Workflow and Performance Under Computer Mediated Interruptions

Technologically enhanced computer mediated communication (CMC) environments create a trade-off between eliminating delays and increasing performance. In such environments, incoming interruptions can break the “flow” of work and deteriorate performance. In this regard, we describe a mechanism that explains why particular types of information are attended to, and how such interruptions interrupt work flow creating deterioration in performance. Specifically, this study investigates to specific facets of interruptions, the influence of task presentation format and interruption relevance on performance. Results showed significant performance differences related to different presentation format and interruption relevancy. Furthermore, flow had a significant effect on work performance. Future research should future propose more comprehensive taxonomies of both interruption in task characteristics, and examine the effects of such interruptions in systematic ways and in different contexts

The effect of spin orbit interaction on the physical properties of LaTSi3 (T = Ir, Pd, and Rh): First-principles calculations

This is the final version of the article. Available from AIP Publishing via the DOI in this record.We have presented the structural, elastic, electronic, phononic, and electron-phonon interaction properties of the La-based noncentrosymmetric superconductors, such as LaIrSi3, LaRhSi3, and LaPdSi3, by using the generalized gradient approximation of the density functional theory. The calculated elastic constants reveal the mechanical stability of all the studied compounds in their noncentrosymmetric structure, while the lack of inversion symmetry gives rise to lift the degeneracy of their electronic bands, except in the Γ-Z and X-P directions. The calculated Eliashberg spectral function shows that all phonon branches of these materials couple considerably with electrons, and thus, all of them make contribution to the average electron-phonon coupling parameter λ. Using the calculated values of λ and the logarithmically averaged phonon frequency ωln, the superconducting critical temperature Tc values for LaIrSi3, LaRhSi3, and LaPdSi3 are estimated to be 0.89, 2.56, and 2.40 K, respectively, which accord very well with their corresponding experimental values of 0.77, 2.16, and 2.60 K.This work was supported by the Scientific and Technical Research Council of Turkey (TÜBİTAK) (Project No. MFAG-115F135)

Comparison of Nutrition Status and Knowledge Level of Sports Trainers and Individuals Attended with Nine-Round Fitness Sports

The aim of this study was to determine and evaluate the nutritional knowledge levels and nutritional status of the sports trainers and individuals doing nine-round fitness sports, and compare the relationship between two groups. One hundred individuals doing sports and 10 trainers were included in the study. A questionnaire about general demographic information, anthropometric measurements, nutritional habits and sporting status were applied to the participants. In addition, 1-day retrospective food consumption record was taken to evaluate the intake levels of macro and micronutrients, and The Basic Nutrition Knowledge Level for Adults (YETBID) Scale was applied to measure the nutritional knowledge of the participants. The mean energy (kcal), protein (g), fat (g) and carbohydrate (g) intakes were found to be 1930±832,6, 117,8±61,3, 88±34,5, 159±111,1 for trainers and 1465±533, 81,8±33,9, 66,6±26,4, 128±76,9 for individuals doing sports, respectively. A significant difference was found between two groups in terms of energy intakes (p=0,042) whereas, no significant difference was found between the levels of macro nutrient intakes between trainers and individuals doing sports (p>0.05). According to the YETBID scores, it was found that the total score of individuals doing sports was significantly higher than trainers’ (p=0.037). It was concluded that the level of nutritional knowledge of sports trainers and individuals doing sports did not affect the nutritional status. Furthermore, dietitians should be present at sport centers and nutrition trainings should be arranged in order to prevent improper nutrition practices

Psychological distress among Bam earthquake survivors in Iran: a population-based study

BACKGROUND: An earthquake measuring 6.3 on the Richter scale struck the city of Bam in Iran on the 26th of December 2003 at 5.26 A.M. It was devastating, and left over 40,000 dead and around 30,000 injured. The profound tragedy of thousands killed has caused emotional and psychological trauma for tens of thousands of people who have survived. A study was carried out to assess psychological distress among Bam earthquake survivors and factors associated with severe mental health in those who survived the tragedy. METHODS: This was a population-based study measuring psychological distress among the survivors of Bam earthquake in Iran. Using a multi-stage stratified sampling method a random sample of individuals aged 15 years and over living in Bam were interviewed. Psychological distress was measured using the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12). RESULTS: In all 916 survivors were interviewed. The mean age of the respondents was 32.9 years (SD = 12.4), mostly were males (53%), married (66%) and had secondary school education (50%). Forty-one percent reported they lost 3 to 5 members of their family in the earthquake. In addition the findings showed that 58% of the respondents suffered from severe mental health as measured by the GHQ-12 and this was three times higher than reported psychological distress among the general population. There were significant differences between sub-groups of the study sample with regard to their psychological distress. The results of the logistic regression analysis also indicated that female gender; lower education, unemployment, and loss of family members were associated with severe psychological distress among earthquake victims. CONCLUSION: The study findings indicated that the amount of psychological distress among earthquake survivors was high and there is an urgent need to deliver mental health care to disaster victims in local medical settings and to reduce negative health impacts of the earthquake adequate psychological counseling is needed for those who survived the tragedy

Mechanisms of Psychological Distress following War in the Former Yugoslavia: The Role of Interpersonal Sensitivity

This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.This study was funded by a grant from the European Commission, contract number INCO-CT-2004-509176. AN was supported by a Clinical Early Career Research Fellowship (113295) and a Project Grant (104288

Determination of horizon size in state-based peridynamics

Peridynamics is based on integro-differential equations and has a length scale parameter called horizon which gives peridynamics a non-local character. Currently, there are three main peridynamic formulations available in the literature including bond-based peridynamics, ordinary state-based peridynamics and non-ordinary state-based peridynamics. In this study, the optimum horizon size is determined for ordinary state-based peridynamics and non-ordinary state-based peridynamics formulations by using uniform and non-uniform discretisation under dynamic and static conditions. It is shown that the horizon sizes selected as optimum sizes for uniform discretisation can also be used for non-uniform discretisation without introducing significant error to the system. Moreover, a smaller horizon size can be selected for non-ordinary state-based formulation which can yield significant computational advantage. It is also shown that same horizon size can be used for both static and dynamic problems

Excessive Daytime Sleepiness in Obstructive Sleep Apnea Patients Treated With Continuous Positive Airway Pressure: Data From the European Sleep Apnea Database

Excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) is a symptom of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) that resolves under treatment with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). In some patients, sleepiness persists despite CPAP treatment. We retrospectively analyzed data on subjective residual EDS, assessed as an Epworth Sleepiness Scale score (ESS) >10, in patients from the European Sleep Apnea Database (n = 4,853, mean age ± SD 54.8 ± 11.8 years, 26.1% females), at baseline and at the first visit (median follow-up: 5 months, interquartile range 3–13). An ESS > 10 occurred in 56% of patients at baseline and in 28.2% of patients at follow-up. Residual EDS was analyzed in 2,190 patients (age: 55.1 ± 12.0 years, 26.1% females) with sleep monitoring data (median follow-up: 3 months, interquartile range 1–15). Sleep studies during CPAP use were obtained in 58% of these patients; EDS was reported by 47.2% of patients at baseline and by 30.3% at follow-up. Residual OSA, defined as an apnea–hypopnea index >10/h, and insufficient CPAP adherence, defined as nightly use <4 h, occurred with similar frequency in patients with and without EDS at follow-up. Prevalence of residual EDS was highest (40%) in patients with a first follow-up visit at 0–3 months, then it was 13–19% in patients with a first follow-up visit after 4 months to 2 years. The change in ESS (n = 2,190) was weakly correlated with CPAP use (R2 = 0.023, p < 0.0001). Logistic regression showed that an ESS score >10 at the first follow-up visit was associated directly with ESS at baseline and inversely with duration of follow-up, and CPAP use (R2 of the model: 0.417). EDS showed heterogeneity in different European countries both at baseline and at the first follow-up visit, suggesting modulation by cultural and lifestyle factors. In conclusion, residual EDS in CPAP-treated OSA occurred in approximately one in four patients at follow-up; its prevalence was highest (40%) in the first 3 months of treatment and subsequently decreased. The finding of residual EDS in a significant percentage of optimally treated OSA patients suggests that wake-promoting agents may be useful, but their indication should be evaluated after at least 3 months of treatment

Combination of psychotherapy and benzodiazepines versus either therapy alone for panic disorder: a systematic review

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background:</p> <p>The efficacy of combined psychotherapy and benzodiazepine treatment for panic disorder is still unclear despite its widespread use. The present systematic review aims to examine its efficacy compared with either monotherapy alone.</p> <p>Methods:</p> <p>All randomised trials comparing combined psychotherapy and benzodiazepine for panic disorder with either therapy alone were identified by comprehensive electronic search on the Cochrane Registers, by checking references of relevant studies and of other reviews, and by contacting experts in the field. Two reviewers independently checked eligibility of trials, assessed quality of trials and extracted data from eligible trials using a standardized data extraction form. Our primary outcome was "response" defined by global judgement. Authors of the original trials were contacted for further unpublished data. Meta-analyses were undertaken synthesizing data from all relevant trials.</p> <p>Results:</p> <p>Only two studies, which compared the combination with behaviour (exposure) therapy, met our eligibility criteria. Both studies had a 16-week intervention. Unpublished data were retrieved for one study. The relative risk for response for the combination was 1.25 (95%CI: 0.78 to 2.03) during acute phase treatment, 0.78 (0.45 to 1.35) at the end of treatment, and 0.62 (0.36 to 1.07) at 6–12 months follow-up. Some secondary outcomes hinted at superiority of the combination during acute phase treatment.</p> <p>One study was identified comparing the combination to benzodiazepine. The relative risk for response was 1.57 (0.83 to 2.98), 3.39 (1.03 to 11.21, statistically significant) and 2.31 (0.79 to 6.74) respectively. The superiority of the combination was observed on secondary outcomes at all the time points. No sub-group analyses were conducted due to the limited number of included trials.</p> <p>Conclusion:</p> <p>Unlike some narrative reviews in the literature, our systematic search established the paucity of high quality evidence for or against the combined psychotherapy plus benzodiazepine therapy for panic disorder. Based on limited available published and unpublished data, however, the combined therapy is probably to be recommended over benzodiazepine alone for panic disorder with agoraphobia. The combination might be superior to behaviour therapy alone during the acute phase, but afterwards this trend may be reversed. We know little from these trials about their adverse effects.</p