Contracting, prompting, and reinforcing substance use disorder continuing care: A randomized clinical trial.

Although continuing care is strongly related to positive treatment outcomes for substance use disorder (SUD), participation rates are low and few effective interventions are available. In a randomized clinical trial with 150 participants (97% men), 75 graduates of a residential Veterans Affairs Medical Center SUD program who received an aftercare contract, attendance prompts, and reinforcers (CPR) were compared to 75 graduates who received standard treatment (STX). Among CPR participants, 55% completed at least 3 months of aftercare, compared to 36% in STX. Similarly, CPR participants remained in treatment longer than those in STX (5.5 vs. 4.4 months). Additionally, CPR participants were more likely to be abstinent compared to STX (57% vs. 37%) after 1 year. The CPR intervention offers a practical means to improve adherence among individuals in SUD treatment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Adherence clustering: an efficient method for mining market-basket clusters

We explore in this paper the efficient clustering of market-basket data. Different from those of the traditional data, the features of market-basket data are known to be of high dimensionality and sparsity. Without explicitly considering the presence of the taxonomy, most prior efforts on clustering market-basket data can be viewed as dealing with items in the leaf level of the taxonomy tree. Clustering transactions across different levels of the taxonomy is of great importance for marketing strategies as well as for the result representation of the clustering techniques for market-basket data. In view of the features of market-basket data, we devise in this paper a novel measurement, called the category-based adherence, and utilize this measurement to perform the clustering. With this category-based adherence measurement, we develop an efficient clustering algorithm, called algorithm k-todes, for market-basket data with the objective to minimize the category-based adherence. The distance of an item to a given cluster is defined as the number of links between this item and its nearest tode. The category-based adherence of a transaction to a cluster is then defined as the average distance of the items in this transaction to that cluster. A validation model based on information gain is also devised to assess the quality of clustering for market-basket data. As validated by both real and synthetic datasets, it is shown by our experimental results, with the taxonomy information, algorithm k-todes devised in this paper significantly outperforms the prior works in both the execution efficiency and the clustering quality as measured by information gain, indicating the usefulness of category-based adherence in market-basket data clustering.     

Influence of silicon on the oxidation of titanium between 550 and 700°C

The oxidation behavior of Ti-Si alloys (0.25, 0.5, and 1 Wt. % Si) was investigated between 550 and 700°C; in oxygen by continuous thermogravimetry for a maximum duration of about 500 hr and, in air by daily weighing for durations from a few hundred to several thousand hours. The kinetics results revealed that the presence of silicon leads to a decrease in oxidation rate which is more evident when the temperature is raised and the silicon content is increased. Morphological and structural examinations revealed that silicon modifies the internal architecture of oxide layers when compared with unalloyed titanium; in particular, reduced porosity in the layers is observed. Analysis showed that silicon is uniformly distributed in the oxide layer. However, while part of the silicon is in solid solution in the rutile, some is also precipitated as small crystals ( <1 m at 850°C) of SiO₂, of cristobalite structure. The adherence of oxide layers to the metal substrate was measured after cooling of samples; the addition of silicon has been observed to modify, in a manner dependent on its content, the adherence of oxide layers.     

弥散Gd_2O_3质点改性的新型复合铝化物涂层的氧化行为SCIEI

研究了Gd_2O_3质点及其添加量对涂层在空气中1100℃氧化行为的影响及作用机制。结果表明,NiAl涂层中加入Gd_2O_3质点后,极大地降低了涂层的氧化速率,显著提高了氧化膜的粘附性,比简单NiAl涂层具有更好的抗高温氧化性能。复合镀层经渗Al后,一部分Gd_2O_3质点仍弥散分布于涂层中,另一部分细小的亚微观质点在涂层/基体界面处富集,形成氧化物聚集带,聚集带具有扩散障作用。连续的聚集带更有效地抑制退化,提高涂层使用寿命。     

Preparation of a Novel Composite Material Based on a Nafion® Membrane and Polypyrrole for Potential Application in a PEM Fuel Cell

The process of embedding polypyrrole (PPy) on the surface of a Nafion^® membrane was studied. Three methods of PPy synthesis directly on the membrane surface were compared. The diffusion method based on the separation of monomer and oxidant (peroxidisulphate) solutions by the membrane to be modified is proposed as the most promising one. The monomer diffuses through the membrane to the oxidant side, where it is polymerized. In this case sulphate is incorporated into the film as a counter-ion. PPy film prepared in this way adheres well to the Nafion^® surface and shows promising electrochemical activity. The permeability of the composite for monomer in comparison to self-standing Nafion^® film is reduced significantly. This may be important for the potential application of this composite, especially in a direct methanol fuel cell, as an alternative membrane-electrode assembly (MEA), particularly with regard to the currently used MEA’s permeability for fuel.     

拉力法测量氧化膜的粘附力

利用拉力法测量了Ti-5621S及含1wt%Nd的Ti-5621S合金800℃空气中形成的氧化膜的粘附力,用膜/合金界面能表征的氧化膜的粘附力不仅与断裂载荷有关、而且还与膜内的残余应力有关.简化分析后得出它们间存在关系Ti-5621S合金中添加Nd能增强氧化膜粘附力,两种合金氧化膜的粘附力随厚度增加而降低.     

Adherence rates to ferric citrate as compared to active control in patients with end stage kidney disease on dialysis

Introduction: Oral phosphate binders are the main stay of treatment of hyperphosphatemia. Adherence rates to ferric citrate, a recently approved phosphate binder, are unknown. Methods: We conducted a post‐hoc analysis to evaluate whether adherence rates were different for ferric citrate vs. active control in 412 subjects with end stage kidney disease (ESKD) who were randomized to ferric citrate vs. active control (sevelamer carbonate and/or calcium acetate). Adherence was defined as percent of actual number of pills taken to total number of pills prescribed. Findings: There were no significant differences in baseline characteristics including gender, race/ethnicity, and age between the ferric citrate and active control groups. Baseline phosphorus, calcium, and parathyroid hormone levels were similar. Mean (SD) adherence was 81.4% (17.4) and 81.7% (15.9) in the ferric citrate and active control groups, respectively (P = 0.88). Adherence remained similar between both groups after adjusting for gender, race/ethnicity, age, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and diabetic nephropathy (mean [95% CI]: 81.4% [78.2, 84.6] and 81.5% [77.7, 85.2] for ferric citrate and active control, respectively). Gender, race/ethnicity, age, and diagnosis of diabetic nephropathy did not influence adherence to the prescribed phosphate binder. Subjects with CVD had lower adherence rates to phosphate binder; this was significant only in the active control group. Discussion: Adherence rates to the phosphate binder, ferric citrate, were similar to adherence rates to active control. Similar adherence rates to ferric citrate are notable since tolerance to active control was an entry criteria and the study was open label. Gender, race/ethnicity, nor age influenced adherence.     

Implementation of physical coordination training and cognitive behavioural training interventions at cleaning workplaces--secondary analyses of a randomised controlled trial

This study evaluates the implementation of physical coordination training (PCT) and cognitive behavioural training (CBTr) interventions in a randomised controlled trial at nine cleaners' workplaces. Female cleaners (n = 294) were randomised into a PCT, a CBTr or a reference (REF) group. Both 12-week interventions were performed in groups guided by an instructor. Records were kept on intervention dose (adherence) unanticipated events at the work place (context) and quality of intervention delivery (fidelity). Participant adherence was 37% in the PCT and 49% in the CBTr interventions. Optimal implementation was reached by only 6% in PCT and 42% in the CBTr. Analysis of the barriers to successful implementation indicated that the intervention process is sensitive to unanticipated events. In order to succeed in improving the health of high-risk populations such as cleaners and to correctly interpret intervention effects, more research on implementation is needed. Trial registration: ISRCTN96241850. PRACTITIONER SUMMARY: Both physical coordination training and cognitive behavioural training are potential effective workplace interventions among low educated job groups with high physical work demands. However, thorough consideration should be given to feasibility in the design of interventions. The optimal intervention should be tailored to closely match the implementation context and be robust and flexible to minimise susceptibility to changes in work organisation.     

A Stress and Coping Model of Medication Adherence and Viral Load in HIV-Positive Men and Women on Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART).

The authors tested a structural model that incorporated age, time since diagnosis, social support, coping, and negative mood as predictors of medication adherence and HIV viral load on 188 men and 134 women on highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). The authors used psychosocial latent factors formed from baseline measures to predict latent factors of adherence, as assessed by electronic monitoring and self-report, and viral load defined by indicators assessed over a 15-month period. Results from the model indicate that greater negative mood and lower social support are related to greater use of avoidance-oriented coping strategies. Use of these coping strategies by patients on HAART is related to poorer medication adherence and, subsequently, higher viral load. This model advances researchers' understanding of the contribution of psychosocial variables in predicting treatment adherence and disease progression in HIV-positive men and women. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)