Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation for smoking cessation.

An intrinsic–extrinsic model of motivation for smoking cessation was evaluated with 2 samples (ns?=?1,217 and 151) of smokers who requested self-help materials for smoking cessation. Exploratory and confirmatory principal components analysis on a 36-item Reasons for Quitting (RFQ) scale supported the intrinsic–extrinsic motivation distinction. A 4-factor model, with 2 intrinsic dimensions (concerns about health and desire for self-control) and 2 extrinsic dimensions (immediate reinforcement and social influence), was defined by 20 of the 36 RFQ items. The 20-item measure demonstrated moderate to high levels of internal consistency and convergent and discriminant validity. Logistic regression analyses indicated that smokers with higher levels of intrinsic relative to extrinsic motivation were more likely to achieve abstinence from smoking. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

CFD simulation of particle deposition in a reconstructed human oral extrathoracic airway for air and helium–oxygen mixtures

In order to compare the effects of using helium–oxygen and air in assisted breathing and inhalation therapies, flow and particle deposition results were obtained in a realistic model of human oral extrathoracic (ET) airways using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and pressure loss measurements. As the main deposition mechanism for pharmaceutical aerosols in the ET is inertial impaction, the ET model was reconstructed from medical images to take into account the complexity of realistic morphological features. Calculations were performed with the CFD software Fluent^®, and pressure losses were measured on a cast based on a stereolithographic fabrication of the model. Results show that ET pressure loss and particle deposition are lower with helium–oxygen as compared to air. Moreover, further simulations were performed with various particle sizes and inspiratory flow rates, which indicate that particle deposition in the ET depends on both the Stokes and Reynolds number.     

Ni-ZSM-5 catalysts: Detailed characterization of metal sites for proper catalyst design

Nickel was introduced in ZSM-5 zeolite by two different methods: dry impregnation and ionic exchange. Different loadings of metal, ranging from 0.4 to 6 wt% were explored. These materials were thoroughly characterized by EXAFS, TPR, acidity measurements by H/D isotope exchange and ethane hydrogenolysis. Regardless of the metal introduction method, at 0.4 wt% Ni, the Ni-ZSM-5 catalysts present only nickel located inside the zeolite channels as compensation cations. In contrast, an increase to 1 wt% nickel (via impregnation) led to its presence both inside and outside the channels.The catalytic activity of these Ni-ZSM-5 zeolites was tested in n-hexane cracking. Depending on the way the metal was introduced, it was possible to modify the n-hexane cracking activity and the selectivity toward light alkenes. Hence, a proper design of metal and acid sites could be achieved.     

Forcing biological sciences into architectural design:On conceptual confusions in the field of biomimetic architecture

Certain confusion may be observed in the field of biomimetic architecture,as it emerges at the crossroad of two disciplinary domains:architectural design and bi...     

A Revised Methodology for Research on Metamemory: Pre-judgment Recall And Monitoring (PRAM).

A revised methodology is described for research on metacognitive monitoring, especially judgments of learning (JOLs), to investigate psychological processing that previously has been only hypothetical and unobservable. During data collection a new stage of recall occurs just prior to the JOL, so that during data analysis the items can be partitioned into subcategories to measure the degree of JOL accuracy in ways that are more analytic than was previously possible. A weighted-average combinatorial rule allows the component measures of JOL accuracy to be combined into the usual overall measure of metacognitive accuracy. An example using the revised methodology offers a new explanation for the delayed-JOL effect, in which delayed JOLs are more accurate than immediate JOLs for predicting recall. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Random sampling, randomization, and equivalence of contrasted groups in psychotherapy outcome research.

Random sampling and random assignment (randomization) are some of the most popular methods of equating contrasted groups on pre-existing nuisance variables. However, the small samples typically used in psychotherapy outcome studies raise some questions about the extent to which these methods eliminate the pretreatment nonequivalence of groups in this area of research. This article identifies conditions under which equivalence is likely (and unlikely) to be attained with simple random sampling and randomization in psychotherapy efficacy studies of the kind examined in recent meta-analyses. Some consequences of nonequivalence are viewed as manifestations of Simpson's paradox. Misinterpretations of estimates of the relative efficacy of treatments are expected in view of belief in the law of small numbers. The minimum sample sizes needed to protect against nonequivalence are compared with those needed to satisfy several other criteria. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Formal verification of OIL component specifications using mCRL2

International Journal on Software Tools for Technology Transfer - To aid in making software bug-free, several high-tech companies are moving from coding to modelling. In some cases model checking...     

基于树型门控循环单元的基数和代价估计器

基数估计和代价估计可以引导执行计划的选择,估计准确性对查询优化器至关重要.然而,传统数据库的代价和基数估计技术无法提供准确的估计,因为现有技术没有考虑多个表之间的相关性.将人工智能技术应用于数据库(artificial intelligence for databases, AI4DB)近期得到广泛关注,研究结果表明,基于学习的估计方法优于传统方法.然而,现有基于学习的方法仍然存在不足:首先,大部分的方法只能估计基数,但忽略了代价估计;其次,这些方法只能处理一些简单的查询语句,对于多表查询、嵌套查询等复杂查询则无能为力;同时,对字符串类型的值也很难处理.为了解决上述问题,提出了一种基于树型门控循环单元, Tree-GRU (tree-gated recurrent unit)的基数和代价估计方法,可以同时对基数和代价进行估计.此外,采用了有效的特征提取和编码技术,在特征提取中兼顾查询和执行计划,将特征嵌入到Tree-GRU中.对于字符串类型的值,使用神经网络自动提取子串与整串的关系,并进行字符串嵌入,从而使具有稀疏性的字符串变得容易被估计器处理.在JOB、Synthetic等数据集上进...