Body and sexual esteem as mediators of the physical disability-interpersonal competencies relation.

Objectives: To examine whether body and sexual esteem mediated the associations between sexual satisfaction, perceived disability severity, and social perceptions of the disability and interpersonal competencies. Research Method/Design: Web-based survey with 326 adults with a range of physical disabilities. Main Outcome Measures: Perceived interpersonal competence in initiating relationships and being assertive in negative situations. Results: For men, sexual satisfaction, social perceptions of the disability, and perceived severity of the disability significantly predicted competence with relationship initiation. Sexual satisfaction and social perceptions of the disability predicted competence with negative assertion. For women, social perceptions of the disability predicted both interpersonal competencies, and sexual satisfaction predicted competence with negative assertion. Aspects of body esteem mediated the relations between the predictor variables and the interpersonal competencies. Conclusions: Findings indicate the importance of perceived attractiveness to others in mediating the negative relations between impact of the disability and interpersonal competencies. Findings also suggest important gender differences in variables predictive of interpersonal competencies. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Predicting future reconviction in offenders with intellectual disabilities: The predictive efficacy of VRAG, PCL-SV, and the HCR-20.

Accurate predictions of future reconviction, including those for violent crimes, have been shown to be greatly aided by the use of formal risk assessment instruments. However, it is unclear as to whether these instruments would also be predictive in a sample of offenders with intellectual disabilities. In this study, the authors have shown that the Violence Risk Appraisal Guide (V. L. Quinsey, G. T. Harris, M. E. Rice, & C. Cormier, 1998); the Psychopathy Checklist--Screening Version (S. D. Hart, D. N. Cox, & R. D. Hare, 1995); and the History, Clinical, Risk Management--20 (C. D. Webster, K. S. Douglas, D. Eaves, & S. D. Hart, 1997) were all significant predictors of violent and general reconviction in this sample, and in many cases, their efficacy was greater than in a control sample of mentally disordered offenders without an intellectual disability. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Case Study: Analysis of Corrosion Patterns to Evaluate the Preaccident Configuration of an ATV Tie Rod End Connection

A forensic investigation was performed on an ATV that was involved in an accident in which the vehicle struck a tree. Postaccident, the front knuckle/tie rod end connection was found to be loose. The prevailing torque nut was found positioned at the end of the tie rod end bolt such that there was a gap between the face of the nut and the knuckle. The subject nut exhibits machining asperities that resulted from close contact with the knuckle face. EDS analysis of the corrosion product ring on the knuckle face revealed the corrosion product was zinc oxide, which had formed due to galvanic corrosion between the galvanized nut and the carbon steel knuckle. Scuffing patterns on the nut, wear patterns on the bolt, and lack of damage to the knuckle corrosion ring confirmed that the nut could not have loosened from the as-manufactured position to the postaccident position. No viable nut loosening mechanism was identified other than deliberate, manual manipulation.     

Dynamic adaptive autonomy in multi-agent systems

Multi-agent systems require adaptability to perform effectively in complex and dynamic environments. This article shows that agents should be able to benefit from dynamically adapting their decision-making frameworks. A decision-making framework describes the set of multi-agent decision-making interactions exercised by members of an agent group in the course of pursuing a goal or set of goals. The decision-making interaction style an agent adopts with respect to other agents influences that agent's degree of autonomy. The article introduces the capability of Dynamic Adaptive Autonomy (DAA), which allows an agent to dynamically modify its autonomy along a defined spectrum (from command-driven to consensus to locally autonomous/master) for each goal it pursues. This article presents one motivation for DAA through experiments showing that the ‘best’ decision-making framework for a group of agents depends not only on the problem domain and pre-defined characteristics of the system, but also on run-time factors that can change during system operation. This result holds regardless of which performance metric is used to define ‘best’. Thus, it is possible for agents to benefit by dynamically adapting their decision-making frameworks to their situation during system operation.     

Evaluation of spatio-temporal variations in chlorophyll-a in Lake Naivasha,Kenya: remote-sensing approach

Restoration of the ecosystem services and functions of lakes requires an understanding of the turbidity dynamics in order to arrive at informed environmental management decisions. The understanding of the spatio-temporal dynamics of turbidity requires frequent monitoring of the turbidity components such as chlorophyll-a concentration. In this study, we explored the use of Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer Aqua (MODIS-Aqua) satellite data in studying the spatio-temporal changes in chlorophyll-a concentration in Lake Naivasha, a turbid tropical system. The temporal trend of chlorophyll-a concentration over the study period in the lake was also evaluated. The temporal trend assessment was achieved through the removal of periodic seasonal interference using Seasonal-Trend decomposition based on the LOESS (Local Regression) procedure. The resultant chlorophyll-a concentration maps derived from MODIS-Aqua satellite data give an indication of the monthly spatial variation in chlorophyll-a concentration from 2002 to 2012. The results of regression analyses between satellite-derived chlorophyll-a and in situ measurements reveal a high level of precision, but with a measureable bias with the satellite underestimating actual in situ measurements (R² = 0.65, P < 0.001). Although the actual values of the chlorophyll-a concentrations are underestimated, the significant relationship between satellite-derived chlorophyll-a and in situ measurements provides reliable information for studying spatial variations and temporal trends. In 2009 and 2010, it was difficult to detect chlorophyll-a from the MODIS-Aqua imagery, and this coincided with a period of the lowest water levels in Lake Naivasha. An inverse relationship between de-seasoned water level and chlorophyll-a concentration was evident. This study shows that MODIS-Aqua satellite data provide useful information on the spatio-temporal variations in Lake Naivasha, which is useful in establishing general trends that are more difficult to determine through routine ground measurements.     

Dimensions of leadership and leadership style among group intervention specialists.

A questionnaire measuring 26 group leader characteristics investigated by Lieberman, Yalom and Miles (1973) was administered to 204 experienced group leaders distributed geographically throughout the United States. A confirmatory factor analysis of the data revealed no support for the factor structure previously reported by Lieberman et al. Principal-components analysis with varimax rotation was performed, and an eight-factor solution was adopted. The factors pertained to group leader behavior or style (i.e., Cognitive Direction, Affective Direction, Behavioral Direction, and Nonverbal Exercises), leader personal qualities (i.e., Nurturant Attractiveness and Charismatic Expertness), and leader objectives (i.e., Group Functioning and Personal Functioning). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The Links between Begging and Rough Sleeping: A Question of Legitimacy?

Begging is one of the most potent, and controversial, symbols of social exclusion in modern British society. This paper concentrates on the relationship between begging and rough sleeping. This focus was selected because moral debates concerning the 'legitimacy' of begging now seem inextricably bound up with the perceived accommo dation status of people begging as either 'roofless' or 'housed'. The paper draws upon a recent qualitative study in Glasgow and Edinburgh city centres which demonstrated a close relationship between begging and rough sleeping, and the complex needs and desperate circumstances of the people engaged in these activities. It challenges prevailing assumptions regarding the 'legitimacy' of begging arguing that, while begging appears to be largely confined to street homeless people in Glasgow and Edinburgh city centres, this does not undermine the moral imperative to meet the needs of the 'housed poor' who may beg elsewhere.     

Adherence in childhood diabetes: Results of a confirmatory factor analysis.

Tested the equality of the factor pattern of adherence to treatment of childhood diabetes identified by S. B. Johnson et al (see record 1988-05437-001) across 2 independent samples. Samples of 162 and 157 diabetics (aged 6–18 yrs) were studied. Factors 1–4, Exercise, Injection, Diet Type, and Eating/Testing Frequency, were confirmed. Factor 5, Diet Amount, proved to be too complex; the adherence measures comprising this factor (total calories and concentrated sweets consumed) are best treated as separate, single-indicator constructs. Results support a multivariate concept of adherence, offer insight into the nature of the components underlying diabetes adherence, and provide measurement information for reliable component estimation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Fluorescence histochemical techniques for catecholamines as tools in neurobiology

Formaldehyde-induced and glyoxylic-acid-induced fluorescence histochemistry permits the tissue localization of catecholamines in the central nervous system (CNS) and peripheral nervous system (PNS), and in culture. Counterstains such as ethidium bromide provide excellent background identification of specific innervated regions in both the CNS and the periphery. Use of fluorescence histochemistry with immunocytochemistry can elucidate catecholamine-peptide relationships. Gelatin-ink perfusion used with fluorescence histochemistry permits the investigation of neuro-vascular relationships and documentation of vascular and parenchymal compartmentation of innervation. Combined use of fluorescence histochemistry and retrograde tracing methods demonstrates the specific cellular sources of innervation of target regions. Micropunch neurochemical analysis provides quantitative data for correlation with fluorescence histochemistry within a target region of innervation, and micro-spectrofluorometric analysis provides a semi-quantitative evaluation of the amount of fluorophore within a target region or within specific subcellular compartments such as the cell body or terminals.