing strategies for utilities: how to thrive in a deregulated energy marketplace

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1999-07-01

Materials submitted by the speakers at this seminar on marketing strategies for electric utilities are contained in this binder. A dozen papers were presented, discussing topics ranging from advice to retail customers on how to find their way through the existing mire of legislation, codes and licenses, through tips and suggestions to utilities on capturing customers who fail to choose a provider, understanding performance-based regulation, developing innovative pricing strategies, using customer profiling and market segmentation techniques to identify and target different customer groups, bundling services to add value, creating branding strategies to achieve product differentiation and the impact of metering technology development on retail business. In most instances no complete text, only viewgraphs are available. Two half-day workshops, one on investing in a new product or service, the other on market uncertainties, and risks and rewards facing energy distributors, were also held under the auspices of the conference.

Coping Strategies in Bulimia Nervosa Treatment: Impact on Outcome in Group Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy

Science.gov (United States)

Binford, Roslyn B.; Mussell, Melissa Pederson; Crosby, Ross D.; Peterson, Carol B.; Crow, Scott J.; Mitchell, James E.

2005-01-01

This study's purpose was to examine the extent to which participants (N = 143) receiving cognitive-behavioral therapy for bulimia nervosa (BN) reported implementing therapeutic strategies to abstain from BN behaviors, and to assess whether use of specific strategies predicts outcome at treatment end and 1-and 6-month follow-up. Frequency of…

The Problem Solver and The Artisan Designer: Strategies for Utilizing Design Idea Archives

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Inie, Nanna; Endo, Allison; Dow, Steven

2018-01-01

This paper presents the results of an extensive qualitative study investigating how professional designers utilize personal idea archives. While we know that designers archive creative ideas in different formats and on different platforms, we know little about if and how designers utilize...... these idea archives in their daily practice. Through a series of interviews (n=20) and walkthroughs of design idea archives, we identified two archetypal strategies. The Problem Solver is concerned with the task at hand, keeps relevant ideas around, and discards them when the ideas have served their purpose...

Utilization of Indigenous Technical Knowledge (ITK'S) in Arid and Semi-Arid Regions of Eastern Kenya: A Coping Strategy to Shocks of Market Utilization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ndubi, J

2002-01-01

Most of the farmers in the arid and semi arid are poorly endowed with resources. Market liberalisation and withdrawal of government support (subsidies) in accessing some of the modern technologies has led to decreased use of most of the modern recommended technologies due to their high prices. A a coping strategy most of the resources poor farmers have turned to utilization of the indigenous technology to sustain their agricultural production. The main objective of this paper is to document the indigenous technologies utilized by farmers, explore the possibility of refining/calibrating and up-scaling them and the advantages and disadvantages of utilizing them as identified by the farmers. The method for data collection was by use of interviews the farmers who were stratified in terms of gender and age sets (young, middle aged and old) and data analysed by use of qualitative methods. The results indicate that, most farmers do utilize indigenous technology in crops, livestock pests, diseases, soil and water conservation as cropping strategies to increase input prices due to market liberalization and withdrawal of government subsidies. It was also observed that, there is need for scientists to calibrate the most important practices for improved adoption and up-scaling of the main indigenous technologies within and outside the study areas

Use of Protective Behavioral Strategies among Young Adult Veteran Marijuana Users.

Science.gov (United States)

Pedersen, Eric R; Villarosa-Hurlocker, Margo C; Prince, Mark A

2018-01-01

Young adult veterans are at risk for problematic marijuana use and associated consequences, which is partially due to their high rates of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), depression, and problematic substance use. Veterans tend to endorse more severe and chronic mental health symptoms compared to their civilian counterparts and they identify marijuana use as a method to cope with their symptoms. Given the prevalence of marijuana use among veterans in the community and in clinical settings, it is important to explore the factors that may help minimize harm associated with use for those that choose to use the drug. The present study sought to examine the impact of protective behavioral strategies on the relationship between mental health symptoms and marijuana use and consequences in a sample of 180 young adult veteran marijuana users. Participants were recruited via social media advertisements and completed measures of marijuana use and consequences, protective behavioral strategies, and PTSD and depression symptoms. Findings indicated that more frequent use of protective behavioral strategies was associated with less marijuana use and consequences. Participants who screened positive for PTSD or depression reported more marijuana consequences than did those not positive on these screeners. Regression analyses revealed protective strategies moderated the relationship between PTSD and marijuana consequences such that young veterans who endorsed more PTSD symptoms and infrequent use of protective strategies reported the most marijuana consequences. No moderating effects were found for the relationship between depression and marijuana consequences. Findings have clinical implications for working with young veterans.

The relationship between emotion regulation strategies and job search behavior among fourth-year university students.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Ling; Xu, Huihui; Zhang, Xue; Fang, Ping

2017-08-01

The job search process is a stressful experience. This study investigated the effect of emotion regulation strategies on job search behavior in combination with anxiety and job search self-efficacy among Chinese university fourth-year students (N = 816, mean age = 21.98, 31.5% male, 34.9% majored in science, 18.0% from "211 Project" universities). Results showed that cognitive reappraisal was positively related to job search behavior, while expressive suppression was negatively related to job search behavior. Additionally, anxiety was negatively related to job search behavior, while job search self-efficacy was positively associated with job search behavior. Moreover, both anxiety and job search self-efficacy mediated the relationship between emotion regulation strategies and job search behavior. In general, emotion regulation strategies played an important role in job search behavior. Implications include the notion that emotion regulation interventions may be helpful to increase job search behavior among university students. Copyright © 2017 The Foundation for Professionals in Services for Adolescents. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Behavioral side effects of pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia treatment: the role of parenting strategies.

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, Lauren K; Lamb, Karen E; McCarthy, Maria C

2014-11-01

Behavioral and emotional difficulties are a recognised side effect of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) treatment. Modifiable factors, such as parenting strategies, may be an appropriate target for interventions to assist families with managing their child's behavior, potentially leading to improved psychosocial and clinical outcomes. This study examined whether parenting strategies are associated with child behavioral and emotional problems in a pediatric oncology context, with the aim of establishing whether parenting is a potential modifiable target for psychosocial intervention. Participants included 73 parents of children aged 2-6 years who were either (i) in the maintenance phase of treatment for ALL at the Royal Children's Hospital Children's Cancer Centre, Melbourne (N = 43), or (ii) had no major medical history (healthy control group) (N = 30). Participants completed psychometrically validated questionnaires that assessed parenting strategies and child emotional and behavioral problems. Results revealed that the ALL group parents reported higher lax parenting and more spoiling and bribing of their child than the healthy control group. Results from regression models indicated that, after controlling for the significant contribution of illness status and child age on child emotional and behavioral difficulties, parental laxness and parental overprotection were significantly associated with child emotional and behavioral difficulties. Supporting parents to minimise sub-optimal parenting strategies, particularly lax parenting, may offer a fruitful avenue for future research directed toward modifiable factors associated with managing child emotional and behavioral problems in a pediatric oncology context. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Behavioral Change Strategies for Improving Complementary Feeding and Breastfeeding.

Science.gov (United States)

Osendarp, Saskia J M; Roche, Marion L

2016-01-01

Improving infant and young child feeding (IYCF) practices, including breastfeeding and complementary feeding, has been identified as one of the most effective interventions to improve child survival, stunting and wasting. Evidence from randomized controlled trials suggests that effective promotion of breastfeeding and complementary feeding, with or without food provision, has the potential to improve IYCF practices and child nutrition. However, in many countries, breastfeeding practices and complementary feeding practices are still far from optimal. The lack of implementation of available, effective, affordable interventions in scale-up programs is in part attributed to a lack of innovative, creative and effective behavioral change strategies that enable and encourage caregivers. Successful behavioral change strategies should be based on a rigorous situational analysis and formative research, and the findings and insights of formative research should be used to further design interventions that address the identified barriers and enablers, to select delivery channels, and to formulate appropriate and effective messages. In addition, successful behavioral change interventions should a priori define and investigate the program impact pathway to target behavioral change and should assess intermediary behavioral changes and indicators to learn why the expected outcome was achieved or not achieved by testing the program theory. The design of behavioral change communication must be flexible and responsive to shifts in societies and contexts. Performance of adequate IYCF also requires investments to generate community demand through social mobilization, relevant media and existing support systems. Applying these principles has been shown to be effective in improving IYCF practices in Vietnam, Bangladesh and Ethiopia and is recommended to be adopted by other programs and countries in order to accelerate progress in improving child nutrition. © 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Impact of Conflict Management Strategies on the Generation Mechanism of Miners' Unsafe Behavior Tendency

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Ji-Zu; Zhang, Ya-Ping; Liu, Xiao-Guang; Liu, Yao-Long; Wang, Tian-Ri

2017-01-01

In this paper, we examine the relationship between the generation mechanism of miners' unsafe behavior tendency and conflict management strategies, including cooperative conflict management strategy, competitive conflict management strategy and avoidant conflict management strategy. Miners from 3 collieries in Shanxi province completed a…

Utilizing Marzano's Summarizing and Note Taking Strategies on Seventh Grade Students' Mathematics Performance

Science.gov (United States)

Jeanmarie-Gardner, Charmaine

2013-01-01

A quasi-experimental research study was conducted that investigated the academic impact of utilizing Marzano's summarizing and note taking strategies on mathematic achievement. A sample of seventh graders from a middle school located on Long Island's North Shore was tested to determine whether significant differences existed in mathematic test…

Social anxiety and alcohol-related negative consequences among college drinkers: do protective behavioral strategies mediate the association?

Science.gov (United States)

Villarosa, Margo C; Moorer, Kayla D; Madson, Michael B; Zeigler-Hill, Virgil; Noble, Jeremy J

2014-09-01

The link between social anxiety and alcohol-related negative consequences among college students has been well documented. Protective behavioral strategies are cognitive-behavioral strategies that college students use in an effort to reduce harm while they are drinking. In the current study we examined the mediating role of the 2 categories of protective behavioral strategies (i.e., controlled consumption and serious harm reduction) in the relationship that social anxiety symptoms have with alcohol-related negative consequences. Participants were 572 undergraduates who completed measures of social anxiety, alcohol use, negative consequences of alcohol use, and protective behavioral strategy use. Only serious harm reduction strategies emerged as a mediator of the association that social anxiety symptoms had with alcohol-related negative consequences. Clinical and research implications are discussed.

Creative Persuasion: A Study on Adversarial Behaviors and Strategies in Phishing Attacks.

Science.gov (United States)

Rajivan, Prashanth; Gonzalez, Cleotilde

2018-01-01

Success of phishing attacks depend on effective exploitation of human weaknesses. This research explores a largely ignored, but crucial aspect of phishing: the adversarial behavior. We aim at understanding human behaviors and strategies that adversaries use, and how these may determine the end-user response to phishing emails. We accomplish this through a novel experiment paradigm involving two phases. In the adversarial phase, 105 participants played the role of a phishing adversary who were incentivized to produce multiple phishing emails that would evade detection and persuade end-users to respond. In the end-user phase, 340 participants performed an email management task, where they examined and classified phishing emails generated by participants in phase-one along with benign emails. Participants in the adversary role, self-reported the strategies they employed in each email they created, and responded to a test of individual creativity. Data from both phases of the study was combined and analyzed, to measure the effect of adversarial behaviors on end-user response to phishing emails. We found that participants who persistently used specific attack strategies (e.g., sending notifications, use of authoritative tone, or expressing shared interest) in all their attempts were overall more successful, compared to others who explored different strategies in each attempt. We also found that strategies largely determined whether an end-user was more likely to respond to an email immediately, or delete it. Individual creativity was not a reliable predictor of adversarial performance, but it was a predictor of an adversary's ability to evade detection. In summary, the phishing example provided initially, the strategies used, and the participants' persistence with some of the strategies led to higher performance in persuading end-users to respond to phishing emails. These insights may be used to inform tools and training procedures to detect phishing strategies in

BUILDING HIGH PERFORMANCE STRATEGY OF MILITARY EXPENDITURES: THE UTILITY FUNCTION IN THE MIDDLE OF DEFENCE BUDGETING

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

MARITANA SEDYSHEVA

2011-01-01

Full Text Available The present paper proposes tasks and methods which can be used in process of discovering the most expedient variants of the perspective and effective strategy development process of the defence spending in the Republic of Estonia.The author offers a part of strategy model named “Financial Perspective” as one of the improvement tools for the system of planning military expenditures and effective utilization of budgetary funds. The Balanced Scorecard application by using the “utility function” will allow the Estonian Defence Forces to overcome important barriers to strategy implementation by interrelation of military planning and budgeting processes. The Balanced Scorecard might be used as a very strong practical application. It will improve the calculations of long-term perspective plans and the development of the military budgetary policy by taking into account the features of national defence expenses.

Prevalence of Behavior Changing Strategies in Fitness Video Games: Theory-Based Content Analysis

OpenAIRE

Lyons, Elizabeth Jane; Hatkevich, Claire

2013-01-01

Background Fitness video games are popular, but little is known about their content. Because many contain interactive tools that mimic behavioral strategies from weight loss intervention programs, it is possible that differences in content could affect player physical activity and/or weight outcomes. There is a need for a better understanding of what behavioral strategies are currently available in fitness games and how they are implemented. Objective The purpose of this study was to investig...

Targeting Academic Programs to Student Diversity Utilizing Learning Styles and Learning-Study Strategies.

Science.gov (United States)

Grimes, Sue K.

1995-01-01

A diagnostic, prescriptive model was utilized (n=394) in identification of learning styles and learning-study strategies of diverse student groups and in the analysis of prescriptive methods to address their specific needs. High-risk groups demonstrated auditory, tactile concrete, and group learning style preferences and were weaker on cognitive,…

Utilizing Weak Indicators to Detect Anomalous Behaviors in Networks

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Egid, Adin [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

2017-11-01

We consider the use of a novel weak in- dicator alongside more commonly used weak indicators to help detect anomalous behavior in a large computer network. The data of the network which we are studying in this research paper concerns remote log-in information (Virtual Private Network, or VPN sessions) from the internal network of Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). The novel indicator we are utilizing is some- thing which, while novel in its application to data science/cyber security research, is a concept borrowed from the business world. The Her ndahl-Hirschman Index (HHI) is a computationally trivial index which provides a useful heuristic for regulatory agencies to ascertain the relative competitiveness of a particular industry. Using this index as a lagging indicator in the monthly format we have studied could help to detect anomalous behavior by a particular or small set of users on the network.

Self-management as a strategy to improve the classroom behavior of adolescents with ADHD.

Science.gov (United States)

Shapiro, E S; DuPaul, G J; Bradley-Klug, K L

1998-01-01

This article reports on the application of a self-management strategy for improving the classroom behavior of students with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Based on the work of Rhode, Morgan, and Young (1983), the intervention focuses on teaching students to systematically rate their own behavior according to the rating of their teacher. Although, historically, self-management strategies based on cognitive control have not been found to be effective for students with ADHD, strategies based on contingency management have not been widely reported in the literature. A description of the intervention and two case study illustrations are provided. Potential limitations and implications for research in using this strategy are discussed.

Predicting Health Care Utilization After Behavioral Health Referral Using Natural Language Processing and Machine Learning

OpenAIRE

Roysden, Nathaniel; Wright, Adam

2015-01-01

Mental health problems are an independent predictor of increased healthcare utilization. We created random forest classifiers for predicting two outcomes following a patient’s first behavioral health encounter: decreased utilization by any amount (AUROC 0.74) and ultra-high absolute utilization (AUROC 0.88). These models may be used for clinical decision support by referring providers, to automatically detect patients who may benefit from referral, for cost management, or for risk/protection ...

Predicting Health Care Utilization After Behavioral Health Referral Using Natural Language Processing and Machine Learning.

Science.gov (United States)

Roysden, Nathaniel; Wright, Adam

2015-01-01

Mental health problems are an independent predictor of increased healthcare utilization. We created random forest classifiers for predicting two outcomes following a patient's first behavioral health encounter: decreased utilization by any amount (AUROC 0.74) and ultra-high absolute utilization (AUROC 0.88). These models may be used for clinical decision support by referring providers, to automatically detect patients who may benefit from referral, for cost management, or for risk/protection factor analysis.

Family Support Is Associated with Behavioral Strategies for Healthy Eating among Latinas

Science.gov (United States)

Schmied, Emily A.; Parada, Humberto; Horton, Lucy A.; Madanat, Hala; Ayala, Guadalupe X.

2014-01-01

Background: Healthy eating is important for obesity control. Dietary interventions target the adoption of behavioral strategies to increase fiber and decrease fat consumption. However, little is known about the contributions of psychosocial factors to the use of these strategies. Purpose: This study examined psychosocial correlates of behavioral…

Practical strategies of wind energy utilization for uninhabited aerial vehicles in loiter flights

Science.gov (United States)

Singhania, Hong Yang

Uninhabited Aerial Vehicle (UAV) is becoming increasingly attractive in missions where human presence is undesirable or impossible. Agile maneuvers and long endurance are among the most desired advantages of UAVs over aircraft that have human pilots onboard. Past studies suggest that the performance of UAVs may be considerably improved by utilizing natural resources, especially wind energy, during flights. The key challenge of exploiting wind energy in practical UAV operations lies in the availability of reliable and timely wind field information in the operational region. This thesis presents a practical onboard strategy that attempts to over-come this challenge, to enable UAVs in utilizing wind energy effectively during flights, and therefore to enhance performance. We propose and explore a strategy that combines wind measurement and optimal trajectory planning onboard UAVs. During a cycle of a loiter flight, a UAV can take measurements of wind velocity components over the flight region, use these measurements to estimate the local wind field through a model-based approach, and then compute a flight trajectory for the next flight cycle with the objective of optimizing fuel. As the UAV follows the planned trajectory, it continues to measure the wind components and repeats the process of updating the wind model with new estimations and planning optimal trajectories for the next flight cycle. Besides presenting an onboard trajectory planning strategy of wind energy exploration, estimation, and utilization, this research also develops a semi-analytical linearized solution to the formulated nonlinear optimal control problem. Simulations and numerical results indicate that the fuel savings of trajectories generated using the proposed scheme depend on wind speed, wind estimation errors, rates of change in wind speed, and the wind model structures. For a given wind field, the magnitude of potential fuel savings is also contingent upon UAVs' performance capabilities.

An assessment of schoolyard features and behavior patterns in children's utilization and physical activity.

Science.gov (United States)

Anthamatten, Peter; Brink, Lois; Kingston, Beverly; Kutchman, Eve; Lampe, Sarah; Nigg, Claudio

2014-03-01

Careful research that elucidates how behavior relates to design in the context of elementary school grounds can serve to guide cost-efficient design with the goal of encouraging physical activity (PA). This work explores patterns in children's PA behavior within playground spaces with the specific goal of guiding healthy playground design. Data on children's utilization and PA behavior in 6 playgrounds divided into 106 observation zones were collected in 2005 and 2006 at Denver elementary school playgrounds using the System for Observing Play and Leisure Activity in Youth. Analyses of variance and t tests determined whether there were differences in utilization and behavior patterns across observations zones and between genders. This study provides evidence that children prefer to use certain types of playground zones and that they are more likely to practice moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) in some zones. The authors observed statistically significant differences between genders. Boys were more likely to engage in MVPA in zones without equipment, girls were more likely to use zones with equipment. This work suggests that the inclusion or omission of specific playground features may have an impact on the way that children use the spaces.

A methodology for the sustainable design and implementation strategy of CO2 utilization processes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Roh, Kosan; Frauzem, Rebecca; Nguyen, Tuan B. H.

2016-01-01

design and analysis is discussed as only limited amounts of process data is available for determining the optimal processing path and in the third stage the issue of implementation strategy is considered. As examples, two CO2 utilization methods for methanol production, combined reforming and direct...... synthesis are considered. Methanol plants employing such methods are developed using synthesis-design and simulation tools and their evaluation indicators are calculated under various implementation strategies. It is demonstrated that integrating or replacing an existing conventional methanol plant...

Human place and response learning: navigation strategy selection, pupil size and gaze behavior.

Science.gov (United States)

de Condappa, Olivier; Wiener, Jan M

2016-01-01

In this study, we examined the cognitive processes and ocular behavior associated with on-going navigation strategy choice using a route learning paradigm that distinguishes between three different wayfinding strategies: an allocentric place strategy, and the egocentric associative cue and beacon response strategies. Participants approached intersections of a known route from a variety of directions, and were asked to indicate the direction in which the original route continued. Their responses in a subset of these test trials allowed the assessment of strategy choice over the course of six experimental blocks. The behavioral data revealed an initial maladaptive bias for a beacon response strategy, with shifts in favor of the optimal configuration place strategy occurring over the course of the experiment. Response time analysis suggests that the configuration strategy relied on spatial transformations applied to a viewpoint-dependent spatial representation, rather than direct access to an allocentric representation. Furthermore, pupillary measures reflected the employment of place and response strategies throughout the experiment, with increasing use of the more cognitively demanding configuration strategy associated with increases in pupil dilation. During test trials in which known intersections were approached from different directions, visual attention was directed to the landmark encoded during learning as well as the intended movement direction. Interestingly, the encoded landmark did not differ between the three navigation strategies, which is discussed in the context of initial strategy choice and the parallel acquisition of place and response knowledge.

Behavioral Change and Building Performance: Strategies for Significant, Persistent, and Measurable Institutional Change

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wolfe, Amy K.; Malone, Elizabeth L.; Heerwagen, Judith H.; Dion, Jerome P.

2014-04-01

The people who use Federal buildings — Federal employees, operations and maintenance staff, and the general public — can significantly impact a building’s environmental performance and the consumption of energy, water, and materials. Many factors influence building occupants’ use of resources (use behaviors) including work process requirements, ability to fulfill agency missions, new and possibly unfamiliar high-efficiency/high-performance building technologies; a lack of understanding, education, and training; inaccessible information or ineffective feedback mechanisms; and cultural norms and institutional rules and requirements, among others. While many strategies have been used to introduce new occupant use behaviors that promote sustainability and reduced resource consumption, few have been verified in the scientific literature or have properly documented case study results. This paper documents validated strategies that have been shown to encourage new use behaviors that can result in significant, persistent, and measureable reductions in resource consumption. From the peer-reviewed literature, the paper identifies relevant strategies for Federal facilities and commercial buildings that focus on the individual, groups of individuals (e.g., work groups), and institutions — their policies, requirements, and culture. The paper documents methods with evidence of success in changing use behaviors and enabling occupants to effectively interact with new technologies/designs. It also provides a case study of the strategies used at a Federal facility — Fort Carson, Colorado. The paper documents gaps in the current literature and approaches, and provides topics for future research.

Facilitating behavioral learning and habit change in voice therapy—theoretic premises and practical strategies

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Iwarsson, Jenny

2014-01-01

A typical goal of voice therapy is a behavioral change in the patient’s everyday speech. The SLP’s plan for voice therapy should therefore optimally include strategies for automatization. The aim of the present study was to identify and describe factors that promote behavioral learning and habit...... are described and discussed from a learning theory perspective. Nine factors that seem to be relevant to facilitate behavioral learning and habit change in voice therapy are presented, together with related practical strategies and theoretical underpinnings. These are: 1) Cue-altering; 2) Attention exercises; 3...... change in voice behavior and have the potential to affect patient compliance and thus therapy outcome. Research literature from the areas of motor and behavioral learning, habit formation, and habit change was consulted. Also, specific elements from personal experience of clinical voice therapy...

Strategy for the Identification of an INL Comprehensive Utility Corridor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

John Reisenauer

2011-05-01

This report documents the strategy developed to identify a comprehensive utility corridor (CUC) on the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Site. The strategy established the process for which the Campus Development Office will evaluate land management issues. It is a process that uses geographical information system geospatial technology to layer critical INL mission information in a way that thorough evaluations can be conducted and strategies developed. The objective of the CUC Project was to develop a process that could be implemented to identify potential utility corridor options for consideration. The process had to take into account all the missions occurring on the INL and other land-related issues. The process for developing a CUC strategy consists of the following four basic elements using geographical information system capabilities: 1. Development of an INL base layer map; this base layer map geospatially references all stationary geographical features on INL and sitewide information. 2. Development of current and future mission land-use need maps; this involved working with each directorate to identify current mission land use needs and future land use needs that project 30 years into the future. 3. Development of restricted and potential constraint maps; this included geospatially mapping areas such as wells, contaminated areas, firing ranges, cultural areas, ecological areas, hunting areas, easement, and grazing areas. 4. Development of state highway and power line rights of way map; this included geospatially mapping rights-of-way along existing state highways and power lines running through the INL that support INL operations. It was determined after completing and evaluating the geospatial information that the area with the least impact to INL missions was around the perimeter of the INL Site. Option 1, in this document, identifies this perimeter; however, it does not mean the entire perimeter is viable. Many places along the perimeter corridor cannot

[The study on behaviour of protective equipment utilization of workers exposed to benzene and factors based on Planned Behavior Theory].

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, J Y; Liu, C D; Zhang, W M; Fu, Y K; Ma, H Y

2018-02-20

Objective: To investigate and predict the behavioral intention and mode of the protective equipment utilization selection of the workers who used Benzene, the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) was applied to establish the behavioral model to enhance the theoretical foundation for long-term intervention. Methods: Questionnaires were used to survey the 707 workers, and all the behaviors of using protective equipment were investigated. Evaluate the relationships between each variable and obtain the influence affects by structural equation model. Results: The investigation showed that 38.47% of the total workers (272 cases) used whole body protection, 13.58% used partially, and 16.69% didn't use any body protection. There were significant difference between the varying degrees in the four dimensions (behavioral attitude, perceived behavior control, subjective norm, and behavioral intention) (Pbehavior control was the most important influencing factor, subjective norm, positive attitude, negative attitude were the other three respects in sequence. The path co-efficient were 0.600、0.215、0.141 and 0.046 respectively. Conclusion: The study show that the theory of planned behavior can effectively explain the behavioral intention and behavior of protective equipment utilization. Therefore, combining the subjective initiative of individuals with the supervision of enterprises, In order to effectively enhance the protective equipment utilization of benzene workers.

Optimal strategies and complexity: a theoretical analysis of the anti-predatory behavior of the hare.

Science.gov (United States)

Focardi, S; Rizzotto, M

1999-09-01

Predator-prey relationships involving rabbits and hares are widely studied at a long-term population level, while the short-term ethological interactions between one predator and one prey are less well documented. We use a physiologically-based model of hare behavior, developed in the framework of artificial intelligence studies, to analyse its sophisticated anti-predatory behavior. The hares use to stand to the fox in order to inform it that its potential prey is alerted. The behavior of the hare is characterized by specific standing and flushing distances. We show that both hare survival probability and body condition depend on habitat cover, as well as on the ability of the predator to approach-undetected-a prey. We study two anti-predatory strategies, one based on the maximization of the survival probability and the other on the maximization of the body conditions of the hare. Despite the fact that the two strategies are not independent, they are characterized by quite different behavioral patterns. Field estimates of flushing and standing distances are consistent with survival maximization. There exists an optimal anti-predatory strategy, characterized by a flushing distance of 20 m and a standing distance of 30 m, which is optimal in a large set of environmental conditions with a sharp fitness advantage with respect to suboptimal strategies. These results improve our understanding of the anti-predatory behavior of the hare and lend credibility to the optimality approach in the behavioral analysis, showing that even for complex organisms, characterized by a large network of internal constraints and feedback, it is possible to identify simple optimal strategies with a large potential for selection.

Facilitating behavioral learning and habit change in voice therapy--theoretic premises and practical strategies.

Science.gov (United States)

Iwarsson, Jenny

2015-12-01

A typical goal of voice therapy is a behavioral change in the patient's everyday speech. The SLP's plan for voice therapy should therefore optimally include strategies for automatization. The aim of the present study was to identify and describe factors that promote behavioral learning and habit change in voice behavior and have the potential to affect patient compliance and thus therapy outcome. Research literature from the areas of motor and behavioral learning, habit formation, and habit change was consulted. Also, specific elements from personal experience of clinical voice therapy are described and discussed from a learning theory perspective. Nine factors that seem to be relevant to facilitate behavioral learning and habit change in voice therapy are presented, together with related practical strategies and theoretical underpinnings. These are: 1) Cue-altering; 2) Attention exercises; 3) Repetition; 4) Cognitive activation; 5) Negative practice; 6) Inhibition through interruption; 7) Decomposing complex behavior; 8) The 'each time-every time' principle; and 9) Successive implementation of automaticity.

A driver-adaptive stability control strategy for sport utility vehicles

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Shenjin; He, Yuping

2017-08-01

Conventional vehicle stability control (VSC) systems are designed for average drivers. For a driver with a good driving skill, the VSC systems may be redundant; for a driver with a poor driving skill, the VSC intervention may be inadequate. To increase safety of sport utility vehicles (SUVs), this paper proposes a novel driver-adaptive VSC (DAVSC) strategy based on scaling the target yaw rate commanded by the driver. The DAVSC system is adaptive to drivers' driving skills. More control effort would be exerted for drivers with poor driving skills, and vice versa. A sliding mode control (SMC)-based differential braking (DB) controller is designed using a three degrees of freedom (DOF) yaw-plane model. An eight DOF nonlinear yaw-roll model is used to simulate the SUV dynamics. Two driver models, namely longitudinal and lateral, are used to 'drive' the virtual SUV. By integrating the virtual SUV, the DB controller, and the driver models, the performance of the DAVSC system is investigated. The simulations demonstrate the effectiveness of the DAVSC strategy.

Early Empowerment Strategies Boost Self-Efficacy to Improve Cardiovascular Health Behaviors

OpenAIRE

Kashani, Mariam; Eliasson, Arn H; Walizer, Elaine M; Fuller, Clarie E; Engler, Renata J; Villines, Todd C; Vernalis, Marina N

2016-01-01

Background: Self-efficacy, defined as confidence in the ability to carry out behavior to achieve a desired goal, is considered to be a prerequisite for behavior change. Self-efficacy correlates with cardiovascular health although optimal timing to incorporate self-efficacy strategies is not well established. We sought to study the effect of an empowerment approach implemented in the introductory phase of a multicomponent lifestyle intervention on cardiovascular health outcomes. Design: Prospe...

Integrated employee assistance program/managed behavioral health plan utilization by persons with substance use disorders.

Science.gov (United States)

Merrick, Elizabeth S Levy; Hodgkin, Dominic; Hiatt, Deirdre; Horgan, Constance M; Greenfield, Shelly F; McCann, Bernard

2011-04-01

New federal parity and health reform legislation, promising increased behavioral health care access and a focus on prevention, has heightened interest in employee assistance programs (EAPs). This study investigated service utilization by persons with a primary substance use disorder (SUD) diagnosis in a managed behavioral health care (MBHC) organization's integrated EAP/MBHC product (N = 1,158). In 2004, 25.0% of clients used the EAP first for new treatment episodes. After initial EAP utilization, 44.4% received no additional formal services through the plan, and 40.4% received regular outpatient services. Overall, outpatient care, intensive outpatient/day treatment, and inpatient/residential detoxification were most common. About half of the clients had co-occurring psychiatric diagnoses. Mental health service utilization was extensive. Findings suggest that for service users with primary SUD diagnoses in an integrated EAP/MBHC product, the EAP benefit plays a key role at the front end of treatment and is often only one component of treatment episodes. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Alternative Teaching Strategies; Helping Behaviorally Troubled Children Achieve. A Guide for Teachers and Psychologists.

Science.gov (United States)

Swift, Marshall S.; Spivack, George

This book provides (1) specific information about overt classroom behaviors that affect or reflect academic success or failure, and (2) information and suggestions about alternative teaching strategies that may be used to increase behavioral effectiveness and subsequent academic achievement. The focus of the book is on specific behaviors, behavior…

A strategy for recovering continuous behavioral telemetry data from Pacific walruses

Science.gov (United States)

Fischbach, Anthony S.; Jay, Chadwick V.

2016-01-01

Tracking animal behavior and movement with telemetry sensors can offer substantial insights required for conservation. Yet, the value of data collected by animal-borne telemetry systems is limited by bandwidth constraints. To understand the response of Pacific walruses (Odobenus rosmarus divergens) to rapid changes in sea ice availability, we required continuous geospatial chronologies of foraging behavior. Satellite telemetry offered the only practical means to systematically collect such data; however, data transmission constraints of satellite data-collection systems limited the data volume that could be acquired. Although algorithms exist for reducing sensor data volumes for efficient transmission, none could meet our requirements. Consequently, we developed an algorithm for classifying hourly foraging behavior status aboard a tag with limited processing power. We found a 98% correspondence of our algorithm's classification with a test classification based on time–depth data recovered and characterized through multivariate analysis in a separate study. We then applied our algorithm within a telemetry system that relied on remotely deployed satellite tags. Data collected by these tags from Pacific walruses across their range during 2007–2015 demonstrated the consistency of foraging behavior collected by this strategy with data collected by data logging tags; and demonstrated the ability to collect geospatial behavioral chronologies with minimal missing data where recovery of data logging tags is precluded. Our strategy for developing a telemetry system may be applicable to any study requiring intelligent algorithms to continuously monitor behavior, and then compress those data into meaningful information that can be efficiently transmitted.

A Flow Chart of Behavior Management Strategies for Families of Children with Co-Occurring Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Conduct Problem Behavior.

Science.gov (United States)

Danforth, Jeffrey S

2016-03-01

Behavioral parent training is an evidence-based treatment for problem behavior described as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), oppositional defiant disorder, and conduct disorder. However, adherence to treatment fidelity and parent performance of the management skills remains an obstacle to optimum outcome. One variable that may limit the effectiveness of the parent training is that demanding behavior management procedures can be deceptively complicated and difficult to perform. Based on outcome research for families of children with co-occurring ADHD and conduct problem behavior, an example of a visual behavior management flow chart is presented. The flow chart may be used to help teach specific behavior management skills to parents. The flow chart depicts a chain of behavior management strategies taught with explanation, modeling, and role-play with parents. The chained steps in the flow chart are elements common to well-known evidence-based behavior management strategies, and perhaps, this depiction well serve as a setting event for other behavior analysts to create flow charts for their own parent training, Details of the flow chart steps, as well as examples of specific applications and program modifications conclude.

Teachers' Reported Knowledge and Implementation of Research-Based Classroom and Behavior Management Strategies

Science.gov (United States)

Moore, Tara C.; Wehby, Joseph H.; Oliver, Regina M.; Chow, Jason C.; Gordon, Jason R.; Mahany, Laura A.

2017-01-01

Teachers' reported knowledge about and implementation of research-based classroom and behavior management strategies were examined. A total of 160 elementary teachers from two districts in different regions of the same state completed the researcher-developed "Survey of Classroom and Behavior Management." On average, teachers reported to…

Rationality and self-interest as economic-exchange strategy in borderline personality disorder: Game theory, social preferences, and interpersonal behavior.

Science.gov (United States)

Jeung, Haang; Schwieren, Christiane; Herpertz, Sabine C

2016-12-01

Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is characterized by severe and persistent impairments in interpersonal functioning. Given the complexity of social interactions, studying the interactive behavior of BPD patients is challenging. One way to implement both tight experimental control and realistic, externally valid settings is to use game-theoretical experiments. This review discusses findings from economic exchange studies in BPD against the background of game-theoretical literature. BPD patients do not seem to derive utility from mutual cooperation with others and appear not to "forgive" a partner's unfairness. By pursuing a strategy of negative reciprocity, BPD patients seem to act mostly "rationally" and in their own self-interest. Their "grim trigger strategy" resembles the theoretical ideal of the rational and self-interested agent homo economicus. Finally, we summarize how research findings from economics and clinical psychiatry may be mutually enriching and propose new research ideas in this fascinating field. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Strategies to reduce blood product utilization in obstetric practice.

Science.gov (United States)

Neb, Holger; Zacharowski, Kai; Meybohm, Patrick

2017-06-01

Patient blood management (PBM) aims to improve patient outcome and safety by reducing the number of unnecessary RBC transfusions and vitalizing patient-specific anemia reserves. Although PBM is increasingly recognized as best clinical practice in elective surgery, implementation of PBM is restrained in the setting of obstetrics. This review summarizes recent findings to reduce blood product utilization in obstetric practice. PBM-related evidence-based benefits should be urgently adopted in the field of obstetric medicine. Intravenous iron can be considered a safe, effective strategy to replenish iron stores and to correct both pregnancy-related and hemorrhage-related iron deficiency anemia. In addition to surgical techniques and the use of uterotonics, recent findings support early administration of tranexamic acid, fibrinogen and a coagulation factor concentrate-based, viscoelastically guided practice in case of peripartum hemorrhage to manage coagulopathy. In patients with cesarean section, autologous red cell blood salvage may reduce blood product utilization, although its use in this setting is controversial. Implementation of PBM in obstetric practice offers large potential to reduce blood loss and transfusion requirements of allogeneic blood products, even though large clinical trials are lacking in this specific field. Intravenous iron supplementation may be suggested to increase peripartum hemoglobin levels. Additionally, tranexamic acid and point-of-care-guided supplementation of coagulation factors are potent methods to reduce unnecessary blood loss and blood transfusions in obstetrics.

Prospects and strategy for large scale utility applications of photovoltaic power systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vigotti, R.; Lysen, E.; Cole, A.

1996-01-01

The status and prospects of photovoltaic (PV) power systems are reviewed. The market diffusion strategy for the application of PV systems by utilities is described, and the mission, objectives and thoughts of the collaboration programme launched among 18 industrialized countries under the framework of the International Energy Agency are highly with particular reference to technology transfer to developing countries. Future sales of PV systems are expected to grow in the short and medium term mainly in the sector of isolated systems. (R.P.)

Implications of the Ontario government's white paper and competition strategies for Ontario's municipal electric utilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wills, D.L.

1998-01-01

The strategies that Municipal Electric Utilities (MEU) should follow to deal with competition were discussed. North Bay Hydro is the 34th largest MEU out of 300 in Ontario but it serves only 23,000 out of 4 million electrical customers in Ontario. Therefore, the main strategy for municipal utilities to ensure their future would be to become part of an alliance and association like the MEA and the SAC - the Strategic Alliance for Competition and Customer Choice. Strong criticism was voiced regarding the contents of the recent Ontario Government White Paper for being vague with regard to electrical distribution and the role of MEUs in Ontario. It was suggested that it is vitally important that MEUs ally themselves with other stakeholders, to resist an Ontario Hydro monopoly, to make sure that prices stay low, to avoid excessive debt and bureaucratic inefficiency, be innovative, and consumer oriented and be prepared to anticipate events and conditions. 3 figs

"Doing what I do best": The association between skill utilization and employee health with healthy behavior as a mediator.

Science.gov (United States)

Fujishiro, Kaori; Heaney, Catherine A

2017-02-01

Skill utilization, defined as having the opportunity to do one's best at work, has been examined as a contributor to productivity, organizational efficiency, job satisfaction, and mental health. Drawing from self-determination theory, we postulate that high levels of skill utilization are positively associated with physical health and that some of the effect is mediated by health behavior. Using the 2014 Gallup Daily Tracking Survey data (n = 87,316), a nationally representative sample of working adults in the United States, we examine the associations between perceived skill utilization and five health outcomes (self-rated health, hypertension, high cholesterol, cancer, asthma) with healthy behavior (regular exercising, fruits and vegetable consumption) as a mediator of the associations. The regression results showed that a one-point increase in skill utilization (on a three-point scale) was associated with 20% lower odds of reporting poor or fair health, 3% and 8% lower odds of reporting hypertension and high cholesterol, but had no significant association with cancer or asthma. Health behavior mediated 10% of the association between skill utilization and self-rated health, 46% for hypertension, and 18% for high cholesterol. The findings suggest that providing employees the opportunities to use their skills well at work improves health in general, and the effect is partly through enhancing the likelihood of engaging in healthy behaviors. Implications for organizational practice as well as future research directions are discussed. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Does Self-Esteem Moderate the Associations between Protective Behavioral Strategies and Negative Outcomes Associated with Alcohol Consumption?

Science.gov (United States)

Zeigler-Hill, Virgil; Madson, Michael B.; Ricedorf, Amy

2012-01-01

Previous research has shown that protective behavioral strategies tend to be associated with lower levels of alcohol consumption and fewer negative alcohol-related consequences. The purpose of the present study was to examine whether self-esteem would moderate the association between protective behavioral strategies and alcohol-related outcomes.…

Optimizing social participation in community-dwelling older adults through the use of behavioral coping strategies.

Science.gov (United States)

Provencher, Véronique; Desrosiers, Johanne; Demers, Louise; Carmichael, Pierre-Hugues

2016-01-01

This study aimed to (1) determine the categories of behavioral coping strategies most strongly correlated with optimal seniors' social participation in different activity and role domains and (2) identify the demographic, health and environmental factors associated with the use of these coping strategies optimizing social participation. The sample consisted of 350 randomly recruited community-dwelling older adults (≥65 years). Coping strategies and social participation were measured, respectively, using the Inventory of Coping Strategies Used by the Elderly and Assessment of Life Habits questionnaires. Information about demographic, health and environmental factors was also collected during the interview. Regression analyses showed a strong relationship between the use of cooking- and transportation-related coping strategies and optimal participation in the domains of nutrition and community life, respectively. Older age and living alone were associated with increased use of cooking-related strategies, while good self-rated health and not living in a seniors' residence were correlated with greater use of transportation-related strategies. Our study helped to identify useful behavioral coping strategies that should be incorporated in disability prevention programs designed to promote community-dwelling seniors' social participation. However, the appropriateness of these strategies depends on whether they are used in relevant contexts and tailored to specific needs. Our results support the relevance of including behavioral coping strategies related to cooking and transportation in disability prevention programs designed to promote community-dwelling seniors' social participation in the domains of nutrition and community life, respectively. Older age and living alone were associated with increased use of cooking-related strategies, while good self-rated health and not living in a seniors' residence were correlated with greater use of transportation

Adiabatic quantum games and phase-transition-like behavior between optimal strategies

Science.gov (United States)

de Ponte, M. A.; Santos, Alan C.

2018-06-01

In this paper we propose a game of a single qubit whose strategies can be implemented adiabatically. In addition, we show how to implement the strategies of a quantum game through controlled adiabatic evolutions, where we analyze the payment of a quantum player for various situations of interest: (1) when the players receive distinct payments, (2) when the initial state is an arbitrary superposition, and (3) when the device that implements the strategy is inefficient. Through a graphical analysis, it is possible to notice that the curves that represent the gains of the players present a behavior similar to the curves that give rise to a phase transition in thermodynamics. These transitions are associated with optimal strategy changes and occur in the absence of entanglement and interaction between the players.

The energy-efficiency business - Energy utility strategies; Geschaeftsfeld Energieeffizienz. Strategien von Energieversorgern

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Loebbe, S.

2009-07-01

This article takes a look at the energy-efficiency business and the advantages it offers. The author quotes that energy-efficiency can contribute to making savings in primary energy, minimise the economic impact of global warming, improve reliability of supply and protect the gross national product. The advantages of new products for the efficient use of energy are reviewed and the resulting advantages for power customers are noted. Also, possibilities for the positioning of electricity suppliers in the environmental niche is noted. The partial markets involved and estimates concerning the impact of energy-efficiency measures are reviewed. Climate protection, co-operation with energy agencies, consulting services and public relations aspects are also discussed. The prerequisites for successful marketing by the utilities are examined and new business models are discussed along with the clear strategies needed. The development from an electricity utility to a system-competence partner is reviewed.

eHealth Applications Promising Strategies for Behavior Change

CERN Document Server

Noar, Seth M

2012-01-01

eHealth Applications: Promising Strategies for Behavior Change provides an overview of technological applications in contemporary health communication research, exploring the history and current uses of eHealth applications in disease prevention and management. This volume focuses on the use of these technology-based interventions for public health promotion and explores the rapid growth of an innovative interdisciplinary field. The chapters in this work discuss key eHealth applications by presenting research examining a variety of technology-based applications. Authors Seth M. Noar and Nancy

Characteristics of utility cyclists in Queensland, Australia: an examination of the associations between individual, social, and environmental factors and utility cycling.

Science.gov (United States)

Sahlqvist, Shannon L; Heesch, Kristiann C

2012-08-01

Initiatives to promote utility cycling in countries like Australia and the US, which have low rates of utility cycling, may be more effective if they first target recreational cyclists. This study aimed to describe patterns of utility cycling and examine its correlates, among cyclists in Queensland, Australia. An online survey was administered to adult members of a state-based cycling community and advocacy group (n=1813). The survey asked about demographic characteristics and cycling behavior, motivators and constraints. Utility cycling patterns were described, and logistic regression modeling was used to examine associations between utility cycling and other variables. Forty-seven percent of respondents reported utility cycling: most did so to commute (86%). Most journeys (83%) were >5 km. Being male, younger, employed full-time, or university-educated increased the likelihood of utility cycling (P<.05). Perceiving cycling to be a cheap or a convenient form of transport was associated with utility cycling (P<.05). The moderate rate of utility cycling among recreational cyclists highlights a potential to promote utility cycling among this group. To increase utility cycling, strategies should target female and older recreational cyclists and focus on making cycling a cheap and convenient mode of transport.

Predicting Health Care Utilization After the First Behavioral Health Visit Using Natural Language Processing and Machine Learning

OpenAIRE

Roysden, Nathaniel

2016-01-01

Mental health problems are an independent predictor of increased healthcare utilization. We created random forest classifiers for predicting two outcomes following a patient’s first behavioral health encounter: decreased utilization by any amount (AUROC 0.74) and ultra-high absolute utilization (AUROC 0.88). These models may be used for clinical decision support by referring providers, to automatically detect patients who may benefit from referral, for cost management, or for risk/protection ...

Is Trait Rumination Associated with the Ability to Generate Effective Problem Solving Strategies? Utilizing Two Versions of the Means-Ends Problem-Solving Test.

Science.gov (United States)

Hasegawa, Akira; Nishimura, Haruki; Mastuda, Yuko; Kunisato, Yoshihiko; Morimoto, Hiroshi; Adachi, Masaki

This study examined the relationship between trait rumination and the effectiveness of problem solving strategies as assessed by the Means-Ends Problem-Solving Test (MEPS) in a nonclinical population. The present study extended previous studies in terms of using two instructions in the MEPS: the second-person, actual strategy instructions, which has been utilized in previous studies on rumination, and the third-person, ideal-strategy instructions, which is considered more suitable for assessing the effectiveness of problem solving strategies. We also replicated the association between rumination and each dimension of the Social Problem-Solving Inventory-Revised Short Version (SPSI-R:S). Japanese undergraduate students ( N  = 223) completed the Beck Depression Inventory-Second Edition, Ruminative Responses Scale (RRS), MEPS, and SPSI-R:S. One half of the sample completed the MEPS with the second-person, actual strategy instructions. The other participants completed the MEPS with the third-person, ideal-strategy instructions. The results showed that neither total RRS score, nor its subscale scores were significantly correlated with MEPS scores under either of the two instructions. These findings taken together with previous findings indicate that in nonclinical populations, trait rumination is not related to the effectiveness of problem solving strategies, but that state rumination while responding to the MEPS deteriorates the quality of strategies. The correlations between RRS and SPSI-R:S scores indicated that trait rumination in general, and its brooding subcomponent in particular are parts of cognitive and behavioral responses that attempt to avoid negative environmental and negative private events. Results also showed that reflection is a part of active problem solving.

Coping strategies of caregivers towards aggressive behaviors of persons with severe mental illness.

Science.gov (United States)

Madathumkovilakath, Neethu Bhaskaran; Kizhakkeppattu, Sindhu; Thekekunnath, Saleem; Kazhungil, Firoz

2018-04-24

Aggression is one of the chief determinants of caregiver burden in severe mental illnesses. Clinical and treatment implications of aggression in mental illness are predominantly studied in perspectives of mental health care professionals. Coping style of caregivers towards aggression of persons with mental illness is understudied. So we studied coping strategies used by caregivers of patients with severe mental illness towards aggressive behaviors of patients and relationship between aggressive behavior and coping strategies. We assessed two hundreds and seventy caregivers of patients with severe mental illness attending outpatient psychiatry department using Modified Overt Aggression Scale and the Ways of Coping Scale - revised. 95.6% of the caregivers perceived verbal aggression followed by aggression against property (67%), auto aggression (33.7%) and physical aggression (25.6%). The study revealed that adaptive coping strategies - planful problem solving and seeking social support were used by 40% each of caregivers to deal with aggressive behavior. Only 4.4% of caregivers resorted to escape avoidance which is maladaptive coping strategy. Though adaptive strategies were used by caregivers these were not used in appropriate situations. Physical aggression and aggression against property were not significantly associated with planful problem solving (r = 0.105; p = 0.08 and r = 0.110; p = 0.07 respectively). But verbal aggression, aggression against property and physical aggression were associated with escape avoidance (r = 0.152; p = 0.01 and r = 0.168; p = 0.01 and r = 0.23; p = mental illness is maladaptive with respect to aggression. Coping skills training would play a major role to address this issue. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effect of Undergraduates’ Emotional Intelligence on Information Search Behavior

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wang Haocheng

2017-06-01

Full Text Available [Purpose/significance] Information search capability is the focus of information literacy education. This paper explores the relationship between emotional intelligence and information search behavior. [Method/process] Based on the data from the questionnaires by 250 undergraduates, this paper used IBM SPSS Statistics 19.0 for statistical data analysis. [Result/conclusion]The correlation between emotional intelligence and information search capability is positively obvious. When it comes to all variables in the regression equation, information search behavior is mainly affected by regulation and utilization of the dimension of emotion. Utilization of emotion mainly affects retrieval strategies, information evaluation, behavior adjustment and total score; regulation of emotions mainly affects the information reference.

The evolution of utility functions and psychological altruism.

Science.gov (United States)

Clavien, Christine; Chapuisat, Michel

2016-04-01

Numerous studies show that humans tend to be more cooperative than expected given the assumption that they are rational maximizers of personal gain. As a result, theoreticians have proposed elaborated formal representations of human decision-making, in which utility functions including "altruistic" or "moral" preferences replace the purely self-oriented "Homo economicus" function. Here we review mathematical approaches that provide insights into the mathematical stability of alternative utility functions. Candidate utility functions may be evaluated with help of game theory, classical modeling of social evolution that focuses on behavioral strategies, and modeling of social evolution that focuses directly on utility functions. We present the advantages of the latter form of investigation and discuss one surprisingly precise result: "Homo economicus" as well as "altruistic" utility functions are less stable than a function containing a preference for the common welfare that is only expressed in social contexts composed of individuals with similar preferences. We discuss the contribution of mathematical models to our understanding of human other-oriented behavior, with a focus on the classical debate over psychological altruism. We conclude that human can be psychologically altruistic, but that psychological altruism evolved because it was generally expressed towards individuals that contributed to the actor's fitness, such as own children, romantic partners and long term reciprocators. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

SOC Strategies and Organizational Citizenship Behaviors toward the Benefits of Co-workers: A Multi-Source Study

Science.gov (United States)

Müller, Andreas; Weigl, Matthias

2017-01-01

Background: Individuals’ behavioral strategies like selection, optimization, and compensation (SOC) contribute to efficient use of available resources. In the work context, previous studies revealed positive associations between employees’ SOC use and favorable individual outcomes, like engagement and job performance. However, the social implications of self-directed behaviors like SOC that are favorable for the employee but may imply consequences for coworkers have not been investigated yet in an interpersonal work context. Objective: This study aimed to assess associations between employees’ use of SOC behaviors at work and their organizational citizenship behaviors (OCB) toward the benefits of co-workers rated by their peers at work. We further sought to identify age-specific associations between SOC use and OCB. Design and Method: A cross-sectional design combining multi-source data was applied in primary school teachers (age range: 23–58 years) who frequently teach in dyads. N = 114 dyads were finally included. Teachers reported on their SOC strategies at work. Their peer colleagues evaluated teachers’ OCB. Control variables were gender, workload, working hours, and perceived proximity of relationship between the dyads. Results: We observed a positive effect of loss-based selection behaviors on peer-rated OCB. Moreover, there was a significant two-way interaction effect between the use of compensation strategies and age on OCB, such that there was a positive association for older employees and a negative association for younger employees. There were no significant main and age-related interaction effects of elective selection, optimization, and of overall SOC strategies on OCB. Conclusion: Our study suggests that high use of loss-based selection and high use of compensation strategies in older employees is positively related with OCB as perceived by their colleagues. However, high use of compensation strategies in younger employees is perceived

SOC Strategies and Organizational Citizenship Behaviors toward the Benefits of Co-workers: A Multi-Source Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andreas Müller

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Background: Individuals’ behavioral strategies like selection, optimization, and compensation (SOC contribute to efficient use of available resources. In the work context, previous studies revealed positive associations between employees’ SOC use and favorable individual outcomes, like engagement and job performance. However, the social implications of self-directed behaviors like SOC that are favorable for the employee but may imply consequences for coworkers have not been investigated yet in an interpersonal work context.Objective: This study aimed to assess associations between employees’ use of SOC behaviors at work and their organizational citizenship behaviors (OCB toward the benefits of co-workers rated by their peers at work. We further sought to identify age-specific associations between SOC use and OCB.Design and Method: A cross-sectional design combining multi-source data was applied in primary school teachers (age range: 23–58 years who frequently teach in dyads. N = 114 dyads were finally included. Teachers reported on their SOC strategies at work. Their peer colleagues evaluated teachers’ OCB. Control variables were gender, workload, working hours, and perceived proximity of relationship between the dyads.Results: We observed a positive effect of loss-based selection behaviors on peer-rated OCB. Moreover, there was a significant two-way interaction effect between the use of compensation strategies and age on OCB, such that there was a positive association for older employees and a negative association for younger employees. There were no significant main and age-related interaction effects of elective selection, optimization, and of overall SOC strategies on OCB.Conclusion: Our study suggests that high use of loss-based selection and high use of compensation strategies in older employees is positively related with OCB as perceived by their colleagues. However, high use of compensation strategies in younger employees is

SOC Strategies and Organizational Citizenship Behaviors toward the Benefits of Co-workers: A Multi-Source Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Müller, Andreas; Weigl, Matthias

2017-01-01

Background: Individuals' behavioral strategies like selection, optimization, and compensation (SOC) contribute to efficient use of available resources. In the work context, previous studies revealed positive associations between employees' SOC use and favorable individual outcomes, like engagement and job performance. However, the social implications of self-directed behaviors like SOC that are favorable for the employee but may imply consequences for coworkers have not been investigated yet in an interpersonal work context. Objective: This study aimed to assess associations between employees' use of SOC behaviors at work and their organizational citizenship behaviors (OCB) toward the benefits of co-workers rated by their peers at work. We further sought to identify age-specific associations between SOC use and OCB. Design and Method: A cross-sectional design combining multi-source data was applied in primary school teachers (age range: 23-58 years) who frequently teach in dyads. N = 114 dyads were finally included. Teachers reported on their SOC strategies at work. Their peer colleagues evaluated teachers' OCB. Control variables were gender, workload, working hours, and perceived proximity of relationship between the dyads. Results: We observed a positive effect of loss-based selection behaviors on peer-rated OCB. Moreover, there was a significant two-way interaction effect between the use of compensation strategies and age on OCB, such that there was a positive association for older employees and a negative association for younger employees. There were no significant main and age-related interaction effects of elective selection, optimization, and of overall SOC strategies on OCB. Conclusion: Our study suggests that high use of loss-based selection and high use of compensation strategies in older employees is positively related with OCB as perceived by their colleagues. However, high use of compensation strategies in younger employees is perceived negatively

Mexican American mothers of low and middle socioeconomic status: communication behaviors and interactive strategies during shared book reading.

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Rodríguez, Barbara L; Hines, Rachel; Montiel, Miguel

2009-07-01

The aim of this investigation was to describe and compare the communication behaviors and interactive reading strategies used by Mexican American mothers of low- and middle-socioeconomic status (SES) background during shared book reading. Twenty Mexican American mother-child dyads from the Southwestern United States were observed during two book reading sessions. The data were coded across a number of communication behavior categories and were analyzed using the Adult/Child Interactive Reading Inventory (ACIRI; A. DeBruin-Parecki, 1999). Mexican American mothers used a variety of communication behaviors during shared book reading with their preschool children. Significant differences between the SES groups regarding the frequency of specific communication behaviors were revealed. Middle-SES mothers used positive feedback and yes/no questions more often than did low-SES mothers. Mexican American mothers also used a variety of interactive reading strategies with varying frequency, as measured by the ACIRI. They enhanced attention to text some of the time, but rarely promoted interactive reading/supported comprehension or used literacy strategies. There were no significant differences between the SES groups regarding the frequency of interactive reading strategies. Parent literacy programs should supplement Mexican American mothers' communication behaviors and interactive reading strategies to improve effectiveness and participation.

The relationships between social goals, skills, and strategies and their effect on aggressive behavior among adolescents.

Science.gov (United States)

Winstok, Zeev

2009-12-01

It is widely accepted that conflict-related goals, skills, and strategies are linked. Yet it is rarely explored how these factors relate to each other and how they jointly promote or inhibit aggressive behaviors. The aim of this study is to provide answers to these questions. Data were derived from a structured questionnaire administered to 660 male and female adolescents of an average age of 14.99 years from two urban schools in northern Israel. Findings show that goals, skills, and strategies that promote or inhibit violence are positively interrelated. Furthermore, negative association was found between violence promoting and inhibiting goals, skills, and strategies. Gender differences were also analyzed. It has been found that boys display aggressive behavior more frequently then girls. Findings also show that the rate of violence promoting goals, skills, and strategies is higher among boys than among girls, whereas that of violence inhibiting ones are higher among girls than among boys. Yet when controlling the effects of goals, skills, and strategies, girls demonstrate aggressive behavior more frequently than boys. These research findings are discussed and conceptualized within the theoretical framework of social adjustment.

Long-term consequences of selected competitive strategies during deregulation of the United States electric utility industry: System dynamics modeling and simulation

Science.gov (United States)

Khalil, Yehia Fahim

Currently, U.S. investor-owned utilities (IOUs) are facing major reforms in their business environment similar to the airlines, telecommunications, banking, and insurance industries. As a result, IOUs are gearing up for fierce price competition in the power generation sector, and are vying for electricity customers outside their franchised service territories. Energy experts predict that some IOUs may suffer fatal financial setbacks (especially those with nuclear plants), while others may thrive under competition. Both federal and state energy regulators anticipate that it may take from five to ten years to complete the transition of America's electric utility industry from a regulated monopoly to a market-driven business. During this transition, utility executives are pursuing aggressive business strategies to confront the upcoming price wars. The most compelling strategies focus on cutting operation and maintenance (O&M) costs of power production, downsizing the work force, and signing bilateral energy agreements with large price-sensitive customers to retain their business. This research assesses the impact of the three pivotal strategies on financial performance of utilities during transition to open market competition. A system-dynamics-based management flight simulator has been developed to predict the dynamic performance of a hypothetical IOU organization preparing for market competition. The simulation results show that while the three business strategies lead to short-lived gains, they also produce unanticipated long-term consequences that adversely impact the organization's operating revenues. Generally, the designed flight simulator serves as a learning laboratory which allows management to test new strategies before implementation.

Effects of rational emotive behavior therapy for senior nursing students on coping strategies and self-efficacy.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Myung Ah; Kim, Jiyoung; Kim, Eun Jung

2015-03-01

Senior nursing students are faced with various types of stressful events such as taking the national licensure exam or finding employment. Such stress can generate maladaptive behaviors as well as physical and psychological symptoms. There is evidence supporting the use of rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT) for reducing disruptive behaviors and negative emotions as well as improving self-efficacy and stress-coping strategies. The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT) on stress coping strategies and self-efficacy for senior nursing students. Thirty-four senior nursing students in a nursing college were assigned randomly to an experimental group (n=18) and a control group (n=16). The REBT program consisted of 8 sessions, and it was implemented for a 4-week period. Outcome measures assessed stress-coping strategies and self-efficacy before and after intervention. After intervention with REBT, the mean difference scores for self-efficacy (p=.032) were significantly higher in the experimental group than in the control group. However, the mean difference scores for seeking social support (p=.166), problem solving (p=.126), and avoidance (p=.154) in stress-coping strategies were not significantly different between the two groups. The results imply that group counseling based on REBT enhances the self-efficacy among senior nursing students before graduation. As regards stress coping strategies, a longer intervention period is suggested. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Deregulation strategies for local governments and the role/opportunities for energy efficiency services in the utility industry deregulation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tseng, P.C.

1998-01-01

As the future shape of the electric utility industry continues to unfold and as retail competition becomes a reality, local governments are faced with balancing the need for: (1) economic development; (2) and to avoid the potential impact of cost-shifting among residents and businesses, while ensuring reliable and universal energy services. Furthermore, local governments need to find ways to recoup potential loss of franchise and tax revenues, to ensure fair and adequate energy-efficiency programs, and to continue other social programs for low income families. This paper will address two important issues every local government in the US are facing: (1) the development of viable deregulation strategies before, during and after the promulgation of utility deregulation; (2) opportunities for energy efficiency services in the competitive markets to serve local governments, which typically constitutes the largest market segment in utility's service territory. This paper presents issues and challenges common to all local governments. It documents strategies that several local governments are utilizing to embrace the coming electric utility restructuring and competition challenge to the benefits of their respective communities. This paper presents the results on deregulation work by the City of Portland, Oregon, Barnstable County, Massachusetts, and Montgomery County, Maryland. The research by these local governments was sponsored by the Urban Consortium Energy Task Force and Public Technology, Inc

Deregulation strategies for local governments and the role/opportunities for energy efficiency services in the utility industry deregulation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tseng, P.C.

1998-07-01

As the future shape of the electric utility industry continues to unfold and as retail competition becomes a reality, local governments are faced with balancing the need for: (1) economic development; (2) and to avoid the potential impact of cost-shifting among residents and businesses, while ensuring reliable and universal energy services. Furthermore, local governments need to find ways to recoup potential loss of franchise and tax revenues, to ensure fair and adequate energy-efficiency programs, and to continue other social programs for low income families. This paper will address two important issues every local government in the US are facing: (1) the development of viable deregulation strategies before, during and after the promulgation of utility deregulation; (2) opportunities for energy efficiency services in the competitive markets to serve local governments, which typically constitutes the largest market segment in utility's service territory. This paper presents issues and challenges common to all local governments. It documents strategies that several local governments are utilizing to embrace the coming electric utility restructuring and competition challenge to the benefits of their respective communities. This paper presents the results on deregulation work by the City of Portland, Oregon, Barnstable County, Massachusetts, and Montgomery County, Maryland. The research by these local governments was sponsored by the Urban Consortium Energy Task Force and Public Technology, Inc.

Optimization Strategy for Economic Power Dispatch Utilizing Retired EV Batteries as Flexible Loads

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shubo Hu

2018-06-01

Full Text Available With the increasing penetration of new and renewable energy, incorporating variable adjustable power elements on the demand side is of particular interest. The utilization of batteries as flexible loads is a hot research topic. Lithium-ion batteries are key components in electric vehicles (EVs in terms of capital cost, mass and size. They are retired after around 5 years of service, but still retain up to 80% of their nominal capacity. Disposal of waste batteries will become a significant issue for the automotive industry in the years to come. This work proposes the use of the second life of these batteries as flexible loads to participate in the economic power dispatch. The characteristics of second life batteries (SLBs are varied and diverse, requiring a new optimization strategy for power dispatch at the system level. In this work, SLBs are characterized and their operating curves are obtained analytically for developing an economic power dispatch model involving wind farms and second life batteries. In addition, a dispatch strategy is developed to reduce the dispatch complex brought by the disperse spatial and time distribution of EVs and decrease the system operating cost by introducing incentive and penalty costs in regulating the EV performance. In theory, SLBs are utilized to reduce the peak-valley difference of power loads and to stabilize the power system. Test results based on a ten-unit power system have verified the effectiveness of the proposed dispatch model and the economic benefit of utilizing SLBs as flexible loads in power systems. This work may provide a viable solution to the disposal of waste batteries from EVs and to the stable operation of fluctuating power systems incorporating stochastic renewable energy.

Switching Loss Reduction in the Three-Phase Quasi-Z-Source Inverters Utilizing Modified Space Vector Modulation Strategies

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Abdelhakim, Ahmed; Davari, Pooya; Blaabjerg, Frede

2018-01-01

Several single-stage topologies have been introduced since kicking off the three-phase Z-source inverter (ZSI), and among these topologies, the quasi-ZSI (qZSI) is the most common one due to its simple structure and continuous input current. Furthermore, different modulation strategies, utilizing...... multiple reference signals, have been developed as well. However, prior art modulation methods have some demerits, such as the complexity of generating the gate signals, the increased number of switch commutations with continuous commutation at high current level during the entire fundamental cycle...... the generation of the gate signals by utilizing only three reference signals, and achieving a single switch commutation at a time. These modulation strategies are analyzed and compared to the conventional ones, where a reduced-scale 1 kVA three-phase qZSI is designed and simulated using these different...

Intervention strategy to stimulate energy-saving behavior of local residents

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Han, Q.; Nieuwenhijsen, I.; Vries, B. de; Blokhuis, E.; Schaefer, W.

2013-01-01

This study investigates intervention strategy in stimulating energy-saving behavior to achieve energy neutral urban development. A tree structure overview of potential interventions classified into three categories is revealed. An integrated behaviour model is developed reflecting the relations between behaviour and influence factors. A latent class model is used to identify segments of local residents who differ regarding their preferences for interventions. Data are collected from a sample of residents in the Eindhoven region of the Netherlands in 2010. The results indicate that social-demographic characteristics, knowledge, motivation and context factors play important roles in energy-saving behaviour. Specifically, four segments of residents in the study area were identified that clearly differed in their preferences of interventions: cost driven residents, conscious residents, ease driven residents and environment minded residents. These findings emphasize that the intervention strategy should be focused on specific target groups to have the right mixture of interventions to achieve effective results on stimulating them to save energy. - Highlights: ► A latent class model to identify segments with preferred energy-saving interventions. ► An integrated energy-saving behavior model of casual relations. ► A tree structure overview of potential interventions

Early Adolescent Health Risk Behaviors, Conflict Resolution Strategies, and School Climate

Science.gov (United States)

LaRusso, Maria; Selman, Robert

2011-01-01

Drawing upon an ethnically and socio-economically diverse sample of 323 7th grade students from twelve urban schools within one school district, this mixed method study examined early adolescents' self-reported health risk behaviors as related to their conflict resolution strategies and their school's conflict resolution climate. Survey data…

Embedded Prompting May Function as Embedded Punishment: Detection of Unexpected Behavioral Processes within a Typical Preschool Teaching Strategy

Science.gov (United States)

Heal, Nicole A.; Hanley, Gregory P.

2011-01-01

This study describes an unexpected behavioral process that influenced behavior during the teaching of concepts to a 4-year-old girl. The efficacy of and preference for three strategies that varied in teacher directedness were assessed in a multielement design and concurrent-chains arrangement, respectively. The strategy that involved the most…

The Success Of Stock Selection Strategies In Emerging Markets: Is It Risk Or Behavioral Bias?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

J. van der Hart; G.J. de Zwart (Gerben); D.J.C. van Dijk (Dick)

2005-01-01

textabstractWe examine competing explanations, based on risk and behavioral models, for the profitability of stock selection strategies in emerging markets. We document that both emerging market risk and global risk factors cannot account for the significant excess returns of selection strategies

Rural Veterans' dental utilization, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey, 2014.

Science.gov (United States)

Wiener, R Constance; Shen, Chan; Sambamoorthi, Usha; Findley, Patricia A

2017-09-01

Rural residents are overrepresented in the military; however, access to Veteran services is limited in rural areas. There is a need to identify rural Veteran healthcare utilization. This study addresses that need and has two purposes: a) to determine if there is an association between rural dwelling and Veteran utilization of dental services; and b) to determine if there is an association between rural dwelling and the oral health outcome of missing teeth. Data from the 2014 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey were used in this study. Chi square and logistic regression analyses were conducted. Rural Veterans were less likely to have a dental visit during the previous year as compared with metropolitan Veterans in unadjusted analysis (Odds ratio = 0.71, 95% Confidence Interval, 0.64, 0.77) and in adjusted analysis [0.87 (95% Confidence Interval, 0.78, 0.96)]. In cases in which all teeth were missing, rural Veterans had an unadjusted odds ratio of 1.79 [95% Confidence Interval, 1.55, 2.08] and an adjusted odds ratio of 1.37 [95% Confidence Interval, 1.17, 1.62] as compared with metropolitan Veterans. The Veterans Health Administration develops policies for establishing centers for care for Veterans. The policy development should take into consideration that rural Veterans have not been as likely as urban Veterans to utilize dental services and have poorer oral health outcomes. © 2017 American Association of Public Health Dentistry.

A Methodological Alternative to Media Comparison Studies: Linking Information Utilization Strategies and Instructional Approach in Hypermedia Learning

OpenAIRE

Catrambone, Richard; Gerjets, Peter; Scheiter, Katharina; Vollmann, Brigitte

2006-01-01

Literature reviews on hypermedia learning have yet failed to show consistent positive effects of learner-controlled nonlinear information access. We argue that a possible reason for this lack of evidence in favor of hypermedia learning results from the fact that not sufficient attention is paid to the strategies of information utilization learners deploy. The few studies that do analyze these strategies fail to link them to an instructional approach, which hampers a deeper interpretation of s...

The Interaction of Motivation, Self-Regulatory Strategies, and Autonomous Learning Behavior in Different Learner Groups

Science.gov (United States)

Kormos, Judit; Csizér, Kata

2014-01-01

Autonomous learning and effective self-regulatory strategies are increasingly important in foreign language learning; without these, students might not be able to exploit learning opportunities outside language classrooms. This study investigated the influence of motivational factors and self-regulatory strategies on autonomous learning behavior.…

Self-Regulatory Strategies as Correlates of Physical Activity Behavior in Persons With Multiple Sclerosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Cederberg, Katie L; Balto, Julia M; Motl, Robert W

2018-05-01

To examine self-regulation strategies as correlates of physical activity in persons with multiple sclerosis (MS). Cross-sectional, or survey, study. University-based research laboratory. Convenience sample of persons with MS (N=68). Not applicable. Exercise Self-Efficacy Scale (EXSE), 12-item Physical Activity Self-Regulation Scale (PASR-12), and Godin Leisure-Time Exercise Questionnaire (GLTEQ). Correlation analyses indicated that GLTEQ scores were positively and significantly associated with overall self-regulation (r=.43), self-monitoring (r=.45), goal-setting (r=.27), reinforcement (r=.30), time management (r=.41), and relapse prevention (r=.53) PASR-12 scores. Regression analyses indicated that relapse prevention (B=5.01; SE B=1.74; β=.51) and self-monitoring (B=3.65; SE B=1.71; β=.33) were unique predictors of physical activity behavior, and relapse prevention demonstrated a significant association with physical activity behavior that was accounted for by EXSE. Our results indicate that self-regulatory strategies, particularly relapse prevention, may be important correlates of physical activity behavior that can inform the design of future behavioral interventions in MS. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Evaluation of the Parent-Implemented Communication Strategies (PiCS) Project Using the Multiattribute Utility (MAU) Approach

Science.gov (United States)

Stoner, Julia B.; Meadan, Hedda; Angell, Maureen E.; Daczewitz, Marcus

2012-01-01

We conducted a multiattribute utility (MAU) evaluation to assess the Parent-Implemented Communication Strategies (PiCS) project which was funded by the Institute of Education Sciences (IES). In the PiCS project parents of young children with developmental disabilities are trained and coached in their homes on naturalistic and visual teaching…

Predictive Effects of Good Self-Control and Poor Regulation on Alcohol-Related Outcomes: Do Protective Behavioral Strategies Mediate?

Science.gov (United States)

Pearson, Matthew R.; Kite, Benjamin A.; Henson, James M.

2016-01-01

In the present study, we examined whether use of protective behavioral strategies mediated the relationship between self-control constructs and alcohol-related outcomes. According to the two-mode model of self-control, good self-control (planfulness; measured with Future Time Perspective, Problem Solving, and Self-Reinforcement) and poor regulation (impulsivity; measured with Present Time Perspective, Poor Delay of Gratification, Distractibility) are theorized to be relatively independent constructs rather than opposite ends of a single continuum. The analytic sample consisted of 278 college student drinkers (68% women) who responded to a battery of surveys at a single time point. Using a structural equation model based on the two-mode model of self-control, we found that good self-control predicted increased use of three types of protective behavioral strategies (Manner of Drinking, Limiting/Stopping Drinking, and Serious Harm Reduction). Poor regulation was unrelated to use of protective behavioral strategies, but had direct effects on alcohol use and alcohol problems. Further, protective behavioral strategies mediated the relationship between good self-control and alcohol use. The clinical implications of these findings are discussed. PMID:22663345

The effect of utility time-varying pricing and load control strategies on residential summer peak electricity use. A review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Newsham, Guy R.; Bowker, Brent G.

2010-01-01

Peak demand for electricity in North America is expected to grow, challenging electrical utilities to supply this demand in a cost-effective, reliable manner. Therefore, there is growing interest in strategies to reduce peak demand by eliminating electricity use, or shifting it to non-peak times. This strategy is commonly called 'demand response'. In households, common strategies are time-varying pricing, which charge more for energy use on peak, or direct load control, which allows utilities to curtail certain loads during high demand periods. We reviewed recent North American studies of these strategies. The data suggest that the most effective strategy is a critical peak price (CPP) program with enabling technology to automatically curtail loads on event days. There is little evidence that this causes substantial hardship for occupants, particularly if they have input into which loads are controlled and how, and have an override option. In such cases, a peak load reduction of at least 30% is a reasonable expectation. It might be possible to attain such load reductions without enabling technology by focusing on household types more likely to respond, and providing them with excellent support. A simple time-of-use (TOU) program can only expect to realise on-peak reductions of 5%. (author)

Fuzzy Cognitive and Social Negotiation Agent Strategy for Computational Collective Intelligence

Science.gov (United States)

Chohra, Amine; Madani, Kurosh; Kanzari, Dalel

Finding the adequate (win-win solutions for both parties) negotiation strategy with incomplete information for autonomous agents, even in one-to-one negotiation, is a complex problem. Elsewhere, negotiation behaviors, in which the characters such as conciliatory or aggressive define a 'psychological' aspect of the negotiator personality, play an important role. The aim of this paper is to develop a fuzzy cognitive and social negotiation strategy for autonomous agents with incomplete information, where the characters conciliatory, neutral, or aggressive, are suggested to be integrated in negotiation behaviors (inspired from research works aiming to analyze human behavior and those on social negotiation psychology). For this purpose, first, one-to-one bargaining process, in which a buyer agent and a seller agent negotiate over single issue (price), is developed for a time-dependent strategy (based on time-dependent behaviors of Faratin et al.) and for a fuzzy cognitive and social strategy. Second, experimental environments and measures, allowing a set of experiments, carried out for different negotiation deadlines of buyer and seller agents, are detailed. Third, experimental results for both time-dependent and fuzzy cognitive and social strategies are presented, analyzed, and compared for different deadlines of agents. The suggested fuzzy cognitive and social strategy allows agents to improve the negotiation process, with regard to the time-dependent one, in terms of agent utilities, round number to reach an agreement, and percentage of agreements.

Culturally Responsive Positive Behavior Supports: Considerations for Practice

Science.gov (United States)

Banks, Tachelle; Obiakor, Festus E.

2015-01-01

Classrooms are not culturally neutral terrains, but rather are constructed around sets of norms, values, and expected behaviors that are culturally bound. Low tolerance levels and expectations are an indication of the incongruence between the education strategies utilized by teachers and the cultural and linguistic differences of students that are…

Harm Reduction for Cannabis: Factor Analysis of a Protective Behavioral Strategies Survey

Science.gov (United States)

Caffrey, Kathleen S.; Wright, Bruce R.; Maarhuis, Patricia L.

2018-01-01

Objective: To examine the psychometric properties of a measure of cannabis-specific Protective Behavioral Strategies (PBS), which assesses ways in which students may reduce cannabis-related risk. Participants: Respondents to the American College Health Association-National College Health Assessment II (N = 580) during Spring 2015. Methods:…

Seasonality directs contrasting food collection behavior and nutrient regulation strategies in ants.

Science.gov (United States)

Cook, Steven C; Eubanks, Micky D; Gold, Roger E; Behmer, Spencer T

2011-01-01

Long-lived animals, including social insects, often display seasonal shifts in foraging behavior. Foraging is ultimately a nutrient consumption exercise, but the effect of seasonality per se on changes in foraging behavior, particularly as it relates to nutrient regulation, is poorly understood. Here, we show that field-collected fire ant colonies, returned to the laboratory and maintained under identical photoperiod, temperature, and humidity regimes, and presented with experimental foods that had different protein (p) to carbohydrate (c) ratios, practice summer- and fall-specific foraging behaviors with respect to protein-carbohydrate regulation. Summer colonies increased the amount of food collected as the p:c ratio of their food became increasingly imbalanced, but fall colonies collected similar amounts of food regardless of the p:c ratio of their food. Choice experiments revealed that feeding was non-random, and that both fall and summer ants preferred carbohydrate-biased food. However, ants rarely ate all the food they collected, and their cached or discarded food always contained little carbohydrate relative to protein. From a nutrient regulation strategy, ants consumed most of the carbohydrate they collected, but regulated protein consumption to a similar level, regardless of season. We suggest that varied seasonal food collection behaviors and nutrient regulation strategies may be an adaptation that allows long-lived animals to meet current and future nutrient demands when nutrient-rich foods are abundant (e.g. spring and summer), and to conserve energy and be metabolically more efficient when nutritionally balanced foods are less abundant.

Information search and decision making: effects of age and complexity on strategy use.

Science.gov (United States)

Queen, Tara L; Hess, Thomas M; Ennis, Gilda E; Dowd, Keith; Grühn, Daniel

2012-12-01

The impact of task complexity on information search strategy and decision quality was examined in a sample of 135 young, middle-aged, and older adults. We were particularly interested in the competing roles of fluid cognitive ability and domain knowledge and experience, with the former being a negative influence and the latter being a positive influence on older adults' performance. Participants utilized 2 decision matrices, which varied in complexity, regarding a consumer purchase. Using process tracing software and an algorithm developed to assess decision strategy, we recorded search behavior, strategy selection, and final decision. Contrary to expectations, older adults were not more likely than the younger age groups to engage in information-minimizing search behaviors in response to increases in task complexity. Similarly, adults of all ages used comparable decision strategies and adapted their strategies to the demands of the task. We also examined decision outcomes in relation to participants' preferences. Overall, it seems that older adults utilize simpler sets of information primarily reflecting the most valued attributes in making their choice. The results of this study suggest that older adults are adaptive in their approach to decision making and that this ability may benefit from accrued knowledge and experience. 2013 APA, all rights reserved

Ethanol from Cellulosic Biomass with Emphasis of Wheat Straw Utilization. Analysis of Strategies for Process Development

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexander Dimitrov Kroumov

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The "Green and Blue Technologies Strategies in HORIZON 2020" has increased the attention of scientific society on global utilization of renewable energy sources. Agricultural residues can be a valuable source of energy because of drastically growing human needs for food. The goal of this review is to show the current state of art on utilization of wheat straw as a substrate for ethanol production. The specifics of wheat straw composition and the chemical and thermodynamic properties of its components pre-determined the application of unit operations and engineering strategies for hydrolysis of the substrate and further its fermentation. Modeling of this two processes is crucially important for optimal overall process development and scale up. The authors gave much attention on main hydrolisis products as a glucose and xylose (C6 and C5 sugars, respectivelly and on the specifics of their metabolization by ethanol producing microorganisms. The microbial physiology reacting on C6 and C5 sugars and mathematical aproaches describing these phenomena are discussing, as well.

Strategie zachowan konsumpcyjnych seniorow na rynku dobr i uslug konsumpcyjnych. (Strategy of consumer behavior of the elderly on the market of consumer foods and services.)

OpenAIRE

Felicjan Bylok

2013-01-01

In the paper entitled: “Strategy of consumer behavior of the elderly on the market of consumer foods and services” the subject matter for analysis was deemed to be the consumer behavior of the elderly. The author is searching for the answer to the following questions: What are the specifics of the behavior of the elderly on the market of foods and services? What are the factors determining the consumer behavior of the elderly? What types of purchasing behavior are most frequently encountered ...

Personalized Infrastructure: Leveraging Behavioral Strategies for Future Mobility

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Duvall, Andrew L [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

2017-10-23

toward an ever more complex mobility landscape, and with a quickly growing population, we look for answers to these questions as the core of developing strategies for the future of transportation. Using available data from emergent modes, and experiments conducted as part of an Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy (ARPA-E) Traveler Response Architecture using Novel Signaling for Network Efficiency in Transportation (TRANSNET) project, we look at how the sharing economy and transportation mobility services have begun to radically alter transportation behavior, while operating in parallel with traditional transportation infrastructure. Emerging modes and practices are affecting car dependence and enabling multimodality. We weigh influences on travel behaviors, identify decision breakpoints where inelastic behavior becomes elastic, incentives, and societal leverage points.

Product development, strategy, product innovation performance, and the mediating role of knowledge utilization : evidence from subsidiares in China

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Zhang, Junfeng; Benedetto, Di A.C.; Hoenig, S.

2009-01-01

This study examines the interplay of product development strategy, knowledge utilization, and product innovation performance in the context of Chinese subsidiaries of multinational companies. When firms strive to develop highly innovative products (breakthrough focus), the amount of resources

Evaluation of Increasing Antecedent Specificity in Goal Statements on Adherence to Positive Behavior-Management Strategies

Science.gov (United States)

Cohrs, Corey M.; Shriver, Mark D.; Burke, Raymond V.; Allen, Keith D.

2016-01-01

We evaluated the impact of antecedent specificity in goal statements on adherence to positive behavior-management strategies. Teaching staff were recruited from 2 different school settings where there were routine expectations to use behavior-specific praise in the classroom, but adherence was poor. In a concurrent multiple baseline design, the…

Behavioral Contexts, Food-Choice Coping Strategies, and Dietary Quality of a Multiethnic Sample of Employed Parents

Science.gov (United States)

Blake, Christine E.; Wethington, Elaine; Farrell, Tracy J.; Bisogni, Carole A.; Devine, Carol M.

2012-01-01

Employed parents’ work and family conditions provide behavioral contexts for their food choices. Relationships between employed parents’ food-choice coping strategies, behavioral contexts, and dietary quality were evaluated. Data on work and family conditions, sociodemographic characteristics, eating behavior, and dietary intake from two 24-hour dietary recalls were collected in a random sample cross-sectional pilot telephone survey in the fall of 2006. Black, white, and Latino employed mothers (n=25) and fathers (n=25) were recruited from a low/moderate income urban area in upstate New York. Hierarchical cluster analysis (Ward’s method) identified three clusters of parents differing in use of food-choice coping strategies (ie, Individualized Eating, Missing Meals, and Home Cooking). Cluster sociodemographic, work, and family characteristics were compared using χ2 and Fisher’s exact tests. Cluster differences in dietary quality (Healthy Eating Index 2005) were analyzed using analysis of variance. Clusters differed significantly (P≤0.05) on food-choice coping strategies, dietary quality, and behavioral contexts (ie, work schedule, marital status, partner’s employment, and number of children). Individualized Eating and Missing Meals clusters were characterized by nonstandard work hours, having a working partner, single parenthood and with family meals away from home, grabbing quick food instead of a meal, using convenience entrées at home, and missing meals or individualized eating. The Home Cooking cluster included considerably more married fathers with nonemployed spouses and more home-cooked family meals. Food-choice coping strategies affecting dietary quality reflect parents’ work and family conditions. Nutritional guidance and family policy needs to consider these important behavioral contexts for family nutrition and health. PMID:21338739

Integrating Regret Psychology to Travel Mode Choice for a Transit-Oriented Evacuation Strategy

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Shi An

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Facing the potential dangers from sudden disasters in urban cities, emergency administrators have to make an appropriate evacuation plan to mitigate negative consequences. However, little attention has been paid to evacuee real decision psychology when developing a strategy. The aim of this paper is to analyze evacuee mode choice behavior considering regret aversion psychology during evacuation. First, the utility-based and regret-based models are formulated to obtain evacuees’ preferences on travel mode choice, respectively. According to the data collected from the stated preference (SP survey on evacuee mode choice, the estimation results show that the regret-based model performs better than the utility model. Moreover, based on the estimates from behavioral analysis, the elasticities of evacuee mode choices are calculated, and transit strategy simulation is undertaken to investigate the influence on evacuee mode switching from private automobile to public transit. The results are expected to help emergency administrators to make a transit-oriented strategy for a sustainable evacuation plan, especially for the benefit of carless people.

Is control through utilization a cost effective Prosopis juliflora management strategy?

Science.gov (United States)

Wakie, Tewodros T; Hoag, Dana; Evangelista, Paul H; Luizza, Matthew; Laituri, Melinda

2016-03-01

through utilization may be a viable P. juliflora management strategy under the right environmental setting. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Rational energy use and the gas utility. An economic analysis of energy efficiency strategies on the space heating market

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Helle, C.

1994-01-01

Apart from the political authorities, also the supply utilities may contribute to a more widespread rational energy use. This investigtion focuses on the gas utilities, which have a wide range of options for higher energy efficiency, especially on the space heating market. These options are analyzed in the framework of the process of company straategy planning. Particular interest is taken in the product-political strategy of forward integration. (orig.) [de

ACCUMULATION MODEL OF EXPOSURE OF HUMAN BEHAVIOR AT REALIZATION OF COPING STRATEGIES

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Vladimir Victorovich Gryzunov

2015-09-01

Full Text Available In the modern industrial society people live under the internal risks which induce various critical situations. For keeping reliability of his activity and personal safety a person is forced to take quick determinations. This article presents research of coping strategies by examinee students. It allows to project this behavior on real industrial process and educe elements of working society, which make persons either solve problems or search for social support or avoid problem. And researching of students behavior leads to analysis of employee relations in produced process, which lead to analysis of work and people in total. If we don’t follow the rules of employee relations and person behavior it leads to breakdown with deadly injured.

Ethogram of Immature Green Turtles: Behavioral Strategies for Somatic Growth in Large Marine Herbivores

Science.gov (United States)

Okuyama, Junichi; Nakajima, Kana; Noda, Takuji; Kimura, Satoko; Kamihata, Hiroko; Kobayashi, Masato; Arai, Nobuaki; Kagawa, Shiro; Kawabata, Yuuki; Yamada, Hideaki

2013-01-01

Animals are assumed to obtain/conserve energy effectively to maximise their fitness, which manifests itself in a variety of behavioral strategies. For marine animals, however, these behavioral strategies are generally unknown due to the lack of high-resolution monitoring techniques in marine habitats. As large marine herbivores, immature green turtles do not need to allocate energy to reproduction but are at risk of shark predation, although it is a rare occurrence. They are therefore assumed to select/use feeding and resting sites that maximise their fitness in terms of somatic growth, while avoiding predation. We investigated fine-scale behavioral patterns (feeding, resting and other behaviors), microhabitat use and time spent on each behavior for eight immature green turtles using data loggers including: depth, global positioning system, head acceleration, speed and video sensors. Immature green turtles at Iriomote Island, Japan, spent an average of 4.8 h feeding on seagrass each day, with two peaks, between 5∶00 and 9∶00, and between 17∶00 and 20∶00. This feeding pattern appeared to be restricted by gut capacity, and thus maximised energy acquisition. Meanwhile, most of the remaining time was spent resting at locations close to feeding grounds, which allowed turtles to conserve energy spent travelling and reduced the duration of periods exposed to predation. These behavioral patterns and time allocations allow immature green turtles to effectively obtain/conserve energy for growth, thus maximising their fitness. PMID:23840367

Ethogram of Immature Green Turtles: Behavioral Strategies for Somatic Growth in Large Marine Herbivores.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Junichi Okuyama

Full Text Available Animals are assumed to obtain/conserve energy effectively to maximise their fitness, which manifests itself in a variety of behavioral strategies. For marine animals, however, these behavioral strategies are generally unknown due to the lack of high-resolution monitoring techniques in marine habitats. As large marine herbivores, immature green turtles do not need to allocate energy to reproduction but are at risk of shark predation, although it is a rare occurrence. They are therefore assumed to select/use feeding and resting sites that maximise their fitness in terms of somatic growth, while avoiding predation. We investigated fine-scale behavioral patterns (feeding, resting and other behaviors, microhabitat use and time spent on each behavior for eight immature green turtles using data loggers including: depth, global positioning system, head acceleration, speed and video sensors. Immature green turtles at Iriomote Island, Japan, spent an average of 4.8 h feeding on seagrass each day, with two peaks, between 5∶00 and 9∶00, and between 17∶00 and 20∶00. This feeding pattern appeared to be restricted by gut capacity, and thus maximised energy acquisition. Meanwhile, most of the remaining time was spent resting at locations close to feeding grounds, which allowed turtles to conserve energy spent travelling and reduced the duration of periods exposed to predation. These behavioral patterns and time allocations allow immature green turtles to effectively obtain/conserve energy for growth, thus maximising their fitness.

Water Utility Management Strategies in Turkey: The current situation and the challenges

Science.gov (United States)

Alp, E.; Aksoy, M. N.; Koçer, B.

2013-12-01

As the effects of climate change becomes more prominent, current challenges related to water and wastewater management is becoming more serious. Providing water that satisfies environmental and safety standards in terms of quantity and quality is needed to maintain human life without compromising the need of future generations. Besides providing safe and affordable water, necessary treatment should be achieved according to several important factors such as receiving body standards, discharge standards, water reuse options. Therefore, management of water becomes more crucial than ever that states have to provide accessibility of safe water with affordable cost to its citizens with the means of effective utility management, including water treatment facilities, wastewater treatment facilities, water supply facilities and water distribution systems. Water utilities encounter with several challenges related to cost, infrastructure, population, legislation, workforce and resource. This study aims to determine the current situation and the necessary strategies to improve utility management in Turkish municipalities in a sustainable manner. US Environment Protection Agency (EPA) has formed a tool on effective utility management that assists utilities to provide a solution for both current and future challenges. In this study, we used EPA's guidelines and developed a survey consists of 60 questions under 10 sub-topics (Product Quality, Employee & Leadership Development, Stakeholder Understanding & Support, Operational Optimization, Infrastructure Stability, Financial Viability, Community Sustainability, Customer Satisfaction, Operational Resiliency, and Water Resource Adequacy). This survey was sent to the managers of 25 metropolitan municipalities in Turkey to assess the current condition of municipalities. After the evaluation of the survey results for each topic, including the importance given by managers, facilities were rated according to their level of achievement

A content analysis of preconception health education materials: characteristics, strategies, and clinical-behavioral components.

Science.gov (United States)

Levis, Denise M; Westbrook, Kyresa

2013-01-01

Many health organizations and practitioners in the United States promote preconception health (PCH) to consumers. However, summaries and evaluations of PCH promotional activities are limited. We conducted a content analysis of PCH health education materials collected from local-, state-, national-, and federal-level partners by using an existing database of partners, outreach to maternal and child health organizations, and a snowball sampling technique. Not applicable. Not applicable. Thirty-two materials were included for analysis, based on inclusion/exclusion criteria. A codebook guided coding of materials' characteristics (type, authorship, language, cost), use of marketing and behavioral strategies to reach the target population (target audience, message framing, call to action), and inclusion of PCH subject matter (clinical-behavioral components). The self-assessment of PCH behaviors was the most common material (28%) to appear in the sample. Most materials broadly targeted women, and there was a near-equal distribution in targeting by pregnancy planning status segments (planners and nonplanners). "Practicing PCH benefits the baby's health" was the most common message frame used. Materials contained a wide range of clinical-behavioral components. Strategic targeting of subgroups of consumers is an important but overlooked strategy. More research is needed around PCH components, in terms of packaging and increasing motivation, which could guide use and placement of clinical-behavioral components within promotional materials.

Is vaccination good value for money? A review of cost-utility analyses of vaccination strategies in eight European countries

OpenAIRE

Barbieri, Marco; Capri, Stefano

2016-01-01

Objective: The objective of this study is to review published cost-utility analyses of vaccination strategies in eight European countries and to assess whether there are differences in cost-effectiveness terms among countries and vaccinations. Methods: A systematic search of the literature was conducted using the National Health Service Economic Evaluation Database and the PubMed database. Cost-utility analyses of any type of vaccination that used quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) as me...

Seasonality directs contrasting food collection behavior and nutrient regulation strategies in ants.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Steven C Cook

Full Text Available Long-lived animals, including social insects, often display seasonal shifts in foraging behavior. Foraging is ultimately a nutrient consumption exercise, but the effect of seasonality per se on changes in foraging behavior, particularly as it relates to nutrient regulation, is poorly understood. Here, we show that field-collected fire ant colonies, returned to the laboratory and maintained under identical photoperiod, temperature, and humidity regimes, and presented with experimental foods that had different protein (p to carbohydrate (c ratios, practice summer- and fall-specific foraging behaviors with respect to protein-carbohydrate regulation. Summer colonies increased the amount of food collected as the p:c ratio of their food became increasingly imbalanced, but fall colonies collected similar amounts of food regardless of the p:c ratio of their food. Choice experiments revealed that feeding was non-random, and that both fall and summer ants preferred carbohydrate-biased food. However, ants rarely ate all the food they collected, and their cached or discarded food always contained little carbohydrate relative to protein. From a nutrient regulation strategy, ants consumed most of the carbohydrate they collected, but regulated protein consumption to a similar level, regardless of season. We suggest that varied seasonal food collection behaviors and nutrient regulation strategies may be an adaptation that allows long-lived animals to meet current and future nutrient demands when nutrient-rich foods are abundant (e.g. spring and summer, and to conserve energy and be metabolically more efficient when nutritionally balanced foods are less abundant.

Utilization of Compliance-Gaining Strategies: A Research Note.

Science.gov (United States)

Baglan, Thomas; And Others

1986-01-01

Examined the use of compliance-gaining strategies among a group of environmentalists. Results indicated that prosocial strategies were used more often than anti-social strategies across all situations. (SRT)

The use and utility of specific nonpharmacological interventions for behavioral symptoms in dementia: an exploratory study.

Science.gov (United States)

Cohen-Mansfield, Jiska; Marx, Marcia S; Dakheel-Ali, Maha; Thein, Khin

2015-02-01

This study compares different nonpharmacological interventions for persons with behavioral symptoms and dementia on frequency of use and perceived efficacy in terms of change in behavior and interest. Participants were 89 nursing home residents from six Maryland nursing homes with a mean age of 85.9 years (SD: 8.6 years). Research assistants presented interventions tailored to the participants' needs and preferences in a pre-intervention trial phase and in an intervention phase. The impact of each intervention on behavioral symptoms and on the person's interest was rated immediately after the intervention by a research assistant. The most utilized interventions in both trial and treatment phases were the social intervention of one-on-one interaction, simulated social interventions such as a lifelike doll and respite video, the theme intervention of magazine, and the sensory stimulation intervention of music. In contrast, the least utilized interventions in both phases were sewing, fabric book, and flower arrangement. Interventions with the highest impact on behavioral symptoms included one-on-one social interaction, hand massage, music, video, care, and folding towels. Other high impact interventions included walking, going outside, flower arranging, food or drink, sewing, group activity, book presentation, ball toss, coloring or painting, walking, and family video. The results provide initial directions for choosing specific interventions for persons with dementia and also demonstrate a methodology for increasing knowledge through ongoing monitoring of practice. Copyright © 2015 American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Organizational behavior of regulatory agencies: a case study of the Bureau of Consumer Services in the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Silver, J.H.

1981-01-01

Regulatory agencies operate in a complex field of organizations and interest groups. The variety of behaviors that occur in the regulatory field are not satisfactorily explained by current interpretative frameworks. Regulatory agencies are at once criticized and praised. They flourish as organizational entities, yet they exhibit behavior that is often inexplicable. Notions like clientele capture, the politics of regulation, exchange theory, and institutionalized organizations do not singly explain the vagaries of regulatory behavior. A merger of these viewpoints, however, provides a foundation for a comprehensive interpretative framework. A bureau of consumer services within a state public utility commission is viewed as an institutionalized organization. From this perspective, a variety of ritual behaviors, based upon symbolic and tangible interorganizational exchanges are observed and characterized. The outcome of these exchanges is the establishment of the Bureau of Consumer Services as a legitimate regulatory agent with significant impact upon the formulation of regulatory policy in the formal proceedings of the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission.

Strategies for memory-based decision making: Modeling behavioral and neural signatures within a cognitive architecture.

Science.gov (United States)

Fechner, Hanna B; Pachur, Thorsten; Schooler, Lael J; Mehlhorn, Katja; Battal, Ceren; Volz, Kirsten G; Borst, Jelmer P

2016-12-01

How do people use memories to make inferences about real-world objects? We tested three strategies based on predicted patterns of response times and blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) responses: one strategy that relies solely on recognition memory, a second that retrieves additional knowledge, and a third, lexicographic (i.e., sequential) strategy, that considers knowledge conditionally on the evidence obtained from recognition memory. We implemented the strategies as computational models within the Adaptive Control of Thought-Rational (ACT-R) cognitive architecture, which allowed us to derive behavioral and neural predictions that we then compared to the results of a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study in which participants inferred which of two cities is larger. Overall, versions of the lexicographic strategy, according to which knowledge about many but not all alternatives is searched, provided the best account of the joint patterns of response times and BOLD responses. These results provide insights into the interplay between recognition and additional knowledge in memory, hinting at an adaptive use of these two sources of information in decision making. The results highlight the usefulness of implementing models of decision making within a cognitive architecture to derive predictions on the behavioral and neural level. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Celebrity Endorsement & Consumer Behavior : Gender Differences as a Marketing Strategy

OpenAIRE

Junhem, Sanna; Adolfsson, Sophie

2017-01-01

Background - Celebrity endorsement is not a new phenomenon and it can be seen in advertisements around the world. Since the content of an advertisement easily can be screened out, it is important to target the right consumer. There has to be a fit between the consumer, the endorser and the product. Since gender plays a crucial part when understanding consumer behavior, knowledge about gender differences needs to be taken into account when creating a marketing strategy.      Purpose - Consumer...

Pediatric cancer gone viral. Part I: strategies for utilizing oncolytic herpes simplex virus-1 in children

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Timothy P Cripe

Full Text Available Progress for improving outcomes in pediatric patients with solid tumors remains slow. In addition, currently available therapies are fraught with numerous side effects, often causing significant life-long morbidity for long-term survivors. The use of viruses to kill tumor cells based on their increased vulnerability to infection is gaining traction, with several viruses moving through early and advanced phase clinical testing. The prospect of increased efficacy and decreased toxicity with these agents is thus attractive for pediatric cancer. In part I of this two-part review, we focus on strategies for utilizing oncolytic engineered herpes simplex virus (HSV to target pediatric malignancies. We discuss mechanisms of action, routes of delivery, and the role of preexisting immunity on antitumor efficacy. Challenges to maximizing oncolytic HSV in children are examined, and we highlight how these may be overcome through various arming strategies. We review the preclinical and clinical evidence demonstrating safety of a variety of oncolytic HSVs. In Part II, we focus on the antitumor efficacy of oncolytic HSV in pediatric tumor types, pediatric clinical advances made to date, and future prospects for utilizing HSV in pediatric patients with solid tumors.

Pediatric cancer gone viral. Part I: strategies for utilizing oncolytic herpes simplex virus-1 in children

Science.gov (United States)

Cripe, Timothy P; Chen, Chun-Yu; Denton, Nicholas L; Haworth, Kellie B; Hutzen, Brian; Leddon, Jennifer L; Streby, Keri A; Wang, Pin-Yi; Markert, James M; Waters, Alicia M; Gillespie, George Yancey; Beierle, Elizabeth A; Friedman, Gregory K

2015-01-01

Progress for improving outcomes in pediatric patients with solid tumors remains slow. In addition, currently available therapies are fraught with numerous side effects, often causing significant life-long morbidity for long-term survivors. The use of viruses to kill tumor cells based on their increased vulnerability to infection is gaining traction, with several viruses moving through early and advanced phase clinical testing. The prospect of increased efficacy and decreased toxicity with these agents is thus attractive for pediatric cancer. In part I of this two-part review, we focus on strategies for utilizing oncolytic engineered herpes simplex virus (HSV) to target pediatric malignancies. We discuss mechanisms of action, routes of delivery, and the role of preexisting immunity on antitumor efficacy. Challenges to maximizing oncolytic HSV in children are examined, and we highlight how these may be overcome through various arming strategies. We review the preclinical and clinical evidence demonstrating safety of a variety of oncolytic HSVs. In Part II, we focus on the antitumor efficacy of oncolytic HSV in pediatric tumor types, pediatric clinical advances made to date, and future prospects for utilizing HSV in pediatric patients with solid tumors. PMID:26436135

A Cross-Cultural Study of Students' Behaviors and Classroom Management Strategies in the USA and Korea

Science.gov (United States)

Shin, Sunwoo; Koh, Myung-sook

2008-01-01

The purpose of this cross-cultural study is to investigate comparative students' problem behaviors and classroom behavior management strategies for students in urban public schools between teachers in the United States and Korea. This study incorporated data collected from two different teacher self-reported survey questionnaires, the Student…

Effectiveness of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy in the Improvement of Coping Strategies and Addiction Symptoms in Drug-Dependent Patients

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

H BrockieMilan

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Objective: This study was carried out to determine the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy in improving coping strategies and symptoms of drug addiction patients. Method: In a quasi-experimental study, the number of 90drug-dependent patients referring to clinics to stop taking drugs existing in the city of Urmia were divided into two experimental (n=45 groups and control (n=45 using random sampling. The experimental group received 12 sessions of cognitive-behavioral treatment in Carroll style while the control group received only methadone and the physical pills. All the participants completed coping strategies questionnaire at the beginning, during (after three months, and three months after treatment (follow-up. As well, they were assessed for the rate of improvement in symptoms of addiction and process of addiction treatment using by Madzly’s addiction profile questionnaire. Findings: The results proved the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy and its survival. Conclusion: Cognitive behavioral therapy is very influential in the boost of coping strategies and the improvement of mental and physical health in drug-dependent patients.

Applying a Consumer Behavior Lens to Salt Reduction Initiatives.

Science.gov (United States)

Regan, Áine; Kent, Monique Potvin; Raats, Monique M; McConnon, Áine; Wall, Patrick; Dubois, Lise

2017-08-18

Reformulation of food products to reduce salt content has been a central strategy for achieving population level salt reduction. In this paper, we reflect on current reformulation strategies and consider how consumer behavior determines the ultimate success of these strategies. We consider the merits of adopting a 'health by stealth', silent approach to reformulation compared to implementing a communications strategy which draws on labeling initiatives in tandem with reformulation efforts. We end this paper by calling for a multi-actor approach which utilizes co-design, participatory tools to facilitate the involvement of all stakeholders, including, and especially, consumers, in making decisions around how best to achieve population-level salt reduction.

Recruitment strategies for caregivers of children with mental health problems.

Science.gov (United States)

Oruche, Ukamaka M; Gerkensmeyer, Janis E; Austin, Joan K; Perkins, Susan M; Scott, Eric; Lindsey, Laura M; Mullins, Kristen

2012-01-01

The aim of this study was to describe strategies for recruiting participants into an intervention study that focused on improving problem-solving skills in caregivers of children with mental health problems. Caregivers of children with mental health problems report feeling physically and psychologically overwhelmed and have high rates of depression because of the demands of caregiving. Research on the needs of these caregivers and interventions to ameliorate their stress is needed. However, recruiting this population can be particularly difficult because of the stigma of mental illness. Available literature on recruitment of caregivers of persons with physical illness cannot be transferred to caregivers of children with mental health problems because of the different caregiving situations. There is a need to identify effective recruitment strategies to reduce cost and answer research questions. Clinical nurse specialists have the skills to facilitate the recruitment of research participants. We revised and expanded health system referrals, community outreach, and recruiting advertisement (ads). When these strategies did not increase recruitment, radio ads were used. The Andersen's Behavioral Model of Health Services Utilization was selected as a guiding framework. Radio ads were the most effective strategy for recruiting caregivers of children with mental health problems for this study. Recruitment was ultimately successful because we were flexible and made decisions consistent with the Andersen's Behavioral Model of Health Services Utilization. Clinical nurse specialists who study this population of caregivers should really consider the use of radio ads and systematically track which recruitment strategies lead to the greatest number of participants screened, eligible, and enrolled into studies.

Effects of a Self-Monitoring Strategy on Independent Work Behavior of Students with Mild Intellectual Disability

Science.gov (United States)

Coughlin, Jennifer; McCoy, Kathleen M.; Kenzer, Amy; Mathur, Sarup R.; Zucker, Stanley H.

2012-01-01

This study evaluated the effectiveness of a self-monitoring strategy on independent work behavior. The three subjects were in first grade, seven years old, identified with mild intellectual disability (MID), and had an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) with targeted functional academic and behavior goals. The purpose of this study was to…

Social capital, health, health behavior, and utilization of healthcare services among older adults: A conceptual framework.

Science.gov (United States)

Emmering, Sheryl A; Astroth, Kim Schafer; Woith, Wendy M; Dyck, Mary J; Kim, MyoungJin

2018-06-26

Meeting the health needs of Americans must change as the population continues to live longer. A strategy that considers social well-being is necessary. One way to improve social well-being is through increased social capital, which includes networks among individuals and norms of reciprocity and trust between them. Supporting attainment of bonding social capital from close-knit groups, such as family, and bridging or linking social capital from those who are dissimilar are vital. Research shows there is a relationship among social capital and self-reported mental and physical health, health behaviors, healthcare utilization, and mortality. Because older adults are often dependent on others for their healthcare needs, it is posited that social capital plays a key role. Nurses can be instrumental in investigating levels of social capital for individuals and determining what type of social support is needed and who in the individual's network will provide that support. When support is absent, the nurse serves as the link between patients and available resources. The purpose of this article is to introduce a conceptual framework that can assist nurses and other healthcare providers to consider social capital in older adults in the context of relationships and the social environments to which they belong. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Management strategies for problem behaviors in the patient with dementia.

Science.gov (United States)

Lehninger, F W; Ravindran, V L; Stewart, J T

1998-04-01

Psychiatric and behavioral problems are present in most patients with dementia and are usually the clinician's main focus of management. Differential diagnosis of these problems can be challenging, but the effort is essential for planning appropriate therapy. Pharmacologic interventions are available for treatment of depression, agitation, aggression, psychotic symptoms, wandering, and sleep disorders. Given the less than favorable risk-benefit ratio of most psychotropic drugs in the population of older patients with dementia, the importance of nonpharmacologic strategies and limiting treatment goals should not be overlooked.

Assessing the Effects of Interpersonal and Intrapersonal Behavior Change Strategies on Physical Activity in Older Adults: a Factorial Experiment.

Science.gov (United States)

McMahon, Siobhan K; Lewis, Beth; Oakes, J Michael; Wyman, Jean F; Guan, Weihua; Rothman, Alexander J

2017-06-01

Little is known about which behavior change strategies motivate older adults to increase their physical activity. The purpose of this study was to assess the relative effects of two sets of behavior change strategies to motivate increased physical activity among older adults: interpersonal and intrapersonal. Community-dwelling older adults (N = 102, mean age = 79) were randomized in a 2 × 2 factorial experiment to receive interpersonal (e.g., social support, friendly social comparison; no, yes) and /or intrapersonal (e.g., goal setting, barriers management; no, yes) behavior change strategies, combined with an evidence-based, physical activity protocol (Otago exercise program) and a physical activity monitor (Fitbit One™). Based on monitor data, participants who received interpersonal strategies, compared to those who did not, increased their average minutes of total physical activity (light, moderate, vigorous) per week, immediately (p = .006) and 6 months (p = .048) post-intervention. Similar, increases were observed on measures of functional strength and balance, immediately (p = .012) and 6 months (p = .003) post-intervention. The intrapersonal strategies did not elicit a significant increase in physical activity or functional strength and balance. Findings suggest a set of interpersonally oriented behavior change strategies combined with an evidence-based physical activity protocol can elicit modest, but statistically and clinically significant, increases in older adults' physical activity and functional strength and balance. Future research should replicate these findings and investigate the sustained quantity of physical activity elicited by these strategies and their impact on older adults' quality of life and falls. Trial Registration The ClinicalTrials.gov registration identifier is NCT02433249.

Science laboratory behavior strategies of students relative to performance in and attitude to laboratory work

Science.gov (United States)

Okebukola, Peter Akinsola

The relationship between science laboratory behavior strategies of students and performance in and attitude to laboratory work was investigated in an observational study of 160 laboratory sessions involving 600 class five (eleventh grade) biology students. Zero-order correlations between the behavior strategies and outcome measures reveal a set of low to strong relationships. Transmitting information, listening and nonlesson related behaviors exhibited low correlations with practical skills and the attitude measure. The correlations between manipulating apparatus and observation with practical skills measures were found to be strong. Multiple correlation analysis revealed that the behaviors of students in the laboratories observed accounted for a large percentage of the variance in the scores on manipulative skills and a low percentage on interpretation of data, responsibility, initiative, and work habits. One significant canonical correlation emerged. The loadings on this canonical variate indicate that the practical skills measures, i.e., planning and design, manipulative skills and conduct of experiments, observation and recording of data, and attitude to laboratory work made primary contributions to the canonical relationship. Suggestions as to how students can be encouraged to go beyond cookbook-like laboratories and develop a more favorable attitude to laboratory work are made.

Attitudes on Technological, Social, and Behavioral Economic Strategies to Reduce Cellphone Use While Driving in Teens.

Science.gov (United States)

Delgado, M Kit; McDonald, Catherine C; Winston, Flaura K; Halpern, Scott D; Buttenheim, Alison M; Setubal, Claudia; Huang, Yanlan; Saulsgiver, Kathryn A; Lee, Yi-Ching

2018-04-13

The majority of U.S. teens admit to handheld cellphone use while driving, an increasingly common cause of crashes. Attitudes towards novel cellphone applications and settings that block use while driving are poorly understood, potentially limiting uptake. We examined teens' willingness to reduce cellphone use while driving and perceptions of potential strategies to limit this behavior. Teen drivers (n = 153) aged 16-17 who owned smartphones and admitted to texting while driving completed an online survey. Survey instruments measured willingness to give up cellphone use and perceptions of technological and behavioral economic strategies to reduce cellphone use while driving. We used Chi-square tests to test the hypothesis that willingness to give up certain types of cellphone use while driving and the perceptions of strategies to reduce cellphone use while driving would differ by self-reported frequency of texting while driving in the past 30 days (low [1-5 days] vs. high [6 or more days]. Most teens were willing or somewhat willing to give up reading texts (90%), sending texts (95%), and social media (99%) while driving. However they were not willing to give up navigation (59%) and music applications (43%). Those who engaged in high-frequency texting while driving were more likely to say they were not willing to give up navigation applications (73% vs. 44%, P distraction (86%). The predominant reason for not wanting to use this technology was not wanting parents to monitor their behavior (60%). Promising strategies for increasing acceptance of cellphone blocking technology among teen drivers include automated screen locking and permitting hands-free navigation and music combined with behavioral economic incentives to sustain engagement.

Using the Theory of Planned Behavior to predict implementation of harm reduction strategies among MDMA/ecstasy users.

Science.gov (United States)

Davis, Alan K; Rosenberg, Harold

2016-06-01

This prospective study was designed to test whether the variables proposed by the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) were associated with baseline intention to implement and subsequent use of 2 MDMA/ecstasy-specific harm reduction interventions: preloading/postloading and pill testing/pill checking. Using targeted Facebook advertisements, an international sample of 391 recreational ecstasy users were recruited to complete questionnaires assessing their ecstasy consumption history, and their attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, habit strength (past strategy use), and intention to use these two strategies. Attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control were significantly associated with baseline intention to preload/postload and pill test/pill check. Out of the 391 baseline participants, 100 completed the two-month follow-up assessment. Baseline habit strength and frequency of ecstasy consumption during the three months prior to baseline were the only significant predictors of how often participants used the preloading/postloading strategy during the follow-up. Baseline intention to pill test/pill check was the only significant predictor of how often participants used this strategy during the follow-up. These findings provide partial support for TPB variables as both correlates of baseline intention to implement and predictors of subsequent use of these two strategies. Future investigations could assess whether factors related to ecstasy consumption (e.g., subjective level of intoxication, craving, negative consequences following consumption), and environmental factors (e.g., accessibility and availability of harm reduction resources) improve the prediction of how often ecstasy users employ these and other harm reduction strategies. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Efficient local behavioral-change strategies to reduce the spread of epidemics in networks

Science.gov (United States)

Bu, Yilei; Gregory, Steve; Mills, Harriet L.

2013-10-01

It has recently become established that the spread of infectious diseases between humans is affected not only by the pathogen itself but also by changes in behavior as the population becomes aware of the epidemic, for example, social distancing. It is also well known that community structure (the existence of relatively densely connected groups of vertices) in contact networks influences the spread of disease. We propose a set of local strategies for social distancing, based on community structure, that can be employed in the event of an epidemic to reduce the epidemic size. Unlike most social distancing methods, ours do not require individuals to know the disease state (infected or susceptible, etc.) of others, and we do not make the unrealistic assumption that the structure of the entire contact network is known. Instead, the recommended behavior change is based only on an individual's local view of the network. Each individual avoids contact with a fraction of his/her contacts, using knowledge of his/her local network to decide which contacts should be avoided. If the behavior change occurs only when an individual becomes ill or aware of the disease, these strategies can substantially reduce epidemic size with a relatively small cost, measured by the number of contacts avoided.

WRI 50: Strategies for Cooling Electric Generating Facilities Utilizing Mine Water

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Joseph J. Donovan; Brenden Duffy; Bruce R. Leavitt; James Stiles; Tamara Vandivort; Paul Ziemkiewicz

2004-11-01

-water system cost estimates were then compared to the base-case river source estimate. We found that the use of net-alkaline mine water would under current economic conditions be competitive with a river-source in a comparable-size water cooling system. On the other hand, utilization of net acidic water would be higher in operating cost than the river system by 12 percent. This does not account for any environmental benefits that would accrue due to the treatment of acid mine drainage, in many locations an existing public liability. We also found it likely that widespread adoption of mine-water utilization for power plant cooling will require resolution of potential liability and mine-water ownership issues. In summary, Type A mine-water utilization for power plant cooling is considered a strong option for meeting water needs of new plant in selected areas. Analysis of the thermal and water handling requirements for a 600 megawatt power plant indicated that Type B earth coupled cooling would not be feasible for a power plant of this size. It was determined that Type B cooling would be possible, under the right conditions, for power plants of 200 megawatts or less. Based on this finding the feasibility of a 200 megawatt facility was evaluated. A series of mines were identified where a Type B earth-coupled 200 megawatt power plant cooling system might be feasible. Two water handling scenarios were designed to distribute heated power-plant water throughout the mines. Costs were developed for two different pumping scenarios employing a once-through power-plant cooling circuit. Thermal and groundwater flow simulation models were used to simulate the effect of hot water injection into the mine under both pumping strategies and to calculate the return-water temperature over the design life of a plant. Based on these models, staged increases in required mine-water pumping rates are projected to be part of the design, due to gradual heating and loss of heat-sink efficiency of the rock

Strategy for utilizing nuclear power

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martens, E.J.

1977-01-01

One of the national goals is to achieve independence in the area of energy supplies in the next few years. It is believed that attaining this goal will require extensive utilization of nuclear power in conventional fission reactors. It is proposed that the best way to develop the nuclear resource is through government ownership of the reactors. It is argued that this will minimize the risks associated with the nuclear-power option and clear the way for its exploitation

The Influence of Culture and Adoption Status on the Development of Behavioral Inhibition, Anxiety, Temperament, and Parental Control

OpenAIRE

Louie, Jennifer Yu

2013-01-01

Previous research suggests that child behavioral phenotypes such as behavioral inhibition and aspects of parental control behavior may be shaped by culturally-informed socialization goals. Specifically, in accord with collectivistic values for interpersonal harmony and self-discipline, East Asian parents tend to support children's behavioral inhibition (BI; Chen & French, 2008) and utilize more parental control strategies such as encouragement of moderate emotional expressivity and restricti...

Optimization of behavioral, biobehavioral, and biomedical interventions the multiphase optimization strategy (MOST)

CERN Document Server

Collins, Linda M

2018-01-01

This book presents a framework for development, optimization, and evaluation of behavioral,  biobehavioral, and biomedical interventions.  Behavioral, biobehavioral, and biomedical interventions are programs with the objective of improving and maintaining human health and well-being, broadly defined, in individuals, families, schools, organizations, or communities.  These interventions may be aimed at, for example, preventing or treating disease, promoting physical and mental health, preventing violence, or improving academic achievement.   This volume introduces the Multiphase Optimization Strategy (MOST), pioneered at The Methodology Center at the Pennsylvania State University, as an alternative to the classical approach of relying solely on the randomized controlled trial (RCT).  MOST borrows heavily from perspectives taken and approaches used in engineering, and also integrates concepts from statistics and behavioral science, including the RCT.  As described in detail in this book, MOST consists of ...

PERSEPSI NASABAH TENTANG LAYANAN PERBANKAN: PENGARUH SERVICE FAILURE DAN STRATEGI SERVICE RECOVERY TERHADAP BEHAVIORAL INTENTIONS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yuli Liestyana

2017-03-01

Full Text Available The research was conducted to verify the ability of service quality and service recoverystrategy to predict behavioral intentions in the banking industry. A survey questionnaire wasdeveloped, then it was distributed to 150 customers of banks in Yogyakarta. Data was analyzedusing multiple regression analysis. The results provided support for hypothesis of the negativeeffect of service failure and positive effect of recovery strategy on behavioral intentions.

Are men shortchanged on health? Perspective on health care utilization and health risk behavior in men and women in the United States.

Science.gov (United States)

Pinkhasov, R M; Wong, J; Kashanian, J; Lee, M; Samadi, D B; Pinkhasov, M M; Shabsigh, R

2010-03-01

Significant gender disparities exist in life expectancy and major disease morbidity. There is a need to understand the major issues related to men's health that contributes to these significant disparities. It is hypothesized that, high-risk behaviors and low utilization of all and preventive health services contribute to the higher mortality and the higher and earlier morbidity in men. Data was collected from CDC: Health United States, 2007; Health Behavior of Adults: United States 2002-04; and National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey: 2005 Summary. In United States, men are more likely to be regular and heavy alcohol drinkers, heavier smokers who are less likely to quit, non-medical illicit drug users, and are more overweight compared to women. Men are less likely to utilize health care visits to doctor's offices, emergency departments (ED), and physician home visits than women. They are also less likely to make preventive care, hospice care, dental care visits, and have fewer hospital discharges and shorter hospital stays than women. High-risk behaviors and low utilization of health services may contribute to the lower life expectancy in men. In the context of public health, behavioral and preventive interventions are needed to reduce the gender disparity.

Decision Making and Behavioral Strategy: The role of regulatory focus in corporate innovation processes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

I.A. Tunçdoğan (Aybars)

2014-01-01

markdownabstract__Abstract__ This dissertation makes use of the behavioral strategy perspective in order to examine a number of constructs pertaining to innovation in corporate settings. In particular, the dissertation consists of four studies; one conceptual and three empirical. The conceptual

Voices of University Students with ADHD about Test-Taking: Behaviors, Needs, and Strategies

Science.gov (United States)

Ofiesh, Nicole; Moniz, Erin; Bisagno, Joan

2015-01-01

In order to understand the test-taking behavior, needs, and strategies of postsecondary students with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), focus group comments from 17 university students with ADHD were analyzed. These comments formed the basis for a series of research studies that are in progress regarding test-taking and individuals…

Lane Changing and Lane Utilization Behavior for Three Lane Normal Section in Iraq Traffic Sites

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hamid Athab Eedan Al-Jameel

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Recently, different programs or methods have been produced to solve the traffic problem everywhere in the world. Iraq is one of the countries which suffer from high problems in traffic operation, design and planning. Therefore, to use the sophisticated traffic programs or models such as simulation models there is an urgent need to investigate specified field parameters which correspond to calibrated parameters used in the model under study. This study has focused on studying driver behavior which represents the core stone in a traffic simulation. This behavior represents lane changing (LC and lane utilization (LU in normal sections. Three normal sections with three lanes have been selected in different sites in Iraq: two sites in Al-Najaf city and one site in Al-Muthna city. The results of data analysis show that the driver behavior in both LC and LU is similar to the behavior in the UK. The current observed data could be used for the calibration process for any traffic simulation model in order to mimic the reality of Iraqi drivers.

Traditional finance : behavioral finance distinction in the context of expected utility and prospect theories

OpenAIRE

Tekin, Bilgehan

2016-01-01

Traditional finance has developed based on two fundamental assumptions, including the expected utility theory and rational choice or decision. However, this hypothesis has been criticized heavily by put forward that are not realistic enough. The basis of behavioral finance theory is based on the “prospect theory”. According to this theory individuals cannot act fully rational, they install more sense to loses than at the same amount of profit and they exhibit risk and loss aversion behaviour....

Applying a Consumer Behavior Lens to Salt Reduction Initiatives

Science.gov (United States)

Potvin Kent, Monique; Raats, Monique M.; McConnon, Áine; Wall, Patrick; Dubois, Lise

2017-01-01

Reformulation of food products to reduce salt content has been a central strategy for achieving population level salt reduction. In this paper, we reflect on current reformulation strategies and consider how consumer behavior determines the ultimate success of these strategies. We consider the merits of adopting a ‘health by stealth’, silent approach to reformulation compared to implementing a communications strategy which draws on labeling initiatives in tandem with reformulation efforts. We end this paper by calling for a multi-actor approach which utilizes co-design, participatory tools to facilitate the involvement of all stakeholders, including, and especially, consumers, in making decisions around how best to achieve population-level salt reduction. PMID:28820449

Regulation of phosphorus uptake and utilization: transitioning from current knowledge to practical strategies.

Science.gov (United States)

Hasan, Md Mahmudul; Hasan, Md Mainul; Teixeira da Silva, Jaime A; Li, Xuexian

2016-01-01

Phosphorus is a poorly bioavailable macronutrient that is essential for crop growth and yield. Overuse of phosphorus fertilizers results in low phosphorus use efficiency (PUE), has serious environmental consequences and accelerates the depletion of phosphorus mineral reserves. It has become extremely challenging to improve PUE while preserving global food supplies and maintaining environmental sustainability. Molecular and genetic analyses have revealed the primary mechanisms of phosphorus uptake and utilization and their relationships to phosphorus transporters, regulators, root architecture, metabolic adaptations, quantitative trait loci, hormonal signaling and microRNA. The ability to improve PUE requires a transition from this knowledge of molecular mechanisms and plant architecture to practical strategies. These could include: i) the use of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal symbioses for efficient phosphorus mining and uptake; ii) intercropping with suitable crop species to achieve phosphorus activation and mobilization in the soil; and iii) tissue-specific overexpression of homologous genes with advantageous agronomic properties for higher PUE along with breeding for phosphorus-efficient varieties and introgression of key quantitative trait loci. More effort is required to further dissect the mechanisms controlling phosphorus uptake and utilization within plants and provide new insight into the means to efficiently improve PUE.

An effective utilization management strategy by dual approach of influencing physician ordering and gate keeping.

Science.gov (United States)

Elnenaei, Manal O; Campbell, Samuel G; Thoni, Andrea J; Lou, Amy; Crocker, Bryan D; Nassar, Bassam A

2016-02-01

There is increasing recognition of the importance of appropriate laboratory test utilization. We investigate the effect of a multifaceted educational approach that includes physician feedback on individual test ordering, in conjunction with targeted restriction, on the utilization of selected laboratory tests. Scientific evidence was compiled on the usefulness and limitations of tests suspected of being over utilized in our laboratories. A variety of approaches were used to deliver education on each of the targeted tests, with greater focus on primary care physicians (PCPs). Feedback on requesting behavior of these tests was also communicated to the latter group which included an educational component. Laboratory based restriction of testing was also exercised, including the unbundling of our electrolyte panel. PCP requesting patterns for the selected tests were found to be markedly skewed. The interventions implemented over the study period resulted in a substantial 51% reduction in overall ordering of five of the targeted tests equating to an annual marginal cost saving of $60,124. Unbundling of the electrolyte panel resulted in marginal cost savings that equated annually to $42,500 on chloride and $48,000 on total CO2. A multifaceted educational approach combined with feedback on utilization and laboratory driven gate-keeping significantly reduced the number of laboratory tests suspected of being redundant or unjustifiably requested. Laboratory professionals are well positioned to manage demand on laboratory tests by utilizing evidence base in developing specific test ordering directives and gate-keeping rules. Crown Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Neural substrates of male parochial altruism are modulated by testosterone and behavioral strategy.

Science.gov (United States)

Reimers, Luise; Büchel, Christian; Diekhof, Esther K

2017-08-01

Parochial altruism refers to ingroup favoritism and outgroup hostility and has recently been linked to testosterone. Here, we investigated the neurobiological mechanism of parochial altruism in male soccer fans playing the ultimatum game (UG) against ingroup and outgroup members (i.e., fans of the favorite or of a rivalling team) using functional magnetic resonance imaging. Our results suggest that individual differences in altruistic tendency influence the tendency for parochialism. While altruistic subjects rejected unfair offers independent of team membership, the more self-oriented 'pro-selfs' displayed a stronger ingroup bias and rejected outgroup offers more often. However, during a second session that introduced a team competition the altruists adapted to this parochial pattern. Behavioral strategy was further characterized by dissociable and context-dependent correlations between endogenous testosterone and neural responses in the anterior insula and the ventromedial prefrontal cortex. In sum, the present findings indicate that parochial altruism is shaped by individual differences in testosterone and behavioral strategy. In that way the results are in line with evolutionary theories of both individual and group selection. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Impact of a Student-Led Pedometer Intervention Incorporating Cognitive-Behavioral Strategies on Step Count and Self-Efficacy

Science.gov (United States)

Raedeke, Thomas D.; Focht, Brian C.; King, Jenna S.

2010-01-01

This study evaluated the effectiveness of a student-led physical activity intervention that incorporated pedometers and cognitive-behavioral strategies. Undergraduate students (N = 117) enrolled in upper division exercise and sport science courses recruited participants. Participants in the cognitive-behavioral intervention condition received…

Hualapai Tribal Utility Development Project

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hualapai Tribal Nation

2008-05-25

The first phase of the Hualapai Tribal Utility Development Project (Project) studied the feasibility of establishing a tribally operated utility to provide electric service to tribal customers at Grand Canyon West (see objective 1 below). The project was successful in completing the analysis of the energy production from the solar power systems at Grand Canyon West and developing a financial model, based on rates to be charged to Grand Canyon West customers connected to the solar systems, that would provide sufficient revenue for a Tribal Utility Authority to operate and maintain those systems. The objective to establish a central power grid over which the TUA would have authority and responsibility had to be modified because the construction schedule of GCW facilities, specifically the new air terminal, did not match up with the construction schedule for the solar power system. Therefore, two distributed systems were constructed instead of one central system with a high voltage distribution network. The Hualapai Tribal Council has not taken the action necessary to establish the Tribal Utility Authority that could be responsible for the electric service at GCW. The creation of a Tribal Utility Authority (TUA) was the subject of the second objective of the project. The second phase of the project examined the feasibility and strategy for establishing a tribal utility to serve the remainder of the Hualapai Reservation and the feasibility of including wind energy from a tribal wind generator in the energy resource portfolio of the tribal utility (see objective 2 below). It is currently unknown when the Tribal Council will consider the implementation of the results of the study. Objective 1 - Develop the basic organizational structure and operational strategy for a tribally controlled utility to operate at the Tribe’s tourism enterprise district, Grand Canyon West. Coordinate the development of the Tribal Utility structure with the development of the Grand Canyon

Behavior change through automated e-mails: mediation analysis of self-help strategy use for depressive symptoms.

Science.gov (United States)

Morgan, Amy J; Mackinnon, Andrew J; Jorm, Anthony F

2013-02-01

To evaluate whether automated e-mails promoting effective self-help strategies for depressive symptoms were effective in changing self-help behavior, and whether this improved depression outcomes. 568 adults with sub-threshold depression participated in a randomized controlled trial and provided complete data. A series of 12 e-mails promoting the use of evidence-based self-help strategies was compared with e-mails providing non-directive depression information. Depression symptoms were assessed with the Patient Health Questionnaire depression scale (PHQ-9) and use of self-help strategies was assessed at baseline and post-intervention. We hypothesized that those receiving the self-help e-mails would increase their use of evidence-based self-help and this would be associated with improvements in depression. Mediation analyses were conducted using a non-parametric bootstrapping procedure. Total use of the self-help strategies promoted in the e-mails significantly mediated the effect of the intervention on depressive symptoms (B = -0.75, SE = 0.16, 95% CI: -1.06 to -0.48). The direct effect of the intervention on depressive symptoms was much smaller and not significant when the mediation path was included. The majority of the individual strategies also had a significant indirect effect on depressive symptoms. In adults with sub-threshold depression, automated e-mails based on behavior change principles can successfully increase use of self-help strategies, leading to a reduction in depressive symptoms. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Impact of Predicting Health Care Utilization Via Web Search Behavior: A Data-Driven Analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Agarwal, Vibhu; Zhang, Liangliang; Zhu, Josh; Fang, Shiyuan; Cheng, Tim; Hong, Chloe; Shah, Nigam H

2016-09-21

By recent estimates, the steady rise in health care costs has deprived more than 45 million Americans of health care services and has encouraged health care providers to better understand the key drivers of health care utilization from a population health management perspective. Prior studies suggest the feasibility of mining population-level patterns of health care resource utilization from observational analysis of Internet search logs; however, the utility of the endeavor to the various stakeholders in a health ecosystem remains unclear. The aim was to carry out a closed-loop evaluation of the utility of health care use predictions using the conversion rates of advertisements that were displayed to the predicted future utilizers as a surrogate. The statistical models to predict the probability of user's future visit to a medical facility were built using effective predictors of health care resource utilization, extracted from a deidentified dataset of geotagged mobile Internet search logs representing searches made by users of the Baidu search engine between March 2015 and May 2015. We inferred presence within the geofence of a medical facility from location and duration information from users' search logs and putatively assigned medical facility visit labels to qualifying search logs. We constructed a matrix of general, semantic, and location-based features from search logs of users that had 42 or more search days preceding a medical facility visit as well as from search logs of users that had no medical visits and trained statistical learners for predicting future medical visits. We then carried out a closed-loop evaluation of the utility of health care use predictions using the show conversion rates of advertisements displayed to the predicted future utilizers. In the context of behaviorally targeted advertising, wherein health care providers are interested in minimizing their cost per conversion, the association between show conversion rate and predicted

Outline of a multiattribute utility approach to development of a waste management strategy at Sillamaee

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anselmo, P.C.

2000-01-01

The article briefly discusses a framework for analysis of the waste disposition and management problem at Sillamaee. It is a response to the need to develop a strategic waste management plan for the Sillamaee site. A hypothetical objectives hierarchy is presented, along with two possible methods for aggregating scores for designated alternatives. Waste management and disposal problems, particularly nuclear waste disposal problems, have been addressed by many decision analysts. The latter citations are examples of Multiattribute Utility (MAU) Analysis, a decision analysis technique that is most appropriate for evaluation of waste management strategies at Sillamaee

A unique nest-protection strategy in a new species of spider wasp.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael Staab

Full Text Available Hymenoptera show a great variation in reproductive potential and nesting behavior, from thousands of eggs in sawflies to just a dozen in nest-provisioning wasps. Reduction in reproductive potential in evolutionary derived Hymenoptera is often facilitated by advanced behavioral mechanisms and nesting strategies. Here we describe a surprising nesting behavior that was previously unknown in the entire animal kingdom: the use of a vestibular cell filled with dead ants in a new spider wasp (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae species collected with trap nests in South-East China. We scientifically describe the 'Bone-house Wasp' as Deuteragenia ossarium sp. nov., named after graveyard bone-houses or ossuaries. We show that D. ossarium nests are less vulnerable to natural enemies than nests of other sympatric trap-nesting wasps, suggesting an effective nest protection strategy, most likely by utilizing chemical cues emanating from the dead ants.

Using Formative Research to Design a Behavior Change Strategy to Increase the Use of Improved Cookstoves in Peri-Urban Kampala, Uganda

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stephanie L. Martin

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Household air pollution from cooking with biomass fuels negatively impacts maternal and child health and the environment, and contributes to the global burden of disease. In Uganda, nearly 20,000 young children die of household air pollution-related pneumonia every year. Qualitative research was used to identify behavioral determinants related to the acquisition and use of improved cookstoves in peri-urban Uganda. Results were used to design a behavior change strategy for the introduction of a locally-fabricated top-lit updraft gasifier (TLUD stove in Wakiso district. A theoretical framework—opportunity, ability, and motivation—was used to guide the research and behavior change strategy development. Participants consistently cited financial considerations as the most influential factor related to improved cookstove acquisition and use. In contrast, participants did not prioritize the potential health benefits of improved cookstoves. The theoretical framework, research methodology, and behavior change strategy design process can be useful for program planners and researchers interested in identifying behavioral determinants and designing and evaluating improved cookstove interventions.

Distance learning strategies for weight management utilizing social media: A comparison of phone conference call versus social media platform. Rationale and design for a randomized study.

Science.gov (United States)

Willis, Erik A; Szabo-Reed, Amanda N; Ptomey, Lauren T; Steger, Felicia L; Honas, Jeffery J; Al-Hihi, Eyad M; Lee, Robert; Vansaghi, Lisa; Washburn, Richard A; Donnelly, Joseph E

2016-03-01

Management of obesity in the context of the primary care physician visit is of limited efficacy in part because of limited ability to engage participants in sustained behavior change between physician visits. Therefore, healthcare systems must find methods to address obesity that reach beyond the walls of clinics and hospitals and address the issues of lifestyle modification in a cost-conscious way. The dramatic increase in technology and online social networks may present healthcare providers with innovative ways to deliver weight management programs that could have an impact on health care at the population level. A randomized study will be conducted on 70 obese adults (BMI 30.0-45.0 kg/m(2)) to determine if weight loss (6 months) is equivalent between weight management interventions utilizing behavioral strategies by either a conference call or social media approach. The primary outcome, body weight, will be assessed at baseline and 6 months. Secondary outcomes including waist circumference, energy and macronutrient intake, and physical activity will be assessed on the same schedule. In addition, a cost analysis and process evaluation will be completed. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Real-Time Multifault Rush Repairing Strategy Based on Utility Theory and Multiagent System in Distribution Networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhao Hao

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The problem of multifault rush repair in distribution networks (DNs is a multiobjective dynamic combinatorial problem with topology constraints. The problem consists of archiving an optimal faults’ allocation strategy to squads and an admissible multifault rush repairing strategy with coordinating switch operations. In this article, the utility theory is introduced to solve the first problem and a new discrete bacterial colony chemotaxis (DBCC algorithm is proposed for the second problem to determine the optimal sequence for each squad to repair faults and the corresponding switch operations. The above solution is called the two-stage approach. Additionally, a double mathematical optimization model based on the fault level is proposed in the second stage to minimize the outage loss and total repairing time. The real-time adjustment multiagent system (RA-MAS is proposed to provide facility to achieve online multifault rush repairing strategy in DNs when there are emergencies after natural disasters. The two-stage approach is illustrated with an example from a real urban distribution network and the simulation results show the effectiveness of the two-stage approach.

Early Child Care Teachers' Socialization Goals and Preferred Behavioral Strategies: A Cross-Cultural Comparison

Science.gov (United States)

Gernhardt, Ariane; Lamm, Bettina; Keller, Heidi; Döge, Paula

2014-01-01

This study investigated early child care teachers' culturally shaped socialization goals and preferred behavioral strategies. The participants were 183 female teachers and trainees, 93 from Osnabrück, Germany, representing an urban Western context, which can be characterized by a primary cultural orientation toward psychological autonomy and a…

A facile nanoaggregation strategy for oral delivery of hydrophobic drugs by utilizing acid-base neutralization reactions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Huabing; Wan Jiangling; Wang Yirui; Mou Dongsheng; Liu Hongbin; Xu Huibi; Yang Xiangliang

2008-01-01

Nanonization strategies have been used to enhance the oral availability of numerous drugs that are poorly soluble in water. Exploring a facile nanonization strategy with highly practical potential is an attractive focus. Here, we report a novel facile nanoaggregation strategy for constructing drug nanoparticles of poorly soluble drugs with pH-dependent solubility by utilizing acid-base neutralization in aqueous solution, thus facilitating the exploration of nanonization in oral delivery for general applicability. We demonstrate that hydrophobic itraconazole dissolved in acid solution formed a growing core and aggregated into nanoparticles in the presence of stabilizers. The nanoparticles, with an average diameter of 279.3 nm and polydispersity index of 0.116, showed a higher dissolution rate when compared with the marketed formulation; the average dissolution was about 91.3%. The in vivo pharmacokinetic studies revealed that the nanoparticles had a rapid absorption and enhanced oral availability. The diet state also showed insignificant impact on the absorption of itraconazole from nanoparticles. This nanoaggregation strategy is a promising nanonization method with a facile process and avoidance of toxic organic solvents for oral delivery of poorly soluble drugs with pH-dependent solubility and reveals a highly practical potential in the pharmaceutical and chemical industries

Strategy of nitrogen acquisition and utilization by carnivorous Dionaea muscipula.

Science.gov (United States)

Kruse, Jörg; Gao, Peng; Honsel, Anne; Kreuzwieser, Jürgen; Burzlaff, Tim; Alfarraj, Saleh; Hedrich, Rainer; Rennenberg, Heinz

2014-03-01

Plant carnivory represents an exceptional means to acquire N. Snap traps of Dionaea muscipula serve two functions, and provide both N and photosynthate. Using (13)C/(15)N-labelled insect powder, we performed feeding experiments with Dionaea plants that differed in physiological state and N status (spring vs. autumn plants). We measured the effects of (15)N uptake on light-saturated photosynthesis (A(max)), dark respiration (R(D)) and growth. Depending on N status, insect capture briefly altered the dynamics of R(D)/A(max), reflecting high energy demand during insect digestion and nutrient uptake, followed by enhanced photosynthesis and growth. Organic N acquired from insect prey was immediately redistributed, in order to support swift renewal of traps and thereby enhance probability of prey capture. Respiratory costs associated with permanent maintenance of the photosynthetic machinery were thereby minimized. Dionaea's strategy of N utilization is commensurate with the random capture of large prey, occasionally transferring a high load of organic nutrients to the plant. Our results suggest that physiological adaptations to unpredictable resource availability are essential for Dionaea's success with regards to a carnivorous life style.

Alcohol Consumption and Negative Sex-Related Consequences among College Women: The Moderating Role of Alcohol Protective Behavioral Strategies

Science.gov (United States)

Moorer, Kayla D.; Madson, Michael B.; Mohn, Richard S.; Nicholson, Bonnie C.

2013-01-01

Alcohol protective behavioral strategies (PBS) limit overall negative consequences; however, less is known about the relationship between PBS and negative sex-related consequences. The purpose of the current study was to examine the moderating effects of 2 distinct types of PBS--controlled consumption strategies and serious harm reduction…

Bacterial Diversity and Nitrogen Utilization Strategies in the Upper Layer of the Northwestern Pacific Ocean.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Yuan-Yuan; Chen, Xiao-Huang; Xie, Zhang-Xian; Li, Dong-Xu; Wu, Peng-Fei; Kong, Ling-Fen; Lin, Lin; Kao, Shuh-Ji; Wang, Da-Zhi

2018-01-01

Nitrogen (N) is a primary limiting nutrient for bacterial growth and productivity in the ocean. To better understand bacterial community and their N utilization strategy in different N regimes of the ocean, we examined bacterial diversity, diazotrophic diversity, and N utilization gene expressions in the northwestern Pacific Ocean (NWPO) using a combination of high-throughput sequencing and real-time qPCR methods. 521 and 204 different operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were identified in the 16s rRNA and nifH libraries from nine surface samples. Of the 16s rRNA gene OTUs, 11.9% were observed in all samples while 3.5 and 15.9% were detected only in N-sufficient and N-deficient samples. Proteobacteria, Cyanobacteria and Bacteroidetes dominated the bacterial community. Prochlorococcus and Pseudoalteromonas were the most abundant at the genus level in N-deficient regimes, while SAR86, Synechococcus and SAR92 were predominant in the Kuroshio-Oyashio confluence region. The distribution of the nifH gene presented great divergence among sampling stations: Cyanobacterium_UCYN-A dominated the N-deficient stations, while clusters related to the Alpha-, Beta- , and Gamma-Proteobacteria were abundant in other stations. Temperature was the main factor that determined bacterial community structure and diversity while concentration of NO X -N was significantly correlated with structure and distribution of N 2 -fixing microorganisms. Expression of the ammonium transporter was much higher than that of urea transporter subunit A ( urtA ) and ferredoxin-nitrate reductase , while urtA had an increased expression in N-deficient surface water. The predicted ammonium transporter and ammonium assimilation enzymes were most abundant in surface samples while urease and nitrogenase were more abundant in the N-deficient regions. These findings underscore the fact that marine bacteria have evolved diverse N utilization strategies to adapt to different N habitats, and that urea metabolism is of

Bacterial Diversity and Nitrogen Utilization Strategies in the Upper Layer of the Northwestern Pacific Ocean

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yuan-Yuan Li

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Nitrogen (N is a primary limiting nutrient for bacterial growth and productivity in the ocean. To better understand bacterial community and their N utilization strategy in different N regimes of the ocean, we examined bacterial diversity, diazotrophic diversity, and N utilization gene expressions in the northwestern Pacific Ocean (NWPO using a combination of high-throughput sequencing and real-time qPCR methods. 521 and 204 different operational taxonomic units (OTUs were identified in the 16s rRNA and nifH libraries from nine surface samples. Of the 16s rRNA gene OTUs, 11.9% were observed in all samples while 3.5 and 15.9% were detected only in N-sufficient and N-deficient samples. Proteobacteria, Cyanobacteria and Bacteroidetes dominated the bacterial community. Prochlorococcus and Pseudoalteromonas were the most abundant at the genus level in N-deficient regimes, while SAR86, Synechococcus and SAR92 were predominant in the Kuroshio-Oyashio confluence region. The distribution of the nifH gene presented great divergence among sampling stations: Cyanobacterium_UCYN-A dominated the N-deficient stations, while clusters related to the Alpha-, Beta-, and Gamma-Proteobacteria were abundant in other stations. Temperature was the main factor that determined bacterial community structure and diversity while concentration of NOX-N was significantly correlated with structure and distribution of N2-fixing microorganisms. Expression of the ammonium transporter was much higher than that of urea transporter subunit A (urtA and ferredoxin-nitrate reductase, while urtA had an increased expression in N-deficient surface water. The predicted ammonium transporter and ammonium assimilation enzymes were most abundant in surface samples while urease and nitrogenase were more abundant in the N-deficient regions. These findings underscore the fact that marine bacteria have evolved diverse N utilization strategies to adapt to different N habitats, and that urea

Behavior learning in differential games and reorientation maneuvers

Science.gov (United States)

Satak, Neha

The purpose of this dissertation is to apply behavior learning concepts to incomplete- information continuous time games. Realistic game scenarios are often incomplete-information games in which the players withhold information. A player may not know its opponent's objectives and strategies prior to the start of the game. This lack of information can limit the player's ability to play optimally. If the player can observe the opponent's actions, it can better optimize its achievements by taking corrective actions. In this research, a framework to learn an opponent's behavior and take corrective actions is developed. The framework will allow a player to observe the opponent's actions and formulate behavior models. The developed behavior model can then be utilized to find the best actions for the player that optimizes the player's objective function. In addition, the framework proposes that the player plays a safe strategy at the beginning of the game. A safe strategy is defined in this research as a strategy that guarantees a minimum pay-off to the player independent of the other player's actions. During the initial part of the game, the player will play the safe strategy until it learns the opponent's behavior. Two methods to develop behavior models that differ in the formulation of the behavior model are proposed. The first method is the Cost-Strategy Recognition (CSR) method in which the player formulates an objective function and a strategy for the opponent. The opponent is presumed to be rational and therefore will play to optimize its objective function. The strategy of the opponent is dependent on the information available to the opponent about other players in the game. A strategy formulation presumes a certain level of information available to the opponent. The previous observations of the opponent's actions are used to estimate the parameters of the formulated behavior model. The estimated behavior model predicts the opponent's future actions. The second

The Impact of Violence Prevention Programs on School Based Violent Behaviors

Science.gov (United States)

Reed-Reynolds, Shelly

2011-01-01

This dissertation study focused on the potential effect that various violence prevention program strategies implemented within the k-12 school setting have on the frequency of school based violent behaviors. The 2005-06 and 2003-04 School Survey on Crime and Safety (SSOCS:2006 & SSOCS:2004) was utilized as the secondary data source for this…

Implications of emotion regulation strategies for empathic concern, social attitudes, and helping behavior.

Science.gov (United States)

Lebowitz, Matthew S; Dovidio, John F

2015-04-01

Empathic concern-a sense of caring and compassion in response to the needs of others-is a type of emotional response to the plights and misfortunes of others that predicts positive social attitudes and altruistic interpersonal behaviors. One psychological process that has been posited to facilitate empathic concern is the ability to regulate one's own emotions. However, existing research links some emotion-regulation approaches (e.g., suppression) to social outcomes that would appear at odds with empathic concern, such as decreased interpersonal closeness. In the present research, we tested whether relying on suppression to regulate one's emotions would lead to decreases in empathic concern-and related downstream variables, such as negative social attitudes and unwillingness to engage in altruistic behavior-when learning about another person's misfortune. In Study 1, dispositional and instructionally induced suppression was negatively associated with empathic concern, which led to increased stigmatizing attitudes. By contrast, instructing participants to use another emotion-regulation strategy examined for comparison-reappraisal-did not decrease empathic concern, and dispositional reliance on reappraisal was actually positively associated with empathic concern. In Study 2, the findings of Study 1 regarding the effects of habitual use of reappraisal and suppression were replicated, and reliance on suppression was also found to be associated with reluctance to engage in helping behaviors. These findings are situated within the existing literature and employed to shed new light on the interpersonal consequences of intrapersonal emotion-regulation strategies. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

Context analysis for a new regulatory model for electric utilities in Brazil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

El Hage, Fabio S.; Rufín, Carlos

2016-01-01

This article examines what would have to change in the Brazilian regulatory framework in order to make utilities profit from energy efficiency and the integration of resources, instead of doing so from traditional consumption growth, as it happens at present. We argue that the Brazilian integrated electric sector resembles a common-pool resources problem, and as such it should incorporate, in addition to the centralized operation for power dispatch already in place, demand side management, behavioral strategies, and smart grids, attained through a new business and regulatory model for utilities. The paper proposes several measures to attain a more sustainable and productive electricity distribution industry: decoupling revenues from volumetric sales through a fixed maximum load fee, which would completely offset current disincentives for energy efficiency; the creation of a market for negawatts (saved megawatts) using the current Brazilian mechanism of public auctions for the acquisition of wholesale energy; and the integration of technologies, especially through the growth of unregulated products and services. Through these measures, we believe that Brazil could improve both energy security and overall sustainability of its power sector in the long run. - Highlights: • Necessary changes in the Brazilian regulatory framework towards energy efficiency. • How to incorporate demand side management, behavioral strategies, and smart grids. • Proposition of a market for negawatts at public auctions. • Measures to attain a more sustainable electricity distribution industry in Brazil.

Analysis of nuclear fuel utilization strategies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Souza, J.A.M. de; Rubini, L.A.; Silva, R.P.

1981-01-01

Having in mind a rational utilization of the national uranium reserves, in the alternatives considered here in both the recycling of irradiated fuel and the introduction of fast breeder reactors (FBR's) in the electric energy generation system are analyzed. Present thermal reactors (PWR's) would be, thus, gradually replaced, and the plutonium produced by them used as fuel for the next generation of FBR's. (Author) [pt

How research in behavioral pharmacology informs behavioral science.

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Branch, Marc N

2006-05-01

Behavioral pharmacology is a maturing science that has made significant contributions to the study of drug effects on behavior, especially in the domain of drug-behavior interactions. Less appreciated is that research in behavioral pharmacology can have, and has had, implications for the experimental analysis of behavior, especially its conceptualizations and theory. In this article, I outline three general strategies in behavioral pharmacology research that have been employed to increase understanding of behavioral processes. Examples are provided of the general characteristics of the strategies and of implications of previous research for behavior theory. Behavior analysis will advance as its theories are challenged.

Modifying and developing health behavior.

Science.gov (United States)

Green, L W

1984-01-01

The literatures on both behavior modification and behavioral development have engendered innovations in public health programs, addressing problems of patient adherance to preventive and therapeutic regimens, delay in seeking diagnosis of illness symptoms, risk-taking behavior, and other aspects of lifestyle associated with health. Because most of this literature derives from psychology, there has been a distinct bias in the construction of interventions, pointing them directly at individuals, usually in a counseling or small group mode of delivery. These developments served public health well enough during a decade or so when the preoccupation was with utilization of health services and medical management of chronic diseases. With the publication of the Lalonde Report in Canada in 1974, the passage of Public Law 94-317 in 1976 in the United States, and similar initiatives in other English-speaking and European countries, the recognition of the greater complexities of lifestyle development and modification in the absence of symptoms has taken hold. Policy makers and public health workers seek a more efficient and equitable set of strategies to meet the behavioral health challenges of modern society without placing the entire weight of responsibility for behavior on the individual or on therapeutic practitioners. Concurrently, on a more global scale and in the developing countries, a concern has emerged for strategies that give individuals, families, and communities a greater role in deciding their own health priorities. The convergence of these two trends--one seeking to distribute responsibility for lifestyle more equitably and the other seeking to distribute responsibility for planning health programs more equitably --calls for policies, strategies, and interventions that will place similar emphasis on health education and organizational, economic, and environmental supports for health behavior. The combination of these elements of support for behavior calls, in

Rational behavior in decision making. A comparison between humans, computers and fast and frugal strategies

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Snijders, C.C.P.

2007-01-01

Rational behavior in decision making. A comparison between humans, computers, and fast and frugal strategies Chris Snijders and Frits Tazelaar (Eindhoven University of Technology, The Netherlands) Real life decisions often have to be made in "noisy" circumstances: not all crucial information is

Strategic Bidding Behaviors in Nondecreasing Sponsored Search Auctions

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Chen-Kun Tsung

2013-01-01

Full Text Available To realize the specific results in the sponsored search auctions, most advertisers submit particular bid prices. The bidding behaviors with specific purposes are called as the strategic bidding. However, some strategic bidding behaviors will result in negative effects, such as the elimination of the equilibrium and the payment increase for some advertisers. The bidding behaviors with negative results are termed as the vindictive bidding. We survey four strategic bidding behaviors which include a rational bidding and three vindictive bidding strategies. In this paper, we study the relationship between the effects resulted by the vindictive bidding and the valuations of the vindictive advertisers. In our experiments, the search engine provider (SEP is benefited by all vindictive bidding behaviors, and the increment of the SEP's revenue is proportional to the degree of the vindictiveness. Bidding vindictively without sacrificing the own utility improves the advertiser's utility with high probability. Moreover, we observe that the SEP's revenue is improved by the following situations. First, the vindictive advertiser with low valuation in the keywords with high market value results in more SEP's revenue than that in the keywords with low market value. The second case is to raise the bidding competition between advertisers.

Effect of vaccination strategies on the dynamic behavior of epidemic spreading and vaccine coverage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cai, Chao-Ran; Wu, Zhi-Xi; Guan, Jian-Yue

2014-01-01

The transmission of infectious, yet vaccine-preventable, diseases is a typical complex social phenomenon, where the increasing level of vaccine update in the population helps to inhibit the epidemic spreading, which in turn, however, discourages more people to participate in vaccination campaigns, due to the “externality effect” raised by vaccination. We herein study the impact of vaccination strategies, pure, continuous (rather than adopt vaccination definitely, the individuals choose to taking vaccine with some probabilities), or continuous with randomly mutation, on the vaccination dynamics with a spatial susceptible-vaccinated-infected-recovered (SVIR) epidemiological model. By means of extensive Monte-Carlo simulations, we show that there is a crossover behavior of the final vaccine coverage between the pure-strategy case and the continuous-strategy case, and remarkably, both the final vaccination level and epidemic size in the continuous-strategy case are less than them in the pure-strategy case when vaccination is cheap. We explain this phenomenon by analyzing the organization process of the individuals in the continuous-strategy case in the equilibrium. Our results are robust to the SVIR dynamics defined on other spatial networks, like the Erdős–Rényi and Barabási–Albert networks

Information strategies and energy conservation behavior: A meta-analysis of experimental studies from 1975 to 2012

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Delmas, Magali A.; Fischlein, Miriam; Asensio, Omar I.

2013-01-01

Strategies that provide information about the environmental impact of activities are increasingly seen as effective to encourage conservation behavior. This article offers the most comprehensive meta-analysis of information based energy conservation experiments conducted to date. Based on evidence from 156 published field trials and 525,479 study subjects from 1975 to 2012, we quantify the energy savings from information based strategies. On average, individuals in the experiments reduced their electricity consumption by 7.4%. Our results also show that strategies providing individualized audits and consulting are comparatively more effective for conservation behavior than strategies that provide historical, peer comparison energy feedback. Interestingly, we find that pecuniary feedback and incentives lead to a relative increase in energy usage rather than induce conservation. We also find that the conservation effect diminishes with the rigor of the study, indicating potential methodological issues in the current literature. - Highlights: • We conduct a meta-analysis of information-based energy conservation experiments. • We analyze 156 published trials and 524,479 study subjects from 1975 to 2012. • On average, individuals in the experiments reduced electricity consumption by 7.4%. • Individualized feedback via audits and consulting results in the largest reductions. Pecuniary feedback and incentives lead to a relative increase in energy usage

Behavior Management Strategies for Teachers: Achieving Instructional Effectiveness, Student Success, and Student Motivation--Every Teacher and Any Student Can! 2nd Edition.

Science.gov (United States)

Harlan, Joan C.; Rowland, Sidney T.

This book provides tested methods for teachers to use in their behavior management and instructional efforts, offering strategies for maintaining and increasing appropriate behaviors as well as preventing and remediating inappropriate behaviors. Section 1, "Understanding Behavior and Selected Models," includes (1) "Understanding…

Improving utilization of and retention in PMTCT services: can behavioral economics help?

Science.gov (United States)

Taylor, Nicholas Kenji; Buttenheim, Alison M

2013-10-10

The most recent strategic call to action of the World Health Organization sets the elimination of pediatric HIV as a goal. While recent efforts have focused on building infrastructure and ensuring access to high-quality treatment, we must now turn our focus to the behavior change needed to eliminate vertical transmission. We make the case for the application of concepts from the field of behavioral economics to prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) programs to more effectively address demand-side issues of uptake and retention. We introduce five concepts from the field of behavioral economics and discuss their application to PMTCT programs: 1) Mentor mothers who come from similar circumstances as PMTCT patients can serve as social references who provide temporally salient modeling of utilization of services and adherence to treatment. 2) Economic incentives, like cell phone minutes or food vouchers, that reward adherence to PMTCT protocols leverage present bias, the observation that people are generally biased toward immediate versus future awards. 3) Default bias, our preference for the default option, is already being used in many countries in the form of opt-out testing, and could be expanded to all PMTCT programs. 4) We are hardwired to avoid loss more than to pursue an equivalent gain. PMTCT programs can take advantage of loss aversion through the use of commitment contracts that incentivize mothers to return to the clinic in order to avoid both reputational and financial loss. Eliminating vertical transmission of HIV is an ambitious goal. To close the remaining gap, innovations are needed to address demand for PMTCT services. Behavioral economics offers a set of tools that can be engineered into PMTCT programs to increase uptake and improve retention with minimal investment.

A Social-Behavioral Learning Strategy Intervention for a Child with Asperger Syndrome: Brief Report

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Bock, Marjorie A.

2007-01-01

This study examined the effect of a social-behavioral learning strategy intervention (Stop-Observe-Deliberate-Act; SODA) on the social interaction skills of one middle school student with Asperger syndrome (AS). More specifically, the study investigated the effect of SODA training on the ability of one student with AS to participate in cooperative…

The consequences of different strategies for measuring tax evasion behavior

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ghavam Ahmadi

2014-11-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a study to investigate the effect of tax strategy on tax evasion in province of Zanjan, Iran. The study selects two randomly selected populations of 100 people from Tax organization and the people who file income tax with revenue agency. The study designs a questionnaire in Likert scale to study the effects of five variables namely; promote tax culture, lack of belief in tax payment consequences, filing false tax statement, tax exemption and general culture community as independent variables on tax evasion behavior. Using regression technique, the study has determined positive and meaningful relationships between tax evasion and independent variables.

Effectively Utilizing the "Behavioral" in Cognitive-Behavioral Group Therapy of Sex Offenders

Science.gov (United States)

Jennings, Jerry L.; Deming, Adam

2013-01-01

Although cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is touted as the predominant approach in sex offender-specific group treatment, a review of the field shows that the "behavioral" part of CBT has become minimal in relation to that which is cognitive. The authors show how a revitalized "behavioral sensibility" may help to enhance…

ON THE NECESSITY OF CHANGES IN THE STRATEGY OF UTILIZATION SHIP BOILER TECHNICAL CONDITION MAINTENANCE IN THE ASPECT OF LNG APPLIED AS FUEL

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Andrzej ADAMKIEWICZ

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Heavy oils (HFO fuels used on ships play a part in degradation of technical condition of heat exchange surfaces of utiliza-tion boilers especially on the exhaust gas side. Presence of sulphur in these fuels is the main factor favouring degrada-tion. The upper limit for sulphur content in the fuel used outside the SECA areas equal to 3.5% is currently in force, at least until the year 2020 or 2025. The recommended by classification societies overhauls of utilization boilers are, there-fore characterized by a specially chosen strategy thanks to which it is possible to maintain their appropriate technical condition. The requirement to use fuels with low sulphur content (LSFO, which are significantly more expensive than MDO fuels, in the areas of controlled sulphur emissions also led to a further introduction of alternative fuels, such as methanol and above all liquefied natural gas (LNG, onto ships. That is especially valid for the ship owners whose vessels e.g. ferries sail mainly within SCECA This article analyses the consequences of the introduced fuel change on utilization boiler maintenance. A change in the technical condition maintenance strategy for utilization boilers has been suggested.

The role of utilities in enabling technology innovation: The BC hydro alternative & emerging energy strategy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tu, Alex; Leclair, Donna; Morrison, Allison

2010-09-15

In order for renewable energy to play a dominant role in the global electricity supply mix, emerging renewable energy technologies - such as wave, tidal, enhanced geothermal, and 3rd generation photovoltaic technologies - must prove their technical merits and achieve cost parity with conventional sources of supply. BC Hydro, a government-owned electric utility, launched an Alternative and Emerging Energy Strategy that describes its role as an enabler of technology innovation. This paper describes BC Hydro's goal, objectives and actions to accelerate the commercialization that will yield a diversity of supply options and a growing, local clean-tech cluster.

Establishing Design Strategies and an Assessment Tool of Home Appliances to Promote Sustainable Behavior for the New Poor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jui-Che Tu

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Environmental benefits related to home appliance life cycles depend on how these products are used. Designing home appliances that promote sustainable behavior is an effective way to reduce environmental impacts. This study aimed to increase relevant opportunities for promoting sustainable behavior practices on the new poor through home appliances, which is rarely discussed in the fields of design for sustainable behavior (DfSB and product design. In particular, relevant assessment tools or indicators are lacking in DfSB, and people’s use of home appliances is generally unsustainable. Therefore, repertory grid technology was used to understand the perceptions of the new poor, develop an assessment tool, and construct design strategies for home appliances that promote sustainable behavior. Data were collected from the new poor and from designers. Through cluster and principal component analyses, three strategy types were proposed that corresponded to different product features, suggestions, and guidance. In addition, the effectiveness and potential of an assessment tool were demonstrated using the Wilcoxon rank test. The findings could be used by designers, retailers, and green marketers to propose effective product design programs that promote sustainable behavior of the new poor during product use.

Comprehensive bidding strategies with genetic programming/finite state automata

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Richter, C.W. Jr.; Sheble, G.B.; Ashlock, D.

1999-01-01

This research is an extension of the authors' previous work in double auctions aimed at developing bidding strategies for electric utilities which trade electricity competitively. The improvements detailed in this paper come from using data structures which combine genetic programming and finite state automata termed GP-Automata. The strategies developed by the method described here are adaptive--reacting to inputs--whereas the previously developed strategies were only suitable in the particular scenario for which they had been designed. The strategies encoded in the GP-Automata are tested in an auction simulator. The simulator pits them against other distribution companies (distcos) and generation companies (gencos), buying and selling power via double auctions implemented in regional commodity exchanges. The GP-Automata are evolved with a genetic algorithm so that they possess certain characteristics. In addition to designing successful bidding strategies (whose usage would result in higher profits) the resulting strategies can also be designed to imitate certain types of trading behaviors. The resulting strategies can be implemented directly in on-line trading, or can be used as realistic competitors in an off-line trading simulator

A longitudinal population-based study exploring treatment utilization and suicidal ideation and behavior in major depressive disorder.

Science.gov (United States)

Chartrand, Hayley; Robinson, Jennifer; Bolton, James M

2012-12-10

This study aimed to longitudinally examine the relationship between treatment utilization and suicidal behavior among people with major depressive disorder in a nationally representative sample. Data came from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC) (Wave 1: N=43,093; Wave 2: N=34,653). Suicidal and non-suicidal individuals at Wave 1 were compared based on subsequent treatment utilization. Suicidal behavior at Wave 2 was compared between people with major depressive disorder who had sought treatment at Wave 1 versus those that had not. Individuals with past year major depressive disorder at Wave 1 who attempted suicide were more likely to be hospitalized at follow up compared to non-suicidal people with major depressive disorder [adjusted odds ratio (AOR)=4.46; 95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 2.54-7.85]; however, they were not more likely to seek other forms of treatment. Among those with past year major depressive disorder who sought treatment at baseline, visiting an emergency room (AOR=3.08; 95% CI: 1.61-5.89) and being hospitalized (AOR=2.41; 95% CI: 1.13-5.14), was associated with an increased likelihood of attempting suicide within 3 years even after adjusting for mental disorder comorbidity, depression severity, and previous suicidal behavior. Unable to draw conclusions about completed suicide or adequacy of treatment. Suicidal behavior does not lead individuals with major depressive disorder to seek treatment with professionals or use antidepressant medications; instead, they are more likely to use emergency services. These findings suggest that treatment efforts for people with major depressive disorder who are suicidal need improvement. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Determinants of Sedentary Behavior, Motivation, Barriers and Strategies to Reduce Sitting Time in Older Women: A Qualitative Investigation

OpenAIRE

Chastin, Sebastien F. M.; Fitzpatrick, Nicole; Andrews, Michelle; DiCroce, Natalie

2014-01-01

Sedentary behavior defined as time spent non-exercising seated or reclining posture has been identified has a health risk and associated with frailty and disablement for older adults. Older adults are the most sedentary segment of society. To date no study has investigated the determinants of sedentary behavior in older adults. This study reports a qualitative investigation of the determinants of sedentary behavior, strategies and motivator to reduce sitting time by structured interviews in ...

Molecular diagnostics clinical utility strategy: a six-part framework.

Science.gov (United States)

Frueh, Felix W; Quinn, Bruce

2014-09-01

The clinical utility of a molecular test rises proportional to a favorable regulatory risk/benefit assessment, and clinical utility is the driver of payer coverage decisions. Although a great deal has been written about clinical utility, debates still center on its 'definition.' We argue that the definition (an impact on clinical outcomes) is self-evident, and improved communications should focus on sequential steps in building and proving an adequate level of confidence for the diagnostic test's clinical value proposition. We propose a six-part framework to facilitate communications between test developers and health technology evaluators, relevant to both regulatory and payer decisions.

The Influence of Motivational Regulation Strategies on Online Students' Behavioral, Emotional, and Cognitive Engagement

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Sanghoon; Yun, Heoncheol

2018-01-01

Providing effective motivational support is a critical determinant of a successful online distance learning experience for students in higher education. In this study, we examined how students' academic level and use of 8 motivational regulation strategies influence 3 types of student engagement: behavioral engagement, emotional engagement, and…

A Brief Comparative Study on R and D Collaboration Strategy in US and French nuclear utilities

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yang, Sung Tae; Park, Jong Eun [KHNP CRI, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2014-10-15

So far KHNP's R and D strategy has been evaluated as 2.5th generation R and D management and R and D investments are focused to the key technologies such as Korea's own nuclear reactor design(like APR1400) development, engineering gap lists elimination(plants trouble shooting), construction/operation process enhancement, etc. But when we compare our R and D strategy with US and France utilities, we can find a lot of differences and the need of improvement to accelerate overseas export of nuclear power plants(technologies) and to be a world top class nuclear operator. One of prominent difference is R and D collaboration strategy. The definition of R and D collaboration has evolved over the years, but for this paper I use it to mean the process where multiple parts of an organization or stake holder work together toward a set of common goals. And by co-funding or cost sharing, collaborative R and D can reduces financial and technical risk and encourages knowledge exchange, supply chain development and in return, collaborative R and D can produce more advanced, complex, effective, efficient R and D products in relatively short time with relatively less budget. UK's technology strategy board estimated that Each we invest in collaborative R and D typically returns around in GVA(Gross Value Added)

Landowner behavior can determine the success of conservation strategies for ecosystem migration under sea-level rise.

Science.gov (United States)

Field, Christopher R; Dayer, Ashley A; Elphick, Chris S

2017-08-22

The human aspects of conservation are often overlooked but will be critical for identifying strategies for biological conservation in the face of climate change. We surveyed the behavioral intentions of coastal landowners with respect to various conservation strategies aimed at facilitating ecosystem migration for tidal marshes. We found that several popular strategies, including conservation easements and increasing awareness of ecosystem services, may not interest enough landowners to allow marsh migration at the spatial scales needed to mitigate losses from sea-level rise. We identified less common conservation strategies that have more support but that are unproven in practice and may be more expensive. Our results show that failure to incorporate human dimensions into ecosystem modeling and conservation planning could lead to the use of ineffective strategies and an overly optimistic view of the potential for ecosystem migration into human dominated areas.

A metacognitive strategy for reducing disruptive behavior in children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders: GoFAR pilot.

Science.gov (United States)

Coles, Claire D; Kable, Julie A; Taddeo, Elles; Strickland, Dorothy C

2015-11-01

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) are often characterized by disruptive behavior problems and there are few effective interventions available. GoFAR is a novel, 3-part intervention designed to improve self-regulation and adaptive living skills of children with FASD by improving metacognitive control of emotions and arousal. The intervention has 3 components: (i) GoFAR: a "serious game" designed to teach a metacognitive control strategy in a computer game environment; (ii) parent training on child behavioral regulation; and (iii) Behavior Analog Therapy (BAT) sessions, a practical application of the metacognitive learning methodology by parent and child in the context of learning adaptive skills. The learning strategy (FAR) teaches the child to Focus and make a plan, Act out the plan, and Reflect back on the plan. Thirty families were randomized to 3 groups: (i) GoFAR (n = 10); (ii) FACELAND (n = 10); or (iii) CONTROL (n = 10). The 2 intervention groups, GoFAR and FACELAND, used computer games to instruct children. Both groups also received 5 sessions of parent training followed by 5 sessions of joint parent/child therapy (BAT). Assessment of disruptive behavior, including frequency of temper tantrums, frustration tolerance, impulsivity, destructiveness, aggression, and maintaining attention were carried out before enrollment at Mid-Treatment, when game play and parent training were completed, and finally, after completing the BAT sessions. Parental report of disruptive behavior overall was significantly reduced in the GoFAR group after the first components, game play and parent training, and after the BAT sessions in the FACELAND group with no changes in the CONTROL group over time. The GoFAR(®) game was well received by children and effective in teaching the required skills. Mastering the FAR metacognitive strategy was associated with a reduction in disruptive behaviors in children with FASD suggesting that effective interventions can improve outcomes for

Boosting workplace stair utilization: a study of incremental reinforcement.

Science.gov (United States)

Schumacher, Joseph E; Utley, Janice; Sutton, Lindsay; Horton, Trudi; Hamer, Trey; You, Zhiying; Klapow, Joshua C

2013-02-01

This study was designed to determine whether engagement in stair taking can be increased in a worksite setting through the provision of an employer-sponsored, behavior-based incentive system in which employees (members) accumulate points that can be redeemed for merchandise. ChipRewards implemented stair utilization in one employer as a part of a larger health incentive engagement program. Using an AB (baseline-intervention) design, members (N = 216) were observed for 6 months (6.17.10 to 12.14.10 or 129 weekdays after excluding 52 weekend days) before the intervention (baseline) and after 6 months (1.1.11 to 6.30.11 with the same number of weekdays) of implementation. Members were 84% female, 51% Caucasian, 48% African American, 3% Hispanic, and 45 years average age. The number of total stair transactions for all members for all days monitored increased from 5,070 to 38,900, and the average number of stair transactions per day rose from 39 to 301, representing over a 600% increase. The overall cost of incentives for stair utilization was $3,739.30 or $17.55 per member on average. This study supports that stair usage in the workplace is a viable way to increase physical activity. This study adds to existing research that attempted to increase stair utilization through promotion only by adding a behavioral reinforcement strategy. Finally, this study demonstrates that a physical activity among employees at the worksite can be increased with minimal relative cost.

7 Strategies for Improving Drug Utilization.

Science.gov (United States)

Schlosser, Michael; Chamberlain, Ronald; Dortch, Marcus

2017-06-01

When new pharmaceutical products enter the market, the lack of real-world experience with these drugs creates quandaries for payers and providers alike. Often, all there is to go on is the minimum required for FDA approval-non-inferiority to a comparator product in terms of efficacy and safety. Here are a few promising strategies to end this ambiguity.

Crime, violence, and behavioral health: collaborative community strategies for risk mitigation.

Science.gov (United States)

Pinals, Debra A

2015-06-01

Criminal conduct is not always violent, and violence does not always lead to criminal charges. Moreover, crime and violence have multifaceted etiologies. Most violence in society is not attributable to mental illness. Where there is a small relationship between violence and mental illness, the risk of violence increases for individuals with substance use histories. Underlying trauma can also play a role. Antisocial attitudes, behaviors, and peer groups further increase the risk that individuals, including those with mental illness, will find themselves at risk of criminal recidivism. Criminal histories among public mental health populations, and mental health and substance use disorders among criminal populations are each higher than general population comparisons. Care within behavioral health settings should therefore target decreased criminal recidivism and decreased violence as part of recovery for those individuals at risk, using trauma-informed approaches and peer supports. Interventions that show promise bring criminal justice and behavioral health systems together, and include police-based diversion, specialty courts, court-based alternatives to incarceration, and coordinated re-entry programs. This article reviews these options along with specific risk management strategies, such as using risk, needs, and responsivity factors as a means of improving overall outcomes for persons with mental illness, while minimizing their risk of further criminalization and victimization.

Behavioral risk-reduction strategies to prevent HIV infection among homosexual men: a grounded theory approach.

Science.gov (United States)

de Wit, J B; Teunis, N; van Griensven, G J; Sandfort, T G

1994-12-01

To be able to design effective health education interventions for homosexual men, it is necessary to understand determinants of safe and unsafe sex from the perspective of those involved. In this qualitative study, therefore, an open approach was taken to allow for this perspective. Interviews were conducted with 50 randomly selected HIV-antibody negative participants in the Amsterdam Cohort Study. Detailed questions were asked about sexual interactions and behaviors with steady and nonsteady partners. Whether or not homosexual men consciously protected themselves from HIV infection and which strategy they adopted was found to depend on three major factors: 1) motivation and intention, 2) significance of anal sex, and 3) risk perception within specific relationships. From a theoretical perspective results indicate that, next to the centrality of individual motivation as postulated in both the Theory of Reasoned Action and the Theory of Planned Behavior, symbolic meaning inherent in sexual acts, as well as type of relationship are important determinants of protective sexual behaviors that have to be taken into account to understand adequately why homosexual men engage in safe or unsafe sex. Some strategies employed by homosexual men carry uncertainties that continue to put them at increased risk for HIV infection. Health education interventions can be designed to address these issues.

Technology-Related Strategies Used by Educational Leaders to Increase Prosocial Behavior in K-12 Schools

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Beers, Jason Ronald

2017-01-01

Purpose. The purpose of this study was to identify technology-related strategies used by educational leaders to increase prosocial behavior in K-12 schools. Information and communication technology (ICT) is developing at a rapid rate and is becoming more ubiquitous among students. Discovering and understanding common technology-related strategies…

Conflict between place and response navigation strategies: effects on vicarious trial and error (VTE) behaviors.

Science.gov (United States)

Schmidt, Brandy; Papale, Andrew; Redish, A David; Markus, Etan J

2013-02-15

Navigation can be accomplished through multiple decision-making strategies, using different information-processing computations. A well-studied dichotomy in these decision-making strategies compares hippocampal-dependent "place" and dorsal-lateral striatal-dependent "response" strategies. A place strategy depends on the ability to flexibly respond to environmental cues, while a response strategy depends on the ability to quickly recognize and react to situations with well-learned action-outcome relationships. When rats reach decision points, they sometimes pause and orient toward the potential routes of travel, a process termed vicarious trial and error (VTE). VTE co-occurs with neurophysiological information processing, including sweeps of representation ahead of the animal in the hippocampus and transient representations of reward in the ventral striatum and orbitofrontal cortex. To examine the relationship between VTE and the place/response strategy dichotomy, we analyzed data in which rats were cued to switch between place and response strategies on a plus maze. The configuration of the maze allowed for place and response strategies to work competitively or cooperatively. Animals showed increased VTE on trials entailing competition between navigational systems, linking VTE with deliberative decision-making. Even in a well-learned task, VTE was preferentially exhibited when a spatial selection was required, further linking VTE behavior with decision-making associated with hippocampal processing.

Behavior Change Strategies for Successful Long-Term Weight Loss: Focusing on Dietary and Physical Activity Adherence, Not Weight Loss

Science.gov (United States)

Hongu, Nobuko; Kataura, Martha P.; Block, Linda M.

2011-01-01

This article helps Extension professionals guide individuals in a successful long-term weight loss program. A program should focus on behavioral changes (improving eating habits and physical activity), not just weight loss. In order to do this, Extension professionals should implement behavior change strategies that motivate individuals to…

"Utilizing" signal detection theory.

Science.gov (United States)

Lynn, Spencer K; Barrett, Lisa Feldman

2014-09-01

What do inferring what a person is thinking or feeling, judging a defendant's guilt, and navigating a dimly lit room have in common? They involve perceptual uncertainty (e.g., a scowling face might indicate anger or concentration, for which different responses are appropriate) and behavioral risk (e.g., a cost to making the wrong response). Signal detection theory describes these types of decisions. In this tutorial, we show how incorporating the economic concept of utility allows signal detection theory to serve as a model of optimal decision making, going beyond its common use as an analytic method. This utility approach to signal detection theory clarifies otherwise enigmatic influences of perceptual uncertainty on measures of decision-making performance (accuracy and optimality) and on behavior (an inverse relationship between bias magnitude and sensitivity optimizes utility). A "utilized" signal detection theory offers the possibility of expanding the phenomena that can be understood within a decision-making framework. © The Author(s) 2014.

Discouraging cigarette smoking through de-marketing strategies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hemant Chauhan

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Developing countries report high prevalence of smoking habits among youngsters. The transition from school to college is a critical phase where young people are more likely to adopt such unhealthy habits and life-style. It is necessary to understand the factors that lead youngsters to smoking and analyze the relationship of these factors with other socio-economic and demographic variables. The present study is a cross sectional empirical research based on multi-stage sampling process. Data analysis reveals some important relationships among the variables under study which have been suitably utilized in the formulation of de-marketing strategies for vulnerable age groups. These de-marketing strategies are based on the notion that consumption behavior among college students varies significantly which is also evident from factor analysis of data.

Interaction between behavioral and pharmacological treatment strategies to decrease cocaine choice in rhesus monkeys.

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Banks, Matthew L; Blough, Bruce E; Negus, S Stevens

2013-02-01

Behavioral and pharmacotherapeutic approaches constitute two prominent strategies for treating cocaine dependence. This study investigated interactions between behavioral and pharmacological strategies in a preclinical model of cocaine vs food choice. Six rhesus monkeys, implanted with a chronic indwelling double-lumen venous catheter, initially responded under a concurrent schedule of food delivery (1-g pellets, fixed-ratio (FR) 100 schedule) and cocaine injections (0-0.1 mg/kg/injection, FR 10 schedule) during continuous 7-day treatment periods with saline or the agonist medication phenmetrazine (0.032-0.1 mg/kg/h). Subsequently, the FR response requirement for cocaine or food was varied (food, FR 100; cocaine, FR 1-100; cocaine, FR 10; food, FR 10-300), and effects of phenmetrazine on cocaine vs food choice were redetermined. Decreases in the cocaine FR or increases in the food FR resulted in leftward shifts in the cocaine choice dose-effect curve, whereas increases in the cocaine FR or decreases in the food FR resulted in rightward shifts in the cocaine choice dose-effect curve. The efficacy of phenmetrazine to decrease cocaine choice varied systematically as a function of the prevailing response requirements, such that phenmetrazine efficacy was greatest when cocaine choice was maintained by relatively low unit cocaine doses. These results suggest that efficacy of pharmacotherapies to modulate cocaine use can be influenced by behavioral contingencies of cocaine availability. Agonist medications may be most effective under contingencies that engender choice of relatively low cocaine doses.

Principles and strategies for monitoring data collection integrity in a multi-site randomized clinical trial of a behavioral intervention.

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Phillips-Salimi, Celeste R; Donovan Stickler, Molly A; Stegenga, Kristin; Lee, Melissa; Haase, Joan E

2011-08-01

Although treatment fidelity strategies for enhancing the integrity of behavioral interventions have been well described, little has been written about monitoring data collection integrity. This article describes the principles and strategies developed to monitor data collection integrity of the "Stories and Music for Adolescent/Young Adult Resilience During Transplant" study (R01NR008583, U10CA098543, and U10CA095861)-a multi-site Children's Oncology Group randomized clinical trial of a music therapy intervention for adolescents and young adults undergoing stem cell transplant. The principles and strategies outlined in this article provide one model for development and evaluation of a data collection integrity monitoring plan for behavioral interventions that may be adapted by investigators and may be useful to funding agencies and grant application reviewers in evaluating proposals. Copyright © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Alert Workplace From Healthcare Workers' Perspective: Behavioral and Environmental Strategies to Improve Vigilance and Alertness in Healthcare Settings.

Science.gov (United States)

Sagah Zadeh, Rana; Shepley, Mardelle; Sadatsafavi, Hessam; Owora, Arthur Hamie; Krieger, Ana C

2018-04-01

This study aims to identify the behavioral and environmental strategies that healthcare workers view as helpful for managing sleepiness, improving alertness, and therefore optimizing workplace safety. Reduced alertness is a common issue in healthcare work environments and is associated with impaired cognitive performance and decision-making ability as well as increased errors and injuries. We surveyed 136 healthcare professionals at a primary care clinic, an acute care hospital, and a mental health clinic. Nonstructured, semistructured, and structured questionnaires were used to elicit relevant information which was analyzed using qualitative content analysis and logistic regression models, respectively. In order by frequency of endorsement: dietary intervention; physical mobility; cognitive, sensory, or social stimulation; personal lifestyle strategies; and rest/nap opportunities were reported as behavioral strategies used to address workplace alertness. Compared to other environmental features, daylight and thermal comfort were perceived to be more important to addressing workplace alertness ( p based guidelines is needed to address sleepiness and alertness to improve workplace safety in healthcare facilities.

Flexibility to contingency changes distinguishes habitual and goal-directed strategies in humans.

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Lee, Julie J; Keramati, Mehdi

2017-09-01

Decision-making in the real world presents the challenge of requiring flexible yet prompt behavior, a balance that has been characterized in terms of a trade-off between a slower, prospective goal-directed model-based (MB) strategy and a fast, retrospective habitual model-free (MF) strategy. Theory predicts that flexibility to changes in both reward values and transition contingencies can determine the relative influence of the two systems in reinforcement learning, but few studies have manipulated the latter. Therefore, we developed a novel two-level contingency change task in which transition contingencies between states change every few trials; MB and MF control predict different responses following these contingency changes, allowing their relative influence to be inferred. Additionally, we manipulated the rate of contingency changes in order to determine whether contingency change volatility would play a role in shifting subjects between a MB and MF strategy. We found that human subjects employed a hybrid MB/MF strategy on the task, corroborating the parallel contribution of MB and MF systems in reinforcement learning. Further, subjects did not remain at one level of MB/MF behaviour but rather displayed a shift towards more MB behavior over the first two blocks that was not attributable to the rate of contingency changes but rather to the extent of training. We demonstrate that flexibility to contingency changes can distinguish MB and MF strategies, with human subjects utilizing a hybrid strategy that shifts towards more MB behavior over blocks, consequently corresponding to a higher payoff.

Flexibility to contingency changes distinguishes habitual and goal-directed strategies in humans.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Julie J Lee

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Decision-making in the real world presents the challenge of requiring flexible yet prompt behavior, a balance that has been characterized in terms of a trade-off between a slower, prospective goal-directed model-based (MB strategy and a fast, retrospective habitual model-free (MF strategy. Theory predicts that flexibility to changes in both reward values and transition contingencies can determine the relative influence of the two systems in reinforcement learning, but few studies have manipulated the latter. Therefore, we developed a novel two-level contingency change task in which transition contingencies between states change every few trials; MB and MF control predict different responses following these contingency changes, allowing their relative influence to be inferred. Additionally, we manipulated the rate of contingency changes in order to determine whether contingency change volatility would play a role in shifting subjects between a MB and MF strategy. We found that human subjects employed a hybrid MB/MF strategy on the task, corroborating the parallel contribution of MB and MF systems in reinforcement learning. Further, subjects did not remain at one level of MB/MF behaviour but rather displayed a shift towards more MB behavior over the first two blocks that was not attributable to the rate of contingency changes but rather to the extent of training. We demonstrate that flexibility to contingency changes can distinguish MB and MF strategies, with human subjects utilizing a hybrid strategy that shifts towards more MB behavior over blocks, consequently corresponding to a higher payoff.

Heavy Drinking in University Students With and Without Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Contributions of Drinking Motives and Protective Behavioral Strategies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrea L Howard

2017-08-01

Full Text Available This study examined rates of heavy drinking and alcohol problems in relation to drinking motives and protective behavioral strategies in university students with a documented current diagnosis of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD; n = 31 compared with students with no history of ADHD (n = 146. Participants completed a Web-based questionnaire, and logistic regression models tested interactions between ADHD/comparison group membership and motives and protective strategies. Group differences in rates of heavy drinking and alcohol problems were not statistically significant, but medium-sized risk ratios showed that students without ADHD reported heavy drinking at a rate 1.44 times higher than students with ADHD and met screening criteria for problematic alcohol use at a rate of 1.54 times higher than students with ADHD. Other key findings were, first, that drinking to enhance positive affect (e.g., drinking because it is exciting, but not to cope with negative affect (e.g., drinking to forget your worries, predicted both heavy drinking and alcohol problems. Second, only protective behavioral strategies that emphasize alcohol avoidance predicted both heavy drinking and alcohol problems. Contrary to expectations, we found no ADHD-related moderation of effects of motives or protective strategies on our alcohol outcomes. Results of this study are limited by the small sample of students with ADHD but highlight tentative similarities and differences in effects of motives and strategies on drinking behaviors and alcohol problems reported by students with and without ADHD.

Risky HIV sexual behavior and utilization of voluntary counseling and HIV testing and associated factors among undergraduate students in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Science.gov (United States)

Woldeyohannes, Desalegn; Asmamaw, Yehenew; Sisay, Solomon; Hailesselassie, Werissaw; Birmeta, Kidist; Tekeste, Zinaye

2017-01-25

HIV/AIDS is a major public health problem in Ethiopia. University students are often a young and sexually active group that is at risk of acquiring and transmitting HIV. We assessed risky HIV sexual behaviors and utilization of voluntary counseling and testing services among undergraduate students at Addis Ababa Science and Technology University, Ethiopia. A cross-sectional study was conducted between May and June, 2013. Standardized semi-structured self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data. Simple random sampling technique was use to select departments from each school. All students in the selected departments were the study participants. Data were entered into EPI-Info and analyzed using SPPS statistical packages. P-value sexual contact and the mean age of first sexual encounter was 17.4 (SD =2.3) years. About 443 (76%) of students knew that condoms can prevent Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs). Among sexually active students, 74 (46%) had not used condom during first time sex. Among those responded, 488 (83.4%) had heard information about VCT; however, 52% had not ever used VCT service. The overall mean score of knowledge and attitude of students towards risk perception on HIV was around 66% and 57%, respectively. Students who enrolled in health science departments had almost three time more knowledge [AOR(95%CI) = 2.83 (1.67, 4.80)] and two and half times more favorable [AOR (95% CI) = 2.55 (1.60, 4.06)] attitudes towards HIV risk reduction strategies than students in non-health related departments. Some students were engaged in risky sexual behaviour even though they had heard about HIV/AIDS. The perception of risk for acquisition of HIV infection and utilization of VCT were low. HIV prevention and control strategies including education in the areas of HIV/AIDS as part of university programs curriculum, specially non-health students, and strengthening health institutions to provide youth-friendly VCT services for HIV with "know

Fostering change in back pain beliefs and behaviors: when public education is not enough.

Science.gov (United States)

Gross, Douglas P; Deshpande, Sameer; Werner, Erik L; Reneman, Michiel F; Miciak, Maxi A; Buchbinder, Rachelle

2012-11-01

Mass media campaigns designed to alter societal views and individual behaviors about back pain have been undertaken and evaluated in multiple countries. In contrast to the original Australian campaign, subsequent campaigns have been less successful, with improvements observed in beliefs without the corresponding changes in related behaviors. This article summarizes the results of a literature review, expert panel, and workshop held at the Melbourne International Forum XI: Primary Care Research on Low Back Pain in March 2011 on the role and interplay of various social behavior change strategies, including public education, law and legislation, healthy public policy, and social marketing in achieving a sustained reduction in the societal burden of back pain. Given the complexities inherent to health-related behaviors change, the Rothschild framework is applied in which behavior change strategies are viewed on a continuum from public education at one end through law and health policy at the other. Educational endeavors should likely be augmented with social marketing endeavors and supportive laws and health policy to foster sustained change in outcomes such as work disability and health utilization. Practical suggestions are provided for future interventions aimed at changing back pain-related behaviors. Evaluation of previous back pain mass media campaigns reveals that education alone is unlikely to foster positive and persisting behavioral change without concomitant strategies. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Models of Customer Behavior as a Basis of Marketing Strategy

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T A Ivanova

2012-06-01

Full Text Available The article is devoted to the analysis of six main models of customer behavior in contemporary society and the specific tasks of marketing departments of companies at today's stage of development. The given models take into consideration: motives for choosing a product, the degree of product awareness and independence of choice, the degree of customer satisfaction with the product, lines and possibilities of making an impact on customer choice through marketing and promotion stimulation. The author believes that these models may serve as a basis in the formation of effective marketing strategies, as they describe the customers in all the stages of their actions in the process of buying products, accumulating and analyzing the experience of using them.

Developing new behavior strategies of robot soccer team SjF TUKE Robotics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mikuláš Hajduk

2016-09-01

Full Text Available There are too many types of robotic soccer approaches at present. SjF TUKE Robotics, who won robot soccer world tournament for year 2010 in category MiroSot, is a team with multiagent system approach. They have one main agent (master and five agent players, represented by robots. There is a point of view, in the article, for code programmer how to create new behavior strategies by creating a new code for master. There is a methodology how to prepare and create it following some rules.

Communication strategies for conflict management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schlange, L.E.

1994-01-01

The current debates in Swiss nuclear power policy about the power increase in one nuclear generating unit and about a repository for radioactive waste are used as models for strategic decisionmaking. For this purpose, two independent, but complementary, schools of thought are combined: First, a sensitivity model is employed to analyze societal mechanisms in a coherent, holistic frame of reference; secondly, a meta-analysis concentrates on the process of conflict management among the Federal Government, the managers of the electricity utilities, their political opponents, and the public. The way in which the participating groups make decisions and implement them is of critical importance to their behavior in the next phase. This is the stage at which models show how the behavior of the players will develop over time. The establishment of a highly flexible strategic knowledge base illustrates how the findings made can be employed in designing successful communication strategies. (orig.) [de

The rise of smart customers. How consumer power will change the global power and utilities business. What the sector thinks

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2011-09-15

This report is the second in a two-part study, geared to helping power and utilities companies adapt their business strategies and customer handling in a new smart world. It explores the views of power and utilities leaders across 12 countries on how smart might change consumers' needs and behaviors, what new services they plan to offer and where they see the strongest new opportunities and competitors. We also compare these results with those of the first study, which examined the views of consumers and their appetite for new smart services.

Predictive Coding Strategies for Developmental Neurorobotics

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Jun-Cheol; Lim, Jae Hyun; Choi, Hansol; Kim, Dae-Shik

2012-01-01

In recent years, predictive coding strategies have been proposed as a possible means by which the brain might make sense of the truly overwhelming amount of sensory data available to the brain at any given moment of time. Instead of the raw data, the brain is hypothesized to guide its actions by assigning causal beliefs to the observed error between what it expects to happen and what actually happens. In this paper, we present a variety of developmental neurorobotics experiments in which minimalist prediction error-based encoding strategies are utilize to elucidate the emergence of infant-like behavior in humanoid robotic platforms. Our approaches will be first naively Piagian, then move onto more Vygotskian ideas. More specifically, we will investigate how simple forms of infant learning, such as motor sequence generation, object permanence, and imitation learning may arise if minimizing prediction errors are used as objective functions. PMID:22586416

Predictive Coding Strategies for Developmental Neurorobotics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jun-Cheol ePark

2012-05-01

Full Text Available In recent years, predictive coding strategies have been proposed as a possible way of how the brain might make sense of the truly overwhelming amount of sensory data available to the brain at any given moment of time. Instead of the raw data, the brain is hypothesized to guide its actions by assigning causal believes to the observed error between what it expected to happen, and what actually happens. In this paper we present a potpourri of developmental neurorobotics experiments in which minimalist prediction-error based encoding strategies are utilize to elucidate the emergence of infant-like behavior in humanoid robotic platforms. Our approaches will be first naively Piagian, then move onto more Vygotskian ideas. More specifically, we will investigate how simple forms of infant learning such as motor sequence generation, object permanence, and imitation learning may arise if minimizing prediction errors are used as objective functions.

Effects of Interactive Voice Response Self-Monitoring on Natural Resolution of Drinking Problems: Utilization and Behavioral Economic Factors

Science.gov (United States)

Tucker, Jalie A.; Roth, David L.; Huang, Jin; Scott Crawford, M.; Simpson, Cathy A.

2012-01-01

Objective: Most problem drinkers do not seek help, and many recover on their own. A randomized controlled trial evaluated whether supportive interactive voice response (IVR) self-monitoring facilitated such “natural” resolutions. Based on behavioral economics, effects on drinking outcomes were hypothesized to vary with drinkers’ baseline “time horizons,” reflecting preferences among commodities of different value available over different delays and with their IVR utilization. Method: Recently resolved untreated problem drinkers were randomized to a 24-week IVR self-monitoring program (n = 87) or an assessment-only control condition (n = 98). Baseline interviews assessed outcome predictors including behavioral economic measures of reward preferences (delay discounting, pre-resolution monetary allocation to alcohol vs. savings). Six-month outcomes were categorized as resolved abstinent, resolved nonabstinent, unresolved, or missing. Complier average causal effect (CACE) models examined IVR self-monitoring effects. Results: IVR self-monitoring compliers (≥70% scheduled calls completed) were older and had greater pre-resolution drinking control and lower discounting than noncompliers (moderation than abstinent resolutions compared with predicted compliers in the control group with shorter time horizons and with all noncompliers. Intention-to-treat analytical models revealed no IVR-related effects. More balanced spending on savings versus alcohol predicted moderation in both approaches. Conclusions: IVR interventions should consider factors affecting IVR utilization and drinking outcomes, including person-specific behavioral economic variables. CACE models provide tools to evaluate interventions involving extended participation. PMID:22630807

Thermal behavior studies in building using artificial neural network for non air conditioned terrace house in Malaysia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zainazlan Md Zain; Mohd Nasir Taib; Shahrizam Mohd Shah Baki

2006-01-01

Strategies to improve energy efficiency in buildings have continuously being improved and becoming more effective as new knowledge on the building behavior and technology continue to develop. Nevertheless, effort to explore for further improvement must continuously undertake to seek more energy efficient and cost effective systems. Artificial Neural Network (ANN) is currently one of the most popular mechanisms to forecast any form of behavior and phenomena. Building thermal behavior can be studied and potential for energy utilization improvement without compromising thermal comfort can be explored using ANN. This paper explores the possibility of monitoring, predicting and forecasting the thermal behavior inside a building space and the optimization of building design. Typical result of experimental data and simulated data is presented. The sample house used adopted various thermal comfort strategies like cross ventilation and space air flow consideration

Candy consumption patterns, effects on health, and behavioral strategies to promote moderation: summary report of a roundtable discussion.

Science.gov (United States)

Duyff, Roberta L; Birch, Leann L; Byrd-Bredbenner, Carol; Johnson, Susan L; Mattes, Richard D; Murphy, Mary M; Nicklas, Theresa A; Rollins, Brandi Y; Wansink, Brian

2015-01-01

Nearly all Americans (97%) report eating candy at least once per year; yet, on a given day, only approximately one-fourth of the US population aged ≥2 y consumes candy. Among all Americans, candy contributes a relatively small proportion of calories, added sugars, and saturated fat to the total diet, and recent research suggests that current levels of candy consumption are not associated with risk of weight gain and cardiovascular disease in children and adults. Providing guidance for the consumption of candy in moderation requires an understanding of various behavioral health-related factors that influence candy consumption. A roundtable of behavioral nutrition experts, researchers, and nutrition educators met to discuss recent data on intakes of candy, health outcomes associated with usual candy intake, and the impact of behavioral strategies, including restriction, education, and environmental awareness, on modifying eating behaviors to achieve moderate intakes of candy. Restricting access to palatable foods, whether self-imposed or by parental control, may have potentially negative consequences. Techniques and insight into how to adopt "moderation" in candy consumption, from effective parental practices to environmental strategies that facilitate behavior change without a high degree of effort, were identified as important next steps toward sustainable dietary guidance related to the role of candy and other treats in a healthy lifestyle. © 2015 American Society for Nutrition.

Beyond expected utility: rethinking behavioral decision research.

Science.gov (United States)

Frisch, D; Clemen, R T

1994-07-01

Much research in psychology has evaluated the quality of people's decisions by comparisons with subjective expected utility (SEU) theory. This article suggests that typical arguments made for the status of utility theory as normative do not justify its use by psychologists as a standard by which to evaluate decision quality. It is argued that to evaluate decision quality, researchers need to identify those decision processes that tend to lead to desirable outcomes. It is contended that a good decision-making process must be concerned with how (and whether) decision makers evaluate potential consequences of decisions, the extent to which they accurately identify all relevant consequences, and the way in which they make final choices. Research that bears on these issues is reviewed.

The Role of Strategy Utility Knowledge in Children's Strategy Decision Making.

Science.gov (United States)

Pressley, Michael; And Others

1984-01-01

Ten- to thirteen-year-old children selected either the objectively more effective keyword method or the naturalistic context method for learning vocabulary meanings. Concludes that, even in the absence of explicit performance feedback, children can be induced to reflect on their use of strategies and their outcomes on subsequent cognitive actions.…

Using diel movement behavior to infer foraging strategies related to ecological and social factors in elephants.

Science.gov (United States)

Polansky, Leo; Douglas-Hamilton, Iain; Wittemyer, George

2013-01-01

behavior. Beyond situations of contest competition, rank status appears to influence the extent to which individuals can modify their movement strategies across periods with differing forage availability. Large-scale spatiotemporal resource complexity not only impacts fine scale movement and optimal foraging strategies directly, but likely impacts rates of inter- and intra-specific interactions and competition resulting in socially based movement responses to ecological dynamics.

School-based strategies for oral health education of adolescents- a cluster randomized controlled trial

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Haleem Abdul

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Oral health education (OHE in schools has largely been imparted by dental professionals. Considering the substantial cost of this expert-led approach, the strategies relying on teachers, peer-leaders and learners themselves have also been utilized. However the evidence for comparative effectiveness of these strategies is lacking in the dental literature. The present study was conducted to compare the effectiveness of dentist-led, teacher-led, peer-led and self-learning strategies of oral health education. Methods A two-year cluster randomized controlled trial following a parallel design was conducted. It involved five groups of adolescents aged 10-11 years at the start of the study. The trial involved process as well as four outcome evaluations. The present paper discusses the findings of the study pertaining to the baseline and final outcome evaluation, both comprising of a self-administered questionnaire, a structured interview and clinical oral examination. The data were analyzed using Generalized Estimating Equations. Results All the three educator-led strategies of OHE had statistically higher mean oral health knowledge (OHK, oral health behavior (OHB, oral hygiene status (OHS and combined knowledge, behavior and oral hygiene status (KBS scores than the self-learning and control groups (p Conclusions The dentist-led, teacher-led and peer-led strategies of oral health education are equally effective in improving the oral health knowledge and oral hygiene status of adolescents. The peer-led strategy, however, is almost as effective as the dentist-led strategy and comparatively more effective than the teacher-led and self-learning strategies in improving their oral health behavior. Trail registration SRCTN39391017

Scope of symptoms and self-management strategies for chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy in breast cancer patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Speck, Rebecca M; DeMichele, Angela; Farrar, John T; Hennessy, Sean; Mao, Jun J; Stineman, Margaret G; Barg, Frances K

2012-10-01

This study explored the self-management strategies utilized by female breast cancer patients to cope with the impact of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) symptoms. We also examined the variety of taxane-related side effects in women with and without CIPN in order to discriminate the CIPN symptom experience. A purposive sample of 25 patients treated with docetaxel or paclitaxel were recruited, half with and half without CIPN. Semistructured interviews and patient level data were utilized for this exploratory, descriptive study. Interview data were analyzed with the constant comparative method; patient level data were abstracted from the electronic medical record. Participants were aged 24-60 years, were currently receiving chemotherapy or within 6 months of having completed treatment, and 14 had CIPN. CIPN impacted routine activities, functions, and behaviors in the areas of domestic, work, and social/leisure life. Multiple self-management and coping strategies to minimize the impact of CIPN symptoms were reported; the focus was on movement to reduce symptoms, attitude awareness, logistics to simplify demands, and environmental change. Women with and without CIPN were similar in the quantity and type of other reported side effects. CIPN affects breast cancer patients' routine activities, functions, and behaviors, but they develop management strategies to reduce the impact. The management strategies reported in this study suggest breast cancer patients may adopt interventions that focus on exercise, mindfulness, occupational therapy, and environmental planning toward the goal of reducing the impact of CIPN symptoms on their lives.

Diagnoses, Intervention Strategies, and Rates of Functional Improvement in Integrated Behavioral Health Care Patients

Science.gov (United States)

Bridges, Ana J.; Gregus, Samantha J.; Rodriguez, Juventino Hernandez; Andrews, Arthur R.; Villalobos, Bianca T.; Pastrana, Freddie A.; Cavell, Timothy A.

2016-01-01

Objective Compared with more traditional mental health care, integrated behavioral health care (IBHC) offers greater access to services and earlier identification and intervention of behavioral and mental health difficulties. The current study examined demographic, diagnostic, and intervention factors that predict positive changes for IBHC patients. Method Participants were 1,150 consecutive patients (mean age = 30.10 years, 66.6% female, 60.1% Hispanic, 47.9% uninsured) seen for IBHC services at 2 primary care clinics over a 34-month period. Patients presented with depressive (23.2%), anxiety (18.6%), adjustment (11.3%), and childhood externalizing (7.6%) disorders, with 25.7% of patients receiving no diagnosis. Results The most commonly delivered interventions included behavioral activation (26.1%), behavioral medicine-specific consultation (14.6%), relaxation training (10.3%), and parent-management training (8.5%). There was high concordance between diagnoses and evidence-based intervention selection. We used latent growth curve modeling to explore predictors of baseline global assessment of functioning (GAF) and improvements in GAF across sessions, utilizing data from a subset of 117 patients who attended at least 3 behavioral health visits. Hispanic ethnicity and being insured predicted higher baseline GAF, while patients with an anxiety disorder had lower baseline GAF than patients with other diagnoses. Controlling for primary diagnosis, patients receiving behavioral activation or exposure therapy improved at faster rates than patients receiving other interventions. Demographic variables did not relate to rates of improvement. Conclusion Results suggest even brief IBHC interventions can be focused, targeting specific patient concerns with evidence-based treatment components. PMID:25774786

Mining of high utility-probability sequential patterns from uncertain databases.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Binbin Zhang

Full Text Available High-utility sequential pattern mining (HUSPM has become an important issue in the field of data mining. Several HUSPM algorithms have been designed to mine high-utility sequential patterns (HUPSPs. They have been applied in several real-life situations such as for consumer behavior analysis and event detection in sensor networks. Nonetheless, most studies on HUSPM have focused on mining HUPSPs in precise data. But in real-life, uncertainty is an important factor as data is collected using various types of sensors that are more or less accurate. Hence, data collected in a real-life database can be annotated with existing probabilities. This paper presents a novel pattern mining framework called high utility-probability sequential pattern mining (HUPSPM for mining high utility-probability sequential patterns (HUPSPs in uncertain sequence databases. A baseline algorithm with three optional pruning strategies is presented to mine HUPSPs. Moroever, to speed up the mining process, a projection mechanism is designed to create a database projection for each processed sequence, which is smaller than the original database. Thus, the number of unpromising candidates can be greatly reduced, as well as the execution time for mining HUPSPs. Substantial experiments both on real-life and synthetic datasets show that the designed algorithm performs well in terms of runtime, number of candidates, memory usage, and scalability for different minimum utility and minimum probability thresholds.

MODEL ОF CONSUMER BEHAVIOR TRANSFORMATION AS A BASIS FOR MARKETING STRATEGY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V.Savelyev

2014-09-01

Full Text Available The article concerns with the basic consumer segments. The consumer needs are analyzed in the article and the model of change in consumer behavior is created. The article proposes the recommendations on effective strategic actions in order to competitive capacity increase. It is determined that in low purchasing power conditions, focus on meeting the needs of loyal customer segments will allow companies to increase the competitiveness of the market supply. Adaptation of marketing strategy in low purchasing power conditions is a creative process in which success is based on the orientation of the changed consumption motives.

Socio-technical strategies and behavior change to increase the adoption and sustainability of wastewater resource recovery systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Prouty, Christine; Mohebbi, Shima; Zhang, Qiong

2018-06-15

Given the increasing vulnerability of communities to the negative impacts of untreated wastewater, resource recovery (RR) systems provide a paradigm shift away from a traditional approach of waste separation and treatment towards a productive recovery of water, energy and nutrients. The aim of this research is to understand the relationships between factors that influence the adoption and sustainability of wastewater-based RR systems to inform technology implementation strategies. The study presents a theory-informed, community-influenced system dynamics (SD) model to provide decision-makers with an adaptable tool that simulates system-level responses to the strategies that are developed for the coastal town of Placencia, Belize. The modeling framework is informed by literature-based theories such as the theory of diffusion of innovations (TDI) and the theory of planned behavior (TPB). Various methods, including surveys, interviews, participatory observations, and a water constituents mass balance analysis are used to validate relationships and numerically populate the model. The SD model was evaluated with field data and simulated to identify strategies that will improve the adoption and sustainability of RR systems. Site demonstrations (marketing strategy) made a significant impact on the stock of adopted RR systems. The stock of sustained RR systems is driven by the sustainability rate (i.e. economic and environmental viability) which can be improved by more site demonstrations and tank options (technical strategy). These strategies, however, only contributed to incremental improvements in the system's sustainability performance. This study shows that changing community behaviors (i.e. reporting the correct number of users and reclaiming resources), represented by structural change in the SD model, is the more significant way to influence the sustainable management of the community's wastewater resources. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

International pollution control: Cooperative versus noncooperative strategies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dockner, E.J.; Van Long, N.

1993-01-01

International pollution control involving two neighboring countries is modeled as a simple two-player dynamic game. Each country produces a good that is consumed by domestic households. Production of each consumption good results in emissions of pollutants. Households in each country derive utility from the consumption of the domestically produced good but incur costs through the total stock of pollution (stock externality). In this setting we characterize cooperative as well as noncooperative pollution control strategies of the governments of the two countries that maximize the discounted stream of net benefits of a representative consumer. It turns out that when the governments are restricted to use linear strategies noncooperative behavior results in overall losses for both countries. If, on the contrary, governments use nonlinear Markov-perfect strategies and the discount rate is small enough a Pareto-efficient steady-state pollution stock can be supported as a differentiable subgame-perfect equilibrium. Thus, the emergence of first-best solutions (cooperative outcomes) does not require any institutional arrangements (threats, retaliation, etc.) but can be brought about through the use of nonlinear Markov-perfect equilibrium strategies. 20 refs., 1 tab

Smart meter adoption and deployment strategy for residential buildings in Indonesia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chou, Jui-Sheng; Gusti Ayu Novi Yutami, I

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Limited consumer awareness of smart meters contributes to skepticism. • Data obtained from a survey of energy users are analyzed using SEM. • A CAP index is developed via SEM results to measure consumer propensity for adopting smart meters. • The findings of this study enhance understanding of consumer perceptions and behaviors. • Concrete strategies are proposed to help policy makers and utility companies. - Abstract: For countries pursuing sustainable development and energy efficiency, the use of smart meters is considered a first step in allowing residential consumers to remotely control their energy consumption, and a promising technology for conserving limited energy resources. However, despite the growing interest in smart meters, limited consumer awareness, knowledge, and understanding of these devices contributes to skepticism. This study thus developed an index to measure consumer propensity to adopt smart meters in residential buildings. Data obtained from a survey of energy use by Indonesian households were analyzed using structural equation modeling to determine the interacting factors in consumer acceptance of smart meters. Consumer perceptions, expectations, and intentions regarding the potential use of smart meters in Indonesia were also discussed. The findings of this study enhance understanding of consumer perceptions and behaviors, and can help decision makers and energy utility companies develop policies and strategies for a “one-size-fits-all” program related to smart meter applications in future residential buildings

Use of Behavior and Influence Functions for Relay Selection in Cooperative Communications

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Craciunescu, Razvan; Mihovska, Albena Dimitrova; Prasad, Ramjee

2015-01-01

This paper uses a novel set of functions to model the relay selection process in a scenario of cooperative wireless communications. We define a utility function that reflects the behavior and influence that a selected relay may have on the quality of the link to be established for the forwarding...... of data. The utility function takes into account also the strategies of other players. To this end, we define a relay selection game and a supporting Nash Equilibrium (NE) algorithm for the choice of a relay during communication. The successful selection of a relay is evaluated by simulations in terms...

Integrating Educational, Environmental, and Behavioral Economic Strategies May Improve the Effectiveness of Obesity Interventions

OpenAIRE

Joel Gittelsohn; Katherine Lee

2013-01-01

Interventions that change the food environment, provide nutrition education, and employ behavioral economics strategies can potentially contribute to healthier diets and reduce the risk of chronic disease, but no attempt has been made to integrate these into the same conceptual framework. We present case studies of three multilevel, integrated interventions implemented by Johns Hopkins University between 2004–2011. We develop a conceptual model based on these case studies. Interventions and p...

Problematic Gaming Behavior Among Finnish Junior High School Students: Relation to Socio-Demographics and Gaming Behavior Characteristics.

Science.gov (United States)

Männikkö, Niko; Ruotsalainen, Heidi; Demetrovics, Zsolt; Lopez-Fernandez, Olatz; Myllymäki, Laura; Miettunen, Jouko; Kääriäinen, Maria

2017-09-14

Multiplatform digital media use and gaming have been increased in recent years. The aim of this study was to examine associations between sociodemographics and digital gaming behavior characteristics (i.e., gaming time, medium, and genres) with problematic gaming behavior in adolescents. A convenience sample of Finnish junior high school students (n = 560; mean age 14 years, ranging from 12 to 16 years) participated in the cross-sectional survey, of which, 83% (n = 465) reported having played digital games regularly. Sociodemographic data, different forms of digital media use, gaming behavior characteristics and problematic gaming behavior was assessed. Study participants spent on average one hour per day playing digital games; casual games (23.9%), shooting games (19.8%), and sport games (12.9%), were the most popular games among participants. By using regression analysis, a blended family structure and gaming time related positively to problematic gaming behavior. Preferences for game genres such as solo, Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing and strategy-management games were also positively associated with problematic use of digital games. These findings provide knowledge that can be utilized in the prevention of the possible negative consequences of digital gaming.

The differential involvement of the prelimbic and infralimbic cortices in response conflict affects behavioral flexibility in rats trained in a new automated strategy-switching task.

Science.gov (United States)

Oualian, Catherine; Gisquet-Verrier, Pascale

2010-12-01

To assess the role of the prelimbic (PL) and infralimbic (IL) cortices in mediating strategy switching, rats were trained in a new automated task in a Y-maze allowing a careful analysis of rats' behavior. In this situation, rats can only use two egocentric (Right, Left) and two visual (Light, Dark) strategies. In the first experiment, rats with PL, IL, or PL/IL lesions were compared with sham-operated rats when trained to reach a criterion of 10 consecutive correct responses with a light strategy before being trained with a response strategy (rule shifting), and finally with the reversed response strategy (reversal). In the second experiment, sham-operated and PL-lesioned rats had their first two strategy switches in the reverse order, which was followed by a second rule shifting and reversal. The results indicate that lesions did not affect initial acquisition, but impaired the first rule shifting and reversal. Thorough analyses of rats' performance indicate that lesioned rats were still able to demonstrate some behavioral flexibility but have difficulties in solving response conflicts, which in turn may affect behavioral flexibility. Both areas were differentially involved in the resolution of response conflict, with the IL involved in the choice of strategy previously known to be nonvalid, and the PL in the selection and maintenance of that strategy.

Not everything is black and white: color and behavioral variation reveal a continuum between cryptic and aposematic strategies in a polymorphic poison frog.

Science.gov (United States)

Willink, Beatriz; Brenes-Mora, Esteban; Bolaños, Federico; Pröhl, Heike

2013-10-01

Aposematism and crypsis are often viewed as two extremes of a continuum of visual conspicuousness to predators. Theory predicts that behavioral and coloration conspicuousness should vary in tandem along the conspicuousness spectrum for antipredator strategies to be effective. Here we used visual modeling of contrast and behavioral observations to examine the conspicuousness of four populations of the granular poison frog, Oophaga granulifera, which exhibits almost continuous variation in dorsal color. The patterns of geographic variation in color, visual contrast, and behavior support a gradient of overall conspicuousness along the distribution of O. granulifera. Red and green populations, at the extremes of the color distribution, differ in all elements of color, contrast, and behavior, strongly reflecting aposematic and cryptic strategies. However, there is no smooth cline in any elements of behavior or coloration between the two extremes. Instead populations of intermediate colors attain intermediate conspicuousness by displaying different combinations of aposematic and cryptic traits. We argue that coloration divergence among populations may be linked to the evolution of a gradient of strategies to balance the costs of detection by predators and the benefits of learned aversion. © 2013 The Author(s). Evolution © 2013 The Society for the Study of Evolution.

Utilization of health facilities and predictors of health-seeking behavior for under-five children with acute diarrhea in slums of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: a community-based cross-sectional study

OpenAIRE

Adane, Metadel; Mengistie, Bezatu; Mulat, Worku; Kloos, Helmut; Medhin, Girmay

2017-01-01

Background Information on health-seeking behavior and utilization of health facilities in slums of Addis Ababa is scarce, impeding the implementation of effective interventions. The purpose of this study is to assess the status of health facilities utilization and predictors for health-seeking behavior of mothers/caregivers of under-five children with acute diarrhea in slums of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Methods A community-based cross-sectional study design was employed in five rounds of surveys...

Present status of research on radiation utilization in 1994 at JAERI. Utilization of irradiation and RI production and utilization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-10-01

In Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute, Takasaki Radiation Chemistry Research Establishment is in charge of the utilization of irradiation, and Tokai Research Establishment is in charge of the production and utilization of radioisotopes. As for the utilization of irradiation the development of new polymers, the development of environment preservation technology such as flue gas treatment, and by using various ion beams from four accelerators, the development of the materials used for space environment, nuclear fusion and new functional materials, the research on the radiation application to biotechnology, the development of the production and utilization of new radioisotopes have been carried out. As for the production and utilization of radioisotopes, the development of new products and new utilization techniques, the technology of producing and using a large amount of tritium, and the research on the chemical behavior of tritium have been carried out. The international cooperations have been promoted positively. In this report, the research activities in 1994 are described. (K.I.)

Candy Consumption Patterns, Effects on Health, and Behavioral Strategies to Promote Moderation: Summary Report of a Roundtable Discussion12

Science.gov (United States)

Duyff, Roberta L; Birch, Leann L; Byrd-Bredbenner, Carol; Johnson, Susan L; Mattes, Richard D; Murphy, Mary M; Nicklas, Theresa A; Rollins, Brandi Y; Wansink, Brian

2015-01-01

Nearly all Americans (97%) report eating candy at least once per year; yet, on a given day, only approximately one-fourth of the US population aged ≥2 y consumes candy. Among all Americans, candy contributes a relatively small proportion of calories, added sugars, and saturated fat to the total diet, and recent research suggests that current levels of candy consumption are not associated with risk of weight gain and cardiovascular disease in children and adults. Providing guidance for the consumption of candy in moderation requires an understanding of various behavioral health-related factors that influence candy consumption. A roundtable of behavioral nutrition experts, researchers, and nutrition educators met to discuss recent data on intakes of candy, health outcomes associated with usual candy intake, and the impact of behavioral strategies, including restriction, education, and environmental awareness, on modifying eating behaviors to achieve moderate intakes of candy. Restricting access to palatable foods, whether self-imposed or by parental control, may have potentially negative consequences. Techniques and insight into how to adopt “moderation” in candy consumption, from effective parental practices to environmental strategies that facilitate behavior change without a high degree of effort, were identified as important next steps toward sustainable dietary guidance related to the role of candy and other treats in a healthy lifestyle. PMID:25593156

Power Flow Distribution Strategy for Improved Power Electronics Energy Efficiency in Battery Storage Systems: Development and Implementation in a Utility-Scale System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael Schimpe

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Utility-scale battery storage systems typically consist of multiple smaller units contributing to the overall power dispatch of the system. Herein, the power distribution among these units is analyzed and optimized to operate the system with increased energy efficiency. To improve the real-life storage operation, a holistic system model for battery storage systems has been developed that enables a calculation of the energy efficiency. A utility-scale Second-Life battery storage system with a capacity of 3.3 MWh/3 MW is operated and evaluated in this work. The system is in operation for the provision of primary control reserve in combination with intraday trading for controlling the battery state of charge. The simulation model is parameterized with the system data. Results show that losses in power electronics dominate. An operational strategy improving the energy efficiency through an optimized power flow distribution within the storage system is developed. The power flow distribution strategy is based on the reduction of the power electronics losses at no-load/partial-load by minimizing their in-operation time. The simulation derived power flow distribution strategy is implemented in the real-life storage system. Field-test measurements and analysis prove the functionality of the power flow distribution strategy and reveal the reduction of the energy throughput of the units by 7%, as well as a significant reduction of energy losses in the units by 24%. The cost savings for electricity over the system’s lifetime are approximated to 4.4% of its investment cost.

The Effects of Prenatal Care Utilization on Maternal Health and Health Behaviors.

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, Ji

2017-08-01

While many economic studies have explored the role of prenatal care in infant health production, the literature is sporadic on the effects of prenatal care on the mother. This research contributes to this understudied but important area using a unique large dataset of sibling newborns delivered by 0.17 million mothers. We apply within-mother estimators to find robust evidence that poor prenatal care utilization due to late onset of care, low frequency of care visits, or combinations of the two significantly increases the risks of maternal insufficient gestational weight gain, prenatal smoking, premature rupture of membranes, precipitous labor, no breastfeeding, postnatal underweight, and postpartum smoking. The magnitude of the estimates relative to the respective sample means of the outcome variables ranges from 3% to 33%. The results highlight the importance of receiving timely and sufficient prenatal care in improving maternal health and health behaviors during pregnancy as well as after childbirth. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Multi-utility enterprises: an outlook on the prospects in the liberalising markets. Terms and definitions, competition, management strategies, trends; Multi-Utility: Wohin entwickelt sich der Markt? Begriffe, Standort, Strategie, Tendenzen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mattis, M. [multi-utility consulting, Stuttgart (Germany)

2003-03-01

In the light of a spreading confusion of concepts in the context of emerging new business structures and new supply and disposal services in the utility sector, the article explains the current concepts and terms like utility, multi-utility, single-utility, and cross selling, and the respective corporate management and trading characteristics. (orig./CB) [German] In der Ver- und Entsorgung herrscht heillose Begriffsverwirrung. Viele verstehen unter Begriffen wie Utility, Multi-Utility, Single-Utility und cross selling etwas anderes. Versuch einer Begriffsbestimmung und daran anschliessende strategische Ueberlegungen. (orig./CB)

Comorbidity, Pain, Utilization, and Psychosocial Outcomes in Older versus Younger Sickle Cell Adults: The PiSCES Project

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Donna K. McClish

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Background. Patients with SCD now usually live well into adulthood. Whereas transitions into adulthood are now often studied, little is published about aging beyond the transition period. We therefore studied age-associated SCD differences in utilization, pain, and psychosocial variables. Methods. Subjects were 232 adults in the Pain in Sickle Cell Epidemiology Study (PiSCES. Data included demographics, comorbidity, and psychosocial measures. SCD-related pain and health care utilization were recorded in diaries. We compared 3 age groups: 16–25 (transition, 26–36 (younger adults, and 37–64 (older adults years. Results. Compared to the 2 adult groups, the transition group reported fewer physical challenges via comorbidities, somatic complaints, and pain frequency, though pain intensity did not differ on crisis or noncrisis pain days. The transition group utilized opioids less often, made fewer ambulatory visits, and had better quality of life, but these differences disappeared after adjusting for pain and comorbidities. However, the transition group reported more use of behavioral coping strategies. Conclusion. We found fewer biological challenges, visits, and better quality of life, in transition-aged versus older adults with SCD, but more behavioral coping. Further study is required to determine whether age-appropriate health care, behavioral, or other interventions could improve age-specific life challenges of patients with SCD.

Modulated diesel fuel injection strategy for efficient-clean utilization of low-grade biogas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Xiaole; Qian, Yong; Zhou, Qiyan; Lu, Xingcai

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Influences of direct injection strategy on biogas RCCI mode are researched. • Excessive early pilot injection timing leads to the retard of combustion. • Overall indicated thermal efficiency of low-grade biogas can be higher than 40%. • Pilot injection timing has strong influence on particle size distribution. • Composition of biogas has a great influence on the gas emissions. - Abstract: Recently, as a kind of renewable fuel, low-grade biogas has been researched to apply in internal combustion engine. In this paper, an experimental study was conducted to study the influence of injection strategies on the efficient utilization of low-grade biogas in Reactivity Controlled Compression Ignition (RCCI) mode with port fuel injection of biogas and in-cylinder direct injection of diesel based on a modified electronic controlled high-pressure directly injected compression ignition engine. Considered the high proportion of inert gas in biogas, a four-components simulated gas (H_2:CO:CH_4:N_2 = 5:40:5:50 vol%) has been selected as test fuels to simulate biogas. The effects of several injection control parameters such as pilot injection timing, main injection timing, common rail pressure and pilot injection ratio on the combustion and emissions are analyzed in detail. The research demonstrates that the main injection timing can effectively control the combustion phase and excessive early pilot injection timing leads to retard of combustion. CO emissions are relatively high due to homogenous charge of biogas. NOx and smoke emissions can be effectively controlled. In RCCI mode, the indicated thermal efficiency of biogas/diesel can reach 40%.

Joking about cancer as an avoidance strategy among US adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Carcioppolo, Nick; John, Kevin K; Jensen, Jakob D; King, Andy J

2017-12-13

Findings from years of research on fear appeals suggest that individuals with low efficacy utilize avoidance strategies when they perceive a significant threat-a process called fear control. Some research suggests that joking could be an avoidance strategy. The current study identifies conditions in which people are more likely to joke about colorectal cancer and explores how this behavior may be associated with screening avoidance. Older adults (N = 209) recruited from eight different worksites completed a survey measuring fear appeal constructs and enactment of colorectal cancer-related joking. Results of a moderated mediation analysis suggest that men were more likely to joke about colorectal cancer than women, particularly if they perceived significant threat but had limited self-efficacy, signifying fear control. Results support prior fear appeal research, suggesting that an increase in joking behavior concerning colorectal cancer may be indicative of screening avoidance, and describe belief-based mechanisms that explain differences between biological sex and joking. Published by Oxford University Press 2017. This work is written by US Government employees and is in the public domain in the US.

Defining the effect and mediators of two knowledge translation strategies designed to alter knowledge, intent and clinical utilization of rehabilitation outcome measures: a study protocol [NCT00298727

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Law Mary

2006-07-01

interventions and to identify elements that contribute to changing clinical behavior. Chart audits will determine the utilization of outcome measures (counts. Incorporation of outcome measures into clinical reasoning will be assessed using an innovative technique: chart-stimulated recall. Discussion A strategy for optimal transfer of health outcome measures into practice will be developed and shared with multiple disciplines involved in primary and specialty management of musculoskeletal and childhood disability.

Indoor Radon and Its Decay Products: Concentrations, Causes, and Control Strategies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nero, A.V.; Gadgil, A.J.; Nazaroff, W.W.; Revzan, K.L.

1990-01-01

This report is an introduction to the behavior of radon 222 and its decay products in indoor air. This includes review of basic characteristics of radon and its decay products and of features of the indoor environment itself, all of which factors affect behavior in indoor air. The experimental and theoretical evidence on behavior of radon and its decay products is examined, providing a basis for understanding the influence of geological, structural, and meteorological factors on indoor concentrations, as well as the effectiveness of control techniques. We go on to examine three important issues concerning indoor radon. We thus include (1) an appraisal of the concentration distribution in homes, (2) an examination of the utility and limitations of popular monitoring techniques and protocols, and (3) an assessment of the key elements of strategies for controlling radon levels in homes.

Current Trends in Exercise Intervention Research, Technology, and Behavioral Change Strategies for People With Disabilities: A Scoping Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Lai, Byron; Young, Hui-Ju; Bickel, C Scott; Motl, Robert W; Rimmer, James H

2017-10-01

This review synthesized physical activity and exercise intervention literature for the past 10 yrs for people with physical and cognitive disabilities including intervention characteristics, behavior change strategies, and types of technologies used to improve targeted outcomes. Systematic searches yielded 132 eligible studies. The major disability groups were multiple sclerosis (41%), stroke (15%), and spinal cord injury (12%). Research designs primarily involved randomized controlled trials (61%) versus quasi-experimental designs (39%). Approximately 20% of the interventions used some form of the following technology: information and communication technology (48%), interactive technology (37%), or electronic gauges (30%). Eighteen percent of studies used intervention strategies based on behavioral theory, which was typically combined with technology to promote activity and increase adherence in generally larger study samples. The three prevailing theories included social cognitive theory (58%), supportive accountability theory (21%), and transtheoretical model (21%). Upon completing the intervention, studies reported primarily significant outcomes (80%). Exercise research for PWD has grown in both quantity and quality, but several gaps remain. Study findings provide a roadmap for future exercise trials on understudied populations and highlight technology and behavior change theory as drivers of future intervention research.

Co-Evolution of Opinion and Strategy in Persuasion Dynamics:. AN Evolutionary Game Theoretical Approach

Science.gov (United States)

Ding, Fei; Liu, Yun; Li, Yong

In this paper, a new model of opinion formation within the framework of evolutionary game theory is presented. The model simulates strategic situations when people are in opinion discussion. Heterogeneous agents adjust their behaviors to the environment during discussions, and their interacting strategies evolve together with opinions. In the proposed game, we take into account payoff discount to join a discussion, and the situation that people might drop out of an unpromising game. Analytical and emulational results show that evolution of opinion and strategy always tend to converge, with utility threshold, memory length, and decision uncertainty parameters influencing the convergence time. The model displays different dynamical regimes when we set differently the rule when people are at a loss in strategy.

Damage to the microbial cell membrane during pyrolytic sugar utilization and strategies for increasing resistance.

Science.gov (United States)

Jin, Tao; Rover, Marjorie R; Petersen, Elspeth M; Chi, Zhanyou; Smith, Ryan G; Brown, Robert C; Wen, Zhiyou; Jarboe, Laura R

2017-09-01

Lignocellulosic biomass is an appealing feedstock for the production of biorenewable fuels and chemicals, and thermochemical processing is a promising method for depolymerizing it into sugars. However, trace compounds in this pyrolytic sugar syrup are inhibitory to microbial biocatalysts. This study demonstrates that hydrophobic inhibitors damage the cell membrane of ethanologenic Escherichia coli KO11+lgk. Adaptive evolution was employed to identify design strategies for improving pyrolytic sugar tolerance and utilization. Characterization of the resulting evolved strain indicates that increased resistance to the membrane-damaging effects of the pyrolytic sugars can be attributed to a glutamine to leucine mutation at position 29 of carbon storage regulator CsrA. This single amino acid change is sufficient for decreasing EPS protein production and increasing membrane integrity when exposed to pyrolytic sugars.

Testing the effectiveness of in-home behavioral economics strategies to increase vegetable intake, liking, and variety among children residing in households that receive food assistance.

Science.gov (United States)

Leak, Tashara M; Swenson, Alison; Vickers, Zata; Mann, Traci; Mykerezi, Elton; Redden, Joseph P; Rendahl, Aaron; Reicks, Marla

2015-01-01

To test the effectiveness of behavioral economics strategies for increasing vegetable intake, variety, and liking among children residing in homes receiving food assistance. A randomized controlled trial with data collected at baseline, once weekly for 6 weeks, and at study conclusion. Family homes. Families with a child (9-12 years) will be recruited through community organizations and randomly assigned to an intervention (n = 36) or control (n = 10) group. The intervention group will incorporate a new behavioral economics strategy during home dinner meal occasions each week for 6 weeks. Strategies are simple and low-cost. The primary dependent variable will be child's dinner meal vegetable consumption based on weekly reports by caregivers. Fixed independent variables will include the strategy and week of strategy implementation. Secondary dependent variables will include vegetable liking and variety of vegetables consumed based on data collected at baseline and study conclusion. Mean vegetable intake for each strategy across families will be compared using a mixed-model analysis of variance with a random effect for child. In additionally, overall mean changes in vegetable consumption, variety, and liking will be compared between intervention and control groups. Copyright © 2015 Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Parental Stress, Discipline Strategies, and Child Behavior Problems in Families with Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Science.gov (United States)

Shawler, Paul M.; Sullivan, Maureen A.

2017-01-01

The current study investigated the parent-child relationship by examining associations between parent stress, parental discipline strategies, child disruptive behavior problems, and level of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) symptoms. A sample of 130 parents of children with ASD ages 3 to 11 years participated. Parents reported high levels of parent…

Starting Off on the Best Foot: A Review of Message Framing and Message Tailoring, and Recommendations for the Comprehensive Messaging Strategy for Sustained Behavior Change.

Science.gov (United States)

Pope, J Paige; Pelletier, Luc; Guertin, Camille

2018-09-01

Health promotion programs represent a salient means through which physical activity promoters can cultivate positive health behavior change and maintenance. The messages communicated within these programs serve as an essential component as they are often used to convey valuable information, resources, or tools that facilitate health behavior initiation and sustained engagement. Identifying the most effective way to communicate health promotion information is, therefore, of considerable importance to ensuring that people not only attend to these messages, but also connect with and internalize the information conveyed within them. This paper was written to (1) summarize and evaluate the most prominent reviewed research approaches of message framing and tailoring to message design; and (2) offer a comprehensive messaging strategy to promote sustained health behavior change. A review of the literature demonstrated that a messaging strategy that has consistently led to healthy behavior change has yet to be identified. Furthermore, scholars have articulated that a multi-theoretical approach that places emphasis on facilitating motivation and healthy behavior change needs to be employed. Thus, this paper proposes and provides recommendations for employing the Comprehensive Messaging Strategy for Sustained Behavior Change (CMSSBC), which advocates tailoring messages to peoples' stage of change and framing them to focus on self-determined motives and intrinsic goals.

Strategies to address transition costs in the electricity industry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Baxter, L.; Hadley, S.; Hirst, E.

1996-07-01

Transition costs are the potential monetary losses that electric- utility shareholders, ratepayers, or other parties might experience because of structural changes in the electricity industry. Regulators, policy analysts, utilities, and consumer groups have proposed a number of strategies to address transition costs, such as immediately opening retail electricity markets or delaying retail competition. This report has 3 objectives: identify a wide range of strategies available to regulators and utilities; systematically examine effects of strategies; and identify potentially promising strategies that may provide benefits to more than one set of stakeholders. The many individual strategies are grouped into 6 major categories: market actions, depreciation options, rate-making actions, utility cost reductions, tax measures, and other options. Of the 34 individual strategies, retail ratepayers have primary or secondary responsibility for paying transition costs in 19 of the strategies, shareholders in 12, wheeling customers in 11, taxpayers in 8, and nonutility suppliers in 4. Most of the strategies shift costs among different segments of the economy, although utility cost reductions can be used to offset transition costs. Most of the strategies require cooperation of other parties, including regulators, to be implemented successfully; financial stakeholders must be engages in negotiations that hold the promise of shared benefits. Only by rejecting ``winner-take-all`` strategies will the transition-cost issue be expeditiously resolved.

Strategies of inducing cooperation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deutsch, M.

1986-01-01

The results of the four experiments described in this paper are very consistent, and they can be summarized as follows: (1) The ''nonpunitive'' strategy was most effective in eliciting cooperative behavior from the subjects and, overall, resulted in the highest joint outcomes as well as the highest outcomes for the accomplice. (2) The effectiveness of the turn-the-other-cheek strategy was very much influenced by the competitiveness of the situation; the more competitive the incentives of the subjects, the more massively they exploited the accomplice who employed this strategy. (3) The punitive deterrent strategy elicited more agressive and self-protective, as well as less cooperative, behavior from the subjects than did the other strategies

Does the incorporation of portion-control strategies in a behavioral program improve weight loss in a 1-year randomized controlled trial?

Science.gov (United States)

Rolls, B J; Roe, L S; James, B L; Sanchez, C E

2017-03-01

Controlling food portion sizes can help reduce energy intake, but the effect of different portion-control methods on weight management is not known. In a 1-year randomized trial, we tested whether the efficacy of a behavioral weight-loss program was improved by incorporating either of the two portion-control strategies instead of standard advice about eating less. The Portion-Control Strategies Trial included 186 women with obesity (81%) or overweight (19%). Participants were randomly assigned to one of three equally intensive behavioral programs, consisting of 19 individual sessions over 12 months. The Standard Advice Group was instructed to eat less food while making healthy choices, the Portion Selection Group was instructed to choose portions based on the energy density using tools such as food scales and the Pre-portioned Foods Group was instructed to structure meals around pre-portioned foods such as single-serving main dishes, for which some vouchers were provided. In an intention-to-treat analysis, a mixed-effects model compared weight loss trajectories across 23 measurements; at month 12, weight was measured for 151 participants (81%). The trajectories showed that the Pre-portioned Foods Group initially lost weight at a greater rate than the other two groups (P=0.021), but subsequently regained weight at a greater rate (P=0.0005). As a result, weight loss did not differ significantly across groups at month 6 (mean±s.e. 5.2±0.4 kg) or month 12 (4.5±0.5 kg). After 1 year, measured weight loss averaged 6% of baseline weight. The frequency of using portion-control strategies initially differed across groups, then declined over time and converged at months 6 and 12. Incorporating instruction on portion-control strategies within a 1-year behavioral program did not lead to a greater weight loss than standard advice. Using pre-portioned foods enhanced early weight loss, but this was not sustained over time. Long-term maintenance of behavioral strategies to

Qualitative, quantitative, and data mining methods for analyzing log data to characterize students' learning strategies and behaviors [discussant

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Baker, Ryan S.J.d.; Gobert, Janice D.; van Joolingen, Wouter

2010-01-01

This symposium addresses how different classes of research methods, all based upon the use of log data from educational software, can facilitate the analysis of students’ learning strategies and behaviors. To this end, four multi-method programs of research are discussed, including the use of

"The Knowledge of" Counselors in Balqa Governorate: Behavior Modification Strategies in Light of Some of the Variables

Science.gov (United States)

Al-basel, D-Nagham Mohammad Abu

2013-01-01

The present study aimed to identify the extent of knowledge of counselor behavior modification strategies. The current study sample consisted of (80) mentor and guide, were selected randomly from among all workers enrolled in regular public schools in the Balqa governorate represented the community study for the academic year 2012-2013. The study…

Exploring the Role of Neuroticism and Insecure Attachment in Health Anxiety, Safety-Seeking Behavior Engagement, and Medical Services Utilization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fotios Anagnostopoulos

2016-06-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to explore an extended interpersonal model of health anxiety, according to which health-anxious individuals are trapped in a vicious circle of health-related reassurance-seeking, alienation from others, and worry about health, while somatic absorption with body sensations, insecure attachment, neuroticism, safety-seeking behaviors, and medical services utilization were also included in the model. Data were collected from 196 Greek university students using standardized instruments. Results indicated that anxious attachment was directly related to absorption (β = .163, p < .05 and alienation (β = .204, p < .05, while avoidant attachment was directly related to absorption (β = −.344, p < .001, reassurance-seeking (β = −.130, p < .05, and alienation (β = .148, p < .05. Neuroticism was positively and significantly associated with all dimensions of health anxiety. Absorption, alienation, and anxious attachment were related to medical services utilization, which, in turn, was related to safety-seeking behaviors (β = .200, p < .01. Neuroticism and anxious attachment were also indirectly and positively associated with worry. Moreover, absorption was positively related to worry and reassurance-seeking, worry was positively related to reassurance-seeking, and alienation was positively related to worry. Study results highlight the key role that interpersonal (e.g., alienation from others and perceptual factors (e.g., the tendency to focus on bodily sensations can play in health anxiety maintenance, and the importance of anxious and avoidant attachment in safety-seeking behavior engagement. Implications of the results and suggestions for future research and practice are outlined.

Analysis of Health Behavior Theories for Clustering of Health Behaviors.

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Seung Hee; Duffy, Sonia A

The objective of this article was to review the utility of established behavior theories, including the Health Belief Model, Theory of Reasoned Action, Theory of Planned Behavior, Transtheoretical Model, and Health Promotion Model, for addressing multiple health behaviors among people who smoke. It is critical to design future interventions for multiple health behavior changes tailored to individuals who currently smoke, yet it has not been addressed. Five health behavior theories/models were analyzed and critically evaluated. A review of the literature included a search of PubMed and Google Scholar from 2010 to 2016. Two hundred sixty-seven articles (252 studies from the initial search and 15 studies from the references of initially identified studies) were included in the analysis. Most of the health behavior theories/models emphasize psychological and cognitive constructs that can be applied only to one specific behavior at a time, thus making them not suitable to address multiple health behaviors. However, the Health Promotion Model incorporates "related behavior factors" that can explain multiple health behaviors among persons who smoke. Future multiple behavior interventions guided by the Health Promotion Model are necessary to show the utility and applicability of the model to address multiple health behaviors.

Globalizing core business strategies for U.S. utilities

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Weidenbach, W.H. Jr. [Weidenbach & Associates, Inc., Atlanta, GA (United States)

1994-12-31

Good afternoon. I am honored to be here today and consider it a privilege to be a part of such a forum. I`d like to talk about changes that have taken place in the U.S. electric utility industry--changes that have helped promote the evolution of the independent power industry. My talk today will involve a brief history of the U.S. electric generating industry, addressing legislation and issues that affect the emerging independent power industry. Just a few years ago, electric utilities in the U.S. were experiencing very fast growth building many new, large, state-of-the-art generating plants. Issues such as the oil embargo, regulation and public opinion made it necessary for many of these companies to move predominately to coal-fired plants while completing their nuclear programs. In additions to developing the proven, reliable and efficient operating skills for these plants, this was also a period of building strong financial posture for these companies adding to their credentials. The lower growth rate that prevails today for U.S. utilities is allowing new strength to be developed in areas such as Demand Side Management and Integrated Resource Planning. These skills have also prepared U.S. companies to expand their market opportunities. Recent regulatory changes now allow these companies to expand their core business strengths to market in the non-regulated arena both domestically and internationally. Privatization of existing facilities have offered almost instant equity an operational opportunities for these companies both at home and throughout the world. Now that major growth is in other areas-particularly in Asia, U.S. companies are quite interested in bringing their skills and capabilities to bear in these fast growing areas of opportunity. This proven experience, exceptional financial strength and entrepreneurial spirit make these companies great partnership opportunities for existing and future generating facilities.

The Era of International Space Station Utilization Begins: Research Strategy, International Collaboration, and Realized Potential

Science.gov (United States)

Thumm, Tracy; Robinson, Julie A.; Ruttley, Tara; Johnson-Green, Perry; Karabadzhak, George; Nakamura, Tai; Sorokin, Igor V.; Zell, Martin; Jean, Sabbagh

2010-01-01

With the assembly of the International Space Station (ISS) nearing completion and the support of a full-time crew of six, a new era of utilization for research is beginning. For more than 15 years, the ISS international partnership has weathered financial, technical and political challenges proving that nations can work together to complete assembly of the largest space vehicle in history. And while the ISS partners can be proud of having completed one of the most ambitious engineering projects ever conceived, the challenge of successfully using the platform remains. During the ISS assembly phase, the potential benefits of space-based research and development were demonstrated; including the advancement of scientific knowledge based on experiments conducted in space, development and testing of new technologies, and derivation of Earth applications from new understanding. The configurability and human-tended capabilities of the ISS provide a unique platform. The international utilization strategy is based on research ranging from physical sciences, biology, medicine, psychology, to Earth observation, human exploration preparation and technology demonstration. The ability to complete follow-on investigations in a period of months allows researchers to make rapid advances based on new knowledge gained from ISS activities. During the utilization phase, the ISS partners are working together to track the objectives, accomplishments, and the applications of the new knowledge gained. This presentation will summarize the consolidated international results of these tracking activities and approaches. Areas of current research on ISS with strong international cooperation will be highlighted including cardiovascular studies, cell and plant biology studies, radiation, physics of matter, and advanced alloys. Scientific knowledge and new technologies derived from research on the ISS will be realized through improving quality of life on Earth and future spaceflight endeavours

Domestic utility attitudes toward foreign uranium supply

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1981-06-01

The current embargo on the enrichment of foreign-origin uranium for use in domestic utilization facilities is scheduled to be removed in 1984. The pending removal of this embargo, complicated by a depressed worldwide market for uranium, has prompted consideration of a new or extended embargo within the US Government. As part of its on-going data collection activities, Nuclear Resources International (NRI) has surveyed 50 domestic utility/utility holding companies (representing 60 lead operator-utilities) on their foreign uranium purchase strategies and intentions. The most recent survey was conducted in early May 1981. A number of qualitative observations were made during the course of the survey. The major observations are: domestic utility views toward foreign uranium purchase are dynamic; all but three utilities had some considered foreign purchase strategy; some utilities have problems with buying foreign uranium from particular countries; an inducement is often required by some utilities to buy foreign uranium; opinions varied among utilities concerning the viability of the domestic uranium industry; and many utilities could have foreign uranium fed through their domestic uranium contracts (indirect purchases). The above observations are expanded in the final section of the report. However, it should be noted that two of the observations are particularly important and should be seriously considered in formulation of foreign uranium import restrictions. These important observations are the dynamic nature of the subject matter and the potentially large and imbalanced effect the indirect purchases could have on utility foreign uranium procurement

Electronic cigarette use behaviors and motivations among smokers and non-smokers

OpenAIRE

Thomas E. Sussan; Fatima G. Shahzad; Eefa Tabassum; Joanna E. Cohen; Robert A. Wise; Michael J. Blaha; Janet T. Holbrook; Shyam Biswal

2017-01-01

Abstract Background The use of electronic cigarettes (EC) has risen exponentially over the past decade, including among never smokers, and ECs are now the most popular tobacco product among teenagers in the US. While, EC manufacturers utilize numerous marketing strategies to target both smokers and non-smokers, it is unclear how perceptions and behaviors differ between these two groups. Methods We conducted a survey of 320 adults either via online surveys or in Baltimore vape shops to determi...

The impact of economic regulation on attempts to curb expense preference behavior: a micro-data analysis of CEO compensation schemes for electric utilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mixon, F.G.; Upadhyaya, K.P.

1999-01-01

This study uses a large, micro data set to present evidence which suggests that owners of regulated electric utilities have little incentive to structure CEO compensation packages in an effort to curb potential expense preference behavior. Because such potential behavior occurs, or would occur, at no cost to the firm (or the firm's owners), little incentive exists to structure compensation schemes in a way that would curb such behavior (e.g. by compensating them with incentive bonus plans and stock options). The results presented here augment those which examine other industries (e.g. banking) in an effort to point out the relationships between ownership organization, political involvement and expense preference behavior. (Copyright (c) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam. All rights reserved.)

Behavioral, cognitive, and emotional coping strategies of women with endometriosis: a critical narrative review.

Science.gov (United States)

Zarbo, Cristina; Brugnera, Agostino; Frigerio, Luigi; Malandrino, Chiara; Rabboni, Massimo; Bondi, Emi; Compare, Angelo

2018-02-01

Endometriosis is a disabling and long-term medical condition affecting quality of life and mental health. Behavioral, cognitive, and emotional coping strategies, emotional intelligence, and metacognition could in part explain the link between the disease and impaired psychological and life functioning. This critical narrative review aimed at examining the state of the art of the relationships between endometriosis and these factors. According to PRISMA principles, we performed a systematic search for quantitative and qualitative studies on multiple electronic databases as regards coping strategies, emotional intelligence, and metacognition in women with endometriosis. Studies were subjected to interpretative and critical narrative synthesis. A total of 9 papers were included in the review. Three main categories were identified in thematic analysis and resumed in the manuscript. Findings suggested that (a) pain is considered the major stressor; (b) they usually use both adaptive and maladaptive coping strategies; (c) women with endometriosis and related chronic pain seem to repress emotions more likely than healthy ones; (d) suppressing own emotions, pain catastrophizing, and having a passive coping style are related to higher self-reported pain; and (e) emotional and avoidance coping styles are associated to poor mental status, while positive coping strategies focusing on the problem or on emotions, detached and rational styles are associated to better mental health. Few studies with mixed results and some methodological flaws have focused on coping strategies in women with endometriosis. No studies focusing on metacognition or emotional intelligence were found. Methodological biases, suggestions for future research, and implications for clinical practice were discussed.

The Undesirable Behaviors of Students in Academic Classrooms, and the Discipline Strategies Used by Faculty Members to Control Such Behaviors from the Perspective of the College of Education Students in King Saud University

Science.gov (United States)

Al Qahtani, Norah Saad Sultan

2016-01-01

This study aimed to identify the undesirable students' behaviors in academic classrooms, and the disciplinary, preventive and therapeutic strategies that will be used by faculty members to control those behaviors from the perspective of the College of Education's students in King Saud University. The results of the study has shown that the…

Is Inspiring Group Members an Effective Predictor of Social Dominance in Early Adolescence? Direct and Moderated Effects of Behavioral Strategies, Social Skills, and Gender on Resource Control and Popularity.

Science.gov (United States)

Vermande, Marjolijn M; Gilholm, Patricia A; Reijntjes, Albert H A; Hessen, Dave J; Sterck, Elisabeth H M; Overduin-de Vries, Anne M

2018-03-13

Dominance in the peer group is important for adolescents. Resource Control Theory posits that both coercive and prosocial (positively assertive) strategies are associated with dominance. Combining Resource Control Theory with Socioanalytic Theory on personality, we hypothesized that inspiring group members would be an additional effective strategy. This study examined whether the three behavioral strategies and two types of social skills (social competence and manipulation) predicted dominance (resource control and popularity). Participants were 619 Dutch adolescents (M age  = 13.1; 47% female) in the first grade of secondary school. They completed peer reports (behavioral strategies and dominance) and self-reports (social skills). Only inspirational and coercive strategies substantially predicted dominance. Main effects of social skills emerged. Moderation between strategies and social skills was only observed for girls (e.g., coercive strategy use was associated with more popularity for girls with higher levels of social manipulation skills). This study furthered our understanding of the predictors of dominance in adolescence by including inspirational behavior and examining prosocial and antisocial skills.

Dynamic decision making without expected utility

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Thomas Dyhre; Jaffray, Jean-Yves

2006-01-01

Non-expected utility theories, such as rank dependent utility (RDU) theory, have been proposed as alternative models to EU theory in decision making under risk. These models do not share the separability property of expected utility theory. This implies that, in a decision tree, if the reduction...... maker’s discordant goals at the different decision nodes. Relative to the computations involved in the standard expected utility evaluation of a decision problem, the main computational increase is due to the identification of non-dominated strategies by linear programming. A simulation, using the rank...

DSM and electric utility competitiveness: An Illinois perspective

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jackson, P.W.

1994-12-31

A predominant theme in the current electric utility industry literature is that competitive forces have emerged and may become more prominent. The wholesale bulk power market is alreadly competitive, as non-utility energy service providers already have had a significant impact on that market; this trend was accelerated by the Energy Policy Act of 1992. Although competition at the retail level is much less pervasive, electric utility customers increasingly have greater choice in selecting energy services. These choices may include, depending on the customer, the ability to self-generate, switch fuels, move to a new location, or rely more heavily on demand-side management as a means of controlling electric energy use. This paper explores the subject of how demand-side management (DSM) programs, which are often developed by a utility to satisfy resource requirements as a part of its least-cost planning process, can affect the utility`s ability to compete in the energy services marketplace. In this context, the term `DSM` is used in this paper to refer to those demand-side services and programs which provide resources to the utility`s system. Depending on one`s perspective, DSM programs (so defined) can be viewed either as an enhancement to the competitive position of a utility by enabling it to provide its customers with a broader menu of energy services, simultaneously satisfying the objectives of the utility as well as those of the customers, or as a detractor to a utility`s ability to compete. In the latter case, the concern is with respect to the potential for adverse rate impacts on customers who are not participants in DSM programs. The paper consists of an identification of the pros and cons of DSM as a competitive strategy, the tradeoff which can occur between the cost impacts and rate impacts of DSM, and an examination of alternative strategies for maximizing the utilization of DSM both as a resource and as a competitive strategy.

Benefits, Facilitators, Barriers, and Strategies to Improve Pesticide Protective Behaviors: Insights from Farmworkers in North Carolina Tobacco Fields.

Science.gov (United States)

Walton, AnnMarie Lee; LePrevost, Catherine E; Linnan, Laura; Sanchez-Birkhead, Ana; Mooney, Kathi

2017-06-23

Pesticide exposure is associated with deleterious health effects. Prior studies suggest Latino farmworkers perceive little control over their occupational health. Using the Health Belief Model as a theoretical guide, we explored the perceptions of Latino farmworkers working in tobacco in North Carolina ( n = 72) about benefits and facilitators of pesticide protective behaviors as well as barriers, and strategies to overcome barriers to their use. Interviews were conducted with participants at farmworker housing during non-work time. Qualitative data were analyzed using ATLAS.ti. Farmworkers recognized pesticide protective behaviors as helping them to not get sick and stay healthy. Farmworkers perceived work experience as facilitating protective behaviors. Wetness in the field was the most commonly cited barrier to protective behavior use. To overcome this barrier, farmworkers suggested use of water-resistant outerwear, as well as packing a change of clothes for mid-day, with space and time to change provided by employers. Examination of the efficacy and feasibility of farmworkers' suggestions for addressing barriers is warranted. Training and behavior modeling by experienced peers may improve behavior adoption and perceived control.

Controlling hydrogen behavior in light water reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cullingford, H.S.; Edeskuty, F.J.

1981-01-01

In the aftermath of the incident at Three Mile Island Unit 2 (TMI-2), a new and different treatment of the Light Water Reactor (LWR) risks is needed for public safety because of the specific events involving hydrogen generation, transport, and behavior following the core damage. Hydrogen behavior in closed environments such as the TMI-2 containment building is a complex phenomenon that is not fully understood. Hence, an engineering approach is presented for prevention of loss of life, equipment, and environment in case of a large hydrogen generation in an LWR. A six-level defense strategy is described that minimizes the possibility of ignition of released hydrogen gas and otherwise mitigates the consequences of hydrogen release. Guidance is given to reactor manufacturers, utility companies, regulatory agencies, and research organizations committed to reducing risk factors and insuring safety of life, equipment, and environment

Human paleodiet and animal utilization strategies during the Bronze Age in northwest Yunnan Province, southwest China.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lele Ren

Full Text Available Reconstructing ancient diets and the use of animals and plants augment our understanding of how humans adapted to different environments. Yunnan Province in southwest China is ecologically and environmentally diverse. During the Neolithic and Bronze Age periods, this region was occupied by a variety of local culture groups with diverse subsistence systems and material culture. In this paper, we obtained carbon (δ13C and nitrogen (δ15N isotopic ratios from human and faunal remains in order to reconstruct human paleodiets and strategies for animal exploitation at the Bronze Age site of Shilinggang (ca. 2500 Cal BP in northwest Yunnan Province. The δ13C results for human samples from Shilinggang demonstrate that people's diets were mainly dominated by C3-based foodstuffs, probably due to both direct consumption of C3 food and as a result of C3 foddering of consumed animals. Auxiliary C4 food signals can also be detected. High δ15N values indicate that meat was an important component of the diet. Analysis of faunal samples indicates that people primarily fed pigs and dogs with human food waste, while sheep/goats and cattle were foddered with other food sources. We compare stable isotope and archaeobotanical data from Shilinggang with data from other Bronze Age sites in Yunnan to explore potential regional variation in subsistence strategies. Our work suggests that people adopted different animal utilization and subsistence strategies in different parts of Yunnan during the Bronze Age period, probably as local adaptations to the highly diversified and isolated environments in the region.

BWR control blade replacement strategies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kennard, M W [Stoller Nuclear Fuel, NAC International, Pleasantville, NY (United States); Harbottle, J E [Stoller Nuclear Fuel, NAC International, Thornbury, Bristol (United Kingdom)

2000-02-01

The reactivity control elements in a BWR, the control blades, perform three significant functions: provide shutdown margin during normal and accident operating conditions; provide overall core reactivity control; and provide axial power shaping control. As such, the blades are exposed to the core's neutron flux, resulting in irradiation of blade structural and absorber materials. Since the absorber depletes with time (if B{sub 4}C is used, it also swells) and the structural components undergo various degradation mechanisms (e.g., embrittlement, corrosion), the blades have limits on their operational lifetimes. Consequently, BWR utilities have implemented strategies that aim to maximize blade lifetimes while balancing operational costs, such as extending a refuelling outage to shuffle high exposure blades. This paper examines the blade replacement strategies used by BWR utilities operating in US, Europe and Asia by assembling information related to: the utility's specific blade replacement strategy; the impact the newer blade designs and changes in core operating mode were having on those strategies; the mechanical and nuclear limits that determined those strategies; the methods employed to ensure that lifetime limits were not exceeded during operation; and blade designs used (current and replacement blades). (author)

BWR control blade replacement strategies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kennard, M.W.; Harbottle, J.E.

2000-01-01

The reactivity control elements in a BWR, the control blades, perform three significant functions: provide shutdown margin during normal and accident operating conditions; provide overall core reactivity control; and provide axial power shaping control. As such, the blades are exposed to the core's neutron flux, resulting in irradiation of blade structural and absorber materials. Since the absorber depletes with time (if B 4 C is used, it also swells) and the structural components undergo various degradation mechanisms (e.g., embrittlement, corrosion), the blades have limits on their operational lifetimes. Consequently, BWR utilities have implemented strategies that aim to maximize blade lifetimes while balancing operational costs, such as extending a refuelling outage to shuffle high exposure blades. This paper examines the blade replacement strategies used by BWR utilities operating in US, Europe and Asia by assembling information related to: the utility's specific blade replacement strategy; the impact the newer blade designs and changes in core operating mode were having on those strategies; the mechanical and nuclear limits that determined those strategies; the methods employed to ensure that lifetime limits were not exceeded during operation; and blade designs used (current and replacement blades). (author)

Schema-Based Strategy Instruction and the Mathematical Problem-Solving Performance of Two Students with Emotional or Behavioral Disorders

Science.gov (United States)

Peltier, Corey; Vannest, Kimberly J.

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to analyze the effects of schema instruction on the mathematical problem solving of students with emotional or behavioral disorders (EBD). The participants were two fourth-grade students identified with EBD. The intervention package consisted of schema instruction, strategy instruction on problem-solving heuristics…

A Grounded Theory of Behavior Management Strategy Selection, Implementation, and Perceived Effectiveness Reported by First-Year Elementary Teachers

Science.gov (United States)

Smart, Julie B.; Igo, L. Brent

2010-01-01

In this grounded theory study, 19 teachers were interviewed and then, in constant comparative fashion, the interview data were analyzed. The theoretical model that emerged from the data describes novice teachers' tendencies to select and implement differing strategies related to the severity of student behavior. When confronting mild student…

Flight management research utilizing an oculometer. [pilot scanning behavior during simulated approach and landing

Science.gov (United States)

Spady, A. A., Jr.; Kurbjun, M. C.

1978-01-01

This paper presents an overview of the flight management work being conducted using NASA Langley's oculometer system. Tests have been conducted in a Boeing 737 simulator to investigate pilot scan behavior during approach and landing for simulated IFR, VFR, motion versus no motion, standard versus advanced displays, and as a function of various runway patterns and symbology. Results of each of these studies are discussed. For example, results indicate that for the IFR approaches a difference in pilot scan strategy was noted for the manual versus coupled (autopilot) conditions. Also, during the final part of the approach when the pilot looks out-of-the-window he fixates on his aim or impact point on the runway and holds this point until flare initiation.

Engaging Foster Parents in Treatment: A Randomized Trial of Supplementing Trauma-focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy with Evidence-based Engagement Strategies

OpenAIRE

Dorsey, Shannon; Pullmann, Michael D.; Berliner, Lucy; Koschmann, Elizabeth; McKay, Mary; Deblinger, Esther

2014-01-01

The goal of this study was to examine the impact of supplementing Trauma-focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT; Cohen, Mannarino, & Deblinger, 2006) with evidence-based engagement strategies on foster parent and foster youth engagement in treatment, given challenges engaging foster parents in treatment. A randomized controlled trial of TF-CBT standard delivery compared to TF-CBT plus evidence-based engagement strategies was conducted with 47 children and adolescents in foster care and ...

The effect of feedback regarding coping strategies and illness behavior on hand surgery patient satisfaction and communication: a randomized controlled trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Mellema, Jos J; O'Connor, Casey M; Overbeek, Celeste L; Hageman, Michiel G; Ring, David

2015-09-01

Patients and surgeons can feel uncomfortable discussing coping strategies, psychological distress, and stressful circumstances. It has been suggested that patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) facilitate the discussion of factors associated with increased symptoms and disability. This study assessed the effect of providing feedback to patients regarding their coping strategy and illness behavior on patient satisfaction and patient-physician communication in orthopedic surgery. In a prospective study, 136 orthopedic patients were randomly assigned to either receive feedback about the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Pain Interference computer-adaptive test (CAT) prior to the visit with the hand surgeon or not. The primary outcome was patient satisfaction with the consultation and secondary outcomes involved patient-physician communication. Bivariate and multivariable analyses were performed to determine the influence of the feedback on patient satisfaction and communication. There was no significant difference in patient satisfaction between patients who received feedback and patients who did not (P = 0.70). Feedback was associated with more frequent discussion of coping strategies (P = 0.045) in bivariate analysis but was not independently associated: in multivariable analysis, only PROMIS Pain Interference CAT and age were identified as independent predictors (odds ratio (OR) 1.1; 95 % confidence interval (CI) 1.0-1.1, P = 0.013, and OR 0.97, 95 % CI 0.94-0.99, P = 0.032, respectively). No factors were associated with discussion of stressors. Discussion of circumstances was independently associated with increased PROMIS Pain Interference CAT, marital status, and work status. We found that feedback regarding coping strategies and illness behavior using the PROMIS Pain Interference CAT did not affect patient satisfaction. Although feedback was associated with increased discussion of illness behavior in bivariate

The Behavior of Information Seeking and Utilizing on Livelihood among Rural Poor People

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pawit Muhammad Yusup

2017-06-01

Full Text Available This study aims to specifically assess the behavior of the rural poor people in seeking and utilizing information about livelihoods. This study focuses on the aspects of: the type of information sought and used by the rural poor people; and the way they seek and use information about livelihood for their survivability. The method used is Schutz’s qualitative tradition of phenomenology. Data collection used techniques of in-depth interviews and participatory observation of 22 rural poor people. The research location is in southern rural part of West Java. The research result shows that, the type of livelihood information sought and used by the rural poor people, referred to the kinds of unstable jobs with the limited scope of resources and channel/media. Their way to find and use livelihood information has active and passive pattern, but still refer to the resources of unstable jobs, limited scope of the search, pattern of interpersonal relationships, and informal.

Nest-building behavior of Monk Parakeets and insights into potential mechanisms for reducing damage to utility poles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kevin R. Burgio

2014-09-01

Full Text Available The Monk Parakeet (Myiopsitta monachus commonly uses utility poles as a substrate for building large, bulky nests. These nests often cause fires and electric power outages, creating public safety risks and increasing liability and maintenance costs for electric companies. Previous research has focused on lethal methods and chemical contraception to prevent nesting on utility poles and electrical substations. However, implementation of lethal methods has led to public protests and lawsuits, while chemical contraception may affect other than the targeted species, and must be continually reapplied for effectiveness. One non-lethal alternative, nest removal, is costly and may not be a sustainable measure if Monk Parakeet populations continue to grow. In order to identify cost-effective non-lethal solutions to problems caused by Monk Parakeet nesting, we studied their behavior as they built nests on utility poles. Monk Parakeets initiate nests by attaching sticks at the intersection of the pole and electric lines. We found that parakeets use the electric lines exclusively to gain access to the intersection of lines and pole during nest initiation, and continue to use the lines intensively throughout construction. Monk Parakeets also have more difficulty attaching sticks during the early stages of nest construction than when the nest is nearing completion. These findings suggest that intervention during the earlier stages of nest building, by excluding Monk Parakeets from electric lines adjacent to poles, may be an effective, non-lethal method of reducing or eliminating parakeets nesting on, and damaging, utility poles.

Towards an understanding of self-directed language as a mechanism of behavior change: A novel strategy for eliciting client language under laboratory conditions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Benjamin O. Ladd

2018-06-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Change talk (CT and sustain talk (ST are thought to reflect underlying motivation and be important mechanisms of behavior change (MOBCs. However, greater specificity and experimental rigor is needed to establish CT and ST as MOBCs. Testing the effects of self-directed language under laboratory conditions is one promising avenue. The current study presents a replication and extension of research examining the feasibility for using simulation tasks to elicit self-directed language. Methods: First-year college students (N=92 responded to the Collegiate Simulated Intoxication Digital Elicitation, a validated task for assessing decision-making in college drinking. Verbal responses elicited via free-response and structured interview formats were coded based on established definitions of CT and ST, with minor modifications to reflect the non-treatment context. Associations between self-directed language and alcohol use at baseline and eight months were examined. Additionally, this study examined whether a contextually-based measure of decision-making, behavioral willingness, mediated relationships between self-directed language and alcohol outcome. Results: Healthy talk and unhealthy talk independently were associated with baseline alcohol use across both elicitation formats. Only healthy talk during the free-response elicitation was associated with alcohol use at follow up; both healthy talk and unhealthy talk during the interview elicitation were associated with 8-month alcohol use. Behavioral willingness significantly mediated the relationship between percent healthy talk and alcohol outcome. Conclusions: Findings support the utility of studying self-directed language under laboratory conditions and suggest that such methods may provide a fruitful strategy to further understand the role of self-directed language as a MOBC. Keywords: Change talk, College students, Alcohol, Simulation task

Twitter weather warnings: Communicating risk in 140 characters-the impact of imperative and declarative message style on weather risk perception and behavioral intentions.

Science.gov (United States)

Rainear, Adam M; Lachlan, Kenneth A; Spence, Patric R

Understanding how individuals utilize risk messages is important for protecting lives and gaining compliance toward safe behaviors. Recent advances in technology afford users with timeliness when needing to acquire information, and research investigating imperative and declarative message styles suggests utilizing both strategies is most effective. Similarly, the element of time can play a role when an individual engages in certain behaviors. This study employed an experimental design to better understand how imperative and declarative tweets, and time can contribute to risk perceptions and behavioral intentions. Results indicate the most negative affect is experienced after receiving an imperative-only tweet in a short-lead time condition, whereas a tweet utilizing both message styles in a long-lead time condition induces the most fear. Future research should investigate stylistic message elements on new media platforms to better understand how messages can be effectively sent and received by the intended audience within character-limited platforms.

Nash Equilibrium of an Energy Saving Strategy with Dual Rate Transmission in Wireless Regional Area Network

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhanqiang Huo

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Wireless regional area network (WRAN adopts centralized network architecture and is currently one of the most typical cognitive radio networks. In order to reduce the energy consumption of the communication networks with the constraint of spectrum resource utilization, a working sleep mechanism is introduced into the base station (BS, and a novel energy saving strategy with dual rate transmission is proposed. Combining the multiple-vacation queue and priority queue, using the quasi-birth-death process and the matrix-geometric solution method, we assess the average latency and the forced termination probability of secondary user packets, as well as the energy saving ratio and the channel utilization of system. Based on the revenue-expenditure structure, a profit function is built, and then the Nash equilibrium behavior and the socially optimal behavior are investigated. With the help of the particle swarm optimization, an intelligent optimization algorithm to search the socially optimal arrival rate of secondary user packets is presented. In order to unify the arrival rates of secondary user packets with Nash equilibrium and social optimization, a reasonable pricing policy is formulated. In addition, system experiments are carried out to verify the effectiveness of the energy saving strategy and the rationality of the pricing policy.

Evidence for cognitive–behavioral strategies improving dyspnea and related distress in COPD

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Norweg A

2013-09-01

Full Text Available Anna Norweg,1 Eileen G Collins2,3 1Department of Occupational Therapy, College of Applied Health Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC, Chicago, IL, USA; 2Department of Biobehavioral Health Science, College of Nursing, University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC, Chicago, IL, USA; 3Rehabilitation Research and Development (RR&D, Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital, Hines, IL, USA Background: Dyspnea is a complex, prevalent, and distressing symptom of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD associated with decreased quality of life, significant disability, and increased mortality. It is a major reason for referral to pulmonary rehabilitation. Methods: We reviewed 23 COPD studies to examine the evidence for the effectiveness of cognitive–behavioral strategies for relieving dyspnea in COPD. Results: Preliminary evidence from randomized controlled trials exists to support cognitive–behavioral strategies, used with or without exercise, for relieving sensory and affective components of dyspnea in COPD. Small to moderate treatment effects for relieving dyspnea were noted for psychotherapy (effect size [ES] = 0.08–0.25 for intensity; 0.26–0.65 for mastery and distractive auditory stimuli (ES = 0.08–0.33 for intensity; 0.09 to -0.61 for functional burden. Small to large dyspnea improvements resulted from yoga (ES = 0.2–1.21 for intensity; 0.67 for distress; 0.07 for mastery; and −8.37 for functional burden; dyspnea self-management education with exercise (ES = −0.14 to −1.15 for intensity; −0.62 to −0.69 for distress; 1.04 for mastery; 0.14–0.35 for self-efficacy; and slow-breathing exercises (ES = 4390.34 to −0.83 for intensity; -0.61 to -0.80 for distress; and 0.62 for self-efficacy. Cognitive–behavioral interventions may relieve dyspnea in COPD by (1 decreasing sympathetic nerve activity, dynamic hyperinflation, and comorbid anxiety, and (2 promoting arterial oxygen saturation, myelinated vagus nerve activity, a greater

Developing RCM Strategy for Hydrogen Fuel Cells Utilizing On Line E-Condition Monitoring

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baglee, D; Knowles, M J

2012-01-01

Fuel cell vehicles are considered to be a viable solution to problems such as carbon emissions and fuel shortages for road transport. Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) Fuel Cells are mainly used in this purpose because they can run at low temperatures and have a simple structure. Yet high maintenance costs and the inherent dangers of maintaining equipment using hydrogen are two main issues which need to be addressed. The development of appropriate and efficient strategies is currently lacking with regard to fuel cell maintenance. A Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM) approach offers considerable benefit to the management of fuel cell maintenance since it includes an identification and consideration of the impact of critical components. Technological developments in e-maintenance systems, radio-frequency identification (RFID) and personal digital assistants (PDAs) have proven to satisfy the increasing demand for improved reliability, efficiency and safety. RFID technology is used to store and remotely retrieve electronic maintenance data in order to provide instant access to up-to-date, accurate and detailed information. The aim is to support fuel cell maintenance decisions by developing and applying a blend of leading-edge communications and sensor technology including RFID. The purpose of this paper is to review and present the state of the art in fuel cell condition monitoring and maintenance utilizing RCM and RFID technologies. Using an RCM analysis critical components and fault modes are identified. RFID tags are used to store the critical information, possible faults and their cause and effect. The relationship between causes, faults, symptoms and long term implications of fault conditions are summarized. Finally conclusions are drawn regarding suggested maintenance strategies and the optimal structure for an integrated, cost effective condition monitoring and maintenance management system.

Developing RCM Strategy for Hydrogen Fuel Cells Utilizing On Line E-Condition Monitoring

Science.gov (United States)

Baglee, D.; Knowles, M. J.

2012-05-01

Fuel cell vehicles are considered to be a viable solution to problems such as carbon emissions and fuel shortages for road transport. Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) Fuel Cells are mainly used in this purpose because they can run at low temperatures and have a simple structure. Yet high maintenance costs and the inherent dangers of maintaining equipment using hydrogen are two main issues which need to be addressed. The development of appropriate and efficient strategies is currently lacking with regard to fuel cell maintenance. A Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM) approach offers considerable benefit to the management of fuel cell maintenance since it includes an identification and consideration of the impact of critical components. Technological developments in e-maintenance systems, radio-frequency identification (RFID) and personal digital assistants (PDAs) have proven to satisfy the increasing demand for improved reliability, efficiency and safety. RFID technology is used to store and remotely retrieve electronic maintenance data in order to provide instant access to up-to-date, accurate and detailed information. The aim is to support fuel cell maintenance decisions by developing and applying a blend of leading-edge communications and sensor technology including RFID. The purpose of this paper is to review and present the state of the art in fuel cell condition monitoring and maintenance utilizing RCM and RFID technologies. Using an RCM analysis critical components and fault modes are identified. RFID tags are used to store the critical information, possible faults and their cause and effect. The relationship between causes, faults, symptoms and long term implications of fault conditions are summarized. Finally conclusions are drawn regarding suggested maintenance strategies and the optimal structure for an integrated, cost effective condition monitoring and maintenance management system.

Electric utility companies and geothermal power

Science.gov (United States)

Pivirotto, D. S.

1976-01-01

The requirements of the electric utility industry as the primary potential market for geothermal energy are analyzed, based on a series of structured interviews with utility companies and financial institution executives. The interviews were designed to determine what information and technologies would be required before utilities would make investment decisions in favor of geothermal energy, the time frame in which the information and technologies would have to be available, and the influence of the governmental politics. The paper describes the geothermal resources, electric utility industry, its structure, the forces influencing utility companies, and their relationship to geothermal energy. A strategy for federal stimulation of utility investment in geothermal energy is suggested. Possibilities are discussed for stimulating utility investment through financial incentives, amelioration of institutional barriers, and technological improvements.

Determinants of psychology service utilization in a palliative care outpatient population.

Science.gov (United States)

Azuero, Casey; Allen, Rebecca Sue; Kvale, Elizabeth; Azuero, Andres; Parmelee, Patricia

2014-06-01

Research has demonstrated that treating cancer patients' psychological and physical health leads to improved overall health. This may be especially true for palliative care patients facing serious illness. This study examines the proportion and determinants of psychology service utilization in an outpatient palliative care population. Data from an existing clinical database in an outpatient palliative clinic utilizing a collaborative care model to deliver psychology services were explored. This study was framed by Andersen's Behavioral Model of Health Service Use, which incorporates three main components: predisposing, enabling, and need factors to model health service utilization. The sample (N = 149) was majority middle aged, female, and White with a primary diagnosis of cancer. Cross-tabulations were conducted to determine how many patients who met screening criteria for depression or anxiety sought psychology services. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to assess for predisposing, enabling, and need factor determinants of psychology service utilization. Among patients who met criteria for moderate depression or anxiety, 50% did not access readily available psychology services. Enabling factors were the strongest determinant of psychology utilization. Factors associated with need for psychology services (i.e., emotional distress and psychological symptom burden) did not reach significance in determining psychology service use. This study extends current knowledge about psychology utilization to palliative care outpatients receiving care within a collaborative care model. Directions for future research include further investigation of care models that optimize enabling strategies to enhance access to these services, and examination of patient-reported barriers to receiving this care. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Research on a Micro-Grid Frequency Modulation Strategy Based on Optimal Utilization of Air Conditioners

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Qingzhu Wan

2016-12-01

Full Text Available With the proportion of air conditioners increasing gradually, they can provide a certain amount of frequency-controlled reserves for a micro-grid. Optimizing utilization of air conditioners and considering load response characteristics and customer comfort, the frequency adjustment model is a quadratic function model between the trigger temperature of the air conditioner compressor, and frequency variation is provided, which can be used to regulate the trigger temperature of the air conditioner when the micro-grid frequency rises and falls. This frequency adjustment model combines a primary frequency modulation method and a secondary frequency modulation method of the energy storage system, in order to optimize the frequency of a micro-grid. The simulation results show that the frequency modulation strategy for air conditioners can effectively improve the frequency modulation ability of air conditioners and frequency modulation effects of a micro-grid in coordination with an energy storage system.

Facilitating Effective Digital Game-Based Learning Behaviors and Learning Performances of Students Based on a Collaborative Knowledge Construction Strategy

Science.gov (United States)

Sung, Han-Yu; Hwang, Gwo-Jen

2018-01-01

Researchers have recognized the potential of educational computer games in improving students' learning engagement and outcomes; however, facilitating effective learning behaviors during the gaming process remains an important and challenging issue. In this paper, a collaborative knowledge construction strategy was incorporated into an educational…

Power from biomass: the power utility perspective

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Serafimova, K.; Angele, H.-C.

2008-01-01

This article takes a look at possible strategies that electricity utilities in Switzerland could follow in order to be able to make use of biomass as a source of energy. Increasing interest in damp biomass as a relatively cheap, renewable and climate-friendly source of energy is commented on. Strategic choices that energy utilities have to make when they decide to enter into the biomass market are examined. The potentials involved are examined, including biogenic materials from domestic wastes and from agriculture. Figures on potential waste tonnage are quoted. Questions on subsidies and the free market are examined. The setting up of 'virtual power stations' - networks of installations using photovoltaic, wind and biomass - is discussed, as are various strategies that utilities can follow in this area. Examples of such 'virtual power stations' are listed.

Quantitative iTRAQ-based secretome analysis reveals species-specific and temporal shifts in carbon utilization strategies among manganese(II)-oxidizing Ascomycete fungi

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zeiner, Carolyn A.; Purvine, Samuel O.; Zink, Erika M.; Paša-Tolić, Ljiljana; Chaput, Dominique L.; Wu, Si; Santelli, Cara M.; Hansel, Colleen M.

2017-09-01

Fungi generate a wide range of extracellular hydrolytic and oxidative enzymes and reactive metabolites, collectively known as the secretome, that synergistically drive plant litter decomposition in the environment. While secretome studies of model organisms have greatly expanded our knowledge of these enzymes, few have extended secretome characterization to environmental isolates or directly compared temporal patterns of enzyme utilization among diverse species. Thus, the mechanisms of carbon (C) degradation by many ubiquitous soil fungi remain poorly understood. Here we use a combination of iTRAQ proteomics and custom bioinformatic analyses to compare the protein composition of the secretomes of four manganese(II)-oxidizing Ascomycete fungi over a three-week time course. We demonstrate that although the fungi produce a similar suite of extracellular enzymes, they exhibit striking differences in the regulation of these enzymes among species and over time, revealing species-specific and temporal shifts in C utilization strategies as they degrade the same substrate. Specifically, our findings suggest that Paraconiothyrium sporulosum AP3s5-JAC2a and Alternaria alternata SRC1lrK2f employ sequential enzyme secretion patterns concomitant with decreasing resource availability, Stagonospora sp. SRC1lsM3a preferentially degrades proteinaceous substrate before switching to carbohydrates, and Pyrenochaeta sp. DS3sAY3a utilizes primarily peptidases to aggressively attack carbon sources in a concentrated burst. This work highlights the diversity of operative metabolic strategies among cellulose-degrading Ascomycetes and enhances our understanding of their role in C turnover in the environment.

The Diagnostic Utility of the Child Sexual Behavior Inventory for Sexual Abuse: A Systematic Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Vrolijk-Bosschaart, Thekla F; Verlinden, Eva; Langendam, Miranda W; De Smet, Vivienne; Teeuw, Arianne H; Brilleslijper-Kater, Sonja N; Benninga, Marc A; Lindauer, Ramón J L

2018-06-11

Children with alleged child sexual abuse (CSA) need to be assessed systematically. The use of validated instruments during the assessment, like the Child Sexual Behavior Inventory (CSBI), could add diagnostic value. We aim to assess the diagnostic utility of the CSBI to differentiate between sexually abused and non-abused children. We conducted a systematic review. We searched the electronic databases MEDLINE and PsychInfo for studies comparing CSBI scores in sexually abused children and non-abused children (2-12 years old). Two independent reviewers extracted data and assessed the methodological quality. We included 7 (out of 1048) articles. The CSBI total scores were significantly higher in CSA-victims compared with non-abused children (in case-control settings). However, in children with suspected CSA, the results were ambiguous. One study reported significant differences. Another study reported weak diagnostic ability for the CSBI-3 in children with suspected CSA (a sensitivity and specificity of 0.50, with a positive predictive value of 0.28, and a negative predictive value of 0.72). Research on the diagnostic utility of the CSBI for suspected CSA is limited and shows disappointing results. Until more research is done, the CSBI should not be used on its own to differentiate between sexually abused and non-abused children.

Systematic behavior research for understanding consumer decision making.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Chin-Feng

2009-05-01

This study incorporates means-end chain (MEC) theory and dynamic programming for understanding the implications of consumer decision making. The conceptual framework of this study can help programmers design information systems for analyzing consumption behaviors. Such analyses will provide marketers with meaningful information for formulating marketing strategies. The main contributions of this article are as follows: (1) to enable researchers to obtain information for consumer cognitive hierarchies utilizing an information system, (2) to enhance the functions of traditional MEC methodology and provide an integrated method for analyzing consumption information, and (3) to construct an information system for analyzing consumer decision-making processes.

Correlation of parenting style and pediatric behavior guidance strategies in the dental setting: preliminary findings.

Science.gov (United States)

Aminabadi, Naser Asl; Farahani, Ramin Mostofi Zadeh

2008-04-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of parenting style on the choice of proper behavior guidance strategies in pedodontics. Seventy-two children aged between 4 and 6 years (mean 5.12 years) with carious primary mandibular molars were selected. The Primary Caregivers' Practices Report (PCPR) was used to quantify authoritarian, permissive and authoritative aspects of the caregivers' parenting style. After inferior alveolar nerve block, carious lesions were removed and the teeth were restored using amalgam. The children's behavior during operation was assessed according to the sound, eye, and motor (SEM) scale. Communicative guidance, advance behavior guidance, parental separation, and deferred treatment were used for behavior management. The dominant authoritative score was observed in 50% of parents, permissive in 37.5%, and authoritarian in 12.5%. The mean SEM score in children belonging to authoritative parents was significantly lower than in children of permissive and of authoritarian parents (pparenting style. Advanced behavior guidance (protective stabilization) was applied in 16.7% of cases in the authoritative category and in 100% in the permissive and authoritarian categories. The use of restrictive devices (7.4%) and sedation (3.7%) was limited to the permissive category. Parental separation (40.7%) and deferred treatment (3.7%) were performed only in the permissive category. This study provides preliminary evidence that a child's reaction to restorative dental procedures is influenced by the nature of the caregiver's parenting style.

A simplified model of choice behavior under uncertainty

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ching-Hung Lin

2016-08-01

Full Text Available The Iowa Gambling Task (IGT has been standardized as a clinical assessment tool (Bechara, 2007. Nonetheless, numerous research groups have attempted to modify IGT models to optimize parameters for predicting the choice behavior of normal controls and patients. A decade ago, most researchers considered the expected utility (EU model (Busemeyer and Stout, 2002 to be the optimal model for predicting choice behavior under uncertainty. However, in recent years, studies have demonstrated the prospect utility (PU models (Ahn et al., 2008 to be more effective than the EU models in the IGT. Nevertheless, after some preliminary tests, we propose that Ahn et al. (2008 PU model is not optimal due to some incompatible results between our behavioral and modeling data. This study aims to modify Ahn et al. (2008 PU model to a simplified model and collected 145 subjects’ IGT performance as the benchmark data for comparison. In our simplified PU model, the best goodness-of-fit was found mostly while α approaching zero. More specifically, we retested the key parameters α, λ , and A in the PU model. Notably, the power of influence of the parameters α, λ, and A has a hierarchical order in terms of manipulating the goodness-of-fit in the PU model. Additionally, we found that the parameters λ and A may be ineffective when the parameter α is close to zero in the PU model. The present simplified model demonstrated that decision makers mostly adopted the strategy of gain-stay-loss-shift rather than foreseeing the long-term outcome. However, there still have other behavioral variables that are not well revealed under these dynamic uncertainty situations. Therefore, the optimal behavioral models may not have been found. In short, the best model for predicting choice behavior under dynamic-uncertainty situations should be further evaluated.

[An oral function improvement program utilizing health behavior theories ameliorates oral functions and oral hygienic conditions of pre-frail elderly persons].

Science.gov (United States)

Sakaguchi, Hideo

2014-06-01

Oral function improvement programs utilizing health behavior theories are considered to be effective in preventing the need for long-term social care. In the present study, an oral function improvement program based upon health behavior theories was designed, and its utility was assessed in 102 pre-frail elderly persons (33 males, 69 females, mean age: 76.9 +/- 5.7) considered to be in potential need of long-term social care and attending a long-term care prevention class in Sayama City, Saitama Prefecture, Japan. The degree of improvement in oral functions (7 items) and oral hygienic conditions (3 items) was assessed by comparing oral health before and after participation in the program. The results showed statistically significant improvements in the following oral functions: (1) lip functions (oral diadochokinesis, measured by the regularity of the repetition of the syllable "Pa"), (2) tongue functions, (3) tongue root motor skills (oral diadochokinesis, measured by the regularity of the repetition of the syllables "Ta" and "Ka"), (4) tongue extension/retraction, (5) side-to-side tongue movement functions, (6) cheek motor skills, and (7) repetitive saliva swallowing test (RSST). The following measures of oral hygiene also showed a statistically significant improvement: (1) debris on dentures or teeth, (2) coated tongue, and (3) frequency of oral cleaning. These findings demonstrated that an improvement program informed by health behavior theories is useful in improving oral functions and oral hygiene conditions.

"Beating osteoARThritis": development of a stepped care strategy to optimize utilization and timing of non-surgical treatment modalities for patients with hip or knee osteoarthritis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Smink, A.J.; Ende, C.H.; Vliet-Vlieland, Th.P.M.; Swierstra, B.A.; Kortland, J.H.; Bijlsma, J.W.; Voorn, T.B.; Schers, H.J.; Bierma-Zeinstra, S.M.; Dekker, J.

2011-01-01

Inadequacies in health care practices have been reported despite existing guidelines to manage hip or knee osteoarthritis. To facilitate guideline implementation and improve utilization of non-surgical treatment options a care strategy should be developed. This study describes the development of an

"Beating osteoARThritis": Development of a stepped care strategy to optimize utilization and timing of non-surgical treatment modalities for patients with hip or knee osteoarthritis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Smink, A.J.; Ende, C.H.M. van den; Vliet Vlieland, T.P.M.; Swierstra, B.A.; Kortland, J.H.; Bijlsma, J.W.J.; Voorn, T.B.; Schers, H.J.; Bierma-Zeinstra, S.M.; Dekker, J.

2011-01-01

Inadequacies in health care practices have been reported despite existing guidelines to manage hip or knee osteoarthritis. To facilitate guideline implementation and improve utilization of non-surgical treatment options a care strategy should be developed. This study describes the development of an

Communication strategies for conflict management. Kommunikationsstrategien fuer das Konfliktmanagement

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schlange, L.E. (St. Galler Zentrum fuer Zukunftsforschung, St. Gallen (Switzerland))

1994-11-01

The current debates in Swiss nuclear power policy about the power increase in one nuclear generating unit and about a repository for radioactive waste are used as models for strategic decisionmaking. For this purpose, two independent, but complementary, schools of thought are combined: First, a sensitivity model is employed to analyze societal mechanisms in a coherent, holistic frame of reference; secondly, a meta-analysis concentrates on the process of conflict management among the Federal Government, the managers of the electricity utilities, their political opponents, and the public. The way in which the participating groups make decisions and implement them is of critical importance to their behavior in the next phase. This is the stage at which models show how the behavior of the players will develop over time. The establishment of a highly flexible strategic knowledge base illustrates how the findings made can be employed in designing successful communication strategies. (orig.)

Developmental Trajectories of Religiosity, Sexual Conservatism and Sexual Behavior among Female Adolescents

Science.gov (United States)

Aalsma, Matthew C.; Woodrome, Stacy E.; Downs, Sarah M.; Hensel, Devon; Zimet, Gregory D.; Orr, Don P.; Fortenberry, J. Dennis

2013-01-01

Understanding the role of socio-sexual cognitions and religiosity on adolescent sexual behavior could guide adolescent sexual health efforts. The present study utilized longitudinal data from 328 young women to assess the role of religion and socio-sexual cognitions on sexual behavior accrual (measuring both coital and non-coital sexual behavior). In the final triple conditional trajectory structural equation model, religiosity declined over time and then increased to baseline levels. Additionally, religiosity predicted decreased sexual conservatism and decreased sexual conservatism predicted increased sexual behavior. The final models are indicative of young women's increasing accrual of sexual experience, decreasing sexual conservatism and initial decreasing religiosity. The results of this study suggest that decreased religiosity affects the accrual of sexual experience through decreased sexual conservatism. Effective strategies of sexual health promotion should include an understanding of the complex role of socio-sexual attitudes with religiosity. PMID:24215966

Dimorphic ejaculates and sperm release strategies associated with alternative mating behaviors in the squid.

Science.gov (United States)

Apostólico, Lígia H; Marian, José E A R

2017-11-01

Sperm competition is a powerful postcopulatory selective force influencing male adaptations associated with increasing fertilization success, and it is usually related to the evolution of different strategies of ejaculate expenditure between individuals. Ejaculates may also be influenced by additional selective pressures associated with sperm competition, such as timing between insemination and fertilization, female reproductive tract morphology, and fertilization environment. Also, males that adopt alternative mating tactics may face distinct sperm competition pressures, which may lead to the evolution of intraspecific diversity in ejaculates. In loliginid squids, males with alternative reproductive tactics (sneakers and consorts) differ not only in mating behavior, but also transfer spermatophores into two distinct sites within the female. Here, we compared structure and functioning of spermatophores between sneakers and consorts in the squid Doryteuthis plei applying microscopy techniques and in vitro experiments. Sneakers and consorts exhibit differences in spermatophore structure that lead to distinct spermatophoric reactions and spermatangium morphologies. Moreover, in sneakers, sperm release lasts longer and their sperm show an aggregative behavior not detected in consorts. Slow sperm release may be a strategy to guarantee longer sperm provision, given the wide interval between sneaker mating and egg release. For consorts, in turn, intense and quick sperm discharge may be advantageous, as timing between mating and egg-laying is relatively short. Within the complex squid mating system, factors such as (i) different fertilization sites and (ii) interval between mating and egg release may also influence sperm competition, and ultimately shape the evolution of divergent ejaculates between dimorphic males. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Utility Computing: Reality and Beyond

Science.gov (United States)

Ivanov, Ivan I.

Utility Computing is not a new concept. It involves organizing and providing a wide range of computing-related services as public utilities. Much like water, gas, electricity and telecommunications, the concept of computing as public utility was announced in 1955. Utility Computing remained a concept for near 50 years. Now some models and forms of Utility Computing are emerging such as storage and server virtualization, grid computing, and automated provisioning. Recent trends in Utility Computing as a complex technology involve business procedures that could profoundly transform the nature of companies' IT services, organizational IT strategies and technology infrastructure, and business models. In the ultimate Utility Computing models, organizations will be able to acquire as much IT services as they need, whenever and wherever they need them. Based on networked businesses and new secure online applications, Utility Computing would facilitate "agility-integration" of IT resources and services within and between virtual companies. With the application of Utility Computing there could be concealment of the complexity of IT, reduction of operational expenses, and converting of IT costs to variable `on-demand' services. How far should technology, business and society go to adopt Utility Computing forms, modes and models?

DSM and electric utility competitiveness: An Illinois perspective

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jackson, P.W.

1994-01-01

A predominant theme in the current electric utility industry literature is that competitive forces have emerged and may become more prominent. The wholesale bulk power market is alreadly competitive, as non-utility energy service providers already have had a significant impact on that market; this trend was accelerated by the Energy Policy Act of 1992. Although competition at the retail level is much less pervasive, electric utility customers increasingly have greater choice in selecting energy services. These choices may include, depending on the customer, the ability to self-generate, switch fuels, move to a new location, or rely more heavily on demand-side management as a means of controlling electric energy use. This paper explores the subject of how demand-side management (DSM) programs, which are often developed by a utility to satisfy resource requirements as a part of its least-cost planning process, can affect the utility's ability to compete in the energy services marketplace. In this context, the term 'DSM' is used in this paper to refer to those demand-side services and programs which provide resources to the utility's system. Depending on one's perspective, DSM programs (so defined) can be viewed either as an enhancement to the competitive position of a utility by enabling it to provide its customers with a broader menu of energy services, simultaneously satisfying the objectives of the utility as well as those of the customers, or as a detractor to a utility's ability to compete. In the latter case, the concern is with respect to the potential for adverse rate impacts on customers who are not participants in DSM programs. The paper consists of an identification of the pros and cons of DSM as a competitive strategy, the tradeoff which can occur between the cost impacts and rate impacts of DSM, and an examination of alternative strategies for maximizing the utilization of DSM both as a resource and as a competitive strategy

The importance of energetic utilization is increasing; Energetische Verwertung waechst

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Briese, Dirk; Meyer, Christian [trend:research GmbH, Institut fuer Trend- und Marktforschung, Bremen (Germany)

2010-04-15

In spite of uniform standards and regulations, sewage treatment strategies of the European states differ dramatically. A current study shows that thermal treatment in monocombustion or cocombustion plants is increasingly important. Forecasts of the trend:research trend and marketing research institute, energetic utilization will become the dominant utilization strategy in Europe, with a share that will have increase by about 50 percent by 2020. (orig.)

Determinants of Sedentary Behavior, Motivation, Barriers and Strategies to Reduce Sitting Time in Older Women: A Qualitative Investigation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sebastien F. M. Chastin

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Sedentary behavior defined as time spent non-exercising seated or reclining posture has been identified has a health risk and associated with frailty and disablement for older adults. Older adults are the most sedentary segment of society. To date no study has investigated the determinants of sedentary behavior in older adults. This study reports a qualitative investigation of the determinants of sedentary behavior, strategies and motivator to reduce sitting time by structured interviews in a group of community dwelling older women (N = 11, age 65 and over. Older women expressed the view that their sedentary behavior is mostly determined by pain which acts both as an incentive to sit and a motivator to stand up, lack of energy in the afternoon, pressure from direct social circle to sit and rest, societal and environmental typecasting that older adult are meant to sit, lack of environmental facilities to allow activity pacing. This qualitative investigation highlighted some factors that older adults consider determinants of their sedentary behavior. Some are identical to those affecting physical activity (self-efficacy, functional limitations, ageist stereotyping but some appear specific to sedentary behavior (locus of control, pain and should be further investigated and considered during intervention design. Tailored interventions that pay attention to the pattern of sedentary behavior of individuals appear to be supported by the views of older women on their sedentary behavior.

New emissions targeting strategy for site utility of process industries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Manesh, Mohamamd Hasan Khoshgoftar; Amidpour, Majid; Hamedi, Mohammad Hosein; Abadi, Sajad Khamis; Ghalami, Hooman

2013-01-01

A new procedure for environmental targeting of co-generation system is presented. The proposed method is based on the concepts of pinch technology for total site targeting of fuel, power, steam, environmental impacts and total annualized cost with considering emissions taxes. This approach provides a consistent, general procedure for determining mass flow rates and efficiencies of the applied turbines. This algorithm utilizes the relationship of entropy with enthalpy and isentropic efficiency. Also, the life cycle assessment (LCA) as a well-known tool for analyzing environmental impacts on a wide perspective with reference to a product system and the related environmental and economic impacts have been applied. In this regard, a damage-oriented impact analysis method based on Eco-indicator 99 and footprints analysis was considered. In addition, the present work demonstrates the effect of including both sensible and latent heating of steam in the extended Site Utility Grand Composite Curve (ESUGCC). It is shown that including sensible heating allows for better thermal matching between the processes. Furthermore, the other representation YSUGCC as the other form of Site Utility Grand Composite has been proposed. Two case studies were used to illustrate the usefulness of the new environmental targeting method

Resisting Pressure from Peers to Engage in Sexual Behavior: What Communication Strategies Do Early Adolescent Latino Girls Use?

Science.gov (United States)

Norris, Anne E.; Pettigrew, Jonathan; Miller-Day, Michelle; Hecht, Michael L.; Hutchison, Janet; Campoe, Kristi

2015-01-01

A content analysis of early adolescent X-bar = 12.02 years) Latino girls' (n = 44) responses to open-ended questions embedded in an electronic survey was conducted to explore strategies girls may use to resist peer pressure with respect to sexual behavior. Analysis yielded 341 codable response units, 74% of which were consistent with the REAL…

Defense strategies for asymmetric networked systems under composite utilities

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rao, Nageswara S. [ORNL; Ma, Chris Y. T. [Hang Seng Management College, Hon Kong; Hausken, Kjell [University of Stavanger, Norway; He, Fei [Texas A& M University, Kingsville, TX, USA; Yau, David K. Y. [Singapore University of Technology and Design; Zhuang, Jun [University at Buffalo (SUNY)

2017-11-01

We consider an infrastructure of networked systems with discrete components that can be reinforced at certain costs to guard against attacks. The communications network plays a critical, asymmetric role of providing the vital connectivity between the systems. We characterize the correlations within this infrastructure at two levels using (a) aggregate failure correlation function that specifies the infrastructure failure probability giventhe failure of an individual system or network, and (b) first order differential conditions on system survival probabilities that characterize component-level correlations. We formulate an infrastructure survival game between an attacker and a provider, who attacks and reinforces individual components, respectively. They use the composite utility functions composed of a survival probability term and a cost term, and the previously studiedsum-form and product-form utility functions are their special cases. At Nash Equilibrium, we derive expressions for individual system survival probabilities and the expected total number of operational components. We apply and discuss these estimates for a simplified model of distributed cloud computing infrastructure

[Systematic review of health-related utilities in Spain: the case of mental health].

Science.gov (United States)

García-Pérez, Lidia; Aguiar-Ibáñez, Raquel; Pinilla-Domínguez, Pilar; Arvelo-Martín, Alejandro; Linertová, Renata; Rivero-Santana, Amado

2014-01-01

Currently, there is no registry of utility values for the Spanish population that could potentially be used in economic evaluations. Consequently, a systematic review of utilities or preferences for health states in the Spanish population was conducted. The results related to mental health are reported. A systematic review of the literature was conducted. The main databases searched were MEDLINE, CRD, Embase, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and Cochrane. The search strategy combined terms related to utilities and Spain. The inclusion criteria comprised the resident population in Spain, whether affected by any disease or not; the reported utilities had to be evaluated through a tool validated in Spain (i.e., EQ-5D, HUI, SF-6D) and/or following accepted techniques (e.g., time trade-off, standard gamble, or the visual analog scale). A narrative synthesis of articles was undertaken and the results related to mental health summarized. A total of 103 articles were finally included, from which 742 utility values were extracted. Sixty-nine utility values related to mental health and behavioral disorders were extracted from 12 studies. The most widely used tool was the E5-QD questionnaire. Most of the excluded articles evaluated quality of life but did not provide an estimation of utilities. This review adds value to research on utilities in Spain by gathering values to be included in economic evaluations, as well as by identifying research gaps in this field. The utility values related to mental health identified in this study are similar to those reported in international publications. Copyright © 2013 SESPAS. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

Forward Genetic Screening Using Behavioral Tests in Zebrafish: A Proof of Concept Analysis of Mutants.

Science.gov (United States)

Gerlai, Robert; Poshusta, Tanya L; Rampersad, Mindy; Fernandes, Yohaan; Greenwood, Tammy M; Cousin, Margot A; Klee, Eric W; Clark, Karl J

2017-01-01

The zebrafish enjoys several advantages over other model organisms. It is small, easy to maintain, prolific, and numerous genetic tools are available for it. For example, forward genetic screens have allowed investigators to identify important genes potentially involved in a variety of functions from embryogenesis to cancer. However, despite its sophisticated behavioral repertoire, behavioral methods have rarely been utilized in forward genetic screens. Here, we employ a two-tiered strategy, a proof of concept study, to explore the feasibility of behavioral screens. We generated mutant lines using transposon-based insertional mutagenesis, allowing us to bias mutant selection with target genes expressed within the brain. Furthermore, we employed an efficient and fast behavioral pre-selection in which we investigated the locomotory response of 5-day post-fertilization old larval fish to hyperosmotic shock. Based on this assay, we selected five lines for our lower throughput secondary adult behavioral screen. The latter screen utilized tests in which computer animated image presentation and video-tracking-based automated quantification of behavior allowed us to compare heterozygous zebrafish with their wild-type siblings on their responses to a variety of stimuli. We found significant mutation induced adult behavioral alterations in 4 out of the 5 lines analyzed, including changes in response to social or fear inducing stimuli, to handling and novelty, or in habituation to novelty. We discuss the pros and cons of behavioral phenotyping and of the use of different forward genetic methods in biomedical research with zebrafish.

Utility of Small Animal Models of Developmental Programming.

Science.gov (United States)

Reynolds, Clare M; Vickers, Mark H

2018-01-01

Any effective strategy to tackle the global obesity and rising noncommunicable disease epidemic requires an in-depth understanding of the mechanisms that underlie these conditions that manifest as a consequence of complex gene-environment interactions. In this context, it is now well established that alterations in the early life environment, including suboptimal nutrition, can result in an increased risk for a range of metabolic, cardiovascular, and behavioral disorders in later life, a process preferentially termed developmental programming. To date, most of the mechanistic knowledge around the processes underpinning development programming has been derived from preclinical research performed mostly, but not exclusively, in laboratory mouse and rat strains. This review will cover the utility of small animal models in developmental programming, the limitations of such models, and potential future directions that are required to fully maximize information derived from preclinical models in order to effectively translate to clinical use.

A network architecture supporting consistent rich behavior in collaborative interactive applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Marsh, James; Glencross, Mashhuda; Pettifer, Steve; Hubbold, Roger

2006-01-01

Network architectures for collaborative virtual reality have traditionally been dominated by client-server and peer-to-peer approaches, with peer-to-peer strategies typically being favored where minimizing latency is a priority, and client-server where consistency is key. With increasingly sophisticated behavior models and the demand for better support for haptics, we argue that neither approach provides sufficient support for these scenarios and, thus, a hybrid architecture is required. We discuss the relative performance of different distribution strategies in the face of real network conditions and illustrate the problems they face. Finally, we present an architecture that successfully meets many of these challenges and demonstrate its use in a distributed virtual prototyping application which supports simultaneous collaboration for assembly, maintenance, and training applications utilizing haptics.

Mother-Father Dyad Conflict Strategy Clusters: Implications for Emerging Adults.

Science.gov (United States)

McKinney, Cliff; Walker, Courtney S; Kwan, Janet W

2016-12-01

Research has examined the different parenting styles that are present during emerging adulthood; however, less is known about potential parental conflict strategies that emerging adults may be experiencing during this developmental time period. Conflict strategies are conceptualized in the current study as parents' efforts to regulate, correct, or enforce a consequence in response to their emerging adult child's behavior. Previous research on discipline during childhood and adolescence has suggested the use of harsh discipline (e.g., use of physical force) leads to negative outcomes for children. Despite evidence linking harsh discipline methods to harmful outcomes in various developmental periods and suggested influence of parents in emerging adulthood, very little is known about how parents handle conflict with their emerging adult children. Thus, the present study investigated parental conflict strategies and mental health outcomes of emerging adults. Results revealed a significant parent-child gender interaction for non-violent strategies and psychological aggression. Moreover, results indicated that emerging adult children of parents who utilize similar levels of aggressive methods reported greater psychological problems. The findings from the current study underscore parents' use of conflict strategies when interacting with their emerging adult children, and further emphasize the importance of future research in this area.

"We're Changing Our Ways": Women's Coping Strategies for Obesity Risk-reducing Behaviors in American Indian Households.

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Gadhoke, Preety; Christiansen, Karina; Pardilla, Marla; Frick, Kevin; Gittelsohn, Joel

2015-01-01

This article reveals women caregivers' perceptions and coping strategies to improve households' food and physical activity habits. Results emerged from the pre-intervention formative research phase of a multi-site, multi-level obesity prevention pilot intervention on American Indian (AI) reservations. Using purposive sampling, 250 adults and children participated in qualitative research. Results reveal that having local institutional support was a key structural facilitator. 'Family connectedness' emerged as a key relational facilitator. Hegemony of systems, food deserts, transportation, and weather were key structural barriers; Childcare needs and time constraints were key relational barriers. Women's coping strategies included planning ahead, maximizing, apportioning, tempting healthy, and social support. Findings informed the development and implementation of a novel obesity prevention pilot intervention tailored for each participating AI community addressing culturally relevant messages, institutional policies, and programs. We conclude with future consideration for comparative, ethnicity-based, class-based, and gender-specific studies on women's coping strategies for household health behaviors.

Foraging strategies of the Galapagos Marine Iguana (Amblyrhynchus Cristatus): adapting behavioral rules to ontogenetic size change

OpenAIRE

Wikelski, Martin; Trillmich, Fritz

1994-01-01

Ontogenetic development in reptiles entails major changes in size-related foraging options. We studied the changes in foraging behavior of marine iguanas. In this species, size increases about twenty- to hundredfold from hatching to full adult size. The foraging strategy of marine iguanas was studied at Miedo on Santa Fe Island in the Galapagos archipelago During low tide, large marine iguanas (>250 mm snout vent length (SVL)) foraged more in the lower intertidal than small ones (

Protective Behavioral Strategies and Alcohol Use Outcomes among College Women Drinkers: Does Disordered Eating and Race Moderate This Association?

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Landry, Alicia S.; Moorer, Kayla D.; Madson, Michael B.; Zeigler-Hill, Virgil

2014-01-01

The current study examined the degree to which associations that protective behavioral strategy use had with alcohol consumption and alcohol-related negative consequences were moderated by disordered eating and race. Participants were 382 female undergraduates (ages 18-25) who had consumed alcohol at least once within the previous month.…

CORRELATION BETWEEN BAMBOO UTILIZATION AS EARTHQUAKE RESISTANT HOME CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS WITH COMMUNITY BEHAVIOR IN MAINTAINING ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tineu Indrianeu

2017-12-01

Full Text Available In 2009 Jayapura Village was hit by an earthquake with a strength of 7.3 on the Richter Scale. Many homes were damaged by the quake. The purpose of this study is to analyze the relationship between the utilization of bamboo as a home building material with environmental preservation behavior of Jayapura Village residents. The study population was 1,367 heads of households with a sample of 137 families. The method used in this research is using sequential mixed methods. The result of the research shows that there is a correlation between the two things which is indicated by the correlation value of 0,501 (medium correlation.

Cost-utility analysis of antithyroid drug therapy versus 131I therapy for Graves' disease

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hayashi, Katsumi; Abe, Katsumi; Sakata, Ikuko; Sakaguchi, Chiharu; Yamamoto, Kentaro; Kosuda, Shigeru

2005-01-01

There is no comparative cost-utility study between 131 I therapy and antithyroid drugs (ATD) therapy for Graves' disease, though 131 I therapy has higher remission rate and less side effects. The objective of the study was to analyze the cost-utility of ATD therapy versus 131 I therapy by calculating life-long medical costs and utility, based on the responses of Graves' disease patients to questionnaires. To determine the expected cost and expected utility, a decision tree analysis was designed on the basis of the 2 competing strategies of ATD therapy versus 131 I therapy. A simulation of 1,000 female patients weighing≥50 kg who assumed to experience the onset of Graves' disease at the age of 30, to first complain of thyrotoxic symptoms and moderate goiter 2-3 mo. previously, and to undergo a 40-years-long cohort study, was created for each strategy using a decision tree and baselines of other relevant variables. The variables and costs were based on the literature and hospital bills. The maximum and minimum values of utility were defined as 1.0 and 0.0, respectively. Future costs and utilities were discounted 5%. The medical costs and utilities were 85,739-88,650 yen/patient/40 years and 16.47-16.56/patient/40 years, respectively, for the ATD therapy strategy, and 81,842 yen/patient/40 years and 17.41/patient/40 years, respectively, for the 131 I therapy strategy. These results quantitatively demonstrated that the 131 I therapy strategy was superior to the ATD therapy strategy in terms of both cost and utility. 131 I therapy should be used more widely in Japan because of its greater utility and lower cost. (author)

Strategy use fully mediates the relationship between working memory capacity and performance on Raven's matrices.

Science.gov (United States)

Gonthier, Corentin; Thomassin, Noémylle

2015-10-01

Working memory capacity consistently correlates with fluid intelligence. It has been suggested that this relationship is partly attributable to strategy use: Participants with high working memory capacity would use more effective strategies, in turn leading to higher performance on fluid intelligence tasks. However, this idea has never been directly investigated. In 2 experiments, we tested this hypothesis by directly manipulating strategy use in a combined experimental-correlational approach (Experiment 1; N = 250) and by measuring strategy use with a self-report questionnaire (Experiment 2; N = 93). Inducing all participants to use an effective strategy in Raven's matrices decreased the correlation between working memory capacity and performance; the strategy use measure fully mediated the relationship between working memory capacity and performance on the matrices task. These findings indicate that individual differences in strategic behavior drive the predictive utility of working memory. We interpret the results within a theoretical framework integrating the multiple mediators of the relationship between working memory capacity and high-level cognition. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

Intrapreneurial behavior: an empirical investigation of personality traits

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Farrukh Muhammad

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The study investigated the impact of personality traits on intrapreneurial behavior. Data was collected from 306 employees working in higher education institutions. Structural equation modeling technique was utilized with the help of SmartPLS software. The findings of the study revealed a positive association of extroversion, openness to experiences and emotional stability with intrapreneurial behavior, while a negative impact of conscientiousness, agreeableness on intrapreneurial behavior was recorded. The findings of this study have several implications in the context of HEIs. To enhance the intrapreneurial behavior in the higher educational institutes, the management of the institutions should take positive steps to ensure that employees have personality traits which have shown a significant impact on the intraprenuerial behavior in this study. One strategy top management could consider is that, at the time of recruitment, preference should be given to candidates with higher levels of extroversion, openness to experience and emotional stability. However, among all the traits, the most indicative marker is extroversions followed by emotional stability. Therefore, hiring employees with high levels of extroversion and emotional stability could facilitate more intraprenuerial behavior, which ultimately, will help improve the performance of HEIs. This study with its focus on the micro level foundations of intrapreneurial behavior is one of the first studies in the domain of intrapreneurship.

Effects of hypoxia on ionic regulation, glycogen utilization and antioxidative ability in the gills and liver of the aquatic air-breathing fish Trichogaster microlepis.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Chun-Yen; Lin, Hui-Chen; Lin, Cheng-Huang

2015-01-01

We examined the hypothesis that Trichogaster microlepis, a fish with an accessory air-breathing organ, uses a compensatory strategy involving changes in both behavior and protein levels to enhance its gas exchange ability. This compensatory strategy enables the gill ion-regulatory metabolism to maintain homeostasis during exposure to hypoxia. The present study aimed to determine whether ionic regulation, glycogen utilization and antioxidant activity differ in terms of expression under hypoxic stresses; fish were sampled after being subjected to 3 or 12h of hypoxia and 12h of recovery under normoxia. The air-breathing behavior of the fish increased under hypoxia. No morphological modification of the gills was observed. The expression of carbonic anhydrase II did not vary among the treatments. The Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase enzyme activity did not decrease, but increases in Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase protein expression and ionocyte levels were observed. The glycogen utilization increased under hypoxia as measured by glycogen phosphorylase protein expression and blood glucose level, whereas the glycogen content decreased. The enzyme activity of several components of the antioxidant system in the gills, including catalase, glutathione peroxidase, and superoxidase dismutase, increased in enzyme activity. Based on the above data, we concluded that T. microlepis is a hypoxia-tolerant species that does not exhibit ion-regulatory suppression but uses glycogen to maintain energy utilization in the gills under hypoxic stress. Components of the antioxidant system showed increased expression under the applied experimental treatments. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Nuclear R+D+I in Spanish utilities. Programs and strategies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Farmacia, L.; Casero, M.

2003-01-01

The Spanish Utilities have traditionally devoted important resources to Research. Development and Innovation in the nuclear field in order to improve the technology and the tools needed for its proper management, as well as to increase the knowledge on the phenomena associated to a safe and reliable operation of the Spanish NPPs. The purpose of this article is to show the continuous effort of the Spanish Utilities to get that the research results better meet the NPPs needs, to improve the coordination with other national and international agents with the aim of ensuring an optimum use of the resources and capabilities, and, most of all, to permanently incorporate the lessons learned. (Author)

Practice-level approaches for behavioral counseling and patient health behaviors.

Science.gov (United States)

Balasubramanian, Bijal A; Cohen, Deborah J; Clark, Elizabeth C; Isaacson, Nicole F; Hung, Dorothy Y; Dickinson, L Miriam; Fernald, Douglas H; Green, Larry A; Crabtree, Benjamin F

2008-11-01

There is little empirical evidence to show that a practice-level approach that includes identifying patients in need of health behavior advice and linking them to counseling resources either in the practice or in the community results in improvements in patients' behaviors. This study examined whether patients in primary care practices that had practice-level approaches for physical activity and healthy-diet counseling were more likely to have healthier behaviors than patients in practices without practice-level approaches. A cross-sectional study of 54 primary care practices was conducted from July 2005 to January 2007. Practices were categorized into four groups depending on whether they had both identification tools (health risk assessment, registry) and linking strategies (within practice or to community resources); identification tools but no linking strategies; linking strategies but no identification tools; or neither identification tools nor linking strategies. Controlling for patient and practice characteristics, practices that had both identification tools and linking strategies for physical activity counseling were 80% more likely (95% CI=1.25, 2.59) to have patients who reported exercising regularly compared to practices that lacked both. Also, practices that had either identification tools or linking strategies but not both were approximately 50% more likely to have patients who reported exercising regularly. The use of a greater number of practice-level approaches for physical activity counseling was associated with higher odds of patients' reporting exercising regularly (p for trend=0.0002). Use of identification tools and linking strategies for healthy-eating counseling was not associated with patients' reports of healthy diets. This study suggests that practice-level approaches may enable primary care practices to help patients improve physical activity. However, these approaches may have different effects on different behaviors, and merit further

Effects of management strategies on glucocorticoids and behavior in Indian rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis): translocation and operant conditioning.

Science.gov (United States)

Capiro, Jonnie M; Stoops, Monica A; Freeman, Elizabeth W; Clawson, Dave; Schook, Mandi W

2014-01-01

The ex situ Indian rhino population experienced a decrease in genetic diversity indicating that the breeding program could possibly benefit from novel reproductive management strategies to ensure population sustainability. We sought to determine how management tools used for reproductive management, specifically translocation and operant conditioning, impact physiological and behavioral measures of welfare in Indian rhinos. First, an adrenocorticotropic hormone challenge performed in an adult male resulted in a 38-fold increase in urinary and a 3.5-fold increase in fecal glucocorticoid metabolites (FGM). Mean and peak FGM differed among three females, but all demonstrated elevated (P operant conditioning to stand during transrectal ultrasound exams were monitored and rhinos differed in their mean and peak FGM concentrations. However, FGM were not different before versus during training or on pasture versus in the barn. One female exhibited more stereotypic behavior during training in the barn than on pasture (P operant conditioning only resulted in minimal changes in behaviors and FGM. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals Inc.

A Randomized Trial of the Self-Management Training and Regulation Strategy (STARS): A Selective Intervention for Students with Disruptive Behaviors

Science.gov (United States)

Thompson, Aaron M.

2012-01-01

To attain academic goals, school personnel must effectively manage 20% of students who engage in the disruptive behaviors that interrupt instruction, create teacher stress, and contribute to poor student outcomes. Without effective strategies, school personnel often respond to disruptive students with ineffective authoritarian tactics,…

Impulsive compulsive behaviors in Japanese Parkinson's disease patients and utility of the Japanese version of the Questionnaire for Impulsive-Compulsive Disorders in Parkinson's disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Tanaka, Kenichiro; Wada-Isoe, Kenji; Nakashita, Satoko; Yamamoto, Mikie; Nakashima, Kenji

2013-08-15

In order to evaluate impulsive compulsive behaviors (ICBs), such as pathological gambling, compulsive sexual behavior, compulsive buying, compulsive eating, punding, and dopamine dysregulation syndrome (DDS) in Japanese Parkinson's disease (PD) patients, we constructed a Japanese version of the Questionnaire for Impulsive-Compulsive Disorders in Parkinson's disease (J-QUIP) and evaluated the utility of the J-QUIP in Japanese PD patients. J-QUIP was administered to 121 PD patients. Diagnoses of ICBs were made via interview of patients or their caregivers. Subsequently, in order to evaluate risk factors related to these conditions, we evaluated demographic and clinical characteristics, clinical features, and medications utilized. We were able to administer the J-QUIP to 118 of 121 PD patients (97.5%). Sensitivity and specificity of J-QUIP were similar to that reported for the original version of QUIP. In our study, the actual prevalence of each disorder diagnosed via interview was as follows: pathological gambling (6.5%), compulsive sexual behavior (3.2%), compulsive buying (3.2%), compulsive eating (3.2%), punding (6.5%), and DDS (2.2%). Significantly risk factors for these conditions were younger age (p=0.047), earlier age of disease onset (p=0.015), longer PD duration (p=0.001), total levodopa equivalent dose (p=0.006), and dosage of levodopa (p=0.019). We evaluated the prevalence of ICBs in Japanese PD patients along with factors associated with these behaviors via J-QUIP. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

IMITATION STRATEGIES FOR SME’S LEARNING PROCESS TOWARDS INNOVATION STRATEGIES

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Rina Sulistiyani

2013-01-01

The research results are as follow: the learning experience to use imitation strategy which covers stages of imitation, research, development and  creation. This learning process is the result of interaction between personal and behavior factors, as well as the enabler and barriers. The owners of leather small industries which leave the imitation strategy and switch to innovation strategy are craftsmen who have an entrepreneurial spirit. they are able to balance entrepreneurial and business aspects.

An effective tumor-targeting strategy utilizing hypoxia-sensitive siRNA delivery system for improved anti-tumor outcome.

Science.gov (United States)

Kang, Lin; Fan, Bo; Sun, Ping; Huang, Wei; Jin, Mingji; Wang, Qiming; Gao, Zhonggao

2016-10-15

Hypoxia is a feature of most solid tumors, targeting hypoxia is considered as the best validated yet not extensively exploited strategy in cancer therapy. Here, we reported a novel tumor-targeting strategy using a hypoxia-sensitive siRNA delivery system. In the study, 2-nitroimidazole (NI), a hydrophobic component that can be converted to hydrophilic 2-aminoimidazole (AI) through bioreduction under hypoxic conditions, was conjugated to the alkylated polyethyleneimine (bPEI1.8k-C6) to form amphiphilic bPEI1.8k-C6-NI polycations. bPEI1.8k-C6-NI could self-assemble into micelle-like aggregations in aqueous, which contributed to the improved stability of the bPEI1.8k-C6-NI/siRNA polyplexes, resulted in increased cellular uptake. After being transported into the hypoxic tumor cells, the selective nitro-to-amino reduction would cause structural change and elicit a relatively loose structure to facilitate the siRNA dissociation in the cytoplasm, for enhanced gene silencing efficiency ultimately. Therefore, the conflict between the extracellular stability and the intracellular siRNA release ability of the polyplexes was solved by introducing the hypoxia-responsive unit. Consequently, the survivin-targeted siRNA loaded polyplexes shown remarkable anti-tumor effect not only in hypoxic cells, but also in tumor spheroids and tumor-bearing mice, indicating that the hypoxia-sensitive siRNA delivery system had great potential for tumor-targeted therapy. Hypoxia is one of the most remarkable features of most solid tumors, and targeting hypoxia is considered as the best validated strategy in cancer therapy. However, in the past decades, there were few reports about using this strategy in the drug delivery system, especially in siRNA delivery system. Therefore, we constructed a hypoxia-sensitive siRNA delivery system utilizing a hypoxia-responsive unit, 2-nitroimidazole, by which the unavoidable conflict between improved extracellular stability and promoted intracellular si

Experiences of burnout and coping strategies utilized by occupational therapists.

Science.gov (United States)

Gupta, Sangeeta; Paterson, Margo L; Lysaght, Rosemary M; von Zweck, Claudia M

2012-04-01

Work-related stress and burnout have been found to lead to job dissatisfaction, low-organizational commitment, absenteeism, and high turnover. The purpose of this study was to examine the burnout experiences of occupational therapists practicing in Ontario and to describe the practice implications and coping strategies employed. Data for this mixed methods study were collected using the Maslach Burnout Inventory-General Survey, Areas of Worklife Survey, focus groups, and interviews in the hermeneutics tradition. High levels of emotional exhaustion were reported by 34.8% of participants, high levels of cynicism by 43.5%, and low professional efficacy by 24.6%. Practice issues included excessive demands on time, conflict, and lack of autonomy and respect. Coping strategies included spending time with family and maintaining professional/personal balance, control of work responsibilities, maintaining a sense of humor, and self-awareness/self-monitoring. This study contributes to understanding the practice challenges for occupational therapists, factors that contribute to therapist burnout, and strategies employed to maintain competent practice.

Is vaccination good value for money? A review of cost-utility analyses of vaccination strategies in eight European countries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marco Barbieri

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Objective: The objective of this study is to review published cost-utility analyses of vaccination strategies in eight European countries and to assess whether there are differences in cost-effectiveness terms among countries and vaccinations. Methods: A systematic search of the literature was conducted using the National Health Service Economic Evaluation Database and the PubMed database. Cost-utility analyses of any type of vaccination that used quality-adjusted life years (QALYs as measure of benefit and conducted in Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden, the Netherlands or the UK were included. Results: A total of 94 studies were identified. As a result of our search methodology, the vast majority of studies were conducted in the Netherlands or UK (33 and 30 studies, respectively. The most frequent vaccination types were against Human papillomavirus (HPV with 23 studies, followed by vaccination against pneumococcal infections (19 studies. The analysed vaccinations were generally cost-effective but with high variability. Considering an incremental cost effectiveness ratio (ICER of 40,000€/QALY, we noticed that the following vaccinations studies are below this threshold, i.e. all varicella and influenza (with one outlier studies, 90% of the studies for HPV and 75% of the studies for pneumococcal vaccinations. Rotavirus vaccination was considered as not cost-effective, with only 30% of studies below the threshold of 40,000€/QALY. There was no clear trend for vaccinations being more cost-effective in some countries. Conclusions: The published literature has shown that vaccination strategies are generally cost-effective in European countries. High heterogeneity in the results among studies and countries was found.

Tacit Knowledge Capture and the Brain-Drain at Electrical Utilities

Science.gov (United States)

Perjanik, Nicholas Steven

As a consequence of an aging workforce, electric utilities are at risk of losing their most experienced and knowledgeable electrical engineers. In this research, the problem was a lack of understanding of what electric utilities were doing to capture the tacit knowledge or know-how of these engineers. The purpose of this qualitative research study was to explore the tacit knowledge capture strategies currently used in the industry by conducting a case study of 7 U.S. electrical utilities that have demonstrated an industry commitment to improving operational standards. The research question addressed the implemented strategies to capture the tacit knowledge of retiring electrical engineers and technical personnel. The research methodology involved a qualitative embedded case study. The theories used in this study included knowledge creation theory, resource-based theory, and organizational learning theory. Data were collected through one time interviews of a senior electrical engineer or technician within each utility and a workforce planning or training professional within 2 of the 7 utilities. The analysis included the use of triangulation and content analysis strategies. Ten tacit knowledge capture strategies were identified: (a) formal and informal on-boarding mentorship and apprenticeship programs, (b) formal and informal off-boarding mentorship programs, (c) formal and informal training programs, (d) using lessons learned during training sessions, (e) communities of practice, (f) technology enabled tools, (g) storytelling, (h) exit interviews, (i) rehiring of retirees as consultants, and (j) knowledge risk assessments. This research contributes to social change by offering strategies to capture the know-how needed to ensure operational continuity in the delivery of safe, reliable, and sustainable power.

Developmental trajectories of religiosity, sexual conservatism and sexual behavior among female adolescents.

Science.gov (United States)

Aalsma, Matthew C; Woodrome, Stacy E; Downs, Sarah M; Hensel, Devon J; Zimet, Gregory D; Orr, Don P; Fortenberry, J Dennis

2013-12-01

Understanding the role of socio-sexual cognitions and religiosity on adolescent sexual behavior could guide adolescent sexual health efforts. The present study utilized longitudinal data from 328 young women to assess the role of religion and socio-sexual cognitions on sexual behavior accrual (measuring both coital and non-coital sexual behavior). In the final triple conditional trajectory structural equation model, religiosity declined over time and then increased to baseline levels. Additionally, religiosity predicted decreased sexual conservatism and decreased sexual conservatism predicted increased sexual behavior. The final models are indicative of young women's increasing accrual of sexual experience, decreasing sexual conservatism and initial decreasing religiosity. The results of this study suggest that decreased religiosity affects the accrual of sexual experience through decreased sexual conservatism. Effective strategies of sexual health promotion should include an understanding of the complex role of socio-sexual attitudes with religiosity. Copyright © 2013 The Foundation for Professionals in Services for Adolescents. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Behavior Management: Examining the Functions of Behavior

Science.gov (United States)

Alstot, Andrew E.; Alstot, Crystal D.

2015-01-01

Appropriate student behavior is essential for the success of a physical education lesson. Despite using effective proactive management strategies, teachers may need to also use reactive techniques to reduce problem behaviors by applying suitable consequences. For these consequences to be effective, they must be aligned with the function, or cause,…

The politics and strategy of industry self-regulation: the pharmaceutical industry's principles for ethical direct-to-consumer advertising as a deceptive blocking strategy.

Science.gov (United States)

Arnold, Denis G; Oakley, James L

2013-06-01

As the pharmaceutical industry lobbies European regulators to permit direct-to-consumer advertising (DTCA) of prescription drugs in the European Union, we found that five leading companies violated industry-developed and -promulgated standards for ethical advertising in the United States. Utilizing multiple data sources and methods, we demonstrate a consistent failure by companies that market erectile dysfunction drugs to comply with the industry's guiding principles for ethical DTCA over a four-year period despite pledges of compliance by company leaders. Noncompliance resulted in children being exposed to sexually themed promotional messages more than 100 billion times. We argue that the guidelines are a coordinated effort by the industry to prevent unwanted federal regulation, and we introduce the concept of a blocking strategy to explain company behavior and to advance theoretical understanding of firms' public affairs strategies. We recommend policy responses to prevent deceptive practices, protect children from adult content, and promote genuine health care education.

Recent advances in microbial production of mannitol: utilization of low-cost substrates, strain development and regulation strategies.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Min; Gu, Lei; Cheng, Chao; Ma, Jiangfeng; Xin, Fengxue; Liu, Junli; Wu, Hao; Jiang, Min

2018-02-26

Mannitol has been widely used in fine chemicals, pharmaceutical industries, as well as functional foods due to its excellent characteristics, such as antioxidant protecting, regulation of osmotic pressure and non-metabolizable feature. Mannitol can be naturally produced by microorganisms. Compared with chemical manufacturing, microbial production of mannitol provides high yield and convenience in products separation; however the fermentative process has not been widely adopted yet. A major obstacle to microbial production of mannitol under industrial-scale lies in the low economical efficiency, owing to the high cost of fermentation medium, leakage of fructose, low mannitol productivity. In this review, recent advances in improving the economical efficiency of microbial production of mannitol were reviewed, including utilization of low-cost substrates, strain development for high mannitol yield and process regulation strategies for high productivity.

Utilizing the ultrasensitive Schistosoma up-converting phosphor lateral flow circulating anodic antigen (UCP-LF CAA) assay for sample pooling-strategies.

Science.gov (United States)

Corstjens, Paul L A M; Hoekstra, Pytsje T; de Dood, Claudia J; van Dam, Govert J

2017-11-01

Methodological applications of the high sensitivity genus-specific Schistosoma CAA strip test, allowing detection of single worm active infections (ultimate sensitivity), are discussed for efficient utilization in sample pooling strategies. Besides relevant cost reduction, pooling of samples rather than individual testing can provide valuable data for large scale mapping, surveillance, and monitoring. The laboratory-based CAA strip test utilizes luminescent quantitative up-converting phosphor (UCP) reporter particles and a rapid user-friendly lateral flow (LF) assay format. The test includes a sample preparation step that permits virtually unlimited sample concentration with urine, reaching ultimate sensitivity (single worm detection) at 100% specificity. This facilitates testing large urine pools from many individuals with minimal loss of sensitivity and specificity. The test determines the average CAA level of the individuals in the pool thus indicating overall worm burden and prevalence. When requiring test results at the individual level, smaller pools need to be analysed with the pool-size based on expected prevalence or when unknown, on the average CAA level of a larger group; CAA negative pools do not require individual test results and thus reduce the number of tests. Straightforward pooling strategies indicate that at sub-population level the CAA strip test is an efficient assay for general mapping, identification of hotspots, determination of stratified infection levels, and accurate monitoring of mass drug administrations (MDA). At the individual level, the number of tests can be reduced i.e. in low endemic settings as the pool size can be increased as opposed to prevalence decrease. At the sub-population level, average CAA concentrations determined in urine pools can be an appropriate measure indicating worm burden. Pooling strategies allowing this type of large scale testing are feasible with the various CAA strip test formats and do not affect

Strategies for enhancing information, motivation, and skills for self-management behavior changes: a qualitative study of diabetes care for older adults in Korea.

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Choi, Suyoung; Song, Misoon; Chang, Sun Ju; Kim, Se-An

2014-01-01

To describe strategies for enhancing information, motivation, and skills related to changes in diabetes self-management behavior among community-dwelling older adults in Korea. A total of five focus group interviews (three separate focus groups) were conducted with 12 older adults with type 2 diabetes and five diabetes educators. Qualitative content analysis was used. "One's own willingness and ability" emerged as a fundamental belief about the strategies for diabetes self-management. Six major themes under three categories were identified. Under the information category, the recurrent themes were: 1) repeatedly offering detailed knowledge regarding self-management, 2) providing information about current health status, and 3) identifying experiential knowledge of blood glucose control. The recurrent themes in the motivation category were: 1) ensuring a positive attitude regarding self-management, and 2) encouragement or feedback from significant others. Furthermore, in the skills category, we found that the following theme emerged: hands-on skills training with numerical standards. This study identified six tailored strategies for enhancing information, motivation, and skills for diabetes self-management behavior changes. These strategies can be used in the development of a culturally sensitive diabetes self-management program for older adults.

A Contextual Behavior Science Framework for Understanding How Behavioral Flexibility Relates to Anxiety.

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Palm Reed, Kathleen M; Cameron, Amy Y; Ameral, Victoria E

2017-09-01

There is a growing literature focusing on the emerging idea that behavioral flexibility, rather than particular emotion regulation strategies per se, provides greater promise in predicting and influencing anxiety-related psychopathology. Yet this line of research and theoretical analysis appear to be plagued by its own challenges. For example, middle-level constructs, such as behavioral flexibility, are difficult to define, difficult to measure, and difficult to interpret in relation to clinical interventions. A key point that some researchers have made is that previous studies examining flexible use of emotion regulation strategies (or, more broadly, coping) have failed due to a lack of focus on context. That is, examining strategies in isolation of the context in which they are used provides limited information on the suitability, rigid adherence, or effectiveness of a given strategy in that situation. Several of these researchers have proposed the development of new models to define and measure various types of behavioral flexibility. We would like to suggest that an explanation of the phenomenon already exists and that we can go back to our behavioral roots to understand this phenomenon rather than focusing on defining and capturing a new process. Indeed, thorough contextual behavioral analyses already yield a useful account of what has been observed. We will articulate a model explaining behavioral flexibility using a functional, contextual framework, with anxiety-related disorders as an example.

The Effectiveness of the Unified Protocol on Emotional Dysregulation and Cognitive Emotion Regulation Strategies in Patients with Psychosomatic Disorders

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Mina Mazaheri

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Background: The unified treatment approach (UP is an emotion-focused cognitive-behavioral therapy in which the main object of treatment is emotional processes. The aim of the present research was to examine the effectiveness of The Unified Protocol (UP on emotional dysregulation and cognitive emotion regulation strategies in patients with psychosomatic disorders. Methods: Emotion-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (ECBT, a unified treatment, with 12 weekly group sessions of 2 hours, was presented to 14 patients with psychosomatic complaints at the Subspecialty Center of Psychiatry in Isfahan in 2013. Pre- and post-intervention assessments were done by means of the self-report tests of Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS and Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ. Results: Significant reductions in post-test scores of total emotional dysregulation (P < 0.01 as well as the factors of non-acceptance (P < 0.05 and strategy (P < 0.01 were seen, while the other factors (goal, impulse, awareness, and clarity did not change. Moreover, a significant reduction was observed in the catastrophizing strategy score (P < 0.05, in comparison with other cognitive strategies. Conclusion: This pilot study including 14 patients with psychosomatic disorders indicates that the Unified treatment approach is an effective treatment in improvement of emotional dysregulation and in reduction of utilizing maladaptive cognitive strategies.

The Effects of Stigma on Determinants of Mental Health Help-Seeking Behaviors Among Male College Students: An Application of the Information-Motivation-Behavioral Skills Model.

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DeBate, Rita DiGioacchino; Gatto, Amy; Rafal, Gregor

2018-05-01

Considered a public health issue, the prevalence and severity of poor mental well-being on college campuses has continued to rise. While many college campuses offer mental health counseling services, and utilization rates are increasing, their proportional usage is low especially among males, who often deal with poor mental well-being by adopting unhealthy coping strategies. The purpose of this study was to use the Information-Motivation-Behavioral Skills (IMB) model to assess the relationship between the determinants as factors that may impact help-seeking behaviors in a large sample ( n = 1,242) of male college students. Employing a cross-sectional study design, a 71-item online survey assessed information via total mental health literacy (MHL), motivation via attitudes toward mental health and subjective norms regarding mental health, and behavioral skills via intentions regarding help-seeking behaviors, and stigma. Results revealed correlations between information and motivation ( r = .363, p < .01), information and behavioral skills ( r = .166, p < .01), and motivation and behavioral skills ( r = .399, p < .01). Multiple regression was used to determine stigma is a mediator for all relationships. These findings represent an opportunity to take a public health approach to male mental health through developing multilayered interventions that address information, motivation, behavioral skills, and stigma.

Relationship between information-seeking behavior and innovative behavior in Chinese nursing students.

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Zhong, Zhuqing; Hu, Dehua; Zheng, Feng; Ding, Siqing; Luo, Aijing

2018-04-01

In the information-based economy, information literacy has become the foundation of scientific literacy, and provides the basis for innovative growth. Exploring the relationship between information-seeking behaviors and innovative behaviors of nursing students could help guide the development of information literacy education and training for nursing students. The relationship between information-seeking behavior and innovative behavior in nursing students has received little attention, however. This study aims to explore the relationship between information-seeking behavior and innovative behavior of nursing students. Nursing students in Xiangya Medical School, Central South University and Medical School of Hunan Normal University in the Chinese Province of Hunan were surveyed with an information-seeking behavior scale and an innovative behavior scale. A total of 1247 nursing students were included in the final analysis. The results showed that both information-seeking behavior and innovative behavior were significantly better in undergraduates than in junior college nursing students (P information-seeking behavior was positively related to innovative behavior (r = 0.63, P information-seeking behavior were also correlated with innovative behavior in varying degrees. Furthermore, information utilization was proved to be the strongest predictor of innovative behavior. Information-seeking behavior is positively associated with innovative behavior among nursing students. There is a need to integrate information literacy education with information retrieval courses, especially in the aspects of information utilization, retrieval, and assessment. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.