3,570 research outputs found
Factorial Invariance of the Brief Symptom Inventory-18 (BSI-18) for Adults of Mexican Descent across Nativity Status, Language Format, and Gender
The cultural equivalence of psychological outcome measures remains a major area of investigation. The current study sought to test the factor structure and factorial invariance of the Brief Symptom Inventory-18 (BSI-18) with a sample of adult individuals of Mexican descent (N = 923) across nativity status (U.S.- vs. foreign-born), language format (English vs. Spanish), and gender. The results show that 1-factor and 3-factor measurement models provided a good fit to the data; however, a single-factor model was deemed more appropriate and parsimonious. Tests of measurement invariance and invariance of factor variances (i.e., structural invariance) indicated at least partial measurement invariance across gender, nativity status, and language format. These findings suggest that the BSI-18 operates in a similar fashion among adults of Mexican descent regardless of nativity status, language format of the survey, and gender. Clinical and practical implications for use of the BSI-18 with Latino populations are discussed
Accuracy of Intensity and Inclinometer Output of Three Activity Monitors for Identification of Sedentary Behavior and Light-Intensity Activity
Purpose. To examine the accuracy of intensity and inclinometer output of three physical activity monitors during various sedentary and light-intensity activities.
Methods. Thirty-six participants wore three physical activity monitors (ActiGraph GT1M, ActiGraph GT3X+, and StepWatch) while completing sedentary (lying, sitting watching television, sitting using computer, and standing still) light (walking 1.0 mph, pedaling 7.0 mph, pedaling 15.0 mph) intensity activities under controlled settings. Accuracy for correctly categorizing intensity was assessed for each monitor and threshold. Accuracy of the GT3X+ inclinometer function (GT3X+Incl) for correctly identifying anatomical position was also assessed. Percentage agreement between direct observation and the monitor recorded time spent in sedentary behavior and light intensity was examined. Results. All monitors using all thresholds accurately identified over 80% of sedentary behaviors and 60% of light-intensity walking time based on intensity output. The StepWatch was the most accurate in detecting pedaling time but unable to detect pedal workload. The GT3X+Incl accurately identified anatomical position during 70% of all activities but demonstrated limitations in discriminating between activities of differing intensity. Conclusions. Our findings suggest that all three monitors accurately measure most sedentary and light-intensity activities although choice of monitors should be based on study-specific needs
Launch Procedures for Offshore Flights
The Linn-Benton Community College Space Exploration Team held two successful offshore high-altitude balloon launches from the deck of the research vessel Pacific Storm. The payload filmed the umbra casted by the total eclipse as it passed across the Oregon coastline on August 21, 2017. Assigning roles and having a set procedure made the launch process operate more efficiently. Approximately ten onshore launches were conducted to rehearse procedures in preparation for the launch. During these launches, members became more familiar with their roles and the roles of others on the team to prepare for any and all situations that may occur. Completing an offshore flight differs from a standard onshore launch given that the sea produces various weather conditions such as; sizable waves, increased chance of precipitation, higher wind speed, and the possibility of limited visibility. Seasickness, internet accessibility, and offshore communication are among other factors. A sudden change in wind direction caused a tear in the latex of the balloon which caused the payload to not achieve the desired altitude. The launch did not achieve 28,000 meters, however the team learned from its successes and failures, and anticipate that the next launch will be successful
A Direct Stellar Metallicity Determination in the Disk of the Maser Galaxy NGC4258
We present the first direct determination of a stellar metallicity in the
spiral galaxy NGC4258 (D=7.6 Mpc) based on the quantitative analysis of a
low-resolution (~5 AE) Keck LRIS spectrum of a blue supergiant star located in
its disk. A determination of stellar metallicity in this galaxy is important
for the absolute calibration of the Cepheid Period-Luminosity relation as an
anchor for the extragalactic distance scale and for a better characterization
of its dependence as a function of abundance. We find a value 0.2 dex lower
than solar metallicity at a galactocentric distance of 8.7 kpc, in agreement
with recent HII region studies using the weak forbidden auroral oxygen line at
4363 AE. We determine the effective stellar temperature, gravity, luminosity
and line-of-sight extinction of the blue supergiant being studied. We show that
it fits well on the flux-weighted gravity--luminosity relation (FGLR),
strengthening the potential of this method as a new extragalactic distance
indicator.Comment: Accepted for publication by ApJ Letters, 5 pages, 5 figure
Solar Wind and Energy Resource Assessment (SWERA): A Usability Case Study
The Solar Wind and Energy Resource Assessment (SWERA) project focused on providing renewable energy planning resources to the public. Examples include wind, solar, and hydro assessments. A major component of the SWERA website is the archive search. This provides for a discovery DSS upon which users can find and access renewable energy data and supporting models. The RREX component of SWERA provides a visualization DSS as an addition to the website archive. RREX provides the discovery through a couple different avenues. RREX maps the renewable energy data that it provides along with a graphing application of the same data. RREX also provides a web service approach to allow for the distribution of the same data sets in multiple forms. The objective of this paper is to evaluate user satisfaction with the system as well as highlight factors affecting user satisfaction and experience. In the paper we provide a discussion of various design decisions used in the construction of the system followed by description of research methodology, and a discussion of key findings. Overall, analysis of results indicates general acceptance of the functionality provided and highlights venues for further improvements of the interface
A systematic review of postgraduate training programmes directed at pharmacists entering primary care
This systematic review explores the international postgraduate education and training programmes designed to provide or develop knowledge or skills focused on enabling pharmacists to work in a general practice setting. Four thousand, eight hundred and seventy-one (4,871) articles were identified from database searches of SCOPUS, EMBASE, Medline, CINAHL, IPA, Web of Science and ERIC. After removal of duplicates and article screening, seven articles were included. Educational content, setting, contact time and methods of assessment varied across all studies. There is paucity of published literature relating to the development and evaluation of education programmes directed at pharmacists entering into general practice. A combination of work and classroom-based education provided by general practitioners and pharmacists already working in primary care is deemed most beneficial coupled with systematic debriefing sessions at the completion of training courses. The findings suggest future training should focus on specific disease states
Topological representations of matroid maps
The Topological Representation Theorem for (oriented) matroids states that
every (oriented) matroid can be realized as the intersection lattice of an
arrangement of codimension one homotopy spheres on a homotopy sphere. In this
paper, we use a construction of Engstr\"om to show that structure-preserving
maps between matroids induce topological mappings between their
representations; a result previously known only in the oriented case.
Specifically, we show that weak maps induce continuous maps and that the
process is a functor from the category of matroids with weak maps to the
homotopy category of topological spaces. We also give a new and conceptual
proof of a result regarding the Whitney numbers of the first kind of a matroid.Comment: Final version, 21 pages, 8 figures; Journal of Algebraic
Combinatorics, 201
Model fit versus biological relevance: evaluating photosynthesis-temperature models for three tropical seagrass species
When several models can describe a biological process, the equation that best fits the data is typically
considered the best. However, models are most useful when they also possess biologically-meaningful
parameters. In particular, model parameters should be stable, physically interpretable, and transferable
to other contexts, e.g. for direct indication of system state, or usage in other model types. As an
example of implementing these recommended requirements for model parameters, we evaluated
twelve published empirical models for temperature-dependent tropical seagrass photosynthesis,
based on two criteria: (1) goodness of fit, and (2) how easily biologically-meaningful parameters can
be obtained. All models were formulated in terms of parameters characterising the thermal optimum
(Topt) for maximum photosynthetic rate (Pmax). These parameters indicate the upper thermal limits
of seagrass photosynthetic capacity, and hence can be used to assess the vulnerability of seagrass
to temperature change. Our study exemplifies an approach to model selection which optimises the
usefulness of empirical models for both modellers and ecologists alike
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