Alcohol-related and alcohol-free activity participation and enjoyment among college students: A behavioral theories of choice analysis.

College student alcohol abuse remains a significant public health problem, and there is a need for theory-driven and empirically based models to guide prevention efforts. Behavioral theories of choice assume that the decision to consume alcohol is influenced by the relative value of alcohol versus other available activities. In the present study, a sample of college student drinkers (N=108; 56% female, 44% male) who had previously completed a mandatory alcohol intervention completed a measure of alcohol-related and alcohol-free activity participation and enjoyment. The goals of the study were to examine the influence of drinking quantity and contextual variables on activity enjoyment and to identify enjoyable alcohol-free activities that take place on evenings when students might otherwise be drinking. Overall, students found alcohol-related activities more enjoyable than alcohol-free activities, and drinking quantity was positively related to enjoyment. However, alcohol-free activities such as watching movies, going to the theater or museums, going to bars or parties, hanging out with friends, eating at restaurants, and engaging in creative activity were generally as enjoyable as drinking. Alcohol-free activities that included peers or dates were more enjoyable than solitary activities. Men were less likely to engage in alcohol-free activities that included peers and reported less enjoyment related to alcohol-free activities than did women. Further research is required to identify procedures for increasing participation in alcohol-free activities and to determine whether increased alcohol-free activity participation results in decreased alcohol consumption. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Development of a shortened center for epidemiological studies depression scale for assessment of depression in rheumatoid arthritis.

Objective: The purpose was to develop a short-form version of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) for the identification of persons with major depressive disorder (MDD) within a population with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Study Design: Data were analyzed from 337 persons with RA. Forty-six participants met the diagnostic criteria for MDD; 291 participants were classified in the non-MDD category (including 21 participants with dysthymia and 18 participants with minor depressive disorder). A short-form version of the CES-D was developed, and multiple cutoff scores were examined. Results: A cutoff score of ≥5 from a 9-item, short-form CES-D was found to be generally as efficient as the more commonly used full-scale cutoff score of ≥16 for classifying participants with MDD within an RA population. Although the shortened CES-D scale (cutoff score ≥5) was slightly more sensitive, it also exhibited slightly less specificity than the full-scale cutoff score of ≥16. Conclusion: The results suggest that a short-form CES-D can be used to screen for MDD within an RA sample with a degree of efficiency that is generally comparable to that of the full-scale instrument. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Personality and functional outcome following traumatic brain injury.

Objective: To investigate pre- to postinjury personality change in relation to outcomes following traumatic brain injury (TBI). Design: Prospective analysis of personality ratings, depression, and outcome using multiple regression analyses. Participants: Cohort of 3 clinical trauma groups (mild TBI, moderate-severe TBI, orthopedic injury) and their significant others (SO). Outcome Measures: Independent Living Scale, Vocational Independence Scale, and Mayo-Portland Adaptability Inventory, 1-2 years postinjury. Predictor Variables: Posttraumatic amnesia (PTA); patient and SO NEO Personality Inventory-Revised ratings of preinjury personality taken at 1-2 months postinjury. Results: Personality function was normal for all groups (regardless of rating source) and stable over time. Neuroticism, and specifically depression, accounted for small proportions of variance in functional outcome, beyond PTA. Conclusions: There is little empirical evidence for significant personality disturbance or change up to 2 years post-TBI. Personality and depression contribute modestly to functional outcomes. Results support a distinction between "personality change" and behavior change following TBI. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Structural evolution in Fe ion implanted Si upon thermal annealing

We have performed high-dose Fe ion implantation into Si and characterized ion-beam-induced microstructures as well as annealing-induced ones using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and grazing-incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXRD). Single crystals of Si(1 0 0) substrate were irradiated at 623 K with 120 keV Fe⁺ ions to a fluence of 4 × 10¹⁷ cm⁻². The irradiated samples were then annealed in a vacuum furnace at temperatures ranging from 773 K to 1073 K. Cross-sectional TEM observations and GIXRD measurements revealed that a layered structure is formed in the as-implanted specimen with ε-FeSi, β-FeSi₂ and damaged Si, as component layers. A continuous β-FeSi₂ layer was formed on the topmost layer of the Si substrate after thermal annealing.     

Bounded real lemma and robust control of 2-D singular Roesser models

This paper discusses the problem of robust H_∞ control for linear discrete time two-dimensional (2-D) singular Roesser models (2-D SRM) with time-invariant norm-bounded parameter uncertainties. The purpose is the design of static output feedback controllers such that the resulting closed-loop system is acceptable, jump modes free, stable and satisfies a prescribed H_∞ performance level for all admissible uncertainties. A version of bounded realness of 2-D SRM is established in terms of linear matrix inequalities. Based on this, a sufficient condition for the solvability of the robust H_∞ control problem is solved, and a desired output feedback controller can be constructed by solving a set of matrix inequalities. A numerical example is provided to demonstrate the applicability of the proposed approach.     

Perception and expectation gaps of information systems provider skills: the impact on user satisfaction

Abstract.  Past research indicates that expectations play a crucial role in the final satisfaction of users of information systems (IS). This includes expectations regarding the skill levels exhibited by the providers of the IS services and products. Typically, the expectations are examined as gaps from perceived performance or as gaps from realistic expectations. The interaction of these gaps has not been thoroughly explored in past research, although recent theories anticipate both gaps are crucial in meeting the desires of the users. A matched pair sample of IS users and IS providers is used to collect data on expected skill levels and perceived delivery of the skills demanded. Gaps, both between these two stakeholder groups regarding expectations and within the user group regarding perceived delivery, are found to impact user satisfaction in a two-way analysis. The results indicate that expectations should be managed to higher levels and commonly understood across the user and provider groups.     

Improved global robust asymptotic stability criteria for delayed cellular neural networks.

This paper considers the problem of global robust stability analysis of delayed cellular neural networks (DCNNs) with norm-bounded parameter uncertainties. In terms of a linear matrix inequality, a new sufficient condition ensuring a nominal DCNN to have a unique equilibrium point which is globally asymptotically stable is proposed. This condition is shown to be a generalization and improvement over some previous criteria. Based on the stability result, a robust stability condition is developed, which contains an existing robust stability result as a special case. An example is provided to demonstrate the reduced conservativeness of the proposed results.     

Stable SOI micromachined electrostatic AC voltage reference

We have designed and manufactured a micromachined moving plate capacitor to be used as an AC voltage reference in electrical metrology. The reference is based on the characteristic AC current–voltage curve of the component having a maximum, the value of which ideally depends only on the geometry of the component and material properties of single crystalline silicon. The electrode surface stability is essential in this application and hence a new fabrication process has been developed to metallize both surfaces of an electrostatically actuated micromachined structure. The stability of the AC reference voltage at a frequency of 100 kHz and an RMS voltage value 6.4 V was measured to be ±60 ppm over 14 h.     

bigVAT: Visual assessment of cluster tendency for large data sets

Assessment of clustering tendency is an important first step in cluster analysis. One tool for assessing cluster tendency is the Visual Assessment of Tendency (VAT) algorithm. VAT produces an image matrix that can be used for visual assessment of cluster tendency in either relational or object data. However, VAT becomes intractable for large data sets. The revised VAT (reVAT) algorithm reduces the number of computations done by VAT, and replaces the image matrix with a set of profile graphs that are used for the visual assessment step. Thus, reVAT overcomes the large data set problem which encumbers VAT, but presents a new problem: interpretation of the set of reVAT profile graphs becomes very difficult when the number of clusters is large, or there is significant overlap between groups of objects in the data. In this paper, we propose a new algorithm called bigVAT which (i) solves the large data problem suffered by VAT, and (ii) solves the interpretation problem suffered by reVAT. bigVAT combines the quasi-ordering technique used by reVAT with an image display of the set of profile graphs displaying the clustering tendency information with a VAT-like image. Several numerical examples are given to illustrate and support the new technique.