A multidimensional wellness group therapy program for veterans with comorbid psychiatric and medical conditions.

Development of a healthy lifestyle is an important aspect of mental health that is infrequently targeted in outpatient mental health settings. Although the interrelationship of psychological and physical factors has often been noted, interventions frequently focus on just one aspect of functioning. This project demonstrated the feasibility of a multidimensional weekly wellness group program focused on the overall health behaviors of patients in a Veterans Affairs mental health clinic. The modal participant was a male in his mid-50s, living alone, not employed, depressed, obese, and with many chronic medical problems. Eighty-three patients participated in a 15-week program promoting changes in such areas as stress management (abdominal breathing, muscle relaxation, visualization, and mindfulness), physical health care (exercise, nutrition, sleep routine, and substance use), and behavioral activation (activity scheduling, social affiliation, and use of community resources). Substantial improvement was found for most patients, in both psychosocial and physical functioning domains, and was maintained over time. The melding of psychoeducational and skills training into a positive psychology orientation appears to have been beneficial. In addition, the group process was quite effective in encouraging change in these highly comorbid, chronically ill veterans. The feasibility and importance of integrating psychosocial and physical interventions is underscored by this study. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Energy Supply System Performance for Hurricane Katrina

In 2005, wind-induced structural damage from Hurricane Katrina resulted in extensive energy supply disruptions across the Gulf of Mexico. In this paper, we examine the resilience of these systems with a particular emphasis on the electric power delivery systems. We investigate the correlations of the power outage data with weather parameters such as wind speed, rainfall, and storm surge. We examine the resilience and recovery of the electric delivery system spatially and temporally and compare the results with other natural disasters. We conclude that the behavior of the delivery systems under hurricane loadings is affected by rainfall and storm surge as well as wind speed. Widespread failures may occur at wind speeds less than predicted peak values.     

Measurement and analysis of product energy efficiency to assist energy star criteria development: An example for desktop computers

The Energy Star labeling program contributes to reducing economic and environmental impacts. Although product-specific criteria for the label are developed by taking into account potential energy savings, more robust criteria need to be developed to minimize energy consumption (and consequential global warming potential (GWP)). The objectives of this study are: (i) to measure what we refer to as the technical and cost efficiencies of products with respect to the relative Energy Star criteria achievement rate and GWP, respectively; and (ii) to analyze the relationship between these efficiencies and product design features, using stochastic frontier analysis (SFA) and data envelopment analysis (DEA). As an example, these analyses are applied to data for desktop computers. The results indicate that desktop computer manufacturers currently achieve energy savings that exceed those required by the Energy Star label. The principal product design features affecting the efficiencies are primarily the efficiency and power capacity of the power supply and the number of cores in the central processing unit. This study can help the program develop more robust criteria that ultimately reduce GWP and can provide guidance to manufacturers to strategically improve energy efficiency.     

Career satisfaction in clinical psychology: A survey of recent graduates.

Investigated career satisfaction in 179 recent graduates (mean age 30.8 yrs) of clinical psychology programs, at both the master's and doctoral levels. Contrary to earlier investigations by S. Garfield and R. Kurtz (see record 1976-24639-001), E. L. Kelly et al (see record 1979-24415-001), and J. Prochaska and J. Norcross (see record 1984-13290-001), only a small sample of the recent graduates surveyed would choose to go into another field other than clinical psychology had they to live their lives over again. (8 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Visual signals in text comprehension: How to restore them when oralizing a text via a speech synthesis?

It has been assumed theoretically and established empirically that text signals exert an influence on text memorization and comprehension. The study investigates whether the restoration of the text visual signals improve text memorization and comprehension when automatically converting a text into speech. Participants listened to a restaurant menu oralized by a text-to-speech synthesis. The visual signals used in the menu were restored either with discursive segments, with prosodic cues, or with a picture of text, displayed before or during the listening. Participants had to perform tasks assessing their text memorization and comprehension. The restoration of text visual signals exerts an influence on the participants’ recall but these effects vary according to the restoration mean used and to the task. When visual signals are not restored, individuals construct an erroneous representation of the situation described in the text leading to a misinterpretation of the text meaning, whereas the discursive and prosodic restorations involve the construction of an adequate representation.     

Semantics does not need a processing license from syntax in reading Chinese.

Two event-related brain potential experiments were conducted to investigate whether there is a functional primacy of syntactic structure building over semantic processes during Chinese sentence reading. In both experiments, we found that semantic interpretation proceeded despite the impossibility of a well-formed syntactic analysis. In Experiment 1, we found an N400 difference between combined syntactic category and semantic violations and single syntactic violations. This finding is inconsistent with earlier German and French studies (e.g., Friederici, Gunter, Hahne, & Mauth, 2004; Friederici, Steinhauer, & Frisch, 1999; Hahne & Friederici, 2002) showing that semantic integration does not proceed for words of the wrong syntactic category. In Experiment 2, we used a design that was very similar to that used in earlier German and French studies, but semantic violations still evoked an N400, irrespective of a simultaneous syntactic category violation. We argue against processing models that do not allow for semantic integration of a word unless it can be grammatically attached to the developing phrase structure tree. Rather, language experience may modulate the mode of interplay between syntax and semantics. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Development, refinement, and psychometric properties of the Attitudes Toward God Scale (ATGS-9).

Perceived relationships with God can be a source of comfort or struggle. To advance the study of spiritual comfort and struggle, we develop the nine-item Attitudes toward God Scale (ATGS-9), and we describe six studies (2,992 total participants) reporting its development and psychometrics. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses identified two factors: (1) Positive Attitudes toward God and (2) Disappointment and Anger with God. Subscale scores showed good estimated internal consistency, 2-week temporal stability, and evidence for construct and discriminant validity. Positive Attitudes toward God correlated with measures of religiosity and conscientiousness. Disappointment and Anger with God correlated with negative religious coping, lower religious participation, more distress, higher neuroticism, and entitlement. These results support the ATGS-9 as a brief measure of attitudes toward God. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Application of hyperspectral vegetation indices to detect variations in high leaf area index temperate shrub thicket canopies

Accurate measurement of leaf area index (LAI), an important characteristic of plant canopies directly linked to primary production, is essential for monitoring changes in ecosystem C stocks and other ecosystem level fluxes. Direct measurement of LAI is labor intensive, impractical at large scales and does not capture seasonal or annual variations in canopy biomass. The need to monitor canopy related fluxes across landscapes makes remote sensing an attractive technique for estimating LAI. Many vegetation indices, such as Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), tend to saturate at LAI levels > 4 although tropical and temperate forested ecosystems often exceed that threshold. Using two monospecific shrub thickets as model systems, we evaluated the potential of a variety of algorithms specifically developed to improve accuracy of LAI estimates in canopies where LAI exceeds saturation levels for other indices. We also tested the potential of indices developed to detect variations in canopy chlorophyll to estimate LAI because of the direct relationship between total canopy chlorophyll content and LAI. Indices were evaluated based on data from direct (litterfall) and indirect measurements (LAI-2000) of LAI. Relationships between results of direct and indirect ground-sampling techniques were also evaluated. For these two canopies, the indices that showed the highest potential to accurately differentiate LAI values > 4 were derivative indices based on red-edge spectral reflectance. Algorithms intended to improve accuracy at high LAI values in agricultural systems were insensitive when LAI exceeded 4 and offered little or no improvement over NDVI. Furthermore, indirect ground-sampling techniques often used to evaluate the potential of vegetation indices also saturate when LAI exceeds 4. Comparisons between hyperspectral vegetation indices and a saturated LAI value from indirect measurement may overestimate accuracy and sensitivity of some vegetation indices in high LAI communities. We recommend verification of indirect measurements of LAI with direct destructive sampling or litterfall collection, particularly in canopies with high LAI.     

Commercial digital image libraries,digital images and digital discontent

Publications such as consumer magazines rely heavily on image libraries as sources for the images they use in their issues. Traditionally, magazine editorial staff have discussed their image requirements over the telephone with library staff and the library has conducted the search. Many libraries have now developed Web sites and their customers search them for images themselves. A minority have e-commerce capabilities, and enable customers to purchase and download digital images from their sites. This survey found that magazine staff do not often choose to search digital libraries, preferring instead to continue to contact the library by telephone. Most also choose not to buy the use of digital images, but prefer to continue to work with conventional transparencies and slides. The reasons for these preferences, and the reasons they are unlikely to change in the short term, are explored.