“Down Your Drink” (DYD): a digital intervention to reduce harmful drinking

Excessive alcohol consumption contributes to significant individual and societal harms. Screening and Brief Interventions are effective in reducing consumption and digital versions, delivered online, have the potential to reach large numbers of people, who would not otherwise receive help, at low marginal costs. Downyourdrink (DYD) is a digital intervention based on Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, Motivational Interviewing and Social and Behaviour Network Therapy. DYD was evaluated using the Medical Research Council’s framework for complex interventions. Several studies showed that large numbers of users registered with the programme and were willing to provide data, but levels of attrition were high. Users were largely in their mid to late thirties, half were female, just over a third were single, nearly half lived with children and they were predominantly white British and of higher socioeconomic status. An online pragmatic randomised controlled trial found that weekly alcohol consumption reduced by 20 standard units, but there was no advantage for the group that had access to DYD. These results are discussed in relation to findings from other studies, methodological issues raised by online research and the common finding that control groups in alcohol studies reduce consumption following baseline assessments. Implementation trials were conducted in different health, occupational and community settings. Mixed methods studies and process evaluations examined the challenges encountered in each of these settings. Conceptual models, such as that of Freeman and Sturdy (2014), were used to identify different types of knowledge involved in developing interventions and policy frameworks that enable successful deployment. The direction of DYD’s development was determined by overlapping contexts. Research funding through health and university bodies required adherence to a scientific framework. Public services set goals for the reduction of harms, equity of access and the efficient use of resources. The personal context included professional development, values and interests

Model investigation of inlet plenum flow straightening techniques for altitude test facility

An investigation was conducted to evaluate and improve the quality of the airflow to be supplied to the engine in altitude test chambers 3 and 4 of the Propulsion Systems Laboratory at the Lewis Research Center. One-twentieth-scale models of the inlet plenum chamber of the two test chambers were used in the investigation to minimize time and cost. It was possible to reduce the velocity spread in the inlet plenum from approximately 100 m/sec (330 ft/sec) to approximately 10 m/sec (30 ft/sec) through the combined use of flow diverters, multiple spaced screens, flow straighteners, and turning vanes

How big is the elephant in the room? Estimated and actual IT costs in an online behaviour change trial

The practical and methodological challenges inherent in online behaviour change studies are both novel and complex. We relate our experiences of estimating and managing information technology (IT) research and intervention costs in an ongoing internet trial in the hope that others will find this information useful

Symmetry of two terminal, non-linear electric conduction

The well-established symmetry relations for linear transport phenomena can not, in general, be applied in the non-linear regime. Here we propose a set of symmetry relations with respect to bias voltage and magnetic field for the non-linear conductance of two-terminal electric conductors. We experimentally confirm these relations using phase-coherent, semiconductor quantum dots.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

Anticipated synchronization in coupled inertia ratchets with time-delayed feedback: a numerical study

We investigate anticipated synchronization between two periodically driven deterministic, dissipative inertia ratchets that are able to exhibit directed transport with a finite velocity. The two ratchets interact through an unidirectional delay coupling: one is acting as a master system while the other one represents the slave system. Each of the two dissipative deterministic ratchets is driven externally by a common periodic force. The delay coupling involves two parameters: the coupling strength and the (positive-valued) delay time. We study the synchronization features for the unbounded, current carrying trajectories of the master and the slave, respectively, for four different strengths of the driving amplitude. These in turn characterize differing phase space dynamics of the transporting ratchet dynamics: regular, intermittent and a chaotic transport regime. We find that the slave ratchet can respond in exactly the same way as the master will respond in the future, thereby anticipating the nonlinear directed transport

Phase Ordering Dynamics of ϕ4\phi^4 Theory with Hamiltonian Equations of Motion

Phase ordering dynamics of the (2+1)- and (3+1)-dimensional $\phi^4$ theory with Hamiltonian equations of motion is investigated numerically. Dynamic scaling is confirmed. The dynamic exponent $z$ is different from that of the Ising model with dynamics of model A, while the exponent $\lambda$ is the same.Comment: to appear in Int. J. Mod. Phys.

Effective Hamiltonian Approach to Hyperon Beta Decay with Final-State Baryon Polarization

Using an effective Hamiltonian approach, we obtain expressions for hyperon beta decay final-state baryon polarization. Terms through second order in the energy release are retained. The resulting approximate expressions are much simpler and more compact than the exact expressions, and they agree closely with them.Comment: 1 Figure Will appear in Phys Rev D 60 Article 117505 (Dec 1, 1999