Exploring the belief systems of domestic abuse victims using Smallest Space Analysis (SSA)

Research exploring domestic abuse victims has primarily focused on the shorter term avenues of support for victims and the risk factors which put women at risk of victimization. There is limited research exploring the belief systems of domestically abused women that need to be targeted to achieve longer term effects. The present study therefore explored the association between the beliefs of abused women and their experiences as victims. Twenty-one women with a history of domestic abuse were asked about their attitudes towards authority figures and perceived opportunities around the time of their abusive experience. Data were analyzed using Smallest Space Analysis (SSA). Four distinct belief themes (personal responsibility, antisocial attitudes, environmental factors, and negative police attitudes) were found in the analysis. The findings highlighted not only the importance of considering the long standing and personalized beliefs of abuse victims, but also demonstrates the need for support services to offer more personalized support to abuse victims to help change their belief systems. Although this research sets the groundwork in understanding the beliefs of domestic abuse victims, these results need to be built upon with future research examining the wider implications of targeting the belief systems of domestically abused women

ACCURATE 3D SCANNING OF DAMAGED ANCIENT GREEK INSCRIPTIONS FOR REVEALING WEATHERED LETTERS

In this paper two non-invasive non-destructive alternative techniques to the traditional and invasive technique of squeezes are presented alongside with specialized developed processing methods, aiming to help the epigraphists to reveal and analyse weathered letters in ancient Greek inscriptions carved in masonry or marble. The resulting 3D model would serve as a detailed basis for the epigraphists to try to decipher the inscription. The data were collected by using a Structured Light scanner. The creation of the final accurate three dimensional model is a complicated procedure requiring large computation cost and human effort. It includes the collection of geometric data in limited space and time, the creation of the surface, the noise filtering and the merging of individual surfaces. The use of structured light scanners is time consuming and requires costly hardware and software. Therefore an alternative methodology for collecting 3D data of the inscriptions was also implemented for reasons of comparison. Hence, image sequences from varying distances were collected using a calibrated DSLR camera aiming to reconstruct the 3D scene through SfM techniques in order to evaluate the efficiency and the level of precision and detail of the obtained reconstructed inscriptions. Problems in the acquisition processes as well as difficulties in the alignment step and mesh optimization are also encountered. A meta-processing framework is proposed and analysed. Finally, the results of processing and analysis and the different 3D models are critically inspected and then evaluated by a specialist in terms of accuracy, quality and detail of the model and the capability of revealing damaged and ”hidden” letters

Food consumption within Greek households: further evidence from a national representative sample

The aim of this study is to characterize the relationship between food consumption and socio-demographic characteristics in several groups of individuals. This is achieved by capturing the quantity of food purchased in categories on a microeconomic level. The empirical analysis is approached through the estimation of (a) expanded generalized linear models, (b) quantile regression models, (c) quadratic almost ideal demand system models and (d) Deaton’s (1988) approach. The results reveal that the composition of a household has a significant impact on the quantity of food consumed. In addition, price and income elasticities are estimated, confirming that the majority of food items are inelastic with respect to price and income except for meat. These findings can be used as a basis for considering food policy implications while evaluating the potential gains from applying specific policies

A 2:1 cocrystal of the cis and trans isomers of bis­[1,1,1,5,5,5-hexa­fluoro­pentane-2,4-dionato(1−)-κ2 O,O′]bis­(4-phenyl­pyridine N-oxide-κO)copper(II)

The title compound is a co-crystal of the cis and trans isomers, namely cis-bis­[1,1,1,5,5,5-hexa­fluoro­pentane-2,4-dionato(1−)-κ2 O,O′]bis­(4-phenyl­pyridine N-oxide-κO)copper(II)–trans-bis­[1,1,1,5,5,5-hexa­fluoro­pentane-2,4-dionato(1−)-κ2 O,O′]bis(4-phenyl­pyridine N-oxide-κO)copper(II) (2/1), [Cu(C5HF6O2)2(C11H9NO)2]. In both isomers, the coordination geometry of the Cu2+ atom is octa­hedral, exhibiting typical Jahn–Teller distortion. The metal atom of the trans isomer is located on an inversion centre. In the cis isomer, the phenyl ring in one 4-phenyl­pyridine N-oxide ligand is disordered over two orientations in a 1:1 ratio. In the crystal, weak inter­molecular C—H⋯F and C—H⋯O contacts establish connections between the cis and trans isomers

Bis(μ-4-phenyl­pyridine N-oxide-κ2 O:O)bis­[bis­(1,1,1,5,5,5-hexa­fluoro­pentane-2,4-dionato)copper(II)]

The asymmetric unit of the title compound, [Cu2(C5HF6O2)4(C11H9NO)2], contains one half of the centrosymmetric dinuclear complex. The coordination geometry of the CuII atom is octa­hedral, exhibiting a typical Jahn–Teller distortion. One trifluoro­methyl group is rotationally disordered between two orientations in a 1:1 ratio

Validation of the English version of the 14-Item Mediterranean diet adherence screener of the PREDIMED study, in people at high cardiovascular risk in the UK

The aim of this study was to examine the validity of the English version of the PREvencion con DIetaMEDiterranea (PREDIMED) 14-item Mediterranean Diet Adherence Screener (MEDAS), a brief questionnaire assessing adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MedDiet), which was used in the PREDIMED trial for assessment and immediate feedback. This instrument (MEDAS) was administered to 96 adults with a high cardiovascular risk (66% women, mean age 68.3 ± 6.0 years), recruited from general practices in Bristol, UK. Participants then completed a 3-day estimated food record, and the MEDAS was administered again one month later. A MedDiet score (range = 0-14) was calculated from the MEDAS' administrations and food record to assess concurrent validity and test-retest reliability. Predictive validity was assessed by examining the association of the MEDAS-derived score with cardiometabolic risk factors and dietary intakes derived from the food records. The MEDAS-derived MedDiet score was higher by 1.47 points compared to food records (5.47 vs.4.00, p < 0.001), correlated moderately with the record-derived score (r = 0.50, p < 0.001; ICC = 0.53, p < 0.001) and there was borderline fair agreement between the two methods (¿ = 0.19, 95% CI 0.07-0.31, p = 0.002; 95% limits of agreement -2.2, 5.1). Exact agreement within score categories and gross misclassificationwere 45.8% and 21.9%, respectively. The distribution of dietary intakes, reported on the food records by the MEDAS-derived total MedDiet score, was in the expected direction, but no association was observed with cardiometabolic risk factors. The two administrations of the MEDAS produced similar mean total MedDiet scores (5.5 vs. 5.4, p = 0.706), which were correlated (r and ICC = 0.69, p < 0.001) and agreed fairly (¿ = 0.38, 95% CI 0.24-0.52, p < 0.001; 95% limits of agreement -3.1, 3.2). The English version of the MEDAS has acceptable accuracy and reliability for assessing MedDiet adherence among individuals with a high cardiovascular risk, in the UK, and can be used to rank individuals according to MedDiet adherence in research and practice

Investigation of the new cataclysmic variable 1RXS J180834.7+101041

We present the results of our photometric and spectroscopic studies of the new eclipsing cataclysmic variable star 1RXS J180834.7+101041. Its spectrum exhibits double-peaked hydrogen and helium emission lines. The Doppler maps constructed from hydrogen lines show a nonuniform distribution of emission in the disk similar to that observed in IP Peg. This suggests that the object can be a cataclysmic variable with tidal density waves in the disk. We have determined the component masses (M_WD =0.8 \pm 0.22 M_sun and M_RD =0.14 \pm 0.02 M_sun) and the binary inclination (i =78 \pm 1.5 deg) based on well-known relations between parameters for cataclysmic variable stars. We have modeled the binary light curves and showed that the model of a disk with two spots is capable of explaining the main observed features of the light curves.Comment: 22 pages, 9 figures, 2 tables, published in Astronomy Letters, 2011, 37, 845-85

Two Secreted Proteoglycans, Activators of Urothelial Cell–Cell Adhesion, Negatively Contribute to Bladder Cancer Initiation and Progression

Osteomodulin (OMD) and proline/arginine-rich end leucine repeat protein (PRELP) are secreted extracellular matrix proteins belonging to the small leucine-rich proteoglycans family. We found that OMD and PRELP were specifically expressed in umbrella cells in bladder epithelia, and their expression levels were dramatically downregulated in all bladder cancers from very early stages and various epithelial cancers. Our in vitro studies including gene expression profiling using bladder cancer cell lines revealed that OMD or PRELP application suppressed the cancer progression by inhibiting TGF-β and EGF pathways, which reversed epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT), activated cell–cell adhesion, and inhibited various oncogenic pathways. Furthermore, the overexpression of OMD in bladder cancer cells strongly inhibited the anchorage-independent growth and tumorigenicity in mouse xenograft studies. On the other hand, we found that in the bladder epithelia, the knockout mice of OMD and/or PRELP gene caused partial EMT and a loss of tight junctions of the umbrella cells and resulted in formation of a bladder carcinoma in situ-like structure by spontaneous breakdowns of the umbrella cell layer. Furthermore, the ontological analysis of the expression profiling of an OMD knockout mouse bladder demonstrated very high similarity with those obtained from human bladder cancers. Our data indicate that OMD and PRELP are endogenous inhibitors of cancer initiation and progression by controlling EMT. OMD and/or PRELP may have potential for the treatment of bladder cancer

Social marketing and healthy eating : Findings from young people in Greece

This document is the Accepted Manuscript version. The final publication is available at Springer via http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12208-013-0112-xGreece has high rates of obesity and non-communicable diseases owing to poor dietary choices. This research provides lessons for social marketing to tackle the severe nutrition-related problems in this country by obtaining insight into the eating behaviour of young adults aged 18–23. Also, the main behavioural theories used to inform the research are critically discussed. The research was conducted in Athens. Nine focus groups with young adults from eight educational institutions were conducted and fifty-nine participants’ views towards eating habits, healthy eating and the factors that affect their food choices were explored. The study found that the participants adopted unhealthier nutritional habits after enrolment. Motivations for healthy eating were good health, appearance and psychological consequences, while barriers included lack of time, fast-food availability and taste, peer pressure, lack of knowledge and lack of family support. Participants reported lack of supportive environments when deciding on food choices. Based on the findings, recommendations about the development of the basic 4Ps of the marketing mix, as well as of a fifth P, for Policy are proposedPeer reviewe