Reducing social anxiety in adolescents distressed by a visible difference: Results from a randomised control trial of a web-based intervention

A visible difference to the face or body may challenge adolescents’ adjustment and engagement in life activities, where some require psychosocial support. However, evidence is limited for whether existing interventions for this adolescent group reduce social or appearance-related distress. We therefore conducted a parallel-group, randomised control trial to evaluate the effectiveness of Young Person's Face IT, a self-guided web-based psychosocial intervention developed for adolescents with a visible difference who experience distress. Adolescents (N = 189, aged 11–18) from two countries (Norway and the Netherlands), were randomly allocated to an intervention group or care as usual (CAU). Outcomes were body esteem, social anxiety, perceived stigmatisation, and life disengagement. Compared with CAU, participants who completed Young Person's Face IT showed reductions in social anxiety symptoms (ηp2 = 0.06). No significant improvements were found for the other outcomes. This study endorses web-based psychosocial support in reducing social anxiety in adolescents distressed by a visible difference. Future studies are needed to confirm the effectiveness of Young Person's Face IT and to explore potential long-term effects

The performance of sensitive equipment to voltage dips from field measurements

Contactors and adjustable speed drives are power devices that are commonly used in many industrial processes. A contactor is used for switching and/or protection while an ASD is used for process control. These power devices are vulnerable to voltage dips which can disrupt the whole process, and cause huge economic losses. The economic loss of a process depends on the number of process interruptions and the cost per process interruption. This paper discusses about the performance the two devices, whose sensitivity curves are experimentally tested to different types of voltage dips, to statistical data set of voltage dips monitored in the Dutch distribution networks. In the analysis, the transfer of voltage dips from the MV to the LV network is taken into consideration. This approach can help to get insight into the economic loss of industrial plants and the setting of limits for voltage dips in the distribution network

Experimental investigation on the sensitivity of an industrial process to voltage dips

A voltage dip is an important power quality (PQ) disturbance mainly caused by short-circuit faults. It can cause malfunctioning of sensitive equipment that can lead to the disruption of industrial processes, which usually results in substantial financial losses. One way to solve the problems caused by voltage dips is to identify the weak parts of a process and make the manufacturing process more robust against voltage dips. This paper discusses the sensitivity of a simple industrial process, which consists of a contactor in series with an adjustable speed drive connected to a load, based on experimental tests. The immunity of the sensitive devices to voltage dips are first tested under different conditions, and then compared with the immunity of the process to see the influence of the weak parts on the process. This approach can give insight into setting the limits for voltage dips

Experimental investigation on the sensitivity of an industrial process to voltage dips

A voltage dip is an important power quality (PQ) disturbance mainly caused by short-circuit faults. It can cause malfunctioning of sensitive equipment that can lead to the disruption of industrial processes, which usually results in substantial financial losses. One way to solve the problems caused by voltage dips is to identify the weak parts of a process and make the manufacturing process more robust against voltage dips. This paper discusses the sensitivity of a simple industrial process, which consists of a contactor in series with an adjustable speed drive connected to a load, based on experimental tests. The immunity of the sensitive devices to voltage dips are first tested under different conditions, and then compared with the immunity of the process to see the influence of the weak parts on the process. This approach can give insight into setting the limits for voltage dips

Digital Audio Broadcasting - DAB Teilprojekt 8: Erarbeitung eines europaeischen Standards fuer ein digitales terrestrisches Tonrundfunksystem. Schlussbericht

Aim of the EUREKA 147 (DAB) project was the definition of a terrestrial digital broadcasting system. Within subproject 8 the feasibility of the system development had to be checked. For this reason investigations in the homodyne receiving concept as an RF front end, and in interpolative A/D converters for digitalisation were made. For both functional blocks simulation programs were used to analyze the modules. The concepts were also verified by array realisations (silicon breadboarding) and electrical measurements. It was verified that for system concepts with relatively small signal bandwidths (< 300 kHz) direct mixing and interpolative A/D conversion could be a preferred receiver concept. However, for the near project-end selected broad band approach (1,5 MHz bandwidth) significant problems came up with base band filtering. Having in mind todays semiconductor technology, we propose a heterodyne receiving concept for DAB which circumvents base band filtering. (orig.)SIGLEAvailable from TIB Hannover: F94B977+a / FIZ - Fachinformationszzentrum Karlsruhe / TIB - Technische InformationsbibliothekBundesministerium fuer Forschung und Technologie (BMFT), Bonn (Germany); Commission of the European Communities (CEC), Brussels (Belgium)DEGerman

Implementation of Prototype Building Blocks for Value Added Services (VAS) in a Digital Broadcasting Standard Final report

DDB (Digital Data Broadcasting) is an extension of the already existing progressive DAB broadcasting system. It is based on the standard, which has been elaborated within the europroject EUREKA147 and it opens up a wide range of value added data services. New services, which have not been possible in previous broadcasting systems, are to increase the acceptance of the new system in order to make possible a wide introduction of DAB in the future. Therefore it is essential to make DAB receivers available both at high quantities and at reasonable prices. The realization of combined audio-data receivers is only practicable by use of highly integrated, application specific, monolithically integrated circuits (ASICs). This is due to the fact that the DAD/DDB techniques apply highly sophisticated real time algorithms. Furthermore the tasks which have to be done within the project are of such extent and of such various kind, that they are only practicable in a consortium project. Within this consortium project the already manufactured test ASICs have been developed on with regard to even higher functionality, realized, and tested. In the analog part of the receiver the integrated bipolar circuits have been extended by additional functionality. Investigations with regard to an integration by use of gallium arsenide technology gave promising results. The digital signal processing algorithms have been accelerated by means of new architectures and extensions of the circuitry and have been adopted to the required higher data rates. The implementation of the data decoder as a program running on a signalprocessor offers high flexibility with respect to adaptation and expansion. Regarding the transmitter, investigations and computer simulations for the linearization of power amplifiers have been carried out in order to reach optimal usage of the limited frequency resources. The work carried out and its results are one step more paving the way to realize small size and low power DAB receivers. (orig.)Available from TIB Hannover: F98B90+a / FIZ - Fachinformationszzentrum Karlsruhe / TIB - Technische InformationsbibliothekSIGLEBundesministerium fuer Bildung, Wissenschaft, Forschung und Technologie, Bonn (Germany)DEGerman

Implementation of prototype building blocks for a DAB standard Final report

DAB (Digital Audio Broadcasting) is a basically new development of a broadcasting system to be based on the standard elaborated within the Europroject EUREKA 147. With regard to a future wide introduction of DAB it is essential that DAB-receivers have to be made available as mass products at low unit costs. The DAB-technique applies highly sophisticated algorithms to be processed in real time. Therefore, the realization of such receivers is only feasible by means of highly integrated application specific monolitically integrated circuits (ASICs). Furthermore the problems to be solved are so extensive and of different kind that they can only be treated useful in an consortium project. Within the consortium project a set of test-ASICs has been developed, realized, and tryed which are the key components of the receiver (and partially also of the transmitter). Integrated bipolar circuits for the analog part of the receiver have been realized as prototypes which are characterized by high dynamic range, good noise properties, and low power consumption. The digital signal processing algorithms were processed by means of two highly integrated CMOS-circuits in combination with a signal processor. Based on these key components the realization of DAB-receivers having a volume of three litres and a power consumption of about 50 Watts was possible. Multimedia components will become more and more important in future, that is why a further reduction of volume and power consumption becomes esssential. (orig.)SIGLEAvailable from TIB Hannover: F97B1461+a / FIZ - Fachinformationszzentrum Karlsruhe / TIB - Technische InformationsbibliothekBundesministerium fuer Bildung, Wissenschaft, Forschung und Technologie, Bonn (Germany)DEGerman