A review of the groupware literature: Theories, methodologies, and a research agenda.

This paper brings the groupware literature to the attention of researchers and practitioners in order to validate it in terms of delivering computer technologies that actively facilitate groups of collaborating users. It reviews the theoretical perspectives and assumptions of group performance that are driving the present research. Also, the extant literature and outcome measures will be reviewed with an emphasis on the type of research conducted. The authors found that the theoretical frameworks used in the groupware research do not reflect recent developments in Industrial-Organizational Psychology (e.g., groupware research does not generally include critical contextual variables). Based on this review, the authors propose a comprehensive and integrated research agenda for future work in this area. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Outcome of parent-mediated treatment of preschoolers with attention deficit disorder with hyperactivity.

Despite the early onset of attention deficit disorder with hyperactivity (ADDH), there is a dearth of treatment studies with preschoolers with this disorder. Forty-six families with ADDH preschoolers were randomly assigned to either an immediate or a delayed group parent training program aimed at improving child compliance. Groups were balanced on demographic variables. Treatment outcome was evaluated by comparing the groups at pre- and posttreatment and 3-month follow-up on measures of parent–child interactions during free play, a compliance task, and parent-supervised activities, as well as on parent-completed Conners Hyperkinesis Index (C. H. Goyette et al; see record 1980-22450-001) scores. Positive treatment effect was obtained on measures of compliance, parental style of interaction, and management skills. These improvements were maintained at 3-month follow-up. Evaluation of treatment effects on nontargeted child behaviors indicated no generalization. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Handbook of pain assessment, second edition.

Reviews the book, Handbook of pain assessment, second edition edited by Dennis C. Turk and Ronald Melzack (see record 2001-05101-000). This book is a comprehensive review of the state of the art of pain assessment. The book consists of 36 chapters organized in six major sections, an introduction and a conclusion. The sections are: measurement of pain, assessment of behavioural expressions of pain, medical and physical evaluations, psychological evaluation, specified pain states, and methodological issues. The Handbook of pain assessment should be in every university and health centre library. All health professionals and students who see patients who have pain (and that is probably all of them) should have this text readily available. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A longitudinal study of children's depressive symptoms, self-perceptions, and cognitive distortions about the self.

This longitudinal study examined how depressive symptoms relate to children's self-perceptions and to estimates of children's cognitive distortions about the self in a nonclinical sample of children who were followed from 4th grade (n=248) through 6th grade (n=227). Report card grades measured children's academic competence, and teachers' ratings of children's level of peer acceptance at school indicated social acceptance. Self-reported depressive symptoms predicted a change in children's negative views of the self. Moreover, the self-perceptions of children who exhibited more symptoms of depression appeared to reflect an underestimation of their actual competence. Children's negative self-perceptions and underestimations about the self were not associated with a subsequent change in depressive symptoms. The implications of the findings for cognitive theories of depression and future research with this population are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Methylation of somatic and sperm DNA in the homosporous fern Ceratopteris richardii

Plants, in general, have a high proportion of their CpG and CpNpG nucleotide motifs modified with 5-methylcytosine (5mC). Developmental changes in the proportion of 5mC are evident in mammals, particularly during gametogenesis and embryogenesis, but little information is available from flowering plants due to the intimate association of gametes with sporophytic tissues. In ferns, sperm are uninucleate and free-swimming and thus are easily isolated. We have examined 5mC in DNA isolated from fern sperm and other tissues with methylation-sensitive and -insensitive restriction enzyme isoschizomers, Southern blots probed with chloroplast and nuclear ribosomal RNA genes and end-labeled restriction fragments. We conclude that fern sperm DNA is methylated to a similar or greater degree than DNA isolated from either sporophytes or gametophytes.     

High-fidelity lightwave transmission of multiple AM-VSB NTSCsignals

The progress towards developing AM lightwave links for the transmission of multiple TV signals is reported. While the signal-quality objectives and transmission distances are appropriate for CATV trunking, the technology is expected to have applicability to the distribution of video signals in the subscriber loop. Highly linear 1.3-μm distributed feedback (DFB) lasers designed expressly for analog requirements are used to transmit 42 continuous wave carriers according to the standard US CATV frequency plan. For the best lasers, when evaluated over 12 km of fiber, carrier to noise was >52 dB, composite second-order distortion was >70 dBc, and composite triple beat was >70 dBc. The relationship between measurements with continuous wave carriers and actual video signals is discussed. System design rules are offered. Properties that lead to superior analog performance are discussed. Data from 700 links indicate that composite third-order distortion generally scales with product count but that composite second-order distortion has a significant frequency-dependent component     

Predictor combination in binary decision-making situations.

Professional psychologists are often confronted with the task of making binary decisions about individuals, such as predictions about future behavior or employee selection. Test users familiar with linear models and Bayes's theorem are likely to assume that the accuracy of decisions is consistently improved by combination of outcomes across valid predictors. However, neither statistical method accurately estimates the increment in accuracy that results from use of additional predictors in the typical applied setting. It was demonstrated that the best single predictor often can perform better than do multiple predictors when the predictors are combined using methods common in applied settings. This conclusion is consistent with previous findings concerning G. Gigerenzer and D. Goldstein's (1996) "take the best" heuristic. Furthermore, the information needed to ensure an increment in fit over the best single predictor is rarely available. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Perioperative risk factors affecting hospital stay and hospital costs in open heart surgery for patients > or = 65 years old

OBJECTIVE: Demographic changes, associated with increased demands for open heart surgery in the elderly, place increased burden on financial resources. To evaluate perioperative risk factors affecting incidence of hospital events and estimation of hospital charges, 2577 patients > or = 65 years (range 65-91), operated on from January 1991 to December 1994, were compared with a concurrent cohort of 2642 younger patients. METHODS: Statistical analysis, by surgical procedure, focused on hospital mortality, key postoperative complications affecting length of hospital stay and hospital charges. RESULTS: Overall hospital mortality was 4.7%, 3.5% in younger patients versus 6.1% in the older group (P < 0.01). Mortality was significantly lower in patients less than 65 years undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (3% versus 5%, P < 0.01) and valve replacement (4% versus 9%, P = 0.01). Significant risk factors for hospital death in the elderly: diabetes (P < 0.01), hypertension (P < 0.01), myocardial infarction (P < 0.01) and congestive heart failure (P < 0.01). Significant postoperative events, more common in older patients, included prolonged ventilation (P < 0.01), congestive heart failure (P < 0.01), infection (P < 0.01), cerebrovascular accident (P < 0.01), and intra aortic balloon pump (P < 0.01). Incremental risk factors for morbidity in the elderly were: higher New York Heart Association class, congestive heart failure, emergent operation, and female gender. Mean length of hospital stay for the < 65 group was 15.3 versus > 19.5 days for the > 65 group (P < 0.01). Length of stay over 18 days positively correlated with increased morbidity in both age groups. For patients > or = 65 years of age, the average hospital charge for open heart surgery was 172% higher for patients with a length of stay greater than 18 days compared with 165% for patients less than 65 years of age. CONCLUSIONS: Higher operative mortality and longer length of stay in elderly patients, resulting in increased health care costs, was associated with more co-morbidities. These results suggest interventions designed to reduce congestive heart failure and other co-morbidities may improve patient's recovery and reduce costs.     

Modelling the costs of non-conventional oil: A case study of Canadian bitumen

High crude oil prices, uncertainties about the consequences of climate change and the eventual decline of conventional oil production raise the issue of alternative fuels, such as non-conventional oil and biofuels. This paper describes a simple probabilistic model of the costs of non-conventional oil, including the role of learning-by-doing in driving down costs. This forward-looking analysis quantifies the effects of both learning and production constraints on the costs of supplying bitumen, which can then be upgraded into synthetic crude oil, a substitute to conventional oil. The results show large uncertainties in the future costs of supplying bitumen from Canadian oil sands deposits, with a 90% confidence interval of $7–12 in 2030, and $6–15 in 2060 (2005 US$). The influence of each parameter on the supply costs is examined, with the minimum supply cost, the learning rate (LR), and the depletion curve exponent having the largest influence. Over time, the influence of the LR on the supply costs decreases, while the influence of the depletion curve exponent increases.     

Amplitude comparator based algorithm for directional comparisonprotection of transmission lines

A high-speed directional comparison relay based on an evaluation of the locally measured deviations of the voltage and the phase-shifted current from their prefault values is described. The operation of the relay depends on the power frequency components of the voltage and phase-shifted current deviation signals. The direction to a fault is determined by an amplitude comparator technique which compares a discriminant value with a positive or negative threshold. Simulation studies on a three-phase power system model show that the direction to a fault is determined within the first few milliseconds following the inception of a fault. Studies over a wide range of faults and source impedance angles show that the proposed amplitude comparator technique performs better than an analogous phase comparator technique