Dedicated SAR interferometric analysis to detect subtle deformation in evaporite areas around Zaragoza,NE Spain

A high density of local natural and human-induced ground deformation structures resulting from the presence of evaporites occur extensively around Zaragoza (NE Spain), posing risks to infrastructure, buildings and agriculture. We studied the potential of a series of interferograms constructed from 29 European Radar Satellite (ERS)-1/2 images to detect different types of ground deformation related to evaporite dissolution, landslides and mining subsidence. We examined the factors involved in the usefulness and quality of interferograms, especially in relation to coherence and atmospheric circumstances. Favourable conditions were found in desert or developed areas, while agricultural practises caused decorrelation in most sinkhole-prone areas. Results are consistent with previous geomorphological data and indicate that different natural and human-induced deformation phenomena can be detected in a time lag less than 5 years in evaporite areas. Advanced interferometric techniques based on time series of SAR images are needed for precise measurement and monitoring purposes.     

The MERIS Global Vegetation Index (MGVI): Description and preliminary application

This paper describes the physical and mathematical approach followed to design a vegetation index optimized for the Medium Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MERIS) sensor, i.e. the MERIS Global Vegetation Index (MGVI). It complements an earlier feasibility study presented elsewhere in this issue by Govaerts and collaborators. Specifically, the crucial issue of the dependency of the vegetation index on changes in illumination and observing geometries is addressed, together with the atmospheric contamination problem. The derivation of the optimal MGVI index formulae allows a comparison of its performance with that of the widely used Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), both from a theoretical and an experimental point of view. Data collected by the MOS/IRS-P3 instrument since March 1996 in spectral bands analogous to those that will be available from MERIS can be used to evaluate the MVGI.     

Instructional animations can be superior to statics when learning human motor skills

Based on the assumption of a working memory processor devoted to human movement, cognitive load theory is used to explore some conditions under which animated instructions are hypothesised to be more effective for learning than equivalent static graphics. Using paper-folding tasks dealing with human movement, results from three experiments confirmed our hypothesis, indicating a superiority of animation over static graphics. These results are discussed in terms of a working memory processor that may be facilitated by our mirror-neuron system and may explain why animated instructional animations are superior to static graphics for cognitively based tasks that involve human movement.     

Examining the balance of internship supply and demand: 1999 Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers' match implications.

Over the past several years, students, academic program faculty, and internship training directors have become increasingly concerned about the inequity between the demand for predoctoral internship slots and the limited supply of those placements. This article presents data from the 1999 Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers' (APPIC) Match, along with the results of 2 studies conducted by the authors. Results indicate that the number of internship positions available in the U.S. and Canada may be nearly balanced with the number of first-time internship applicants and that the current imbalance may result, in large part, from a carryover of unplaced applicants from previous selection processes. Furthermore, approximately ? of unmatched applicants are able to find internship positions subsequent to the conclusion of the matching process, although many of these positions are in non-American Psychological Association-accredited and non-APPIC-member programs. Implications of these findings for the profession and for student applicants are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Ratings of family functioning of suicidal and nonsuicidal African American women.

This study compared ratings of family functioning between female African American suicide attempters (n?=?126) and nonattempters (n &≠?112) (aged 18-64 yrs). Attempters reported poorer family-of-creation (physical and nonphysical partner abuse, family strengths, and marital adjustment) and family-of-origin (physical, sexual, and emotional abuse and emotional neglect) functioning than did controls. In a multivariate logistic regression, only marital discord and childhood sexual abuse were risk factors for suicide attempts. A cumulative risk model was also tested and indicated that the presence of 4 or more of the risk factors increased a woman's likelihood of making a nonfatal suicide attempt more than threefold. This study offers one of the first investigations of the families of suicidal African American women and highlights the importance of focusing on family concerns when working with this population. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Competency assessment models.

This article describes characteristics of alternative assessment models deployed in the measurement of professional competencies across the professional life span based on the work of the American Psychological Association Task Force on the Assessment of Competence in Professional Psychology. Assessments of knowledge, decision making, performance and personal attributes, as well as integrated practice-based skills and tasks are described and compared on the basis of their validity, feasibility and practicality, fidelity, and relevance at difference stages of professional development. It is acknowledged that no single assessment can evaluate all competencies and that assessments can be combined in complementary ways. Assessments deployed in the nursing, dental, and medical professions are reviewed and contrasted with current practices in psychology. At the licensure level, differences in the assessments deployed among the 4 healthcare professions are described, and their candidate fees and number of candidates assessed annually are documented. Ideas for developing new assessments in psychology are discussed on the basis of the needs and financial resources available to psychology and the experiences of other healthcare professions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Recognizing, assessing, and intervening with problems of professional competence.

Working collaboratively, psychologist educators and trainers at the doctoral, internship, and postdoctoral levels; credentialers; practitioners; and students offer 8 proposals for psychologists to consider in recognizing, assessing, and intervening with problems of professional competence in students and practicing professionals. In the proposals, the authors address the following topics: definitions and categories; preparing the system; self-assessment; remediation; diversity; communication across various levels of the system; confidentiality; and ethical, regulatory, and legal underpinnings. They also propose future directions for the assessment of problems in professional competence in both students and practicing psychologists. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Visualizing complexities: the human limits of air traffic control

Air traffic management is organized into filters in order to prevent tactical controllers from dealing with complex conflicting situations. In this article, we describe an experiment showing that a dynamic conflict display could improve human performance on complex conflict situations. Specifically, we designed a display tool that represents the conflicting portions of aircraft trajectories and the evolution of the conflict zone when the user adds a maneuver to an aircraft. The tool allows the user to dynamically check the potential conflicting zones with the computer mouse before making a maneuver decision. We tested its utility on a population of forty students: twenty air traffic controller (ATC) students at the end of their initial training and twenty engineering students with the same background but no ATC training. They had to solve conflicts involving 2–5 aircraft with a basic display and with the dynamic visualization tool. Results show that in easy situations (2 aircraft), performance is similar with both displays. However, as the complexity of the situations grows (from 3 to 5 aircraft), the dynamic visualization tool enables users to solve the conflicts more efficiently. Using the tool leads to fewer unsolved conflicts and shorter delays. No significant differences are found between the two test groups except for delays: ATC students give maneuvers that generate less delays than engineering students. These results suggest that humans are better able to manage complex situations with the help of our conflict visualization tool.     

Stability ball versus office chair: comparison of muscle activation and lumbar spine posture during prolonged sitting

OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study was to evaluate the differences between sitting on a stability ball and in an office chair in terms of trunk muscle activation and lumbar spine posture. BACKGROUND: Stability balls have become increasingly popular as an alternative to office chairs to help reduce the prevalence of low back pain; however, little research has been conducted on their use as office chairs. METHODS: The 14 participants (7 men, 7 women) were required to sit on both a stability ball and an office chair for 1 hour each while performing various computer workstation tasks throughout the sitting periods. The activation of eight muscles and lumbar spine posture were measured and analyzed. RESULTS: Increased muscle activation in thoracic erector spinae (p = .0352), decreased pelvic tilt (p = .0114), and increased perceived discomfort (p < .0001) while sitting on the stability ball were observed. CONCLUSIONS: The small changes in biological responses when sitting on a stability ball as compared with an office chair, combined with the increased reported discomfort while on the ball, suggests its use for prolonged sitting may not be advantageous. APPLICATION: Prolonged sitting on a stability ball does not greatly alter the manner in which an individual sits, yet it appears to increase the level of discomfort. Therefore, it is important to fully explore a new chair design and consult scientific research before implementing its use.     

alt.metadata.health: Ontological Context for Data Use and Integration

Increasingly powerful computers and increased emphasis on evidence based decision making are creating a demand for merging and integrating data from different sources into a single data set. The demand for data is outstripping our ability to ensure data integrity, and sometimes analysis is performed on data that are not appropriate for the purposes they are used for. Here we describe problems that arise when data from different sources are merged, and we suggest that one way to add context to data so that users can make informed decisions about their ontological context is through ontology-based metadata. Examples of the problem are taken from health data with emphasis on difficulties in standardizing Emergency Room wait times. We describe eight fields that can be used to capture contextual metadata. These fields are captured using ethnographic methods from users and database stewards who frequently understand precisely how context and institutional usage have shaped interpretation of semantic fields. We argue that attaching a portable archive of ontological context to travel with data—based on information from users and developers—is a means of ensuring that data are integrated and compared in multiple contexts with greater integrity and more robust results.