2,813 research outputs found
A theory-based approach to understanding condom errors and problems reported by men attending an STI clinic
The official published version can be accessed from the link below - Copyright @ 2008 Springer VerlagWe employed the informationâmotivationâbehavioral skills (IMB) model to guide an investigation of correlates for correct condom use among 278 adult (18â35 years old) male clients attending a sexually transmitted infection (STI) clinic. An anonymous questionnaire aided by a CD-recording of the questions was administered. Linear Structural Relations Program was used to conduct path analyses of the hypothesized IMB model. Parameter estimates showed that while information did not directly affect behavioral skills, it did have a direct (negative) effect on condom use errors. Motivation had a significant direct (positive) effect on behavioral skills and a significant indirect (positive) effect on condom use errors through behavioral skills. Behavioral skills had a direct (negative) effect on condom use errors. Among men attending a public STI clinic, these findings suggest brief, clinic-based, safer sex programs for men who have sex with women should incorporate activities to convey correct condom use information, instill motivation to use condoms correctly, and directly enhance menâs behavioral skills for correct use of condoms
Diffusion entropy and waiting time statistics of hard x-ray solar flares
We analyze the waiting time distribution of time distances between two
nearest-neighbor flares. This analysis is based on the joint use of two
distinct techniques. The first is the direct evaluation of the distribution
function , or of the probability, , that no time
distance smaller than a given is found. We adopt the paradigm of the
inverse power law behavior, and we focus on the determination of the inverse
power index , without ruling out different asymptotic properties that
might be revealed, at larger scales, with the help of richer statistics. The
second technique, called Diffusion Entropy (DE) method, rests on the evaluation
of the entropy of the diffusion process generated by the time series. The
details of the diffusion process depend on three different walking rules, which
determine the form and the time duration of the transition to the scaling
regime, as well as the scaling parameter . With the first two rules the
information contained in the time series is transmitted, to a great extent, to
the transition, as well as to the scaling regime. The same information is
essentially conveyed, by using the third rules, into the scaling regime, which,
in fact, emerges very quickly after a fast transition process. We show that the
significant information hidden within the time series concerns memory induced
by the solar cycle, as well as the power index . The scaling parameter
becomes a simple function of , when memory is annihilated. Thus,
the three walking rules yield a unique and precise value of if the memory
is wisely taken under control, or cancelled by shuffling the data. All this
makes compelling the conclusion that .Comment: 23 pages, 13 figure
Universality in solar flare and earthquake occurrence
Earthquakes and solar flares are phenomena involving huge and rapid releases
of energy characterized by complex temporal occurrence. By analysing available
experimental catalogs, we show that the stochastic processes underlying these
apparently different phenomena have universal properties. Namely both problems
exhibit the same distributions of sizes, inter-occurrence times and the same
temporal clustering: we find afterflare sequences with power law temporal
correlations as the Omori law for seismic sequences. The observed universality
suggests a common approach to the interpretation of both phenomena in terms of
the same driving physical mechanism
Adapting SAM for CDF
The CDF and D0 experiments probe the high-energy frontier and as they do so
have accumulated hundreds of Terabytes of data on the way to petabytes of data
over the next two years. The experiments have made a commitment to use the
developing Grid based on the SAM system to handle these data. The D0 SAM has
been extended for use in CDF as common patterns of design emerged to meet the
similar requirements of these experiments. The process by which the merger was
achieved is explained with particular emphasis on lessons learned concerning
the database design patterns plus realization of the use cases.Comment: Talk from the 2003 Computing in High Energy and Nuclear Physics
(CHEP03), La Jolla, Ca, USA, March 2003, 4 pages, pdf format, TUAT00
Increasing condom use in heterosexual men: development of a theory-based interactive digital intervention
Increasing condom use to prevent sexually transmitted infections is a key public health goal. Interventions are more likely to be effective if they are theory- and evidence-based. The Behaviour Change Wheel (BCW) provides a framework for intervention development. To provide an example of how the BCW was used to develop an intervention to increase condom use in heterosexual men (the MenSS website), the steps of the BCW intervention development process were followed, incorporating evidence from the research literature and views of experts and the target population. Capability (e.g. knowledge) and motivation (e.g. beliefs about pleasure) were identified as important targets of the intervention. We devised ways to address each intervention target, including selecting interactive features and behaviour change techniques. The BCW provides a useful framework for integrating sources of evidence to inform intervention content and deciding which influences on behaviour to target
Chandra and RXTE Spectra of the Burster GS 1826-238
Using simultaneous observations from Chandra and RXTE, we investigated the
LMXB GS 1826-238 with the goal of studying its spectral and timing properties.
The uninterrupted Chandra observation captured 6 bursts (RXTE saw 3 of the 6),
yielding a recurrence time of 3.54 +/- 0.03 hr. Using the proportional counter
array on board RXTE, we made a probable detection of 611 Hz burst oscillations
in the decaying phases of the bursts with an average rms signal amplitude of
4.8%. The integrated persistent emission spectrum can be described as the dual
Comptonization of ~ 0.3 keV soft photons by a plasma with kT_e ~ 20 keV and an
optical depth of about 2.6 (interpreted as emission from the accretion disk
corona), plus the Comptonization of hotter ~ 0.8 keV seed photons by a ~ 6.8
keV plasma (interpreted as emission from or near the boundary layer). We
discovered evidence for a neutral Fe K\alpha emission line, and we found
interstellar Fe L_II and Fe L_III absorption features. The burst spectrum can
be fit by fixing the disk Comptonization parameters to the persistent emission
best-fit values, and adding a blackbody. The blackbody/seed photon temperature
at the peak of the burst is ~ 1.8 keV and returns to ~ 0.8 keV over 200 s. The
blackbody radius is consistent with R_bb = 10.3-11.7 km assuming a distance of
6 kpc; however, by accounting for the fraction of the surface that is obscured
by the disk as a function of binary inclination, we determined the source
distance must actually be near 5 kpc in order for the stellar radius to lie
within the commonly assumed range of 10-12 km.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ; 13 pages, 6 figure
Is there publication bias in the reporting of cancer risk in Barrett's esophagus?
AbstractBackground & Aims: The published risk of adenocarcinoma in the setting of Barrett's esophagus (BE) varies. Publication bias, the selective reporting of studies featuring positive or extreme results, may result in overestimation of this cancer risk in the literature. The aim of this study was to assess those publications reporting a cancer risk in BE for evidence of publication bias. Methods: A MEDLINE search for all published estimates between 1966 and 1998 of cancer risk in BE was performed. All studies reporting a cancer risk expressible in cancers per patient-year of follow-up were retrieved. Bibliographies of these studies were surveyed for additional estimates. All publications that required an initial endoscopy with histologic confirmation of BE and any cancer were included. The relationship of reported cancer risk to size of the study was assessed. Multivariable regression controlling for differences in definition of BE, as well as other study characteristics, was performed. The data were also analyzed by means of a funnel diagram, an epidemiologic method to assess publication bias. Results: Five hundred fifty-four abstracts were reviewed. Twenty-seven publications met the stated criteria for inclusion. There was a strong correlation between cancer risk and the size of the study, with small studies reporting much higher risks of cancer than larger studies. This association persisted when differences in the definition of BE, retrospective vs. prospective nature of the study, surveillance interval, and the effect of cancer detected in the first year were considered. The funnel diagram analysis suggested publication bias. Conclusions: The cancer risk in BE may be overestimated in the literature due to publication bias.GASTROENTEROLOGY 2000;119:333-33
A methodology for the capture and analysis of hybrid data: a case study of program debugging
No description supplie
The effectiveness of manual stretching in the treatment of plantar heel pain: a systematic review
Background: Plantar heel pain is a commonly occurring foot complaint. Stretching is frequently utilised as a treatment, yet a systematic review focusing only on its effectiveness has not been published. This review aimed to assess the effectiveness of stretching on pain and function in people with plantar heel pain. Methods: Medline, EMBASE, CINAHL, AMED, and The Cochrane Library were searched from inception to July 2010. Studies fulfilling the inclusion criteria were independently assessed, and their quality evaluated using the modified PEDro scale. Results: Six studies including 365 symptomatic participants were included. Two compared stretching with a control, one study compared stretching to an alternative intervention, one study compared stretching to both alternative and control interventions, and two compared different stretching techniques and durations. Quality rating on the modified Pedro scale varied from two to eight out of a maximum of ten points. The methodologies and interventions varied significantly between studies, making meta-analysis inappropriate. Most participants improved over the course of the studies, but when stretching was compared to alternative or control interventions, the changes only reached statistical significance in one study that used a combination of calf muscle stretches and plantar fascia stretches in their stretching programme. Another study comparing different stretching techniques, showed a statistically significant reduction in some aspects of pain in favour of plantar fascia stretching over calf stretches in the short term. Conclusions: There were too few studies to assess whether stretching is effective compared to control or other interventions, for either pain or function. However, there is some evidence that plantar fascia stretching may be more effective than Achilles tendon stretching alone in the short-term. Appropriately powered randomised controlled trials, utilizing validated outcome measures, blinded assessors and long-term follow up are needed to assess the efficacy of stretching
How unique is the Asymptotic Normalisation Coefficient (ANC) method?
The asymptotic normalisation coefficients (ANC) for the vertex B
Be + p is deduced from a set of different proton transfer reactions at
different energies. This set should ensure the peripheral character of the
reaction and availability of data for the elastic channels. The problems
associated with the characteristics of the data and the analysis are discussed.
For a subgroup of the set of available data, the uniqueness property of the
extracted ANC is fulfilled. However, more measurements are needed before a
definite conclusion can be drawn.Comment: 19 pages, 11 figures, to be published in Phys Rev
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