A Comparison of Descriptive and Injunctive Norms Brief Interventions for College Drinkers

College drinking remains a major public health concern. One contributing factor is the overestimation by college students of their peers\u27 alcohol use (DN: descriptive norm) and their peers\u27 acceptability of excessive drinking (IN: injunctive norm). Normative re-education interventions have traditionally focused on changing descriptive norms even though the Theory of Normative Conduct identifies both DN and IN as beliefs that motivate behavior. The current study developed a brief, manualized, personalized, IN intervention, delivered face-to-face, in a Motivational Interviewing style that can be used as a stand alone treatment or added to existing descriptive norms interventions. This randomized controlled trial compared the efficacy of the newly developed IN intervention against a DN only condition, a combined DN and IN condition, and an assessment only control condition. In addition, the current study examined actual-ideal discrepancy, and positive and negative affect as potential mechanisms of behavior change following norms feedback. The results indicated that all three norms intervention conditions changed both DN and IN equally. In addition, heavy drinking students reported greater reductions in drinking following the IN only or the combined intervention then heavy drinking students in the DN only condition. Tests of indirect effects from treatment condition to actual-ideal discrepancy to positive or negative affect to alcohol use and consequences were only significant for light drinkers. This study provides evidence that changes in DN and IN result from either form of feedback, and that these changes do not necessarily result in changes in drinking. Further, changes in actual-ideal discrepancy were highly associated with affective changes, but affective changes were not associated with outcomes

The role of intolerance of uncertainty in the relationship between daily search for and presence of meaning in life

People who are highly intolerant of uncertainty have a propensity to fear the unknown, which influences perceptions and desires for control and predictability (Carleton, 2016). Processes related to searching for and maintaining meaning might deviate based on intolerance of uncertainty as meaning-making can be spurred by breakdowns in one’s sense of understanding or predictability (Park, 2010). The current study was designed to examine within-person relationships between daily search for and presence of meaning, while investigating how people’s intolerance of uncertainty (IU) influences the search-presence relationship. During a three-week daily diary study, results showed that daily search significantly predicted same-day presence and presence the following day. IU significantly moderated the effects of search on presence such that people who were highly intolerant of uncertainty experienced less presence when they engaged in searching than low IU participants. Results suggest researchers should consider the potential consequences of IU in limiting the development of a vital well-being resource, presence of meaning

Clustering of children's activity behaviour: the use of self-report versus direct measures

While we concur with the objectives of the recent International Journal of Behavioural Nutrition and Physical Activity paper published by Jago and colleagues titled "Physical activity and sedentary behaviour typologies of 10-11 year olds", we feel that the results as currently presented do not support their conclusions. Though the authors created groups of children with dramatically different patterns of self-reported physical activity and sedentary behaviour, an inspection of the objectively measured accelerometry data shows little difference between the groups. Further, in at least one instance the difference between groups was of the opposite direction when using objective measures, as opposed to the self-report measures used in the published analysis. Thus, we caution the authors from making conclusions based on their self-report data, and propose that they re-analyze their data using their objectively measured data instead

Nephrogenic systemic fibrosis risk and liver disease.

Objective. Evaluate the incidence of nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF) in patients with liver disease in the peritransplant period. Materials and Methods. This IRB approved study retrospectively reviewed patients requiring transplantation for cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), or both from 2003 to 2013. Records were reviewed identifying those having gadolinium enhanced MRI within 1 year of posttransplantation to document degree of liver disease, renal disease, and evidence for NSF. Results. Gadolinium-enhanced MRI was performed on 312 of 837 patients, including 23 with severe renal failure (GFR < 30 mL/min/1.73 cm(2)) and 289 with GFR > 30. Two of 23 patients with renal failure developed NSF compared to zero NSF cases in 289 patients with GFR > 30 (0/289; P < 0.003). High dose gadodiamide was used in the two NSF cases. There was no increased incidence of NSF with severe liver disease (1/71) compared to nonsevere liver disease (1/241; P = 0.412). Conclusion. Renal disease is a risk factor for NSF, but in our small sample our evidence suggests liver disease is not an additional risk factor, especially if a low-risk gadolinium agent is used. Noting that not all patients received high-risk gadolinium, a larger study focusing on patients receiving high-risk gadolinium is needed to further evaluate NSF risk in liver disease in the peritransplant period

On the Correlation of Torque and Luminosity in GX 1+4

Over five years of daily hard X-ray (>20 keV) monitoring of the 2-min accretion-powered pulsar GX 1+4 with the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory/BATSE large-area detectors has found nearly continuous rapid spin-down, interrupted by a bright 200-d spin-up episode. During spin-down, the torque becomes more negative as the luminosity increases (assuming that the 20-60 keV pulsed flux traces bolometric luminosity), the opposite of what is predicted by standard accretion torque theory. No changes in the shape of the 20-100 keV pulsed energy spectrum were detected, so that a very drastic change in the spectrum below 20 keV or the pulsed fraction would be required to make the 20-60 keV pulsed flux a poor luminosity tracer. These are the first observations which flatly contradict standard magnetic disk accretion theory, and they may have important implications for understanding the spin evolution of X-ray binaries, cataclysmic variables, and protostars. We briefly discuss the possibility that GX 1+4 may be accreting from a retrograde disk during spin-down, as previously suggested.Comment: 10 pages including 3 PS figures. To appear in ApJ Letter

Do engineering students from vocational and academic backgrounds think differently?

This work describes an experimental study to try to better understand the natural and previously evolved problem solving strategies used by entrants to undergraduate engineering programmes. New entrants to degree and pre-degree programmes were presented with a range of brain-teaser and practical problems requiring no specific prior knowledge to answer. Some would have unique answers with others being more open ended. Students worked in pairs to solve the problems and their discussions, notes and where relevant physical interactions with props were recorded and observed. The results were then coded and conclusions drawn based on both general approaches and whether particular types of student educational backgrounds influenced their approaches to problem solving

Observations of Accreting Pulsars

We discuss recent observations of accreting binary pulsars with the all-sky BATSE instrument on the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory. BATSE has detected and studied nearly half of the known accreting pulsar systems. Continuous timing studies over a two-year period have yielded accurate orbital parameters for 9 of these systems, as well as new insights into long-term accretion torque histories

The Outbursts and Orbit of the Accreting Pulsar GS 1843-02=1845-024

We present observations of a series of 10 outbursts of pulsed hard X-ray flux from the transient 10.6 mHz accreting pulsar GS 1843-02, using the Burst and Transient Source Experiment on the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory. These outbursts occurred regularly every 242 days, coincident with the ephemeris of the periodic transient GRO J1849-03, which has recently been identified with the SAS 3 source 2S 1845-024. Our pulsed detection provides the first clear identification of GS 1843-02 with 2S 1845-024. We present a pulse timing analysis that shows that the 2S 1845-024 outbursts occur near the periastron passage of the neutron star's highly eccentric (e=0.88 ± 0.01) 242.18 ± 0.01 day period binary orbit about a high-mass (M_c>7 M_☉) companion. The orbit and transient outburst pattern strongly suggest that the pulsar is in a binary system with a Be star. Our observations show a long-term spin-up trend, with most of the spin-up occurring during the outbursts. From the measured spin-up rates and inferred luminosities we conclude that an accretion disk is present during the outbursts

A comparison of direct versus self-report measures for assessing physical activity in adults: a systematic review

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Accurate assessment is required to assess current and changing physical activity levels, and to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions designed to increase activity levels. This study systematically reviewed the literature to determine the extent of agreement between subjectively (self-report e.g. questionnaire, diary) and objectively (directly measured; e.g. accelerometry, doubly labeled water) assessed physical activity in adults.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Eight electronic databases were searched to identify observational and experimental studies of adult populations. Searching identified 4,463 potential articles. Initial screening found that 293 examined the relationship between self-reported and directly measured physical activity and met the eligibility criteria. Data abstraction was completed for 187 articles, which described comparable data and/or comparisons, while 76 articles lacked comparable data or comparisons, and a further 30 did not meet the review's eligibility requirements. A risk of bias assessment was conducted for all articles from which data was abstracted.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Correlations between self-report and direct measures were generally low-to-moderate and ranged from -0.71 to 0.96. No clear pattern emerged for the mean differences between self-report and direct measures of physical activity. Trends differed by measure of physical activity employed, level of physical activity measured, and the gender of participants. Results of the risk of bias assessment indicated that 38% of the studies had lower quality scores.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The findings suggest that the measurement method may have a significant impact on the observed levels of physical activity. Self-report measures of physical activity were both higher and lower than directly measured levels of physical activity, which poses a problem for both reliance on self-report measures and for attempts to correct for self-report – direct measure differences. This review reveals the need for valid, accurate and reliable measures of physical activity in evaluating current and changing physical activity levels, physical activity interventions, and the relationships between physical activity and health outcomes.</p

Discovery and Orbital Determination of the Transient X-ray Pulsar GRO J1750-27

We report on the discovery and hard X-ray (20-70 keV) observations of the 4.45 s period transient X-ray pulsar GRO J1750-27 with the BATSE all-sky monitor on board CGRO. A relatively faint outburst (<30 mcrab peak) lasting at least 60 days was observed during which the spin-up rate peaked at 38 pHz s^(-1) and was correlated with the pulsed intensity. An orbit with a period of 29.8 days was found. The large spin-up rate, spin period, and orbital period together suggest that accretion is occurring from a disk and that the outburst is a "giant" outburst typical of a Be/X-ray transient system. No optical counterpart has yet been reported