Impact mitigation using kinematic constraints and the full space parameterization method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Morgansen, K.A.; Pin, F.G.

1996-02-01

A new method for mitigating unexpected impact of a redundant manipulator with an object in its environment is presented. Kinematic constraints are utilized with the recently developed method known as Full Space Parameterization (FSP). System performance criterion and constraints are changed at impact to return the end effector to the point of impact and halt the arm. Since large joint accelerations could occur as the manipulator is halted, joint acceleration bounds are imposed to simulate physical actuator limitations. Simulation results are presented for the case of a simple redundant planar manipulator.

Constraints on the pre-impact orbits of Solar system giant impactors

Science.gov (United States)

Jackson, Alan P.; Gabriel, Travis S. J.; Asphaug, Erik I.

2018-03-01

We provide a fast method for computing constraints on impactor pre-impact orbits, applying this to the late giant impacts in the Solar system. These constraints can be used to make quick, broad comparisons of different collision scenarios, identifying some immediately as low-probability events, and narrowing the parameter space in which to target follow-up studies with expensive N-body simulations. We benchmark our parameter space predictions, finding good agreement with existing N-body studies for the Moon. We suggest that high-velocity impact scenarios in the inner Solar system, including all currently proposed single impact scenarios for the formation of Mercury, should be disfavoured. This leaves a multiple hit-and-run scenario as the most probable currently proposed for the formation of Mercury.

Production constraints and perceived marketing problems of stock ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

In an endeavour to improve the livestock production and particularly the marketing of livestock in the Northern Communal Areas of Namibia, this study analyses the perception of livestock farmers in this regard. The low off-take percentage is the most serious production constraint, but marketing, although a constraint, is not ...

Perceived Impact of Private Sector Involvement In Water Supply on ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Perceived Impact of Private Sector Involvement In Water Supply on the Urban Poor in Dar es Salaam. ... Tanzania Journal of Development Studies ... Dar es Salaam is not perceived to be a panacea to the water problems facing the urban poor.

The Impact of Credit Constraints on Housing Demand: Assessed with Endogenous Price and Expenditure

OpenAIRE

Li, Yarui; Leatham, David J.

2013-01-01

This article assesses the impact of credit constraints on housing demand with price and expenditure treated as endogenous variables. Using AIDS model, we find the model without controlling for endogeneities tends to underestimate the impact of credit constraint on the budget shares and the estimates are less significant.

Synchronization of impacting mechanical systems with a single constraint

Science.gov (United States)

Baumann, Michael; Biemond, J. J. Benjamin; Leine, Remco I.; van de Wouw, Nathan

2018-01-01

This paper addresses the synchronization problem of mechanical systems subjected to a single geometric unilateral constraint. The impacts of the individual systems, induced by the unilateral constraint, generally do not coincide even if the solutions are arbitrarily 'close' to each other. The mismatch in the impact time instants demands a careful choice of the distance function to allow for an intuitively correct comparison of the discontinuous solutions resulting from the impacts. We propose a distance function induced by the quotient metric, which is based on an equivalence relation using the impact map. The distance function obtained in this way is continuous in time when evaluated along jumping solutions. The property of maximal monotonicity, which is fulfilled by most commonly used impact laws, is used to significantly reduce the complexity of the distance function. Based on the simplified distance function, a Lyapunov function is constructed to investigate the synchronization problem for two identical one-dimensional mechanical systems. Sufficient conditions for the uncoupled individual systems are provided under which local synchronization is guaranteed. Furthermore, we present an interaction law which ensures global synchronization, also in the presence of grazing trajectories and accumulation points (Zeno behavior). The results are illustrated using numerical examples of a 1-DOF mechanical impact oscillator which serves as stepping stone in the direction of more general systems.

The impact of financial constraints and incentives on professional autonomy.

Science.gov (United States)

Lewis, Jenny M; Marjoribanks, Tim

2003-01-01

General practice has been the subject of extensive reforms over the 1990s in Australia as elsewhere. Reforms have attempted to improve quality and contain the overall cost of health care, and have often been seen as reducing the autonomy of medical professionals. This paper examines the impact of financial constraints and incentives introduced during the 1990s on Australian GPs' perceptions of autonomy. An existing seven component definition of autonomy and six themes that emerged from reviewing publications were used to construct focus group questions. A total of 25 GPs participated in four focus groups. Those who participated believe that their financial autonomy has been diminished by policy changes and consumer expectations. They also perceive that their ability to control clinical decisions, which they regard as the most important aspect of professional autonomy, has been reduced along with financial autonomy. Organized medicine in Australia sees financial accountability and clinical decision making as polar opposites, and has continued to argue that fee-for-service payment is the only appropriate method of remuneration, despite increasing evidence that this does not guarantee clinical autonomy. Major changes to the financing of general practice in Australia are required to address the concerns of GPs, governments and patients.

The impact of perceived risk on on-line purchase behaviour

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Charlene Gerber

2014-12-01

Full Text Available To avoid risks, consumers tend to be failry thoughtful decision makers. Research has shown that consumers perceive risks associated with purchasing online and as a result online purchasing has not yet reached the numbers that were projected. In order for e-commerce to live up to its full potential, online retailers should gain an understanding of which perceived risks online purchasing consumers are most concerned with. This study aimed to assess the impact of perceived risk on online buying behaviour. Personal interview surveys were conducted in an emerging market whereby 200 respondents that have access to the internet were interviewed in selected malls with regards to their perceived risks when buying online. The results showed that perceived risk does have an impact on online buying behaviour, and that consumers that have not bought online in the past are likely not to do so in the future. The results show that characteristics of emerging markets are sufficiently distinct from developed markets in that consumers in developed markets seem to be more conservative when buying online. Marketers should therefore developed alternative marketing programs when communicating to these markets in an attempt to persuade consumers to buy online

Perceived and calculated health risks: do the impacts differ

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Payne, B.A.; Williams, R.G.

1986-01-01

In many cases of radioactive and hazardous waste management, some members of the general public perceive that human health risks associated with the wastes are higher than the calculated risks. Calculated risks are projections that have been derived from models, and it is these risks that are usually used as the basis for waste management. However, for various reasons, the calculated risks are often considered by the public as too low or inappropriate. The reasons that calculated risks are not perceived as accurate and the factors that affect these perceptions are explored in this paper. Also discussed are the impacts related to the perceived and calculated health risks: what they are, and if and how they differ. The kinds of potential impacts examined are health effects, land value changes, and social, transportation, and economic effects. The paper concludes with a discussion of the implications of incorporating these different risk perspectives in decisions on waste management

Impact of Perceived Healthiness of Food on Food Choices and Intake.

Science.gov (United States)

Provencher, Véronique; Jacob, Raphaëlle

2016-03-01

Healthy eating is an important determinant of health, but adherence to dietary guidelines remains a public health concern. Identifying factors that impact dietary habits is therefore important to facilitate healthy eating. One widely used strategy to help consumers make healthier food choices is nutrition information, such as labeling and claims. Despite the intention of these strategies to improve decision making, they can also be misunderstood or misinterpreted by consumers. The aim of this review is to explore food perceptions by examining how cognitive factors influence perceived healthiness of food, and the impact of perceived healthiness of food on food choices and intake. Overall findings of this review suggest that cognitive factors, such as type of food and branding, significantly contribute to judgmental bias and have an impact on perceived healthiness while not consistently or systematically influencing choice and intake.

The perceived constraints, motivation, and physical activity levels of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The purpose of this research was threefold; Are Korean youth physically active to promote health during leisure time? What constraints to physical active do youth experience during leisure time? Are there relationships among constraints, motivation, and physical activity level? Of 1 280 youth randomly selected by a ...

The impact of a sustainability constraint on the mean-tracking error efficient frontier

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Boudt, K.M.R.; Cornelissen, J.; Croux, C.

2013-01-01

Most socially responsible investment funds combine a sustainability objective with a tracking error constraint. We characterize the impact of a sustainability constraint on the mean-tracking error efficient frontier and illustrate this on a universe of US stocks for the period 2003-2010. © 2013

Exploring the impact of constraints in quantum optimal control through a kinematic formulation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Donovan, Ashley; Beltrani, Vincent; Rabitz, Herschel

2013-01-01

Highlights: • This work lays a foundation for studying constraints in quantum control simulations. • The underlying quantum control landscape in the presence of constraints is explored. • Constrained controls can encounter suboptimal traps in the landscape. • The controls are kinematic stand-ins for dynamic time-dependent controls. • A method is developed to transfer between constrained kinematic and dynamic controls. - Abstract: The control of quantum dynamics with tailored laser fields is finding growing experimental success. In practice, experiments will be subject to constraints on the controls that may prevent full optimization of the objective. A framework is presented for systematically investigating the impact of constraints in quantum optimal control simulations using a two-stage process starting with simple time-independent kinematic controls, which act as stand-ins for the traditional dynamic controls. The objective is a state-to-state transition probability, and constraints are introduced by restricting the kinematic control variables during optimization. As a second stage, the means to map from kinematic to dynamic controls is presented, thus enabling a simplified overall procedure for exploring how limited resources affect the ability to optimize the objective. A demonstration of the impact of imposing several types of kinematic constraints is investigated, thereby offering insight into constrained quantum controls

Misconceptions and constraints

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Whitten, M.; Mahon, R.

2005-01-01

In theory, the sterile insect technique (SIT) is applicable to a wide variety of invertebrate pests. However, in practice, the approach has been successfully applied to only a few major pests. Chapters in this volume address possible reasons for this discrepancy, e.g. Klassen, Lance and McInnis, and Robinson and Hendrichs. The shortfall between theory and practice is partly due to the persistence of some common misconceptions, but it is mainly due to one constraint, or a combination of constraints, that are biological, financial, social or political in nature. This chapter's goal is to dispel some major misconceptions, and view the constraints as challenges to overcome, seeing them as opportunities to exploit. Some of the common misconceptions include: (1) released insects retain residual radiation, (2) females must be monogamous, (3) released males must be fully sterile, (4) eradication is the only goal, (5) the SIT is too sophisticated for developing countries, and (6) the SIT is not a component of an area-wide integrated pest management (AW-IPM) strategy. The more obvious constraints are the perceived high costs of the SIT, and the low competitiveness of released sterile males. The perceived high up-front costs of the SIT, their visibility, and the lack of private investment (compared with alternative suppression measures) emerge as serious constraints. Failure to appreciate the true nature of genetic approaches, such as the SIT, may pose a significant constraint to the wider adoption of the SIT and other genetically-based tactics, e.g. transgenic genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Lack of support for the necessary underpinning strategic research also appears to be an important constraint. Hence the case for extensive strategic research in ecology, population dynamics, genetics, and insect behaviour and nutrition is a compelling one. Raising the competitiveness of released sterile males remains the major research objective of the SIT. (author)

Impact of Mentoring on Perceived Adequacy of Extrinsic ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This study examined the impact of informal mentoring on perceived adequacy of extrinsic organizational rewards such as pay, promotion and fringe benefit. Data were obtained from 161 employees through a survey of a public health organisation in south-western Nigeria. Hierarchical regression analysis revealed that ...

The ecological impacts of marine debris: unraveling the demonstrated evidence from what is perceived.

Science.gov (United States)

Rochman, Chelsea M; Browne, Mark Anthony; Underwood, A J; van Franeker, Jan A; Thompson, Richard C; Amaral-Zettler, Linda A

2016-02-01

Anthropogenic debris contaminates marine habitats globally, leading to several perceived ecological impacts. Here, we critically and systematically review the literature regarding impacts of debris from several scientific fields to understand the weight of evidence regarding the ecological impacts of marine debris. We quantified perceived and demonstrated impacts across several levels of biological organization that make up the ecosystem and found 366 perceived threats of debris across all levels. Two hundred and ninety-six of these perceived threats were tested, 83% of which were demonstrated. The majority (82%) of demonstrated impacts were due to plastic, relative to other materials (e.g., metals, glass) and largely (89%) at suborganismal levels (e.g., molecular, cellular, tissue). The remaining impacts, demonstrated at higher levels of organization (i.e., death to individual organisms, changes in assemblages), were largely due to plastic marine debris (> 1 mm; e.g., rope, straws, and fragments). Thus, we show evidence of ecological impacts from marine debris, but conclude that the quantity and quality of research requires improvement to allow the risk of ecological impacts of marine debris to be determined with precision. Still, our systematic review suggests that sufficient evidence exists for decision makers to begin to mitigate problematic plastic debris now, to avoid risk of irreversible harm.

Reproductive management of dairy herds in New Zealand: attitudes, priorities and constraints perceived by farmers managing seasonal-calving, pasture-based herds in four regions.

Science.gov (United States)

Brownlie, T S; Weir, A M; Tarbotton, I; Morton, J M; Heuer, C; McDougall, S

2011-01-01

To examine attitudes, priorities, and constraints pertaining to herd reproductive management perceived by farmers managing seasonal-calving, pasture-based dairy herds in four regions of New Zealand, and to explore how these varied with demographic and biophysical factors. Key decision makers (KDM) on 133 dairy herds in four dairy regions (Waikato, Taranaki, and north and south Canterbury) were interviewed between May and July 2009. They were asked to provide demographic and biophysical data about the farm, and to rate their attitude in relation to their own personality traits, management issues and priorities, and likely constraints affecting reproductive performance in their herds. Associations between demographic factors and attitudes, priorities and constraints were analysed using univariable and multivariable proportional-odds regression models. Farms in the regions studied in the South Island were larger, had larger herds and more staff than farms in the regions studied in the North Island. The farms in the South Island were more likely to be owned by a corporation, managed by younger people or people who had more education, and the herds were more likely to be fed a higher percentage of supplementary feed. The majority of KDM rated the current genetics, milksolids performance and reproductive performance of their herds as high or very high, and >70% believed that the reproductive performance had remained the same or improved over the preceding 3 years. Despite this, improving reproductive performance was the most highly rated priority for the next 3 years. The constraints considered most likely to have affected reproductive performance in the last 2 years were anoestrous cows, protracted calving periods, and low body condition scores; those considered least likely were artificial breeding and heat detection. Of the variables examined related to attitudes, priorities and likely constraints, there were significant differences between region for 10/40, and with

Role of Travel Motivations, Perceived Risks and Travel Constraints on Destination Image and Visit Intention in Medical Tourism

Science.gov (United States)

Khan, Mohammad J.; Chelliah, Shankar; Haron, Mahmod S.; Ahmed, Sahrish

2017-01-01

Travel motivations, perceived risks and travel constraints, along with the attributes and characteristics of medical tourism destinations, are important issues in medical tourism. Although the importance of these factors is already known, a comprehensive theoretical model of the decision-making process of medical tourists has yet to be established, analysing the intricate relationships between the different variables involved. This article examines a large body of literature on both medical and conventional tourism in order to propose a comprehensive theoretical framework of medical tourism decision-making. Many facets of this complex phenomenon require further empirical investigation. PMID:28417022

The Impact of Gender, Occupation, and Presence of Children on Telecommuting Motivations and Constraints

OpenAIRE

Mokhtarian, Patricia L.; Bagley, Michael N.; Salomon, Ilan

1998-01-01

Accurate forecasts of the adoption and impacts of telecommuting depend on an understanding of what motivates individuals to adopt telecommuting and what constraints prevent them from doing so, since these motivations and constraints offer insight into who is likely to telecommute under what circumstances. Telecommuting motivations and constraints are likely to differ by various segments of society. In this study, we analyze differences in these variables due to gender, occupation, and presenc...

Perceived Impact of Health Sector Reform on Motivation of Health ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Perceived Impact of Health Sector Reform on Motivation of Health Workers and Quality of Health Care in Tanzania: the Perspectives of Healthcare Workers and District Council Health Managers in Four Districts.

Identification of facility constraints that impact transportation operations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peterson, R.W.; Pope, R.B.

1990-01-01

As Federal waste Management Systems (FWMS) receiving facilities become available, the US Department of Energy (DOE) intends to begin accepting spent nuclear fuel from US utilities for eventual permanent disposal. Transporting the radioactive spent fuel to the repository will require development of a complex network of equipment, services, and operations personnel that will comprise the Transportation Operations System. This paper identifies and discusses, in a qualitative manner, the key reactor facility constraints that will eventually need to be assessed in detail on a site-specific basis to guide the development of the FWMS transportation cask fleet. This evaluation of constraints is needed to assess their impact on the size, composition, availability, and use of the cask fleet and to assist in the development of the transportation system support facilities such as a cask maintenance facility. Such assessment will also be needed to support decisions on modifying shipping facilities (i.e., reactors), identification and design of interface hardware, and on the designs of receiving facilities

Big Bang Nucleosynthesis: Impact of Nuclear Physics Uncertainties on Baryonic Matter Density Constraints

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, Michael S.; Roberts, Luke F.; Hix, W. Raphael; Bruner, Blake D.; Kozub, Raymond L.; Tytler, David; Fuller, George M.; Lingerfelt, Eric; Nesaraja, Caroline D.

2008-01-01

We performed new Big Bang Nucleosynthesis simulations with the bigbangonline.org suite of codes to determine, from the nuclear physics perspective, the highest achievable precision of the constraint on the baryon-to-photo ratio η given current observational uncertainties. We also performed sensitivity studies to determine the impact that particular nuclear physics measurements would have on the uncertainties of predicted abundances and on the η constraint

Big Bang Nucleosynthesis: Impact of Nuclear Physics Uncertainties on Baryonic Matter Density Constraints

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, Michael Scott; Bruner, Blake D; KOZUB, RAYMOND L.; Roberts, Luke F.; Tytler, David; Fuller, George M.; Lingerfelt, Eric; Hix, William Raphael; Nesaraja, Caroline D

2008-01-01

We ran new Big Bang Nucleosynthesis simulations with the bigbangonline.org suite of codes to determine, from the nuclear physics perspective, the highest achievable precision of the constraint on the baryon-to-photo ratio eta given current observational uncertainties. We also ran sensitivity studies to determine the impact that particular nuclear physics measurements would have on the uncertainties of predicted abundances and on the eta constraint

Impact of constraints and rules of user-involvement methods for IS concept creation and specification

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Mika Yasuoka; Ohno, Takehiko; Nakatani, Momoko

2015-01-01

ideas. In this paper, by exemplifying our user-involvement method with game elements, ICT Service Design Game, in comparison with conventional brainstorming, we show the impact of constraints and rules in user-involvement methods when creating service concepts and specifications for information systems....... The analysis is based on a comparative experiment on two design methods and shows that the constraints and rules of our game approach fostered innovative idea generation in spite of participants’ limited knowledge of and experience with design processes. Although our analysis is still in a preliminary stage......, it indicates some positive impact of constraints and rules in design methods, especially when the methods are used by non-design professionals....

Worth the "Likes"? The Use of Facebook among Plastic Surgeons and Its Perceived Impact.

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Jessica B; Woo, Shoshana L; Cederna, Paul S

2015-05-01

Facebook is the leading online media platform used by plastic surgeons. This study examined Facebook use among plastic surgeons and its perceived impact. A survey on Facebook use was distributed to two groups of plastic surgeons: 500 with professional Facebook pages and 500 without Facebook pages. Responses were stripped of identifying information and analyzed for statistical significance (p Facebook reported a negative impact on their practice, whereas 57 percent reported a very positive or positive impact. There was no correlation with perceived impact and number of "likes." Perceived advantages of Facebook included facilitation of patient feedback/communication (77 percent) and increased practice exposure (67 percent). Many surgeons (15 to 36 percent) did not follow the direct impact of Facebook on their practices. Some reported that Facebook was responsible for only one to 50 professional Web site hits and less than 5 percent of their new patient referrals in the past year. Estimated conversion-to-surgery rates were highly variable for Facebook users and nonusers. Most Facebook nonusers (67 percent) expected a "neutral" impact, expressing more concerns about unsolicited advertising (51 percent) and wasting time (47 percent). Plastic surgeons tend to perceive Facebook's impact on their practices as positive, but most do not track its direct effects on professional Web site hits, new referrals, or conversion-to-surgery rates. Plastic surgeons using Facebook are encouraged to monitor these parameters to determine whether its continued use is actually worthwhile.

The roles of constraint-based and dedication-based influences on user's continued online shopping behavior.

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Su-Chao; Chou, Chi-Min

2012-11-01

The objective of this study was to determine empirically the role of constraint-based and dedication-based influences as drivers of the intention to continue using online shopping websites. Constraint-based influences consist of two variables: trust and perceived switching costs. Dedication-based influences consist of three variables: satisfaction, perceived usefulness, and trust. The current results indicate that both constraint-based and dedication-based influences are important drivers of the intention to continue using online shopping websites. The data also shows that trust has the strongest total effect on online shoppers' intention to continue using online shopping websites. In addition, the results indicate that the antecedents of constraint-based influences, technical bonds (e.g., perceived operational competence and perceived website interactivity) and social bonds (e.g., perceived relationship investment, community building, and intimacy) have indirect positive effects on the intention to continue using online shopping websites. Based on these findings, this research suggests that online shopping websites should build constraint-based and dedication-based influences to enhance user's continued online shopping behaviors simultaneously.

Impact of work-induced stress on perceived workers' productivity in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Impact of work-induced stress on perceived workers' productivity in banking ... The study investigated the relationship among work-induced stress, job performance, ... tend to reduce effects of work-related stress on workers' health and welfare.

Constraints and Creativity in NPD - Testing the Impact of 'Late Constraints'

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Onarheim, Balder; Valgeirsdóttir, Dagný

experiment was conducted, involving 12 teams of industrial designers from three different countries, each team working on two 30 minutes design tasks. In one condition all constraints were given at the start, and in the other one new radical constraint was added after 12 minutes. The output from all 24 tasks......The aim of the presented work is to investigate how the timing of project constraints can influence the creativity of the output in New Product Development (NPD) projects. When seeking to produce a creative output, is it beneficial to know all constraints when initiating a project...... was assessed for creativity using the Consensual Assessment Technique (CAT), and a comparative within-subjects analysis found no significant different between the two conditions. Controlling for task and assessor a small but non-significant effect was found, in favor of the ‘late constraint’ condition. Thus...

Role of Travel Motivations, Perceived Risks and Travel Constraints on Destination Image and Visit Intention in Medical Tourism: Theoretical model.

Science.gov (United States)

Khan, Mohammad J; Chelliah, Shankar; Haron, Mahmod S; Ahmed, Sahrish

2017-02-01

Travel motivations, perceived risks and travel constraints, along with the attributes and characteristics of medical tourism destinations, are important issues in medical tourism. Although the importance of these factors is already known, a comprehensive theoretical model of the decision-making process of medical tourists has yet to be established, analysing the intricate relationships between the different variables involved. This article examines a large body of literature on both medical and conventional tourism in order to propose a comprehensive theoretical framework of medical tourism decision-making. Many facets of this complex phenomenon require further empirical investigation.

Perceived Factors Impacting School Music Programs: The Teacher's Perspective

Science.gov (United States)

Abril, Carlos R.; Bannerman, Julie K.

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine elementary music teachers' perceptions of factors impacting their music programs and teaching positions as well as the actions these teachers take in response to those factors. The following research questions guided the study: (1) What factors are perceived to impact music programs and teaching…

Impacts of Base-Case and Post-Contingency Constraint Relaxations on Static and Dynamic Operational Security

Science.gov (United States)

Salloum, Ahmed

Constraint relaxation by definition means that certain security, operational, or financial constraints are allowed to be violated in the energy market model for a predetermined penalty price. System operators utilize this mechanism in an effort to impose a price-cap on shadow prices throughout the market. In addition, constraint relaxations can serve as corrective approximations that help in reducing the occurrence of infeasible or extreme solutions in the day-ahead markets. This work aims to capture the impact constraint relaxations have on system operational security. Moreover, this analysis also provides a better understanding of the correlation between DC market models and AC real-time systems and analyzes how relaxations in market models propagate to real-time systems. This information can be used not only to assess the criticality of constraint relaxations, but also as a basis for determining penalty prices more accurately. Constraint relaxations practice was replicated in this work using a test case and a real-life large-scale system, while capturing both energy market aspects and AC real-time system performance. System performance investigation included static and dynamic security analysis for base-case and post-contingency operating conditions. PJM peak hour loads were dynamically modeled in order to capture delayed voltage recovery and sustained depressed voltage profiles as a result of reactive power deficiency caused by constraint relaxations. Moreover, impacts of constraint relaxations on operational system security were investigated when risk based penalty prices are used. Transmission lines in the PJM system were categorized according to their risk index and each category was as-signed a different penalty price accordingly in order to avoid real-time overloads on high risk lines. This work also extends the investigation of constraint relaxations to post-contingency relaxations, where emergency limits are allowed to be relaxed in energy market models

Impact of leaf motion constraints on IMAT plan quality, deliver accuracy, and efficiency

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Fan; Rao Min; Ye Jinsong; Shepard, David M.; Cao Daliang

2011-01-01

Purpose: Intensity modulated arc therapy (IMAT) is a radiation therapy delivery technique that combines the efficiency of arc based delivery with the dose painting capabilities of intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT). A key challenge in developing robust inverse planning solutions for IMAT is the need to account for the connectivity of the beam shapes as the gantry rotates from one beam angle to the next. To overcome this challenge, inverse planning solutions typically impose a leaf motion constraint that defines the maximum distance a multileaf collimator (MLC) leaf can travel between adjacent control points. The leaf motion constraint ensures the deliverability of the optimized plan, but it also impacts the plan quality, the delivery accuracy, and the delivery efficiency. In this work, the authors have studied leaf motion constraints in detail and have developed recommendations for optimizing the balance between plan quality and delivery efficiency. Methods: Two steps were used to generate optimized IMAT treatment plans. The first was the direct machine parameter optimization (DMPO) inverse planning module in the Pinnacle 3 planning system. Then, a home-grown arc sequencer was applied to convert the optimized intensity maps into deliverable IMAT arcs. IMAT leaf motion constraints were imposed using limits of between 1 and 30 mm/deg. Dose distributions were calculated using the convolution/superposition algorithm in the Pinnacle 3 planning system. The IMAT plan dose calculation accuracy was examined using a finer sampling calculation and the quality assurance verification. All plans were delivered on an Elekta Synergy with an 80-leaf MLC and were verified using an IBA MatriXX 2D ion chamber array inserted in a MultiCube solid water phantom. Results: The use of a more restrictive leaf motion constraint (less than 1-2 mm/deg) results in inferior plan quality. A less restrictive leaf motion constraint (greater than 5 mm/deg) results in improved plan quality

The Impact of Resource Constraints on the Psychological Well-Being of Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence over Time

Science.gov (United States)

Beeble, Marisa L.; Bybee, Deborah; Sullivan, Cris M.

2010-01-01

This study examined the impact of resource constraints on the psychological well-being of survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV), testing whether resource constraints is one mechanism that partially mediates the relationship between IPV and women's well-being. Although within-woman changes in resource constraints did not mediate the…

Role of Travel Motivations, Perceived Risks and Travel Constraints on Destination Image and Visit Intention in Medical Tourism; Theoretical model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohammad J. Khan

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Travel motivations, perceived risks and travel constraints, along with the attributes and characteristics of medical tourism destinations, are important issues in medical tourism. Although the importance of these factors is already known, a comprehensive theoretical model of the decision-making process of medical tourists has yet to be established, analysing the intricate relationships between the different variables involved. This article examines a large body of literature on both medical and conventional tourism in order to propose a comprehensive theoretical framework of medical tourism decision-making. Many facets of this complex phenomenon require further empirical investigation.

Impact of perceived innovation characteristics on adoption of pharmacy-based in-house immunization services.

Science.gov (United States)

Westrick, Salisa C; Mount, Jeanine K

2009-02-01

An in-house immunization service in which staff pharmacists administer vaccines was conceptualized as an innovation. Prior to making adoption decisions, community pharmacies evaluated characteristics of in-house immunization services. This study examined the impact of three specific characteristics (perceived benefit, perceived compatibility and perceived complexity) of in-house immunization services on community pharmacies' adoption decisions. A multi-stage mixed-mode survey design was used to collect data from key informants of community pharmacies in Washington State, USA. Key informants included pharmacy managers or pharmacists-on-duty who were able to answer questions related to immunization activities in their pharmacies. Perceived characteristics of in-house immunization services and pharmacy adoption decisions were measured in 2004 and in 2006-2007, respectively. Each perceived characteristic individually predicted adoption of in-house immunization services. When all three characteristics were included in logistic regression, perceived benefit was the only significant predictor of in-house immunization service adoption. Appropriate strategies, particularly promoting the benefit of in-house immunization services, should be implemented. The proposed model and findings may be applicable to other pharmacy-based innovative practices or other public health initiatives. We recommend that organizational leaders, researchers and practitioners consider the impact of perceived benefit and incorporate it when they design strategies to foster adoption of innovative practices. Doing this may increase the number of adopters and also increase diffusion rates for innovative services.

The aesthetics of hazardous waste - Distinguishing visual impacts from publicly perceived risk

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sheppard, S.

1986-01-01

The need to address the aesthetic impacts of hazardous waste projects on the environment and the public stems from two sources: government regulations which specifically require assessment of aesthetic effects; and rapidly increasing public concern for perceived impacts and risks of existing or proposed hazardous waste facilities. How aesthetic issues are handled on hazardous waste projects can potentially have significant implications on the fate of those projects. These implications range from delays in the permitting process to denial of sites or costly legal judgments in damage suits. This paper discusses strategies for evaluating the aesthetic/perceptual aspects of hazardous waste. In particular, it focuses upon ways to distinguish visual concerns from other influences on public perceptions such as perceived health and safety risks

The impact of employee communication and perceived external prestige on organizational identification

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Smidts, Ale; Pruyn, Adriaan T.H.; van Riel, Cees B.M.

2001-01-01

Employees' organizational identification was measured in three organizations. Results show that employee communication augments perceived external prestige and helps explain organizational identification. Communication climate plays a central role, mediating the impact on organizational

Variables as Contextual Constraints in Translating Irony

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Babîi Oana

2015-06-01

Full Text Available The translator’s role and responsibility are high in any act of interlingual communication, and even higher when irony, an indirect and deliberately elusive form of communication, is involved in the translation process. By allowing more than one possible interpretation, irony is inevitably exposed to the risk of being misunderstood. This paper attempts to capture the complexity of translating irony, making use of theoretical frameworks provided by literary studies and translation studies. It analyses if and how the types of irony, the literary genres and the cultural, normative factors, perceived as potential contextual constraints, have an impact on the translator’ choices in rendering irony in translation, taking illustrative examples from Jonathan Swift, Oscar Wilde, Aldous Huxley and David Lodge’s works.

The perceived impact of a university outdoor education program on students' environmental behaviors

Science.gov (United States)

Heather Boland; Paul Heintzman

2010-01-01

Outdoor educators often seek to design programs that influence participants' daily lifestyles, especially environmental behaviors. Research on the impact of outdoor education programs on environmental behaviors has typically focused on schoolchildren and teenagers. The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceived impact of a university outdoor education...

PERCEIVED EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE AS A MODERATOR VARIABLE BETWEEN CYBERVICTIMIZATION AND ITS EMOTIONAL IMPACT

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Paz eElipe

2015-04-01

Full Text Available The negative effects of traditional bullying and, recently, cyberbullying on victims are well documented, and abundant empirical evidence for it exists. Cybervictimization affects areas such as academic performance, social integration and self-esteem, and causes emotions ranging from anger and sadness to more complex problems such as depression. However, not all victims are equally affected, and the differences seem to be due to certain situational and personal characteristics. The objective of this study is to analyze the relationship between perceived emotional intelligence and the emotional impact of cybervictimization. We hypothesize that emotional intelligence, which has previously been found to play a role in traditional bullying and cyberbullying, may also affect the emotional impact of cyberbullying.The participants in our study were 636 university students from two universities in the south of Spain. Three self-report questionnaires were used: the European Cyberbullying Intervention Project Questionnaire, the Cyberbullying Emotional Impact Scale; and Trait Meta-Mood Scale-24. Structural Equation Models were used to test the relationships between the analyzed variables.The results support the idea that perceived emotional intelligence, by way of a moderator effect, affects the relationship between cybervictimization and emotional impact. Taken together, cybervictimization and perceived emotional intelligence explain much of the variance observed in the emotional impact in general and in the negative dimensions of that impact in particular. Attention and Repair were found to be inversely related to Annoyance and Dejection, and positively related to Invigoration. Clarity has the opposite pattern; a positive relationship with Annoyance and Dejection and an inverse relationship with Invigoration. Various hypothetical explanations of these patterns are discussed.

Perceived Barriers To Sport And Recreation Participation In Botswana

African Journals Online (AJOL)

In order to determine perceived barriers to sport and recreation participation in Botswana the modified Crawford, Jackson and Godbey\\'s (1991) constraint assessment questionnaire which focused on five barrier categories, i.e. aptitude, socio-economic, socio-cultural, facility-awareness and facility constraint, was used.

Minimal Flavor Constraints for Technicolor

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sakuma, Hidenori; Sannino, Francesco

2010-01-01

We analyze the constraints on the the vacuum polarization of the standard model gauge bosons from a minimal set of flavor observables valid for a general class of models of dynamical electroweak symmetry breaking. We will show that the constraints have a strong impact on the self-coupling and mas......We analyze the constraints on the the vacuum polarization of the standard model gauge bosons from a minimal set of flavor observables valid for a general class of models of dynamical electroweak symmetry breaking. We will show that the constraints have a strong impact on the self...

The Perceived Impact of E-Books on Student Reading Practices: A Local Study

Science.gov (United States)

Gilbert, Julie; Fister, Barbara

2015-01-01

This study investigates the perceived impact of future e-book collections on student research and recreational reading habits at our institution through three questions: how students currently use library print collections, how students use e-books, and how these factors impact student perception of the effects of future library e-books on their…

Perceived Impact of Motherhood on Adherence to Therapy in Mothers with Cystic Fibrosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Ullrich, G; Bobis, I; Bewig, B

2015-11-01

To explore the stress related to motherhood and its perceived impact on adherence to therapy in women with cystic fibrosis (CF). Cross-sectional study with a purpose-designed questionnaire. 46/73 eligible women were enrolled and 38 returned the questionnaire. Mean age of mothers was 33.8 y  ± 7.1 y, mean age of firstborn child was 6.9 y  ± 5.7 y. Nine women had more than one biological child. 18 mothers (47%) were currently employed, 12 of whom worked 19 to 30 hours per week and none full-time. There were mothers who reported a detrimental effect on adherence (time constraints 38%; intentional nonadherence 42%), and mothers who reported that adherence had actually improved (29%). Both of these effects were related to daily CF therapy at home. By contrast, i. v. antibiotic therapy was less impaired by role strains, mainly due to home i. v. therapy being an alternative and/or due to intensive social support (husband, parents). Participants clearly addressed the importance of adherence and the need for adequate self-management in narrative comments. Motherhood may improve adherence to CF therapy as well as it may affect it negatively. Health caregivers are well-advised to address a possible detrimental effect, proactively. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Advanced Manufacturing Technology: The Perceived Impact on Producer’s Value

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Rohani Abdullah

2012-09-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study is to determine which AMT has the greatest perceived impact on producer’s value and to identify which AMTs has been most successfully employed. The study population consists of senior manufacturing executives in electrical and electronic firms located in the northern region of Malaysia. The study addresses the senior manufacturing executives’ perceptions on how well specific AMTs have achieved the expectation of the firms implementing them. They are selected as respondents because of their understanding of the technology and their effects, and because as top manufacturing decision makers, their opinions are likely to shape the future technology of the organization. This study found that the type of AMT that perceived the greatest impact on producer’s value is Flexible Manufacturing System, due to its high effects on two dimensions of producer’s value: quality and cost while Just-in-Time is found to be the most successfully employed AMT among respondents. The findings of this study are significant as they contribute to the AMT literature especially in the context of Electrical and Electronic firms. Keywords: advanced manufacturing technology, producer’s value

The perceived influence of financial risk factors on the viability of nurse anesthesia educational programs.

Science.gov (United States)

Myers, Sonja J; Martin-Sheridan, Denise

2002-10-01

Monetary cutbacks have occurred in the healthcare industry with increasing incidence since the mid-1980s. Attempts at self-preservation through cost-constraint have been instituted by hospitals, Medicare and Medicaid, and private insurance companies. Curtailment of expenditures, as well as reestablishing profit, has taken many forms. These include managed care, mergers, changing profit status, and aggressive competition. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether directors of nurse anesthesia programs (NAPs) perceived these items as being detrimental to their NAPs. Data were gathered by descriptive survey design by completing a survey tool. Findings identified directors perceived NAPs at moderate to high risk for closure because of the financial constraints hospitals are experiencing as a result of healthcare reimbursement cutbacks. We found it interesting that many directors were either unaware or considered the hospitals' financial burdens as not impacting their NAP. However, directors who had taken courses or seminars with a focus on issues affecting the financing and reimbursement of healthcare institutions perceived significantly greater risk than those who did not. Potential learning opportunities and strategies to ameliorate risk were identified. Additional education may provide the knowledge and insight to find alternatives to risk, develop strategies, and promote more successful and stable nurse anesthesia educational programs.

Optimal Ordering and Pricing Policies for Seasonal Products: Impacts of Demand Uncertainty and Capital Constraint

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jinzhao Shi

2016-01-01

Full Text Available With a stochastic price-dependent market demand, this paper investigates how demand uncertainty and capital constraint affect retailer’s integrated ordering and pricing policies towards seasonal products. The retailer with capital constraint is normalized to be with zero capital endowment while it can be financed by an external bank. The problems are studied under a low and high demand uncertainty scenario, respectively. Results show that when demand uncertainty level is relatively low, the retailer faced with demand uncertainty always sets a lower price than the riskless one, while its order quantity may be smaller or larger than the riskless retailer’s which depends on the level of market size. When adding a capital constraint, the retailer will strictly prefer a higher price but smaller quantity policy. However, in a high demand uncertainty scenario, the impacts are more intricate. The retailer faced with demand uncertainty will always order a larger quantity than the riskless one if demand uncertainty level is high enough (above a critical value, while the capital-constrained retailer is likely to set a lower price than the well-funded one when demand uncertainty level falls within a specific interval. Therefore, it can be further concluded that the impact of capital constraint on the retailer’s pricing decision can be influenced by different demand uncertainty levels.

The impact of perceived discrimination on personality among Chinese migrant children: The moderating role of parental support.

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Xiang, Xiaoping; Wong, Daniel Fu Keung; Hou, Ke

2018-05-01

Previous research has indicated that perceived discrimination has harmful effects on migrant children's physical, mental and behavioral health. However, little is known as to whether these harmful effects cumulate to impact on migrant children's personalities. This study examines the effect of perceived discrimination on personality, as well as the moderating role of parental support in the discrimination-personality linkage. A purposeful convenience sample of 215 migrant children in Beijing, China, completed a standardized questionnaire. Migrant children experienced a moderate level of perceived discrimination, with Form 8 students experiencing greater discrimination than lower grades and those with lower family incomes also experiencing greater discrimination than those with higher family incomes. Perceived discrimination significantly predicted neuroticism; parental support significantly predicted extraversion, openness, agreeableness and conscientiousness, but the moderating effect of parental support was only marginally significant for the relation between discrimination and conscientiousness. This study underlines the need for researchers and policy makers to pay more attention to the impact of perceived discrimination on migrant children's personality development.

Perceived aesthetic impact of malocclusion in 16-24 year-old adults in the rural areas of India

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Charu M Marya

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Aim: The purpose of this study was to assess the self-perception of patients toward their dental appearance using the aesthetic component (AC of index of orthodontic treatment need (IOTN index and whether age and gender had any influence on it. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out to assess the perceived esthetic impact of malocclusion in 16-24 year-old subjects selected from the rural population of Faridabad, Haryana, India. The sample was divided into two groups, older adolescents and younger adults, and the AC of the IOTN index was applied. Results: The results showed that most subjects scored themselves as having an attractive dentition with no need for orthodontic treatment (60.91%. Gender-wise differences were not found to be statistically significant in relation to the perceived needs (P = 0.095, whereas age-wise differences were found to be statistically significant in relation to the perceived needs (P < 0.001. Conclusion: While the age seemed to have an impact on the perceived esthetic impact of malocclusion, the gender did not seemingly influence this self-perception.

Trajectory reshaping based guidance with impact time and angle constraints

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Zhao Yao

2016-08-01

Full Text Available This study presents a novel impact time and angle constrained guidance law for homing missiles. The guidance law is first developed with the prior-assumption of a stationary target, which is followed by the practical extension to a maneuvering target scenario. To derive the closed-form guidance law, the trajectory reshaping technique is utilized and it results in defining a specific polynomial function with two unknown coefficients. These coefficients are determined to satisfy the impact time and angle constraints as well as the zero miss distance. Furthermore, the proposed guidance law has three additional guidance gains as design parameters which make it possible to adjust the guided trajectory according to the operational conditions and missile’s capability. Numerical simulations are presented to validate the effectiveness of the proposed guidance law.

Understanding the Impact of Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Training on Participants' Perceived Confidence Levels

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Nordheim, Shawn M.

2013-01-01

This pre-experimental, participatory action research study investigated the impact of Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) training on participants' perceived confidence and willingness to initiate CPR. Parents of seventh and eighth grade students were surveyed. Parent participants were asked to watch the American Heart Association's Family and…

The impact of enhancing perceived self-efficacy in torture survivors.

Science.gov (United States)

Morina, Naser; Bryant, Richard A; Doolan, Emma L; Martin-Sölch, Chantal; Plichta, Michael M; Pfaltz, Monique C; Schnyder, Ulrich; Schick, Matthis; Nickerson, Angela

2018-01-01

Perceived self-efficacy (SE) is an important factor underlying psychological well-being. Refugees suffer many experiences that can compromise SE. This study tested the impact of enhancing perceived SE on coping with trauma reminders and distress tolerance in tortured refugees. Torture survivors (N = 40) were administered a positive SE induction in which they retrieved mastery-related autobiographical memories, or a non-SE (NSE) induction, and then viewed trauma-related images. Participants rated their distress following presentation of each image. Participants then completed a frustration-inducing mirror-tracing task to index distress tolerance. Participants in the SE condition reported less distress and negative affect, and improved coping in relation to viewing the trauma-related images than those in the NSE condition. The SE induction also led to greater persistence with the mirror-tracing task than the NSE induction. These findings provide initial evidence that promoting SE in tortured refugees can assist with managing distress from trauma reminders, and promoting greater distress tolerance. Enhancing perceived SE in tortured refugees may increase their capacity to tolerate distress during therapy, and may be a useful means to improve treatment response. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The effects of constraints and mastery on mental and physical health: Conceptual and methodological considerations.

Science.gov (United States)

Infurna, Frank J; Mayer, Axel

2015-06-01

Perceived control and health are closely interrelated in adulthood and old age. However, less is known regarding the differential implications of 2 facets of perceived control, constraints and mastery, for mental and physical health. Furthermore, a limitation of previous research testing the pathways linking perceived control to mental and physical health is that mediation was tested with cross-sectional designs and not in a longitudinal mediation design that accounts for temporal ordering and prior confounds. Using data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS; n = 7,612, M age = 68, SD = 10.66; 59% women) we examined the effect of constraints and mastery on 4-year changes in mental and physical health and whether physical activity mediated such effects in a longitudinal mediation design. Using confirmatory factor analysis, we modeled the 2-factor structure of perceived control that consisted of constraints and mastery. In our longitudinal mediation model, where we accounted for possible confounders (e.g., age, gender, education, neuroticism, conscientiousness, memory, and health conditions), constraints showed a stronger total effect on mental and physical health, than mastery, such that more constraints were associated with 4-year declines in mental and physical health. Physical activity did not mediate the effect of constraints and mastery on mental and physical health (indirect effect). To demonstrate the importance of a longitudinal mediation model that accounts for confounders, we also estimated the mediated effect using 2 models commonly used in the literature: cross-sectional mediation model and longitudinal mediation model without accounting for confounders. These mediation models indicated a spurious indirect effect that cannot be causally interpreted. Our results showcase that constraints and mastery have differential implications for mental and physical health, as well as how a longitudinal mediation design can illustrate (or not) pathways in

Impact of Arts-Related Activities on the Perceived Quality of Life

Science.gov (United States)

Michalos, Alex C.; Kahlke, P. Maurine

2008-01-01

The aim of this investigation was to measure the impact of arts-related activities on the perceived or experienced quality of life. In the fall of 2006 a questionnaire was mailed out to a random selection of 2000 households in each of five British Columbia communities, and 1027 were returned completed. The total and individual community samples…

Dental pain, oral impacts and perceived need for dental treatment in Tanzanian school students: a cross-sectional study

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Åstrøm Anne N

2009-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Dental caries, dental pain and reported oral problems influence people's oral quality of life and thus their perceived need for dental care. So far there is scant information as to the psychosocial impacts of dental diseases and the perceived treatment need in child populations of sub-Saharan Africa. Objectives Focusing on primary school students in Kilwa, Tanzania, a district deprived of dental services and with low fluoride concentration in drinking water, this study aimed to assess the prevalence of dental pain and oral impacts on daily performances (OIDP, and to describe the distribution of OIDP by socio-demographics, dental caries, dental pain and reported oral problems. The relationship of perceived need estimates with OIDP was also investigated. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2008. A total of 1745 students (mean age 13.8 yr, sd = 1.67 completed an extensive personal interview and under-went clinical examination. The impacts on daily performances were assessed using a Kiswahili version of the Child-OIDP instrument and caries experience was recorded using WHO (1997 criteria. Results A total of 36.2% (41.3% urban and 31.4% rural, p Conclusion Substantial proportions of students suffered from untreated dental caries, oral impacts on daily performances and perceived need for dental care. Dental pain and reported oral problems varied systematically with OIDP across the eight impacts considered. Eating and tooth cleaning problems discriminated between subjects who perceived need for dental treatment and those who did not.

National coal utilization assessment. An integrated assessment of increased coal use in the Midwest: impacts and constraints

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hoover, L. John

1977-10-01

This study was performed as a part of the Argonne National Laboratory Regional Studies program, which is sponsored by the Department of Energy. The purpose is to assess the impacts and consequences associated with alternative energy options on a regional basis, and to identify and analyze alternative mitigation and solution strategies for increasing the acceptability of these options. The National Coal Utilization Assessment is being conducted as a part of the Regional Studies Program. This particular study is focusing on impacts and constraints on increased coal utilization. In addition, a major focal point for the study is the identification and analysis of alternative solution strategies applicable to these constraints and problems.

Financing Constraints and Entrepreneurship

OpenAIRE

William R. Kerr; Ramana Nanda

2009-01-01

Financing constraints are one of the biggest concerns impacting potential entrepreneurs around the world. Given the important role that entrepreneurship is believed to play in the process of economic growth, alleviating financing constraints for would-be entrepreneurs is also an important goal for policymakers worldwide. We review two major streams of research examining the relevance of financing constraints for entrepreneurship. We then introduce a framework that provides a unified perspecti...

Perceived constraints by non-traditional users on the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest

Science.gov (United States)

Elizabeth A. Covelli; Robert C. Burns; Alan Graefe

2007-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the constraints that non-traditional users face, along with the negotiation strategies that are employed in order to start, continue, or increase participation in recreation on a national forest. Non-traditional users were defined as respondents who were not Caucasian. Additionally, both constraints and negotiation...

Shoppers' perceived embeddedness and its impact on purchasing behavior at an organic farmers' market.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Weiping; Scott, Steffanie

2014-12-01

This study explores the concept of perceived embeddedness (PE) and its impact on purchasing behavior at an organic farmers' market. Based on a review of the prior literature, the study refines the conceptualization and measurement of PE as a second-order factor construct reflected in its three dimensions: perceived social embeddedness, perceived spatial embeddedness, and perceived natural embeddedness. The study also suggests that organic farmers' market shoppers' PE is positively related to the two measures of purchasing behavior: expenditure per visit and repurchase intention. In a sample of 492 organic farmers' market shoppers in Beijing municipality, China, the study find support for the second-order factor structure of PE and the theorized relationship between the shoppers' PE and their purchasing behavior. The study also discusses theoretical and managerial implications of the findings. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Climate change: a review of its health impact and perceived awareness by the young citizens.

Science.gov (United States)

Rahman, Muhammad Sabbir; Mohamad, Osman Bin; Zarim, Zainal bin Abu

2014-04-16

In recent time climate change and its impact on human health and awareness constitute a set of complex and serious consequences to be tackled by an individual country. Climate change is not merely an environmental issue, but also it is a threat that goes beyond national borders. The purpose of this study is to identify the awareness and the impact of climate change, perceived by the young citizens in Malaysia by focusing on gender differences. Based on a survey of 200 respondents from different public and private University's students in Malaysia, this research used descriptive statistics and T-test to look into the research objective. The results revealed media can play an important role in the awareness of climate change. Meanwhile the male respondents have shown considerable attention on the physical impact of climate change like heat related stress. On the other hand female respondents have shown considerable attention to the psychological impact by the climate change. From a pragmatic perspective, the findings from this research will assists the policy makers to understand more about the perceived awareness on the climate change issues of the young citizens which ultimately assist them to inaugurate new initiatives to confront the challenges of climate changes. This research is among the pioneer study on the issue of the perceived awareness in regards to climate change in Malaysia by focusing on gender differences.

A National Study of Constraints to Participation in Outdoor Recreational Activities

Science.gov (United States)

Gary T. Green; J.M. Bowker; X.F. Wang; K. Cordell; Cassandra Y. Johnson

2012-01-01

A number of studies have shown that certain groups in American society (e.g., Blacks, women, urban dwellers) can encounter barriers or perceived constraints to participation in outdoor recreation. Early research on constraints focused on racial or gender differences. More recent research has examined the effects of income, education, age, and place of residence (Arnold...

Principals' Self-Efficacy: Relations with Job Autonomy, Job Satisfaction, and Contextual Constraints

Science.gov (United States)

Federici, Roger A.

2013-01-01

The purpose of the present study was to explore relations between principals' self-efficacy, perceived job autonomy, job satisfaction, and perceived contextual constraints to autonomy. Principal self-efficacy was measured by a multidimensional scale called the Norwegian Principal Self-Efficacy Scale. Job autonomy, job satisfaction, and contextual…

Perceived agricultural runoff impact on drinking water.

Science.gov (United States)

Crampton, Andrea; Ragusa, Angela T

2014-09-01

Agricultural runoff into surface water is a problem in Australia, as it is in arguably all agriculturally active countries. While farm practices and resource management measures are employed to reduce downstream effects, they are often either technically insufficient or practically unsustainable. Therefore, consumers may still be exposed to agrichemicals whenever they turn on the tap. For rural residents surrounded by agriculture, the link between agriculture and water quality is easy to make and thus informed decisions about water consumption are possible. Urban residents, however, are removed from agricultural activity and indeed drinking water sources. Urban and rural residents were interviewed to identify perceptions of agriculture's impact on drinking water. Rural residents thought agriculture could impact their water quality and, in many cases, actively avoided it, often preferring tank to surface water sources. Urban residents generally did not perceive agriculture to pose health risks to their drinking water. Although there are more agricultural contaminants recognised in the latest Australian Drinking Water Guidelines than previously, we argue this is insufficient to enhance consumer protection. Health authorities may better serve the public by improving their proactivity and providing communities and water utilities with the capacity to effectively monitor and address agricultural runoff.

Assessment of the economic impact of environmental constraints on short-term hydropower plant operation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Perez-Diaz, Juan I.; Wilhelmi, Jose R.

2010-01-01

Environmental constraints imposed on hydropower plant operation are usually given in the form of minimum environmental flows and, in some cases, in the form of maximum and minimum rates of change of flows, or ramping rates. Environmental constraints reduce the amount of water available to produce electricity and limit the contribution of peak hydropower plants to adapting the power supply to the demand and to providing certain ancillary services to the electrical grid, such as spinning reserve or load-frequency control. The objective of this paper is to assess the economic impact of environmental constraints on short-term hydropower plant operation. For that purpose, a revenue-driven daily optimization model based on mixed integer linear programming is used. The model considers the head variation and its influence on the units' efficiency, as well as the option of starting-up or shutting-down the plant at any hour of the day, should it be advantageous, while releasing the environmental flow through the bottom outlets. In order to illustrate the applicability of the methodology, it is applied in a real hydropower plant under different operating conditions and environmental constraints. (author)

Assessment of the economic impact of environmental constraints on short-term hydropower plant operation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Perez-Diaz, Juan I.; Wilhelmi, Jose R. [Department of Hydraulic and Energy Engineering, Technical University of Madrid (UPM), c/Profesor Aranguren s/n, 28040 Madrid (Spain)

2010-12-15

Environmental constraints imposed on hydropower plant operation are usually given in the form of minimum environmental flows and, in some cases, in the form of maximum and minimum rates of change of flows, or ramping rates. Environmental constraints reduce the amount of water available to produce electricity and limit the contribution of peak hydropower plants to adapting the power supply to the demand and to providing certain ancillary services to the electrical grid, such as spinning reserve or load-frequency control. The objective of this paper is to assess the economic impact of environmental constraints on short-term hydropower plant operation. For that purpose, a revenue-driven daily optimization model based on mixed integer linear programming is used. The model considers the head variation and its influence on the units' efficiency, as well as the option of starting-up or shutting-down the plant at any hour of the day, should it be advantageous, while releasing the environmental flow through the bottom outlets. In order to illustrate the applicability of the methodology, it is applied in a real hydropower plant under different operating conditions and environmental constraints. (author)

Energy constraints and organizational change in US production

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1980-12-01

There is still considerable uncertainty about the way in which energy-supply constraints affect industrial thinking and activity. Yet, this is an important issue in determining the effectiveness of conservation programs and in formulating energy policy. The authors expand on a survey of US business attitudes and responses to energy constraints first published in the September 1979 Energy Policy with the results of further analysis of their survey. In particular, they examine correlations between perceived causes and preferred solutions of energy problems, organizational adjustments to energy constraints in energy-intensive industries, and the ways in which production operations have changed in response to supply problems. 5 references, 5 tables.

Impact of sleep quality on amygdala reactivity, negative affect, and perceived stress.

Science.gov (United States)

Prather, Aric A; Bogdan, Ryan; Hariri, Ahmad R

2013-05-01

Research demonstrates a negative impact of sleep disturbance on mood and affect; however, the biological mechanisms mediating these links are poorly understood. Amygdala reactivity to negative stimuli has emerged as one potential pathway. Here, we investigate the influence of self-reported sleep quality on associations between threat-related amygdala reactivity and measures of negative affect and perceived stress. Analyses on data from 299 participants (125 men, 50.5% white, mean [standard deviation] age = 19.6 [1.3] years) who completed the Duke Neurogenetics Study were conducted. Participants completed several self-report measures of negative affect and perceived stress. Threat-related (i.e., angry and fearful facial expressions) amygdala reactivity was assayed using blood oxygen level-dependent functional magnetic resonance imaging. Global sleep quality was assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Amygdala reactivity to fearful facial expressions predicted greater depressive symptoms and higher perceived stress in poor (β values = 0.18-1.86, p values .05). In sex-specific analyses, men reporting poorer global sleep quality showed a significant association between amygdala reactivity and levels of depression and perceived stress (β values = 0.29-0.44, p values sleep quality or in women, irrespective of sleep quality. This study provides novel evidence that self-reported sleep quality moderates the relationships between amygdala reactivity, negative affect, and perceived stress, particularly among men.

Student pharmacists' use and perceived impact of educational technologies.

Science.gov (United States)

Stolte, Scott K; Richard, Craig; Rahman, Ateequr; Kidd, Robert S

2011-06-10

To assess the frequency of use by and perceived impact of various educational technologies on student pharmacists. Data were obtained using a validated, Web-based survey instrument designed to evaluate the frequency of use and impact on learning of various technologies used in educating first-, second-, and third-year student pharmacists. Basic demographic data also were collected and analyzed. The majority (89.4%) of the 179 respondents were comfortable with the technology used in the academic program. The most frequently used technologies for educational purposes were in class electronic presentations, course materials posted on the school Web site, and e-mail. The technologies cited as having the most beneficial impact on learning were course materials posted on the Web site and in-class electronic presentations, and those cited as most detrimental were video-teleconferencing and online testing. Compared to the course textbook, students reported more frequent use of technologies such as electronic course materials, presentations, digital lecture recordings, e-mail, and hand-held devices. Because students' opinions of educational technologies varied, colleges and schools should incorporate educational technologies that students frequently use and that positively impact learning.

Perceived impact and feasibility of strategies to improve access to healthy foods in Washington State, USA.

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, Donna B; Quinn, Emilee L; Podrabsky, Mary; Beckwith-Stanley, Nadia; Chan, Nadine; Ellings, Amy; Kovacs, Tricia; Lane, Claire

2013-12-01

The present study measured the perceived impact and political and implementation feasibility of state-level policy strategies related to increasing access to healthy foods and limiting unhealthy foods. Potential state-level policy strategies to improve access to healthy foods were identified through a review of evidence-based literature and policy recommendations. Respondents rated the perceived impact and political and implementation feasibility of each policy on a five-point scale using online surveys. Washington State policy process. Forty-nine content experts (national researchers and subject experts), forty policy experts (state elected officials or their staff, gubernatorial or legislative policy analysts) and forty-five other stakeholders (state-level advocates, programme administrators, food producers). In aggregate, respondents rated policy impact and implementation feasibility higher than political feasibility. Policy experts rated policy strategies as less politically feasible compared with content experts (P political and implementation feasibility. These included policies related to nutrition standards in schools and child-care facilities, food distribution systems, urban planning projects, water availability, joint use agreements and breast-feeding supports. Although they may be perceived as potentially impactful, some policies will be more difficult to enact than others. Information about the potential feasibility of policies to improve access to healthy foods can be used to focus limited policy process resources on strategies with the highest potential for enactment, implementation and impact.

The impact of resilience and perceived organisational support on employee engagement in a competitive sales environment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anel Meintjes

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Orientation: Understanding the impact of resilience and perceived organisational support on employee engagement in a competitive sales environment. Research purpose: The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between resilience, perceived organisational support and employee engagement among pharmaceutical sales employees in a competitive sales environment; and to establish whether resilience and perceived organisational support hold predictive value for employee engagement. Motivation for the study: Limited research has focused on the unique context of employee engagement as a construct in professional sales. A broader understanding of resilience and perceived organisational support can provide sales organisations with a lever to create an environment where sales employees are more fully engaged. Research design, approach and method: A quantitative, exploratory, cross-sectional survey approach was used. A sample of 125 sales representatives from a South African pharmaceutical organisation participated in the research. The measuring instruments included the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES, Brief Resilience Scale (BRS and the Perceived Organisational Support Scale (POS. Main findings: Perceived organisational support, but not resilience impacted employee engagement in a competitive sales environment. Practical and managerial implications: Sales organisations’ interventions to improve sales employee engagement should focus on perceived organisational support. Contribution: The individual role of each construct provided insight into the sales context. The relationship between the constructs offered a different lens through which the drivers of employee engagement in sales can be viewed. This study contributes towards sales literature by including positive psychology and organisational support in a model of employee engagement.

Self perceived psychosocial impact of dental aesthetics among young adults: a cross sectional questionnaire study.

Science.gov (United States)

Chakradhar, Kuracha; Doshi, Dolar; Kulkarni, Suhas; Reddy, Bandari Srikanth; Reddy, Sahithi; Srilatha, Adepu

2017-11-23

Background Oral health is not merely the absence of oral disease and dysfunction, but also influences the subject's social life and dento-facial self confidence. Objective To assess and correlate self perceived psychosocial impact of dental aesthetics among young adults based on gender. Subjects A convenience sample of Young adults of degree college in the age group of 18-23 years of Hyderabad city, India. Method Self perceived psychosocial impact of dental aesthetics was assessed using the psychosocial impact of dental aesthetics questionnaire (PIDAQ). The dental aesthetic index (DAI) was used to evaluate dental aesthetics among participants which includes 10 parameters of dento-facial anomalies related to both clinical and aesthetic aspects of the anterior teeth. Results The majority of the study population were 18 years of age (96; 31.4%) with a mean age of 19.2 ± 1.1 years. When the mean total score and individual domain scores of PIDAQ was compared based on gender, females showed higher statistical mean (p ≤ 0.05) for all except the psychology impact domain (p = 0.12). Based on DAI grading and gender, among both males [70 (32.9%)] and females [31 (33.3%)] the majority of them had a DAI score of ≤25 (grade1; normal/minor dental malocclusion). A significant negative correlation was observed between DAI, with PIDAQ and its domains (p ≤ 0.05) except for the dental self confidence (p = 0.72). Conclusion This study had examined the relationship between self-perceived psychosocial impact and dental aesthetics. So, early preventive or interceptive procedures should be carried out to prevent further psychosocial impacts on human life.

Impact of distribution intensity on perceived quality, brand awareness and brand loyality - structural model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ivan-Damir Anić

2008-12-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this empirical study was to determine the impacts of distribution intensity on perceived quality and brand awareness, and to analyze the effects of perceived quality and brand awareness on brand loyalty. A structural equation model was used to identify the size and the direction of proposed relationships. The model was tested on a sample of 956 students using three brand categories in the manufacturing industry and three brand categories in the service industry. The proposed hypotheses were supported by the model. The results show that distribution intensity is positively related to perceived quality and brand awareness. Moreover, perceived quality and brand awareness were shown to be significant and positive predictors of brand loyalty. Managerial implications are discussed in the paper. The findings of this study could be of special interests to managers, professionals and those doing research in the field of distribution and brand management.

Constraints To Effective Community Development Projects Among ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The study focused on the perceived constraints to effective community development projects among rural households in Calabar agricultural zone of Cross River State, Nigeria. Data were collected with the aid of structured questionnaire from 104 randomly selected respondents in the study area. Data analysis was by the ...

Perceived aesthetic impact of malocclusion and oral self-perceptions in 14-15-year-old Asian and Caucasian children in greater Manchester.

Science.gov (United States)

Mandall, N A; McCord, J F; Blinkhorn, A S; Worthington, H V; O'Brien, K D

2000-04-01

The aims of this study were to evaluate (i) the effect of ethnicity, social deprivation, and normative orthodontic treatment need on orthodontic aesthetic self-perception, self-perceived need for orthodontic treatment, and oral aesthetic impact of malocclusion; (ii) the effect of ethnicity, social deprivation, and gender on perceived orthodontic treatment need and use of orthodontic services; (iii) the influence of perceived oral aesthetic impact of malocclusion on perceived need and wish for orthodontic treatment; and (iv) whether orthodontic treatment experience influences perceived oral aesthetic impact of malocclusion. A stratified, random sample of 434 14-15-year-old children from schools in Manchester, UK, was obtained. Information was collected on orthodontic aesthetic self-perception and orthodontic treatment experience using a questionnaire. The former data were combined to form an Oral Aesthetic Subjective Impact Scale (OASIS). Normative orthodontic treatment need was measured with the Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need (IOTN). Children with higher clinical need for orthodontic treatment perceived themselves as worse off than their peers with lower need. More socially deprived children or those with high IOTN aesthetic component (AC) scores had a higher (i.e. more negative) aesthetic impact (OASIS) score. Asians and females had higher IOTN dental health component (DHC) scores, but a better aesthetic appearance than Caucasians and males. More deprived children were less likely to have received orthodontic treatment. Despite this, OASIS scores were similar between treated and untreated children. Untreated children who wished for orthodontic treatment had higher IOTN AC and OASIS scores.

Effect of perceived Price, Brand Image, perceived Quality and Trust on Consumer’s buying Preferences

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

B. Afsar

2014-06-01

Full Text Available The study investigates the effect of factors such as perceived price, brand image, perceived quality and trust on consumers' evaluative judgments for beautification products. Results showed that brand image has positive and significant impact on consumer trust. Increase in perceived quality and trust depicted increase in a particular brand preference. Decrease in perceived price showed significant and positive impact on brand preference. This study measured the effect of brand image, price, quality and consumer trust information on how individuals subjectively evaluate a brand.

Prevalence, intensity and extent of Oral Impacts on Daily Performances associated with self-perceived malocclusion in 11-12-year-old children

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Flores-Mir Carlos

2007-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background To determine the prevalence, intensity and extent of the Oral Impacts on Daily Performances associated with self-perceived malocclusion among Peruvian schoolchildren. Methods Eight hundred and five children aged 11 to 12 years attending 4 of 7 randomly selected schools linked to a Health Centre in Lima, Peru, participated in the study. The Spanish (PeruChild-OIDP was used to assess the prevalence, intensity and extent of oral impacts on 8 daily performances (eating, speaking, teeth cleaning, sleeping, smiling, studying, emotion and social contact. Self-perceived malocclusion included complaints about position of teeth, spacing of teeth and deformity of mouth or face. The prevalence of oral impacts was compared by covariables using the Chi-square test, whereas the intensity and extent of oral impacts were compared by covariables through the Mann-Whitney test. Results Only 15.5% of children reported impacts associated with self-perceived malocclusion during the last 3 months. Of them, 18.4% reported impacts of severe or very severe intensity and 76.0% reported impacts on only one daily performance. Psychosocial activities such as smiling, emotion and social contact were the most frequently and severely impacted everyday activities. Conclusion Impacts of self-perceived malocclusion primarily affected psychological and social everyday activities. These findings provide further evidence to support the importance of psychological and social components of oral health on children's lives.

Constraint qualifications and optimality conditions for optimization problems with cardinality constraints

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Červinka, Michal; Kanzow, Ch.; Schwartz, A.

2016-01-01

Roč. 160, č. 1 (2016), s. 353-377 ISSN 0025-5610 R&D Projects: GA ČR GAP402/12/1309; GA ČR GA15-00735S Institutional support: RVO:67985556 Keywords : Cardinality constraints * Constraint qualifications * Optimality conditions * KKT conditions * Strongly stationary points Subject RIV: BA - General Mathematics Impact factor: 2.446, year: 2016 http://library.utia.cas.cz/separaty/2016/MTR/cervinka-0461165.pdf

Review of Minimal Flavor Constraints for Technicolor

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

S. Fukano, Hidenori; Sannino, Francesco

2010-01-01

We analyze the constraints on the the vacuum polarization of the standard model gauge bosons from a minimal set of flavor observables valid for a general class of models of dynamical electroweak symmetry breaking. We will show that the constraints have a strong impact on the self-coupling and mas......We analyze the constraints on the the vacuum polarization of the standard model gauge bosons from a minimal set of flavor observables valid for a general class of models of dynamical electroweak symmetry breaking. We will show that the constraints have a strong impact on the self...

National Coal Utilization Assessment. An integrated assessment of increased coal use in the Midwest: impacts and constraints. [14 states Midwest region

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1977-10-01

This study examines the impacts and constraints to increased coal production and use for a 14-state Midwestern region. The assessment considers technology characteristics, energy supply and demand trends, siting constraints, impacts on water availability and coal reserves, impacts on air and water quality, and ecosystems, effects of trace elements, social and economic impacts, and health risks. The significant air quality constraints to coal use are related to the short-term National Ambient Air Quality Standards, PSD standards, and exposure to sulfates. In general, cumulative water supply in the 14-state region is adequate to satisfy foreseeable energy requirements; however, on a localized basis significant water shortages may develop which could constrain a smaller portion of the energy development. Water quality impacts are primarily restricted to areas with insufficient water resources. Coal mining will continue to have significant effects on water quality in smaller streams draining the major coal regions unless strict control practices are maintained. Coal-conversion plants may cause localized water quality problems; however, the effluent characteristics of these plants are not well-known. A significant amount of the coal development is anticipated to occur in counties with high susceptibility to social and economic impacts. The timing, magnitude, and nature of these impacts could be mitigated by the development of effective management strategies.

Explaining Perceived Impacts of All-Inclusive Resorts through Community Attachment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Emrullah ERUL

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Antalya, with its high percentage of all-inclusive resorts (hereafter abbreviated AIR, is a prime tourist destination in Turkey. The purpose of this study was to examine the interrelationships‖ between‖ residents’‖ attitudes‖ about‖ their‖ attachment to their local community and attitudes about AIR impacts. A survey was conducted in four key districts in Antalya (based on the concentration of AIRs in the areas: the Antalya city center, Kemer, Serik and Manavgat, yielding a robust sample (n = 660. Exploratory factor analysis of the Perceptions of All-Inclusive Resorts Scale revealed four unique factors (e.g., three focused on negative impacts and one on positive impacts. The study adopted the Community Attachment (CA Scale and Perceptions of All-Inclusive Resorts (PAIR as conceptual frameworks.‖The‖study’s‖findings‖demonstrated‖that‖highly‖ attached residents tend to perceive negative impacts of AIR. Findings provide empirical support for the employment of the community attachment framework within studies concerning AIR perceptions. Implications are described and directions for future research are discussed.

Impact of Sleep Quality on Amygdala Reactivity, Negative Affect, and Perceived Stress

Science.gov (United States)

Prather, Aric A.; Bogdan, Ryan; Ahmad R. Hariri, PhD

2013-01-01

Objective Research demonstrates a negative impact of sleep disturbance on mood and affect; however, the biological mechanisms mediating these links are poorly understood. Amygdala reactivity to negative stimuli has emerged as one potential pathway. Here, we investigate the influence of self-reported sleep quality on associations between threat-related amygdala reactivity and measures of negative affect and perceived stress. Methods Analyses on data from 299 participants (125 men, 50.5% white, mean [standard deviation] age = 19.6 [1.3] years) who completed the Duke Neurogenetics Study were conducted. Participants completed several self-report measures of negative affect and perceived stress. Threat-related (i.e., angry and fearful facial expressions) amygdala reactivity was assayed using blood oxygen level–dependent functional magnetic resonance imaging. Global sleep quality was assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Results Amygdala reactivity to fearful facial expressions predicted greater depressive symptoms and higher perceived stress in poor (β values = 0.18–1.86, p values .05). In sex-specific analyses, men reporting poorer global sleep quality showed a significant association between amygdala reactivity and levels of depression and perceived stress (β values = 0.29–0.44, p values < .05). In contrast, no significant associations were observed in men reporting good global sleep quality or in women, irrespective of sleep quality. Conclusions This study provides novel evidence that self-reported sleep quality moderates the relationships between amygdala reactivity, negative affect, and perceived stress, particularly among men. PMID:23592753

The Impact of Marijuana Legalization on Adolescent Use, Consequences, and Perceived Risk.

Science.gov (United States)

Estoup, Ashley C; Moise-Campbell, Claudine; Varma, Malini; Stewart, David G

2016-12-05

Currently, only four states have legalized recreational marijuana use for adults over 21 years of age. Therefore, little is known about the influence that legalization will have on adolescent marijuana use. This study examines how marijuana legalization has impacted the frequency and consequences of adolescent use in a sample of participants in a school-based, substance use intervention. We hypothesized that adolescents enrolled in the intervention in years after marijuana legalization would present with more problematic use compared to those enrolled prior, and that changes in the perceived risk of marijuana would be a mechanism of problematic use. Participants were 262 students enrolled in a school-based substance use intervention in 2010 to 2015. The Customary Drinking and Drug Use Record, Alcohol and Drug Use Consequences Questionnaire, and a decisional balance matrix were used to assess marijuana frequency, negative consequences, and perceived risk of use. A mediation model was used to test the degree to which marijuana legalization may lead to increased frequency and consequences of use through perceived risk. Findings indicated a significantly positive correlation between marijuana-related consequences and perceived risk post legalization. Despite relatively equal use between both groups, adolescents in the legalization group experienced higher levels of perceived risk and increased negative consequences. Due to the rising legalization status of marijuana in the United States, it is imperative that psychoeducation is provided to adults and adolescents about the consequences of underage marijuana use.

An examination of constraints to wilderness visitation

Science.gov (United States)

Gary T. Green; J. Michael Bowker; Cassandra Y. Johnson; H. Ken Cordell; Xiongfei Wang

2007-01-01

Certain social groups appear notably less in wilderness visitation surveys than their population proportion. This study examines whether different social groups in American society (minorities, women, rural dwellers, low income and less educated populations) perceive more constraints to wilderness visitation than other groups. Logistic regressions were fit to data from...

Perceived social support buffers the impact of PTSD symptoms on suicidal behavior: implications into suicide resilience research.

Science.gov (United States)

Panagioti, M; Gooding, P A; Taylor, P J; Tarrier, N

2014-01-01

A growing body of research has highlighted the importance of identifying resilience factors against suicidal behavior. However, no previous study has investigated potential resilience factors among individuals with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The aim of this study was to examine whether perceived social support buffered the impact of PTSD symptoms on suicidal behavior. Fifty-six individuals who had previously been exposed to a traumatic event and reported PTSD symptoms in the past month (n = 34, 60.7% participants met the full criteria for a current PTSD diagnosis) completed a range of self-report measures assessing PTSD symptoms, perceived social support and suicidal behavior. Hierarchical regression analyses were conducted to examine whether perceived social support moderates the effects of PTSD symptoms on suicidal behavior. The results showed that perceived social support moderated the impact of the number and severity of PTSD symptoms on suicidal behavior. For those who perceived themselves as having high levels of social support, an increased number and severity of PTSD symptoms were less likely to lead to suicidal behavior. The current findings suggest that perceived social support might confer resilience to individuals with PTSD and counter the development of suicidal thoughts and behaviors. The milieu of social support potentially provides an area of further research and an important aspect to incorporate into clinical interventions for suicidal behavior in PTSD or trauma populations. © 2013.

Impact of thermal constraints on the optimal design of high-level waste repositories in geologic media

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Malbrain, C; Lester, R K [Massachusetts Inst. of Tech., Cambridge (USA). Dept. of Nuclear Engineering

1982-12-01

An approximate, semi-analytical heat conduction model for predicting the time-dependent temperature distribution in the region of a high-level waste repository has been developed. The model provides the basis for a systematic, inexpensive examination of the impact of several independent thermal design constraints on key repository design parameters and for determining the optimal set of design parameters which satisfy these constraints. Illustrative calculations have been carried out for conceptual repository designs for spent pressurized water reactor (PWR) fuel and reprocessed PWR high-level waste in salt and granite media.

Mediation and moderation effect of the big five personality traits on the relationship between self-perceived malocclusion and psychosocial impact of dental esthetics.

Science.gov (United States)

Spalj, Stjepan; Novsak, Alenka; Bilobrk, Philipp; Katic, Visnja; Zrinski, Magda Trinajstic; Pavlic, Andrej

2016-05-01

To explore the mediation and moderation effects of personality traits on the relationship between self-perceived malocclusion and the psychosocial impact of dental esthetics. The sample included 252 subjects (62% female) aged 12-39 years. Self-perceived malocclusion was estimated using the 10-point scale Aesthetic Component of the Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need. The Psychosocial Impact of Dental Aesthetics Questionnaire was used to assess the psychological impact and the Big Five Inventory for personality traits. Moderation and mediation effects were evaluated with Pearson correlations and stepwise regression analysis, respectively. Self-perceived malocclusion ranged from 1 to 8 and was the most significant predictor of psychosocial impact of dental esthetics, whose unique contribution accounted for 11%-36.4% of variability, while age and sex accounted for 1.2%-2.5%. Personality traits had no mediating effect on this relationship. The moderating effect of agreeableness was present in the relationship between self-perceived degree of malocclusion and Social Impact (SI), Psychological Impact (PI), and Aesthetic Concern (AC) (ΔR2  =  0.035, 0.020, and 0.013, respectively; P personality traits. Adolescents and young adults with lower agreeableness and conscientiousness seem to be less affected by the increased severity of self-perceived malocclusion, as demonstrated in reporting some psychosocial impacts.

The roles of consistency and exclusivity in perceiving body ownership and agency.

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Ke; Hommel, Bernhard; Chen, Hong

2018-01-23

Previous rubber/virtual hand illusion studies have established important constraints for the illusion that an artificial effector becomes part of one's own body (perceived ownership), and that its actions are being caused by oneself (perceived agency). We can take these observed constraints to establish two of three Wegner's (Trends Cogn Sci 7:65-69; Wegner, Trends in Cognitive Sciences 7:65-69, 2003) criteria for the perception of personal agency: priority and consistency, but not Wegner's third criterion-exclusivity. In this study we tested with virtual hand illusion, whether exclusivity (participant is certain who was controlling the virtual effector) can also be established. We manipulated two factors: exclusivity and consistency. Our results show that on both ownership and agency judgments, consistency and exclusivity produced main effects, and the two effects interacted in an underadditive fashion. Taken together, these findings provide support for our suggestion to extend Wegner's agency theory to explain perceived body ownership, which in turn provides an integrative framework for interpreting constraints on ownership and agency illusions.

An analysis of the impact of liquidity constraints on new financial product development: case of ZB bank

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Newman Wadesango

2017-07-01

Full Text Available The study investigated the impact of liquidity constraints on development of new financial products in commercial banks. The descriptive research design was adopted and a case study of ZB Bank employed. A census sampling technique was adopted and questionnaires and interviews were self-administered by the researchers. Research outcomes proved that liquidity constraints are a major impediment to firm`s innovativeness. Financial project innovations are either not started, delayed or abandoned, but mostly the distribution and delivery of developed services for financial products are highly affected. The results of this study have contributed to existing literature in revealing that financial regulation tends to be another constraint for commercial banks discouraging product innovations. Rapid technological changes seem to fuel the need for new software and hardware for new product development thus necessitating the employment of a skilled workforce for new product development. Furthermore, customer demands are changing on a daily basis due to rapid changes in information technology thus making customer maintenance difficult for commercial banks. Based on the data gathered, the researchers concluded that there is a negative impact on new financial product development due to liquidity constraints. In such constrained times, we recommend that commercial banks should emphasize more the best technique suitable for successful new product development or invest their available funds in the development thereof.

Departure time choice: Modelling individual preferences, intention and constraints

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thorhauge, Mikkel

by nearly all studies within departure time. More importantly it shows that the underlying psychological processes are more complex than simply accounting for attitudes and perceptions which are typically used in other areas. The work in this PhD thesis accounts for the full Theory of Planned Behaviour......, but can also be perceived by the individuals as barriers towards participating in activities. Perceived constraints affect the departure time choice through the individual intention of being on time. This PhD thesis also contributes to the departure time literature by discussing the problem of collecting...... whether they are constrained. The thesis also provides empirical evidences of the policy implication of not accounting for other activities and their constraints. Thirdly, the thesis shows that the departure time choice can be partly explained by psychological factors, which have previously been neglected...

Perceived Impact of Outsourcing within Small Medium Industry in Malaysia

OpenAIRE

Harminder Singh, Amritpall Singh

2006-01-01

Outsourcing have long have its impression of giving positive value to firms partaking it, but recent studies have shown that it’s not necessary working for all the firms. The purpose of this paper is to show the effects of outsourcing in SME and the influence on business productivity. The framework for this study is based on Elmuti (2003) framework of perceived impact of outsourcing. A mail survey way used to a sample size of 1000 SME to answer the following objectives 1) To understand fac...

Perceived bitterness character of beer in relation to hop variety and the impact of hop aroma.

Science.gov (United States)

Oladokun, Olayide; James, Sue; Cowley, Trevor; Dehrmann, Frieda; Smart, Katherine; Hort, Joanne; Cook, David

2017-09-01

The impact of hop variety and hop aroma on perceived beer bitterness intensity and character was investigated using analytical and sensory methods. Beers made from malt extract were hopped with 3 distinctive hop varieties (Hersbrucker, East Kent Goldings, Zeus) to achieve equi-bitter levels. A trained sensory panel determined the bitterness character profile of each singly-hopped beer using a novel lexicon. Results showed different bitterness character profiles for each beer, with hop aroma also found to change the hop variety-derived bitterness character profiles of the beer. Rank-rating evaluations further showed the significant effect of hop aroma on selected key bitterness character attributes, by increasing perceived harsh and lingering bitterness, astringency, and bitterness intensity via cross-modal flavour interactions. This study advances understanding of the complexity of beer bitterness perception by demonstrating that hop variety selection and hop aroma both impact significantly on the perceived intensity and character of this key sensory attribute. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

How job and family demands impact change in perceived stress: A dyadic study.

Science.gov (United States)

Smoktunowicz, Ewelina; Cieślak, Roman

2018-01-07

The aim of this two-wave study has been to test the spillover and crossover of job and family demands on changes in perceived stress at work and in the family. Specifically, we proposed that demands from one domain (work or family) spilled over to another domain through interrrole conflict (work-family/family-work conflict) and context-specific self-efficacy. Additionally, we hypothesized that changes in perceived stress were impacted not only by a person's own demands through interrole conflict but also by the demands of one's significant other, in the process of crossover. The study was of dyadic design and it was conducted online, among 130 heterosexual couples, at 2 time points separated by 3 months interval. Hypotheses were verified by means of the path analysis. No support was found for the spillover of job and family demands on changes in perceived stress through interrole conflict and self-efficacy, neither for women nor for men. With regard to the crossover, no support was found for the actor effects, i.e., a person's demands did not impact changes in one's own work- and family-related perceived stress but partial support was found for the partner effects, i.e., women's job demands were associated with men's changes in work and family-related stress through women's work-family conflict, and men's family demands were associated with women's change in family-related perceived stress through men's family-work conflict. The study is a longitudinal test of the Spillover-Crossover model and Work-Home Resources model demonstrating that job and family demands are transmitted across domains and across partners in the intimate relationships through the interrole conflict but the nature of this crossover is different for men and women. Int J Occup Med Environ Health 2018;31(2)199-215. This work is available in Open Access model and licensed under a CC BY-NC 3.0 PL license.

Pre-training perceived wellness impacts training output in Australian football players.

Science.gov (United States)

Gallo, Tania F; Cormack, Stuart J; Gabbett, Tim J; Lorenzen, Christian H

2016-08-01

The impact of perceived wellness on a range of external load parameters, rating of perceived exertion (RPE) and external load:RPE ratios, was explored during skill-based training in Australian footballers. Fifteen training sessions involving 36 participants were analysed. Each morning before any physical training, players completed a customised perceived wellness questionnaire (sleep quality, fatigue, stress, mood and muscle soreness). Microtechnology devices provided external load (average speed, high-speed running distance, player load and player load slow). Players provided RPE using the modified Borg category-ratio 10 RPE scale. Mixed-effect linear models revealed significant effects of wellness Z-score on player load and player load slow. Effects are reported with 95% confidence limits. A wellness Z-score of -1 corresponded to a -4.9 ± 3.1 and -8.6 ± 3.9% reduction in player load and player load slow, respectively, compared to those without reduced wellness. Small significant effects were also seen in the average speed:RPE and player load slow:RPE models. A wellness Z-score of -1 corresponded to a 0.43 ± 0.38 m·min(-1) and -0.02 ± 0.01 au·min(-1) change in the average speed:RPE and player load slow:RPE ratios, respectively. Magnitude-based analysis revealed that the practical size of the effect of a pre-training perceived wellness Z-score of -1 would have on player load slow was likely negative. The results of this study suggests that monitoring pre-training perceived wellness may provide coaches with information about the intensity of output that can be expected from individual players during a training session.

A theoretical approach to the problem of dose-volume constraint estimation and their impact on the dose-volume histogram selection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schinkel, Colleen; Stavrev, Pavel; Stavreva, Nadia; Fallone, B. Gino

2006-01-01

This paper outlines a theoretical approach to the problem of estimating and choosing dose-volume constraints. Following this approach, a method of choosing dose-volume constraints based on biological criteria is proposed. This method is called ''reverse normal tissue complication probability (NTCP) mapping into dose-volume space'' and may be used as a general guidance to the problem of dose-volume constraint estimation. Dose-volume histograms (DVHs) are randomly simulated, and those resulting in clinically acceptable levels of complication, such as NTCP of 5±0.5%, are selected and averaged producing a mean DVH that is proven to result in the same level of NTCP. The points from the averaged DVH are proposed to serve as physical dose-volume constraints. The population-based critical volume and Lyman NTCP models with parameter sets taken from literature sources were used for the NTCP estimation. The impact of the prescribed value of the maximum dose to the organ, D max , on the averaged DVH and the dose-volume constraint points is investigated. Constraint points for 16 organs are calculated. The impact of the number of constraints to be fulfilled based on the likelihood that a DVH satisfying them will result in an acceptable NTCP is also investigated. It is theoretically proven that the radiation treatment optimization based on physical objective functions can sufficiently well restrict the dose to the organs at risk, resulting in sufficiently low NTCP values through the employment of several appropriate dose-volume constraints. At the same time, the pure physical approach to optimization is self-restrictive due to the preassignment of acceptable NTCP levels thus excluding possible better solutions to the problem

Impact of a non-attentively perceived odour on subsequent food choices.

Science.gov (United States)

Gaillet-Torrent, M; Sulmont-Rossé, C; Issanchou, S; Chabanet, C; Chambaron, S

2014-05-01

Current research in psychology suggests that unconscious processes influence a significant proportion of choices and decisions. To study the impact of a non-attentively perceived odour on food choices, we used a priming paradigm. We had previously shown that non-attentively perceived fruity odours could impact food choice intentions (on a menu card), guiding participants toward items containing more fruit and/or vegetables. The present study was designed to extend these findings, in a real-life consumption setting. One hundred and fifteen participants took part in this study, and were assigned randomly to either a control or a scented condition. On arrival in the laboratory, they were seated in a waiting room. For the scented condition, they were unobtrusively exposed to a pear odour, while under the control condition the waiting room was non-odorised. Following this waiting period, all participants moved into a non-odorised test room where they were asked to choose, from dishes served buffet-style, the starter, main course and dessert that they would actually eat for lunch. The results showed that participants subjected to the scented condition chose to consume the 'fruity' dessert (compote) more frequently than those who had waited under the control condition, who chose more frequently the dessert without fruit (brownie). In line with the findings of our previous study, these results confirm the idea of priming effects 'specific to the food cue'. To conclude, a non-attentively perceived fruity odour was shown to influence actual food choices, guiding individuals towards more fruity desserts. The involvement of implicit processes in food choices should be taken into account in guidelines and strategies designed to promote healthy eating. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Impact Angle and Time Control Guidance Under Field-of-View Constraints and Maneuver Limits

Science.gov (United States)

Shim, Sang-Wook; Hong, Seong-Min; Moon, Gun-Hee; Tahk, Min-Jea

2018-04-01

This paper proposes a guidance law which considers the constraints of seeker field-of-view (FOV) as well as the requirements on impact angle and time. The proposed guidance law is designed for a constant speed missile against a stationary target. The guidance law consists of two terms of acceleration commands. The first one is to achieve zero-miss distance and the desired impact angle, while the second is to meet the desired impact time. To consider the limits of FOV and lateral maneuver capability, a varying-gain approach is applied on the second term. Reduction of realizable impact times due to these limits is then analyzed by finding the longest course among the feasible ones. The performance of the proposed guidance law is demonstrated by numerical simulation for various engagement conditions.

Distribution system constraints and their impact on distributed generation: final report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Thornycroft, J.; Caisley, A.; Russell, T.; Willis, S.; Youssef, R.; Bawden, R.; Holden, G.; Williams, J.

2004-05-01

This report examines constraints due to the connection of distributed generators to the distribution network focusing on small generators with the aim of developing technical and economic models to examine the relationship between the initial investment and the ensuing cost of the constraints under different scenarios. Constraints are defined as limitations to operation of connected generators, and the types of constraints, and the allocation of reinforcement and constraint costs are considered. Details are given of the modeling of sections of urban, rural and semi-rural network at Faversham, and the current constraints on this network are described.

Residents’ Attitudes towards Sustainable Tourism Development in a Historical-Cultural Village: Influence of Perceived Impacts, Sense of Place and Tourism Development Potential

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

He Zhu

2017-01-01

Full Text Available This study aims to assess the residents’ support for sustainable tourism development in a destination that is in the initial tourism development stage. Residents’ perception of sustainable tourism development potential, sense of place, perceived tourism impacts, and tourism development support were involved in this study. A total of 331 completed questionnaire surveys were collected in Luozhou, a historical-cultural village in China. The empirical data were analyzed using a structural equation modeling (SEM technique, and the results revealed that perceived collective benefits had a significant positive effect on tourism development support, whereas the other three perceived impacts’ influence were not significant. The relationship between residents’ sense of place and perceived collective and personal benefits, perceived personal costs and tourism development support, were significant. Additionally, residents’ perceptions of tourism development potential had a significant influence on perceived impact and tourism development support except for perceived personal benefits. Some practical implications of those findings for tourism planning and development are also discussed.

Making STEM “Family Friendly”: The Impact of Perceiving Science Careers as Family-Compatible

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Erica S. Weisgram

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Two studies extended the communal goal congruity perspective to examine perceived incongruity between science careers and family caregiving goals. Study 1 examined beliefs about science careers among young adolescents, older adolescents, and young adults. Science careers were perceived as unlikely to afford family goals, and this belief emerged more strongly with age cohort. Study 1 also documented that the perception that science affords family goals predicts interest in pursuing science. Study 2 then employed an experimental methodology to investigate the impact of framing a science career as integrated with family life or not. For family-oriented women, the family-friendly framing of science produced greater personal favorability toward pursuing a science career. In addition, perceived fulfilment of the scientist described predicted personal favorability toward a science career path. We discuss the implications of these findings for research and for policy.

Olivine on Vesta as exogenous contaminants brought by impacts: Constraints from modeling Vesta's collisional history and from impact simulations

Science.gov (United States)

Turrini, D.; Svetsov, V.; Consolmagno, G.; Sirono, S.; Pirani, S.

2016-12-01

The survival of asteroid Vesta during the violent early history of the Solar System is a pivotal constraint on theories of planetary formation. Particularly important from this perspective is the amount of olivine excavated from the vestan mantle by impacts, as this constrains both the interior structure of Vesta and the number of major impacts the asteroid suffered during its life. The NASA Dawn mission revealed that olivine is present on Vesta's surface in limited quantities, concentrated in small patches at a handful of sites not associated with the two large impact basins Rheasilvia and Veneneia. The first detections were interpreted as the result of the excavation of endogenous olivine, even if the depth at which the detected olivine originated was a matter of debate. Later works raised instead the possibility that the olivine had an exogenous origin, based on the geologic and spectral features of the deposits. In this work, we quantitatively explore the proposed scenario of a exogenous origin for the detected vestan olivine to investigate whether its presence on Vesta can be explained as a natural outcome of the collisional history of the asteroid over the last one or more billion years. To perform this study we took advantage of the impact contamination model previously developed to study the origin and amount of dark and hydrated materials observed by Dawn on Vesta, a model we updated by performing dedicated hydrocode impact simulations. We show that the exogenous delivery of olivine by the same impacts that shaped the vestan surface can offer a viable explanation for the currently identified olivine-rich sites without violating the constraint posed by the lack of global olivine signatures on Vesta. Our results indicate that no mantle excavation is in principle required to explain the observations of the Dawn mission and support the idea that the vestan crust could be thicker than indicated by simple geochemical models based on the Howardite

Shopping the way to my goals: an analysis of purchase impact on perceived goal progress

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Manuela Albornoz Gonçalves

Full Text Available Abstract This article examines the impact of goal related purchases on goal progress perception, and whether this perception depends on the strength of association between product and goal. To test how consumers perceive the act of purchasing goal-related products, three experiments were conducted in an online setting. Participants exposed to purchasing situations perceived greater goal progress than participants exposed to usage situation or a control group. In addition, studies show that this effect is a result of strength of association between product and goal, since participants exposed to more instrumental products perceived greater goal progress than participants exposed to less instrumental products. Therefore, these studies demonstrate how consumers interpret goal related purchases, and the mechanism that influences this interpretation.

Perceived impact of an interprofessional education program on community resilience: an exploratory study.

Science.gov (United States)

Slack, Marion Kimball; McEwen, Marylyn Morris

2013-09-01

The purpose of this study was to explore the perceived impact of an interprofessional education (IPE) program for health sciences students on two culturally diverse, underserved communities. A community resilience/capacity framework, consisting of catalysts (primarily the creation of awareness) and capital components: human (workforce development), social (networking and empowerment) and economic (volunteer labor and money spent by the program), provided the conceptual underpinnings for the study. Focus groups with stakeholders in two communities, one rural and one metropolitan, were audio-recorded, transcribed and analyzed by categorizing data according to each capital component. In addition to the concepts contained in the capacity framework a new category, informational capital (data specific to the community) emerged during the analysis. We suggest that by acting as a catalyst a community based interprofessional program can affect components of community resilience/capacity, primarily human, social, and informational capital. Using the community resilience/capacity framework facilitated exploration of the perceived impact of an educational program on one rural and one urban underserved community beyond assessing student outcomes or number of clients served.

EIA scoping in England and Wales: Practitioner approaches, perspectives and constraints

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wood, Graham; Glasson, John; Becker, Julia

2006-01-01

Scoping plays a critical role in shaping the nature and extent of the environmental information subsequently contained in an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), yet it has been identified as an area of weakness in practice () and remains a poorly understood and under-researched component of EIA. This paper provides a detailed empirical investigation and assessment of recent scoping activity in England and Wales, in the context of evolving European Union (EU) regulations. Conceptual and contextual issues associated with scoping are outlined prior to the presentation of key findings, including: approaches to scoping; the assessment of significance; characteristics and influence of consultation; and perceived constraints to scoping. The paper concludes with an overview of findings, possible explanatory factors, and recommendations for future practice

Production Team Maintenance: Systemic Constraints Impacting Implementation

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Moore, Terry

1997-01-01

.... Identified constraints included: integrating the PTM positioning strategy into the AMC corporate strategic planning process, manpower modeling simulator limitations, labor force authorizations and decentralization...

The Impact of Perceived Stress and Coping Adequacy on the Health of Nurses: A Pilot Investigation

OpenAIRE

Jordan, Timothy R.; Khubchandani, Jagdish; Wiblishauser, Michael

2016-01-01

Stress and coping abilities influence the health and work performance of nurses. However, little is known about the combined influence of stress perception and perceived coping adequacy and its impact on the health of nurses. This study examined the relationship between stress, coping, and the combined influences of perceived stress and coping abilities on health and work performance. A valid and reliable questionnaire was completed by 120 nurses in a Midwestern hospital in the USA. In genera...

The Perceived Impact of External Evaluation: The System, Organisation and Individual Levels-Estonian Case

Science.gov (United States)

Seema, Riin; Udam, Maiki; Mattisen, Heli; Lauri, Liia

2017-01-01

The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of how the employees of higher education institutions perceive the impact of external evaluations. The study was conducted using the concurrent mixed method and involved 361 employees from Estonian universities and professional higher education institutions. The results indicated that…

The Effect of Some Constraints on Mathematics Instructors' Problem ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This study was designed to examine the effect of perceived constraints on four universities mathematics department instructors' classroom practices of problem solving in teaching mathematics. To this end, the target population of the study includes mathematics instructors in the Amhara Regional state universities. From a ...

Impact of organizational climate on organizational commitment and perceived organizational performance: empirical evidence from public hospitals.

Science.gov (United States)

Berberoglu, Aysen

2018-06-01

Extant literature suggested that positive organizational climate leads to higher levels of organizational commitment, which is an important concept in terms of employee attitudes, likewise, the concept of perceived organizational performance, which can be assumed as a mirror of the actual performance. For healthcare settings, these are important matters to consider due to the fact that the service is delivered thoroughly by healthcare workers to the patients. Therefore, attitudes and perceptions of the employees can influence how they deliver the service. The aim of this study was to evaluate healthcare employees' perceptions of organizational climate and test the hypothesized impact of organizational climate on organizational commitment and perceived organizational performance. The study adopted a quantitative approach, by collecting data from the healthcare workers currently employed in public hospitals in North Cyprus, utilizing a self-administered questionnaire. Collected data was analyzed with the help of Statistical Package for Social Sciences, and ANOVA and Linear Regression analyses were used to test the hypothesis. Results revealed that organizational climate is highly correlated with organizational commitment and perceived organizational performance. Simple linear regression outcomes indicated that organizational climate is significant in predicting organizational commitment and perceived organizational performance. There was a positive and linear relationship between organizational climate with organizational commitment and perceived organizational performance. Results from the regression analysis suggested that organizational climate has an impact on predicting organizational commitment and perceived organizational performance of the employees in public hospitals of North Cyprus. Organizational climate was found to be statistically significant in determining the organizational commitment of the employees. The results of the study provided some critical

Cognitive constraints on high school students' representations of real environmental problems

Science.gov (United States)

Barnes, Ervin Kenneth

One class of juniors and seniors was studied through one semester in the investigation of how students think about, learn from, and solve real environmental problems. The intention was to listen to student voices while researching the features of their representations of these problems, the beliefs they held (tenets), the cognitive processes they employed, and the principles of science, ecology, problem solving, and ethics they held as tenets. The focus was upon two self-selected groups as they perceived, engaged, analyzed, and proposed solutions for problems. Analysis of the student representations involved interpretation of the features to include both the perspective tenets and the envisioning processes. These processes included the intentive and attentive constraints as tenet acquisition and volitive and agential constraints as tenet affirmation. The perspective tenets included a variety of conceptual (basic science, ecological, ethical, and problem-solving) constraints as well as ontological, epistemological, and other cultural (role, status, power, and community) constraints. The perspective tenets were interpreted thematically including the ways populations of people cause and care about environmental problems, the magnitude of environmental problems and the science involved, the expectations and limitations students perceive for themselves, and the importance of community awareness and cooperation to addressing these problems. Some of these tenets were interpreted to be principles in that they were rules that were accepted by some people as true. The perspective tenets, along with the envisioning processes, were perceived to be the constraints that determined the environmental problems and limited the solution possibilities. The students thought about environmental problems in mature and principled ways using a repertoire of cognitive processes. They learned from them as they acquired and affirmed tenets. They solved them through personal choices and

Constraints on the timing of the Moon-forming giant impact from MORB Xe isotopes

Science.gov (United States)

Parai, R.; Mukhopadhyay, S.

2014-12-01

As Earth accreted, volatiles were delivered by accreting material and lost by degassing and impact-driven ejection to space. The Moon-forming giant impact initiated the final catastrophic outgassing and bulk volatile ejection event on the early Earth. I-Pu-U-Xe systematics provide a powerful tool to probe degassing of the early Earth. Radiogenic 129Xe was produced by β-decay of the extinct nuclide 129I (t1/2 = 15.7 Ma) in the first ~90 Myr of Earth history. Fissiogenic 131Xe, 132Xe, 134Xe, 136Xe were produced in distinct, characteristic proportions by the fission of extinct short-lived 244Pu (t1/2 = 80.0 Myr) and extant long-lived 238U (t1/2 = 4.468 Gyr). Here we present radiogenic and fission Xe data in basalts from the Southwest Indian Ridge, and discuss them with other mantle-derived samples to shed light on early Earth volatile accretion and loss. Based on the ratio of radiogenic 129Xe to plutogenic 136Xe determined for the MORB source, we calculate an I-Pu-Xe closure age for the upper mantle of ~44-70 Myr after the start of the Solar System. The closure age should correspond to the end of catastrophic mantle outgassing during accretion, and thus constrains the age of the last giant impact (LGI). Our closure age is significantly older than previous Xe closure age determinations of ~100 Myr, and is also older than some direct radiometric ages of lunar crustal samples. In order to explore the effects of accretion timescales, partial early retention of Xe, and degassing associated with long-term mantle processing on Xe closure age, we develop a new model of I-Pu-U-Xe systematics. We find that for LGI's between ~35 and 70 Myr after the start of the Solar System, we are able to satisfy constraints on I-Pu-U-Xe systematics simultaneously without invoking partial retention of Xe prior to the last giant impact. For LGI's after ~80 Myr, partial retention of Xe prior to the LGI is required. Non-zero early retention of Xe is necessary to explain the budgets of primordial

Impact of a cost constraint on nutritionally adequate food choices for French women: an analysis by linear programming.

Science.gov (United States)

Darmon, Nicole; Ferguson, Elaine L; Briend, André

2006-01-01

To predict, for French women, the impact of a cost constraint on the food choices required to provide a nutritionally adequate diet. Isocaloric daily diets fulfilling both palatability and nutritional constraints were modeled in linear programming, using different cost constraint levels. For each modeled diet, total departure from an observed French population's average food group pattern ("mean observed diet") was minimized. To achieve the nutritional recommendations without a cost constraint, the modeled diet provided more energy from fish, fresh fruits and green vegetables and less energy from animal fats and cheese than the "mean observed diet." Introducing and strengthening a cost constraint decreased the energy provided by meat, fresh vegetables, fresh fruits, vegetable fat, and yogurts and increased the energy from processed meat, eggs, offal, and milk. For the lowest cost diet (ie, 3.18 euros/d), marked changes from the "mean observed diet" were required, including a marked reduction in the amount of energy from fresh fruits (-85%) and green vegetables (-70%), and an increase in the amount of energy from nuts, dried fruits, roots, legumes, and fruit juices. Nutrition education for low-income French women must emphasize these affordable food choices.

THE IMPACT OF THE PERCEIVED USEFULNESS OF WORKPLACE SOCIAL NETWORKS UPON THE INNOVATIVE BEHAVIOUR OF SME EMPLOYEES: A SOCIAL CAPITAL PERSPECTIVE

OpenAIRE

MATTHEW J. XERRI; YVONNE BRUNETTO

2011-01-01

This research includes an examination about the impact of three organisational factors upon the perceived usefulness of workplace social networks for problem solving in engineering SMEs. As well this research examines the impact of the perceived usefulness of workplace social networks upon the innovative behaviour of engineering SME employees. More specifically, the dimensions of Social Capital Theory are applied as a lens to develop an understanding into the effect of the strength of workpla...

Measuring the impact of health problems among adults with limited mobility in Thailand: further validation of the Perceived Impact of Problem Profile

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Manderson Lenore

2008-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The Perceived Impact of Problem Profile (PIPP was developed to provide a tool for measuring the impact of a health condition from the individual's perspective, using the ICF model as a framework. One of the aims of the ICF is to enable the comparison of data across countries, however, relatively little is known about the subjective experience of disability in middle and low-income countries. The aim of this study was to assess the validity of the Perceived Impact of Problem Profile (PIPP for use among adults with a disability in Thailand using Rasch analysis. Methods A total of 210 adults with mobility impairment from the urban, rural and remote areas of northeast Thailand completed the PIPP, which contains 23 items assessing both impact and distress across five key domains (Self-care, Mobility, Participation, Relationships, and Psychological Well-being. Rasch analysis, using RUMM2020, was conducted to assess the internal validity and psychometric properties of the PIPP Impact subscales. Validation of the PIPP Impact scales was conducted by comparing scores across the different response levels of the EQ5D items. Results Rasch analysis indicated that participants did not clearly differentiate between 'impact' and 'distress,' the two aspects assessed by the PIPP. Further analyses were therefore limited to the PIPP Impact subscales. These showed adequate psychometric properties, demonstrating fit to the Rasch model and good person separation reliability. Preliminary validity testing using the EQ5D items provided support for the PIPP Impact subscales. Conclusion The results provide further support for the psychometric properties of the PIPP Impact scales and indicate that it is a suitable tool for use among adults with a locomotor disability in Thailand. Further research is needed to validate the PIPP across different cultural contexts and health conditions and to assess the usefulness of separate Impact and Distress subscales.

Measuring the impact of health problems among adults with limited mobility in Thailand: further validation of the Perceived Impact of Problem Profile

Science.gov (United States)

Misajon, RoseAnne; Pallant, Julie F; Manderson, Lenore; Chirawatkul, Siriporn

2008-01-01

Background The Perceived Impact of Problem Profile (PIPP) was developed to provide a tool for measuring the impact of a health condition from the individual's perspective, using the ICF model as a framework. One of the aims of the ICF is to enable the comparison of data across countries, however, relatively little is known about the subjective experience of disability in middle and low-income countries. The aim of this study was to assess the validity of the Perceived Impact of Problem Profile (PIPP) for use among adults with a disability in Thailand using Rasch analysis. Methods A total of 210 adults with mobility impairment from the urban, rural and remote areas of northeast Thailand completed the PIPP, which contains 23 items assessing both impact and distress across five key domains (Self-care, Mobility, Participation, Relationships, and Psychological Well-being). Rasch analysis, using RUMM2020, was conducted to assess the internal validity and psychometric properties of the PIPP Impact subscales. Validation of the PIPP Impact scales was conducted by comparing scores across the different response levels of the EQ5D items. Results Rasch analysis indicated that participants did not clearly differentiate between 'impact' and 'distress,' the two aspects assessed by the PIPP. Further analyses were therefore limited to the PIPP Impact subscales. These showed adequate psychometric properties, demonstrating fit to the Rasch model and good person separation reliability. Preliminary validity testing using the EQ5D items provided support for the PIPP Impact subscales. Conclusion The results provide further support for the psychometric properties of the PIPP Impact scales and indicate that it is a suitable tool for use among adults with a locomotor disability in Thailand. Further research is needed to validate the PIPP across different cultural contexts and health conditions and to assess the usefulness of separate Impact and Distress subscales. PMID:18208616

Sustainability constraints on UK bioenergy development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thornley, Patricia; Upham, Paul; Tomei, Julia

2009-01-01

Use of bioenergy as a renewable resource is increasing in many parts of the world and can generate significant environmental, economic and social benefits if managed with due regard to sustainability constraints. This work reviews the environmental, social and economic constraints on key feedstocks for UK heat, power and transport fuel. Key sustainability constraints include greenhouse gas savings achieved for different fuels, land availability, air quality impacts and facility siting. Applying those constraints, we estimate that existing technologies would facilitate a sustainability constrained level of medium-term bioenergy/biofuel supply to the UK of 4.9% of total energy demand, broken down into 4.3% of heat demands, 4.3% of electricity, and 5.8% of transport fuel. This suggests that attempts to increase the supply above these levels could have counterproductive sustainability impacts in the absence of compensating technology developments or identification of additional resources. The barriers that currently prevent this level of supply being achieved have been analysed and classified. This suggests that the biggest policy impacts would be in stimulating the market for heat demand in rural areas, supporting feedstock prices in a manner that incentivised efficient use/maximum greenhouse gas savings and targeting investment capital that improves yield and reduces land-take.

On relaxing the Mangasarian-Fromovitz constraint qualification

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Kruger, A.Y.; Minchenko, L.; Outrata, Jiří

2014-01-01

Roč. 18, č. 1 (2014), s. 171-189 ISSN 1385-1292 R&D Projects: GA ČR GAP402/12/1309 Institutional support: RVO:67985556 Keywords : Nonlinear programming * Regularity conditions * Constraint qualifications * Lagrange multipliers * Mangasarian–Fromovitz constraint qualification * Constant rank constraint qualification Subject RIV: BA - General Mathematics Impact factor: 0.679, year: 2014 http://library.utia.cas.cz/separaty/2014/MTR/outrata-0426110.pdf

Vicious Circle of Perceived Stigma, Enacted Stigma and Depressive Symptoms among Children affected by HIV/AIDS in China

Science.gov (United States)

Chi, Peilian; Li, Xiaoming; Zhao, Junfeng; Zhao, Guoxiang

2013-01-01

Previous research has found a deleterious impact of stigma on the mental health of children affected by HIV/AIDS. Little is known about the longitudinal relationship of stigma and children’s mental health. This study explores the longitudinal reciprocal effects of depressive symptoms and stigma, specifically enacted stigma and perceived stigma, among children affected by HIV/AIDS aged 6 to 12. Longitudinal data were collected from 272 children orphaned by AIDS and 249 children of HIV-positive parents in rural China. Cross-lagged panel analysis was conducted in the study. Results showed that the autoregressive effects were stable for depressive symptoms, perceived stigma and enacted stigma suggesting the substantially stable individual differences over time. The cross-lagged effects indicated a vicious circle among the three variables in an order of enacted stigma→depressive symptom→perceived stigma→enacted stigma. The possibility of employing equal constraints on cross-lagged paths suggested that the cross-lagged effects were repeatable over time. The dynamic interplay of enacted stigma, perceived stigma and depressive symptoms suggests the need of a multilevel intervention in stigma reduction programming to promote mental health of children affected by HIV/AIDS. PMID:24158487

EXPLORING SERVICE QUALITY IMPACTS ON CUSTOMER SATISFACTION IN MILITARY MEDICAL CENTRES: MODERATING ROLE OF PERCEIVED VALUE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Azman Ismail

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Much has been written about service quality impacts on customer satisfaction. However, little research on this perspective has been carried out in military settings. The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between service quality and customer satisfaction, and moderating effects of perceived value in military medical centre. A survey method was employed and data was collected from customers at medical centers under the administration of Malaysian army organization. Analysis was performed using SmartPLS path model analysis. The results show two important findings: first, the interaction between four service quality components (i.e., tangible, reliability, responsiveness and assurance and customers’ perceived value were significantly correlated with customer satisfaction. Second, the interaction between one service quality component (i.e., tangible were not significantly correlated with customer satisfaction. In overall, this result confirms that effect of tangible, reliability, responsiveness and assurance on customer satisfaction has been moderated by customers’ perceived value. Conversely, effect empathy on customer satisfaction has not been moderated by customers’ perceived value. Further, this study offers discussion, implications and conclusion.

Constraints Faced by Stakeholders under Agriculture Technology Management Agency (ATMA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. Yoga Narasimhalu Naidu

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Agriculture Technology Management Agency (ATMA is a registered society in India with key stakeholders enmeshed with various agricultural activities for sustainable agricultural development in the state, with focus at district level. It is a hotbed for integrating research, extension and marketing activities and decentralizing day-to-day management of the public Agricultural Technology Development and Dissemination System. The present study was carried out in Andhra Pradesh state to explore the constraints faced by the extension functionaries at each level of decentralized management. Moreover, constraints perceived by the farmers with the support of ATMA in realizing their needs were also studied.

Task-dependent neural bases of perceiving emotionally expressive targets

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jamil eZaki

2012-08-01

Full Text Available Social cognition is fundamentally interpersonal: individuals’ behavior and dispositions critically affect their interaction partners’ information processing. However, cognitive neuroscience studies, partially because of methodological constraints, have remained largely perceiver-centric: focusing on the abilities, motivations, and goals of social perceivers while largely ignoring interpersonal effects. Here, we address this knowledge gap by examining the neural bases of perceiving emotionally expressive and inexpressive social targets. Sixteen perceivers were scanned using fMRI while they watched targets discussing emotional autobiographical events. Perceivers continuously rated each target’s emotional state or eye-gaze direction. The effects of targets’ emotional expressivity on perceiver’s brain activity depended on task set: when perceivers explicitly attended to targets’ emotions, expressivity predicted activity in neural structures—including medial prefrontal and posterior cingulate cortex—associated with drawing inferences about mental states. When perceivers instead attended to targets’ eye-gaze, target expressivity predicted activity in regions—including somatosensory cortex, fusiform gyrus, and motor cortex—associated with monitoring sensorimotor states and biological motion. These findings suggest that expressive targets affect information processing in manner that depends on perceivers’ goals. More broadly, these data provide an early step towards understanding the neural bases of interpersonal social cognition.

Participation in recreational activities buffers the impact of perceived stress on quality of life in adults with autism spectrum disorder.

Science.gov (United States)

Bishop-Fitzpatrick, Lauren; Smith DaWalt, Leann; Greenberg, Jan S; Mailick, Marsha R

2017-05-01

As the number of adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) grows, the need to identify modifiable correlates of positive outcomes and quality of life (QoL) gains in importance. Research indicates that perceived stress is significantly correlated with QoL in adults with ASD. Studies in the general population of individuals without disabilities indicate that greater participation in social and recreational activities may lessen the negative impact of perceived stress on well-being, and this association may also hold among adults with ASD. We hypothesized that: (1) perceived stress would be negatively associated with QoL; and (2) higher frequency of participation in social activities and recreational activities would moderate the relationship between perceived stress and QoL. We used data collected from 60 adults with ASD aged 24-55 and their mothers to address our hypotheses. Findings indicate that adults with ASD with higher perceived stress are likely to have poorer QoL. Furthermore, greater participation in recreational activities buffers the impact of perceived stress on QoL, but no buffering effect was observed for participation in social activities. These findings suggest that interventions and services that provide supports and opportunities for participation in recreational activities may help adults with ASD manage their stress and lead to better QoL. Autism Res 2017, 10: 973-982. © 2017 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Impact of hospital atmosphere on perceived health care outcome.

Science.gov (United States)

Narang, Ritu; Polsa, Pia; Soneye, Alabi; Fuxiang, Wei

2015-01-01

Healthcare service quality studies primarily examine the relationships between patients' perceived quality and satisfaction with healthcare services, clinical effectiveness, service use, recommendations and value for money. These studies suggest that patient-independent quality dimensions (structure, process and outcome) are antecedents to quality. The purpose of this paper is to propose an alternative by looking at the relationship between hospital atmosphere and healthcare quality with perceived outcome. Data were collected from Finland, India, Nigeria and the People's Republic of China. Regression analysis used perceived outcome as the dependent variable and atmosphere and healthcare service quality as independent variables. Findings - Results showed that atmosphere and healthcare service quality have a statistically significant relationship with patient perceived outcomes. The sample size was small and the sampling units were selected on convenience; thus, caution must be exercised in generalizing the findings. The study determined that service quality and atmosphere are considered significant for developing and developed nations. This result could have significant implications for policy makers and service providers developing healthcare quality and hospital atmosphere. Studies concentrate on healthcare outcome primarily regarding population health status, mortality, morbidity, customer satisfaction, loyalty, quality of life, customer behavior and consumption. However, the study exposes how patients perceive their health after treatment. Furthermore, the authors develop the healthcare service literature by considering atmosphere and perceived outcome.

Pension fund's illiquid assets allocation under liquidity and capital constraints

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Broeders, Dirk; Jansen, Kristy; Werker, Bas

2017-01-01

This paper empirically assesses the impact of liquidity and capital constraints on the allocation of defined benefit pension funds to illiquid assets. Liquidity constraints result from short-term pension payments and collateral requirements on derivatives. Capital constraints follow from the

Perceived impact of environmental barriers on participation among people living with spinal cord injury in Switzerland

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Reinhardt, Jan D; Ballert, Carolina; Brinkhof, Martin W G; Post, Marcel W M

Objective: To describe the impact of environmental barriers perceived by people living with spinal cord injury in the Swiss community and to compare this across subpopulations. Design: Cross-sectional study. Subjects: A total of 1,549 participants in the community survey of the Swiss spinal cord

Perceived impact of environmental barriers on participation among people living with spinal cord injury in Switzerland

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Reinhardt, Jan D; Ballert, Carolina; Brinkhof, Martin W G; Post, Marcel W M

2016-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To describe the impact of environmental barriers perceived by people living with spinal cord injury in the Swiss community and to compare this across subpopulations. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SUBJECTS: A total of 1,549 participants in the community survey of the Swiss spinal cord

Perceived impact of body feedback from romantic partners on young adults' body image and sexual well-being.

Science.gov (United States)

Goldsmith, Kaitlyn M; Byers, E Sandra

2016-06-01

This study investigated the messages individuals receive from their partners about their bodies and their perceived impact on body image and sexual well-being. Young adult men (n=35) and women (n=57) completed open-ended questions identifying messages they had received from partners and the impact of these messages on their body image and sexual well-being. Content coding revealed three verbal (expressions of approval and pride, challenging negative beliefs, expressions of sexual attraction/arousal/desire) and two nonverbal (physical affection, physical expressions of sexual attraction/arousal/desire) positive messages as well as one verbal (disapproval/disgust) and two nonverbal (rejection, humiliation) negative messages. Some participants reported gender-related messages (muscularity/strength, genital appearance, breast appearance, weight, and comparison to others). Positive messages were seen to increase confidence, self-acceptance, and sexual empowerment/fulfillment, whereas negative messages decreased these feelings. Our findings suggest that even everyday, seemingly neutral messages are perceived to have an important impact on young adults. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of knee extension constraint training on knee flexion angle and peak impact ground-reaction force.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Hui; Wu, Will; Yao, Wanxiang; Spang, Jeffrey T; Creighton, R Alexander; Garrett, William E; Yu, Bing

2014-04-01

Low compliance with training programs is likely to be one of the major reasons for inconsistency of the data regarding the effectiveness of current anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury prevention programs. Training methods that reduce training time and cost could favorably influence the effectiveness of ACL injury prevention programs. A newly designed knee extension constraint training device may serve this purpose. (1) Knee extension constraint training for 4 weeks would significantly increase the knee flexion angle at the time of peak impact posterior ground-reaction force and decrease peak impact ground-reaction forces during landing of a stop-jump task and a side-cutting task, and (2) the training effects would be retained 4 weeks after completion of the training program. Controlled laboratory study. Twenty-four recreational athletes were randomly assigned to group A or B. Participants in group A played sports without wearing a knee extension constraint device for 4 weeks and then played sports while wearing the device for 4 weeks, while participants in group B underwent a reversed protocol. Both groups were tested at the beginning of week 1 and at the ends of weeks 4 and 8 without wearing the device. Knee joint angles were obtained from 3-dimensional videographic data, while ground-reaction forces were measured simultaneously using force plates. Analyses of variance were performed to determine the training effects and the retention of training effects. Participants in group A significantly increased knee flexion angles and decreased ground-reaction forces at the end of week 8 (P ≤ .012). Participants in group B significantly increased knee flexion angles and decreased ground-reaction forces at the ends of weeks 4 and 8 (P ≤ .007). However, participants in group B decreased knee flexion angles and increased ground-reaction forces at the end of week 8 in comparison with the end of week 4 (P ≤ .009). Knee extension constraint training for 4 weeks

Reactions to perceived fairness : the impact

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bos, K. van den

2001-01-01

In correspondence with terror management theory, the findings of two experiments show that reminders of death lead to stronger effects of perceived fairness on ratings of negative affect. Furthermore, in line with the theory’s self-esteem mechanism, results of Experiment 1 suggest that state

Impact of Performance Obstacles on Intensive Care Nurses‘ Workload, Perceived Quality and Safety of Care, and Quality of Working Life

Science.gov (United States)

Gurses, Ayse P; Carayon, Pascale; Wall, Melanie

2009-01-01

Objectives To study the impact of performance obstacles on intensive care nurses‘ workload, quality and safety of care, and quality of working life (QWL). Performance obstacles are factors that hinder nurses‘ capacity to perform their job and that are closely associated with their immediate work system. Data Sources/Study Setting Data were collected from 265 nurses in 17 intensive care units (ICUs) between February and August 2004 via a structured questionnaire, yielding a response rate of 80 percent. Study Design A cross-sectional study design was used. Data were analyzed by correlation analyses and structural equation modeling. Principal Findings Performance obstacles were found to affect perceived quality and safety of care and QWL of ICU nurses. Workload mediated the impact of performance obstacles with the exception of equipment-related issues on perceived quality and safety of care as well as QWL. Conclusions Performance obstacles in ICUs are a major determinant of nursing workload, perceived quality and safety of care, and QWL. In general, performance obstacles increase nursing workload, which in turn negatively affect perceived quality and safety of care and QWL. Redesigning the ICU work system to reduce performance obstacles may improve nurses‘ work. PMID:19207589

Brief Report: Is Perceived Motor Competence a Constraint in Children's Action Planning?

Science.gov (United States)

Gabbard, Carl; Cacola, Priscila; Cordova, Alberto

2009-01-01

A form of action representation of developmental interest is "reach estimation"--the perceptual and cognitive judgment of whether an object is within or out of reach. A common observation among children is overestimation, which, speculatively, has been linked to perceived motor competence (PMC). The authors examined the PMC effect on…

e-Purchase Intention of Taiwanese Consumers: Sustainable Mediation of Perceived Usefulness and Perceived Ease of Use

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Massoud Moslehpour

2018-01-01

Full Text Available This study proposes a new model by partially combining personality traits (PT and Technology Acceptance Model (TAM attributes to examine the influences of personality characteristics (conscientiousness, openness and perception of technology (perceived usefulness, perceives ease of use on e-purchase intention. We use truncate sampling technique and survey questionnaire to target the sample of Taiwanese online consumers and collect data. We find that consciousness (CON (personality attribute significantly influences perceived usefulness (PU (technology perception attributes, perceived ease of use (PEOU (technology perception attributes and openness to experience (OPE (personality attribute. PU, PEOU and OPE have significant impacts on e-purchase intention (INT. PEOU has the strongest positive impact on (INT. In addition, PU, PEOU and OPE combined together mediate the relationship between CON and INT. Further post hoc analysis of the mediation shows that both PU and PEOU are sustainable mediators. However, OPE is not a significant mediator.

The Perceived Impact of Teacher Performance Ratings on the Teacher Evaluation Process: Voices from the Field

Science.gov (United States)

Bullis, Brian

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study was focused on the various perceived impacts created by the expansion to a four-tier teacher performance evaluation rating model which would inform educational leaders in the State of Illinois. By studying the experiences of principals in two other states who previously underwent the same change, Florida and…

Losses Loom Longer Than Gains : Modeling the Impact of Service Crises on Perceived Service Quality over Time

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gijsenberg, Maarten J.; van Heerde, Harald J.; Verhoef, Peter C.

2015-01-01

Service providers sometimes face mass service failures. These problems occur across service industries, ranging from severe Internet outages to severe delays for airlines or trains. A key question that has not been addressed in the literature is: how do service crises impact perceived service

The Impact of Congruence between Perceived and Preferred Leadership on Satisfaction among College Student-Athletes in Singapore

Science.gov (United States)

Chia, Jingyi Shannon; Pyun, Do Young; Kwon, Hyungil Harry

2015-01-01

Chelladurai developed the Multidimensional Model of Leadership, which was designed to be situation-specific to examine leadership behaviour and effectiveness in sporting contexts. Applying Chelladurai's concept to the Singapore sporting context, this study aimed to assess the impact of congruence between perceived and preferred leadership…

Maternal Employment and Perceived Stress: Their Impact on Children's Adjustment and Mother-Child Interaction in Young Divorced and Married Families.

Science.gov (United States)

Pett, Marjorie A.; And Others

1994-01-01

Examined impact of maternal employment, marital status, and perceived maternal stress on children's adjustment and mother-preschool child interaction in 104 married and 99 divorced families. Results indicated that maternal employment had little impact on these variables. Maternal stress, in form of divorce and daily maternal hassles, demonstrated…

Ecosystems emerging. 5: Constraints

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Patten, B. C.; Straškraba, Milan; Jorgensen, S. E.

2011-01-01

Roč. 222, č. 16 (2011), s. 2945-2972 ISSN 0304-3800 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50070508 Keywords : constraint * epistemic * ontic Subject RIV: EH - Ecology, Behaviour Impact factor: 2.326, year: 2011 http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0304380011002274

Impact of indoor surface material on perceived air quality.

Science.gov (United States)

Senitkova, I

2014-03-01

The material combination impact on perceived indoor air quality for various surface interior materials is presented in this paper. The chemical analysis and sensory assessments identifies health adverse of indoor air pollutants (TVOCs). In this study, emissions and odors from different common indoor surface materials were investigated in glass test chamber under standardized conditions. Chemical measurements (TVOC concentration) and sensory assessments (odor intensity, air acceptability) were done after building materials exposure to standardized conditions. The results of the chemical and sensory assessment of individual materials and their combinations are compared and discussed within the paper. The using possibility of individual material surface sorption ability was investigated. The knowledge of targeted sorption effects can be used in the interior design phase. The results demonstrate the various sorption abilities of various indoor materials as well as the various sorption abilities of the same indoor material in various combinations. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Sense of coherence does not moderate the relationship between the perceived impact of stress on health and self-rated health in adults with congenital heart disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Apers, Silke; Sevenants, Lien; Budts, Werner; Luyckx, Koen; Moons, Philip

2016-12-01

Adults with congenital heart disease seem to be more distressed than their healthy counterparts, which might render them even more susceptible to developing detrimental health outcomes. Previous research has confirmed the relationship between the perceived impact of stress on health and self-rated health. However, it remains unknown whether sense of coherence, a person's capacity to cope with stressors, moderates this relationship. This cross-sectional study aims to explore: the relationship between demographic and clinical characteristics, sense of coherence, and the perceived impact of stress on health; the relationship between the perceived impact of stress on health and self-rated health; and the moderating effect of sense of coherence in a sample of adults with congenital heart disease. Patients were recruited from the database of congenital and structural cardiology of a university hospital. The analytic sample included 255 patients (median age 35 years; 50% men). Data were obtained using self-report questionnaires and through medical record view. Univariate analyses and multiple regression analysis were conducted. The perceived impact of stress on health was negatively associated with sense of coherence (Pstress on health and self-rated health were negatively associated (Prelationship. Our findings support the need for further research on the perceived impact of stress on health. Such insights can be valuable for developing interventions aimed at reducing the negative health consequences of stress in patients with congenital heart disease. © The European Society of Cardiology 2015.

Pension fund's illiquid assets allocation under liquidity and capital constraints

OpenAIRE

Broeders, Dirk; Jansen, Kristy; Werker, Bas

2017-01-01

This paper empirically assesses the impact of liquidity and capital constraints on the allocation of defined benefit pension funds to illiquid assets. Liquidity constraints result from short-term pension payments and collateral requirements on derivatives. Capital constraints follow from the requirement to retain sufficient capital to absorb unexpected losses. Liability duration and hedging affect the allocation to illiquid assets through both these constraints. First, we find a hump-shaped i...

Perceived parental rearing of bipolar offspring

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Reichart, C. G.; van der Ende, J.; Hillegers, M. H. J.; Wals, M.; Bongers, I. L.; Nolen, W. A.; Ormel, J.; Verhulst, F. C.

Objective: To explore the impact of growing up with a parent with a bipolar disorder. First, we compared parental rearing behavior perceived by young adult offspring of bipolar parents with parental rearing behavior perceived by same aged young adults from the general population. Secondly, we

Revisiting the Impact of Perceived Empowerment on Job Performance: Results from Front-Line Employees

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Ozgur Devrim Yilmaz

2015-01-01

Full Text Available This study was conducted to examine the probable effect of perceived empowerment on job performance and the sample of research consisted of 230 participants working in tourism sector as front-line employees. The outcomes of this study indicated that psychological empowerment was positively correlated with employee job performance and employees’ job performance were mostly effected from self-determination and impact dimensions of empowerment. Moreover, tests were conducted to analyze the significant differences in participants’ perception of empowerment and job performance according to their demographic characteristics. There was a significant difference between perceived empowerment and gender, age and work experience where as there was no significant difference between empowerment and education levels. On the other hand, the relationship between job performance and work experience was supported however no relationship was found between job performance and gender, age and education level of the participants. Trying to find out what might possibly lead front-line employees to increased job performance, it can be claimed that psychological empowerment still turns out to be a central issue and therefore this research makes useful contributions to the current knowledge by entirely investigating the direct effect of perceived empowerment on employee job performance in hospitality industry where especially front-line employees spend most of their time directly with customers.

Errorful and errorless learning: The impact of cue-target constraint in learning from errors.

Science.gov (United States)

Bridger, Emma K; Mecklinger, Axel

2014-08-01

The benefits of testing on learning are well described, and attention has recently turned to what happens when errors are elicited during learning: Is testing nonetheless beneficial, or can errors hinder learning? Whilst recent findings have indicated that tests boost learning even if errors are made on every trial, other reports, emphasizing the benefits of errorless learning, have indicated that errors lead to poorer later memory performance. The possibility that this discrepancy is a function of the materials that must be learned-in particular, the relationship between the cues and targets-was addressed here. Cued recall after either a study-only errorless condition or an errorful learning condition was contrasted across cue-target associations, for which the extent to which the target was constrained by the cue was either high or low. Experiment 1 showed that whereas errorful learning led to greater recall for low-constraint stimuli, it led to a significant decrease in recall for high-constraint stimuli. This interaction is thought to reflect the extent to which retrieval is constrained by the cue-target association, as well as by the presence of preexisting semantic associations. The advantage of errorful retrieval for low-constraint stimuli was replicated in Experiment 2, and the interaction with stimulus type was replicated in Experiment 3, even when guesses were randomly designated as being either correct or incorrect. This pattern provides support for inferences derived from reports in which participants made errors on all learning trials, whilst highlighting the impact of material characteristics on the benefits and disadvantages that accrue from errorful learning in episodic memory.

Perceived Impact of a Longitudinal Leadership Program for All Pharmacy Students

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Jane R. Mort

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Objective: To describe a longitudinal leadership program involving all students and report the perceived impact. Design: The program included a first year Leadership Interview, a third year Report of Leadership, and a fourth year Professional Business Meeting Attendance. Activities involved guided reflection. Assessment: Students (n=138 indicated the activities helped them recognize the importance of leadership and their leadership potential (e.g., 72.5% and 62.3% of students due to meeting attendance, respectively. Students participated in leadership activities that they would not have pursued otherwise, either in response to the activity (27.7% due to interview or as a requirement of the activity (51.1% for leadership report. Students reported developing specific leadership skills through the activities. Most students planned to be involved in a district/regional (72.5%, state (84.1%, and national (51.4% meeting in the five years following graduation. Conclusion: Students reported a positive impact on leadership perceptions and participation. The report is a preliminary step in the development and assessment of a longitudinal curricular initiative involving all pharmacy students.   Type: Case Study

PENGARUH PERCEIVED VALUE AND PERCEIVED QUALITY TERHADAP KEPERCAYAAN KONSUMEN DI RUMAH SAKIT KARTIKA SARI

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Glory Budi Dharma

2012-07-01

The objective (s of this research was identifying the effect perceived value and perceived quality toward consumer’s trust honesty and consumer’s trust benevolence. The design of this research applies hypothesis testing to examine all hypotheses in this study. The method used in this study is multiple regressions between independent variables and dependent variable. Data analysis used in this research was collected by distributing questionnaires which were distributed on 110 respondents at Kartika Sari Hospital. There were 107 responses of which 100 completed and usable for analyzed by multiple regressions. The result of this research conclude that the professionalism, perceived quality, value monetary costs, value non monetary costs have positive and significant impact on consumer’s trust honesty dan consumer’s trust benevolence. Keywords : Sonsumer loyalty, Perceived value, Perceived quality, Satisfaction

The impact of reduced worktime on sleep and perceived stress: A group randomized intervention study using diary data

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schiller, H.; Lekander, M.; Rajaleid, K.; Hellgren, C.; Akerstedt, T.; Barck-Holst, P.; Kecklund, L.G.

2017-01-01

Objective: Insufficient time for recovery between workdays may cause fatigue and disturbed sleep. This study evaluated the impact of an intervention that reduced weekly working hours by 25% on sleep, sleepiness and perceived stress for employees within the public sector. Method: Participating

Perceived stress and cognitive function in older adults: which aspect of perceived stress is important?

Science.gov (United States)

Korten, Nicole C M; Comijs, Hannie C; Penninx, Brenda W J H; Deeg, Dorly J H

2017-04-01

Few studies examined the association between perceived stress and cognitive function in older adults. This study will examine which aspects of perceived stress especially impact cognitive function. Cross-sectional data of 1099 older adults between 64 and 100 years from the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam were used. Perceived stress and its subscales perceived helplessness and perceived self-efficacy were measured with the Perceived Stress Scale. Cognitive function was assessed regarding memory, processing speed and executive function. Univariate and multivariate linear regression analyses were performed between the stress measures and the domains of cognitive function. Perceived stress was associated with worse processing speed, direct and delayed recall, semantic fluency and digit span backwards (range β = -0.10; -0.11; p cognitive function, also after adjustment for depressive symptoms or sense of mastery (range β = 0.10; 0.18; p cognitive functions. Perceived self-efficacy might be an important factor in reducing stress and the prevention of cognitive decline. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Exploring perceived barriers, drivers, impacts and the need for evaluation of public involvement in health and social care research: a modified Delphi study

Science.gov (United States)

Snape, D; Kirkham, J; Britten, N; Froggatt, K; Gradinger, F; Lobban, F; Popay, Jennie; Wyatt, K; Jacoby, Ann

2014-01-01

Objective To explore areas of consensus and conflict in relation to perceived public involvement (PI) barriers and drivers, perceived impacts of PI and ways of evaluating PI approaches in health and social care research. Background Internationally and within the UK the recognition of potential benefits of PI in health and social care research is gathering momentum and PI is increasingly identified by organisations as a prerequisite for funding. However, there is relatively little examination of the impacts of PI and how those impacts might be measured. Design Mixed method, three-phase, modified Delphi technique, conducted as part of a larger MRC multiphase project. Sample Clinical and non-clinical academics, members of the public, research managers, commissioners and funders. Findings This study found high levels of consensus about the most important barriers and drivers to PI. There was acknowledgement that tokenism was common in relation to PI; and strong support for the view that demonstrating the impacts and value of PI was made more difficult by tokenistic practice. PI was seen as having intrinsic value; nonetheless, there was clear support for the importance of evaluating its impact. Research team cohesion and appropriate resources were considered essential to effective PI implementation. Panellists agreed that PI can be challenging, but can be facilitated by clear guidance, together with models of good practice and measurable standards. Conclusions This study is the first to present empirical evidence of the opinions voiced by key stakeholders on areas of consensus and conflict in relation to perceived PI barriers and drivers, perceived impacts of PI and the need to evaluate PI. As such it further contributes to debate around best practice in PI, the potential for tokenism and how best to evaluate the impacts of PI. These findings have been used in the development of the Public Involvement Impact Assessment Framework (PiiAF), an online resource which offers

How influencers’ credibility on Instagram is perceived by consumers and its impact on purchase intention

OpenAIRE

Rebelo, Marta Figueiredo

2017-01-01

The purpose of this thesis is to understand the perception Instagram users, in other words consumers, have of influencers they follow on Instagram. Consumer perceived credibility of influencers, and its impact on the purchase intention, is therefore studied. This dissertation aims to highlight which credibility dimensions better explain the purchase intention. Gender is also explored to verify behavior differences between female and male consumers. To better analyze the perc...

Self-esteem of young adults with chronic health conditions: appraising the effects of perceived impact.

Science.gov (United States)

Ireys, H T; Gross, S S; Werthamer-Larsson, L A; Kolodner, K B

1994-12-01

The relationships between selected condition characteristics and self-esteem were investigated in a randomly drawn, community-based sample of 286 young adults with chronic illnesses and disabilities. Whether appraisals of the impact of the condition mediated relationships between condition characteristics and self-esteem, as measured by the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, was also measured. As a group, the youth in this sample reported positive self-esteem. When sociodemographic and condition-related variables were considered simultaneously, maternal education, unpredictability of symptoms, prognosis, sensory impairment, and the presence of a co-occurring learning disability were found to have direct effects on esteem. Perceived impact mediated the relationship between condition characteristics and self-esteem. The results are discussed in relation to the role of impact appraisal in determining the emotional well-being of young adults with chronic illnesses.

Psychosocial factors at work and perceived health among agricultural meat industry workers in France.

Science.gov (United States)

Cohidon, Christine; Morisseau, Patrick; Derriennic, Francis; Goldberg, Marcel; Imbernon, Ellen

2009-07-01

The objective of this study was to describe the perceived health status of the meat industry employees--i.e., working in the slaughtering, cutting, and boning of large animals and poultry--and its relation to their organisational and psychosocial constraints at work. This postal survey included all 3,000 employees of the meat industry (beef, pork and poultry) in four districts in Brittany, France, whose companies were affiliated with the agricultural branch of the national health insurance fund. The questionnaire asked for social and demographic data and information describing their job and the organisation of their work. The psychosocial factors at work were described according to Karasek's questionnaire (demand, latitude and social support at work). Perceived health was measured with the Nottingham Health Profile perceived health indicator. This study shows the high prevalence of poor health reported by the workers in this industry. This poor perceived health was worse in women and increased regularly with age. Among the psychosocial factors studied, high quantitative and qualitative demand at work, inadequate resources for good work and to a lesser extent, inadequate prospects for promotion appear especially associated with poor perceived health. Other factors often associated with poor perceived health included young age at the first job and work hours that disrupt sleep rhythms (especially for women). Our results show that this population of workers is especially vulnerable from the point of view of perceived physical and psychological health and is exposed to strong physical, organisational and psychosocial constraints at work. They also demonstrate that poor perceived health is associated with some psychosocial (such as high psychological demand and insufficient resources) and organisational factors at work. These results, in conjunction with those from other disciplines involved in studying this industry, may help the companies to develop preventive

Assessment and longitudinal analysis of health impacts and stressors perceived to result from unconventional shale gas development in the Marcellus Shale region.

Science.gov (United States)

Ferrar, Kyle J; Kriesky, Jill; Christen, Charles L; Marshall, Lynne P; Malone, Samantha L; Sharma, Ravi K; Michanowicz, Drew R; Goldstein, Bernard D

2013-01-01

Concerns for health and social impacts have arisen as a result of Marcellus Shale unconventional natural gas development. Our goal was to document the self-reported health impacts and mental and physical health stressors perceived to result from Marcellus Shale development. Two sets of interviews were conducted with a convenience sample of community members living proximal to Marcellus Shale development, session 1 March-September 2010 (n = 33) and session 2 January-April 2012 (n = 20). Symptoms of health impacts and sources of psychological stress were coded. Symptom and stressor counts were quantified for each interview. The counts for each participant were compared longitudinally. Participants attributed 59 unique health impacts and 13 stressors to Marcellus Shale development. Stress was the most frequently-reported symptom. Over time, perceived health impacts increased (P = 0·042), while stressors remained constant (P = 0·855). Exposure-based epidemiological studies are needed to address identified health impacts and those that may develop as unconventional natural gas extraction continues. Many of the stressors can be addressed immediately.

Control-Informed Geometric Optimization of Wave Energy Converters: The Impact of Device Motion and Force Constraints

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Paula B. Garcia-Rosa

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The energy cost for producing electricity via wave energy converters (WECs is still not competitive with other renewable energy sources, especially wind energy. It is well known that energy maximising control plays an important role to improve the performance of WECs, allowing the energy conversion to be performed as economically as possible. The control strategies are usually subsequently employed on a device that was designed and optimized in the absence of control for the prevailing sea conditions in a particular location. If an optimal unconstrained control strategy, such as pseudo-spectral optimal control (PSOC, is adopted, an overall optimized system can be obtained no matter whether the control design is incorporated at the geometry optimization stage or not. Nonetheless, strategies, such as latching control (LC, must be incorporated at the optimization design stage of the WEC geometry if an overall optimized system is to be realised. In this paper, the impact of device motion and force constraints in the design of control-informed optimized WEC geometries is addressed. The aim is to verify to what extent the constraints modify the connection between the control and the optimal device design. Intuitively, one might expect that if the constraints are very tight, the optimal device shape is the same regardless of incorporating or not the constrained control at the geometry optimization stage. However, this paper tests the hypothesis that the imposition of constraints will limit the control influence on the optimal device shape. PSOC, LC and passive control (PC are considered in this study. In addition, constrained versions of LC and PC are presented.

Impact of an equality constraint on the class-specific residual variances in regression mixtures: A Monte Carlo simulation study.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Minjung; Lamont, Andrea E; Jaki, Thomas; Feaster, Daniel; Howe, George; Van Horn, M Lee

2016-06-01

Regression mixture models are a novel approach to modeling the heterogeneous effects of predictors on an outcome. In the model-building process, often residual variances are disregarded and simplifying assumptions are made without thorough examination of the consequences. In this simulation study, we investigated the impact of an equality constraint on the residual variances across latent classes. We examined the consequences of constraining the residual variances on class enumeration (finding the true number of latent classes) and on the parameter estimates, under a number of different simulation conditions meant to reflect the types of heterogeneity likely to exist in applied analyses. The results showed that bias in class enumeration increased as the difference in residual variances between the classes increased. Also, an inappropriate equality constraint on the residual variances greatly impacted on the estimated class sizes and showed the potential to greatly affect the parameter estimates in each class. These results suggest that it is important to make assumptions about residual variances with care and to carefully report what assumptions are made.

Work Hours Constraints: Impacts and Policy Implications

OpenAIRE

Constant, Amelie F.; Otterbach, Steffen

2011-01-01

If individuals reveal their preference as consumers, then they are taken seriously. What happens if individuals, as employees, reveal their preferences in working hours? And what happens if there is a misalignment between actual hours worked and preferred hours, the so-called work hours constraints? How does this affect the productivity of workers, their health, and overall life satisfaction? Labor supply and corresponding demand are fundamental to production. Labor economists know for long t...

The impact of an immunization training certificate program on the perceived knowledge, skills and attitudes of pharmacy students toward pharmacy-based immunizations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marcum ZA

2010-06-01

Full Text Available Objective: To assess the impact of a national immunization training certificate program on the perceived knowledge, skills and attitudes of pharmacy students toward pharmacy-based immunizations.Methods: The study design utilized a pre- and post-survey administered to pharmacy students before and after the American Pharmacists Association’s (APhA Pharmacy-Based Immunization Delivery program. The primary outcome explored was a change in the perceived knowledge, skills, and attitudes of the pharmacy students. A five-point Likert scale (i.e. strongly agree = 5, strongly disagree = 1 was used for measuring the main outcomes, which was summated by adding the individual item scores in each section to form a composite score for each outcome. Results: The certificate training program resulted in a significant improvement in knowledge (38.5% increase in score, p<0.001 and skills (34.5% increase in score, p<0.001, but not attitudes (1% increase in score, p=0.210.Conclusions: The national immunization training certificate program had a positive impact on the perceived knowledge and skills of pharmacy students. However, no change was observed regarding students’ perceived attitudes toward pharmacy-based immunizations.

Financial Constraints: Explaining Your Position.

Science.gov (United States)

Cargill, Jennifer

1988-01-01

Discusses the importance of educating library patrons about the library's finances and the impact of budget constraints and the escalating cost of serials on materials acquisition. Steps that can be taken in educating patrons by interpreting and publicizing financial information are suggested. (MES)

The Impact of Perceived Stress and Coping Adequacy on the Health of Nurses: A Pilot Investigation

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Timothy R. Jordan

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Stress and coping abilities influence the health and work performance of nurses. However, little is known about the combined influence of stress perception and perceived coping adequacy and its impact on the health of nurses. This study examined the relationship between stress, coping, and the combined influences of perceived stress and coping abilities on health and work performance. A valid and reliable questionnaire was completed by 120 nurses in a Midwestern hospital in the USA. In general, the nurses were not healthy: 92% had moderate-to-very high stress levels; 78% slept less than 8 hours of sleep per night; 69% did not exercise regularly; 63% consumed less than 5 servings of fruits and vegetables per day; and 22% were classified as binge drinkers. When confronted with workplace stress, 70% of nurses reported that they consumed more junk food and 63% reported that they consumed more food than usual as a way of coping. Nurses in the “high stress/poor coping” group had the poorest health outcomes and highest health risk behaviors compared to those in other groups. The combined variables of perceived stress and perceived coping adequacy influenced the health of nurses. Therefore, worksite health promotion programs for nurses should focus equally on stress reduction, stress management, and the development of healthy coping skills.

Mining Matters : Natural Resource Extraction and Local Business Constraints

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Haas, Ralph; Poelhekke, Steven

2016-01-01

We estimate the impact of local mining activity on the business constraints experienced by 22,150 firms across eight resource-rich countries. We find that with the presence of active mines, the business environment in the immediate vicinity (<20 km) of a firm deteriorates but business constraints of

Impact of environmental constraints and aircraft technology on airline fleet composition

Science.gov (United States)

Moolchandani, Kushal A.

This thesis models an airline's decisions about fleet evolution in order to maintain economic and regulatory viability. The aim is to analyze the fleet evolution under different scenarios of environmental policy and technology availability in order to suggest an optimal fleet under each case. An understanding of the effect of aircraft technologies, fleet size and age distribution, and operational procedures on airline performance may improve the quality of policies to achieve environmental goals. Additionally, the effect of decisions about fleet evolution on air travel is assessed as the change in market demand and profits of an abstracted, benevolent monopolist airline. Attention to the environmental impact of aviation has grown, and this has prompted several organizations such as ICAO (and, in response, NASA) to establish emissions reduction targets to reduce aviation's global climate impact. The introduction of new technology, change in operational procedures, etc. are some of the proposed means to achieve these targets. Of these, this thesis studies the efficacy of implementation of environmental policies in form of emissions constraints as a means to achieve these goals and assesses their impact on an airline's fleet evolution and technology use (along with resulting effects on air travel demand). All studies in this thesis are conducted using the Fleet-level Environmental Evaluation Tool (FLEET), a NASA sponsored simulation tool developed at Purdue University. This tool models airline operational decisions via a resource allocation problem and uses a system dynamics type approach to mimic airline economics, their decisions regarding retirement and acquisition of aircraft and evolution of market demand in response to the economic conditions. The development of an aircraft acquisition model for FLEET is a significant contribution of the author. Further, the author conducted a study of various environmental policies using FLEET. Studies introduce constraints on

Examining the Impact of Acculturation and Perceived Social Support on Mathematics Achievement among Latino/a High School Students

Science.gov (United States)

Neseth, Hans; Savage, Todd A.; Navarro, Rachel

2009-01-01

The current migration of Latino/as into the United States has many schools struggling to meet the unique academic needs of this particular group of students. Previous research suggests level of acculturation and perceived social support impact mathematics achievement amongst Latino/a students. The current study employed hierarchical and…

Exact penalty results for mathematical programs with vanishing constraints

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Hoheisel, T.; Kanzow, Ch.; Outrata, Jiří

2010-01-01

Roč. 72, č. 5 (2010), s. 2514-2526 ISSN 0362-546X R&D Projects: GA AV ČR IAA100750802 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10750506 Keywords : Mathematical programs with vanishing constraints * Mathematical programs with equilibrium constraints * Exact penalization * Calmness * Subdifferential calculus * Limiting normal cone Subject RIV: BA - General Mathematics Impact factor: 1.279, year: 2010 http://library.utia.cas.cz/separaty/2010/MTR/outrata-exact penalty results for mathematical programs with vanishing constraints.pdf

Linking Business Ownership and Perceived Administrative Complexity: An Empirical Analysis of 18 OECD Countries

OpenAIRE

André van Stel; Viktor Stunnenberg

2004-01-01

Administrative burdens are known to be a major business constraint for incumbent SMEs in modern economies. Far less is known about the influence of these burdens on the startup of new firms. The current paper examines to what extent perceived administrative complexity related to starting a new business influences the number of business owners across 18 OECD countries. We test this relationship combining data on business ownership from EIM's COMPENDIA data base and data on perceived administra...

Overview on urban and peri-urban agriculture: definition, impact on human health, constraints and policy issues.

Science.gov (United States)

Kang'ethe, E K; Grace, D; Randolph, T F

2007-11-01

To collate and synthesize current knowledge of components of urban agriculture (UA) with a thematic emphasis on human health impact and a geographic emphasis on East Africa. Data management followed a structured approach in which key issues were first identified and then studies selected through literature search and personal communication. Evidence-based principles. Urban agriculture is an important source of food security for urban dwellers in East Africa. Descriptors of UA are location, areas, activities, scale, products, destinations, stakeholders and motivation. Many zoonotic and food-borne diseases have been associated with UA but evidence on human health impact and management is lacking. Major constraints to UA are illegality and lack of access to input and market; policy options have been developed for overcoming these. Urban agriculture is an important activity and likely to remain so. Both positive and negative human health impacts are potentially important but more research is needed to understand these and set appropriate policy and support levels.

Identification and estimation of socioeconomic impacts resulting from perceived risks and changing images

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nieves, L.A.; Wernette, D.R.; Hemphill, R.C.; Mohiudden, S.; Corso, J.

1990-02-01

In 1982, the US Congress passed the Nuclear Waste Policy Act to initiate the process of choosing a location to permanently store high-level nuclear waste from the designated Yucca Mountain, Nevada, as the only location to be studied as a candidate site for such a repository. The original acts and its amendments had established the grant mechanism by which the state of Nevada could finance an investigation of the potential socioeconomic impacts that could result from the installation and operation of this facility. Over the past three years, the Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management (OCRWM or RW) in the US Department of Energy (DOE) has approved grant requests by Nevada to perform this investigation. This report is intended to update and enhance a literature review conducted by the Human Affairs Research Center (HARC) for the Basalt Waste Isolation Project that dealt with the psychological and sociological processes underlying risk perception. It provides addition information on the HARC work, covers a subsequent step in the impact-estimation process, and translates risk perception into decisions and behaviors with economic consequences. It also covers recently developed techniques for assessing the nature and magnitude of impacts caused by environmental changes focusing on those impacts caused by changes in perceived risks

Threat appeals in health communication: messages that elicit fear and enhance perceived efficacy positively impact on young male drivers.

Science.gov (United States)

Carey, Rachel N; Sarma, Kiran M

2016-07-27

Health communications often present graphic, threat-based representations of the potential consequences of health-risk behaviours. These 'threat appeals' feature prominently in public health campaigns, but their use is controversial, with studies investigating their efficacy reporting inconsistent, and often negative, findings. This research examined the impact of a threat-based road safety advertisement on the driving behaviour of young male drivers. To address limitations of previous research, we first identified a road safety advertisement that objectively and subjectively elicited fear using physiological and subjective measures. Study 1 (n = 62) examined the effect of this advertisement, combined with a manipulation designed to increase perceived efficacy, on speed choice. Study 2 (n = 81) investigated whether a state emotion, anger, impacts on the effectiveness of the advertisement in changing four distinct driving behaviours. Both studies examined short-term effects only. Study 1 findings indicated that a high threat message, when combined with high perceived efficacy, can lead to a decrease in speed choice. Study 2 results suggested that increased levels of state anger may counteract the potential value of combining fear-arousing threats and efficacy-building messages. Findings suggest that threat-based road safety communications that target affective (fear) and cognitive (perceived efficacy) mechanisms can positively affect driving behaviours. State emotions, such as anger, may negatively impact on the effectiveness of the message. Taken together, these findings provide additional support for the use of efficacy-building messages in threat-based communications, but highlight the need for further research into the complex array of affective influences on driving.

Impact of management protocols of intrauterine fetal death on perceived stress: A comparative study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mita Mandal

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Pregnancy loss is a distressing problem and retention of dead fetus in utero has its own ill effects on physical, psychological, and social aspects, and hence, it is better to recommend medical induction, provided this can be safely undertaken. Aims: The aim of this study is to compare the efficacy, tolerability, induction-delivery interval, and perceived stress scores between induction methods in late intrauterine fetal death (IUFD with misoprostol alone and mifepristone with misoprostol combination in a rural population of Eastern India. Materials and Methods: This pilot study was conducted on 125 patients after taking institutional ethical clearance and informed consent of the patients in a time span of 1 year. Group 2 patients received 200 mg of mifepristone per orally and observed for 48 h, followed by 50 μg misoprostol administered in the posterior vaginal fornix, and repeated 6th hourly up to a maximum of four doses. Group 1 received 50 μg misoprostol per vaginally 6 hourly for four doses. Induction-delivery interval was calculated. Perceived stress level was calculated on admission and before discharge. Results: Significantly lower induction-delivery interval was observed in Group 2 as compared to Group 1 with P < 0.001. There was no significant difference of Cohen's perceived stress scores on admission, but the difference was significantly lower in Group 2 on discharge with the value of P = 0.03. Group 1 had significantly lower hospital stay in days as compared to Group 2 of patients with P < 0.001. Conclusions: Patients with IUFD administered misoprostol per vaginally only may require shorter hospital stay as compared to patients administered with oral mifepristone followed by misoprostol vaginally but the delivery induction time increases significantly and may increase perceived stress levels which may have short- and long-term negative psychological impact.

Perceived impact of cancer among adolescents and young adults: Relationship with health-related quality of life and distress.

Science.gov (United States)

Husson, O; Zebrack, B J

2017-09-01

To examine whether perceptions of the impact of cancer are related to health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and psychological distress among survivors of cancer in adolescence and young adulthood (AYA). One hundred seventy-three AYA cancer survivors (aged 18-35 and 15-29 years at time of diagnosis) completed a mailed survey assessing impact of cancer (IOC-AYA), HRQoL (SF-36), and distress (BSI-18). Hierarchical linear regression models analyzed the independent effects of perceived impacts of cancer on HRQoL and distress after controlling for clinical and sociodemographic characteristics. Multivariate analyses also examined the extent to which positive and negative perceptions attenuated the effects of control variables on HRQoL and distress. Being unemployed or not in school, and self-reported health problems were significantly associated with worse physical HRQoL. Mental HRQoL and psychological distress appeared as a function of reporting both positive and negative impacts of cancer; mental health outcomes were better in AYAs reporting more positive and less negative impact of cancer in their lives. Perceived impact of cancer, in both positive and negative ways, attenuated the effects of sociodemographic and clinical factors on mental HRQoL and psychological distress. Results suggest that mental HRQoL and psychological distress, but not physical HRQoL, are a function of survivors' perceptions of how cancer has affected them and continues to affect them in both positive and negative ways. Findings suggest that opportunities for AYA cancer survivors to reframe or better understand the context of cancer in their lives may result in improved mental health outcomes. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Impacts of CO2 emission constraints on technology selection and energy resources for power generation in Bangladesh

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alam Hossain Mondal, Md.; Mathur, Jyotirmay; Denich, Manfred

2011-01-01

This paper examines the impacts of CO 2 emission reduction target and carbon tax on future technologies selection and energy use in Bangladesh power sector during 2005-2035. The analyses are based on a long-term energy system model of Bangladesh using the MARKAL framework. The analysis shows that Bangladesh will not be able to meet the future energy demand without importing energy. However, alternative policies on CO 2 emission constraints reduce the burden of imported fuel, improve energy security and reduce environmental impacts. The results show that the introduction of the CO 2 emission reduction targets and carbon taxes directly affect the shift of technologies from high carbon content fossil-based to low carbon content fossil-based and clean renewable energy-based technologies compared to the base scenario. With the cumulative CO 2 emission reduction target of 10-20% and carbon tax of 2500 Taka/ton, the cumulative net energy imports during 2005-2035 would be reduced in the range of 39-65% and 37%, respectively, compared to the base scenario emission level. The total primary energy requirement would be reduced in the range of 4.5-22.3% in the CO 2 emission reduction targets and carbon tax 2500 Taka/ton scenarios and the primary energy supply system would be diversified compared to the base scenario. - Research highlights: → MARKAL model is used for the analysis in Bangladesh power sector. → The analysis shows that Bangladesh will not be able to meet the future electricity demand without importing fuel. → Alternative policies on CO 2 emission constraints reduce the burden of imported fuel, improve energy security and reduce environmental impacts.

Experience with breast cancer, pre-screening perceived susceptibility and the psychological impact of screening

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Absetz, Pilvikki; Aro, Arja R; Sutton, Stephen R

2003-01-01

responded to the follow-ups. Psychological impact was measured as anxiety (STAI-S), depression (BDI), health-related concerns (IAS), and breast cancer-specific beliefs and concerns. Data was analyzed with repeated measures analyses of variance, with estimates of effect size based on Eta-squared. Women......This prospective study examined whether the psychological impact of organized mammography screening is influenced by women's pre-existing experience with breast cancer and perceived susceptibility (PS) to the disease. From a target population of 16,886, a random sample of women with a normal...... with breast cancer experience had higher risk perception already before screening invitation; after screening they were also more distressed. Women with high PS were more distressed than women with low PS also at pre-invitation. The distress was not alleviated by screening, but instead remained even after...

Perceived emotional intelligence as a moderator variable between cybervictimization and its emotional impact.

Science.gov (United States)

Elipe, Paz; Mora-Merchán, Joaquín A; Ortega-Ruiz, Rosario; Casas, José A

2015-01-01

The negative effects of traditional bullying and, recently, cyberbullying on victims are well-documented, and abundant empirical evidence for it exists. Cybervictimization affects areas such as academic performance, social integration and self-esteem, and causes emotions ranging from anger and sadness to more complex problems such as depression. However, not all victims are equally affected, and the differences seem to be due to certain situational and personal characteristics. The objective of this study is to analyze the relationship between perceived emotional intelligence (PEI) and the emotional impact of cybervictimization. We hypothesize that EI, which has previously been found to play a role in traditional bullying and cyberbullying, may also affect the emotional impact of cyberbullying. The participants in our study were 636 university students from two universities in the south of Spain. Three self-report questionnaires were used: the "European Cyberbullying Intervention Project Questionnaire," the "Cyberbullying Emotional Impact Scale"; and "Trait Meta-Mood Scale-24." Structural Equation Models were used to test the relationships between the analyzed variables. The results support the idea that PEI, by way of a moderator effect, affects the relationship between cybervictimization and emotional impact. Taken together, cybervictimization and PEI explain much of the variance observed in the emotional impact in general and in the negative dimensions of that impact in particular. Attention and Repair were found to be inversely related to Annoyance and Dejection, and positively related to Invigoration. Clarity has the opposite pattern; a positive relationship with Annoyance and Dejection and an inverse relationship with Invigoration. Various hypothetical explanations of these patterns are discussed.

Integration of motion energy from overlapping random background noise increases perceived speed of coherently moving stimuli.

Science.gov (United States)

Chuang, Jason; Ausloos, Emily C; Schwebach, Courtney A; Huang, Xin

2016-12-01

The perception of visual motion can be profoundly influenced by visual context. To gain insight into how the visual system represents motion speed, we investigated how a background stimulus that did not move in a net direction influenced the perceived speed of a center stimulus. Visual stimuli were two overlapping random-dot patterns. The center stimulus moved coherently in a fixed direction, whereas the background stimulus moved randomly. We found that human subjects perceived the speed of the center stimulus to be significantly faster than its veridical speed when the background contained motion noise. Interestingly, the perceived speed was tuned to the noise level of the background. When the speed of the center stimulus was low, the highest perceived speed was reached when the background had a low level of motion noise. As the center speed increased, the peak perceived speed was reached at a progressively higher background noise level. The effect of speed overestimation required the center stimulus to overlap with the background. Increasing the background size within a certain range enhanced the effect, suggesting spatial integration. The speed overestimation was significantly reduced or abolished when the center stimulus and the background stimulus had different colors, or when they were placed at different depths. When the center- and background-stimuli were perceptually separable, speed overestimation was correlated with perceptual similarity between the center- and background-stimuli. These results suggest that integration of motion energy from random motion noise has a significant impact on speed perception. Our findings put new constraints on models regarding the neural basis of speed perception. Copyright © 2016 the American Physiological Society.

perceived discipline, punishment and organizational performance

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Maryjoan U. Iheanacho, Department of Business Management, University of Calabar, ... financial constraint, which can be argued, warrant ... intelligence and an understanding of the impact ... fifty were successfully retrieved accounting for.

Social threat appeals in commercial advertising: the moderating impact of perceived level of self-efficacy and self-esteem on advertising effectiveness

OpenAIRE

Faseur, Tine; Cauberghe, Veroline; Hudders, Liselot

2015-01-01

This study investigates the impact of the level of fear evoked by an advertisement (for deodorant) framing a threatening social situation. Where the effectiveness of threat appeals has been investigated extensively in health communication, this study focuses on the impact of social threat appeals in a commercial setting. The study investigates the moderating impact of self-esteem on the interaction effect between the level of fear (evoked by a social threat ad) and perceived level of self-eff...

Determinants Of Urban Residents' Perceived Tourism Impacts: A Study on the Williamsburg and Virginia Beach Areas

OpenAIRE

Yoon, Yooshik

1998-01-01

ABSTRACT The existing research in the field of tourism has exhibited a clearer understanding of how residents perceive the dynamic and complex phenomena of tourism. Since the goals of tourism planning and development are to seek maximization of benefits and minimization of the costs of tourism, it is apparent that the effective evaluation of tourism impacts will be valuable information in successful strategies for tourism product development and operation. With these perspectives, this...

A Study of the Relationship of Perceived Principal Supervision and Support to the Perceived Self-Efficacy of Beginning and Experienced K-12 Teachers

Science.gov (United States)

Spearing, Leonard M.

2013-01-01

In this quantitative study the author examined the relationship between the perceived level of principal supervision and support to the perceived self-efficacy of K-12 teachers in a suburban public school district. The impact of perceived self-efficacy upon the commitment to remain in teaching was also considered. Finally the differential…

Social acceptability and perceived impact of a community-led cash transfer programme in Zimbabwe.

Science.gov (United States)

Skovdal, Morten; Mushati, Phyllis; Robertson, Laura; Munyati, Shungu; Sherr, Lorraine; Nyamukapa, Constance; Gregson, Simon

2013-04-15

Cash transfer programmes are increasingly recognised as promising and scalable interventions that can promote the health and development of children. However, concerns have been raised about the potential for cash transfers to contribute to social division, jealousy and conflict at a community level. Against this background, and in our interest to promote community participation in cash transfer programmes, we examine local perceptions of a community-led cash transfer programme in Eastern Zimbabwe. We collected and analysed data from 35 individual interviews and three focus group discussions, involving 24 key informants (community committee members and programme implementers), 24 cash transfer beneficiaries, of which four were youth, and 14 non-beneficiaries. Transcripts were subjected to thematic analysis and coding to generate concepts. Study participants described the programme as participatory, fair and transparent - reducing the likelihood of jealousy. The programme was perceived to have had a substantial impact on children's health and education, primarily through aiding parents and guardians to better cater for their children's needs. Moreover, participants alluded to the potential of the programme to facilitate more transformational change, for example by enabling families to invest money in assets and income generating activities and by promoting a community-wide sense of responsibility for the support of orphaned and vulnerable children. Community participation, combined with the perceived impact of the cash transfer programme, led community members to speak enthusiastically about the programme. We conclude that community-led cash transfer programmes have the potential to open up for possibilities of participation and community agency that enable social acceptability and limit social divisiveness.

Perceived impact of Nepalese food and food culture in diabetes.

Science.gov (United States)

Sapkota, Sujata; Brien, Jo-Anne E; Gwynn, Josephine; Flood, Victoria; Aslani, Parisa

2017-06-01

Consuming a healthy diet forms an important component of diabetes management; however, adhering to a healthy diet is challenging. Dietary behaviour is often guided by socio-cultural, environmental and emotional factors, and not necessarily by physical and nutritional needs. This study explored Nepalese patients' perceptions of the impact of diet, diet management requirement for diabetes and how Nepalese food culture in particular influenced diet management. Interviews were conducted with Nepalese participants with type 2 diabetes in Sydney and Kathmandu; and data was thematically analysed. Diet was recognized as a cause of, and a key treatment modality, in diabetes. Besides doctors, participants in Nepal received a large amount of dietary information from the community. Dietary changes formed a major component of lifestyle modifications adopted after diagnosis, and mostly consisted of removal of foods with added sugar and foods with high total sugar content from the diet, and a reduction in overall quantity of foods consumed. Perceived dietary restriction requirements created social and emotional discomfort to patients. Most participants perceived the Nepalese food culture as a barrier to effective diet management. Meals high in carbohydrates, limited food choices, and food preparation methods were identified as barriers, particularly in Nepal. In Australia, participants reported greater availability and easier access to appropriate food, and healthier cooking options. The socio-cultural aspects of food behaviour, mainly, food practices during social events were identified as significant barriers. Although diet was acknowledged as an important component of diabetes care, and most adopted changes in their diet post-diagnosis, effective and sustained changes were difficult to achieve. Future public health campaigns and education strategies should focus on improving diet knowledge, awareness of food options for diabetes, and effective dietary management. Copyright �

Threat appeals in health communication: messages that elicit fear and enhance perceived efficacy positively impact on young male drivers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rachel N. Carey

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Health communications often present graphic, threat-based representations of the potential consequences of health-risk behaviours. These ‘threat appeals’ feature prominently in public health campaigns, but their use is controversial, with studies investigating their efficacy reporting inconsistent, and often negative, findings. This research examined the impact of a threat-based road safety advertisement on the driving behaviour of young male drivers. Methods To address limitations of previous research, we first identified a road safety advertisement that objectively and subjectively elicited fear using physiological and subjective measures. Study 1 (n = 62 examined the effect of this advertisement, combined with a manipulation designed to increase perceived efficacy, on speed choice. Study 2 (n = 81 investigated whether a state emotion, anger, impacts on the effectiveness of the advertisement in changing four distinct driving behaviours. Both studies examined short-term effects only. Results Study 1 findings indicated that a high threat message, when combined with high perceived efficacy, can lead to a decrease in speed choice. Study 2 results suggested that increased levels of state anger may counteract the potential value of combining fear-arousing threats and efficacy-building messages. Conclusions Findings suggest that threat-based road safety communications that target affective (fear and cognitive (perceived efficacy mechanisms can positively affect driving behaviours. State emotions, such as anger, may negatively impact on the effectiveness of the message. Taken together, these findings provide additional support for the use of efficacy-building messages in threat-based communications, but highlight the need for further research into the complex array of affective influences on driving.

The impact of reduced worktime on sleep and perceived stress - a group randomized intervention study using diary data.

Science.gov (United States)

Schiller, Helena; Lekander, Mats; Rajaleid, Kristiina; Hellgren, Carina; Åkerstedt, Torbjörn; Barck-Holst, Peter; Kecklund, Göran

2017-03-01

Objective Insufficient time for recovery between workdays may cause fatigue and disturbed sleep. This study evaluated the impact of an intervention that reduced weekly working hours by 25% on sleep, sleepiness and perceived stress for employees within the public sector. Method Participating workplaces (N=33) were randomized into intervention and control groups. Participants (N=580, 76% women) worked full-time at baseline. The intervention group (N=354) reduced worktime to 75% with preserved salary during 18 months. Data were collected at baseline and after 9 and 18 months follow-up. Sleep quality, sleep duration, sleepiness, perceived stress,and worries and stress at bedtime were measured with diary during one week per data collection. Result A multilevel mixed model showed that compared with the control group, at the 18-month follow-up, the intervention group had improved sleep quality and sleep duration (+23 minutes) and displayed reduced levels of sleepiness, perceived stress, and worries and stress at bedtime on workdays (Psleep length. Effect sizes were small (Cohen's f2sleep quality and worries and stress at bedtime as additional between-group factors did not influence the results. Conclusion A 25% reduction of weekly work hours with retained salary resulted in beneficial effects on sleep, sleepiness and perceived stress both on workdays and days off. These effects were maintained over an 18-month period. This randomized intervention thus indicates that reduced worktime may improve recovery and perceived stress.

Perceived overprotection: support gone bad?

Science.gov (United States)

Cimarolli, Verena R; Reinhardt, Joann P; Horowitz, Amy

2006-01-01

This article focuses on the effects of perceived overprotection, a potentially problematic aspect of receiving support, on the ability to adjust to a chronic impairment, specifically, age-related vision loss. Perceived overprotection is an especially critical issue in this population of chronically ill older adults because of the safety issues associated with vision impairment and because perceptions on the part of the older adult that the support providers are overprotective may lead to excess disability. Participants were 584 older men and women with age-related vision impairment who applied for services at a vision rehabilitation agency. Path analysis was used to examine the effects of perceived overprotection on two positive indicators of adjustment: vision-specific adaptation and environmental mastery. Moreover, antecedents of perceived overprotection were examined. Higher levels of perceived overprotection were associated with less optimal adjustment to age-related vision loss, with lower scores on measures of vision-specific adaptation and environmental mastery. Higher levels of functional disability and instrumental support received were associated with higher levels of perceived overprotection. Findings indicate that support providers of older adults with visual impairment as well as vision rehabilitation service providers need to be aware of the detrimental impact of perceived overprotection.

The impact of bereaved parents' perceived grief similarity on relationship satisfaction.

Science.gov (United States)

Buyukcan-Tetik, Asuman; Finkenauer, Catrin; Schut, Henk; Stroebe, Margaret; Stroebe, Wolfgang

2017-06-01

The present research focused on bereaved parents' perceived grief similarity, and aimed to investigate the concurrent and longitudinal effects of the perceptions that the partner has less, equal, or more grief intensity than oneself on relationship satisfaction. Participants of our longitudinal study were 229 heterosexual bereaved Dutch couples who completed questionnaires 6, 13, and 20 months after the loss of their child. Average age of participants was 40.7 (SD = 9.5). Across 3 study waves, participants' perceived grief similarity and relationship satisfaction were assessed. To control for their effects, own grief level, child's gender, expectedness of loss, parent's age, parent's gender, and time were also included in the analyses. Consistent with the hypotheses, cross-sectional results revealed that bereaved parents who perceived dissimilar levels of grief (less or more grief) had lower relationship satisfaction than bereaved parents who perceived similar levels of grief. This effect remained significant controlling for the effects of possible confounding variables and actual similarity in grief between partners. We also found that perceived grief similarity at the first study wave was related to the highest level of relationship satisfaction at the second study wave. Moreover, results showed that perceived grief similarity was associated with a higher level in partner's relationship satisfaction. Results are discussed considering the comparison and similarity in grief across bereaved partners after child loss. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

City mouse, country mouse: a mixed-methods evaluation of perceived communication barriers between rural family physicians and urban consultants in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.

Science.gov (United States)

Renouf, Tia; Alani, Sabrina; Whalen, Desmond; Harty, Chris; Pollard, Megan; Morrison, Megan; Coombs-Thorne, Heidi; Dubrowski, Adam

2016-05-06

To examine perceived communication barriers between urban consultants and rural family physicians practising routine and emergency care in remote subarctic Newfoundland and Labrador (NL). This study used a mixed-methods design. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected through exploratory surveys, comprised of closed and open-ended questions. The quantitative data was analysed using comparative statistical analyses, and a thematic analysis was applied to the qualitative data. 52 self-identified rural family physicians and 23 urban consultants were recruited via email. Rural participants were also recruited at the Family Medicine Rural Preceptor meetings in St John's, NL. Rural family physicians and urban consultants in NL completed a survey assessing perceived barriers to effective communication. Data confirmed that both groups perceived communication difficulties with one another; with 23.1% rural and 27.8% urban, rating the difficulties as frequent (p=0.935); 71.2% rural and 72.2% urban as sometimes (p=0.825); 5.8% rural and 0% urban acknowledged never perceiving difficulties (p=0.714). Overall, 87.1% of participants indicated that perceived communication difficulties impacted patient care. Primary trends that emerged as perceived barriers for rural physicians were time constraints and misunderstanding of site limitations. Urban consultants' perceived barriers were inadequate patient information and lack of native language skills. Barriers to effective communication are perceived between rural family physicians and urban consultants in NL. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Sterile neutrino constraints from cosmology

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hamann, Jan; Hannestad, Steen; Raffelt, Georg G.

2012-01-01

The presence of light particles beyond the standard model's three neutrino species can profoundly impact the physics of decoupling and primordial nucleosynthesis. I review the observational signatures of extra light species, present constraints from recent data, and discuss the implications of po...... of possible sterile neutrinos with O(eV)-masses for cosmology....

Disability mediates the impact of common conditions on perceived health.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jordi Alonso

Full Text Available We examined the extent to which disability mediates the observed associations of common mental and physical conditions with perceived health.WHO World Mental Health (WMH Surveys carried out in 22 countries worldwide (n = 51,344 respondents, 72.0% response rate. We assessed nine common mental conditions with the WHO Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI, and ten chronic physical with a checklist. A visual analog scale (VAS score (0, worst to 100, best measured perceived health in the previous 30 days. Disability was assessed using a modified WHO Disability Assessment Schedule (WHODAS, including: cognition, mobility, self-care, getting along, role functioning (life activities, family burden, stigma, and discrimination. Path analysis was used to estimate total effects of conditions on perceived health VAS and their separate direct and indirect (through the WHODAS dimensions effects. Twelve-month prevalence was 14.4% for any mental and 51.4% for any physical condition. 31.7% of respondents reported difficulties in role functioning, 11.4% in mobility, 8.3% in stigma, 8.1% in family burden and 6.9% in cognition. Other difficulties were much less common. Mean VAS score was 81.0 (SD = 0.1. Decrements in VAS scores were highest for neurological conditions (9.8, depression (8.2 and bipolar disorder (8.1. Across conditions, 36.8% (IQR: 31.2-51.5% of the total decrement in perceived health associated with the condition were mediated by WHODAS disabilities (significant for 17 of 19 conditions. Role functioning was the dominant mediator for both mental and physical conditions. Stigma and family burden were also important mediators for mental conditions, and mobility for physical conditions.More than a third of the decrement in perceived health associated with common conditions is mediated by disability. Although the decrement is similar for physical and mental conditions, the pattern of mediation is different. Research is needed on the

Perceived Impact of Entrepreneurship Education on Career Development among Undergraduates in South-South Universities in Nigeria: Implication for Counselling

Science.gov (United States)

Akpochafo, Grace Omejevwe; Alika, Ijeoma Henrietta

2018-01-01

This study investigated the perceived impact of entrepreneurship education on career development among undergraduates in south-south universities in Nigeria. To guide the study four research questions were generated and one hypothesis formulated, which was tested at 0.05 level of significance. The study employed an expost facto research design.…

The association between insomnia and perceived health status

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Donners, A.; Bury, D.; Fernstrand, A.; Garssen, J.; Roth, T.; Verster, J.

2015-01-01

Introduction: Impaired sleep can have a significant impact on perceived health status. The aim of the current study was to examine the relationship between perceived health status and sleep quality, total sleep time, and insomnia. Materials and methods: A survey was conducted among Dutch university

Nurses' Perceived Skills and Attitudes About Updated Safety Concepts: Impact on Medication Administration Errors and Practices.

Science.gov (United States)

Armstrong, Gail E; Dietrich, Mary; Norman, Linda; Barnsteiner, Jane; Mion, Lorraine

Approximately a quarter of medication errors in the hospital occur at the administration phase, which is solely under the purview of the bedside nurse. The purpose of this study was to assess bedside nurses' perceived skills and attitudes about updated safety concepts and examine their impact on medication administration errors and adherence to safe medication administration practices. Findings support the premise that medication administration errors result from an interplay among system-, unit-, and nurse-level factors.

Stochastic programming problems with generalized integrated chance constraints

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Branda, Martin

2012-01-01

Roč. 61, č. 8 (2012), s. 949-968 ISSN 0233-1934 R&D Projects: GA ČR GAP402/10/1610 Grant - others:SVV(CZ) 261315/2010 Institutional support: RVO:67985556 Keywords : chance constraints * integrated chance constraints * penalty functions * sample approximations * blending problem Subject RIV: BB - Applied Statistics, Operational Research Impact factor: 0.707, year: 2012 http://library.utia.cas.cz/separaty/2012/E/branda-stochastic programming problems with generalized integrated.pdf

Water within the Shared Socioeconomic Pathways: Constraints and the Impact on Future Global Change Scenarios

Science.gov (United States)

Graham, N. T.; Hejazi, M. I.; Davies, E. G.; Calvin, K. V.; Kim, S. H.; Miralles-Wilhelm, F.

2017-12-01

The Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs) represent the next generation of future global change scenarios and their inclusion in the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6) scenarios reinforces the importance of a complete understanding of the SSPs. This study uses the Global Change Assessment Model (GCAM) to investigate the effects of limited water supplies on future withdrawals at regional and water basin scales across all SSPs in combination with various climate mitigation scenarios. Water supply is calculated using a global hydrologic model and water data from five ISI-MIP models across the four RCP scenarios. When water constraints are incorporated, our results show that water withdrawals are reduced by as much as 40% across all SSP scenarios without climate policies. As climate policies are imposed and become more stringent, water withdrawals increase in regions already affected by water stress in order to allow for greater biomass production. The results of this research show the importance of including water resource constraints within the SSP scenarios for establishing water withdrawal scenarios under a wide range of scenarios including different climate policies. The results will also provide data products - such as gridded land use and water demand estimates - of potential interest to the impact, adaptation, and vulnerability community following the SSP scenarios.

Airborne Management of Traffic Conflicts in Descent With Arrival Constraints

Science.gov (United States)

Doble, Nathan A.; Barhydt, Richard; Krishnamurthy, Karthik

2005-01-01

NASA is studying far-term air traffic management concepts that may increase operational efficiency through a redistribution of decisionmaking authority among airborne and ground-based elements of the air transportation system. One component of this research, En Route Free Maneuvering, allows trained pilots of equipped autonomous aircraft to assume responsibility for traffic separation. Ground-based air traffic controllers would continue to separate traffic unequipped for autonomous operations and would issue flow management constraints to all aircraft. To evaluate En Route Free Maneuvering operations, a human-in-the-loop experiment was jointly conducted by the NASA Ames and Langley Research Centers. In this experiment, test subject pilots used desktop flight simulators to resolve conflicts in cruise and descent, and to adhere to air traffic flow constraints issued by test subject controllers. Simulators at NASA Langley were equipped with a prototype Autonomous Operations Planner (AOP) flight deck toolset to assist pilots with conflict management and constraint compliance tasks. Results from the experiment are presented, focusing specifically on operations during the initial descent into the terminal area. Airborne conflict resolution performance in descent, conformance to traffic flow management constraints, and the effects of conflicting traffic on constraint conformance are all presented. Subjective data from subject pilots are also presented, showing perceived levels of workload, safety, and acceptability of autonomous arrival operations. Finally, potential AOP functionality enhancements are discussed along with suggestions to improve arrival procedures.

Constraint Differentiation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mödersheim, Sebastian Alexander; Basin, David; Viganò, Luca

2010-01-01

We introduce constraint differentiation, a powerful technique for reducing search when model-checking security protocols using constraint-based methods. Constraint differentiation works by eliminating certain kinds of redundancies that arise in the search space when using constraints to represent...... results show that constraint differentiation substantially reduces search and considerably improves the performance of OFMC, enabling its application to a wider class of problems....

The Impact of Perceived Advertising Spending and Price Promotion on Brand Equity:A Case of ABC Brand

OpenAIRE

Nurcahya, Kevin Edward

2014-01-01

Intense competition in Indonesian beverage industry lead many corporations to spend trillion rupiah on marketing communication, such as advertising and price promotion with the hope of increasing brand equity. However, the question is whether promotional activities in this industry amplify or attenuate the brand equity of a product. Therefore, this paper aims to model the impact of perceived advertising spending and price promotion on brand equity, measured through consumer perceptions, spec...

Reaching their potential: Perceived impact of a collaborative academic-clinical partnership programme for early career nurses in New Zealand.

Science.gov (United States)

McKillop, Ann; Doughty, Lesley; Atherfold, Cheryl; Shaw, Kathy

2016-01-01

The dynamic nature of healthcare ensures that early career nurses enter an uncertain and complex world of practice and consequently require support to develop their practice, build confidence and reach their potential. The New Zealand Nurse Entry to Practice programme for registered nurses in their first year of practice has been operating since 2005 to enable safe and confident practice, improve the quality of care, and positively impact on recruitment and retention. This academic and clinical programme was offered as a partnership between a university and a clinical provider with postgraduate academic credits gained. The aim of this study was to explore the perceived impact of postgraduate university education for early career nurses in one regional health area of New Zealand. Participants were registered nurses who had completed the early career nurse programme and their clinical preceptors. The research was conducted via an online survey of 248 nurses and three focus groups to explore how the programme was experienced and its impact on knowledge and practice. Early career nurses and their preceptors found that the programme enables improved knowledge and skills of patient assessment, application of critical thinking to clinical practice, perceived improvement in patient care delivery and outcomes, enhanced interprofessional communication and knowledge sharing, and had a positive impact on professional awareness and career planning. This clinical-academic partnership positively impacted on the clinical practice and transition experience of early career nurses and was closely aligned to an organization's strategic plan for nursing workforce development. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The impact of human-biometeorological factors on perceived thermal comfort in urban public places

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Isabell Maras

2016-09-01

Full Text Available For the understanding of the impact of meteorological stressors on human perceptions of thermal comfort, it is essential to examine in detail the joint variability of atmospheric conditions and human perception. We designed an interdisciplinary experimental setup to generate data of both human-biometeorological and individual human perception at two different urban public places in the city of Aachen, Germany. Meteorological measurements at the human-biometeorological standard height of 1.1 m a.g.l. were taken during typical winter weather situations as well as extreme summer weather situations to analyze potentially seasonal effects. Pedestrians and tourists at the study site were selected as participants for face-to-face questionnaire-based interviews. We took measurements and held interviews between 10:00 h and 17:00 h (CEST/CET to record the daytime agreement/deviations at different inner urban measurement locations. Based on an overall physical approach of thermal load, UTCI (Universal Thermal Climate Index values are calculated. A maximum of +34.1 °C for summertime and a minimum of +2.6 °C for wintertime could be found. The meteorological parameters of air temperature (Ta$T_{a}$, mean radiant temperature (Tmrt$T_{\\text{mrt}}$ and vapor pressure (VP are compared with data perceived by the persons interviewed. In winter, Ta$T_{a }$ shows a significant relation to the overall weather perception (r=0.28$r = 0.28$; p<0.05$p<0.05$ while the overall comfort of the participants is significantly related to perceived solar heat (r=0.27$r = 0.27$; p<0.5$p<0.5$ as well as to perceived Ta$T_{a}$ (r=0.4$r = 0.4$; p<0.002$p<0.002$. Quite different resulting patterns occurred for the summer campaign. None of the physical variables significantly affected the weather perception. Only the perceived Ta$T_{a}$ revealed a significant relation to the overall weather perception (r=0.27$r=0.27$; p<0.002$p<0.002$.

Factors Influencing Acceptability and Perceived Impacts of a Mandatory ePortfolio Implemented by an Occupational Therapy Regulatory Organization.

Science.gov (United States)

Vachon, Brigitte; Foucault, Marie-Lyse; Giguère, Charles-Édouard; Rochette, Annie; Thomas, Aliki; Morel, Martine

2018-01-01

The use of ePortfolios has been implemented in several regulatory organizations to encourage clinicians' engagement in continuing professional development (CPD). However, their use has achieved mixed success, and multiple personal and contextual factors can influence their impacts on practice change. The aim of this study was to identify which factors influence the acceptability and perceived impacts of an ePortfolio implemented by an occupational therapy regulatory organization in one Canadian province. A cross-sectional online survey design was used. The survey was sent to registered occupational therapists in Quebec. Multiple regression analyses were conducted to identify factors influencing acceptability and outcomes: ease of use, satisfaction, impact on implementation of the CPD plan, and competence improvement. The survey was fully completed by 546 participants. Factors significantly influencing the ePortfolio acceptability and perceived impacts were attitude toward and familiarity with the portfolio, confidence in reflective skills, engagement in the CPD plan, and desire for feedback. Time spent completing the ePortfolio and the fact of completing it in teams were negatively associated with the outcomes. Shaping more favorable user attitudes, helping users recognize and experience the tool's benefits for their practice, and fostering confidence in their reflective skills are important factors that can be addressed to improve ePortfolio acceptability and outcomes. Contextual factors, such as time spent completing the ePortfolio and completing it in teams, seem to reflect greater difficulty with using the tool. Study findings can contribute to improving ePortfolio implementation in the CPD context.

Experimental constraints on impact-induced winds

Science.gov (United States)

Quintana, Stephanie N.; Schultz, Peter H.; Horowitz, Seth S.

2018-05-01

A new class of wind streaks on Mars uniquely associated with impact craters is most clearly detected in nighttime thermal infrared imaging. Thermally bright streaks radiate from some well-preserved impact craters and are related to the impact process. Using laboratory experiments performed at the NASA Ames Vertical Gun Range, we test the hypothesis that these streaks are formed from either the winds within an air-blast or winds set up by expanding impact vapor interacting with the atmosphere. The experiments use a variety of tracers and instruments to document three interrelated processes occurring in the impact of a Pyrex projectile into an easily vaporized powdered dolomite target: (1) a surface roughening spreading outward from the impact point, (2) an expanding vapor plume, and (3) outward winds made visible by dust trails from vertically placed, dusty pipe cleaners. The clear connection between the surface roughening, vapor expansion, and outward winds implicate an expanding vapor interacting with the atmosphere as the controlling process.

Constraint-based scheduling applying constraint programming to scheduling problems

CERN Document Server

Baptiste, Philippe; Nuijten, Wim

2001-01-01

Constraint Programming is a problem-solving paradigm that establishes a clear distinction between two pivotal aspects of a problem: (1) a precise definition of the constraints that define the problem to be solved and (2) the algorithms and heuristics enabling the selection of decisions to solve the problem. It is because of these capabilities that Constraint Programming is increasingly being employed as a problem-solving tool to solve scheduling problems. Hence the development of Constraint-Based Scheduling as a field of study. The aim of this book is to provide an overview of the most widely used Constraint-Based Scheduling techniques. Following the principles of Constraint Programming, the book consists of three distinct parts: The first chapter introduces the basic principles of Constraint Programming and provides a model of the constraints that are the most often encountered in scheduling problems. Chapters 2, 3, 4, and 5 are focused on the propagation of resource constraints, which usually are responsibl...

Perceived barriers to consumption of fish among Norwegian women

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Trondsen, Torbjørn; Scholderer, Joachim; Lund, Eiliv

2003-01-01

with consumption levels among those who would like to eat more fish. Higher education and income were associated with increased dissatisfaction about fish consumption, but also with reduced perception of most barriers. It is concluded that improvements in the supply of high-quality fresh and processed fish......This study aimed to characterize constraints on consumption of fish perceived by consumers in Norway. A random sample of Norwegian women aged 45-69 years answered a self-administered mail questionnaire in 1996 about eating habits, perceived barriers to fish consumption, socioeconomic status...... weight are dissatisfied with the range of products offered in the marketplace. Satisfaction with quality and availability of wild lean codfish, especially in inland regions, is lower than for aqua-cultured fat salmon. Neither income nor education or health factors were significantly associated...

When Task Conflict Becomes Personal: The Impact of Perceived Team Performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Guenter, Hannes; van Emmerik, Hetty; Schreurs, Bert; Kuypers, Tom; van Iterson, Ad; Notelaers, Guy

2016-10-01

Although potentially beneficial, task conflict may threaten teams because it often leads to relationship conflict. Prior research has identified a set of interpersonal factors (e.g., team communication, team trust) that help attenuate this association. The purpose of this article is to provide an alternative perspective that focuses on the moderating role of performance-related factors (i.e., perceived team performance). Using social identity theory, we build a model that predicts how task conflict associates with growth in relationship conflict and how perceived team performance influences this association. We test a three-wave longitudinal model by means of random coefficient growth modeling, using data from 60 ongoing teams working in a health care organization. Results provide partial support for our hypotheses. Only when perceived team performance is low, do task conflicts relate with growth in relationship conflict. We conclude that perceived team performance seems to enable teams to uncouple task from relationship conflict.

Impact of an Oral Health Education Workshop on Parents’ Oral Health Knowledge, Attitude, and Perceived Behavioral Control among African Immigrants

OpenAIRE

Maryam Amin; Pawan Nyachhyon; Maryam Elyasi; Muhammed Al-Nuaimi

2014-01-01

Purpose. To evaluate the impact of an educational workshop on parental knowledge, attitude, and perceived behavioral control regarding their child’s oral health. Materials and Methods. A one-time oral health education workshop including audio/visual and hands-on components was conducted by a trained dentist and bilingual community workers in community locations. Participants were African parents of children who had lived in Canada for less than ten years. The impact of the workshop was evalua...

Thinking aloud influences perceived time.

Science.gov (United States)

Hertzum, Morten; Holmegaard, Kristin Due

2015-02-01

We investigate whether thinking aloud influences perceived time. Thinking aloud is widely used in usability evaluation, yet it is debated whether thinking aloud influences thought and behavior. If thinking aloud is restricted to the verbalization of information to which a person is already attending, there is evidence that thinking aloud does not influence thought and behavior. In an experiment, 16 thinking-aloud participants and 16 control participants solved a code-breaking task 24 times each. Participants estimated task duration. The 24 trials involved two levels of time constraint (timed, untimed) and resulted in two levels of success (solved, unsolved). The ratio of perceived time to clock time was lower for thinking-aloud than control participants. Participants overestimated time by an average of 47% (thinking aloud) and 94% (control). The effect of thinking aloud on time perception also held separately for timed, untimed, solved, and unsolved trials. Thinking aloud (verbalization at Levels 1 and 2) influences perceived time. Possible explanations of this effect include that thinking aloud may require attention, cause a processing shift that overshadows the perception of time, or increase mental workload. For usability evaluation, this study implies that time estimates made while thinking aloud cannot be compared with time estimates made while not thinking aloud, that ratings of systems experienced while thinking aloud may be inaccurate (because the experience of time influences other experiences), and that it may therefore be considered to replace concurrent thinking aloud with retrospective thinking aloud when evaluations involve time estimation.

Perceived Discrimination and Health: A Meta-Analytic Review

Science.gov (United States)

Pascoe, Elizabeth A.; Richman, Laura Smart

2009-01-01

Perceived discrimination has been studied with regard to its impact on several types of health effects. This meta-analysis provides a comprehensive account of the relationships between multiple forms of perceived discrimination and both mental and physical health outcomes. In addition, this meta-analysis examines potential mechanisms by which…

Impact of carbon intensity and energy security constraints on China's coal import

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lin Boqiang; Liu Jianghua; Yang Yingchun

2012-01-01

Logistic and Gaussian Curves are adopted in this article to predict the coal production peak for Shanxi province, Henan province as well as the whole of China. According to the prediction based on the basic coal reserve data, coal production in China will reach its peak in the 2030 s while that of Shanxi and Henan provinces will be achieved by the 2040 s and 2020 s respectively. This article also assesses the influential factors of China's coal peak and revises the forecast of about China's coal demand by taking the CO2 intensity constraint into consideration, and then predicting the corresponding coal import. The results show that China would import 983 million tonnes of coal in 2020; which takes as high as 27% of China's total coal consumption. This article demonstrates that even if China fulfills CO2 intensity constraint, the country's energy situation would still be grim as a result of its high GDP growth rate. Therefore, China has to consider both CO2 intensity and energy security constraints when establishing strategic energy plan. Finally, this article suggests an adjustment of energy structure by which those constraints can be addressed and further assesses the effect of the adjusted energy structure. - Highlights: ► China's coal peak will arrive in 2040s when basic reserve data is used. ► China's peak production would be 4.8–5.8 billion tons. ► The energy security is still grim even if China meets CO 2 intensity constraint. ► The energy structure suggested should be “natural gas in place of oil and coal”.

The potential of the Global Person Generated Index for evaluating the perceived impacts of conservation interventions on subjective well-being

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rasolofoson, Ranaivo Andriarilala; Nielsen, Martin Reinhardt; Jones, Julia P.G.

2018-01-01

a subjective measure), and impacts (requiring a participatory approach), but very few, if any, conservation evaluations live up to these standards. We used a participatory impact evaluation approach with the Global Person Generated Index (GPGI) to investigate the relative impacts of strict protection......There is growing interest in the importance of ensuring that biodiversity conservation is not achieved at the expense of local people’s well-being. It has been suggested that when evaluating the impact of an intervention, the affected population should be allowed to define well-being (requiring......, and the relative importance of the five identified domains. Participatory impact evaluation establishes local perceptions of the cause-effect relationship between an intervention and respondents’ performance in each domain. Over half the respondents perceived no positive or negative impacts from the conservation...

CONSIDERATIONS ON CONSUMER PERCEIVED RISK

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Laura Catalina Timiras

2014-12-01

Full Text Available In this article we identified a number of factors influencing the consumers’ perceived risk. In the first part we conducted a review of the main issues that define the perceived risk by the consumer at the time of purchase, some of the lines of action of the organizations to diminish this risk perception and a number of influencing factors presented in the literature, with significant impact on the intensity with which risk is perceived by consumers. The second part of the article is based on the statistical information regarding e-commerce market, market in which the perceived risk plays an important role in the purchasing decision. Thus, based on available official statistics provided by Eurostat we have revealed the existence of certain links between electronic commerce and orientation towards risk and income levels, age and consumer educational level. The review is not intended to be exhaustive, the study taking into consideration only those links that can be identified from using official statistical data.

Perceived Environmental Pollution and Its Impact on Health in China, Japan, and South Korea.

Science.gov (United States)

Kamimura, Akiko; Armenta, Bianca; Nourian, Maziar; Assasnik, Nushean; Nourian, Kimiya; Chernenko, Alla

2017-01-01

Environmental pollution is a significant global issue. Both objective (scientifically measured) environmental pollution and perceived levels of pollution are important predictors of self-reported health. The purpose of this study was to compare the associations between perceived environmental pollution and health in China, Japan, and South Korea. Data were obtained from the East Asian Social Survey and the Cross-National Survey Data Sets: Health and Society in East Asia, 2010 (n=7938; China, n=3866; Japan, n=2496; South Korea, n=1576). South Koreans perceived environmental pollution to be the most severe, while Japanese participants perceived environmental pollution to be the least severe. Although the Japanese did not perceive environmental pollution to be very severe, their self-rated physical health was significantly related to perceived environmental pollution, while the analogous relationships were not significant for the Chinese or Korean participants. Better mental health was related to lower levels of perceived air pollution in China, as well as lower levels of perceived all types of pollution in Japan and lower levels of perceived noise pollution in South Korea. Physical and mental health and individual socio-demographic characteristics were associated with levels of perceived environmental pollution, but with different patterns among these three countries.

Perceived Environmental Pollution and Its Impact on Health in China, Japan, and South Korea

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Akiko Kamimura

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Objectives Environmental pollution is a significant global issue. Both objective (scientifically measured environmental pollution and perceived levels of pollution are important predictors of self-reported health. The purpose of this study was to compare the associations between perceived environmental pollution and health in China, Japan, and South Korea. Methods Data were obtained from the East Asian Social Survey and the Cross-National Survey Data Sets: Health and Society in East Asia, 2010 (n=7938; China, n=3866; Japan, n=2496; South Korea, n=1576. Results South Koreans perceived environmental pollution to be the most severe, while Japanese participants perceived environmental pollution to be the least severe. Although the Japanese did not perceive environmental pollution to be very severe, their self-rated physical health was significantly related to perceived environmental pollution, while the analogous relationships were not significant for the Chinese or Korean participants. Better mental health was related to lower levels of perceived air pollution in China, as well as lower levels of perceived all types of pollution in Japan and lower levels of perceived noise pollution in South Korea. Conclusions Physical and mental health and individual socio-demographic characteristics were associated with levels of perceived environmental pollution, but with different patterns among these three countries.

The Perceived Impact of Conflict on Adolescent Relationships.

Science.gov (United States)

Laursen, Brett

1993-01-01

Examined adolescents' perceptions of their daily conflicts in relationships with mothers, fathers, siblings, friends, romantic partners, and other peers and adults. Most adolescent conflicts were perceived as benign events with few positive or negative consequences for the relationship. Results suggest that adolescents recognize the fluidity and…

Environmental constraints and call evolution in torrent-dwelling frogs.

Science.gov (United States)

Goutte, Sandra; Dubois, Alain; Howard, Samuel D; Marquez, Rafael; Rowley, Jodi J L; Dehling, J Maximilian; Grandcolas, Philippe; Rongchuan, Xiong; Legendre, Frédéric

2016-04-01

Although acoustic signals are important for communication in many taxa, signal propagation is affected by environmental properties. Strong environmental constraints should drive call evolution, favoring signals with greater transmission distance and content integrity in a given calling habitat. Yet, few empirical studies have verified this prediction, possibly due to a shortcoming in habitat characterization, which is often too broad. Here we assess the potential impact of environmental constraints on the evolution of advertisement call in four groups of torrent-dwelling frogs in the family Ranidae. We reconstruct the evolution of calling site preferences, both broadly categorized and at a finer scale, onto a phylogenetic tree for 148 species with five markers (∼3600 bp). We test models of evolution for six call traits for 79 species with regard to the reconstructed history of calling site preferences and estimate their ancestral states. We find that in spite of existing morphological constraints, vocalizations of torrent-dwelling species are most probably constrained by the acoustic specificities of torrent habitats and particularly their high level of ambient noise. We also show that a fine-scale characterization of calling sites allows a better perception of the impact of environmental constraints on call evolution. © 2016 The Author(s). Evolution © 2016 The Society for the Study of Evolution.

A Three-Box Model of Thermohaline Circulation under the Energy Constraint

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shen Yang; Guan Yu-Ping; Liang Chu-Jin; Chen Da-Ke

2011-01-01

The driving mechanism of thermohaline circulation is still a controversial topic in physical oceanography. Classic theory is based on Stommel's two-box model under buoyancy constraint. Recently, Guan and Huang proposed a new viewpoint in the framework of energy constraint with a two-box model. We extend it to a three-box model, including the effect of wind-driven circulation. Using this simple model, we further study how ocean mixing impacts on thermohaline circulation under the energy constraint. (geophysics, astronomy, and astrophysics)

A Survey of Myanmar Rice Production and Constraints

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

T.A.A. Naing

2008-10-01

Full Text Available Although modern high yielding varieties were introduced into Myanmar in the early 1980s, the national average of rice grain yield has stagnated at 3.2-3.4 t ha-1. To identify yield constraints, input intensities and the general practices of rice cultivation in Myanmar, a survey was conducted during the wet seasons of 2001 and 2002. A total of 98 farmers from five townships in Upper Myanmar and 16 in Lower Myanmar representing the most important areas of rice production were questioned on their management practices, yields, and perceived yield constraints over the previous four years. There was a recent decrease in the overall average rate of fertilizer application, an increase in the prevalence of rice-legume cropping systems, and only localized insect pest or disease problems. Additionally, rice yields were found to be higher in Upper Myanmar, likely the results of more suitable weather conditions, better irrigation, and ready market access. Furthermore, a number of critical factors affecting production are identified and possible solutions discussed.

Combining experimental and cosmological constraints on heavy neutrinos

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marco Drewes

2017-08-01

Full Text Available We study experimental and cosmological constraints on the extension of the Standard Model by three right handed neutrinos with masses between those of the pion and W boson. We combine for the first time direct, indirect and cosmological constraints in this mass range. This includes experimental constraints from neutrino oscillation data, neutrinoless double β decay, electroweak precision data, lepton universality, searches for rare lepton decays, tests of CKM unitarity and past direct searches at colliders or fixed target experiments. On the cosmological side, big bang nucleosynthesis has the most pronounced impact. Our results can be used to evaluate the discovery potential of searches for heavy neutrinos at LHCb, BELLE II, SHiP, ATLAS, CMS or a future lepton collider.

A constraints-induced model of park choice

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Stemerding, M.P.; Oppewal, H.; Timmermans, H.J.P.

1999-01-01

Conjoint choice models have been used widely in the consumer-choice literature as an approach to measure and predict consumer-choice behavior. These models typically assume that consumer preferences and choice rules are independent from any constraints that might impact the behavior of interest.

The Impact of Perceived Hospital Service Quality on the Satisfaction and Patients' Return; A Case Study in Feiz Medical Eye Center

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mahmud Naderi Beni

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Background and Objectives: Nowadays, with the appearance of competitive environment, quality of services is important. The sector of health has a special status compared with other sectors of services. Patients determine the quality of services that are provided by hospitals which are regarded as large and complex service organizations within the health system. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between perceived service quality, perceived services value, patients’ satisfaction, word of mouth advertising and tendency to patients’ return. Material and Methods: This study was a descriptive and functional and from aspect of results, is practical and was done by one cross-sectional and fieldwork. The sample of study of 135 health care receivers, who were referred at least once from Feiz eye clinic in Isfahan were selected by using Cochran formula and stratified with random sampling. The data collected with a questionnaire which its reliability and validity were confirmed. The collected data were analyzed with SPSS and Smart PLS2 software. Results: The findings showed that all indices have acceptable load factor. Perceived service quality had a significant positive impact on perceived value (0.57 and patient satisfaction (0.28. Perceived value had a significant positive effect on patients’ satisfaction and patients’ return. Also, patients’ satisfaction had effect on word of mouth advertising and word of mouth advertising had effect on the patients’ return. Conclusion: The results of the study indicated that perceived value and patients’ satisfaction meditate between the relationship of perceived service quality and patients’ return. In addition, the indirect effect of perceived value on patients’ return, with changeable mediation of patients’ satisfaction is more than direct effect. Also, among the variables, patients’ satisfaction had greatest effect on patients return.

The Impact of 1:1 Laptops on Teaching and Learning: How Seven Secondary Educators Perceive Technology Having Enhanced Their Teaching and Their Students' Learning

Science.gov (United States)

Stephens, Andrew G.

2017-01-01

The purpose of this qualitative study is to investigate how teachers who have been identified as high level integrators of technology (specifically laptop technology) perceive their journey to integration, the impact of it on their teaching pedagogy, and the impact of it on student learning. Constructivist Theory informed the interpretations of…

The impact of face skin tone on perceived facial attractiveness: A study realized with an innovative methodology.

Science.gov (United States)

Vera Cruz, Germano

2017-12-19

This study aimed to assess the impact of target faces' skin tone and perceivers' skin tone on the participants' attractiveness judgment regarding a symmetrical representative range of target faces as stimuli. Presented with a set of facial features, 240 Mozambican adults rated their attractiveness along a continuous scale. ANOVA and Chi-square were used to analyze the data. The results revealed that the skin tone of the target faces had an impact on the participants' attractiveness judgment. Overall, participants preferred light-skinned faces over dark-skinned ones. This finding is not only consistent with previous results on skin tone preferences, but it is even more powerful because it demonstrates that the light skin tone preference occurs regardless of the symmetry and baseline attractiveness of the stimuli.

Perceived social support and its impact on depression and health-related quality of life: a comparison between cancer patients and general population.

Science.gov (United States)

Yoo, Hyosang; Shin, Dong Wook; Jeong, Ansuk; Kim, So Young; Yang, Hyung-Kook; Kim, Jun Suk; Lee, Ji Eun; Oh, Jae Hwan; Park, Eun-Cheol; Park, Keeho; Park, Jong-Hyock

2017-08-01

It is well known that cancer patients' perception of social support is associated with their depressive symptoms and health-related quality of life. However, there have been little studies that compared the variates of cancer patients with the general population. We sought to compare differences in the level of perceived social support and the impact of perceived social support on depressive symptoms and health-related quality of life between cancer survivors and the general population. Data were collected from 1818 cancer patients treated at the National Cancer Center and regional cancer centers in South Korea. The control group of the general population was composed of 2000 individuals without cancer from community. Cancer patients reported significantly higher level of perceived social support than the general population, while they reported lower health-related quality of life and were more susceptible to depression. The positive associations of higher perceived social support with lower depressive symptoms, as well as with higher health-related quality of life, were stronger among cancer patients than among the general population. The interaction effect suggests that the impact of social support would be stronger among cancer patients than the general public. Thus, it would be beneficial to pay attention to providing social support to cancer patients, particularly to those who are more vulnerable. Furthermore, investigation of the most effective and efficient methods to deliver social support interventions would be worthwhile. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Poster - 52: Smoothing constraints in Modulated Photon Radiotherapy (XMRT) fluence map optimization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McGeachy, Philip; Villarreal-Barajas, Jose Eduardo; Zinchenko, Yuriy; Khan, Rao

2016-01-01

Purpose: Modulated Photon Radiotherapy (XMRT), which simultaneously optimizes photon beamlet energy (6 and 18 MV) and fluence, has recently shown dosimetric improvement in comparison to conventional IMRT. That said, the degree of smoothness of resulting fluence maps (FMs) has yet to be investigated and could impact the deliverability of XMRT. This study looks at investigating FM smoothness and imposing smoothing constraint in the fluence map optimization. Methods: Smoothing constraints were modeled in the XMRT algorithm with the sum of positive gradient (SPG) technique. XMRT solutions, with and without SPG constraints, were generated for a clinical prostate scan using standard dosimetric prescriptions, constraints, and a seven coplanar beam arrangement. The smoothness, with and without SPG constraints, was assessed by looking at the absolute and relative maximum SPG scores for each fluence map. Dose volume histograms were utilized when evaluating impact on the dose distribution. Results: Imposing SPG constraints reduced the absolute and relative maximum SPG values by factors of up to 5 and 2, respectively, when compared with their non-SPG constrained counterparts. This leads to a more seamless conversion of FMS to their respective MLC sequences. This improved smoothness resulted in an increase to organ at risk (OAR) dose, however the increase is not clinically significant. Conclusions: For a clinical prostate case, there was a noticeable improvement in the smoothness of the XMRT FMs when SPG constraints were applied with a minor increase in dose to OARs. This increase in OAR dose is not clinically meaningful.

Poster - 52: Smoothing constraints in Modulated Photon Radiotherapy (XMRT) fluence map optimization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

McGeachy, Philip; Villarreal-Barajas, Jose Eduardo; Zinchenko, Yuriy; Khan, Rao [Department of Medical Physics, CancerCare Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, CAN, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, CAN, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, CAN, Department of Radiation Oncology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO (United States)

2016-08-15

Purpose: Modulated Photon Radiotherapy (XMRT), which simultaneously optimizes photon beamlet energy (6 and 18 MV) and fluence, has recently shown dosimetric improvement in comparison to conventional IMRT. That said, the degree of smoothness of resulting fluence maps (FMs) has yet to be investigated and could impact the deliverability of XMRT. This study looks at investigating FM smoothness and imposing smoothing constraint in the fluence map optimization. Methods: Smoothing constraints were modeled in the XMRT algorithm with the sum of positive gradient (SPG) technique. XMRT solutions, with and without SPG constraints, were generated for a clinical prostate scan using standard dosimetric prescriptions, constraints, and a seven coplanar beam arrangement. The smoothness, with and without SPG constraints, was assessed by looking at the absolute and relative maximum SPG scores for each fluence map. Dose volume histograms were utilized when evaluating impact on the dose distribution. Results: Imposing SPG constraints reduced the absolute and relative maximum SPG values by factors of up to 5 and 2, respectively, when compared with their non-SPG constrained counterparts. This leads to a more seamless conversion of FMS to their respective MLC sequences. This improved smoothness resulted in an increase to organ at risk (OAR) dose, however the increase is not clinically significant. Conclusions: For a clinical prostate case, there was a noticeable improvement in the smoothness of the XMRT FMs when SPG constraints were applied with a minor increase in dose to OARs. This increase in OAR dose is not clinically meaningful.

Modifier constraint in alkali borophosphate glasses using topological constraint theory

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li, Xiang [Key Laboratory for Ultrafine Materials of Ministry of Education, School of Materials Science and Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237 (China); Zeng, Huidan, E-mail: hdzeng@ecust.edu.cn [Key Laboratory for Ultrafine Materials of Ministry of Education, School of Materials Science and Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237 (China); Jiang, Qi [Key Laboratory for Ultrafine Materials of Ministry of Education, School of Materials Science and Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237 (China); Zhao, Donghui [Unifrax Corporation, Niagara Falls, NY 14305 (United States); Chen, Guorong [Key Laboratory for Ultrafine Materials of Ministry of Education, School of Materials Science and Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237 (China); Wang, Zhaofeng; Sun, Luyi [Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering and Polymer Program, Institute of Materials Science, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269 (United States); Chen, Jianding [Key Laboratory for Ultrafine Materials of Ministry of Education, School of Materials Science and Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237 (China)

2016-12-01

In recent years, composition-dependent properties of glasses have been successfully predicted using the topological constraint theory. The constraints of the glass network are derived from two main parts: network formers and network modifiers. The constraints of the network formers can be calculated on the basis of the topological structure of the glass. However, the latter cannot be accurately calculated in this way, because of the existing of ionic bonds. In this paper, the constraints of the modifier ions in phosphate glasses were thoroughly investigated using the topological constraint theory. The results show that the constraints of the modifier ions are gradually increased with the addition of alkali oxides. Furthermore, an improved topological constraint theory for borophosphate glasses is proposed by taking the composition-dependent constraints of the network modifiers into consideration. The proposed theory is subsequently evaluated by analyzing the composition dependence of the glass transition temperature in alkali borophosphate glasses. This method is supposed to be extended to other similar glass systems containing alkali ions.

Constraints and opportunities for climate adaptation in regional water and land use planning

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Werners, S.E.; Tàbara, J.D.; Dai, X.; Flachner, Z.; Neufeldt, H.; McEvoy, D.; West, J.; Cots, F.; Trombi, G.; Leemans, R.

2009-01-01

Whereas the literature on adaptation is rich in detail on impacts, vulnerability and constraints to climate adaptation, less is known about the conditions that facilitate adaptation in practice. We examined the constraints and opportunities for adaptation in water and land use planning in three

Update of identification and estimation of socioeconomic impacts resulting from perceived risks and changing images: An annotated bibliography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nieves, L.A.; Clark, D.E.; Wernette, D.

1991-08-01

This annotated bibliography reviews selected literature published through August 1991 on the identification of perceived risks and methods for estimating the economic impacts of risk perception. It updates the literature review found in Argonne National Laboratory report ANL/EAIS/TM-24 (February 1990). Included in this update are (1) a literature review of the risk perception process, of the relationship between risk perception and economic impacts, of economic methods and empirical applications, and interregional market interactions and adjustments; (2) a working bibliography (that includes the documents abstracted in the 1990 report); (3) a topical index to the abstracts found in both reports; and (4) abstracts of selected articles found in this update

Update of identification and estimation of socioeconomic impacts resulting from perceived risks and changing images: An annotated bibliography

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nieves, L.A.; Clark, D.E.; Wernette, D.

1991-08-01

This annotated bibliography reviews selected literature published through August 1991 on the identification of perceived risks and methods for estimating the economic impacts of risk perception. It updates the literature review found in Argonne National Laboratory report ANL/EAIS/TM-24 (February 1990). Included in this update are (1) a literature review of the risk perception process, of the relationship between risk perception and economic impacts, of economic methods and empirical applications, and interregional market interactions and adjustments; (2) a working bibliography (that includes the documents abstracted in the 1990 report); (3) a topical index to the abstracts found in both reports; and (4) abstracts of selected articles found in this update.

Formal Constraints on Memory Management for Composite Overloaded Operations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Damian W.I. Rouson

2006-01-01

Full Text Available The memory management rules for abstract data type calculus presented by Rouson, Morris & Xu [15] are recast as formal statements in the Object Constraint Language (OCL and applied to the design of a thermal energy equation solver. One set of constraints eliminates memory leaks observed in composite overloaded expressions with three current Fortran 95/2003 compilers. A second set of constraints ensures economical memory recycling. The constraints are preconditions, postconditions and invariants on overloaded operators and the objects they receive and return. It is demonstrated that systematic run-time assertion checking inspired by the formal constraints facilitated the pinpointing of an exceptionally hard-to-reproduce compiler bug. It is further demonstrated that the interplay between OCL's modeling capabilities and Fortran's programming capabilities led to a conceptual breakthrough that greatly improved the readability of our code by facilitating operator overloading. The advantages and disadvantages of our memory management rules are discussed in light of other published solutions [11,19]. Finally, it is demonstrated that the run-time assertion checking has a negligible impact on performance.

Nonnegative Matrix Factorization with Rank Regularization and Hard Constraint.

Science.gov (United States)

Shang, Ronghua; Liu, Chiyang; Meng, Yang; Jiao, Licheng; Stolkin, Rustam

2017-09-01

Nonnegative matrix factorization (NMF) is well known to be an effective tool for dimensionality reduction in problems involving big data. For this reason, it frequently appears in many areas of scientific and engineering literature. This letter proposes a novel semisupervised NMF algorithm for overcoming a variety of problems associated with NMF algorithms, including poor use of prior information, negative impact on manifold structure of the sparse constraint, and inaccurate graph construction. Our proposed algorithm, nonnegative matrix factorization with rank regularization and hard constraint (NMFRC), incorporates label information into data representation as a hard constraint, which makes full use of prior information. NMFRC also measures pairwise similarity according to geodesic distance rather than Euclidean distance. This results in more accurate measurement of pairwise relationships, resulting in more effective manifold information. Furthermore, NMFRC adopts rank constraint instead of norm constraints for regularization to balance the sparseness and smoothness of data. In this way, the new data representation is more representative and has better interpretability. Experiments on real data sets suggest that NMFRC outperforms four other state-of-the-art algorithms in terms of clustering accuracy.

Graphical constraints: a graphical user interface for constraint problems

OpenAIRE

Vieira, Nelson Manuel Marques

2015-01-01

A constraint satisfaction problem is a classical artificial intelligence paradigm characterized by a set of variables (each variable with an associated domain of possible values), and a set of constraints that specify relations among subsets of these variables. Solutions are assignments of values to all variables that satisfy all the constraints. Many real world problems may be modelled by means of constraints. The range of problems that can use this representation is very diverse and embrace...

Prospects and Constraints of Household Irrigation Practices ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Constraints and prospects of hand dug wells related to household irrigation were assessed in Hayelom watershed (~1045 ha), by evaluating groundwater suitability for irrigation, soil quality and impact of intervention. 181 hand dug wells have come into existence in the watershed due to intervention and benefiting about ...

A Cross Sectional Study Evaluating Perceived Impact of Epilepsy on Aspects of Life

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mahmoud Motamedi

2012-04-01

Full Text Available Background: Unpredictable spells of epileptic seizures would result in embarrassment in society and have some negative impact on the patients’ social activities. The aim of this study was to show the perceived impact of epilepsy by patients on different aspect of their social activities including occupation, marriage and education.Materials and Methods: We studied 179 epileptic patients age 16 years and over with face to face interview. Nine domains including relation to spouses, relation to family members, social life, general health, interpersonal communications and friendships, feelings about success, hope for future, ordinary life and cope with others were considered.Results: One hundred and seven men and 72 women were studied. Nearly 78% of the patients had generalized tonic-clonic seizures. More than half of the patients believed that epilepsy had affected their social life and activities. General health was negatively affected by this disease more than any other item; this may be due to uncontrolled spells or taking medications. About 15.5% of married and 39% of the single patients considered epilepsy as an obstacle to marry with their ideal spouses and more than half of the employed persons considered epilepsy as an obstacle for their job promotions.Conclusion: Epilepsy frequently impact on several aspects of life. The disease negatively affects social lives and activities, overall health, feelings about self, ability to work in paid employments, relationship with spouses, friends, and other family members, future plans, standards of living and ambitions of epileptic patients. Decreasing such impacts should be considered as an important part of treatment and proper management can certainly increase various aspects of life in these patients.

The Impact of Perceived Usefulness, Perceived Ease of Use, Subjective Norm, and Experience Toward Student’s Intention to Use Internet Banking

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kevin Danurdoro

2016-03-01

Full Text Available The development of internet in Indonesia is quite fast and the majority of users are students. Internet growth made every fields include banking provided internet based service that called internet banking. The purpose of this research is to explore the factors that affect student’s intention to use internet banking by used the combination model of TAM (Technology Acceptance Model. Independent variables used in this research are Perceived Usefulness, Perceived Ease of Use, Subjective Norm, and Experience. While the dependent variable is Student’s Intention to Use Internet Banking. The results show that perceived ease of use and experience are significantly influence students to use internet banking and perceived usefulness and subjective norm are unsignificantly influence students to use internet banking. The usefulness of internet banking did not make the students feel interested to use internet banking, one of the reasons is usefulness of internet banking is limited to non-cash transaction

Errors During Resuscitation: The Impact of Perceived Authority on Delivery of Care.

Science.gov (United States)

Delaloye, Nicole Jane; Tobler, Kathy; OʼNeill, Thomas; Kotsakis, Afrothite; Cooper, Jessica; Bank, Ilana; Gilfoyle, Elaine

2017-06-30

The aim of this study was to determine the influence of perceived authority on pediatric resuscitation teams' response to an incorrect order given by a medical superior. As part of a larger multicenter prospective interventional study, interprofessional pediatric resuscitation teams (n = 48) participated in a video-recorded simulated resuscitation scenario with an infant in unstable, refractory supraventricular tachycardia. A confederate actor playing a senior physician entered the scenario partway through and ordered the incorrect dose and delivery method of the antiarrhythmic, procainamide. Video recordings were analyzed with a modified Advocacy Inquiry Scale, assessing the teams' ability to challenge the incorrect order, and a novel confederate hierarchical demeanor rating. The association between Advocacy Inquiry score and hierarchical demeanor rating, and whether or not the confederate's incorrect order was followed were determined. Fifty percent (n = 24) of resuscitation teams followed the confederate's incorrect order. The teams' ability to challenge the incorrect order (P authority figure. Institution-based factors may impact this rate of incorrect medication administration.

Gender differences in recreational and transport cycling: a cross-sectional mixed-methods comparison of cycling patterns, motivators, and constraints.

Science.gov (United States)

Heesch, Kristiann C; Sahlqvist, Shannon; Garrard, Jan

2012-09-08

Gender differences in cycling are well-documented. However, most analyses of gender differences make broad comparisons, with few studies modeling male and female cycling patterns separately for recreational and transport cycling. This modeling is important, in order to improve our efforts to promote cycling to women and men in countries like Australia with low rates of transport cycling. The main aim of this study was to examine gender differences in cycling patterns and in motivators and constraints to cycling, separately for recreational and transport cycling. Adult members of a Queensland, Australia, community bicycling organization completed an online survey about their cycling patterns; cycling purposes; and personal, social and perceived environmental motivators and constraints (47% response rate). Closed and open-end questions were completed. Using the quantitative data, multivariable linear, logistic and ordinal regression models were used to examine associations between gender and cycling patterns, motivators and constraints. The qualitative data were thematically analyzed to expand upon the quantitative findings. In this sample of 1862 bicyclists, men were more likely than women to cycle for recreation and for transport, and they cycled for longer. Most transport cycling was for commuting, with men more likely than women to commute by bicycle. Men were more likely to cycle on-road, and women off-road. However, most men and women did not prefer to cycle on-road without designed bicycle lanes, and qualitative data indicated a strong preference by men and women for bicycle-only off-road paths. Both genders reported personal factors (health and enjoyment related) as motivators for cycling, although women were more likely to agree that other personal, social and environmental factors were also motivating. The main constraints for both genders and both cycling purposes were perceived environmental factors related to traffic conditions, motorist aggression and

Opportunities and Constraints for Climate Adaptation in Regional Water and Land Use Planning

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Werners, S.E.; West, J.; Leemans, R.; Tabara, J.D.; Dai, X.; Flachner, Z.; Neufeldt, H.; McEvoy, D.; Cots, F.; Trombi, G.

2011-01-01

Whereas the literature on adaptation is rich in detail on the impacts of, vulnerability to, and constraints of climate adaptation, less is known about the conditions that facilitate adaptation in practice. We examined the constraints and opportunities for adaptation in water and land use planning in

Usage of Business Simulation Games in Croatia: Perceived Obstacles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jovana Zoroja

2013-09-01

Full Text Available Business simulation games (BSGs enhance learning, since they actively involve students in the educational process through game playing. They began to play important role in business education in many universities in Croatia. However, quantitative information on their usage in higher educational institutions (HEIs in Croatia is still scarce. Goals of the paper are to explore: (1 differences among BSGs users and non-users according to demographic characteristics, (2 differences among BSGs users and non-users according to perceived obstacles of BSGs usage, and (3 impact of both demographic characteristics and perceived obstacles on the decision on usage or not-usage of BSGs. A survey was taken in business and economics departments of HEIs in Croatia. A regression model has been used to test the impact of demographic characteristics of educators and the perceived obstacles to the usage of BSGs in educational practice. Results indicate that BSGs usage is currently at a low level, mainly due to the lack of funds and management support. Academic rank, gender, and attitude toward new technologies also impact BSGs usage.

Experiential knowledge of expert coaches can help identify informational constraints on performance of dynamic interceptive actions.

Science.gov (United States)

Greenwood, Daniel; Davids, Keith; Renshaw, Ian

2014-01-01

Coordination of dynamic interceptive movements is predicated on cyclical relations between an individual's actions and information sources from the performance environment. To identify dynamic informational constraints, which are interwoven with individual and task constraints, coaches' experiential knowledge provides a complementary source to support empirical understanding of performance in sport. In this study, 15 expert coaches from 3 sports (track and field, gymnastics and cricket) participated in a semi-structured interview process to identify potential informational constraints which they perceived to regulate action during run-up performance. Expert coaches' experiential knowledge revealed multiple information sources which may constrain performance adaptations in such locomotor pointing tasks. In addition to the locomotor pointing target, coaches' knowledge highlighted two other key informational constraints: vertical reference points located near the locomotor pointing target and a check mark located prior to the locomotor pointing target. This study highlights opportunities for broadening the understanding of perception and action coupling processes, and the identified information sources warrant further empirical investigation as potential constraints on athletic performance. Integration of experiential knowledge of expert coaches with theoretically driven empirical knowledge represents a promising avenue to drive future applied science research and pedagogical practice.

Effect of perceived social support and dispositional optimism on the depression of burn patients.

Science.gov (United States)

He, Fei; Zhou, Qin; Zhao, Zhijing; Zhang, Yuan; Guan, Hao

2016-06-01

Burn wounds have a significant impact on the mental health of patients. This study aimed to investigate the impact of perceived social support and dispositional optimism on depression of burn patients. A total of 246 burn patients accomplished the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, the Revised Life Orientation Test, and Depression Scale. The results revealed that both perceived social support and optimism were significantly correlated with depression. Structural equation modeling indicated that optimism partially mediated the relationship between perceived social support and depression. Implications for prevention of depression in burn patients were discussed. © The Author(s) 2014.

Course Convenience, Perceived Learning, and Course Satisfaction across Course Formats

Science.gov (United States)

Sanford, Douglas; Ross, Douglas; Rosenbloom, Alfred; Singer, Daniel

2017-01-01

Students' desire for course convenience may lead to their preference for online courses. But in their desire for convenience, are students sacrificing satisfaction or perceived learning? This article investigates the moderating impact of course format on the relationship between convenience and both perceived learning and satisfaction. Moderated…

Perceived impact of the 80-hour workweek: five years later.

Science.gov (United States)

Dozois, Eric J; Holubar, Stefan D; Tsikitis, Vassiliki L; Malireddy, Kishore; Cima, Robert R; Farley, David R; Larson, David W

2009-09-01

We aimed to assess perceptions of the effects of the 80-hour workweek (80hWW) restriction on patient care, education, and resident quality of life. In April 2007, attending surgeons and residents in nine surgical specialties at our institution were surveyed. Respondents were categorized into three groups: (1) attending surgeons; (2) residents beginning their training before the 80hWW implementation (ResBefore); and (3) residents beginning training after the 80hWW implementation (ResAfter). Differences between groups were assessed with univariate analysis. The overall response rate was 57%. A minority in all three groups ( or =84%) agreed that midlevel providers were now critical to successfully deliver health care (P = 0.40). Fewer attending surgeons (21%) and ResBefore (29%) perceived improvements in education compared with ResAfter (68%; P work-life balance for residents (attending surgeons [85%], ResBefore [71%], and ResAfter [92%]; P = 0.008), but 76% of attending surgeons reported decreased job satisfaction. We showed a discrepancy between perceptions of attending surgeons and residents regarding the effect of the 80hWW on patient care and surgical education. Quality of life was improved for residents but not for attending surgeons. The impact of the 80hWW on patient care and surgical education needs to be quantified.

The impact of simulation sequencing on perceived clinical decision making.

Science.gov (United States)

Woda, Aimee; Hansen, Jamie; Paquette, Mary; Topp, Robert

2017-09-01

An emerging nursing education trend is to utilize simulated learning experiences as a means to optimize competency and decision making skills. The purpose of this study was to examine differences in students' perception of clinical decision making and clinical decision making-related self-confidence and anxiety based on the sequence (order) in which they participated in a block of simulated versus hospital-based learning experiences. A quasi-experimental crossover design was used. Between and within group differences were found relative to self-confidence with the decision making process. When comparing groups, at baseline the simulation followed by hospital group had significantly higher self-confidence scores, however, at 14-weeks both groups were not significantly different. Significant within group differences were found in the simulation followed by hospital group only, demonstrating a significant decrease in clinical decision making related anxiety across the semester. Finally, there were no significant difference in; perceived clinical decision making within or between the groups at the two measurement points. Preliminary findings suggest that simulated learning experiences can be offered with alternating sequences without impacting the process, anxiety or confidence with clinical decision making. This study provides beginning evidence to guide curriculum development and allow flexibility based on student needs and available resources. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Once Dishonest, Always Dishonest? The Impact of Perceived Pervasiveness of Moral Evaluations of the Self on Motivation to Restore a Moral Reputation

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Stefano ePagliaro

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Four studies specify how moral evaluations of the self regulate behavior aimed at restoring a moral reputation. We propose that people care about evaluations of themselves as moral or immoral because these are perceived as more consequential than other types of information. Therefore people are more inclined to restore their image after being negatively evaluated in terms of morality rather than competence. Studies 1 and 2 revealed that moral information was perceived as having a more enduring impact on one’s reputation, and was more strongly related to anticipated intra-group respect and self-views, than competence and sociability information. This perceived pervasiveness of moral (versus competence evaluations mediated intentions to justify and explain one’s behavior (Study 3. Study 4 finally showed that being seen as lacking in morality elicited threat and coping responses, which induced subsequent tendencies to repair one’s moral reputation.

Modulation of collective cell behaviour by geometrical constraints

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Lunova, M.; Zablotskyy, Vitaliy A.; Dempsey, N.M.; Devillers, T.; Jirsa, M.; Syková, E.; Kubinová, Šárka; Lunov, Oleg; Dejneka, Alexandr

2016-01-01

Roč. 8, č. 11 (2016), s. 1099-1110 ISSN 1757-9694 Grant - others:AV ČR(CZ) Fellowship J. E. Purkyně Institutional support: RVO:68378271 Keywords : modulation * collective cell * geometrical constraints Subject RIV: BO - Biophysics Impact factor: 3.252, year: 2016

The effect of perceived person-job fit on employee attitudes toward change in trauma centers.

Science.gov (United States)

Zatzick, Christopher D; Zatzick, Douglas F

2013-01-01

Employee attitudes toward change are critical for health care organizations implementing new procedures and practices. When employees are more positive about the change, they are likely to behave in ways that support the change, whereas when employees are negative about the change, they will resist the changes. This study examined how perceived person-job (demands-abilities) fit influences attitudes toward change after an externally mandated change. Specifically, we propose that perceived person-job fit moderates the negative relationship between individual job impact and attitudes toward change. We examined this issue in a sample of Level 1 trauma centers facing a regulatory mandate to develop an alcohol screening and brief intervention program. A survey of 200 providers within 20 trauma centers assessed perceived person-job fit, individual job impact, and attitudes toward change approximately 1 year after the mandate was enacted. Providers who perceived a better fit between their abilities and the new job demands were more positive about the change. Further, the impact of the alcohol screening and brief intervention program on attitudes toward change was mitigated by perceived fit, where the relationship between job impact and change attitudes was more negative for providers who perceived a worse fit as compared with those who perceived a better fit. Successful implementation of changes to work processes and procedures requires provider support of the change. Management can enhance this support by improving perceived person-job fit through ongoing training sessions that enhance providers' abilities to implement the new procedures.

The impact of anal sphincter injury on perceived body image.

Science.gov (United States)

Iles, David; Khan, Rabia; Naidoo, Kristina; Kearney, Rohna; Myers, Jenny; Reid, Fiona

2017-05-01

Obstetric anal sphincter injury is common but the effect on body image is unreported. The aim of this study was to explore patient perceived changes in body image and other psychological aspects in women attending a perineal follow-up clinic. This retrospective study analysed women's responses to a self-reported questionnaire. Consecutive women with anal sphincter injury who attended a United Kingdom Maternity Hospital perineal follow-up clinic between January 1999 and January 2012 were identified and the records obtained and reviewed. Multivariate regression analyses were performed to examine variables influencing self-reported change in body image. Questionnaires and operation notes were analysed from 422 women who attended at a median of four months after delivery. 222 (53%) reported a change in body image with 80 (19%) reporting lower self-esteem and 75 (18%) a change in their personality due to the change in body image. 248 (59%) perceived an anatomical change due to the delivery. Factors associated with increased likelihood of reporting a change in body image were reporting a perceived change in anatomy due to the delivery, adjusted OR 6.11 (3.56-10.49), anal incontinence, OR 1.97 (1.16-3.36), and delivery by forceps, OR 2.59 (1.23-5.43). This is the first study to quantify body image changes in women after anal sphincter injury sustained in childbirth. These were found to be very common, affecting up to 50% of women. The study has several limitations but it does highlight the significant psychosocial problems of negative self-esteem and personality changes associated with a perceived change in body image that has not previously been reported. It also outlines the further research questions that need to be addressed. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Self-perceived Age and Attitudes Toward Marketing of Older Consumers in China

Science.gov (United States)

Ying, Bin

2010-01-01

Understanding consumer psychological characteristics and their impact on consumer behavior is an important foundation for business marketing strategies. Self-perceived age has a great impact on older consumers’ behavior. This article defines the gray market in China, investigates the factors that affect the differences between older consumers’ self-perceived age and life age, and analyzes the influence of self-perceived age on older Chinese consumers’ behavior. In this study, 1,120 older consumers were randomly selected from six cities in China. Findings show that over half of the respondents feel younger than their actual life age. Related marketing strategies are discussed. PMID:20835378

Reduction Of Constraints For Coupled Operations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Raszewski, F.; Edwards, T.

2009-01-01

The homogeneity constraint was implemented in the Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) Product Composition Control System (PCCS) to help ensure that the current durability models would be applicable to the glass compositions being processed during DWPF operations. While the homogeneity constraint is typically an issue at lower waste loadings (WLs), it may impact the operating windows for DWPF operations, where the glass forming systems may be limited to lower waste loadings based on fissile or heat load limits. In the sludge batch 1b (SB1b) variability study, application of the homogeneity constraint at the measurement acceptability region (MAR) limit eliminated much of the potential operating window for DWPF. As a result, Edwards and Brown developed criteria that allowed DWPF to relax the homogeneity constraint from the MAR to the property acceptance region (PAR) criterion, which opened up the operating window for DWPF operations. These criteria are defined as: (1) use the alumina constraint as currently implemented in PCCS (Al 2 O 3 (ge) 3 wt%) and add a sum of alkali constraint with an upper limit of 19.3 wt% (ΣM 2 O 2 O 3 constraint to 4 wt% (Al 2 O 3 (ge) 4 wt%). Herman et al. previously demonstrated that these criteria could be used to replace the homogeneity constraint for future sludge-only batches. The compositional region encompassing coupled operations flowsheets could not be bounded as these flowsheets were unknown at the time. With the initiation of coupled operations at DWPF in 2008, the need to revisit the homogeneity constraint was realized. This constraint was specifically addressed through the variability study for SB5 where it was shown that the homogeneity constraint could be ignored if the alumina and alkali constraints were imposed. Additional benefit could be gained if the homogeneity constraint could be replaced by the Al 2 O 3 and sum of alkali constraint for future coupled operations processing based on projections from Revision 14 of

Implications of water constraints for electricity capacity expansion in the United States

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, L.; Hejazi, M. I.; Iyer, G.; Forman, B. A.

2017-12-01

U.S. electricity generation is vulnerable to water supply since water is required for cooling. Constraints on the availability of water will therefore necessitate adaptive planning by the power generation sector. Hence, it is important to integrate restrictions in water availability in electricity capacity planning in order to better understand the economic viability of alternative capacity planning options. The study of the implications of water constraints for the U.S. power generation system is limited in terms of scale and robustness. We extend previous studies by including physical water constraints in a state-level model of the U.S. energy system embedded within a global integrated assessment model (GCAM-USA). We focus on the implications of such constraints for the U.S. electricity capacity expansion, integrating both supply and demand effects under a consistent framework. Constraints on the availability of water have two general effects across the U.S. First, water availability constraints increase the cost of electricity generation, resulting in reduced electrification of end-use sectors. Second, water availability constraints result in forced retirements of water-intensive technologies such as thermoelectric coal- and gas- fired technologies before the end of their natural lifetimes. The demand for electricity is then met by an increase in investments in less water-dependent technologies such as wind and solar photovoltaic. Our results show that the regional patterns of the above effects are heterogeneous across the U.S. In general, the impacts of water constraints on electricity capacity expansion are more pronounced in the West than in the East. This is largely because of lower water availability in the West compared to the East due to lower precipitation in the Western states. Constraints on the availability of water might also have important implications for U.S. electricity trade. For example, under severe constraints on the availability of water

Exploring the perceived harshness of cello sounds by morphing and synthesis techniques.

Science.gov (United States)

Rozé, Jocelyn; Aramaki, Mitsuko; Kronland-Martinet, Richard; Ystad, Sølvi

2017-03-01

Cello bowing requires a very fine control of the musicians' gestures to ensure the quality of the perceived sound. When the interaction between the bow hair and the string is optimal, the sound is perceived as broad and round. On the other hand, when the gestural control becomes more approximate, the sound quality deteriorates and often becomes harsh, shrill, and quavering. In this study, such a timbre degradation, often described by French cellists as harshness (décharnement), is investigated from both signal and perceptual perspectives. Harsh sounds were obtained from experienced cellists subjected to a postural constraint. A signal approach based on Gabor masks enabled us to capture the main dissimilarities between round and harsh sounds. Two complementary methods perceptually validated these signal features: First, a predictive regression model of the perceived harshness was built from sound continua obtained by a morphing technique. Next, the signal structures identified by the model were validated within a perceptual timbre space, obtained by multidimensional scaling analysis on pairs of synthesized stimuli controlled in harshness. The results revealed that the perceived harshness was due to a combination between a more chaotic harmonic behavior, a formantic emergence, and a weaker attack slope.

Reflections on the role of consultant radiographers in the UK: The perceived impact on practice and factors that support and hinder the role

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Henwood, S.; Booth, L.; Miller, P.K.

2016-01-01

Study context: This paper is the third paper arising from a two year long, in-depth case study exploring various components of the role of consultant radiographers in the UK. This paper focuses particularly upon the perceived impact of the role and factors that support and hinder the role in practice. Methods: A longitudinal case study method was used to explore the role of consultant radiographers. Interviewing was informed and guided by a phenomenological approach to promote a deeper understanding of consultants' experiences in the role. Eight consultant radiographers participated, with six involved throughout the whole study. Over an 18 month period each of those six consultants was interviewed three times. Two consultants only participated in the first interview; these interviews are also reported here. A total of 20 interviews were conducted. Findings: Interviews explored the impact of the consultant role as perceived by consultants themselves, and encouraged individual reflection on factors which had both supported and hindered success therein. Analysis demonstrated that there was substantial variation in the experiences communicated yet, and without any exception, all consultants reported that the introduction of their role had been beneficial to service delivery and quality of patient care. A number of obstacles were outlined, as well as a range of support mechanisms. Recommendations are thus made as to how the consultant role might be more effectively supported in the future. - Highlights: • The perceived impact of the consultant radiographer role in practice. • Reflections upon what supported the consultants in their role. • Reflections upon what hindered the consultants in their role.

Exploring the Impact of Early Decisions in Variable Ordering for Constraint Satisfaction Problems

OpenAIRE

Ortiz-Bayliss, José Carlos; Amaya, Ivan; Conant-Pablos, Santiago Enrique; Terashima-Marín, Hugo

2018-01-01

When solving constraint satisfaction problems (CSPs), it is a common practice to rely on heuristics to decide which variable should be instantiated at each stage of the search. But, this ordering influences the search cost. Even so, and to the best of our knowledge, no earlier work has dealt with how first variable orderings affect the overall cost. In this paper, we explore the cost of finding high-quality orderings of variables within constraint satisfaction problems. We also study differen...

Identification and estimation of socioeconomic impacts resulting from perceived risks and changing images; An annotated bibliography

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nieves, L.A.; Wernette, D.R.; Hemphill, R.C.; Mohiudden, S.; Corso, J.

1990-02-01

In 1982, the US Congress passed the Nuclear Waste Policy Act to initiate the process of choosing a location to permanently store high-level nuclear waste from the designated Yucca Mountain, Nevada, as the only location to be studied as a candidate site for such a repository. The original acts and its amendments had established the grant mechanism by which the state of Nevada could finance an investigation of the potential socioeconomic impacts that could result from the installation and operation of this facility. Over the past three years, the Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management (OCRWM or RW) in the US Department of Energy (DOE) has approved grant requests by Nevada to perform this investigation. This report is intended to update and enhance a literature review conducted by the Human Affairs Research Center (HARC) for the Basalt Waste Isolation Project that dealt with the psychological and sociological processes underlying risk perception. It provides addition information on the HARC work, covers a subsequent step in the impact-estimation process, and translates risk perception into decisions and behaviors with economic consequences. It also covers recently developed techniques for assessing the nature and magnitude of impacts caused by environmental changes focusing on those impacts caused by changes in perceived risks.

Perceived effect of deployment on families of UK military personnel.

Science.gov (United States)

Thandi, G; Greenberg, N; Fear, N T; Jones, N

2017-10-01

In the UK, little is known about the perceived effects of deployment, on military families, from military personnel in theatre. To investigate military personnel's perceptions of the impact of deployment on intimate relationships and children. Deployed service personnel who were in a relationship, and who had children, completed a survey while deployed on combat operations. Data were taken from four mental health surveys carried out in Iraq in 2009 and Afghanistan in 2010, 2011 and 2014. Among 4265 participants, after adjusting for military and social-demographic covariates, perceiving that deployment had a negative impact on intimate relationships and children was associated with psychological distress, and traumatic stress symptoms. Military personnel who reported being in danger of being injured or killed during deployment, were more likely to report a perceived negative effect of deployment on their intimate relationships. Reservists were less likely to report a perceived negative impact of deployment on their children compared with regulars. Military personnel who themselves planned to separate from their partner were more likely to report psychological distress, and stressors at home. Perceived insufficient support from the Ministry of Defence was associated with poor mental health, and holding a junior rank. Deployed UK military personnel with symptoms of psychological distress, who experienced stressors at home, were especially likely to perceive that their family were inadequately supported by the military. Those planning to separate from their partner were at increased risk of suffering with mental health problems while deployed. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Occupational Medicine. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com

Acute care simulation training for foundation doctors: the perceived impact on practice in the workplace.

Science.gov (United States)

Patel, P; Sockalingam, I

2013-01-01

High fidelity simulation allows training of foundation doctors in a safe, structured environment. We explored the perceived impact of such training on subsequent clinical practice. 82 doctors attended and 52% responded to a follow up questionnaire sent two months after their training. 88% felt better able to manage the acutely ill patient than they did before their training. All cited simulation training as a reason for this and 44% felt simulation training was the main contributor. The remainder cited clinical experience as the main contributor. 53% gave real clinical examples where they applied skills attributed to simulation training. Doctors reflected positively on simulation training sometime after the experience, demonstrated transference of learnt skills and felt more confident at work.

Analysis of Space Tourism Constraints

Science.gov (United States)

Bonnal, Christophe

2002-01-01

Space tourism appears today as a new Eldorado in a relatively near future. Private operators are already proposing services for leisure trips in Low Earth Orbit, and some happy few even tested them. But are these exceptional events really marking the dawn of a new space age ? The constraints associated to the space tourism are severe : - the economical balance of space tourism is tricky; development costs of large manned - the technical definition of such large vehicles is challenging, mainly when considering - the physiological aptitude of passengers will have a major impact on the mission - the orbital environment will also lead to mission constraints on aspects such as radiation, However, these constraints never appear as show-stoppers and have to be dealt with pragmatically: - what are the recommendations one can make for future research in the field of space - which typical roadmap shall one consider to develop realistically this new market ? - what are the synergies with the conventional missions and with the existing infrastructure, - how can a phased development start soon ? The paper proposes hints aiming at improving the credibility of Space Tourism and describes the orientations to follow in order to solve the major hurdles found in such an exciting development.

Time management training and perceived control of time at work.

Science.gov (United States)

Häfner, Alexander; Stock, Armin

2010-01-01

The purpose of the present study was to examine the effects of time management training, which was based on psychological theory and research, on perceived control of time, perceived stress, and performance at work. The authors randomly assigned 71 employees to a training group (n = 35) or a waiting-list control group (n = 36). As hypothesized, time management training led to an increase in perceived control of time and a decrease in perceived stress. Time management training had no impact on different performance indicators. In particular, the authors explored the use and the perceived usefulness of the techniques taught. Participants judged the taught techniques as useful, but there were large differences concerning the actual use of the various techniques.

Exploring the relationship between perceived barriers to healthy eating and dietary behaviours in European adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Pinho, M G M; Mackenbach, J D; Charreire, H; Oppert, J-M; Bárdos, H; Glonti, K; Rutter, H; Compernolle, S; De Bourdeaudhuij, I; Beulens, J W J; Brug, J; Lakerveld, J

2017-04-26

Dietary behaviours may be influenced by perceptions of barriers to healthy eating. Using data from a large cross-European study (N = 5900), we explored associations between various perceived barriers to healthy eating and dietary behaviours among adults from urban regions in five European countries and examined whether associations differed across regions and socio-demographic backgrounds. Frequency of consumption of fruit, vegetables, fish, fast food, sugar-sweetened beverages, sweets, breakfast and home-cooked meals were split by the median into higher and lower consumption. We tested associations between barriers (irregular working hours; giving up preferred foods; busy lifestyle; lack of willpower; price of healthy food; taste preferences of family and friends; lack of healthy options and unappealing foods) and dietary variables using multilevel logistic regression models. We explored whether associations differed by age, sex, education, urban region, weight status, household composition or employment. Respondents who perceived any barrier were less likely to report higher consumption of healthier foods and more likely to report higher consumption of fast food. 'Lack of willpower', 'time constraints' and 'taste preferences' were most consistently associated with consumption. For example, those perceiving lack of willpower ate less fruit [odds ratio (OR) 0.57; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.50-0.64], and those with a busy lifestyle ate less vegetables (OR 0.54; 95% CI 0.47-0.62). Many associations differed in size, but not in direction, by region, sex, age and household composition. Perceived 'lack of willpower', 'time constraints' and 'taste preferences' were barriers most strongly related to dietary behaviours, but the association between various barriers and lower intake of fruit and vegetables was somewhat more pronounced among younger participants and women.

An exploratory study of the perceived impact of raising the age of cigarette purchase on young smokers in Scotland.

Science.gov (United States)

Borland, T; Amos, A

2009-10-01

To explore the perceived impact among a group of Scottish 16- and 17-year-old school leavers of the recent increase in age of sale of cigarettes (1 October 2007) from 16 to 18 years on their ability to purchase and access cigarettes. Qualitative interviews with friendship pairs. Twelve paired qualitative interviews conducted in June 2008. Participants were 16- and 17-year-old early school leavers undertaking a work skills programme in Lothian who smoked at least one cigarette per week. Data were analysed thematically. The increase in the age of sale affected participants' perceived ability to purchase cigarettes to differing extents. Three groups were identified: those who were unable to purchase cigarettes either before or after the change in the law, those who could purchase cigarettes before the change in the law but who found it very difficult to do so afterwards, and those who were relatively unaffected as they could purchase cigarettes both before and after the age was raised to 18 years, mostly from small corner shops. Smoking was embedded in participants' social lives and networks. Thus, there was only a limited impact upon their reported ability to access cigarettes due to the availability of alternative social sources of cigarettes from family, friends and others. This exploratory study raises questions about the nature and extent of the impact of raising the age of sale on young smokers' ability to purchase and access cigarettes. The importance of alternative social sources of cigarettes highlights the need for further research to investigate whether the change in legislation had less of an impact on more disadvantaged adolescent smokers, as they are likely to have greater access to alternative sources from their family, friends and community.

Perceived impact of socially anxious behaviors on individuals' lives in Western and East Asian countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Rapee, Ronald M; Kim, Jinkwan; Wang, Jianping; Liu, Xinghua; Hofmann, Stefan G; Chen, Junwen; Oh, Kyung Ya; Bögels, Susan M; Arman, Soroor; Heinrichs, Nina; Alden, Lynn E

2011-09-01

The current study compared the predicted social and career impact of socially withdrawn and reticent behaviors among participants from Western and East Asian countries. Three hundred sixty-one college students from 5 Western countries and 455 students from 3 East Asian countries read hypothetical vignettes describing socially withdrawn and shy behaviors versus socially outgoing and confident behaviors. Participants then answered questions following each vignette indicating the extent to which they would expect the subject of the vignette to be socially liked and to succeed in their career. Participants also completed measures of their own social anxiety and quality of life. The results indicated significant vignette-by-country interactions in that the difference in perceived social and career impact between shy and outgoing vignettes was smaller among participants from East Asian countries than from Western countries. In addition, significant negative correlations were shown between personal level of shyness and experienced quality of life for participants from both groups of countries, but the size of this relationship was greater for participants from Western than East Asian countries. The results point to the more negative impact of withdrawn and socially reticent behaviors for people from Western countries relative to those from East Asia. Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

The joint impact of perceived influence and supervisor supportiveness on employee innovative behaviour

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Janssen, O.

2005-01-01

A questionnaire survey among 170 employees of a Dutch company showed that supervisor supportiveness moderated the relationship between employees' perceived influence in the workplace and their levels of innovative behaviour. As hypothesized, the results suggest that when supervisors are perceived as

On-site Labour Productivity of New Zealand Construction Industry: Key Constraints and Improvement Measures

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Serdar Durdyev

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Productivity is key to the survival and growth of any organisation, industry or nation. Some factors constrain the achievement of the set project objectives in the New Zealand building and construction industry and are responsible for the reported steady decline of productivity and performance. This study aims to identify the key constraints to on-site labour productivity and improvement measures. Using the descriptive survey method, views of some project managers, contractors and subcontractors in New Zealand were canvassed via pilot interviews and questionnaire surveys at the qualitative and quantity data gathering stages, respectively. Multi-attribute technique was used to analyse the quantitative data. Results showed that the key external constraints to on-site labour productivity comprise, in order of decreasing impact, statutory compliance, unforeseen events and wider external dynamics. The internal constraints, which contribute 67 percent of the onsite productivity issues, comprise reworks, level of skill and experience of the workforce, adequacy of method of construction, buildability issues, and inadequate supervision and coordination. . The factors underlying each broad category of external and internal constraints are reported. The relative levels of impact of the identified constraints are expected to guide the project team in addressing the constraints in a cost-effective manner.

Robust Neutrino Constraints by Combining Low Redshift Observations with the CMB

CERN Document Server

Reid, Beth A; Jimenez, Raul; Mena, Olga

2010-01-01

We illustrate how recently improved low-redshift cosmological measurements can tighten constraints on neutrino properties. In particular we examine the impact of the assumed cosmological model on the constraints. We first consider the new HST H0 = 74.2 +/- 3.6 measurement by Riess et al. (2009) and the sigma8*(Omegam/0.25)^0.41 = 0.832 +/- 0.033 constraint from Rozo et al. (2009) derived from the SDSS maxBCG Cluster Catalog. In a Lambda CDM model and when combined with WMAP5 constraints, these low-redshift measurements constrain sum mnu<0.4 eV at the 95% confidence level. This bound does not relax when allowing for the running of the spectral index or for primordial tensor perturbations. When adding also Supernovae and BAO constraints, we obtain a 95% upper limit of sum mnu<0.3 eV. We test the sensitivity of the neutrino mass constraint to the assumed expansion history by both allowing a dark energy equation of state parameter w to vary, and by studying a model with coupling between dark energy and dark...

Development and perceived utility and impact of a skin care Internet intervention

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michelle Hilgart

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Pressure ulcers (PrUs in people with spinal cord injury (SCI are a common, mostly preventable, skin complication with serious health consequences. This paper presents the development, theoretical bases, and perceived usefulness and effectiveness data for iSHIFTup.org, a skin care Internet intervention to prevent pressure ulcers in adults with SCI. Participants (n = 7 were, on average, 36 years old (SD = 10.09, tetraplegic (71%, paraplegic (29%, and caucasian (86%, with an average time since injury of 10.43 years (SD = 9.64 years. During the six weeks of program access, participants' usage of the program was tracked and analyzed. Participants subsequently completed measures focused on usability, likeability, and usefulness (the Internet Evaluation and Utility Questionnaire; IEUQ, and on their perceptions of the impact of the program on targeted behaviors (using the Internet Impact and Effectiveness Questionnaire; IIEQ. Participants generally reported positive experiences using iSHIFTup, indicating it to be useful, effective, easy to use, and understandable. All participants reported that iSHIFTup helped them to manage their skin care, improved their skin care routine, and supported healthy skin care activities. A majority of users indicated that they were able to implement program recommendations, and all users believed the Internet was a good method for delivering pressure ulcer prevention programs. This is the first paper to focus on a skin care Internet intervention for adults with SCI.

Impact of Perceived Stress, Anxiety-Depression and Social Support on Coping Strategies of Parents Having A Child With Gilles de la Tourette Syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Goussé, Véronique; Czernecki, Virginie; Denis, Pierre; Stilgenbauer, Jean-Louis; Deniau, Emmanuelle; Hartmann, Andreas

2016-02-01

Previous reports have indicated that raising a child with Gilles de la Tourette syndrome (GTS) could be considered a stressful experience. Thus our study aimed to assess the impact of perceived stress (i.e. parental cognitive perception of their child's disorder) and social support (number of people surrounding the subject providing support) on coping strategies-defined as processes of restoring balance between excessive demands and inadequate resources-of parents having a child with GTS. Twenty-eight parents of 21 patients with GTS (aged 6 to 16years) completed questionnaires on perceived stress (ALE Scale), social support (SSQ6), coping strategies (WCC-R) and anxiety-depression (HAD). Principal component analysis showed a negative correlation between social support on one side and perceived stress and anxiety/depression on the other. Problem- and emotion-focused coping both correlated with social support, all of them being independent from perceived stress and anxiety/depression. Hierarchical ascendant classification showed three clusters of individuals in our parents' groups: i) those having high scores in perceived stress and anxiety-depression; ii) those having high scores in social support associated with low scores in perceived stress; iii) parents having lower than average scores on both problem- and emotion- focused coping and social support. Our results reinforce the need for developing training programs for parents with GTS children to better understand and tolerate the disorder to decrease their stress. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A quantitative and constraint-specific method to assess the potential impact of new agricultural technology : the case of frost resistant potato for the Altiplano (Peru and Bolivia)

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hijmans, R.J.; Condori, B.; Carrillo, R.; Kropff, M.J.

2003-01-01

A quantitative and constraint-specific approach to assess the potential impact of new agricultural technology is described and applied to frost resistant potato cultivars for the Altiplano (Peru and Bolivia). The approach uses geo-referenced databases and a simulation model. Calculations are made

From physical dose constraints to equivalent uniform dose constraints in inverse radiotherapy planning

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thieke, Christian; Bortfeld, Thomas; Niemierko, Andrzej; Nill, Simeon

2003-01-01

Optimization algorithms in inverse radiotherapy planning need information about the desired dose distribution. Usually the planner defines physical dose constraints for each structure of the treatment plan, either in form of minimum and maximum doses or as dose-volume constraints. The concept of equivalent uniform dose (EUD) was designed to describe dose distributions with a higher clinical relevance. In this paper, we present a method to consider the EUD as an optimization constraint by using the method of projections onto convex sets (POCS). In each iteration of the optimization loop, for the actual dose distribution of an organ that violates an EUD constraint a new dose distribution is calculated that satisfies the EUD constraint, leading to voxel-based physical dose constraints. The new dose distribution is found by projecting the current one onto the convex set of all dose distributions fulfilling the EUD constraint. The algorithm is easy to integrate into existing inverse planning systems, and it allows the planner to choose between physical and EUD constraints separately for each structure. A clinical case of a head and neck tumor is optimized using three different sets of constraints: physical constraints for all structures, physical constraints for the target and EUD constraints for the organs at risk, and EUD constraints for all structures. The results show that the POCS method converges stable and given EUD constraints are reached closely

The impact of length of unemployment and perceived organisational ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Finally, based on the findings of this research, it was recommended that since perceived organisational support has been revealed to increase employees socio-emotional needs, employers should care for the well being of their employees as it will be a bonus towards motivating them to be able to actualise the set goals ...

The impact of information on perceived air quality

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wilkins, K.; Wolkoff, Peder; Knudsen, Henrik Nellemose

2007-01-01

As indoor air quality complaints cannot be explained satisfactorily and building materials can be a major source of indoor air pollution, we hypothesized that emissions from building materials perceived as unfamiliar or annoying odors may contribute to such complaints. To test this hypothesis....... Similarly, OA was increased significantly for most organic  samples, but not the synthetic  ones. The major effect is probably that OA is increased when the panel is given information about the odor source....

Risk constraint measures developed for the outcome-based strategy for tank waste management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harper, B.L.; Gajewski, S.J.; Glantz, C.L.

1996-09-01

This report is one of a series of supporting documents for the outcome-based characterization strategy developed by PNNL. This report presents a set of proposed risk measures with risk constraint (acceptance) levels for use in the Value of Information process used in the NCS. The characterization strategy has developed a risk-based Value of Information (VOI) approach for comparing the cost-effectiveness of characterizing versus mitigating particular waste tanks or tank clusters. The preference between characterizing or mitigating in order to prevent an accident depends on the cost of those activities relative to the cost of the consequences of the accident. The consequences are defined as adverse impacts measured across a broad set of risk categories such as worker dose, public cancers, ecological harm, and sociocultural impacts. Within each risk measure, various open-quotes constraint levelsclose quotes have been identified that reflect regulatory standards or conventionally negotiated thresholds of harm to Hanford resources and values. The cost of consequences includes the open-quotes costs close-quote of exceeding those constraint levels as well as a strictly linear costing per unit of impact within each of the risk measures. In actual application, VOI based-decision making is an iterative process, with a preliminary low-precision screen of potential technical options against the major risk constraints, followed by VOI analysis to determine the cost-effectiveness of gathering additional information and to select a preferred technical option, and finally a posterior screen to determine whether the preferred option meets all relevant risk constraints and acceptability criteria

Perceived Organizational Red Tape and Organizational Performance in Public Services

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jacobsen, Christian Bøtcher; Jakobsen, Mads Leth

2018-01-01

The claim that perceived organizational red tape hampers public services has become a central theme in public administration research. Surprisingly, however, few scholars have empirically examined the impact of perceived red tape on organizational performance. This study empirically analyzes how...... perceived organizational red tape among managers and frontline staff relates to objectively measured performance. The data consists of survey responses from teachers and principals at Danish upper secondary schools combined with grade-level administrative performance data. Based on theories of red tape...... and motivation crowding, we hypothesize that perceived organizational red tape reduces performance within such organizations. The empirical result is a small, negative relationship between staff perception of red tape and performance, and no relationship between manager-perceived red tape and performance....

Assessing the Impact of Operational Constraints on the Near-Term Unmanned Aircraft System Traffic Management Supported Market

Science.gov (United States)

Vascik, Parker D.; Jung, Jaewoo

2016-01-01

An economic impact market analysis was conducted for 16 leading sectors of commercial Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) applications predicted to be enabled by 2020 through the NASA UAS Traffic Management (UTM) program. Subject matter experts from seven industries were interviewed to validate concept of operations (ConOps) and market adoption assumptions for each sector. The market analysis was used to estimate direct economic impacts for each sector including serviceable addressable market, capital investment, revenue recovery potential, and operations cost savings. The resultant economic picture distinguishes the agricultural, pipeline and railroad inspection, construction, and maritime sectors of the nascent commercial UAS industry as providing the highest potential economic value in the United States. Sensitivity studies characterized the variability of select UAS sectors economic value to key regulatory or UTM ConOps requirements such as weight, altitude, and flight over populated area constraints. Takeaways from the analysis inform the validation of UTM requirements, technologies and timetables from a commercial market need and value viewpoint. This work concluded in August 2015 and reflects the state of the UAS industry and market projections at that time.

Constraint-based reachability

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Arnaud Gotlieb

2013-02-01

Full Text Available Iterative imperative programs can be considered as infinite-state systems computing over possibly unbounded domains. Studying reachability in these systems is challenging as it requires to deal with an infinite number of states with standard backward or forward exploration strategies. An approach that we call Constraint-based reachability, is proposed to address reachability problems by exploring program states using a constraint model of the whole program. The keypoint of the approach is to interpret imperative constructions such as conditionals, loops, array and memory manipulations with the fundamental notion of constraint over a computational domain. By combining constraint filtering and abstraction techniques, Constraint-based reachability is able to solve reachability problems which are usually outside the scope of backward or forward exploration strategies. This paper proposes an interpretation of classical filtering consistencies used in Constraint Programming as abstract domain computations, and shows how this approach can be used to produce a constraint solver that efficiently generates solutions for reachability problems that are unsolvable by other approaches.

Impact of carbon constraint on the European electricity sector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stankeviciute, Loreta

2010-01-01

Two sets of factors will be decisive for the future evolution of European electricity sector: on the one hand, the necessity of new wave of investments for the renewal and the expansion of production capacities and, on the other hand, the emergency and the reinforcement of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) constraints imposed by European policies and directives. The general idea of thesis is that European Emissions Trading system (ETS) is the instrument that can facilitate the decarbonization of European electricity system. However, the necessary conditions ought to be brought together in the context of liberalisation in terms of risk management, market architecture and setting up of the complementary public policy instruments, in order for the carbon price signal to be effective. The purpose of the thesis is to provide details on these conditions and to examine the potentials scenarios for the evolution of European electricity production mix under the carbon constraint. The introduction of liberalisation in the electricity industry conditions significantly the investment choice. The analysis of theoretical market model allows demonstrating organisational inadequacy for developing an optimal technological mix and for adapting to long-term issues due to the extreme difficulty of interpreting the price signals. Indeed, the logic of a market and a concurrence disadvantages the investments in capital-intensive technologies, even though some of them less polluting like renewable energies, nuclear, hydraulic and thermal technologies integrating carbon capture and sequestration (CCS). In face of numerous uncertainties, the role of long-term risk management becomes therefore crucial. The employment of transaction cost theory allows studying the combinations of vertical arrangements that remain necessary in order to manage the risk and to facilitate the investments (e.g. vertical integration). The introduction of ETS overlaps with the market risks inherent to liberalisation

Constraint-Muse: A Soft-Constraint Based System for Music Therapy

Science.gov (United States)

Hölzl, Matthias; Denker, Grit; Meier, Max; Wirsing, Martin

Monoidal soft constraints are a versatile formalism for specifying and solving multi-criteria optimization problems with dynamically changing user preferences. We have developed a prototype tool for interactive music creation, called Constraint Muse, that uses monoidal soft constraints to ensure that a dynamically generated melody harmonizes with input from other sources. Constraint Muse provides an easy to use interface based on Nintendo Wii controllers and is intended to be used in music therapy for people with Parkinson’s disease and for children with high-functioning autism or Asperger’s syndrome.

On the implicit programming approach in a class of mathematical programs with equilibrium constraints

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Outrata, Jiří; Červinka, Michal

2009-01-01

Roč. 38, 4B (2009), s. 1557-1574 ISSN 0324-8569 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA201/09/1957 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10750506 Keywords : mathematical problem with equilibrium constraint * state constraints * implicit programming * calmness * exact penalization Subject RIV: BA - General Mathematics Impact factor: 0.378, year: 2009 http://library.utia.cas.cz/separaty/2010/MTR/outrata-on the implicit programming approach in a class of mathematical programs with equilibrium constraints.pdf

The impact of self-perceived limitations, stigma and sense of coherence on quality of life in multiple sclerosis patients : results of a cross-sectional study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Broersma, Feddrik; Oeseburg, Barth; Dijkstra, Jacob; Wynia, Klaske

2018-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To examine the impact of perceived limitations, stigma and sense of coherence on quality of life in multiple sclerosis patients. DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey. SETTING: Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Groningen, the Netherlands. SUBJECTS: Multiple sclerosis patients.

Technological, biological, and acoustical constraints to music perception in cochlear implant users.

Science.gov (United States)

Limb, Charles J; Roy, Alexis T

2014-02-01

Despite advances in technology, the ability to perceive music remains limited for many cochlear implant users. This paper reviews the technological, biological, and acoustical constraints that make music an especially challenging stimulus for cochlear implant users, while highlighting recent research efforts to overcome these shortcomings. The limitations of cochlear implant devices, which have been optimized for speech comprehension, become evident when applied to music, particularly with regards to inadequate spectral, fine-temporal, and dynamic range representation. Beyond the impoverished information transmitted by the device itself, both peripheral and central auditory nervous system deficits are seen in the presence of sensorineural hearing loss, such as auditory nerve degeneration and abnormal auditory cortex activation. These technological and biological constraints to effective music perception are further compounded by the complexity of the acoustical features of music itself that require the perceptual integration of varying rhythmic, melodic, harmonic, and timbral elements of sound. Cochlear implant users not only have difficulty perceiving spectral components individually (leading to fundamental disruptions in perception of pitch, melody, and harmony) but also display deficits with higher perceptual integration tasks required for music perception, such as auditory stream segregation. Despite these current limitations, focused musical training programs, new assessment methods, and improvements in the representation and transmission of the complex acoustical features of music through technological innovation offer the potential for significant advancements in cochlear implant-mediated music perception. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Impact of a Diagnostic Pressure Equation Constraint on Tornadic Supercell Thunderstorm Forecasts Initialized Using 3DVAR Radar Data Assimilation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Guoqing Ge

2013-01-01

Full Text Available A diagnostic pressure equation constraint has been incorporated into a storm-scale three-dimensional variational (3DVAR data assimilation system. This diagnostic pressure equation constraint (DPEC is aimed to improve dynamic consistency among different model variables so as to produce better data assimilation results and improve the subsequent forecasts. Ge et al. (2012 described the development of DPEC and testing of it with idealized experiments. DPEC was also applied to a real supercell case, but only radial velocity was assimilated. In this paper, DPEC is further applied to two real tornadic supercell thunderstorm cases, where both radial velocity and radar reflectivity data are assimilated. The impact of DPEC on radar data assimilation is examined mainly based on the storm forecasts. It is found that the experiments using DPEC generally predict higher low-level vertical vorticity than the experiments not using DPEC near the time of observed tornadoes. Therefore, it is concluded that the use of DPEC improves the forecast of mesocyclone rotation within supercell thunderstorms. The experiments using different weighting coefficients generate similar results. This suggests that DPEC is not very sensitive to the weighting coefficients.

Gender differences in recreational and transport cycling: a cross-sectional mixed-methods comparison of cycling patterns, motivators, and constraints

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Heesch Kristiann C

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Gender differences in cycling are well-documented. However, most analyses of gender differences make broad comparisons, with few studies modeling male and female cycling patterns separately for recreational and transport cycling. This modeling is important, in order to improve our efforts to promote cycling to women and men in countries like Australia with low rates of transport cycling. The main aim of this study was to examine gender differences in cycling patterns and in motivators and constraints to cycling, separately for recreational and transport cycling. Methods Adult members of a Queensland, Australia, community bicycling organization completed an online survey about their cycling patterns; cycling purposes; and personal, social and perceived environmental motivators and constraints (47% response rate. Closed and open-end questions were completed. Using the quantitative data, multivariable linear, logistic and ordinal regression models were used to examine associations between gender and cycling patterns, motivators and constraints. The qualitative data were thematically analyzed to expand upon the quantitative findings. Results In this sample of 1862 bicyclists, men were more likely than women to cycle for recreation and for transport, and they cycled for longer. Most transport cycling was for commuting, with men more likely than women to commute by bicycle. Men were more likely to cycle on-road, and women off-road. However, most men and women did not prefer to cycle on-road without designed bicycle lanes, and qualitative data indicated a strong preference by men and women for bicycle-only off-road paths. Both genders reported personal factors (health and enjoyment related as motivators for cycling, although women were more likely to agree that other personal, social and environmental factors were also motivating. The main constraints for both genders and both cycling purposes were perceived environmental factors

Constraints on parton density functions from D0

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hays, Jonathan M.; /Imperial Coll., London

2008-04-01

Five recent results from D0 which either impact or have the potential to impact on uncertainties in parton density functions are presented. Many analyses at D0 are sensitive to the modeling of the partonic structure of the proton. When theoretical and experimental uncertainties are well controlled there exists the possibility for additional constraints on parton density functions (PDF). Five measurements are presented which either have already been included in global parton fits or have the potential to contribute in the future.

LHC constraints on Yukawa unification in SO(10)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Badziak, Marcin [Cambridge Univ. (United Kingdom). Centre for Mathematical Sciences; Cambridge Univ. (United Kingdom). Cavendish Lab.; Sakurai, Kazuki [Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY), Hamburg (Germany)

2011-12-15

LHC constraints on the recently proposed SUSY SO(10) GUT model with top-bottom-tau Yukawa uni cation are investigated. In this model, various phenomenological constraints are in concord with Yukawa uni cation thanks to the negative sign of {mu}, D-term splitting in the soft scalar masses and non-universal gaugino masses generated by non-zero F-term in a 24-dimensional representation of SU(5) is contained in SO(10). After discussing the impact of the CP-odd Higgs boson mass bound on this model, we provide a detailed analysis of the recent direct SUSY searches performed by ATLAS and investigate the constraints on this SO(10) model. At 95% confidence level, the lower limit on the gluino mass is found at 675 GeV. Assuming an integrated luminosity of 10 fb{sup -1}, this bound may be extended to 1.1 TeV if the right-handed down squark is lighter than about 1 TeV. (orig.)

Perceived barriers to completing an e-learning program on evidence-based medicine.

Science.gov (United States)

Gagnon, Marie-Pierre; Légaré, France; Labrecque, Michel; Frémont, Pierre; Cauchon, Michel; Desmartis, Marie

2007-01-01

The Continuing Professional Development Center of the Faculty of Medicine at Laval University offers an internet-based program on evidence-based medicine (EBM). After one year, only three physicians out of the 40 who willingly paid to register had completed the entire program. This descriptive study aimed to identify physicians' beliefs regarding their completion of this online program. Using theoretical concepts from the Theory of Planned Behaviour, a semi-structured telephone interview guide was developed to assess respondents' attitudes, perceived subjective norms, perceived obstacles and facilitating conditions with respect to completing this internet-based program. Three independent reviewers performed content analysis of the interview transcripts to obtain an appropriate level of reliability. Findings were shared and organised according to theoretical categories of beliefs. A total of 35 physicians (88% response rate) were interviewed. Despite perceived advantages to completing the internet-based program, barriers remained, especially those related to physicians' perceptions of time constraints. Lack of personal discipline and unfamiliarity with computers were also perceived as important barriers. This study offers a theoretical basis to understand physicians' beliefs towards completing an internet-based continuing medical education (CME) program on EBM. Based upon respondents' insights, several modifications were carried out to enhance the uptake of the program by physicians and, therefore, its implementation.

The Impacts of Perceived Advertising Spending and Price Promotions on Brand Equity: a Case of an Indonesian Instant Noodle Brand

OpenAIRE

Tamara, Steven

2014-01-01

One of Indonesia's largest producers of instant noodle has the long term vision to make its brand Indonesia's number one instant noodles brand. Heavy advertising and intense price promotions are part of its strategy to increase the brand equity. The researcher, therefore, wishes to examine whether advertising and price promotions that the company conducts contribute to the instant noodle brand equity. To test the impacts of perceived advertising spending and price promotions on brand equity...

Intention to Use Smartphone Through Perceived Compatibility, Perceived Usefulness, and Perceived Ease of Use

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Harries Arizonia Ismail

2016-04-01

Full Text Available This research is aimed to test the influence of perceived compatibility perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use and intention to use smartphone using five hypotheses. Purposive sampling was used as the technique of sample collection. There are representative samples that are 92 respondents, consists of lecturers, students, and employees from AKI University in Semarang city. The data had been analyzed by using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM and it was processed using AMOS program version 16.0. The result of the hypothesis shows that there is a positive and significant influence on perceived compatibility toward perceived usefulness, perceived compatibility toward perceived ease of use, perceived ease of use toward perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use toward intention to use. However, perceived usefulness toward intention to use is not significant. It can be caused that reason of owning smartphones is only a prestige and the users do not understand benefit of it’s features.Tujuan penelitian ini menguji pengaruh persepsi kesesuaian, persepsi kemanfaatan, persepsi kemudahan dan minat penggunaan smartphone. Teknik pengambilan sampel menggunakan purposive sampling. Jumlah sampel sebanyak 92 responden yang terdiri dari dosen, mahasiswa dan karyawan universitas AKI di kota Semarang. Data dianalisis menggunakan Structural Equation Modelling (SEM dan diolah dengan program AMOS versi 16.0. Hasil pengujian hipotesis menunjukkan pengaruh positif dan signifikan pada persepsi kesesuaian terhadap persepsi kemanfaatan, persepsi kesesuaian terhadap persepsi kemudahan penggunaan, persepsi kemudahan penggunaan terhadap persepsi kemanfaatan dan persepsi kemudahan penggunaan terhadap minat penggunaan. Namun demikian, pengaruh persepsi kemanfaatan terhadap minat penggunaan hasil dinyatakan tidak signifikan. Hal ini dikarenakan responden hanya menggunakan smartphones untuk prestis.JEL Classification: M3, M31

[The Nature and Issues of Drug Addiction Treatment under Constraint].

Science.gov (United States)

Quirion, Bastien

This article is exploring different forms of constraint that are exerted in the field of drug addiction treatment. The objective of this article is to establish benchmarks and to stimulate reflection about the ethical and clinical implications of those constraints in the field of drug addiction treatment. This article is presenting a critical review of different forms of constraint that can be exerted in Canada in regard to the treatment of drug addiction. In the first section of the article, a definition of therapeutic intervention is proposed, that includes the dimension of power, which justifies the importance of considering the coercive aspects of treatment. The second section, which represents the core section of the paper, is devoted to the presentation of different levels of constraint that can be distinguished in regard to drug addicts who are under treatment. Three levels of constraint are exposed: judicial constraint, institutional constraint and relational constraint. The coercive aspect of treatment can then be recognized as a combination of all tree levels of constraint. Judicial constraint refers to any form of constraint in which the court or the judge is imposing or recommending treatment. This particular level of constraint can take different forms, such as therapeutic remands, conditions of a probation order, conditions of a conditional sentence of imprisonment, and coercive treatment such as the ones provided through drug courts. Institutional constraint refers to any form of constraint exerted within any institutional setting, such as correctional facilities and programs offered in community. Correctional facilities being limited by their own specific mission, it might have a major impact on the way the objectives of treatment are defined. Those limitations can then be considered as a form of constraint, in which drug users don't have much space to express their personal needs. Finally, relational constraint refers to any form of constraint in

Perceived racial, socioeconomic and gender discrimination and its impact on contraceptive choice.

Science.gov (United States)

Kossler, Karla; Kuroki, Lindsay M; Allsworth, Jenifer E; Secura, Gina M; Roehl, Kimberly A; Peipert, Jeffrey F

2011-09-01

The study was conducted to determine whether perceived racial, economic and gender discrimination has an impact on contraception use and choice of method. We analyzed the first 2,500 women aged 14-45 years enrolled in the Contraceptive CHOICE Project, a prospective cohort study aimed to reduce barriers to obtaining long-acting reversible contraception. Items from the "Experiences of Discrimination" (EOD) scale measured experienced race-, gender- and economic-based discrimination. Overall, 57% of women reported a history of discrimination. Thirty-three percent reported gender- or race-based discrimination, and 24% reported discrimination attributed to socioeconomic status (SES). Prior to study enrollment, women reporting discrimination were more likely to report any contraception use (61% vs. 52%, pgender-, race- or SES-based discrimination were associated with increased current use of less effective methods [adjusted risk ratio (aRR) 1.22, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.06-1.41; aRR 1.25, CI 1.08-1.45; aRR 1.23, CI 1.06-1.43, respectively]. After enrollment, 66% of women with a history of experience of discrimination chose a long-acting reversible contraceptive method (intrauterine device or implantable) and 35% chose a depo-medroxyprogesterone acetate or contraceptive pill, patch or ring. Discrimination negatively impacts a woman's use of contraception. However, after financial and structural barriers to contraceptive use were eliminated, women with EOD overwhelmingly selected effective methods of contraception. Future interventions to improve access and utilization of contraception should focus on eliminating barriers and targeting interventions that encompass race-, gender- and economic-based discrimination. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Impact of an e-learning program regarding patients' harmful alcohol consumption on the knowledge, attitudes and perceived competencies

Science.gov (United States)

Evers, Eva; Hahn, Sabine; Metzenthin, Petra

2018-01-24

Background: Harmful alcohol consumption is associated with approximately 1600 deaths in Switzerland annually, and is the third-largest risk factor for various diseases worldwide. It has been shown that through early identification of problematic drinking behaviours along with preventive intervention, alcohol-related illnesses and mortality can be reduced. Therefore, nurses play a crucial role for patients with alcohol problems. However, the most common reasons for nurses not providing preventive intervention are a lack of knowledge, personal attitudes and uncertainty. Learning programs hold the potential for influencing these factors. Aim: The aim of this study was to assess the impact of an e-learning program regarding patients’ harmful alcohol consumption on the knowledge, attitudes and perceived competencies of nurses in an acute care hospital. Method: A pretest-posttest-study was conducted with 33 registered nurses prior to and upon completion of the e-learning program. Data was collected from December 2013 to March 2014 using a literature-based questionnaire. Results: It was shown that knowledge and perceived competencies significantly improved from pre-test to post-test. No significant differences were measured with regard to the attitudes. Conclusions: The results suggest that the alcohol e-learning program could be used to enhance nurses’ knowledge and perceived competencies, both of which are related to the reduction of uncertainty and improvement of confidence. To foster non-judgemental attitudes towards affected people, classroom courses are recommended in addition to the e-learning program and the implementation of directives.

Direct facility funding as a response to user fee reduction: implementation and perceived impact among Kenyan health centres and dispensaries.

Science.gov (United States)

Opwora, Antony; Kabare, Margaret; Molyneux, Sassy; Goodman, Catherine

2010-09-01

There is increasing pressure for reduction of user fees, but this can have adverse effects by decreasing facility-level funds. To address this, direct facility funding (DFF) was piloted in Coast Province, Kenya, with health facility committees (HFCs) responsible for managing the funds. We evaluated the implementation and perceived impact 2.5 years after DFF introduction. Quantitative data collection at 30 public health centres and dispensaries included a structured interview with the in-charge, record reviews and exit interviews. In addition, in-depth interviews were conducted with the in-charge and HFC members at 12 facilities, and with district staff and other stakeholders. DFF procedures were well established: HFCs met regularly and accounting procedures were broadly followed. DFF made an important contribution to facility cash income, accounting for 47% in health centres and 62% in dispensaries. The main items of expenditure were wages for support staff (32%), travel (21%), and construction and maintenance (18%). DFF was perceived to have a highly positive impact through funding support staff such as cleaners and patient attendants, outreach activities, renovations, patient referrals and increasing HFC activity. This was perceived to have improved health worker motivation, utilization and quality of care. A number of problems were identified. HFC training was reportedly inadequate, and no DFF documentation was available at facility level, leading to confusion. Charging user fees above those specified in the national policy remained common, and understanding of DFF among the broader community was very limited. Finally, relationships between HFCs and health workers were sometimes characterized by mistrust and resentment. Relatively small increases in funding may significantly affect facility performance when the funds are managed at the periphery. Kenya plans to scale up DFF nationwide. Our findings indicate this is warranted, but should include improved training

Main physics features driving design concept and physics design constraints

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fujisawa, Noboru; Sugihara, Masayoshi; Yamamoto, Shin

1987-07-01

Major physics design philosophies are described, which are essential bases for a plasma design and may have significant impacts on a reactor design concept. Those design philosophies are classified into two groups, physics design drivers and physics design constraints. The design drivers are featured by the fact that a designer is free to choose and the choice may be guided by his opinion, such as ignition, a pulse length, an operation scenario, etc.. The design constraints may follow a physical law, such as plasma confinement, β-limit, density limit, and so on. (author)

Reduction of Constraints: Applicability of the Homogeneity Constraint for Macrobatch 3

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peeler, D.K.

2001-01-01

The Product Composition Control System (PCCS) is used to determine the acceptability of each batch of Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) melter feed in the Slurry Mix Evaporator (SME). This control system imposes several constraints on the composition of the contents of the SME to define acceptability. These constraints relate process or product properties to composition via prediction models. A SME batch is deemed acceptable if its sample composition measurements lead to acceptable property predictions after accounting for modeling, measurement and analytic uncertainties. The baseline document guiding the use of these data and models is ''SME Acceptability Determination for DWPF Process Control (U)'' by Brown and Postles [1996]. A minimum of three PCCS constraints support the prediction of the glass durability from a given SME batch. The Savannah River Technology Center (SRTC) is reviewing all of the PCCS constraints associated with durability. The purpose of this review is to revisit these constraints in light of the additional knowledge gained since the beginning of radioactive operations at DWPF and to identify any supplemental studies needed to amplify this knowledge so that redundant or overly conservative constraints can be eliminated or replaced by more appropriate constraints

First-year engineering students' use of their mathematics textbook - opportunities and constraints

Science.gov (United States)

Randahl, Mira

2012-09-01

The role of the mathematics textbook at tertiary level has received limited exposure in previous research although it is likely that students work individually and that some of this work depends on the use of the textbook. The aim of this study was to investigate the process of approaching the textbook from epistemological, cognitive, and didactical perspectives. The focus was on identifying and discussing the opportunities and constraints in the process. The study was an explorative case study and the participants were first-year engineering students taking a basic calculus course. The data were collected through questionnaires, observations, and interviews. Results showed that the textbook was used to a very low degree and mainly perceived as a source of tasks. Different opportunities and constraints are pointed out and some didactical implications are suggested. The results and discussion indicate that a need for greater awareness about the use of mathematical textbooks in meaningful ways at tertiary level.

The Effects of Life Domains, Constraints, and Motivations on Academic Dishonesty: A Partial Test and Extension of Agnew's General Theory.

Science.gov (United States)

Cochran, John K

2017-08-01

Recently, Robert Agnew introduced a new general theory of crime and delinquency in which he attempted to corral the vast array of theoretical "causes" of criminal conduct into a more parsimonious statement organized into one of five life domains: self, family, peers, school, and work as well as constraints against crime and motivation for it. These domains are depicted as the source of constraints and motivations and whose effects are, in part, mediated by these constraints and motivations. Based on self-report data on academic dishonesty from a sample of college students, the present study attempts to test this general theory. While several of the life domain variables had significant effects of cheating in the baseline model, all of these effects were fully mediated by constraints and motivations. In the final model, academic dishonesty was observed to be most significantly affected by the perceived severity of formal sanction threats, the number of credit hours enrolled, the frequency of skipping classes, and pressure from friends.

How Do Airlines Perceive That Strategic Alliances Affect Their Individual Branding?

Science.gov (United States)

Kalligiannis, Konstantinos; Iatrou, Kostas; Mason, Keith

2006-01-01

Much research has been carried out to evaluate the impact of strategic alliance membership on the performance of airlines. However it would be of interest to identify how airlines perceive this impact in terms of branding by each of the three global alliance groupings. It is the purpose of this paper to gather the opinion of airlines, belonging to the three strategic alliance groups, on the impact that the strategic alliance brands have had on their individual brands and how do they perceive that this impact will change in the future. To achieve this, a comprehensive survey of the alliance management and marketing departments of airlines participating in the three global strategic alliances was required. The results from this survey give an indication whether the strategic airline alliances, which are often referred to as marketing agreements, enhance, damage or have no impact on the individual airline brands.

Iranian nurses' constraint for research utilization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mehrdad Neda

2009-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background This paper identifies the views of Iranian clinical nurses regarding the utilization of nursing research in practice. There is a need to understand what restricts Iranian clinical nurses to use research findings. The aim of this study was to identify practicing nurses' view of aspects which they perceived constrain them from research utilization that summarizes and uses research findings to address a nursing practice problem. Methods Data were collected during 6 months by means of face-to face interviews follow by one focus group. Analysis was undertaken using a qualitative content analysis. Results Findings disclosed some key themes perceived by nurses to restrict them to use research findings: level of support require to be research active, to be research minded, the extent of nurses knowledge and skills about research and research utilization, level of educational preparation relating to using research, administration and executive challenges in clinical setting, and theory-practice gap. Conclusion This study identifies constraints that require to be overcome for clinical nurses to actively get involved in research utilization. In this study nurses were generally interested to use research findings. However they felt restricted because of lack of time, lack of peer and manager support and limited knowledge and skills of the research process. This study also confirms that research utilization and the change to research nursing practice are complex issues which require both organizational and educational efforts.

Multiple organizational identification levels and the impact of perceived external prestige and communication climate

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bartels, J.; Pruyn, A.T.H.; Jong, de M.D.T.; Joustra, I.

2007-01-01

Earlier studies have shown that perceived external prestige and communication climate influence organizational identification. In this paper we present the results of a study of the influence of communication climate and perceived external prestige on organizational identification at various

Association between perceived stress, alcohol consumption levels and obesity in Koreans.

Science.gov (United States)

Yoon, Seung-Jin; Kim, Hae-Joon; Doo, Miae

2016-01-01

Coping with stress often leads to unhealthy behaviors that can have an impact on the development of obesity. Therefore, this study is investigate the effect of perceived stress level on alcohol consumption habits, as well as the effect of the interaction between alcohol consumption habits and stress level on obesity in Koreans. We analyzed perceived stress, alcohol consumption habits (alcohol consumption status, quantity, and alcohol use disorders identification test) and the anthropometrics of 6,229 subjects from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The gender-based differences of the effect of the perceived level of stress on alcohol consumption habits and anthropometric measurements, as well as the interaction of the perceived level of stress and alcohol consumption habits on prevalence or ORs of obesity were analyzed. The subjects with high perceived stress showed higher proportions for unhealthy alcohol consumption habits than those with low perceived stress [ORs (95% CIs)=1.35 (1.19-1.54), 1.95 (1.68-2.26), and 1.87 (1.60-2.19) for alcohol consumption status, alcohol consumption quantity, and alcohol use disorders identification test, respectively]. Men showed significant interactions between the perceived stress and all alcohol consumption habits with respect to obesity [ORs (95% CIs)=1.28 (1.06-1.55), 1.81 (1.52-2.16), and 1.40 (1.17-1.68) for alcohol consumption status, alcohol consumption quantity, and alcohol use disorders identification test, respectively]. Among women, interactions between the perceived stress and alcohol consumption status [ORs (95% CIs)=0.70 (0.60-0.83)] and alcohol consumption quantity [ORs (95% CIs)=0.93 (0.54-1.36)] in relation to obesity were found to be significant. Our study demonstrated that the perceived stress influenced alcohol consumption habits that may have impacted obesity.

Perceived knowledge and perceived risk

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Williams, R.G.

1988-01-01

Much discussion in the area of radioactive waste management has centered on the topic of siting waste facilities in the face of public opposition. Waste managers frequently believe that the public perceives risks associated with radioactive waste as much higher than objective risk. Previous research on this topic confirms that waste managers and the public view the risks differently. The scientific literature in this area has been focused on factors that shape risk perception such as how risk perception varies by group and associations among different types of perceived risk. Research in the area of natural hazards and emergency response has focused on how the public obtains information and how that information is interpreted. In addition, much attention has been given to public involvement and public information programs. Critical to each of these research areas is the role of perception of how informed an individual is on a given risk versus how the individual rates a given risk. This paper seeks to do three things: Look at perception of health risk of radioactive waste in the context of other things related to nuclear technology and radioactivity; Investigate the relationship between perceived knowledge and perceived risk; and Determine social and psychological consequences of perceived risk

The Impact of Short-Sale Constraints on Asset Allocation Strategies via the Backward Markov Chain Approximation Method

OpenAIRE

Carl Chiarella; Chih-Ying Hsiao

2005-01-01

This paper considers an asset allocation strategy over a finite period under investment uncertainty and short-sale constraints as a continuous time stochastic control problem. Investment uncertainty is characterised by a stochastic interest rate and inflation risk. If there are no short-sale constraints, the optimal asset allocation strategy can be solved analytically. We consider several kinds of short-sale constraints and employ the backward Markov chain approximation method to explore the ...

Multiple organizational identification levels and the impact of perceived external prestige and communication climate

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bartels, J.; Pruyn, Adriaan T.H.; de Jong, Menno D.T.; Joustra, Inge

2007-01-01

sEarlier studies have shown that perceived external prestige and communication climate influence organizational identification. In this paper we present the results of a study of the influence of communication climate and perceived external prestige on organizational identification at various

The impact of caring for children with mental retardation on families as perceived by mothers in Karachi, Pakistan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lakhani, A.; Gavino, I.; Yousafzai, A

2013-01-01

Objective: To assess how families perceive the positive and negative impacts of caring for a child with mental retardation. Methods: The quantitative descriptive study was conducted from January to August 2007 and comprised 54 families attending a private day-care centre for children with special needs in Karachi, Pakistan. The Kansas Inventory of Parental Perceptions was used to assess mothers' perceptions on the impact of caring for a child with mental retardation. Positive contributions, social comparisons with others, understanding of disability and perception of control were assessed. SPSS 16 was used for statistical analysis. Results: Mothers reported positive contribution to family life as a result of caring for a child with mental retardation (Mean: 2.95+-0.37). There was an acceptance of the situation and a trend towards upward favourable comparison with other families (Mean: 3.13+-0.07). Conclusions: Contrary to earlier studies exploring the impact of caring for a child with disabilities having largely focused on negative contributions, the study highlights some positive contributions. (author)

Perceived stress in patients with migraine: a case-control study.

Science.gov (United States)

Moon, Hye-Jin; Seo, Jong-Geun; Park, Sung-Pa

2017-12-01

Perceived stress is the most common trigger for migraine. The objective of this study was to examine the clinical significance of perceived stress in migraine patients. This is a case-control study. Consecutive migraine patients who visited a tertiary care hospital were enrolled for this study. They completed self-reported questionnaires including Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), 12-item Allodynia Symptom Checklist (ASC-12), Migraine Disability Assessment Scale (MIDAS), Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), and Migraine-Specific Quality of Life Questionnaire (MSQ). Degree of perceived stress in migraine patients was measured and compared to that in healthy controls. Predictors for perceived stress and their impact on quality of life (QOL) of migraine patients were also determined. A total of 227 migraine patients were eligible for this study, including 103 (45.4%) who had chronic migraine (CM). Mean PSS score was significantly (p migraine is a critical factor for perceived stress. Perceived stress affects QOL of migraine patients.

Momentum constraint relaxation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marronetti, Pedro

2006-01-01

Full relativistic simulations in three dimensions invariably develop runaway modes that grow exponentially and are accompanied by violations of the Hamiltonian and momentum constraints. Recently, we introduced a numerical method (Hamiltonian relaxation) that greatly reduces the Hamiltonian constraint violation and helps improve the quality of the numerical model. We present here a method that controls the violation of the momentum constraint. The method is based on the addition of a longitudinal component to the traceless extrinsic curvature A ij -tilde, generated by a vector potential w i , as outlined by York. The components of w i are relaxed to solve approximately the momentum constraint equations, slowly pushing the evolution towards the space of solutions of the constraint equations. We test this method with simulations of binary neutron stars in circular orbits and show that it effectively controls the growth of the aforementioned violations. We also show that a full numerical enforcement of the constraints, as opposed to the gentle correction of the momentum relaxation scheme, results in the development of instabilities that stop the runs shortly

Perceived Stigma and Treatment-Seeking Behavior in Individuals with Substance Use Disorder in Baghdad

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Qahtan Q. Mohammed

2016-12-01

Conclusions The study concluded that perceived stigma among substance abusers has no impact upon their treatment-seeking behavior, and also, perceived stigma among substance abusers is insignificantly correlated with their socio-demographic variables.

Measuring the impact and distress of health problems from the individual's perspective: development of the Perceived Impact of Problem Profile (PIPP)

Science.gov (United States)

Pallant, Julie F; Misajon, RoseAnne; Bennett, Elizabeth; Manderson, Lenore

2006-01-01

Background The aim of this study was to develop and conduct preliminary validation of the Perceived Impact of Problem Profile (PIPP). Based on the biopsychosocial model of health and functioning, the PIPP was intended as a generic research and clinical measurement tool to assess the impact and distress of health conditions from the individuals' perspective. The ICF classification system was used to guide the structure of the PIPP with subscales included to assess impact on self-care, mobility, participation, relationships and psychological well-being. While the ICF focuses on the classification of objective health and health related status, the PIPP broadens this focus to address the individuals' subjective experience of their health condition. Methods An item pool of 23 items assessing both impact and distress on five key domains was generated. These were administered to 169 adults with mobility impairment. Rasch analysis using RUMM2020 was conducted to assess the psychometric properties of each set of items. Preliminary construct validation of the PIPP was performed using the EQ5D. Results For both the Impact and Distress scales of the PIPP, the five subscales (Self-care, Mobility, Participation, Relationships, and Psychological Well-being) showed adequate psychometric properties, demonstrating fit to the Rasch model. All subscales showed adequate person separation reliability and no evidence of differential item functioning for sex, age, educational level or rural vs urban residence. Preliminary validity testing using the EQ5D items provided support for the subscales. Conclusion This preliminary study, using a sample of adults with mobility impairment, provides support for the psychometric properties of the PIPP as a potential clinical and research measurement tool. The PIPP provides a brief, but comprehensive means to assess the key ICF components, focusing on the individuals' perspective of the impact and distress caused by their health condition. Further

Measuring the impact and distress of health problems from the individual's perspective: development of the Perceived Impact of Problem Profile (PIPP

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bennett Elizabeth

2006-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The aim of this study was to develop and conduct preliminary validation of the Perceived Impact of Problem Profile (PIPP. Based on the biopsychosocial model of health and functioning, the PIPP was intended as a generic research and clinical measurement tool to assess the impact and distress of health conditions from the individuals' perspective. The ICF classification system was used to guide the structure of the PIPP with subscales included to assess impact on self-care, mobility, participation, relationships and psychological well-being. While the ICF focuses on the classification of objective health and health related status, the PIPP broadens this focus to address the individuals' subjective experience of their health condition. Methods An item pool of 23 items assessing both impact and distress on five key domains was generated. These were administered to 169 adults with mobility impairment. Rasch analysis using RUMM2020 was conducted to assess the psychometric properties of each set of items. Preliminary construct validation of the PIPP was performed using the EQ5D. Results For both the Impact and Distress scales of the PIPP, the five subscales (Self-care, Mobility, Participation, Relationships, and Psychological Well-being showed adequate psychometric properties, demonstrating fit to the Rasch model. All subscales showed adequate person separation reliability and no evidence of differential item functioning for sex, age, educational level or rural vs urban residence. Preliminary validity testing using the EQ5D items provided support for the subscales. Conclusion This preliminary study, using a sample of adults with mobility impairment, provides support for the psychometric properties of the PIPP as a potential clinical and research measurement tool. The PIPP provides a brief, but comprehensive means to assess the key ICF components, focusing on the individuals' perspective of the impact and distress caused by their

Sports science needs more interdisciplinary, constraints-led research programmes: The case of water safety in New Zealand.

Science.gov (United States)

Button, C; Croft, J L

2017-12-01

In the lead article of this special issue, Paul Glazier proposes that Newell's constraints model has the potential to contribute to a grand unified theory of sports performance in that it can help to integrate the disciplinary silos that have typically operated in isolation in sports and exercise science. With a few caveats discussed in this commentary, we agree with Glazier's proposal. However, his ideas suggest that there is a need to demonstrate explicitly how such an integration might occur within applied scientific research. To help fill this perceived 'gap' and thereby illustrate the value of adopting a constraints-led approach, we offer an example of our own interdisciplinary research programme. We believe our research on water safety is ideally suited to this task due to the diverse range of interacting constraints present and as such provides a tangible example of how this approach can unify different disciplinary perspectives examining an important aspect of sport performance. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Measuring Perceived Barriers to Physical Activity in Adolescents.

Science.gov (United States)

Gunnell, Katie E; Brunet, Jennifer; Wing, Erin K; Bélanger, Mathieu

2015-05-01

Perceived barriers to moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (PA) may contribute to the low rates of moderate-to-vigorous PA in adolescents. We examined the psychometric properties of scores from the perceived barriers to moderate-to-vigorous PA scale (PB-MVPA) by examining composite reliability and validity evidence based on the internal structure of the PB-MVPA and relations with other variables. This study was a cross-sectional analysis of data collected in 2013 from adolescents (N = 507; Mage = 12.40, SD = .62) via self-report scales. Using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, we found that perceived barriers were best represented as two factors representing internal (e.g., "I am not interested in physical activity") and external (e.g., "I need equipment I don't have") dimensions. Composite reliability was over .80. Using multiple regression to examine the relationship between perceived barriers and moderate-to-vigorous PA, we found that perceived internal barriers were inversely related to moderate-to-vigorous PA (β = -.32, p barriers (p > .26). The PB-MVPA scale demonstrated evidence of score reliability and validity. To improve the understanding of the impact of perceived barriers on moderate-to- vigorous PA in adolescents, researchers should examine internal and external barriers separately.

Pengaruh Perceived Quality, Perceived Sacrifice, Perceived Value, Dan Price Fairness Terhadap Customer Satisfaction Taman Sari Rasa Waterpark Cilacap

OpenAIRE

Rifqi, Viola Amdya; Endratno, Hermin

2015-01-01

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui dan menganalisis pengaruh perceived quality, perceived sacrifice, perceived value, dan price fairness terhadap customer satisfaction Taman Sari Rasa Waterpark Cilacap. Dimana variabel independen dalam penelitian ini adalah perceived quality, perceived sacrifice, perceived value, dan price fairness, sedangkan variabel dependen dalam penelitian ini adalah customer satisfaction.Analisis yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini menggunakan uji v...

Impact of optimal load response to real-time electricity price on power system constraints in Denmark

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hu, Weihao; Chen, Zhe; Bak-Jensen, Birgitte

2010-01-01

Since the hourly spot market price is available one day ahead in Denmark, the price could be transferred to the consumers and they may shift their loads from high price periods to the low price periods in order to save their energy costs. The optimal load response to a real-time electricity price...... and may represent the future of electricity markets in some ways, is chosen as the studied power system in this paper. A distribution system where wind power capacity is 126% of maximum loads is chosen as the study case. This paper presents a nonlinear load optimization method to real-time power price...... for demand side management in order to save the energy costs as much as possible. Simulation results show that the optimal load response to a real-time electricity price has some good impacts on power system constraints in a distribution system with high wind power penetrations....

Pengaruh Perceived Quality, Perceived Sacrifice Dan Perceived Value Terhadap Customer Satisfaction Di Informa Innovative Furnishing Pakuwon City Surabaya

OpenAIRE

Saputro, Daniel Krisno

2013-01-01

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menganalisa pengaruh dari Perceived Quality, Perceived Sacrifice dan Perceived Value terhadap Customer Satisfaction di Informa Innovative Furnishing Pakuwon City Surabaya. Variabel yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah perceived quality, perceived sacrifice dan perceived value. Penelitian ini dilaksanakan dengan menyebarkan kuesioner kepada 100 orang konsumen di Informa Pakuwon City. Alat analisa yang digunakan adalah analisa regresi linear berganda.Hasil d...

Exploring Attitudes, Perceived Norms, and Personal Agency: Insights Into Theory-Based Messages to Encourage Park-Based Physical Activity in Low-Income Urban Neighborhoods.

Science.gov (United States)

Groshong, Lisa; Stanis, Sonja A Wilhelm; Kaczynski, Andrew T; Hipp, J Aaron; Besenyi, Gina M

2017-02-01

Public parks hold promise for promoting population-level PA, but studies show a significant portion of park use is sedentary. Past research has documented the effectiveness of message-based strategies for influencing diverse behaviors in park settings and for increasing PA in nonpark contexts. Therefore, to inform message-based interventions (eg, point-ofdecision prompts) to increase park-based PA, the purpose of this study was to elicit insights about key attitudes, perceived norms, and personal agency that affect park use and park-based PA in low-income urban neighborhoods. This study used 6 focus groups with youth and adults (n = 41) from low-income urban areas in Kansas City, MO, to examine perceptions of key attitudinal outcomes and motivations, perceived norms, key referents, and personal agency facilitators and constraints that affect park use and park-based PA. Participant attitudes reflected the importance of parks for mental and physical health, with social interaction and solitude cited as key motivations. Of 10 themes regarding perceived norms, influential others reflected participants' ethnic makeup but little consensus emerged among groups. Social and safety themes were cited as both facilitators and constraints, along with park offerings and setting. Information about attitudes, perceived norms, and personal agency can increase understanding of theoretically derived factors that influence park-based PA and help park and health professionals create communication strategies to promote PA.

Immediate sensitivity to structural constraints in pronoun resolution

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wing Yee eChow

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Real-time interpretation of pronouns is sometimes sensitive to the presence of grammatically-illicit antecedents, and sometimes not. This occasional sensitivity has been taken as evidence that structural constraints do not immediately impact the initial antecedent retrieval for pronoun interpretation. We argue that it is important to separate effects that reflect the initial antecedent retrieval process from those that reflect later processes. We present results from five reading comprehension experiments. Both the current results and previous evidence support the hypothesis that agreement features and structural constraints immediately constrain the antecedent retrieval process for pronoun interpretation. Occasional sensitivity to grammatically-illicit antecedents may be due to repair processes triggered when the initial retrieval fails to return a grammatical antecedent.

Main engineering features driving design concept and engineering design constraints

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saito, Ryusei; Kobayashi, Takeshi; Yamada, Masao

1987-09-01

Major engineering design philosophies are described, which are essential bases for an engineering design and may have significant impacts on a reactor design concept. Those design philosophies are classified into two groups, engineering design drivers and engineering design constraints. The design drivers are featured by the fact that a designer is free to choose and the choice may be guided by his opinion, such as coil system, a mechanical configuration, a tritium breeding scenario, etc.. The design constraints may follow a natural law or engineering limit, such as material strength, coil current density, and so on. (author)

The impact of acculturation and religious identification on perceived discrimination for Arab/Middle Eastern Americans.

Science.gov (United States)

Awad, Germine H

2010-01-01

The aim of the current study was to determine the impact of acculturation, ethnic identity, and religious affiliation on perceived discrimination for persons of Arab and Middle Eastern descent. Two aspects of acculturation (ethnic society immersion and dominant society immersion), religious affiliation, and ethnic identity were measured using a final sample of 177 individuals of Arab or Middle Eastern descent. Results indicated that Arab/Middle Eastern Americans who reported lower levels of dominant society immersion tended to report higher levels of discrimination. Furthermore, Muslims reported a higher level of discrimination than Christians but this finding was moderated by level of acculturation. Specifically, Muslims who reported a high level of dominant society immersion experienced the most discrimination, whereas Christians who reported a high level of dominant society immersion reported less discrimination. Study implications are discussed. (c) 2009 APA, all rights reserved.

The impact of perceived self-efficacy on mental time travel and social problem solving.

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, Adam D; Dorfman, Michelle L; Marmar, Charles R; Bryant, Richard A

2012-03-01

Current models of autobiographical memory suggest that self-identity guides autobiographical memory retrieval. Further, the capacity to recall the past and imagine one's self in the future (mental time travel) can influence social problem solving. We examined whether manipulating self-identity, through an induction task in which students were led to believe they possessed high or low self-efficacy, impacted episodic specificity and content of retrieved and imagined events, as well as social problem solving. Compared to individuals in the low self efficacy group, individuals in the high self efficacy group generated past and future events with greater (a) specificity, (b) positive words, and (c) self-efficacious statements, and also performed better on social problem solving indices. A lack of episodic detail for future events predicted poorer performance on social problem solving tasks. Strategies that increase perceived self-efficacy may help individuals to selectively construct a past and future that aids in negotiating social problems. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Optimal bidding strategies in oligopoly markets considering bilateral contracts and transmission constraints

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

A.Badri; Jadid, S. [Department of Electrical Engineering, Iran University of Science and Technology (Iran); Rashidinejad, M. [Shahid Bahonar University, Kerman (Iran); Moghaddam, M.P. [Tarbiat Modarres University, Tehran (Iran)

2008-06-15

In electricity industry with transmission constraints and limited number of producers, Generation Companies (GenCos) are facing an oligopoly market rather than a perfect competition one. Under oligopoly market environment, each GenCo may increase its own profit through a favorable bidding strategy. This paper investigates the problem of developing optimal bidding strategies of GenCos, considering bilateral contracts and transmission constraints. The problem is modeled with a bi-level optimization algorithm, where in the first level each GenCo maximizes its payoff and in the second level a system dispatch will be accomplished through an OPF problem in which transmission constraints are taken into account. It is assumed that each GenCo has information about initial bidding strategies of other competitors. Impacts of exercising market power due to transmission constraints as well as irrational biddings of the some generators are studied and the interactions of different bidding strategies on participants' corresponding payoffs are presented. Furthermore, a risk management-based method to obtain GenCos' optimal bilateral contracts is proposed and the impacts of these contracts on GenCos' optimal biddings and obtained payoffs are investigated. At the end, IEEE 30-bus test system is used for the case study in order to demonstrate the simulation results and support the effectiveness of the proposed model. (author)

Optimal bidding strategies in oligopoly markets considering bilateral contracts and transmission constraints

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Badri, A.; Jadid, S.; Rashidinejad, M.; Moghaddam, M.P.

2008-01-01

In electricity industry with transmission constraints and limited number of producers, Generation Companies (GenCos) are facing an oligopoly market rather than a perfect competition one. Under oligopoly market environment, each GenCo may increase its own profit through a favorable bidding strategy. This paper investigates the problem of developing optimal bidding strategies of GenCos, considering bilateral contracts and transmission constraints. The problem is modeled with a bi-level optimization algorithm, where in the first level each GenCo maximizes its payoff and in the second level a system dispatch will be accomplished through an OPF problem in which transmission constraints are taken into account. It is assumed that each GenCo has information about initial bidding strategies of other competitors. Impacts of exercising market power due to transmission constraints as well as irrational biddings of the some generators are studied and the interactions of different bidding strategies on participants' corresponding payoffs are presented. Furthermore, a risk management-based method to obtain GenCos' optimal bilateral contracts is proposed and the impacts of these contracts on GenCos' optimal biddings and obtained payoffs are investigated. At the end, IEEE 30-bus test system is used for the case study in order to demonstrate the simulation results and support the effectiveness of the proposed model. (author)

Residents’ Attitudes towards Sustainable Tourism Development in a Historical-Cultural Village: Influence of Perceived Impacts, Sense of Place and Tourism Development Potential

OpenAIRE

He Zhu; Jiaming Liu; Zongcai Wei; Weiheng Li; Lei Wang

2017-01-01

This study aims to assess the residents’ support for sustainable tourism development in a destination that is in the initial tourism development stage. Residents’ perception of sustainable tourism development potential, sense of place, perceived tourism impacts, and tourism development support were involved in this study. A total of 331 completed questionnaire surveys were collected in Luozhou, a historical-cultural village in China. The empirical data were analyzed using a structural equatio...

Enforcement of entailment constraints in distributed service-based business processes.

Science.gov (United States)

Hummer, Waldemar; Gaubatz, Patrick; Strembeck, Mark; Zdun, Uwe; Dustdar, Schahram

2013-11-01

A distributed business process is executed in a distributed computing environment. The service-oriented architecture (SOA) paradigm is a popular option for the integration of software services and execution of distributed business processes. Entailment constraints, such as mutual exclusion and binding constraints, are important means to control process execution. Mutually exclusive tasks result from the division of powerful rights and responsibilities to prevent fraud and abuse. In contrast, binding constraints define that a subject who performed one task must also perform the corresponding bound task(s). We aim to provide a model-driven approach for the specification and enforcement of task-based entailment constraints in distributed service-based business processes. Based on a generic metamodel, we define a domain-specific language (DSL) that maps the different modeling-level artifacts to the implementation-level. The DSL integrates elements from role-based access control (RBAC) with the tasks that are performed in a business process. Process definitions are annotated using the DSL, and our software platform uses automated model transformations to produce executable WS-BPEL specifications which enforce the entailment constraints. We evaluate the impact of constraint enforcement on runtime performance for five selected service-based processes from existing literature. Our evaluation demonstrates that the approach correctly enforces task-based entailment constraints at runtime. The performance experiments illustrate that the runtime enforcement operates with an overhead that scales well up to the order of several ten thousand logged invocations. Using our DSL annotations, the user-defined process definition remains declarative and clean of security enforcement code. Our approach decouples the concerns of (non-technical) domain experts from technical details of entailment constraint enforcement. The developed framework integrates seamlessly with WS-BPEL and the Web

Efficacy and flexibility impact perceived adherence barriers in pediatric kidney post-transplantation.

Science.gov (United States)

Guilfoyle, Shanna M; Goebel, Jens W; Pai, Ahna L H

2011-03-01

The alarming rates of medication nonadherence and its detrimental effect on long-term graft survival in pediatric kidney transplantation has called attention to identifying modifiable factors that promote better adherence and subsequent transplant outcomes. In a sample of 45 adolescent kidney transplant recipients (14.7 ± 3.3 years, 77.8% Caucasian, 39.5% female) and their primary caregivers, study aims included: 1) identifying sociodemographic and medical correlates of both caregiver- and patient-reported general family functioning (i.e., efficacy, flexibility, and communication) and 2) determining the unique contributions of these family functioning indices to perceived posttransplant adherence barriers. During a routine clinic visit, caregivers completed a sociodemographic form and questionnaire on general family functioning. Both caregivers and the adolescents completed a measure on perceived medication adherence barriers. Data identified household income and family structure as persistent correlates of family functioning. Familial efficacy and flexibility contributed significant variance to perceived adherence barriers. Family-based interventions enhancing modifiable family factors, such as flexibility and efficacy, in overcoming medication adherence barriers would likely promote more optimal health outcomes in the pediatric kidney transplant population. (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved

Neglect and perceived stigmatization impact psychological distress of orphans in Tanzania

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Katharin Hermenau

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Background: Research has shown that orphans in sub-Saharan Africa are at increased risk for mental health problems. Exposure to maltreatment and HIV/AIDS-related stigmatization are related to orphans’ psychological distress. Yet, researchers stress the need for more research in low-income countries to identify which factors of being an orphan may lead to psychological distress. Objectives: The present study aims to systematically investigate orphans’ experiences of maltreatment and stigmatization to identify factors that relate to their psychological distress. Methods: In total, 89 Tanzanian children who had lost at least one parent were compared to 89 matched non-orphans (mean age: 11 years; 51% boys. We measured exposure to maltreatment and perceived stigmatization as an orphan. Mental health was assessed using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, the Children's Depression Inventory, the UCLA PTSD Index for Children, and the Reactive–Proactive Questionnaire. Results: Orphans reported significantly more experiences of neglect, but not of abuse. A group comparison revealed more depressive symptoms, posttraumatic stress symptoms, and aggressive behavior among orphans. Neglect, abuse, and stigmatization correlated with orphans’ internalizing and externalizing problems, yet only neglect and stigmatization were related to orphans’ depression severity. Perceived stigmatization moderated the relationship between neglect and depression. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that orphans in Tanzania are at increased risk of experiencing neglect. Maltreatment and perceived stigmatization may play a role in orphans’ psychological distress. Culturally appropriate and evidence-based interventions may help to prevent maltreatment and stigmatization of orphans.

Use of Perceive, Recall, Plan, Perform Stage Two Cognitive Task Analysis for Students with Autism and Intellectual Disability: The Impact of a Sensory Activity Schedule

Science.gov (United States)

Mills, Caroline; Chapparo, Christine

2017-01-01

The aim of this study was to determine the impact of a classroom sensory activity schedule (SAS) on cognitive strategy use during task performance. This work studies a single-system AB research design with seven students with autism and intellectual disability. Repeated measures using the Perceive, Recall, Plan and Perform (PRPP) Cognitive Task…

Does gender impact on female doctors'experiences in the training and practice of surgery? A single centre study.

Science.gov (United States)

Umoetok, F; Van Wyk, J M; Madiba, T E

2017-09-01

Surgery has been identified as a male-dominated specialty in South Africa and abroad. This study explored how female registrars perceived the impact of gender on their training and practice of surgery. A self-administered questionnaire was used to explore whether females perceived any benefits to training in a male-dominated specialty, their choice of mentors and the challenges that they encountered during surgical training. Thirty-two female registrars participated in the study. The respondents were mainly South African (91%) and enrolled in seven surgical specialties. Twenty-seven (84%) respondents were satisfied with their training and skills development. Twenty-four (75%) respondents had a mentor from the department. Seventeen (53%) respondents perceived having received differential treatment due to their gender and 25 (78.2%) thought that the gender of their mentor did not impact on the quality of the guidance received in surgery. Challenges included physical threats to female respondents from patients and disrespect, emotional threats and defaming statements from male registrars. Additional challenges included time-constraints for family and academic work, poor work-life balance and being treated differently due to their gender. Seventeen (53%) respondents would consider teaching in the Department of Surgery. Generally, females had positive perceptions of their training in Surgery. They expressed concern about finding and maintaining a work-life balance. The gender of their mentor did not impact on the quality of the training but 'bullying' from male peers and selected supervisors occurred. Respondents will continue to recommend the specialty as a satisfying career to young female students.

Epilepsy and secondary perceived stigma in a social setting: A night at the theater.

Science.gov (United States)

Kaufman, Kenneth R

2016-08-01

Stigma impacts >50% of persons with epilepsy (PWE) and is a key factory in quality of life. Stigma can be both enacted (external factors) and felt (internal factors). In this article, felt/perceived stigma is more broadly defined as a combination of internal factors and perceptions of external factors. Secondary perceived stigma is felt/perceived stigma by a third party. A key, but often underappreciated, consideration in felt/perceived stigma may occur when a seemingly innocuous statement by a speaker is perceived as stigmatizing by the PWE and/or even by an unintended third party. This autobiographic short report addresses secondary perceived stigma in a social setting, the theater. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Internet and everyday life: the perceived implications of internet use on memory and ability to concentrate.

Science.gov (United States)

Näsi, Matti; Koivusilta, Leena

2013-02-01

The growing role of Internet in all aspects of everyday life has led to speculations over the impacts beyond the traditional questions of access or sociability. This in mind, the main focus in this article was to examine how Finns, for majority of whom Internet use has become commonplace activity, perceive the impacts of Internet use since first adopting the technology. In this study, we examine how Internet user history and perceived computer skills, along with different sociodemographic factors, appear to reflect on the perceived impacts of Internet adoption in terms of memory and ability to concentrate. According to the results, almost one in five of the respondents reported changes concerning their memory or ability to concentrate, with skilled computer users and nonworkers, in particular, perceiving the change. Factors such as age-related differences and exposure to potential information overload at work were identified to explain the perceived change. Our data were collected in a survey-gathering information on the everyday life and well-being of Finns. The sample consisted of 2000 Finnish speakers aged 15 to 64 years. The response rate was 46 percent (N=908).

The impact of bereaved parents' perceived grief similarity on relationship satisfaction

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Buyukcan-Tetik, Asuman; Finkenauer, Catrin; Schut, Henk; Stroebe, Margaret; Stroebe, Wolfgang

2017-01-01

The present research focused on bereaved parents' perceived grief similarity, and aimed to investigate the concurrent and longitudinal effects of the perceptions that the partner has less, equal, or more grief intensity than oneself on relationship satisfaction. Participants of our longitudinal

The Impact of Bereaved Parents' Perceived Grief Similarity on Relationship Satisfaction

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Buyukcan-Tetik, Asuman; Finkenauer, Catrin; Schut, Henk; Stroebe, Margaret; Stroebe, Wolfgang

The present research focused on bereaved parents' perceived grief similarity, and aimed to investigate the concurrent and longitudinal effects of the perceptions that the partner has less, equal, or more grief intensity than oneself on relationship satisfaction. Participants of our longitudinal

Perceived Role Of Dietary Factors In Cancer Causation And ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Perceived Role Of Dietary Factors In Cancer Causation And Prevention Among ... The impact of cancer on patients, care givers and family could be ... as well as social support programmes including subsidized cancer-limiting feeding of ...

Perceived Usefulness as Key Stimulus to the Behavioral Intention to Use 3G Technology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andy Susilo Lukito Budi

2011-12-01

Full Text Available A new technology usually faces the challenge to be accepted by consumers. Because of the unique features of new technology, it needs certain approaches to enhance its acceptance. Technology Acceptance Model (TAM is widely used to study the behavior of organizations and consumers in ac-cepting a new technology. A modified TAM model is applied in the current study to test the impact of advertising appeals of perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and social factors on behavioral intention to use 3G technology. Experimental method is utilized on four groups (30 people each of undergraduate students of Atma Jaya Catholic Univesity. The result shows significant impact of the advertising multimedia exposed to the subjects, specifically perceived usefulness. It is concluded that perceived usefulness is the most salient reason among Atma Jaya Catholic University’s students in consuming 3G technology.

Current constraints on the cosmic growth history

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bean, Rachel; Tangmatitham, Matipon

2010-01-01

We present constraints on the cosmic growth history with recent cosmological data, allowing for deviations from ΛCDM as might arise if cosmic acceleration is due to modifications to general relativity or inhomogeneous dark energy. We combine measures of the cosmic expansion history, from Type 1a supernovae, baryon acoustic oscillations, and the cosmic microwave background (CMB), with constraints on the growth of structure from recent galaxy, CMB, and weak lensing surveys along with integated Sachs Wolfe-galaxy cross correlations. Deviations from ΛCDM are parameterized by phenomenological modifications to the Poisson equation and the relationship between the two Newtonian potentials. We find modifications that are present at the time the CMB is formed are tightly constrained through their impact on the well-measured CMB acoustic peaks. By contrast, constraints on late-time modifications to the growth history, as might arise if modifications are related to the onset of cosmic acceleration, are far weaker, but remain consistent with ΛCDM at the 95% confidence level. For these late-time modifications we find that differences in the evolution on large and small scales could provide an interesting signature by which to search for modified growth histories with future wide angular coverage, large scale structure surveys.

The impact of perceived parenting styles on attachment styles, self-evaluations and close relationships

OpenAIRE

Sümer, N; Güngör, Derya

1999-01-01

The present study examined the interplay between the perceived parenting styles of the university students and attachment styles, basic self-dimensions, behavior patterns in close relationships, and relationship satisfaction. The findings indicated that parenting styles (authoritarian, authoritative, permissive/indulgent, and permissive/neglecting), which were constructed by crossing perceived parental acceptance/involment and strict control dimensions of parenting were consistently related w...

Fish Farmers' Perception of Climate change impact on fish ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Michael Madukwe

*Department of Agricultural Extension and Management ... Respondents in the area perceived climate change factors ... rural farmers who implement their regular annual farm business plans risk total ... 2010). Constraints to increased fish production in Nigeria include, among others, ..... Build ponds close to water sources.

Makeup your mind: The impact of styling on perceived competence and warmth of female leaders.

Science.gov (United States)

Klatt, Jennifer; Eimler, Sabrina C; Krämer, Nicole C

2016-01-01

Women are still underrepresented at the highest management levels. The think-manager-think-male phenomenon suggests that leadership is associated with male rather than female attributes. Although styling has been shown to influence the evaluation of women's leadership abilities, the relevant specific features have been left remarkably unaddressed. In a 2 × 2 × 2 × 2 (skirt/pants, with/without jewelry, loose hair/braid, with/without makeup) between-subjects design, 354 participants evaluated a woman in a photograph. Women with makeup, pants, or with jewelry were rated as more competent than women without makeup, with skirts, or without jewelry. A combination of loose hair and no makeup was perceived as warmest, and women with loose hair were more likely to be hired than those with braids. In sum, even subtle changes in styling have a strong impact on how women's leadership abilities are evaluated.

ATC calculation with steady-state security constraints using Benders decomposition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shaaban, M.; Yan, Z.; Ni, Y.; Wu, F.; Li, W.; Liu, H.

2003-01-01

Available transfer capability (ATC) is an important indicator of the usable amount of transmission capacity accessible by assorted parties for commercial trading, ATC calculation is nontrivial when steady-state security constraints are included. In hie paper, Benders decomposition method is proposed to partition the AC problem with steady-state security constraints into a base case master problem and a series of subproblems relevant to various contingencies to include their impacts on ATC. The mathematical model is formulated and the two solution schemes are presented. Computer testing on the 4-bus system and IEEE 30-bus system shows the effectiveness of the proposed method and the solution schemes. (Author)

Constraining designs for synthesis and timing analysis a practical guide to synopsys design constraints (SDC)

CERN Document Server

Gangadharan, Sridhar

2013-01-01

This book serves as a hands-on guide to timing constraints in integrated circuit design.  Readers will learn to maximize performance of their IC designs, by specifying timing requirements correctly.  Coverage includes key aspects of the design flow impacted by timing constraints, including synthesis, static timing analysis and placement and routing.  Concepts needed for specifying timing requirements are explained in detail and then applied to specific stages in the design flow, all within the context of Synopsys Design Constraints (SDC), the industry-leading format for specifying constraints.  ·         Provides a hands-on guide to synthesis and timing analysis, using Synopsys Design Constraints (SDC), the industry-leading format for specifying constraints; ·         Includes key topics of interest to a synthesis, static timing analysis or  place and route engineer; ·         Explains which constraints command to use for ease of maintenance and reuse, given several options pos...

Project Plans, Constraints to Growth and the Impact of Cost Escalation through The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Prism

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2008-07-01

MENA national oil companies (NOCs) are targeting ambitious energy expansion, with mid-term plans for a 5.8 million b/d net boost to crude capacity, 1.9 million b/d more NGLs and 400 Bcm/year more gas, alongside significant refining and LNG additions. Nevertheless, a review of historical project delivery sounds a note of caution over timing - with a number of countries prone to delays and others, outright deferrals, even if market leaders, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, remain more resolutely on course. Cost escalation since 2002 has compounded the regional tendency towards delays, although the impact on project delivery has been moderated by a willingness to increase budgets where project economics remain sound. That leaves political factors as the principal constraint to regional expansion, complicated in part by increasing pluralism in political participation and valid concerns about the management of resources for long-term sustainability, rather than near-term profit. With most constraints to development expected to remain at the political level, there is a clear case for consumers to be more explicit about future needs. There is also a need to engage with growing constituencies in some states favouring a 'go slow' approach to hydrocarbon development where policymakers have made the case for considered expansion.

Crack-tip constraint analyses and constraint-dependent LBB curves for circumferential through-wall cracked pipes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, Y.L.; Wang, G.Z., E-mail: gzwang@ecust.edu.cn; Xuan, F.Z.; Tu, S.T.

2015-04-15

Highlights: • Solution of constraint parameter τ* for through-wall cracked pipes has been obtained. • Constraint increases with increasing crack length and radius–thickness ratio of pipes. • Constraint-dependent LBB curve for through-wall cracked pipes has been constructed. • For increasing accuracy of LBB assessments, constraint effect should be considered. - Abstract: The leak-before-break (LBB) concept has been widely applied in the structural integrity assessments of pressured pipes in nuclear power plants. However, the crack-tip constraint effects in LBB analyses and designs cannot be incorporated. In this paper, by using three-dimensional finite element calculations, the modified load-independent T-stress constraint parameter τ* for circumferential through-wall cracked pipes with different geometries and crack sizes has been analyzed under different loading conditions, and the solutions of the crack-tip constraint parameter τ* have been obtained. Based on the τ* solutions and constraint-dependent J–R curves of a steel, the constraint-dependent LBB (leak-before-break) curves have been constructed. The results show that the constraint τ* increases with increasing crack length θ, mean radius R{sub m} and radius–thickness ratio R{sub m}/t of the pipes. In LBB analyses, the critical crack length calculated by the J–R curve of the standard high constraint specimen for pipes with shorter cracks is over-conservative, and the degree of conservatism increases with decreasing crack length θ, R{sub m} and R{sub m}/t. Therefore, the constraint-dependent LBB curves should be constructed to modify the over-conservatism and increase accuracy of LBB assessments.

Traumatic injury and perceived injustice: Fault attributions matter in a "no-fault" compensation state.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Liane J Ioannou

Full Text Available Traumatic injury can lead to loss, suffering and feelings of injustice. Previous research has shown that perceived injustice is associated with poorer physical and mental wellbeing in persons with chronic pain. This study aimed to identify the relative association between injury, compensation and pain-related characteristics and perceived injustice 12-months after traumatic injury.433 participants were recruited from the Victorian Orthopedic Trauma Outcomes Registry and Victorian State Trauma Registry, and completed questionnaires at 12-14 months after injury as part of an observational cohort study. Using hierarchical linear regression we examined the relationships between baseline demographics (sex, age, education, comorbidities, injury (injury severity, hospital length of stay, compensation (compensation status, fault, lawyer involvement, and health outcomes (SF-12 and perceived injustice. We then examined how much additional variance in perceived injustice was related to worse pain severity, interference, self-efficacy, catastrophizing, kinesiophobia or disability.Only a small portion of variance in perceived injustice was related to baseline demographics (especially education level, and injury severity. Attribution of fault to another, consulting a lawyer, health-related quality of life, disability and the severity of pain-related cognitions explained the majority of variance in perceived injustice. While univariate analyses showed that compensable injury led to higher perceptions of injustice, this did not remain significant when adjusting for all other factors, including fault attribution and consulting a lawyer.In addition to the "justice" aspects of traumatic injury, the health impacts of injury, emotional distress related to pain (catastrophizing, and the perceived impact of pain on activity (pain self-efficacy, had stronger associations with perceptions of injustice than either injury or pain severity. To attenuate the likelihood of

Regulation of Cognitive Processes through Perceived Self-Efficacy.

Science.gov (United States)

Bandura, Albert

1989-01-01

Addresses issues concerning the extension of self-efficacy theory to memory functioning. Issues include perceived memory capabilities, memory self-appraisal, personal control over memory functioning, preservation of a favorable sense of memory self-efficacy, and strategies for generalizing the impact of training in memory skills. (RJC)

Releasing the constraints on aphasia therapy: the positive impact of gesture and multimodality treatments.

Science.gov (United States)

Rose, Miranda L

2013-05-01

There is a 40-year history of interest in the use of arm and hand gestures in treatments that target the reduction of aphasic linguistic impairment and compensatory methods of communication (Rose, 2006). Arguments for constraining aphasia treatment to the verbal modality have arisen from proponents of constraint-induced aphasia therapy (Pulvermüller et al., 2001). Confusion exists concerning the role of nonverbal treatments in treating people with aphasia. The central argument of this paper is that given the state of the empirical evidence and the strong theoretical accounts of modality interactions in human communication, gesture-based and multimodality aphasia treatments are at least as legitimate an option as constraint-based aphasia treatment. Theoretical accounts of modality interactions in human communication and the gesture production abilities of individuals with aphasia that are harnessed in treatments are reviewed. The negative effects on word retrieval of restricting gesture production are also reviewed, and an overview of the neurological architecture subserving language processing is provided as rationale for multimodality treatments. The evidence for constrained and unconstrained treatments is critically reviewed. Together, these data suggest that constraint treatments and multimodality treatments are equally efficacious, and there is limited support for constraining client responses to the spoken modality.

Optimizing Maintenance of Constraint-Based Database Caches

Science.gov (United States)

Klein, Joachim; Braun, Susanne

Caching data reduces user-perceived latency and often enhances availability in case of server crashes or network failures. DB caching aims at local processing of declarative queries in a DBMS-managed cache close to the application. Query evaluation must produce the same results as if done at the remote database backend, which implies that all data records needed to process such a query must be present and controlled by the cache, i. e., to achieve “predicate-specific” loading and unloading of such record sets. Hence, cache maintenance must be based on cache constraints such that “predicate completeness” of the caching units currently present can be guaranteed at any point in time. We explore how cache groups can be maintained to provide the data currently needed. Moreover, we design and optimize loading and unloading algorithms for sets of records keeping the caching units complete, before we empirically identify the costs involved in cache maintenance.

Participation Constraints in the Stock Market

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Steffen; Meisner Nielsen, Kasper

2011-01-01

We use a natural experiment to investigate the impact of participation constraints on individuals' decisions to invest in the stock market. Unexpected inheritance due to sudden deaths results in exogenous variation in financial wealth, and allows us to examine whether fixed entry and ongoing...... participation costs cause non-participation. We have three key findings. First, windfall wealth has a positive effect on participation. Second, the majority of households do not react to sizeable windfalls by entering the stock market, but hold on to substantial safe assets—even over longer horizons. Third...

An effective heuristic for combined heat-and-power production planning with power ramp constraints

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rong, Aiying; Lahdelma, Risto

2007-01-01

Combined heat-and-power (CHP) production is an increasingly important technology for its efficient utilization of primary-energy resources and for reducing CO 2 emissions. In the CHP plant, the generation of heat-and-power follows a joint characteristic, which makes the determination of both the marginal power production cost (MPPC) and the feasible operating region for the plant more complicated than for the power-only generation plant. Due to the interdependence between heat and power production, the power-ramp constraints, which limit how much the power production of a CHP plant may increase or decrease between two successive periods, may also imply constraints on the heat production. In this paper, we investigate the impact of power-ramp constraints on CHP production planning and develop a robust heuristic for dealing with the power-ramp constraints based on the solution to the problem with relaxed ramp-constraints (RRC). Numerical results based on realistic production models show that the heuristic can generate high-quality solutions efficiently. (author)

Determinants of perceived risk and initial trust on a team leader. Impact of working environment and leader traits

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Miguel Guinalíu Blasco

2014-02-01

Full Text Available Aspects such as the growing importance of teamwork and the emergence of new organizational schemes based on information and communication technologies highlight the need for understanding the mechanisms that promote effective leadership. In this sense, this paper analyzes the determinants of perceived risk and trust on a team leader. The research consists of two experiments. The first analyzes the influence of working environment—virtual or traditional—on the two dependent variables considered. The second experiment focuses on the virtual environment and analyzes the importance of the inclusion of a photo on the electronic leader’s profile in order to generate trust. Moreover, it analyzes the impact of perceived leader traits (attractive or expert on the ability to build trust and the perception of risk. It shouldbe noted that these analyzes are contextualized in the initial stage of team development, poorly studied in the literature. Among others, the results reveal the greater difficulty of building trust in virtual environments, as well as the relevance of including graphical information on the profile and that the leader with expert traits has the greatest potential to buildtrust. These results have interesting managerial implications, which are discussed along with the main future research lines and limitations.

Constraints to applying systems thinking concepts in health systems: A regional perspective from surveying stakeholders in Eastern Mediterranean countries.

Science.gov (United States)

El-Jardali, Fadi; Adam, Taghreed; Ataya, Nour; Jamal, Diana; Jaafar, Maha

2014-12-01

Systems Thinking (ST) has recently been promoted as an important approach to health systems strengthening. However, ST is not common practice, particularly in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs). This paper seeks to explore the barriers that may hinder its application in the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR) and possible strategies to mitigate them. A survey consisting of open-ended questions was conducted with a purposive sample of health policy-makers such as senior officials from the Ministry of Health (MoH), researchers, and other stakeholders such as civil society groups and professional associations from ten countries in the region. A total of 62 respondents participated in the study. Thematic analysis was conducted. There was strong recognition of the relevance and usefulness of ST to health systems policy-making and research, although misconceptions about what ST means were also identified. Experience with applying ST was very limited. Approaches to designing health policies in the EMR were perceived as reactive and fragmented (66%). Commonly perceived constraints to application of ST were: a perceived notion of its costliness combined with lack of the necessary funding to operationalize it (53%), competing political interests and lack of government accountability (50%), lack of awareness about relevance and value (47%), limited capacity to apply it (45%), and difficulty in coordinating and managing stakeholders (39%). While several strategies have been proposed to mitigate most of these constraints, they emphasized the importance of political endorsement and adoption of ST at the leadership level, together with building the necessary capacity to apply it and apply the learning in research and practice.

Computing group cardinality constraint solutions for logistic regression problems.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yong; Kwon, Dongjin; Pohl, Kilian M

2017-01-01

We derive an algorithm to directly solve logistic regression based on cardinality constraint, group sparsity and use it to classify intra-subject MRI sequences (e.g. cine MRIs) of healthy from diseased subjects. Group cardinality constraint models are often applied to medical images in order to avoid overfitting of the classifier to the training data. Solutions within these models are generally determined by relaxing the cardinality constraint to a weighted feature selection scheme. However, these solutions relate to the original sparse problem only under specific assumptions, which generally do not hold for medical image applications. In addition, inferring clinical meaning from features weighted by a classifier is an ongoing topic of discussion. Avoiding weighing features, we propose to directly solve the group cardinality constraint logistic regression problem by generalizing the Penalty Decomposition method. To do so, we assume that an intra-subject series of images represents repeated samples of the same disease patterns. We model this assumption by combining series of measurements created by a feature across time into a single group. Our algorithm then derives a solution within that model by decoupling the minimization of the logistic regression function from enforcing the group sparsity constraint. The minimum to the smooth and convex logistic regression problem is determined via gradient descent while we derive a closed form solution for finding a sparse approximation of that minimum. We apply our method to cine MRI of 38 healthy controls and 44 adult patients that received reconstructive surgery of Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) during infancy. Our method correctly identifies regions impacted by TOF and generally obtains statistically significant higher classification accuracy than alternative solutions to this model, i.e., ones relaxing group cardinality constraints. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Verbal collision avoidance messages during simulated driving: perceived urgency, alerting effectiveness and annoyance.

Science.gov (United States)

Baldwin, Carryl L

2011-04-01

Matching the perceived urgency of an alert with the relative hazard level of the situation is critical for effective alarm response. Two experiments describe the impact of acoustic and semantic parameters on ratings of perceived urgency, annoyance and alerting effectiveness and on alarm response speed. Within a simulated driving context, participants rated and responded to collision avoidance system (CAS) messages spoken by a female or male voice (experiments 1 and 2, respectively). Results indicated greater perceived urgency and faster alarm response times as intensity increased from -2 dB signal to noise (S/N) ratio to +10 dB S/N, although annoyance ratings increased as well. CAS semantic content interacted with alarm intensity, indicating that at lower intensity levels participants paid more attention to the semantic content. Results indicate that both acoustic and semantic parameters independently and interactively impact CAS alert perceptions in divided attention conditions and this work can inform auditory alarm design for effective hazard matching. Matching the perceived urgency of an alert with the relative hazard level of the situation is critical for effective alarm response. Here, both acoustic and semantic parameters independently and interactively impacted CAS alert perceptions in divided attention conditions. This work can inform auditory alarm design for effective hazard matching. STATEMENT OF RELEVANCE: Results indicate that both acoustic parameters and semantic content can be used to design collision warnings with a range of urgency levels. Further, these results indicate that verbal warnings tailored to a specific hazard situation may improve hazard-matching capabilities without substantial trade-offs in perceived annoyance.

How do young people in Cambodia perceive the impact of societal attitudes, media and religion on suicidal behaviour?

Science.gov (United States)

Jegannathan, Bhoomikumar; Kullgren, Gunnar; Dahlblom, Kjerstin

2016-03-01

Young people in low and middle income countries (LMICs) in societal transitions with rapidly changing norms face an increased risk of suicide. This study explores how young people in Cambodia understand the impact on suicidal behaviour from societal attitudes, media and religion. Focus group discussions were held with school students from a suburban area. Thematic analysis was used to interpret the data. Participants perceived the prevailing suicide-stigmatizing societal attitudes, the double-edged media and suicide-ambiguity in Buddhist religion as challenging. Globalization was recognized as contradicting with traditional Cambodian norms and values. Suicide prevention programmes should take into consideration the complex picture of suicide that young people are exposed to. © The Author(s) 2015.

New constraints in absorptive capacity and the optimum rate of petroleum output

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

El Mallakh, R

1980-01-01

Economic policy in four oil-producing countries is analyzed within a framework that combines a qualitative assessment of the policy-making process with an empirical formulation based on historical and current trends in these countries. The concept of absorptive capacity is used to analyze the optimum rates of petroleum production in Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait. A control solution with an econometric model is developed which is then modified for alternative development strategies based on analysis of factors influencing production decisions. The study shows the consistencies and inconsistencies between the goals of economic growth, oil production, and exports, and the constraints on economic development. Simulation experiments incorporated a number of the constraints on absorptive capacity. Impact of other constraints such as income distribution and political stability is considered qualitatively. (DLC)

Psychosocial impact, perceived stress and learning effect in undergraduate dental students during transition from pre-clinical to clinical education.

Science.gov (United States)

Frese, C; Wolff, D; Saure, D; Staehle, H J; Schulte, A

2018-04-10

This study aimed to develop a suitable instrument for a comprehensive quantitative and qualitative assessment of perceived psychosocial impact, levels of stress and learning effect in undergraduate dental students during the transition from pre-clinical to clinical education. These findings might improve curricular structures and didactic organisation during this period. At the beginning of their first clinical year, undergraduate dental students were asked to complete an anonymous forty-item questionnaire. Two hundred and seventy-six undergraduate dental students were willing to participate and completed the questionnaire and participated during the years 2011-2016. The response rate was between 45% and 96%. Correlational analysis (Spearman-Rho) in the field of psychosocial impact showed the dental teacher to be the most important multiplier of students' feelings. If the students feel that their teacher acts cooperatively, positive items increase and negative items decrease significantly (P < .0001). Also, students who report high levels of stress are affected significantly in their psychosocial interaction (P < .0001). Wilcoxon test yielded highest levels of stress in endodontology during the first weeks (P < .0001). During the same period, the greatest learning increment was seen for diagnostics and caries excavation. In conclusion, teaching of undergraduate dental students during the transition period from pre-clinical to clinical education can be positively influenced by a supportive learning environment and by specific chronological modifications in the curriculum. Students should start their clinical training with diagnostics, preventive dentistry and initial periodontal treatment. Due to high levels of perceived stress, endodontology should be introduced later in the clinical curriculum. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

What characterizes persons with high levels of perceived stress in Denmark? A national representative study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Line; Curtis, Tine; Kristensen, Tage S

2008-01-01

perceived stress is characterized by individual and neighbourhood factors with negative impacts on quality of life and risk of illness. This knowledge can guide future stress prevention efforts. Additionally, the results suggest a negative social component where perceived stress, unhealthy lifestyle and low...

Marketing strategies, perceived risks, and consumer trust in online buying behaviour

OpenAIRE

Pappas, Nikolaos

2016-01-01

Despite the rapid increase in online shopping, the literature is silent in terms of the interrelationship between perceived risk factors, the marketing impacts, and their influence on product and web-vendor consumer trust. This research focuses on holidaymakers’ perspectives using Internet bookings for their holidays. The findings reveal the associations between Internet perceived risks and the relatively equal influence of product and e-channel risks in consumers’ trust, and that online purc...

Impact of vertigo and dizziness on self-perceived participation and autonomy in older adults: results from the KORA-Age study.

Science.gov (United States)

Mueller, Martin; Strobl, Ralf; Jahn, Klaus; Linkohr, Birgit; Ladwig, Karl Heinz; Mielck, Andreas; Grill, Eva

2014-10-01

The impact of vertigo and dizziness on healthy ageing, and especially on participation, is not fully understood. The objective of this study was to investigate the association of vertigo and dizziness with self-perceived participation and autonomy in older non-institutionalised individuals, adjusted for the presence of other health conditions. Specifically, we wanted to investigate the different effects of vertigo and dizziness on specific components of participation, i.e. restrictions in indoor and outdoor autonomy, family role, social life and relationships, and work and education. Data originate from the second wave of the German KORA-Age cohort study collected in 2012. Participation and autonomy was investigated with the Impact on Participation and Autonomy Questionnaire. We used robust regression to analyse the association of vertigo and dizziness with self-perceived participation and autonomy adjusted for covariates. A total of 822 participants (49.6% female) had a mean age of 78.1 years (SD 6.39). Participation and autonomy were significantly lower in participants with vertigo and dizziness across all domains. Adjusted for age, sex, and chronic conditions, vertigo and dizziness were significantly associated with participation restrictions in all domains except social life and relationships. The results of our study indicate that vertigo and dizziness contribute to restrictions in participation and autonomy in individuals of older age. Recognising vertigo and dizziness as independent contributors to loss of autonomy and decreased chances for independent living may create new options for patient care and population health, such as the designing of complex interventions to maintain participation and autonomy.

Catastrophizing and perceived injustice: risk factors for the transition to chronicity after whiplash injury.

Science.gov (United States)

Sullivan, Michael J L; Adams, Heather; Martel, Marc-Olivier; Scott, Whitney; Wideman, Timothy

2011-12-01

The article will summarize research that has supported the role of pain catastrophizing and perceived injustice as risk factors for problematic recovery after whiplash injury. This article focuses on two psychological variables that have been shown to impact on recovery trajectories after whiplash injury; namely pain catastrophizing and perceived injustice. Research has shown that psychological variables play a role in determining the trajectory of recovery after whiplash injury. This article will focus on two psychological variables that have been shown to impact on recovery trajectories after whiplash injury; namely pain catastrophizing and perceived injustice. The article will summarize research that has supported the role of pain catastrophizing and perceived injustice as risk factors for problematic recovery after whiplash injury. Several investigations have shown that measures of catastrophizing and perceived injustice prospectively predict problematic trajectories of recovery after whiplash injury. Basic research points to the potential roles of expectancies, attention, coping and endogenous opioid dysregulation as possible avenues through which catastrophizing might heighten the probability of the persistence of pain after whiplash injury. Although research has yet to systematically address the mechanisms by which perceived injustice might contribute to prolonged disability in individuals with whiplash injuries, there are grounds for suggesting the potential contributions of catastrophizing, pain behavior and anger. A challenge for future research will be the development and evaluation of risk factor-targeted interventions aimed at reducing catastrophizing and perceived injustice to improve recovery trajectories after whiplash injury.

Perceived Autonomy Support in the NIMH RAISE Early Treatment Program.

Science.gov (United States)

Browne, Julia; Penn, David L; Bauer, Daniel J; Meyer-Kalos, Piper; Mueser, Kim T; Robinson, Delbert G; Addington, Jean; Schooler, Nina R; Glynn, Shirley M; Gingerich, Susan; Marcy, Patricia; Kane, John M

2017-09-01

This study examined perceived support for autonomy-the extent to which individuals feel empowered and supported to make informed choices-among participants in the Recovery After an Initial Schizophrenia Episode Early Treatment Program (RAISE ETP). The aims of this study were to evaluate whether NAVIGATE, the active treatment studied in RAISE ETP, was associated with greater improvements in perceived autonomy support over the two-year intervention, compared with community care, and to examine associations between perceived autonomy support and quality of life and symptoms over time and across treatment groups. This study examined perceived autonomy support among the 404 individuals with first-episode psychosis who participated in the RAISE ETP trial (NAVIGATE, N=223; community care, N=181). Three-level conditional linear growth modeling was used given the nested data structure. The results indicated that perceived autonomy support increased significantly over time for those in NAVIGATE but not in community care. Once treatment began, higher perceived autonomy support was related to higher quality of life at six, 12, and 18 months in NAVIGATE and at 12, 18, and 24 months in community care. Higher perceived autonomy support was related to improved scores on total symptoms and on excited symptoms regardless of treatment group and time. Overall, perceived autonomy support increased in NAVIGATE but not for those in community care and was related to improved quality of life and symptoms across both treatment groups. Future research should examine the impact of perceived autonomy support on a wider array of outcomes, including engagement, medication adherence, and functioning.

Impact of low alcohol verbal descriptors on perceived strength: An experimental study.

Science.gov (United States)

Vasiljevic, Milica; Couturier, Dominique-Laurent; Marteau, Theresa M

2018-02-01

Low alcohol labels are a set of labels that carry descriptors such as 'low' or 'lighter' to denote alcohol content in beverages. There is growing interest from policymakers and producers in lower strength alcohol products. However, there is a lack of evidence on how the general population perceives verbal descriptors of strength. The present research examines consumers' perceptions of strength (% ABV) and appeal of alcohol products using low or high alcohol verbal descriptors. A within-subjects experimental study in which participants rated the strength and appeal of 18 terms denoting low (nine terms), high (eight terms) and regular (one term) strengths for either (1) wine or (2) beer according to drinking preference. Thousand six hundred adults (796 wine and 804 beer drinkers) sampled from a nationally representative UK panel. Low, Lower, Light, Lighter, and Reduced formed a cluster and were rated as denoting lower strength products than Regular, but higher strength than the cluster with intensifiers consisting of Extra Low, Super Low, Extra Light, and Super Light. Similar clustering in perceived strength was observed amongst the high verbal descriptors. Regular was the most appealing strength descriptor, with the low and high verbal descriptors using intensifiers rated least appealing. The perceived strength and appeal of alcohol products diminished the more the verbal descriptors implied a deviation from Regular. The implications of these findings are discussed in terms of policy implications for lower strength alcohol labelling and associated public health outcomes. Statement of contribution What is already known about this subject? Current UK and EU legislation limits the number of low strength verbal descriptors and the associated alcohol by volume (ABV) to 1.2% ABV and lower. There is growing interest from policymakers and producers to extend the range of lower strength alcohol products above the current cap of 1.2% ABV set out in national legislation. There

Psychological and audiological correlates of perceived tinnitus severity.

Science.gov (United States)

Erlandsson, S I; Hallberg, L R; Axelsson, A

1992-01-01

Beliefs and attitudes towards tinnitus have been found to play an important role in the process of rehabilitation. The relationship between audiological, psychological and psychosomatic factors (self-assessment of vertigo and headache and the perceived severity of tinnitus) was investigated in a clinical population of 163 subjects. Audiological descriptives comprised pure-tone average (dB HL), etiology of hearing loss, duration of tinnitus and tinnitus localisation. Perceived severity of tinnitus was assessed with a questionnaire focusing on tinnitus impact on aspects of quality of life, concentration and sleep. A 28-item handicap and support questionnaire was used and factor analysed, resulting in three factors: perceived attitudes, social support and disability/handicap. Tinnitus severity was significantly related to perceived attitudes. The influence of social support on tinnitus severity did not seem to be crucial. The results showed that significantly more women than men complained about vertigo. Unilateral tinnitus localisation was also more prevalent in females. The subjects with multiple tinnitus localisations were older and had significantly more sleep disturbance than subjects with tinnitus localized to the ears only. In accordance with previously reported observations, the frequency of headaches was strongly correlated with the severity of tinnitus.

Mental well-being mediates the relationship between perceived stress and perceived health.

Science.gov (United States)

Teh, Hui Chian; Archer, Josephine A; Chang, Weining; Chen, S H Annabel

2015-02-01

The association between stress and health has been well researched in the past; however, comparatively few mediators have been tested to understand the underlying mechanism. With increasing awareness on mental well-being, this study evaluated the relationship between perceived stress and perceived health and examined mental well-being as a mediator. Two-hundred undergraduates aged 21 to 26 years completed the English Perceived Stress Scale, Health Status Questionnaire and Asian Mental Well-Being Scale that assess perceived stress, perceived health and mental well-being, respectively. Factor analysis and structural equation modelling on the Perceived Stress Scale replicated the reported two-factor structure after excluding an insignificant item. Linear multiple regression analyses indicated that perceived stress was negatively associated with perceived health. Results showed that mental well-being partially mediated the relationship between perceived stress and perceived health, although it is acknowledged that this association could be bidirectional. Findings from the present study suggest that future research could focus on reducing stress and improving mental well-being to alleviate the effect of stress on health. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

False alarms and missed events: the impact and origins of perceived inaccuracy in tornado warning systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Ripberger, Joseph T; Silva, Carol L; Jenkins-Smith, Hank C; Carlson, Deven E; James, Mark; Herron, Kerry G

2015-01-01

Theory and conventional wisdom suggest that errors undermine the credibility of tornado warning systems and thus decrease the probability that individuals will comply (i.e., engage in protective action) when future warnings are issued. Unfortunately, empirical research on the influence of warning system accuracy on public responses to tornado warnings is incomplete and inconclusive. This study adds to existing research by analyzing two sets of relationships. First, we assess the relationship between perceptions of accuracy, credibility, and warning response. Using data collected via a large regional survey, we find that trust in the National Weather Service (NWS; the agency responsible for issuing tornado warnings) increases the likelihood that an individual will opt for protective action when responding to a hypothetical warning. More importantly, we find that subjective perceptions of warning system accuracy are, as theory suggests, systematically related to trust in the NWS and (by extension) stated responses to future warnings. The second half of the study matches survey data against NWS warning and event archives to investigate a critical follow-up question--Why do some people perceive that their warning system is accurate, whereas others perceive that their system is error prone? We find that subjective perceptions are--in part-a function of objective experience, knowledge, and demographic characteristics. When considered in tandem, these findings support the proposition that errors influence perceptions about the accuracy of warning systems, which in turn impact the credibility that people assign to information provided by systems and, ultimately, public decisions about how to respond when warnings are issued. © 2014 Society for Risk Analysis.

Effect of perceived stress on depression of Chinese "Ant Tribe" and the moderating role of dispositional optimism.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Bo; Pu, Jun; Hou, Hanpo

2015-05-08

This study examines the moderating role of dispositional optimism on the relationship between perceived stress and depression of the Chinese "Ant Tribe." A total of 427 participants from an Ant Tribe community completed the measures of perceived stress, optimism, and depression. The structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis showed that dispositional optimism moderated the association between perceived stress and depression. The Ant Tribe with high perceived stress reported higher scores in depression than those with low perceived stress at low dispositional optimism level. However, the impact of perceived stress on depression was insignificant in the high dispositional optimism group. © The Author(s) 2015.

When perception is more than reality: the effects of perceived versus actual resource depletion on self-regulatory behavior.

Science.gov (United States)

Clarkson, Joshua J; Hirt, Edward R; Jia, Lile; Alexander, Marla B

2010-01-01

Considerable research demonstrates that the depletion of self-regulatory resources impairs performance on subsequent tasks that demand these resources. The current research sought to assess the impact of perceived resource depletion on subsequent task performance at both high and low levels of actual depletion. The authors manipulated perceived resource depletion by having participants 1st complete a depleting or nondepleting task before being presented with feedback that did or did not provide a situational attribution for their internal state. Participants then persisted at a problem-solving task (Experiments 1-2), completed an attention-regulation task (Experiment 3), or responded to a persuasive message (Experiment 4). The findings consistently demonstrated that individuals who perceived themselves as less (vs. more) depleted, whether high or low in actual depletion, were more successful at subsequent self-regulation. Thus, perceived regulatory depletion can impact subsequent task performance-and this impact can be independent of one's actual state of depletion.

Numerical difficulties associated with using equality constraints to achieve multi-level decomposition in structural optimization

Science.gov (United States)

Thareja, R.; Haftka, R. T.

1986-01-01

There has been recent interest in multidisciplinary multilevel optimization applied to large engineering systems. The usual approach is to divide the system into a hierarchy of subsystems with ever increasing detail in the analysis focus. Equality constraints are usually placed on various design quantities at every successive level to ensure consistency between levels. In many previous applications these equality constraints were eliminated by reducing the number of design variables. In complex systems this may not be possible and these equality constraints may have to be retained in the optimization process. In this paper the impact of such a retention is examined for a simple portal frame problem. It is shown that the equality constraints introduce numerical difficulties, and that the numerical solution becomes very sensitive to optimization parameters for a wide range of optimization algorithms.

Exploring the self-directed anger of the stigmatized : The interplay between perceived legitimacy and social identification

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hansen, Nina; Sassenberg, Kai

2011-01-01

Does social identification protect or harm targets of discrimination? Two studies (N = 52, N = 94) tested the prediction that perceived legitimacy moderates the impact of social identification on negative responses to discrimination. Results confirm that when discrimination is perceived as

Associations between Adolescents' Perceived Discrimination and Prosocial Tendencies: The Mediating Role of Mexican American Values

Science.gov (United States)

Brittian, Aerika S.; O'Donnell, Megan; Knight, George P.; Carlo, Gustavo; Umana-Taylor, Adriana J.; Roosa, Mark W.

2013-01-01

Experiences with perceived discrimination (e.g., perceptions of being treated unfairly due to race or ethnicity) are expected to impact negatively youths' prosocial development. However, resilience often occurs in light of such experiences through cultural factors. The current longitudinal study examined the influence of perceived discrimination…

Creativity from Constraints in Engineering Design

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Onarheim, Balder

2012-01-01

This paper investigates the role of constraints in limiting and enhancing creativity in engineering design. Based on a review of literature relating constraints to creativity, the paper presents a longitudinal participatory study from Coloplast A/S, a major international producer of disposable...... and ownership of formal constraints played a crucial role in defining their influence on creativity – along with the tacit constraints held by the designers. The designers were found to be highly constraint focused, and four main creative strategies for constraint manipulation were observed: blackboxing...

Perceived oral health status and treatment needs of dental auxiliaries.

Science.gov (United States)

Azodo, Clement C; Ehizele, Adebola O; Umoh, Agnes; Ojehanon, Patrick I; Akhionbare, Osagie; Okechukwu, Robinson; Igbinosa, Lawrence

2010-03-15

To determine the perceived oral health status and treatment needs of Nigerian dental therapists in training and dental technology students. A descriptive cross-sectional study of students from Federal School of Dental Therapy and Technology Enugu, Nigeria was conducted using self-administered questionnaire to obtain information on demography, self-reported oral health status, knowledge of impact of oral health on daily life activity, dental attendance and perceived dental need. The perception of oral health status and treatment need of the two groups of dental auxiliaries was the same. Fewer respondents (27.3%) rated their oral health as excellent, while 50.4% rated their oral health as good. Majority (95.5%) agreed that oral health is a part of general health and 94.6% agreed that oral health has a role in daily life. Out of 81.4% that had previous dental treatment, scaling and polishing accounted for 66.1%. Presently, 48.8% think they need dental treatment ranging from scaling and polishing (33.9%), tooth restoration (10.3%), to extraction (1.2%). This survey revealed that most of the students are aware that oral health is a component of general health and that it has an impact on an individual's daily life. More than half of the students perceived their oral health as good, but only a few knew that there is a need for a preventive approach to oral health as evident by the percentage that perceived scaling and polishing as a treatment need.

On computation of C-stationary points for equilibrium problems with linear complementarity constraints via homotopy method

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Červinka, Michal

2010-01-01

Roč. 2010, č. 4 (2010), s. 730-753 ISSN 0023-5954 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10750506 Keywords : equilibrium problems with complementarity constraints * homotopy * C-stationarity Subject RIV: BC - Control Systems Theory Impact factor: 0.461, year: 2010 http://library.utia.cas.cz/separaty/2010/MTR/cervinka-on computation of c-stationary points for equilibrium problems with linear complementarity constraints via homotopy method.pdf

Impact of uncertain reference-frame motions in plate kinematic reconstructions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Iaffaldano, Giampiero; Stein, Seth

2017-01-01

Geoscientists infer past plate motions, which serve as fundamental constraints for a range of studies, from observations of magnetic isochrons as well as hotspots tracks on the ocean floor and, for stages older than the Cretaceous, from paleomagnetic data. These observations effectively represent...... time-integrals of past plate motions but, because they are made at present, yield plate kinematics naturally tied to a present-day reference-frame, which may be another plate or a hotspots system. These kinematics are therefore different than those occurred at the time when the rocks acquired...... – in a temporal sense – and prone to noise. This limitation is commonly perceived to hamper the correction of plate kinematic reconstructions for RFAMs, but the extent to which this may be the case has not been explored. Here we assess the impact of uncertain RFAMs on kinematic reconstructions using synthetic...

Self-efficacy and Perceived Organizational Support by Workers in a Youth Development Setting

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sara Rockow

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The efficacy levels of workers in the youth development field can significantly impact the work done with youth.  These levels may be impacted by workers’ perceptions of administrative occupational support at their organization.  To date, limited research exists that examines youth work efficacy levels, and no research studies exist analyzing the relationship between youth workers’ efficacy levels and perceived organizational support.  The current study examined the relationship between self-efficacy and the perceived organizational support felt by workers in a youth development setting.  A total of 198 surveys were completed; results indicated that youth work efficacy was significantly related to perceived organizational support.  This study is important to enhancing the body of knowledge regarding self-efficacy levels of workers in a youth development setting, as well as understanding motivation and self-confidence of youth development professionals.

The impact of employee communication and perceived external prestige on organizational identification

NARCIS (Netherlands)

A. Smidts (Ale); C.B.M. van Riel (Cees); A.Th.H. Pruyn

2000-01-01

textabstractEmployees' Organizational Identification (OI) is measured in a customer service organization. Particularly the effects of employee communication and perceived external prestige (PEP) on OI were evaluated. Results show that employee communication affects OI more strongly than PEP. One

Spatial, socio-economic, and ecological implications of incorporating minimum size constraints in marine protected area network design.

Science.gov (United States)

Metcalfe, Kristian; Vaughan, Gregory; Vaz, Sandrine; Smith, Robert J

2015-12-01

Marine protected areas (MPAs) are the cornerstone of most marine conservation strategies, but the effectiveness of each one partly depends on its size and distance to other MPAs in a network. Despite this, current recommendations on ideal MPA size and spacing vary widely, and data are lacking on how these constraints might influence the overall spatial characteristics, socio-economic impacts, and connectivity of the resultant MPA networks. To address this problem, we tested the impact of applying different MPA size constraints in English waters. We used the Marxan spatial prioritization software to identify a network of MPAs that met conservation feature targets, whilst minimizing impacts on fisheries; modified the Marxan outputs with the MinPatch software to ensure each MPA met a minimum size; and used existing data on the dispersal distances of a range of species found in English waters to investigate the likely impacts of such spatial constraints on the region's biodiversity. Increasing MPA size had little effect on total network area or the location of priority areas, but as MPA size increased, fishing opportunity cost to stakeholders increased. In addition, as MPA size increased, the number of closely connected sets of MPAs in networks and the average distance between neighboring MPAs decreased, which consequently increased the proportion of the planning region that was isolated from all MPAs. These results suggest networks containing large MPAs would be more viable for the majority of the region's species that have small dispersal distances, but dispersal between MPA sets and spill-over of individuals into unprotected areas would be reduced. These findings highlight the importance of testing the impact of applying different MPA size constraints because there are clear trade-offs that result from the interaction of size, number, and distribution of MPAs in a network. © 2015 Society for Conservation Biology.

Deepening Contractions and Collateral Constraints

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Henrik; Ravn, Søren Hove; Santoro, Emiliano

and occasionally non-binding credit constraints. Easier credit access increases the likelihood that constraints become slack in the face of expansionary shocks, while contractionary shocks are further amplified due to tighter constraints. As a result, busts gradually become deeper than booms. Based...

Perceived barriers to consumption of fish among Norwegian women.

Science.gov (United States)

Trondsen, Torbjørn; Scholderer, Joachim; Lund, Eiliv; Eggen, Anne E

2003-12-01

This study aimed to characterize constraints on consumption of fish perceived by consumers in Norway. A random sample of Norwegian women aged 45-69 years answered a self-administered mail questionnaire in 1996 about eating habits, perceived barriers to fish consumption, socioeconomic status, and questions related to health. Altogether, 9407 women answered the questionnaire (response rate: 52.5%). Data were analyzed by means of logistic regression. Limited supply of fish products that satisfy children's wishes reduce at-home fish consumption. People with health problems and those who wish to lose weight are dissatisfied with the range of products offered in the marketplace. Satisfaction with quality and availability of wild lean codfish, especially in inland regions, is lower than for aqua-cultured fat salmon. Neither income nor education or health factors were significantly associated with consumption levels among those who would like to eat more fish. Higher education and income were associated with increased dissatisfaction about fish consumption, but also with reduced perception of most barriers. It is concluded that improvements in the supply of high-quality fresh and processed fish products that satisfy (a) children's wishes, (b) health-oriented family members, and (c) convenience-oriented consumers, will significantly increase at-home consumption of fish.

Measurement of the perceived quality of a product

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maire J.-L.

2013-01-01

Full Text Available For some companies, visual inspection has become an essential step when seeking to improve the quality of their products. The aim of this control is to be sure of the perceived quality of the product, which often goes well beyond the quality expected by the customer. For this type of control, the controller should be able to detect any anomaly on a product, characterize this anomaly, and then evaluate it in order to decide if the product should be accepted or rejected. This paper describes how this characterization can be carried out and, more specifically, how to measure the impact of the local environment of an anomaly on the perceived quality of the product.

Analysis of the Primary Constraint Conditions of an Efficient Photovoltaic-Thermoelectric Hybrid System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Guiqiang Li

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Electrical efficiency can be increased by combining photovoltaic (PV and the thermoelectric (TE systems. However, a simple and cursory combination is unsuitable because the negative impact of temperature on PV may be greater than its positive impact on TE. This study analyzed the primary constraint conditions based on the hybrid system model consisting of a PV and a TE generator (TEG, which includes TE material with temperature-dependent properties. The influences of the geometric size, solar irradiation and cold side temperature on the hybrid system performance is discussed based on the simulation. Furthermore, the effective range of parameters is demonstrated using the image area method, and the change trend of the area with different parameters illustrates the constraint conditions of an efficient PV-TE hybrid system. These results provide a benchmark for efficient PV-TEG design.

The influence of narrative v. statistical information on perceiving vaccination risks.

Science.gov (United States)

Betsch, Cornelia; Ulshöfer, Corina; Renkewitz, Frank; Betsch, Tilmann

2011-01-01

Health-related information found on the Internet is increasing and impacts patient decision making, e.g. regarding vaccination decisions. In addition to statistical information (e.g. incidence rates of vaccine adverse events), narrative information is also widely available such as postings on online bulletin boards. Previous research has shown that narrative information can impact treatment decisions, even when statistical information is presented concurrently. As the determinants of this effect are largely unknown, we will vary features of the narratives to identify mechanisms through which narratives impact risk judgments. An online bulletin board setting provided participants with statistical information and authentic narratives about the occurrence and nonoccurrence of adverse events. Experiment 1 followed a single factorial design with 1, 2, or 4 narratives out of 10 reporting adverse events. Experiment 2 implemented a 2 (statistical risk 20% vs. 40%) × 2 (2/10 vs. 4/10 narratives reporting adverse events) × 2 (high vs. low richness) × 2 (high vs. low emotionality) between-subjects design. Dependent variables were perceived risk of side-effects and vaccination intentions. Experiment 1 shows an inverse relation between the number of narratives reporting adverse-events and vaccination intentions, which was mediated by the perceived risk of vaccinating. Experiment 2 showed a stronger influence of the number of narratives than of the statistical risk information. High (vs. low) emotional narratives had a greater impact on the perceived risk, while richness had no effect. The number of narratives influences risk judgments can potentially override statistical information about risk.

Distance and slope constraints: adaptation and variability in golf putting.

Science.gov (United States)

Dias, Gonçalo; Couceiro, Micael S; Barreiros, João; Clemente, Filipe M; Mendes, Rui; Martins, Fernando M

2014-07-01

The main objective of this study is to understand the adaptation to external constraints and the effects of variability in a golf putting task. We describe the adaptation of relevant variables of golf putting to the distance to the hole and to the addition of a slope. The sample consisted of 10 adult male (33.80 ± 11.89 years), volunteers, right handed and highly skilled golfers with an average handicap of 10.82. Each player performed 30 putts at distances of 2, 3 and 4 meters (90 trials in Condition 1). The participants also performed 90 trials, at the same distances, with a constraint imposed by a slope (Condition 2). The results indicate that the players change some parameters to adjust to the task constraints, namely the duration of the backswing phase, the speed of the club head and the acceleration at the moment of impact with the ball. The effects of different golf putting distances in the no-slope condition on different kinematic variables suggest a linear adjustment to distance variation that was not observed when in the slope condition.

Occupational dose constraint

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heilbron Filho, Paulo Fernando Lavalle; Xavier, Ana Maria

2005-01-01

The revision process of the international radiological protection regulations has resulted in the adoption of new concepts, such as practice, intervention, avoidable and restriction of dose (dose constraint). The latter deserving of special mention since it may involve reducing a priori of the dose limits established both for the public and to individuals occupationally exposed, values that can be further reduced, depending on the application of the principle of optimization. This article aims to present, with clarity, from the criteria adopted to define dose constraint values to the public, a methodology to establish the dose constraint values for occupationally exposed individuals, as well as an example of the application of this methodology to the practice of industrial radiography

Perceived Social Isolation and Outcomes in Patients With Heart Failure.

Science.gov (United States)

Manemann, Sheila M; Chamberlain, Alanna M; Roger, Véronique L; Griffin, Joan M; Boyd, Cynthia M; Cudjoe, Thomas K M; Jensen, Daniel; Weston, Susan A; Fabbri, Matteo; Jiang, Ruoxiang; Finney Rutten, Lila J

2018-05-23

Perceived social isolation has been shown to have a negative impact on health outcomes, particularly among older adults. However, these relationships have not been fully examined among patients with heart failure. Residents from 11 southeast Minnesota counties with a first-ever International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision ( ICD-9 ) code 428 for heart failure between January 1, 2013, and March 31, 2015 (N=3867), were prospectively surveyed to measure perceived social isolation. A total of 2003 patients returned the survey (response rate, 52%); 1681 patients completed all questions and were retained for analysis. Among these patients (53% men; mean age, 73 years), ≈19% (n=312) had moderate perceived social isolation and 6% (n=108) had high perceived social isolation. After adjustment, patients reporting moderate perceived social isolation did not have an increased risk of death, hospitalizations, or emergency department visits compared with patients reporting low perceived social isolation; however, patients reporting high perceived social isolation had >3.5 times increased risk of death (hazard ratio, 3.74; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.82-7.70), 68% increased risk of hospitalization (hazard ratio, 1.68; 95% CI, 1.18-2.39), and 57% increased risk of emergency department visits (hazard ratio, 1.57; 95% CI, 1.09-2.27). Compared with patients who self-reported low perceived social isolation, patients reporting moderate perceived social isolation had a 16% increased risk of outpatient visits (rate ratio, 1.16; 95% CI, 1.03-1.31), whereas those reporting high perceived social isolation had a 26% increased risk (rate ratio, 1.26; 95% CI, 1.04-1.53). In patients with heart failure, greater perceived social isolation is associated with an increased risk of death and healthcare use. Assessing perceived social isolation during the clinical encounter with a brief screening tool may help identify patients with heart failure at greater risk of poor outcomes. �

Perceived Social Support Mediating the Relationship between Perceived Stress and Job Satisfaction

Science.gov (United States)

Sultan, Sarwat; Rashid, Safia

2015-01-01

This research was conducted to examine the mediating effect of perceived social support between perceived stress and job satisfaction among employees. A conveniently selected sample of 280 employees provided the information on Perceived Social Support Scale, Perceived Stress Scale, and Job Satisfaction Survey. Employing Regression analyses,…

Perceived value creation process: focus on the company offer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Irena Pandža Bajs

2012-12-01

Full Text Available In the competitive business environment, as the number of rational consumers faced with many choices increases, companies can achieve their dominance best by applying the business concepts oriented to consumers in order to deliver a value which is different and better than that of their competitors. Among the various products on the market, an educated consumer chooses the offer that provides the greatest value for him/her. Therefore, it is essential for each company to determine how consumers perceive the value of its offer, and which factors determine the high level of perceived value for current and potential consumers. An analysis of these factors provides guidance on how to improve the existing offer and what the offer to be delivered in the future should be like. That could increase the perceived value of the company offer and result in a positive impact on consumer satisfaction and on establishing a stronger, longterm relationship with consumers. The process of defining the perceived value of a particular market offer is affected by the factors of the respective company’s offer as well as by competition factors, consumer factors and buying process factors. The aim of this paper is to analyze the relevant knowledge about the process of creating the perceived value of the company’s market offer and the factors that influence this process. The paper presents a conceptual model of the perceived value creation process in consumers’ mind.

Exploring the Impact of Early Decisions in Variable Ordering for Constraint Satisfaction Problems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

José Carlos Ortiz-Bayliss

2018-01-01

Full Text Available When solving constraint satisfaction problems (CSPs, it is a common practice to rely on heuristics to decide which variable should be instantiated at each stage of the search. But, this ordering influences the search cost. Even so, and to the best of our knowledge, no earlier work has dealt with how first variable orderings affect the overall cost. In this paper, we explore the cost of finding high-quality orderings of variables within constraint satisfaction problems. We also study differences among the orderings produced by some commonly used heuristics and the way bad first decisions affect the search cost. One of the most important findings of this work confirms the paramount importance of first decisions. Another one is the evidence that many of the existing variable ordering heuristics fail to appropriately select the first variable to instantiate. Another one is the evidence that many of the existing variable ordering heuristics fail to appropriately select the first variable to instantiate. We propose a simple method to improve early decisions of heuristics. By using it, performance of heuristics increases.

Exploring the Impact of Early Decisions in Variable Ordering for Constraint Satisfaction Problems.

Science.gov (United States)

Ortiz-Bayliss, José Carlos; Amaya, Ivan; Conant-Pablos, Santiago Enrique; Terashima-Marín, Hugo

2018-01-01

When solving constraint satisfaction problems (CSPs), it is a common practice to rely on heuristics to decide which variable should be instantiated at each stage of the search. But, this ordering influences the search cost. Even so, and to the best of our knowledge, no earlier work has dealt with how first variable orderings affect the overall cost. In this paper, we explore the cost of finding high-quality orderings of variables within constraint satisfaction problems. We also study differences among the orderings produced by some commonly used heuristics and the way bad first decisions affect the search cost. One of the most important findings of this work confirms the paramount importance of first decisions. Another one is the evidence that many of the existing variable ordering heuristics fail to appropriately select the first variable to instantiate. Another one is the evidence that many of the existing variable ordering heuristics fail to appropriately select the first variable to instantiate. We propose a simple method to improve early decisions of heuristics. By using it, performance of heuristics increases.

“How can I help you?” Perceived service orientation of tax authorities and tax compliance

OpenAIRE

Gangl, K.; Muehlbacher, S.; Groot, de, M.; Goslinga, S.; Hofmann, E.; Kogler, C.; Antonides, G.; Kirchler, E.

2013-01-01

Research on tax behavior has recognized the necessity of changing tax authorities’ approach from enforcement to service orientation. However, empirical investigations of the impact of perceived service orientation on tax compliance are scarce. The present study draws conclusions from survey data of representative samples of 807 Dutch private taxpayers and 1377 entrepreneurs. Perceived service orientation was found strongly related to tax compliance. Furthermore, the link between perceived ser...

Current Parental Depression and Offspring Perceived Self-Competence: A Quasi-Experimental Examination

Science.gov (United States)

Class, Quetzal A.; D’Onofrio, Brian M.; Singh, Amber L.; Ganiban, Jody M.; Spotts, E. L.; Lichtenstein, Paul; Reiss, David; Neiderhiser, Jenae M.

2013-01-01

A genetically-informed, quasi-experimental design was used to examine the genetic and environmental processes underlying associations between current parental depressive symptoms and offspring perceived self-competence. Participants, drawn from a population-based Swedish sample, were 852 twin pairs and their male (52%) and female offspring aged 15.7 ± 2.4 years. Parental depressive symptoms were measured using the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression scale. Offspring perceived self-competence was measured using a modified Harter Perceived Competence Scale. Cousin comparisons and Children of Twins (CoT) designs suggested that associations between maternal depressive symptoms and offspring perceived self-competence were due to shared genetic/environmental liability. The mechanism responsible for father-offspring associations, however, was independent of genetic factors and of extended-family environmental factors, supporting a causal inference. Thus, mothers and fathers may impact offspring perceived self-competence via different mechanisms and unmeasured genetic and environmental selection factors must be considered when studying the intergenerational transmission of cognitive vulnerabilities for depression. PMID:22692226

Current parental depression and offspring perceived self-competence: a quasi-experimental examination.

Science.gov (United States)

Class, Quetzal A; D'Onofrio, Brian M; Singh, Amber L; Ganiban, Jody M; Spotts, E L; Lichtenstein, Paul; Reiss, David; Neiderhiser, Jenae M

2012-09-01

A genetically-informed, quasi-experimental design was used to examine the genetic and environmental processes underlying associations between current parental depressive symptoms and offspring perceived self-competence. Participants, drawn from a population-based Swedish sample, were 852 twin pairs and their male (52 %) and female offspring aged 15.7 ± 2.4 years. Parental depressive symptoms were measured using the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression scale. Offspring perceived self-competence was measured using a modified Harter Perceived Competence Scale. Cousin comparisons and Children of Twins designs suggested that associations between maternal depressive symptoms and offspring perceived self-competence were due to shared genetic/environmental liability. The mechanism responsible for father-offspring associations, however, was independent of genetic factors and of extended family environmental factors, supporting a causal inference. Thus, mothers and fathers may impact offspring perceived self-competence via different mechanisms and unmeasured genetic and environmental selection factors must be considered when studying the intergenerational transmission of cognitive vulnerabilities for depression.

Impact of different types of retirement transitions on perceived satisfaction with life

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hershey, D.A.; Henkens, K.

2014-01-01

Purpose: This study examines how life satisfaction changes as a function of the transition into retirement, distinguishing between different types of voluntary and involuntary exits. Design and Methods: Perceived satisfaction with life (SWL) was measured among 1,388 older Dutch workers on two

How staff nurses perceive the impact of nurse managers' leadership style in terms of job satisfaction: a mixed method study.

Science.gov (United States)

Morsiani, Giuliana; Bagnasco, Annamaria; Sasso, Loredana

2017-03-01

To describe staff nurses' perceptions related to the leadership styles adopted by their nurse managers, identify which leadership style ensured job satisfaction in staff nurses and describe which behaviours nurse managers should change. Empirical literature suggests that leadership styles of nurse managers significantly influence staff satisfaction. However, few studies investigate how staff nurses perceive the leadership styles of their nurse managers, and how these impact upon the staff nurses' job satisfaction. This was a mixed method study, which included the administration of the Multi-factor Leadership Questionnaire and three focus groups. Ward nurse managers mostly adopted a transactional leadership style ('Management by exception active') aimed at monitoring errors and intervening to correct errors and punish, which had a negative impact on staff nurses' levels of job satisfaction. In contrast, the transformational leadership style, which is mostly correlated with satisfaction ('Idealized Influence Attributed', which staff nurses perceived as 'respect', 'caring for others', 'professional development' and 'appreciation'), was rarely practiced by nurse managers. The transformational leadership skills of Italian nurse managers need to be improved through behaviours based on greater respect, caring for others, professional development and appreciation. The present study could also serve as model to improve the leadership style of nurse managers in other countries. The themes of transformational leadership could serve as a guide for nurse managers to help them improve their leadership style, and improve the levels of job satisfaction in staff nurses. Owing to the complexity and the importance of this issue, classroom educational interventions would not be sufficient: it should be dealt as a strategic priority by nursing directors. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

University Students with Reading Difficulties: Do Perceived Supports and Comorbid Difficulties Predict Well-being and GPA?

Science.gov (United States)

Stack-Cutler, Holly L.; Parrila, Rauno K.; Torppa, Minna

2016-01-01

We examined the impact of the number of comorbid difficulties, social support, and community support on life satisfaction and academic achievement among 120 university students or recent graduates with self-reported reading difficulties. Participants completed a questionnaire assessing perceived social support, perceived community support, the…

Do Financial Constraints Moderate the Impact of Financing Decisions From Internal-financing Sources on Investment?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andewi Rokhmawati

2017-07-01

Full Text Available To prevent investment growth in 2013 to 2015 from decreasing, the Industrial Ministry provided fiscal incentives to stimulate investment-growth. Nevertheless, the investment growth of manufacturing firms still declined. This condition indicated that fiscal stimulus might be ineffective to prevent investment-growth from declining. The decline of investment might be influenced by the increase of firm financial constraints to access a source of long term debts. This study aimed to examine the influence of financial constraints in moderating the effect of financing decisions from internal financing sources on investment. The population of the study was all listed-manufacturing firms in Indonesia from 2013 to 2015. Samples were chosen based on the availability of firms’ financial report covering the period of the study. The study concluded that financial constraints significantly weaken the effect of internal funding decision on investment. Unconstrained firms had a higher beta than constrained firms. Although unconstrained firms had an opportunity to choose their source of funding, they preferred to finance their investment from cash flows because the cost of debts might be much higher than the cost of equity.Hence, to help firms to finance their feasible investment opportunity, the government should not only provide tax incentives but also provide a low-interest loan.

Influence of Body Odors and Gender on Perceived Genital Arousal.

Science.gov (United States)

Alves-Oliveira, Patrícia; Carvalho, Joana; Ferreira, Jacqueline; Alho, Laura; Nobre, Pedro; Olsson, Mats J; Soares, Sandra C

2018-04-01

Olfaction is often linked to mating behavior in nonhumans. Additionally, studies in mating behavior have shown that women seem to be more affected by odor cues than men. However, the relationship between odor cues and sexual response-specifically, sexual arousal-has not been studied yet. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of the exposure to human body odors (from individuals of the opposite gender) on perceived genital arousal, while these were presented concomitantly to sexually explicit video clips. Eighty university students (40 women) rated their perceived genital arousal (perceived degree of erection/genital lubrication) in response to an audiovisual sexual stimulus, while simultaneously exposed to a body odor from an opposite-gender donor or no odor. Participants also rated each odor sample's (body odor and no odor) perceived pleasantness, intensity, and familiarity. Findings indicated that odor condition had an effect on women's (but not men's) perceived genital arousal, with women showing higher levels of perceived genital arousal in the no odor condition. Also, results showed that women rated body odors as less pleasant than no odor. Notwithstanding, the odor ratings do not seem to explain the association between body odor and perceived genital arousal. The current results support the hypothesis that women, rather than men, are sensitive to odors in the context of sexual response. The findings of this study have relevance for the understanding of human sexuality with respect to chemosensory communication.

Integrated systems optimization model for biofuel development: The influence of environmental constraints

Science.gov (United States)

Housh, M.; Ng, T.; Cai, X.

2012-12-01

The environmental impact is one of the major concerns of biofuel development. While many other studies have examined the impact of biofuel expansion on stream flow and water quality, this study examines the problem from the other side - will and how a biofuel production target be affected by given environmental constraints. For this purpose, an integrated model comprises of different sub-systems of biofuel refineries, transportation, agriculture, water resources and crops/ethanol market has been developed. The sub-systems are integrated into one large-scale model to guide the optimal development plan considering the interdependency between the subsystems. The optimal development plan includes biofuel refineries location and capacity, refinery operation, land allocation between biofuel and food crops, and the corresponding stream flow and nitrate load in the watershed. The watershed is modeled as a network flow, in which the nodes represent sub-watersheds and the arcs are defined as the linkage between the sub-watersheds. The runoff contribution of each sub-watershed is determined based on the land cover and the water uses in that sub-watershed. Thus, decisions of other sub-systems such as the land allocation in the land use sub-system and the water use in the refinery sub-system define the sources and the sinks of the network. Environmental policies will be addressed in the integrated model by imposing stream flow and nitrate load constraints. These constraints can be specified by location and time in the watershed to reflect the spatial and temporal variation of the regulations. Preliminary results show that imposing monthly water flow constraints and yearly nitrate load constraints will change the biofuel development plan dramatically. Sensitivity analysis is performed to examine how the environmental constraints and their spatial and the temporal distribution influence the overall biofuel development plan and the performance of each of the sub

Solar constraints

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Provost, J.

1984-01-01

Accurate tests of the theory of stellar structure and evolution are available from the Sun's observations. The solar constraints are reviewed, with a special attention to the recent progress in observing global solar oscillations. Each constraint is sensitive to a given region of the Sun. The present solar models (standard, low Z, mixed) are discussed with respect to neutrino flux, low and high degree five-minute oscillations and low degree internal gravity modes. It appears that actually there do not exist solar models able to fully account for all the observed quantities. (Auth.)

Factors Affecting Perceived Satisfaction with Facebook in Education

Science.gov (United States)

Kanthawongs, Penjuree; Kanthawongs, Penjira; Chitcharoen, Chaisak

2016-01-01

[For full proceedings, see ED571332.]The aim of this study is to explore the impact of perspectives on Facebook in education and relational commitment towards perceived satisfaction with Facebook. The sample included 157 students of two private universities in Bangkok and Pathum Thani province of Thailand during April to May of academic year 2015…

Temporal Concurrent Constraint Programming

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Mogens; Valencia Posso, Frank Dan

2002-01-01

The ntcc calculus is a model of non-deterministic temporal concurrent constraint programming. In this paper we study behavioral notions for this calculus. In the underlying computational model, concurrent constraint processes are executed in discrete time intervals. The behavioral notions studied...... reflect the reactive interactions between concurrent constraint processes and their environment, as well as internal interactions between individual processes. Relationships between the suggested notions are studied, and they are all proved to be decidable for a substantial fragment of the calculus...

The Influences of Perceived Factors on Consumer Purchasing Behavior: In the Perspective of Online Shopping Capability of Consumers

OpenAIRE

Yingcong Xu; Lu Long; Lingying Zhang; Wojie Tan

2013-01-01

In this study, firstly, based on related researches about consumer online purchasing behavior before, we proposed that there were some perceived factors that influence perceived value which has a direct impact on consumer’s online purchasing decision-making. Secondly, on the analysis for the antecedent of consumer perceived factors with online shopping, we proposed the definition of online shopping capability of consumer and try to explore what factors would affect consumers’ perceived value ...

Can the identity of a behavior setting be perceived through patterns of joint action? An investigation of place perception.

Science.gov (United States)

Heft, Harry; Hoch, Justine; Edmunds, Trent; Weeks, Jillian

2014-10-13

"Behavior settings" are generated by joint actions of individuals in conjunction with the milieu features (or affordances) that are available. The reported research explores the hypothesis that the identity or meaning of a behavior setting can be perceived by means of the patterns of action collectively generated by the setting's participants. A set of computer animations was created based on detailed observation of activities in everyday settings. Three experiments were conducted to assess whether perceivers could extract "structure from motion" (in this case, collective actions) that was specific to the particular behavior setting displayed by way of the animations. Two experiments assessed whether individuals could accurately perceive the identity of the behavior settings with such displays, and a third experiment indirectly examined this possibility by evaluating whether setting possibilities and constraints were recognized. The results offered some support for the hypothesis, and suggested several refinements in how to conceptualize a typology of behavior settings. An ecological approach to place perception is also discussed.

Differential Evolutionary Constraints in the Evolution of Chemoreceptors: A Murine and Human Case Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ricardo D’Oliveira Albanus

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Chemoreception is among the most important sensory modalities in animals. Organisms use the ability to perceive chemical compounds in all major ecological activities. Recent studies have allowed the characterization of chemoreceptor gene families. These genes present strikingly high variability in copy numbers and pseudogenization degrees among different species, but the mechanisms underlying their evolution are not fully understood. We have analyzed the functional networks of these genes, their orthologs distribution, and performed phylogenetic analyses in order to investigate their evolutionary dynamics. We have modeled the chemosensory networks and compared the evolutionary constraints of their genes in Mus musculus, Homo sapiens, and Rattus norvegicus. We have observed significant differences regarding the constraints on the orthologous groups and network topologies of chemoreceptors and signal transduction machinery. Our findings suggest that chemosensory receptor genes are less constrained than their signal transducing machinery, resulting in greater receptor diversity and conservation of information processing pathways. More importantly, we have observed significant differences among the receptors themselves, suggesting that olfactory and bitter taste receptors are more conserved than vomeronasal receptors.

Experimental constraint on quark electric dipole moments

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Tianbo; Zhao, Zhiwen; Gao, Haiyan

2018-04-01

The electric dipole moments (EDMs) of nucleons are sensitive probes of additional C P violation sources beyond the standard model to account for the baryon number asymmetry of the universe. As a fundamental quantity of the nucleon structure, tensor charge is also a bridge that relates nucleon EDMs to quark EDMs. With a combination of nucleon EDM measurements and tensor charge extractions, we investigate the experimental constraint on quark EDMs, and its sensitivity to C P violation sources from new physics beyond the electroweak scale. We obtain the current limits on quark EDMs as 1.27 ×10-24 e .cm for the up quark and 1.17 ×10-24 e .cm for the down quark at the scale of 4 GeV2 . We also study the impact of future nucleon EDM and tensor charge measurements, and show that upcoming new experiments will improve the constraint on quark EDMs by about 3 orders of magnitude leading to a much more sensitive probe of new physics models.

Organizational Justice and Perceived Organizational Support: Impact on Negative Work-Home Interference and Well-being Outcomes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Audrey Babic

2015-10-01

Full Text Available It is well established that negative work-home interference (NegWHI impacts upon several work attitudes and behaviors. In the interests of both organizational effectiveness and employee well-being, it is important to identify concepts related to NegWHI and investigate their effects on well-being outcomes. This study examines the mediating role of (1 perceived organizational support (POS in the relationship between organizational justice (OJ and NegWHI; and (2 NegWHI in the relationships between POS and four well-being outcomes. A total of 509 employees of a Belgian hospital were surveyed. Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling and the bootstrapping method. Results showed that POS partially mediates the relationships between distributive and passive procedural justice and NegWHI, and fully mediates the relationship between the other justice dimensions and NegWHI. NegWHI partially mediates the relationships between POS and both job satisfaction and intention to quit, and fully mediates the relationship between POS and job strain. Furthermore, POS is positively related to job engagement. This study showed that organizations can help employees to better manage their work and family lives and reduce the impact of NegWHI by enhancing employees’ feeling that they are supported by their organization. In order to increase POS, organizations need to promote justice in the workplace.

Perceived Changes in Well-Being of Parents with a Child in a Therapeutic Toddler Class.

Science.gov (United States)

Hendriks, Alexander H. C.; De Moor, Jan M. H.; Oud, Johan H. L.; Savelberg, Martine M. H. W.

2000-01-01

Eighty-one Dutch mothers and 67 fathers completed a questionnaire developed to measure perceived changes in well-being of parents with a toddler with motor disabilities who participated in a therapeutic toddler class. Parents perceived a positive change in well-being 10 months after their child started participation. The impact was greater for…

Customer Satisfaction, Perceived Service Quality and Mediating Role of Perceived Value

OpenAIRE

Malik, Saif Ullah

2012-01-01

The main objective of this study is to first find out perceived service quality using SERVQUAL and then the role of perceived value as a mediating variable in the service sector of Pakistan. Both descriptive and inferential statistical techniques are used to analyze the effects of independent variables (i.e. perceived service quality) on customer satisfaction (dependent variable) and the role of mediating variable (i.e. perceived value). Stepwise regression analysis is used to examine the eff...

Brief motivational intervention for college drinking: the synergistic impact of social anxiety and perceived drinking norms.

Science.gov (United States)

Terlecki, Meredith A; Buckner, Julia D; Larimer, Mary E; Copeland, Amy L

2012-12-01

Despite the efficacy of Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students (BASICS), students with higher social anxiety appear vulnerable to poorer outcomes. A possible explanation for these outcomes is that corrective normative feedback (an active component of BASICS) may be less effective for socially anxious students if their beliefs about others' drinking are less malleable because of intense fear of negative evaluation for deviating from perceived drinking norms. This study evaluated whether socially anxious students demonstrated less change in perceived norms during BASICS. We also examined whether change in norm endorsement moderated the relation between social anxiety and BASICS outcomes. Undergraduates (n = 52) who underwent BASICS completed measures of drinking, social anxiety, and perceived norms at baseline and 4 weeks post-BASICS. Higher social anxiety was related to less change in norm endorsement after receiving BASICS. Change in perceived norms during treatment moderated the relation between social anxiety and follow-up drinking. Among students with smaller change in norm endorsement after BASICS, higher social anxiety was related to heavier follow-up drinking. Among students with greater changes to norm endorsement during BASICS, the effect of social anxiety was nonsignificant. Results suggest that corrective perceived norms interventions may be less effective among socially anxious students, contributing to continued heavy drinking. Development of social anxiety-specific BASICS components warrants attention. 2013 APA, all rights reserved

Theory of Constraints (TOC)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Michelsen, Aage U.

2004-01-01

Tankegangen bag Theory of Constraints samt planlægningsprincippet Drum-Buffer-Rope. Endvidere skitse af The Thinking Process.......Tankegangen bag Theory of Constraints samt planlægningsprincippet Drum-Buffer-Rope. Endvidere skitse af The Thinking Process....

Impact of anxiety, apathy and reduced functional autonomy on perceived quality of life in Parkinson's disease.

Science.gov (United States)

D'Iorio, Alfonsina; Vitale, Carmine; Piscopo, Fausta; Baiano, Chiara; Falanga, Anna Paola; Longo, Katia; Amboni, Marianna; Barone, Paolo; Santangelo, Gabriella

2017-10-01

Parkinson's disease (PD) is characterized by a wide spectrum of non-motor symptoms that may impact negatively on the activities of the patient's daily life and reduce Health-related quality of life (HRQoL). The present study explored the impact of specific non-motor symptoms on the HRQoL in PD. Eighty-four outpatients underwent the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) assessing global functioning and several questionnaires to assess depression, apathy, impulse control disorders (ICD), anxiety, anhedonia and functional impact of cognitive impairment. The perceived QoL was assessed by Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire (PDQ-8). The PD sample was divided into patients with high and low HRQoL around the median of PDQ-8 and compared on clinical features, cognitive and neuropsychiatric variables. A linear regression analysis, in which the global functioning, apathy, depression, anxiety, anhedonia, ICD and the functional autonomy scores were entered as independent variables and PDQ-8 score as dependent variable, was applied. Patients with lower HRQoL were more depressed, apathetic, anxious and showed more severe reduction of functional autonomy and global functioning than patients with high HRQoL. The regression analysis revealed that higher level of anxiety, executive apathy and more reduced functional autonomy were significantly associated with higher score on PDQ-8. The finding indicated that anxiety, apathy associated with impaired planning, attention and organization (i.e., executive apathy evaluated by the Dimensional Apathy Scale) and reduced functional autonomy contribute significantly to reduce the HRQoL in PD. Therefore, early identification and management of these neuropsychiatric symptoms should be relevant to preserve HRQoL in PD. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Perceived parental monitoring and adolescent internet addiction: A moderated mediation model.

Science.gov (United States)

Ding, Qingwen; Li, Dongping; Zhou, Yueyue; Dong, Hongning; Luo, Jinjing

2017-11-01

Bronfenbrenner's (1979) ecological model focuses on the interrelation between different contexts and the interaction between individuals and their proximal contexts. Based on this theory, the present study tested a moderated mediation model of family, peer, and individual characteristics to investigate how they impact adolescent Internet addiction. Specifically, we examined whether deviant peer affiliation partially mediated the relation between perceived parental monitoring and adolescent Internet addiction, and whether this indirect relation was moderated by effortful control. A total of 747 Chinese middle school students filled out anonymous questionnaires concerning perceived parental monitoring, deviant peer affiliation, effortful control, and Internet addiction. The findings indicated that while the impact of parental monitoring on Internet addiction was partially mediated by deviant peer affiliation, effortful control moderated the first stage of the indirect relationship. For low effortful control adolescents, perceived parental monitoring negatively predicted deviant peer affiliation. Conversely, the indirect path was not significant for high effortful control adolescents. These findings highlight the need to consider family, peer and individual factors simultaneously when evaluating risks associated with adolescent Internet addiction and have important implications for the prevention and intervention of adolescent Internet addiction. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Constraint Embedding for Multibody System Dynamics

Science.gov (United States)

Jain, Abhinandan

2009-01-01

This paper describes a constraint embedding approach for the handling of local closure constraints in multibody system dynamics. The approach uses spatial operator techniques to eliminate local-loop constraints from the system and effectively convert the system into tree-topology systems. This approach allows the direct derivation of recursive O(N) techniques for solving the system dynamics and avoiding the expensive steps that would otherwise be required for handling the closedchain dynamics. The approach is very effective for systems where the constraints are confined to small-subgraphs within the system topology. The paper provides background on the spatial operator O(N) algorithms, the extensions for handling embedded constraints, and concludes with some examples of such constraints.

Perceived Impact of Terrorism on Nigerian Youths and Society ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The terrorists' strategies draw the attention of the local populace, the ... The impact factors assessed are social impact, psychological impact divided into ... literature on effect of terrorist activities on people in general and Nigerians in particular.

Exploring the Impact of Perceived Teaching Style on Behavioral Intention toward Moodle Reading System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Peng-Chun Lin

2014-05-01

Full Text Available The advances of information technology have significantly changed ways of teaching and learning in education. Compared to Computer Aided Instruction (CAI, Computer Aided Learning (CAL is student-centered and has become one of the popular ways in learning in different fields. As we all know, the Internet has been commonly used, and a variety of e-learning systems and materials have been designed and applied in schools. Researchers have applied theoretical models, such as TAM, TPB and UTAUT to explore individuals’ adoption and acceptance of technologies. In some researches, demographic individual difference has been proposed as an essential factor in adopting technologies. However, more studies have examined cognitiveoriented individual difference, especially Learning Style and Teaching Style, for users’ acceptance toward system usage. In this study, we explored how Perceived Teaching Style affects ESL/EFL (English as a Second/Foreign Language students’ adoption of the Moodle Reader System by using a revised TAM. Our results indicated that the ways how Perceived Ease to Use (PE relates to Perceived Usefulness (PU from the two Perceived Teaching Style clusters are different. This is valuable information for English course designers or instructors when they consider incorporating e-learning projects into their curriculum. It is also useful for system designers for developing their new learning management systems. For future studies, both Learning Style and Teaching Style will be examined to find out the relationship between the two factors and how they influence system users’ acceptance toward the learning management platform.

Perceived oral health status and treatment needs of dental auxiliaries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Clement C. Azodo

2010-03-01

Full Text Available Objective: To determine the perceived oral health status and treatment needs of Nigerian dental therapists in training and dental technology students. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study of students from Federal School of Dental Therapy and Technology Enugu, Nigeria was conducted using self-administered questionnaire to obtain information on demography, self-reported oral health status, knowledge of impact of oral health on daily life activity, dental attendance and perceived dental need. Results: The perception of oral health status and treatment need of the two groups of dental auxiliaries was the same. Fewer respondents (27.3% rated their oral health as excellent, while 50.4% rated their oral health as good. Majority (95.5% agreed that oral health is a part of general health and 94.6% agreed that oral health has a role in daily life.Out of 81.4% that had previous dental treatment, scaling and polishing accounted for 66.1%. Presently, 48.8% think they need dental treatment ranging from scaling and polishing (33.9%, tooth restoration (10.3%, to extraction (1.2%. Conclusion: This survey revealed that most of the students are aware that oral health is a component of general health and that it has an impact on an individual's daily life. More than half of the students perceived their oral health as good, but only a few knew that there is a need for a preventive approach to oral health as evident by the percentage that perceived scaling and polishing as a treatment need.

Combining Market-Based Control with Distribution Grid Constraints when Coordinating Electric Vehicle Charging

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Geert Deconinck

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The charging of electric vehicles (EVs impacts the distribution grid, and its cost depends on the price of electricity when charging. An aggregator that is responsible for a large fleet of EVs can use a market-based control algorithm to coordinate the charging of these vehicles, in order to minimize the costs. In such an optimization, the operational parameters of the distribution grid, to which the EVs are connected, are not considered. This can lead to violations of the technical constraints of the grid (e.g., under-voltage, phase unbalances; for example, because many vehicles start charging simultaneously when the price is low. An optimization that simultaneously takes the economic and technical aspects into account is complex, because it has to combine time-driven control at the market level with event-driven control at the operational level. Different case studies investigate under which circumstances the market-based control, which coordinates EV charging, conflicts with the operational constraints of the distribution grid. Especially in weak grids, phase unbalance and voltage issues arise with a high share of EVs. A low-level voltage droop controller at the charging point of the EV can be used to avoid many grid constraint violations, by reducing the charge power if the local voltage is too low. While this action implies a deviation from the cost-optimal operating point, it is shown that this has a very limited impact on the business case of an aggregator, and is able to comply with the technical distribution grid constraints, even in weak distribution grids with many EVs.

Facebook Users’ Engagement and Perceived Life Satisfaction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tammy R. Vigil

2015-07-01

Full Text Available This study extends existing research on Facebook’s impact on users’ life satisfaction. The results from two surveys of college students demonstrate a tension between Facebook use and users’ perceived contentment with their lives. Existing literature indicates students use Facebook to enhance self-esteem, yet the results from this study connect increased Facebook use to lower self-reported levels of happiness. In particular, respondents’ interactions with photos and videos increase users’ dissatisfaction. This phenomenon may be due to the impact photos have on the ways users engage in social comparisons with Facebook “friends” and the self-construals they create based on these comparisons.

Selection of new constraints

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sugier, A.

2003-01-01

The selected new constraints should be consistent with the scale of concern i.e. be expressed roughly as fractions or multiples of the average annual background. They should take into account risk considerations and include the values of the currents limits, constraints and other action levels. The recommendation is to select four leading values for the new constraints: 500 mSv ( single event or in a decade) as a maximum value, 0.01 mSv/year as a minimum value; and two intermediate values: 20 mSv/year and 0.3 mSv/year. This new set of dose constraints, representing basic minimum standards of protection for the individuals taking into account the specificity of the exposure situations are thus coherent with the current values which can be found in ICRP Publications. A few warning need however to be noticed: There is no more multi sources limit set by ICRP. The coherence between the proposed value of dose constraint (20 mSv/year) and the current occupational dose limit of 20 mSv/year is valid only if the workers are exposed to one single source. When there is more than one source, it will be necessary to apportion. The value of 1000 mSv lifetimes used for relocation can be expressed into annual dose, which gives approximately 10 mSv/year and is coherent with the proposed dose constraint. (N.C.)

Impacts of Groundwater Constraints on Saudi Arabia's Low-Carbon Electricity Supply Strategy.

Science.gov (United States)

Parkinson, Simon C; Djilali, Ned; Krey, Volker; Fricko, Oliver; Johnson, Nils; Khan, Zarrar; Sedraoui, Khaled; Almasoud, Abdulrahman H

2016-02-16

Balancing groundwater depletion, socioeconomic development and food security in Saudi Arabia will require policy that promotes expansion of unconventional freshwater supply options, such as wastewater recycling and desalination. As these processes consume more electricity than conventional freshwater supply technologies, Saudi Arabia's electricity system is vulnerable to groundwater conservation policy. This paper examines strategies for adapting to long-term groundwater constraints in Saudi Arabia's freshwater and electricity supply sectors with an integrated modeling framework. The approach combines electricity and freshwater supply planning models across provinces to provide an improved representation of coupled infrastructure systems. The tool is applied to study the interaction between policy aimed at a complete phase-out of nonrenewable groundwater extraction and concurrent policy aimed at achieving deep reductions in electricity sector carbon emissions. We find that transitioning away from nonrenewable groundwater use by the year 2050 could increase electricity demand by more than 40% relative to 2010 conditions, and require investments similar to strategies aimed at transitioning away from fossil fuels in the electricity sector. Higher electricity demands under groundwater constraints reduce flexibility of supply side options in the electricity sector to limit carbon emissions, making it more expensive to fulfill climate sustainability objectives. The results of this analysis underscore the importance of integrated long-term planning approaches for Saudi Arabia's electricity and freshwater supply systems.

Low energy constraints and scalar leptoquarks⋆

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fajfer Svjetlana

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The presence of a colored weak doublet scalar state with mass below 1 TeV can provide an explanation of the observed branching ratios in B → D(∗τντ decays. Constraints coming from Z → bb̄, muon g − 2, lepton flavor violating decays are derived. The colored scalar is accommodated within 45 representation of SU(5 group of unification. We show that presence of color scalar can improve mass relations in the up-type quark sector mass. Impact of the colored scalar embedding in 45-dimensional representation of SU(5 on low-energy phenomenology is also presented.

Sensitivity analysis of respiratory parameter uncertainties: impact of criterion function form and constraints.

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Lutchen, K R

1990-08-01

A sensitivity analysis based on weighted least-squares regression is presented to evaluate alternative methods for fitting lumped-parameter models to respiratory impedance data. The goal is to maintain parameter accuracy simultaneously with practical experiment design. The analysis focuses on predicting parameter uncertainties using a linearized approximation for joint confidence regions. Applications are with four-element parallel and viscoelastic models for 0.125- to 4-Hz data and a six-element model with separate tissue and airway properties for input and transfer impedance data from 2-64 Hz. The criterion function form was evaluated by comparing parameter uncertainties when data are fit as magnitude and phase, dynamic resistance and compliance, or real and imaginary parts of input impedance. The proper choice of weighting can make all three criterion variables comparable. For the six-element model, parameter uncertainties were predicted when both input impedance and transfer impedance are acquired and fit simultaneously. A fit to both data sets from 4 to 64 Hz could reduce parameter estimate uncertainties considerably from those achievable by fitting either alone. For the four-element models, use of an independent, but noisy, measure of static compliance was assessed as a constraint on model parameters. This may allow acceptable parameter uncertainties for a minimum frequency of 0.275-0.375 Hz rather than 0.125 Hz. This reduces data acquisition requirements from a 16- to a 5.33- to 8-s breath holding period. These results are approximations, and the impact of using the linearized approximation for the confidence regions is discussed.

Physical activity and senior games participation: benefits, constraints, and behaviors.

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Cardenas, David; Henderson, Karla A; Wilson, Beth E

2009-04-01

The purpose of the article was to examine the physical activity perceptions and behaviors of older adults who were active participants in a statewide senior games (i.e., North Carolina Senior Games; NCSG) program with its focus on year-round involvement through activities in local communities. A random sample of 440 older adults (55 years and older) completed a questionnaire in 2006 about their participation in community-based senior games. A uniqueness of this study is its focus on active older adults, which provides insight into how to maintain physical involvement. Older adults who were most active perceived the most benefits from senior games but did not necessarily have the fewest constraints. This study of NCSG as an organization designed to promote healthy living in communities offered an example of how a social-ecological framework aimed at health promotion can be applied.

Air movement and perceived air quality

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Melikov, Arsen Krikor; Kaczmarczyk, J.

2012-01-01

The impact of air movement on perceived air quality (PAQ) and sick building syndrome (SBS) symptoms was studied. In total, 124 human subjects participated in four series of experiments performed in climate chambers at different combinations of room air temperature (20, 23, 26 and 28 °C), relative...... and the humidity of the room air. At a low humidity level of 30% an increased velocity could compensate for the decrease in perceived air quality due to an elevated temperature ranging from 20 °C to 26 °C. In a room with 26 °C, increased air movement was also able to compensate for an increase in humidity from 30...... humidity (30, 40 and 70%) and pollution level (low and high). Most of the experiments were performed with and without facially applied airflow at elevated velocity. The importance of the use of recirculated room air and clean, cool and dry outdoor air was studied. The exposures ranged from 60. min to 235...

Temporal Concurrent Constraint Programming

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Mogens; Palamidessi, Catuscia; Valencia, Frank Dan

2002-01-01

The ntcc calculus is a model of non-deterministic temporal concurrent constraint programming. In this paper we study behavioral notions for this calculus. In the underlying computational model, concurrent constraint processes are executed in discrete time intervals. The behavioral notions studied...

Nurses Returning to School: Motivators, Inhibitors and Job Satisfaction.

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Harris, Patrick W; Burman, Mary E

2016-01-01

Health care employers and national nursing organizations are placing increased emphasis on nurses earning a baccalaureate degree or higher. This study examines the impact of motivators (professional and personal motivation), inhibitors (time constraints and employer discouragement), and job satisfaction on intent to return to school. Approximately half of the employed nurses in Wyoming were surveyed using a mailed questionnaire in the summer of 2013. Perceived employer discouragement and time constraints continued to play a direct role on intent to return to school regardless of nurse motivation or job satisfaction. However, motivation and job satisfaction also contributed to a nurse's intent to return to school. These results suggest that motivation and job satisfaction are significant regarding intent to return to school but can be limited by both perceived discouragement of one's employer and perceived time constraints. In order to meet the increasing demands of a better-educated nursing workforce, a shift in workplace dynamics may be warranted. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Perceived Organizational ERP Benefits for SMEs: Middle Eastern Perspective

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Soud Almahamid

2015-10-01

Full Text Available This study aims to examine the impact of organizational environment (top management support, company-wide support, business process reengineering, effective project management, and organizational culture and enterprise resource planning (ERP vendor environment (ERP vendor support on ERP perceived benefits. In order to achieve the study’s aim, a questionnaire was developed based on the extant literature to collect relevant data from the research informants. The population for this research consisted of all users of Microsoft Dynamics Great Plains (a typical type of enterprise system, which is frequently used in Jordanian companies in Amman City. A random sample of 30% of the research population was selected. The results revealed that business process reengineering, effective project management, company-wide support, and organizational culture have a positive correlation with ERP perceived benefits, whereas top management support does not. In addition, there is a significant positive correlation between vendor support and ERP perceived benefits. Academic and practical recommendations are provided.

Perceived game realism: a test of three alternative models.

Science.gov (United States)

Ribbens, Wannes

2013-01-01

Perceived realism is considered a key concept in explaining the mental processing of media messages and the societal impact of media. Despite its importance, little is known about its conceptualization and dimensional structure, especially with regard to digital games. The aim of this study was to test a six-factor model of perceived game realism comprised of simulational realism, freedom of choice, perceptual pervasiveness, social realism, authenticity, and character involvement and to assess it against an alternative single- and five-factor model. Data were collected from 380 male digital game users who judged the realism of the first-person shooter Half-Life 2 based upon their previous experience with the game. Confirmatory factor analysis was applied to investigate which model fits the data best. The results support the six-factor model over the single- and five-factor solutions. The study contributes to our knowledge of perceived game realism by further developing its conceptualization and measurement.

Geographical constraints to range-based attacks on links in complex networks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gong Baihua; Liu Jun; Huang Liang; Yang Kongqing; Yang Lei

2008-01-01

In this paper, we studied range-based attacks on links in geographically constrained scale-free networks and found that there is a continuous switching of roles of short- and long-range attacks on links when tuning the geographical constraint strength. Our results demonstrate that the geography has a significant impact on the network efficiency and security; thus one can adjust the geographical structure to optimize the robustness and the efficiency of the networks. We introduce a measurement of the impact of links on the efficiency of the network, and an effective attacking strategy is suggested

Rap Music Use, Perceived Peer Behavior, and Sexual Initiation Among Ethnic Minority Youth.

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Johnson-Baker, Kimberly A; Markham, Christine; Baumler, Elizabeth; Swain, Honora; Emery, Susan

2016-03-01

Research shows that rap music use is associated with risky sexual behavior in ethnic minority youth; however, it is unknown whether rap music use impacts sexual initiation specifically and, if so, which factors mediate this impact. Thus, we investigated the longitudinal relationship between hours spent listening to rap music in seventh grade and sexual initiation in ninth grade. We also examined the role of perceived peer sexual behavior as a potential mediator of this relationship. We analyzed data from students (n = 443) enrolled in a school-based randomized controlled trial of a sexual health education curriculum collected at baseline and at 18-month follow-up. Rap music use and perceived peer sexual behavior were assessed in seventh grade, whereas sexual initiation was assessed in ninth grade. Univariate, multivariate, and mediation analyses were conducted. At baseline, rap music use was significantly associated with race/ethnicity, parental music rules, and sexual behavior, but not with gender or parental education. Rap music use was a significant predictor of sexual initiation on univariate analysis but not multivariate analysis. Mediation analysis showed that the association between hours spent listening to rap music and sexual initiation was significantly mediated by perceived peer sexual behavior. Rap music use in early adolescence significantly impacts sexual initiation in late adolescence, partially mediated by perceived peer sexual behavior. More research is needed to understand how rap music influences perceptions of peer sexual behavior, which, in turn, influence early sexual initiation. Copyright © 2016 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The training value and constraints of established beliefs within teacher training: what is not seen but is perceived in the classroom

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carmen Oliver Vera

2009-04-01

Full Text Available The present article is a reflection on the value of beliefs in both initial and in-service teacher training, and the constraints that they may entail for learning and change. It is framed within the investigation on teachers’ thoughts and focuses on the construction of professional knowledge from the training-innovation relation taking an ecological perspective of knowledge. The concept of belief is defined as an affective and emotional personal dimension, intimately bound to one’s own culture that is manifested in the context in which we are immersed and of which we form part, which in turn exerts an influence on us and on what we do. It is argued that there is a need to take training in this dimension into account in order to promote autonomy as well as professional knowledge self-regulation. Significant constraints which can be overcome are pointed out: not to allow for variation, not to provide arguments, not to promote security to keep on advancing.

Efficient Searching with Linear Constraints

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Agarwal, Pankaj K.; Arge, Lars Allan; Erickson, Jeff

2000-01-01

We show how to preprocess a set S of points in d into an external memory data structure that efficiently supports linear-constraint queries. Each query is in the form of a linear constraint xd a0+∑d−1i=1 aixi; the data structure must report all the points of S that satisfy the constraint. This pr...

Perceived discrimination amongst young people in socio-economically disadvantaged communities: Parental support and community identity buffer (some) negative impacts of stigma.

Science.gov (United States)

Bradshaw, Daragh; Jay, Sarah; McNamara, Namh; Stevenson, Clifford; Muldoon, Orla T

2016-06-01

There is increasing acceptance that children are not unaware of when they are targets of discrimination. However, discrimination as a consequence of socio-economic disadvantage remains understudied. The aim of this study was to examine the impact of perceived discrimination on well-being, perceptions of safety and school integration amongst children growing up within socio-economically disadvantaged communities in Limerick, Ireland. Mediation analysis was used to explore these relationships and to examine the potential role of parental support and community identity in boys and girls in the 6th to 9th year of compulsory education (N = 199). Results indicate perceived discrimination contributed to negative outcomes in terms of school integration, perceptions of safety and levels of well-being. Age and gender differences were observed which disadvantaged boys and younger children. All negative outcomes were buffered by parental support. Community identity also protected young people in terms of feelings of school integration and risk but not in terms of psychological well-being. Findings are discussed in terms of the different role of family and community supports for children negotiating negative social representations of their community. © 2015 The British Psychological Society.

Political mobilization of Dutch Muslims : religious identity salience, goal framing and normative constraints

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Phalet, Karen; Baysu, Gülseli

2010-01-01

This article addresses the question of when and for what purpose Muslims will act collectively in the political arena. The impact of religious identity salience, goal framing, and normative constraints on political mobilization was examined in two Muslim communities with different group positions in

Perceived gender in clear and conversational speech

Science.gov (United States)

Booz, Jaime A.

with making adjustments to improve speech clarity have a larger impact on perceived femininity than others. Using a clear speech strategy alone may not be sufficient for a male speaker to be perceived as female, but could be used as one of many tools to help speakers achieve more "feminine" speech, in conjunction with more specific strategies targeting the acoustic parameters outlined in this study.

The Impact of a Mindfulness Based Program on Perceived Stress, Anxiety, Depression and Sleep of Incarcerated Women

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ginette G. Ferszt

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Incarcerated women enter the prison setting with remarkable histories of trauma, mental health and substance abuse issues. Given the stress of incarceration and separation from their children, families, and significant others, it is not surprising that many women experience increased anxiety, depression, and problems with sleep. Due to these negative outcomes, it is imperative to find efficient non-pharmacological interventions. This pilot study examined the impact of a 12-week mindfulness based program on the stress, anxiety, depression and sleep of women with a total of 33 completing the study. In one group, women’s perceived stress, anxiety and depression were all significantly lower following the intervention compared to prior to the intervention. Challenges with implementing the pilot study are addressed. Despite challenges and limitations, the low-cost non-pharmacological intervention has potential for a reducing the symptoms of anxiety and depression.

The Impact of Gender, Occupation, and Presence of Children on Telecommuting Motivations and Constraints.

Science.gov (United States)

Mokhtarian, Patricia L.; Bagley, Michael N.; Salomon, Ilan

1998-01-01

Discussion of telecommuting motivations and constraints focuses on a study that analyzed differences in variables due to gender, occupation, and presence of children for 583 employees of the city of San Diego. Research hypotheses are discussed, and implications for forming policies to support telecommuting are suggested. (Author/LRW)

Constraint Specialisation in Horn Clause Verification

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kafle, Bishoksan; Gallagher, John Patrick

2015-01-01

We present a method for specialising the constraints in constrained Horn clauses with respect to a goal. We use abstract interpretation to compute a model of a query-answer transformation of a given set of clauses and a goal. The effect is to propagate the constraints from the goal top......-down and propagate answer constraints bottom-up. Our approach does not unfold the clauses at all; we use the constraints from the model to compute a specialised version of each clause in the program. The approach is independent of the abstract domain and the constraints theory underlying the clauses. Experimental...

Constraint specialisation in Horn clause verification

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kafle, Bishoksan; Gallagher, John Patrick

2017-01-01

We present a method for specialising the constraints in constrained Horn clauses with respect to a goal. We use abstract interpretation to compute a model of a query–answer transformed version of a given set of clauses and a goal. The constraints from the model are then used to compute...... a specialised version of each clause. The effect is to propagate the constraints from the goal top-down and propagate answer constraints bottom-up. The specialisation procedure can be repeated to yield further specialisation. The approach is independent of the abstract domain and the constraint theory...

Modeling water resources as a constraint in electricity capacity expansion models

Science.gov (United States)

Newmark, R. L.; Macknick, J.; Cohen, S.; Tidwell, V. C.; Woldeyesus, T.; Martinez, A.

2013-12-01

In the United States, the electric power sector is the largest withdrawer of freshwater in the nation. The primary demand for water from the electricity sector is for thermoelectric power plant cooling. Areas likely to see the largest near-term growth in population and energy usage, the Southwest and the Southeast, are also facing freshwater scarcity and have experienced water-related power reliability issues in the past decade. Lack of water may become a barrier for new conventionally-cooled power plants, and alternative cooling systems will impact technology cost and performance. Although water is integral to electricity generation, it has long been neglected as a constraint in future electricity system projections. Assessing the impact of water resource scarcity on energy infrastructure development is critical, both for conventional and renewable energy technologies. Efficiently utilizing all water types, including wastewater and brackish sources, or utilizing dry-cooling technologies, will be essential for transitioning to a low-carbon electricity system. This work provides the first demonstration of a national electric system capacity expansion model that incorporates water resources as a constraint on the current and future U.S. electricity system. The Regional Electricity Deployment System (ReEDS) model was enhanced to represent multiple cooling technology types and limited water resource availability in its optimization of electricity sector capacity expansion to 2050. The ReEDS model has high geographic and temporal resolution, making it a suitable model for incorporating water resources, which are inherently seasonal and watershed-specific. Cooling system technologies were assigned varying costs (capital, operations and maintenance), and performance parameters, reflecting inherent tradeoffs in water impacts and operating characteristics. Water rights supply curves were developed for each of the power balancing regions in ReEDS. Supply curves include costs

Association between Perceived Discrimination in Healthcare Settings and HIV Medication Adherence: Mediating Psychosocial Mechanisms.

Science.gov (United States)

Turan, Bulent; Rogers, Anna Joy; Rice, Whitney S; Atkins, Ghislaine C; Cohen, Mardge H; Wilson, Tracey E; Adimora, Adaora A; Merenstein, Daniel; Adedimeji, Adebola; Wentz, Eryka L; Ofotokun, Igho; Metsch, Lisa; Tien, Phyllis C; Johnson, Mallory O; Turan, Janet M; Weiser, Sheri D

2017-12-01

There is insufficient research on the impact of perceived discrimination in healthcare settings on adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART), particularly among women living with HIV, and even less is known about psychosocial mechanisms that may mediate this association. Cross-sectional analyses were conducted in a sample of 1356 diverse women living with HIV enrolled in the Women's Interagency HIV Study (WIHS), a multi-center cohort study. Indirect effects analysis with bootstrapping was used to examine the potential mediating roles of internalized stigma and depressive symptoms in the association between perceived discrimination in healthcare settings and ART adherence. Perceived discrimination in healthcare settings was negatively associated with optimal (95% or better) ART adherence (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 0.81, p = 0.02, 95% confidence interval (CI) [0.68, 0.97]). Furthermore, internalization of stigma and depressive symptoms mediated the perceived discrimination-adherence association: Serial mediation analyses revealed a significant indirect effect of perceived discrimination in healthcare settings on ART adherence, first through internalized HIV stigma, and then through depressive symptoms (B = - 0.08, SE = 0.02, 95% CI [- 0.12, - 0.04]). Perceiving discrimination in healthcare settings may contribute to internalization of HIV-related stigma, which in turn may lead to depressive symptoms, with downstream adverse effects on ART adherence among women. These findings can guide the design of interventions to reduce discrimination in healthcare settings, as well as interventions targeting psychosocial mechanisms that may impact the ability of women living with HIV to adhere to ART regimens.

Impact of Information Technology, Clinical Resource Constraints, and Patient-Centered Practice Characteristics on Quality of Care

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

JongDeuk Baek

2015-02-01

Full Text Available Objective: Factors in the practice environment, such as health information technology (IT infrastructure, availability of other clinical resources, and financial incentives, may influence whether practices are able to successfully implement the patient-centered medical home (PCMH model and realize its benefits. This study investigates the impacts of those PCMH-related elements on primary care physicians’ perception of quality of care. Methods: A multiple logistic regression model was estimated using the 2004 to 2005 CTS Physician Survey, a national sample of salaried primary care physicians (n = 1733. Results: The patient-centered practice environment and availability of clinical resources increased physicians’ perceived quality of care. Although IT use for clinical information access did enhance physicians’ ability to provide high quality of care, a similar positive impact of IT use was not found for e-prescribing or the exchange of clinical patient information. Lack of resources was negatively associated with physician perception of quality of care. Conclusion: Since health IT is an important foundation of PCMH, patient-centered practices are more likely to have health IT in place to support care delivery. However, despite its potential to enhance delivery of primary care, simply making health IT available does not necessarily translate into physicians’ perceptions that it enhances the quality of care they provide. It is critical for health-care managers and policy makers to ensure that primary care physicians fully recognize and embrace the use of new technology to improve both the quality of care provided and the patient outcomes.

Expectancies mediate the relationship between perceived injustice and return to work following whiplash injury: A 1-year prospective study.

Science.gov (United States)

Carriere, J S; Thibault, P; Adams, H; Milioto, M; Ditto, B; Sullivan, M J L

2017-08-01

Emerging evidence suggests that perceived injustice is a risk factor for work disability in individuals with whiplash injury. At present, however, little is known about the processes by which perceived injustice impacts on return to work. The purpose of this study was to examine whether expectancies mediated the relationship between perceived injustice and return to work in patients with whiplash injury. One hundred and fifty-two individuals (81 men, 71 women) with a primary diagnosis of whiplash injury completed self-report measures of pain intensity, perceived injustice and return-to-work expectancies following admission to a rehabilitation programme. Work status was assessed 1 year after discharge. Consistent with previous research, high scores on a measure of perceived injustice were associated with prolonged work disability. Results indicated that high perceptions of injustice were associated with low return-to-work expectancies. Causal mediation analyses revealed that expectancies fully mediated the relationship between perceived injustice and return to work. The findings suggest that intervention techniques designed to target expectancies could improve return-to-work outcomes in patients with whiplash injury. Discussion addresses the processes by which expectancies might impact on return-to-work outcomes and the manner in which negative return-to-work expectancies might be modified through intervention. The study confirms that expectancies are the mechanism through which perceived injustice impacts return to work following whiplash injury. The findings suggest that interventions designed to specifically target return-to-work expectancies might improve rehabilitation outcomes in patients with whiplash injury. © 2017 European Pain Federation - EFIC®.

Replacing natural wetlands with stormwater management facilities: Biophysical and perceived social values.

Science.gov (United States)

Rooney, R C; Foote, L; Krogman, N; Pattison, J K; Wilson, M J; Bayley, S E

2015-04-15

Urban expansion replaces wetlands of natural origin with artificial stormwater management facilities. The literature suggests that efforts to mimic natural wetlands in the design of stormwater facilities can expand the provision of ecosystem services. Policy developments seek to capitalize on these improvements, encouraging developers to build stormwater wetlands in place of stormwater ponds; however, few have compared the biophysical values and social perceptions of these created wetlands to those of the natural wetlands they are replacing. We compared four types of wetlands: natural references sites, natural wetlands impacted by agriculture, created stormwater wetlands, and created stormwater ponds. We anticipated that they would exhibit a gradient in biodiversity, ecological integrity, chemical and hydrologic stress. We further anticipated that perceived values would mirror measured biophysical values. We found higher biophysical values associated with wetlands of natural origin (both reference and agriculturally impacted). The biophysical values of stormwater wetlands and stormwater ponds were lower and indistinguishable from one another. The perceived wetland values assessed by the public differed from the observed biophysical values. This has important policy implications, as the public are not likely to perceive the loss of values associated with the replacement of natural wetlands with created stormwater management facilities. We conclude that 1) agriculturally impacted wetlands provide biophysical values equivalent to those of natural wetlands, meaning that land use alone is not a great predictor of wetland value; 2) stormwater wetlands are not a substantive improvement over stormwater ponds, relative to wetlands of natural origin; 3) stormwater wetlands are poor mimics of natural wetlands, likely due to fundamental distinctions in terms of basin morphology, temporal variation in hydrology, ground water connectivity, and landscape position; 4) these

Transmission and capacity pricing and constraints

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fusco, M.

1999-01-01

A series of overhead viewgraphs accompanied this presentation which discussed the following issues regarding the North American electric power industry: (1) capacity pricing transmission constraints, (2) nature of transmission constraints, (3) consequences of transmission constraints, and (4) prices as market evidence. Some solutions suggested for pricing constraints included the development of contingent contracts, back-up power in supply regions, and new line capacity construction. 8 tabs., 20 figs

ISO 9000 IMPLEMENTATION AND PERCEIVED ORGANISATIONAL OUTCOME: THE CASE OF A SERVICE ORGANISATION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jasni Abdul Latif

2003-01-01

Full Text Available The study examines the relationship between the perceptions of the employees about ISO 9000 implementation and perceived organisational outcomes. A conceptual framework linking the level of employee influence and involvement, their perception of ISO 9000 and the perceived impact on their work and the organisational outcomes is posited. Data was collected from a random sample of 64 employees of a service organisation. Contrary to expectations, the work impact of ISO 9000 was not correlated with the efficiency and market outcomes of ISO 9000 certification but the employee involvement, influence and perception of ISO 9000 were. The conceptualization of the influence path of ISO 9000 implementation on the organisational outcomes may require rethinking as perception may have a direct effect on the outcomes without the mediation of the impact on work. In short, employees may report benefits or positive outcomes even though no change is reported in their work.

Quiet Ego, Self-Regulatory Skills, and Perceived Stress in College Students.

Science.gov (United States)

Wayment, Heidi A; Cavolo, Keragan

2018-04-13

Examine the unique contributions of self-control and grit subscales (perseverance, interest consistency) as potential mediators of the relationship between quiet ego characteristics and less perceived stress in college students. Data from 1117 college students were collected between October, 2015 and May, 2016. The sample was split randomly into exploratory and confirmatory samples. Multiple mediator models were tested with PROCESS module (SPSS v. 24) in both samples. Hypotheses were largely confirmed with self-control fully mediating the link between quiet ego and perceived stress in both samples. Although many self-regulatory constructs may argue for their positive impact on college student outcomes, interventions that strengthen self-control, and not grit, may be most promising to reduce perceived stress. Further, interventions to strengthen quiet ego characteristics may be beneficial for strengthening self-control in college students.

ELMs and constraints on the H-mode pedestal: peeling-ballooning stability calculation and comparison with experiment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)