Fragmentation of Positronium (Ps) in collision with Li ion

Fragmentation of ground state ortho Positronium (Ps) in collision with Li ion (Li+) is studied in the framework of post collisional Coulomb distorted eikonal approximation (CDEA) for the target elastic case . The present model takes account of the two center effect on the ejected e which is crucial for a proper description of the projectile ionization involving an ionic target. Both the fully differential (TDCS) and the doubly differential (DDCS) cross sections (energy spectra) are investigated at intermediate and high incident energies. A broad distinct Electron loss peak (ELP) centered around v_e ~ v_p is noted in the e energy spectrum in contrast to the sharp ELP for a heavy projectile. Two salient features are noted in the present study: i) the shift of the e DDCS peak (summed over e+ angles) towards higher ejection energy with respect to half the residual energy of the system, ii) comparison of the e& e+ energy spectra reflect a strong e - e+ asymmetry with respect to the ratio v_e/v_p =1 >. Both these features could be attributed to the post collisional two center effect on the e due to its parent nucleus (e+) and the screened target ion . Two different wave functions of the Li ion are chosen in order to test the sensitivity of the present results with respect to the choice of the wave function.Comment: 19 pages, 7 figure

A Meta-Analysis of Interventions to Facilitate School Reentry for Children with Chronic Health Conditions

The current study used meta-analysis to examine the effects of school reentry interventions in terms of two primary outcomes: increasing illness- or injury- specific knowledge among teachers or healthy peers, and enhancing positive attitudinal change towards an ill or injured child. A secondary analysis examined any change in the ill or injured child's global self-worth following the intervention. A random-effects model was used in all analyses, and effect sizes were analyzed using heterogeneity tests. Larger effect sizes were found for increases in knowledge than for enhancing positive attitudinal changes (i.e., mean ES for knowledge: 0.84 - 0.88); mean ES for positive attitudinal change: 0.68), and larger effect sizes were found for teachers than for healthy peers in both analyses. Significant heterogeneity was found between groups (i.e., teachers vs. healthy peers) and within groups in both analyses. Results of the secondary analysis indicated a medium effect for changes in global self-worth (i.e., mean ES = 0.24). This meta-analysis provides support for the effectiveness of school reentry interventions, and highlights the critical need for more empirical work in this area

Offenders' Crime Narratives across Different Types of Crimes

The current study explores the roles offenders see themselves playing during an offence and their relationship to different crime types. One hundred and twenty incarcerated offenders indicated the narrative roles they acted out whilst committing a specific crime they remembered well. The data were subjected to Smallest Space Analysis (SSA) and four themes were identified: Hero, Professional, Revenger and Victim in line with the recent theoretical framework posited for Narrative Offence Roles (Youngs & Canter, 2012). Further analysis showed that different subsets of crimes were more like to be associated with different narrative offence roles. Hero and Professional were found to be associated with property offences (theft, burglary and shoplifting), drug offences and robbery and Revenger and Victim were found to be associated with violence, sexual offences and murder. The theoretical implications for understanding crime on the basis of offenders' narrative roles as well as practical implications are discussed

Criminal narrative experience: relating emotions to offence narrative roles during crime commission

A neglected area of research within criminality has been that of the experience of the offence for the offender. The present study investigates the emotions and narrative roles that are experienced by an offender while committing a broad range of crimes and proposes a model of Criminal Narrative Experience (CNE). Hypotheses were derived from the Circumplex of Emotions (Russell, 1997), Frye (1957), Narrative Theory (McAdams, 1988) and its link with Investigative Psychology (Canter, 1994). The analysis was based on 120 cases. Convicted for a variety of crimes, incarcerated criminals were interviewed and the data were subjected to Smallest Space Analysis (SSA). Four themes of Criminal Narrative Experience (CNE) were identified: Elated Hero, Calm Professional, Distressed Revenger and Depressed Victim in line with the recent theoretical framework posited for Narrative Offence Roles (Youngs & Canter, 2012). The theoretical implications for understanding crime on the basis of the Criminal Narrative Experience (CNE) as well as practical implications are discussed

Development and Initial Validation of a Questionnaire to Measure Health-Related Quality of Life of Adults with Common Variable Immune Deficiency: The CVID_QoL Questionnaire.

BACKGROUND: Generic health status quality of life (QoL) instruments have been used in patients with common variable immune deficiency (CVID). However, by their nature, these tools may over- or underestimate the impact of diseases on an individual's QoL. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to develop and validate a questionnaire to measure specific-health-related QoL for adults with CVID (CVID_QoL). METHODS: The 32-item content of the CVID_QoL questionnaire was developed using focus groups and individual patient interviews. Validation studies included 118 adults with CVID who completed Short Form-36, Saint George Respiratory Questionnaire, General Health Questionnaire-12, and EuroQol-5D questionnaire in a single session. Principal component and factor analysis solutions identified 3 scores to be similar in number and content for each solution. Validation of 3 factor scores was performed by construct validity. Reproducibility, reliability, convergent validity, and discriminant validity were evaluated. Matrices consisting of correlations between the 32 items in the CVID_QOL were calculated. RESULTS: Factor analysis identified 3 dimensions: emotional functioning (EF), relational functioning (RF), and gastrointestinal and skin symptoms (GSS). The instrument had good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha, min. 0.74 for GSS, max. 0.84 for RF, n = 118) and high reproducibility (intraclass correlation coefficient, min. 0.79 for RF, max 0.90 for EF, n = 27). EF and RF scores showed good convergent validity correlating with conceptually similar dimensions of other study scales. Acute and relapsing infections had a significant impact on EF and RF. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides evidence of the reliability and construct validity of the CVID_QoL to identify QoL issues in patients with CVID that may not be addressed by generic instruments

Semantic categories underlying the meaning of ‘place’

This paper analyses the semantics of natural language expressions that are associated with the intuitive notion of ‘place’. We note that the nature of such terms is highly contested, and suggest that this arises from two main considerations: 1) there are a number of logically distinct categories of place expression, which are not always clearly distinguished in discourse about ‘place’; 2) the many non-substantive place count nouns (such as ‘place’, ‘region’, ‘area’, etc.) employed in natural language are highly ambiguous. With respect to consideration 1), we propose that place-related expressions should be classified into the following distinct logical types: a) ‘place-like’ count nouns (further subdivided into abstract, spatial and substantive varieties), b) proper names of ‘place-like’ objects, c) locative property phrases, and d) definite descriptions of ‘place-like’ objects. We outline possible formal representations for each of these. To address consideration 2), we examine meanings, connotations and ambiguities of the English vocabulary of abstract and generic place count nouns, and identify underlying elements of meaning, which explain both similarities and differences in the sense and usage of the various terms

Comparison of potential growth rates of Ceratium hirundinella with observed population density changes

Ceratium hirundinella cells in Lake Constance divided during the second half of the night. Growth rates are calculated from the fraction of cells undergoing cell division. Potential growth rates are compared with observed changes in population density. The discrepancy between both is discussed as a possible function of fungal parasitism

The Role of Health Behaviors and Food Insecurity in Predicting Food Intake in Low-Income Children

Research supports the importance of adequate fruit and vegetable intake during childhood. Despite this fact, there is still much to be learned with regard to predictors of food intake in childhood. The current project examines relationships between physical activity, sedentary behavior, sleep, food insecurity, and food intake in elementary-aged children (i.e., ages 5 - 10). A measurement model was specified to ensure good fit between the data and predictive model. Following this step, the structural model was conducted and several significant findings emerged. Food insecurity significantly predicted vegetable intake (latent regression coefficient = -0.18, p < .05), such that children with higher food insecurity consumed fewer servings of vegetables. Physical activity also significantly predicted fruit intake (latent regression coefficient = 0.32, p < .01) and vegetable intake (latent regression coefficient = 0.26, p < .01), such that children who were more physically active consumed more servings of fruits and vegetables. Implications of the current findings and directions for future research are discussed

Expressive and Instrumental Offending: Reconciling the Paradox of Specialisation and Versatility

Although previous research into specialisation has been dominated by the debate over the existence of specialisation versus versatility, it is suggested that research needs to move beyond the restrictions of this dispute. The current study explores the criminal careers of 200 offenders based on their criminal records, obtained from a police database in the North West of England, aiming to understand the patterns and nature of specialisation by determining the presence of differentiation within their general offending behaviours and examining whether the framework of Expressive and Instrumental offending styles can account for any specialised tendencies that emerge. Fifty-eight offences were subjected to Smallest Space Analysis. Results revealed that a model of criminal differentiation could be identified and that any specialisation is represented in terms of Expressive and Instrumental offending styles

Positronium reflection and positronium beams

Specular reflection of positronium, Ps was observed and that there is adequate intensity at higher energies to make further study worthwhile was established. The scattering appears to be restricted to the outermost surface with a mean free path of (0.75 + or - 0.15)A for Ps in LiF(100). With a greater intensity Ps beam one should see higher order diffraction beams as the result of the periodicity of the surface. Ps diffraction thus offers the possibility of being a novel and valuable probe to study the outermost surface and to study adsorbants on it. Two methods for producing Ps beams are described