PAYING PARTICIPANTS:THE IMPACT OF COMPENSATION ON DATA QUALITY

Poor-quality data has the potential to increase error variance, reduce statistical power and effect sizes, and produce Type I or Type II errors. Paying participants is one technique researchers may use in an attempt to obtain high-quality data. Accordingly, two secondary datasets were used to examine the relationship between participant payment and data quality. The first dataset revealed that data quality did not differ between paid and unpaid undergraduates. Similarly, the second dataset showed that data quality did not differ between unpaid community participants and MTurkers. A comparison across studies showed that undergraduate students engaged in lower levels of careless responding than the community samples but the unpaid community sample outperformed the MTurk sample and both undergraduate samples. Taken together, the current findings suggest that offering financial incentives to undergraduate or community samples does not improve data quality but may improve data collection rates and increase the diversity of participants.</p

Evaluating behavior change factors over time for a simple vs. complex health behavior

BACKGROUND: Researchers are working to identify dynamic factors involved in the shift from behavioral initiation to maintenance—factors which may depend on behavioral complexity. We test hypotheses regarding changes in factors involved in behavioral initiation and maintenance and their relationships to behavioral frequency over time, for a simple (taking a supplement) vs. complex (exercise) behavior. METHODS: Data are secondary analyses from a larger RCT, in which young adult women, new to both behaviors, were randomly assigned to take daily calcium (N = 161) or to go for a daily, brisk walk (N = 171), for 4-weeks. Factors (intentions, self-efficacy, intrinsic motivation, self-identity, habit strength) were measured weekly. Multi-level modeling evaluated their change over time. Bivariate correlations and multiple regression determined the relationships between factors and the subsequent-week behavioral frequency (self-report and objective). FINDING: Results were partly in-line with expectations, in that individuals’ intentions and self-efficacy predicted initial behavioral engagement for both behaviors, and habit strength increased for both behaviors, becoming a significant predictor of behavioral frequency in later weeks of the study in some analyses. However, results depended on whether the outcome was self-reported or objectively measured and whether analyses were bivariate or multivariate (regression). DISCUSSION: The factors theorized to play a role in behavioral maintenance (intrinsic motivation, self-identity, and habit strength) started to develop, but only habit strength predicted behavioral frequency by study-end, for both behaviors. Differences in initiation and maintenance between behaviors of differing complexity may not be as stark as theorized, but longer follow-up times are required to evaluate maintenance factors

The utility of the integrated behavior change model as an extension of the theory of planned behavior

INTRODUCTION: There are several widely used theories of health behavior change, which mostly utilize the social cognitive approach. These theories tend to posit that intention is a direct predictor of behavior, do not include automatic influences on behavior, and propose a one-size-fits-all theory for both initiators and maintainers. However, the intention-behavior gap is a well-observed phenomenon, researchers have highlighted that both automatic and reflective factors promote behavioral engagement, and predictors of behavior have been shown to differ between initiators and maintainers—three issues that necessitate theory advancement. To that end, the present research compares the utility of the Integrated Behavior Change Model (IBCM) – a social cognitive model that includes automatic factors involved in behavioral engagement and a moderator of the intention-behavior gap – to its theoretical predecessor, the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). Further, the relevance of the IBCM factors for predicting exercise behavior is compared in initiators versus maintainers. METHOD: Participants were 494 US undergraduates. Participants reported on variables from the IBCM (and TPB) at baseline and reported on their exercise behavior in two surveys at seven- and 14-days post-baseline. RESULTS: Findings supported the first hypothesis that the IBCM would be more relevant for initiators in comparison with maintainers, using structural equation modeling. Specifically, only the paths between intrinsic motivation and affective attitude, affective attitude and intention, and intention and behavior were reliably found for maintainers. For initiators, the aforementioned paths were also reliably supported and the additional following paths were also supported: intrinsic motivation and perceived behavioral control, perceived behavioral control and intention, and intention and action planning. However, results did not support the second hypothesis that the IBCM would predict significantly more variance in behavior than its theoretical predecessor, the TPB. Specifically, the addition of action planning, implicit attitude, implicit motivation, and the interaction between intention and action planning only predicted an additional 0.3% (p < 0:05) of the variance in exercise behavior above and beyond intention. CONCLUSION: Results highlight the continued need for theoretical refinement in terms of delineating mechanisms of initiation and maintenance and the need for further development in terms of improving upon current predictions of behavior engagement and change

Urine Sodium Concentrations are Predictive of Hypoadrenocorticism in Hyponatremic Dogs: A Retrospective Pilot Study

Abstract OBJECTIVES: To determine if a urine sodium concentration could be used to rule out hypoadrenocorticism in hyponatraemic dogs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Medical records were reviewed for hyponatraemic dogs (serum sodium/L) that had recorded urine sodium concentrations. Twenty hyponatraemic dogs were included: 11 diagnosed with classical hypoadrenocorticism and nine with non-adrenal causes of hyponatraemia. A Wilcoxon rank-sum test was used to compare results between groups. RESULTS: No dog with hypoadrenocorticism had a urine sodium concentration less than 30 mmol/L. Urine sodium concentration in dogs with hypoadrenocorticism was significantly higher (median 103 mmol/L, range: 41 to 225) than in dogs with non-adrenal illness (median 10 mmol/L, range: 2 to 86) (P CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: These results suggest that urine sodium concentrations can be used to prioritise a differential diagnosis of hypoadrenocorticism in hyponatraemic dogs. A urine sodium concentration less than 30 mmol/L in a hyponatraemic dog makes classical hypoadrenocorticism an unlikely cause of the hyponatraemia. Nevertheless, because of the small sample size our results should be interpreted with caution and a larger follow-up study would be valuable

Existence and uniqueness of mild solutions of nonlinear difference-integrodifferential equation with nonlocal condition

In this paper we investigate the existence, uniqueness and continuous dependence of solutions of the difference-integrodifferential equations. The results are obtained by using the well known Banach fixed point theorem, the theory of semigroups and the inequality established by B. G. Pachpatte

STUDY OF RACHANA SHARIR DESCRIBED IN LAGHUTRAYEE IN COMPARISON WITH BRIHATRAYEE

Sharir Rachana and Kriya is essential for the knowledge of Chikitsa, Shalya and Shalakya. Depending upon the availability and complete knowledge of Ashtang Ayurveda the trio of creations of Acharya Susruta, Charaka and Vagbhata is regarded as Brihatrayee. Later on the other trio of Madhava Nidan, Bhavaprakash, Sharangadhara Samhita reffered as Laghutrayee. The knowledge of Sharir and medicine available in Brihatrayee; So, Ayurvedic terminologies explaining the Sharir aspects in Samhitas are many times mentioned by comparing it with the objects commonly seen in day-to-day life. This concept of comparison may be classified on Rachnatmaka groups. This concept helps in knowing, understanding, learning and memorizing the important features in Rachana Sharir, as a whole. Acharyas has thus greatly contributed to the Vaidyas in studying the Sharir in the language of the layman. Sharir stands for bodily, anything related to body. It is defined by Brihatrayee Acharyas as per their ideologies. Sharirvichaya is a detailed knowledge of Sharir Anga Pratyanga which is useful for Sharir Svasthya as well as Chikitsa. All the Acharyas consider Shadangas according to their different point of view

EXISTENCE AND UNIQUENESS OF SOLUTION OF DIFFERENTIAL EQUATION OF FRACTIONAL ORDER VIA S-ITERATION

In this paper, we study the existence, uniqueness and other properties of solutions of differential equation of fractional order involving the Caputo fractional derivative. The tool employed in the analysis is based on application of S− iteration method. The study of qualitative properties in general required differential and integral inequalities, and here S−iteration method itself has equally important contribution to study various properties such as dependence on initial data, closeness of solutions and dependence on parameters and functions involved therein. Finally, we present an example in support of all proved results

Analysis of lead levels in deciduous teeth from children in Clark County, Nevada.

Background: Elevated blood lead levels (EBLL) are declining in the United States, although some population subgroups continue to exhibit significant health disparities. A childhood lead poisoning prevention program was recently started in Nevada, and many efforts have been made to support this program and increase the screening rates. Methods: To expand the potential pool of children screened for EBLLs, a pilot study was performed to evaluate lead concentrations in extracted deciduous teeth using Graphic Furnace Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (GFAAS), Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS), and X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) analysis. Results: Lead concentrations as determined by GFAAS and ICP-MS were found to be within normal ranges (0.585 ppm ± 0.022) and were similar to previous studies. Hispanic patients exhibited higher lead levels (0.580 ppm ± 0.032) than Black (0.478 ppm ± 0.051) patients, and were significantly higher than White (0.275 ppm ± 0.035) patients (p \u3c 0.05). Analysis of a small number of matched saliva samples, however, found no evidence for acute lead poisoning. Although limited by a small initial sample size (n=22), this pilot study provides evidence that teeth can be effectively used to reveal lead exposure in pediatric dentistry patients

Characterization of Melt Infiltrated SiC/SiC Composite Combustor Liners Using Meso- and Micro-NDE Techniques

Melt-infiltrated ceramic matrix composite SiC/SiC material systems are under development for use in combustor liners for low-emission advanced gas turbines. Uncertainty in repeatability of processing methods for these large components (33--76 cm diameter), and hence possible reduced reliability for the end user. This requires that appropriate test methods, at both meso- and micro-scale, be used to ensure that the liners are acceptable for use. Nondestructive evaluation (NDE) methods, if demonstrated to reliably detect changes caused by processing, would be of significant benefit to both manufacturer and end user. This paper describes the NDE methods and their applications in detecting a process upset in a melt-infiltrated 33 cm combustor liner and how high-resolution scanning electron microscopy was used to verify the NDE data