Current depressive mood, health perception and HIV sexual risk behavior in the mentally ill

Thesis (M.A.)--Boston UniversityBackground and Purpose: The mentally ill population is more susceptible to HIV infections possibly due to impaired mental status resulting in poor insight and judgment in HIV sexual risk behavior. Specifically, depressed mood has been associated with negative effects on health risk perception, as well as increased health risk behavior. Understanding of the decision making process and HIV risk behavior in people with mental illness can help healthcare providers better adjust prevention strategies to address the specific needs of each client. Methods: As part of a main study which aims to prevent HIV in the mentally ill population, this thesis utilized descriptive baseline data collected during the initial stages of the larger study. The first 75 HIV non-positive participants included in the main study were interviewed extensively with regard to their mood, mental status, and risk behaviors. Specifically, the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID) was used to record current depressed mood, the demographics questionnaire to determine perception of general health and HIV risk, and the Timeline Follow Back (TLFB) method to collect HIV sexual risk behavior activity in the previous 3 months. Results: We found a significant relationship (p = .034) between current depressed mood and poorer general health perception, no relationship (p = .768) between current depressed mood and HIV risk perception, and a trend (0.2 > p = .158) between current depressed mood and HIV sexual risk behavior. Conclusion: Results in this study support the postulation that depressed mood can negatively affect health perception in general. However, it does not support the prediction that depressed mood is associated with perceived HIV specific risk. There is also a trend suggesting that future research should explore the relationship between depressed mood and sexual risk behavior

Online Near Real-Time Online System Identification on Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems

An online near real-time system identification system is developed for generating locally linear models of Small Unmanned Air Systems. Automated control surface excitation inputs consisting of doublets, triplets, and frequency sweeps are implemented and used to assure consistency in the excitation and to eliminate errors introduced by user applied inputs. To provide reliable data for processing, a high frequency data acquisition unit is developed and implemented. In addition, a real-time vehicle monitoring system is used to provide a human-in-the-loop model update capability, with a goal of ensuring safety of the vehicle. Flight tests and modeling are demonstrated on a fixed-wing Small Unmanned Air System, with locally linear models generated during flight. Observer Kalman filter identification is used as the primary identification algorithm with adjustments made for real-time identification purposes. Identified models are both stored and sent to the ground control station for ground control operator for update verification. Results presented in the thesis show that the system provides a capability for generating accurate locally linear models that are suitable for real-time flight control design using model based control techniques and post-flight modal analysis

Online Near Real-Time Online System Identification on Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems

An online near real-time system identification system is developed for generating locally linear models of Small Unmanned Air Systems. Automated control surface excitation inputs consisting of doublets, triplets, and frequency sweeps are implemented and used to assure consistency in the excitation and to eliminate errors introduced by user applied inputs. To provide reliable data for processing, a high frequency data acquisition unit is developed and implemented. In addition, a real-time vehicle monitoring system is used to provide a human-in-the-loop model update capability, with a goal of ensuring safety of the vehicle. Flight tests and modeling are demonstrated on a fixed-wing Small Unmanned Air System, with locally linear models generated during flight. Observer Kalman filter identification is used as the primary identification algorithm with adjustments made for real-time identification purposes. Identified models are both stored and sent to the ground control station for ground control operator for update verification. Results presented in the thesis show that the system provides a capability for generating accurate locally linear models that are suitable for real-time flight control design using model based control techniques and post-flight modal analysis

PREFERENCE TEST OF THE WEIGHTED SHOES

The purpose of this study was to use paired comparison approach to test the weighted shoe preference of the subjects. Forty subjects were recruited to put on five different weighted shoes and choose the preferred one after completing four paired comparisons. During the test, subjects were blind of any information from the shoes. The results showed that thirty-two (80%) out of the forty subjects preferred Shoe D or E, which centre of mass was close to the rear end of the shoe. Significant difference was found in shoe preference between the males and females (?24=10.500, p=.033), while was not found between the lighters and heaviers (?24=5.583, p=.233). The mechanism of the gender effect on the preference decision are unclear. The results of the weighted shoe preference test could be applied to athlete training or rehabilitation shoe design to be comfortable for the users

THE STUDY OF THE AREA OF FOOTPATH BETWEEN MALE AND FEMALE ELITE DISTANT RUNNERS UNDER DIFFERENT RUNNING SPEEDS OF A TREADMILL

The purpose of this study was to investigate and to compare the difference of area of footpath between male and female elite distant runners under 3 m/s and 4 m/s running speeds on a treadmill. There were 9 male and 7 female subjects jointed this study. AJVC DVL-9800 digital camera was utilized to record subject's running movement, and the Ariel Performance Analysis System was used for digitizing. The t-test statistics was used to test the difference between variables. The results indicated that both male and female runners' areas of footpaths were greater when the running speed was increased, and there was no significant difference between male and female runners

Party-Military Relations in the PRC After Mao, 1976-1990

The importance of party-military relations in the People's Republic of China was succinctly stated by Mao in his dictum that "political power comes from the gun" and "the Party should command the gun." Party-military relations in the PRC have never fully conformed to Mao's warning. This study seeks to analyze the nature and types of party-military relations in the PRC during the post-Mao period and the factors affecting change in these relations

Effect of the Kinesio tape to muscle activity and vertical jump performance in healthy inactive people

BACKGROUND: Elastic taping applied on the triceps surae has been commonly used to improve the performance of lower extremities. However, little objective evidence has been documented. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of elastic taping on the triceps surae during a maximal vertical jump. It was hypothesized that elastic taping to the triceps surae would increase muscle activity and cause positive effect to jump height. METHODS: Thirty-one healthy adults (19 males and 12 females with mean age, body weight and height for 25.3 ± 3.8 years old, 64.1 ± 6.2 kg, and 169.4 ± 7.3 cm, respectively) were recruited. All participants performed vertical jump tests prior to (without taping) and during elastic taping. Two elastic tapes, Kinesio tape and Mplacebo tape from two different manufacturers, were applied to the participants, respectively. RESULTS: The results showed that the vertical ground reaction force increased when Kinesio tape was applied even when the height of jump remained about constant. However, the height of the jump decreased, and there was no difference on the vertical ground reaction force in Mplacebo taping group. Although the EMG activity of medial gastrocnemius tended to increase in Kinesio taping group, we did not see differences in EMG activity for the medial gastrocnemius, tibialis anterior and soleus muscles in either group. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the varied effects of Kinesio tape and Mplacebo tape, different intervention technique was suggested for specific purpose during vertical jump movement. Mplacebo tape was demanded for the benefits of stabilization, protection, and the restriction of motion at the ankle joint. On the other hand, the findings may implicate benefits for medial gastrocnemius muscle strength and push-off force when using Kinesio tape

Dual-frequency addressed hybrid-aligned nematic liquid crystal

Dual-frequency addressed hybrid-aligned nematic (HAN) liquid crystal cell is demonstrated as a variable optical attenuator at 1.55 mum wavelength. By controlling the low- and high-frequency electric field, the dual-frequency liquid crystal (DFLC) molecules can be reoriented parallel or perpendicular to the substrates so that the maximum obtainable phase modulation is doubled. In comparison to a homogeneous cell, the DFLC HAN cell shows a lower operating voltage and faster response time. Furthermore, the DFLC HAN cell exhibits three stable states that have some applications such as ternary photonic devices