The Role of Dysfunctional Beliefs and Attitudes about Sleep (DBAS), Rumination, Psychological Inflexibility, and Insomnia Among College Students

The purpose of the study was to understand additional variables that play a role between insomnia and the inability to stay present with internal feelings/emotions (i.e., psychological inflexibility) among college students. These variables that were predicted to help explain this relationship include dysfunctional sleep-related cognitions and insomnia rumination. To do this, college students were surveyed online at the start of the study and one month later. In addition, to be included in the study they must have been enrolled in a 2- or 4-year university, have access to the internet, and not diagnosed with another sleep disorder. Participants (n = 490) were from the mountain west and Midwest region of the U.S. A majority of participants were composed of college students who are full-time (94.7%), undergraduate (99.8%), female (75.1%), or White (83.7%). Results showed psychological inflexibility, dysfunctional sleep-related cognitions, insomnia rumination, and insomnia were significantly correlated with each other. The main analysis (i.e., serial mediation), showed that dysfunctional sleep-related cognitions, insomnia rumination helped explain the relationship between psychological inflexibility and insomnia. These results suggest there is potential to assisting future interventions by understanding and targeting these negative repetitive thoughts (i.e., dysfunctional sleep-related cognitions and insomnia rumination). Future studies should aim to uncover treatment outcomes for these variables

A model for cross-cultural reciprocal interactions through mass media

We investigate the problem of cross-cultural interactions through mass media in a model where two populations of social agents, each with its own internal dynamics, get information about each other through reciprocal global interactions. As the agent dynamics, we employ Axelrod's model for social influence. The global interaction fields correspond to the statistical mode of the states of the agents and represent mass media messages on the cultural trend originating in each population. Several phases are found in the collective behavior of either population depending on parameter values: two homogeneous phases, one having the state of the global field acting on that population, and the other consisting of a state different from that reached by the applied global field; and a disordered phase. In addition, the system displays nontrivial effects: (i) the emergence of a largest minority group of appreciable size sharing a state different from that of the applied global field; (ii) the appearance of localized ordered states for some values of parameters when the entire system is observed, consisting of one population in a homogeneous state and the other in a disordered state. This last situation can be considered as a social analogue to a chimera state arising in globally coupled populations of oscillators.Comment: 8 pages and 7 figure

Public-private Partnerships for Government Financing, Controlling Risk, and Value-for--money: The UK Experience

Sponsored Report (for Acquisition Research Program)One of the key requirements to a successful Public-private Partnership (PPP) is the transfer of risk from the government to the private sector. This research examines the PPP experience in the United Kingdom (UK) Ministry of Defense to determine if they would be applicable to the US Department of Defense (DoD). PPP agreements have provided the UK increased capabilities. Also, this research provides an in-depth analysis of Private Financed Initiatives (PFI) that Serco Inc. has undertaken. Finally, this research evaluates the increases in value-for-money resulting from the PPP transfer of risk to the private sector. The research concludes that PPPs should be continued and expanded to provide increased real-time capability to the DoD while supporting private industry. Since the government has the lowest cost of borrowing, PPPs agreements may not appear to be cost effective as a means of procurement. However, the benefits from transferring risk to the private sector can more than offset the higher financing cost. PPPs reallocate risk and up-front capital requirements allowing the government to spread program cost over time. Without initial capital outlays, the government can acquire higher priority goods and services with its limited resources. In addition, PPPs provide the government with an increased infrastructure and technological capability than would otherwise not be available.Naval Postgraduate School Acquisition Research ProgramApproved for public release; distribution is unlimited

Enhancing the superconducting transition temperature of BaSi2 by structural tuning

We present a joint experimental and theoretical study of the superconducting phase of the layered binary silicide BaSi2. Compared with the layered AlB2 structure of graphite or diboride-like superconductors, in the hexagonal structure of binary silicides the sp3 arrangement of silicon atoms leads to corrugated sheets. Through a high-pressure synthesis procedure we are able to modify the buckling of these sheets, obtaining the enhancement of the superconducting transition temperature from 4 K to 8.7 K when the silicon planes flatten out. By performing ab-initio calculations based on density functional theory we explain how the electronic and phononic properties of the system are strongly affected by changes in the buckling. This mechanism is likely present in other intercalated layered superconductors, opening the way to the tuning of superconductivity through the control of internal structural parameters.Comment: Submitte

Using public-private partnerships and energy savings contracts to fund DoD mobile assets

The Department of Defense (DoD) has engaged in numerous Public-Private Partnership (PPP) ventures such as outsourcing of services and privatization of military housing. In the past, the activities considered for PPPs have been primarily administrative and support functions. This research explores the possibility of expanding the use of PPPs to enhance the DoD combat and combat-support functions. First, to better understand how PPPs function (the partnership relationships and financing arrangements), we examine Hannon Armstrong's fee for service contract solution to the lack of appropriated funds for establishing a vital fiber-optic link near the Arctic Circle. Next, we explore the history of Energy Savings Performance Contracts (ESPCs) and their potential application to re-engining the Air Force's B-52H through PPPs. Historically, this program has only been used for fixed assets, not mobile assets like engines. There is little debate over the success of ESPC contracts in reducing energy consumption, but their use in DoD mobile assets is new. Finally, we conclude that applying ESPCs to mobile assets has the potential to reduce energy consumption, save millions of dollars and increase combat efficiency.Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited

Information feedback and mass media effects in cultural dynamics

We study the effects of different forms of information feedback associated with mass media on an agent-agent based model of the dynamics of cultural dissemination. In addition to some processes previously considered, we also examine a model of local mass media influence in cultural dynamics. Two mechanisms of information feedback are investigated: (i) direct mass media influence, where local or global mass media act as an additional element in the network of interactions of each agent, and (ii) indirect mass media influence, where global media acts as a filter of the influence of the existing network of interactions of each agent. Our results generalize previous findings showing that cultural diversity builds-up by increasing the strength of the mass media influence. We find that this occurs independently of the mechanisms of action (direct or indirect) of the mass media message. However, through an analysis of the full range of parameters measuring cultural diversity, we establish that the enhancement of cultural diversity produced by interaction with mass media only occurs for strong enough mass media messages. In comparison with previous studies a main different result is that weak mass media messages, in combination with agent-agent interaction, are efficient in producing cultural homogeneity. Moreover, the homogenizing effect of weak mass media messages are more efficient for direct local mass media messages than for global mass media messages or indirect global mass media influences.Comment: 20n pages, 10 figure