The development and validation of the Strathclyde Family Wellbeing Scale (SFWS)

Families are the foundation on which children’s psychological development is built. Family wellbeing is crucial to a nurturing environment. Consequently, measuring family wellbeing is essential to enable caregivers to reflect on their wellbeing and seek support if necessary. This thesis aimed to develop a scale to measure family wellbeing, by adapting the American Family Strengths Inventory (Defrain and Stinnet, 2008), and to investigate the utility of the Strathclyde Family Wellbeing Scale to measure the impact of family-based interventions. The 16 items of the Strathclyde Family Wellbeing Scale were administered to a sample of 238 families by the Family First Service. Principal Components Analysis yielded a 10-item scale with three dimensions (Interaction, Cohesion and Communication), accounting for 67% of the variance with McDonald’s Omega (MO) and Cronbach’s Alpha (CA) coefficient indicating good internal consistency reliability for total score (MO = .862, CA= .861), and for subscale scores. A three-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) found no statistically significant main effects or interaction effects at time-point 1, for location, age and number of family members, on Interaction and Communication, or interaction effects on Cohesion. There was a significant main effect for location on Cohesion, but the effect size was small. A repeated ANOVA found a large main effect of time on Interaction, Cohesion and Communication, indicating that time factor had a significant effect on them. Hence, the means of the dependent variables changed significantly at time-point 2. Cross validation of findings in study 1 and 2 via thematic analysis of parental interviews and a focus group of professionals, found the Strathclyde Family Wellbeing Scale resonated with them, regarding validity, reliability, and measurement of change in wellbeing. The Strathclyde Family Wellbeing Scale makes an original contribution to family psychology by providing a new assessment tool for professionals. Implications for future research on families and methodological limitations are discussed.Families are the foundation on which children’s psychological development is built. Family wellbeing is crucial to a nurturing environment. Consequently, measuring family wellbeing is essential to enable caregivers to reflect on their wellbeing and seek support if necessary. This thesis aimed to develop a scale to measure family wellbeing, by adapting the American Family Strengths Inventory (Defrain and Stinnet, 2008), and to investigate the utility of the Strathclyde Family Wellbeing Scale to measure the impact of family-based interventions. The 16 items of the Strathclyde Family Wellbeing Scale were administered to a sample of 238 families by the Family First Service. Principal Components Analysis yielded a 10-item scale with three dimensions (Interaction, Cohesion and Communication), accounting for 67% of the variance with McDonald’s Omega (MO) and Cronbach’s Alpha (CA) coefficient indicating good internal consistency reliability for total score (MO = .862, CA= .861), and for subscale scores. A three-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) found no statistically significant main effects or interaction effects at time-point 1, for location, age and number of family members, on Interaction and Communication, or interaction effects on Cohesion. There was a significant main effect for location on Cohesion, but the effect size was small. A repeated ANOVA found a large main effect of time on Interaction, Cohesion and Communication, indicating that time factor had a significant effect on them. Hence, the means of the dependent variables changed significantly at time-point 2. Cross validation of findings in study 1 and 2 via thematic analysis of parental interviews and a focus group of professionals, found the Strathclyde Family Wellbeing Scale resonated with them, regarding validity, reliability, and measurement of change in wellbeing. The Strathclyde Family Wellbeing Scale makes an original contribution to family psychology by providing a new assessment tool for professionals. Implications for future research on families and methodological limitations are discussed

From Baking a Cake to Solving the Schrodinger Equation

The primary emphasis of this study has been to explain how modifying a cake recipe by changing either the dimensions of the cake or the amount of cake batter alters the baking time. Restricting our consideration to the genoise, one of the basic cakes of classic French cuisine, we have obtained a semi-empirical formula for its baking time as a function of oven temperature, initial temperature of the cake batter, and dimensions of the unbaked cake. The formula, which is based on the Diffusion equation, has three adjustable parameters whose values are estimated from data obtained by baking genoises in cylindrical pans of various diameters. The resulting formula for the baking time exhibits the scaling behavior typical of diffusion processes, i.e. the baking time is proportional to the (characteristic length scale)^2 of the cake. It also takes account of evaporation of moisture at the top surface of the cake, which appears to be a dominant factor affecting the baking time of a cake. In solving this problem we have obtained solutions of the Diffusion equation which are interpreted naturally and straightforwardly in the context of heat transfer; however, when interpreted in the context of the Schrodinger equation, they are somewhat peculiar. The solutions describe a system whose mass assumes different values in two different regions of space. Furthermore, the solutions exhibit characteristics similar to the evanescent modes associated with light waves propagating in a wave guide. When we consider the Schrodinger equation as a non-relativistic limit of the Klein-Gordon equation so that it includes a mass term, these are no longer solutions.Comment: 23 pages, 10 Postscript figure

Discrimination of Individual Tigers (\u3cem\u3ePanthera tigris\u3c/em\u3e) from Long Distance Roars

This paper investigates the extent of tiger (Panthera tigris) vocal individuality through both qualitative and quantitative approaches using long distance roars from six individual tigers at Omaha\u27s Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha, NE. The framework for comparison across individuals includes statistical and discriminant function analysis across whole vocalization measures and statistical pattern classification using a hidden Markov model (HMM) with frame-based spectral features comprised of Greenwood frequency cepstral coefficients. Individual discrimination accuracy is evaluated as a function of spectral model complexity, represented by the number of mixtures in the underlying Gaussian mixture model (GMM), and temporal model complexity, represented by the number of sequential states in the HMM. Results indicate that the temporal pattern of the vocalization is the most significant factor in accurate discrimination. Overall baseline discrimination accuracy for this data set is about 70% using high level features without complex spectral or temporal models. Accuracy increases to about 80% when more complex spectral models (multiple mixture GMMs) are incorporated, and increases to a final accuracy of 90% when more detailed temporal models (10-state HMMs) are used. Classification accuracy is stable across a relatively wide range of configurations in terms of spectral and temporal model resolution

Input-output curves of low and high spontaneous rate auditory nerve fibers are exponential near threshold

Input-output (IO) properties of cochlear transduction are frequently determined by analyzing the average discharge rates of auditory nerve fibers (ANFs) in response to relatively long tonal stimulation. The ANFs in cats have spontaneous discharge rates (SRs) that are bimodally distributed, peaking at low (<0.5 spikes/s) and high (∼60 spikes/s) rates, and rate-level characteristics differ depending upon SR. In an effort to assess the instantaneous IO properties of ANFs having different SRs, static IO-curves were constructed from period histograms based on phase-locking of spikes to the stimulus waveform. These curves provide information unavailable in conventional average rate-level curves. We find that all IO curves follow an exponential trajectory. It is argued that the exponential behavior represents the transduction in the IHC and that the difference among ANFs having different SRs is predominantly a difference in gain attributed most likely to synaptic drive

A REVIEW AND CRITIQUE OF DSS

Information Systems Working Papers Serie

Efficient Beef Production from Temperate Grasslands in North-Western Europe

Ireland’s cool temperate maritime climate is conducive to grass growth and, as a result, ruminant livestock systems have evolved that maximise both grazed pastures and conserved grassland forage as winter feed. Most Irish pastures are permanent, capable of achieving high herbage production (Keating and O’Kiely 2000) and, accordingly, supporting intensive livestock production systems. Most male progeny from the 1.1 million Irish dairy herd are reared as steers, typically slaughtered at 24-26 months of age. Approximately 85% of dairy calves available for beef production are spring-born, usually in February/March (AIMS 2011). The progeny of Holstein-Friesian (Ho/Fr) sires account for 0.5-0.6 of the calf crop, with 0.6 and 0.4 of the remainder being sired by early-maturing (EM; e.g. Aberdeen Angus, Hereford) or late-maturing (LM; e.g. Limousin, Belgian Blue, Charolais) sires, respectively. This paper summarises some of the main grassland-based steer beef production systems applicable to Ireland

Effect of floor type on performance, lying time and dirt scores of finishing beef cattle: A meta-analysis

peer-reviewedData from individual studies evaluating the effect of housing systems on performance, lying time and dirt scores of finishing beef cattle are conflicting. The objective of this study was to collate the data from previous animal housing studies and quantify, through meta-analysis, the effect of floor type on animal performance, lying time and dirt scores. From 38 peer-reviewed articles, published between 1969 and 2017, 18 were determined to be eligible for meta-analysis. Papers were included in the study if they contained information on the effect of floor surface on animal performance (average daily liveweight gain (ADG), feed conversion ratio (FCR) and carcass weight), lying behaviour or animal cleanliness. There was no difference (P > 0.10) in ADG, FCR or carcass weight between concrete slatted floors (CSF) and CSF overlaid with rubber mats (RM). Using RM had no effect (P > 0.10) on lying duration or dirt scores of cattle. There was no difference (P > 0.10) in the ADG, FCR, carcass weight, lying duration or cleanliness of cattle housed on CSF or straw bedding. It was concluded that using RM or straw instead of CSF had no effect on performance, lying time or dirt scores

Concentrate feeding and feed ingredients for growing-finishing

peer-reviewedSmall improvements in feed efficiency, especially during indoor ‘winter’ feeding periods, can have a relatively large influence on farm profitability. Increasing the level of concentrates in the diet reduces forage intake and increases live weight and carcass weight gains, although at a decreasing rate. Subsequent compensatory growth at pasture diminishes the advantage of concentrate supplementation of young cattle. High digestibility grass silage with moderate concentrate supplementation can sustain a large proportion of the cattle performance achieved on highconcentrate diets. Feeding management is more important when feeding concentrates ad libitum than as a supplement. The relative nutritive (and economic) value of by-product feed ingredients depends on their inclusion level in the ration, and the amount of concentrates fed

Disease severity scoring systems in mucosal lichen planus : a systematic review

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT SPU is supported by the University of Aberdeen Elphinstone Scholarship Scheme.Peer reviewedPostprin

Acoustic Characteristics of Lekking Male Greater Prairie-Chicken (\u3ci\u3eTympanuchus cupido pinnatus\u3c/i\u3e) Vocalizations (Supplement)

Boom Cackle Whine Whoo