The metacognitions about smoking questionnaire : development and psychometric properties

The Metacognitions about Smoking Questionnaire was shown to possess good psychometric properties, as well as predictive and divergent validity within the populations that were tested. The metacognition factors explained incremental variance in smoking behaviour above smoking outcome expectancies

A metacognitive model of self-esteem

Background: In the current study, we aimed to test a metacognitive model of self-esteem grounded in the Self-Regulatory Executive Function model of psychopathology. Method: A convenience sample of 346 community participants were recruited and completed a battery of online questionnaires that measured self-esteem, self-criticism, self-critical rumination, metacognitions about self-critical rumination, generic metacognitions and negative affect. Initially, we tested a series of hypotheses to establish the relationships between the study variables. We then examined whether self-critical rumination, and its associated metacognitions, both positive and negative, would independently predict self-esteem when controlling for age, negative affect, levels of self-criticism and generic metacognitions. Results: Self-critical rumination and its associated negative metacognitions, levels of depression and self-criticism independently predicted self-esteem. Additionally, a path analysis revealed that the study data was a very good fit to the proposed metacognitive model of self-esteem. Conclusion: The metacognitive model of self-esteem presented in this paper may be used to generate novel interventions to improve self-esteem and decrease self-critical rumination

Application of the Post-Widder Laplace inversion algorithm to postseismic rebound models

The postseismic response of a viscoelastic Earth can be computed analytically with a normal-mode approach, based on the application of propagator methods. This framework suffers from many limitations, mostly connected with the solution of the secular equation, whose degree scales with the number of viscoelastic layers so that only low-resolution models can be practically solved. Recently, a viable alternative to the normal-mode approach has been proposed, based on the Post-Widder inversion formula. This method allows to overcome some of the intrinsic limitations of the normal-mode approach, so that Earth models with arbitrary radial resolution can be employed and general linear non-Maxwell rheologies can be implemented. In this work, we test the robustness of the method against a standard normal-mode approach in order to optimize computation performance while ensuring the solution stability. As an application, we address the issue of finding the minimum number of layers with distinct elastic properties needed to accurately describe the postseismic relaxation of a realistic Earth model

Brother and sister: the family system cope with congenital hand malformation

Taking care of children with congenital hand malformation and their family is of the utmost importance for our surgical team, first of all to take care of the complex needs of our patients, and also to ensure compliance with therapeutic protocol process. At the Hand Surgery Unit led by Prof. Giorgio Pajardi we work like a multidisciplinary team, taking care of our patients not focusing only on their malformation. This way of working includes involving in the process the whole family system. Comparing family groups with different compositions, we found an increasing frequency in psychological consultation requests from parents who have to cope with the hand congenital malformation of their child in relationship of this child whit his/her brothers or sisters. We conducted a qualitative study through the analysis of psychological interviews carried out in our department with 55 family groups. In 26 cases the child affected by congenital malformation was the eldest son, while in the remaining 29 cases the child was the second or third child. How to deal the problem of congenital hand malformation of one child with his/her siblings is the main issue of parents when the child concerned by malformation is the second or third child, while the request of psychological consultation was made only by two families whose child with hand congenital malformation was the first child. In this case, parents can develop a strategy on how to cope with the malformation through the confrontation with the family and social system, and this makes it easier for them to face the problem of the relationship between the child with malformation and younger brothers or sisters. Siblings are inevitably involved in the situation of our young patients. It is at the same time important to be aware of the psychological resources proper of these children and to avoid their excessive involvement or, on the other side, feelings of exclusion. The presence of a psychologist as part of the team helps the family to cope with malformation, not only by supporting compliance through the whole treatment process, as we have already pointed out in other studies, but also by facilitating effective strategies to cope with this malformation in important relationship and in the social context

An Euler-Bernoulli beam element with lumped plasticity applied on RC framed structures

Most of existing reinforced concrete structures suffer due to corrosion of steel and concrete degradation. In many cases existing structures reveal to be inadequate to absorb the expected seismic load and need to be rehabilitated according to the in force code. In the worst case some structures have not been designed to absorb horizontal actions. The rehabilitation process begins with the complete knowledge of its geometrical configuration and the evaluation of the vulnerability of the structure to seismic loads. This analysis permits to identify critical zones and to establish focused strengthening actions. A comparison between the behavior of the structure in the current and in the future configurations determines the goodness of adopted intervention techniques. The evaluation of the vulnerability of an RC structure to seismic loads can be done by performing nonlinear finite element analyses. In literature, three different approaches have been tuned to simulate the elastoplastic behavior of a beam/column element: lumped elastoplasticity models, distributed nonlinearity models, fiber models. Lumped models consider the constitutive nonlinearity concentrated at a section level of a frame element, usually employing nonlinear springs at the ends of beam/column elements. Distributed nonlinearity models average the nonlinearity over a finite element by considering the possibility to form plastic hinges at different evaluation points of the element and calculating weighted integrals of the section responses. Fiber models subdivide a section with a large number of finite elements and nonlinearity is related to the stress-strain relationship of a single finite element. Within lumped models, commercial finite element programs contemplate the possibility to develop plasticity at the two ends of the beam only. In the particular cases where plasticity concentrates in points different than the ends of the beam, it computationally comes in the need to proceed with a re-meshing of the model or in the definition of multiple elements before running the analysis. In the first case, it results in an increased computational cost of the analysis. In the second case, a less precision of the response is obtained especially when the exact position of the plastic hinge is not a-priori known. The present work is devoted to the implementation of a new elastoplastic 3D Euler-Bernoulli beam element including slope discontinuities, in the framework of lumped elastoplasticity models. In the new finite element, plastic hinges can appear at any position of the beam, theoretically in a priori not-established number. Multiple slope discontinuities are included in the analysis through a non uniform bending stiffness of the beam, making use of the Dirac-delta function. Fictitious springs, with a stiffness variable according to the level of plasticity in the section, transfer the correct bending moment in correspondence of plastic hinges.The nonlinear behavior of the hinge is defined in the framework of a thermo-dynamically consistent elastoplastic theory. Associated flow rules are derived in the classical manner adopting a convex activation domain known in literature and experimentally calibrated for reinforced concrete sections. The activation domain is similar to the one suggested by the Italian seismic code. It is given in a My-Mz bending moment reference system for a fixed axial force. An elastoplastic behavior is assumed for section curvatures, while deformations in the axial and shear directions are assumed elastic. The elastoplastic frame element is introduced in a finite element analysis program to run nonlinear simulations on 2D and 3D framed structures. To this end, state equations and flow rules are rewritten in a discrete manner to solve the single iteration of the Newton-Raphson procedure. A classic elastic predictor phase is followed by a plastic corrector phase in the case of activation of the inelastic phenomena. The corrector phase is based on the evaluation of return bending moments by employing the closest point projection method, in order to satisfy the loading-unloading conditions (Kuhn-Tucker relations). The formation of one or more hinges inside a finite element modifies the distribution of internal forces and its stiffness matrix. As a consequence, the global stiffness matrix is continuously modified at each plastic load step until it becomes singular. Numerical examples are furnished as validation tests of the program. The efficiency of the proposed model is demonstrated comparing the results with those available in literature

Creep, Relaxation and Viscosity Properties for Basic Fractional Models in Rheology

The purpose of this paper is twofold: from one side we provide a general survey to the viscoelastic models constructed via fractional calculus and from the other side we intend to analyze the basic fractional models as far as their creep, relaxation and viscosity properties are considered. The basic models are those that generalize via derivatives of fractional order the classical mechanical models characterized by two, three and four parameters, that we refer to as Kelvin-Voigt, Maxwell, Zener, anti-Zener and Burgers. For each fractional model we provide plots of the creep compliance, relaxation modulus and effective viscosity in non dimensional form in terms of a suitable time scale for different values of the order of fractional derivative. We also discuss the role of the order of fractional derivative in modifying the properties of the classical models.Comment: 41 pages, 8 figure

The unintentional procrastination scale

Procrastination refers to the delay or postponement of a task or decision and is often conceptualised as a failure of self-regulation. Recent research has suggested that procrastination could be delineated into two domains: intentional and unintentional. In this two-study paper, we aimed to develop a measure of unintentional procrastination (named the Unintentional Procrastination Scale or the 'UPS') and test whether this would be a stronger marker of psychopathology than intentional and general procrastination. In Study 1, a community sample of 139 participants completed a questionnaire that consisted of several items pertaining to unintentional procrastination that had been derived from theory, previous research, and clinical experience. Responses were subjected to a principle components analysis and assessment of internal consistency. In Study 2, a community sample of 155 participants completed the newly developed scale, along with measures of general and intentional procrastination, metacognitions about procrastination, and negative affect. Data from the UPS were subjected to confirmatory factor analysis and revised accordingly. The UPS was then validated using correlation and regression analyses. The six-item UPS possesses construct and divergent validity and good internal consistency. The UPS appears to be a stronger marker of psychopathology than the pre-existing measures of procrastination used in this study. Results from the regression models suggest that both negative affect and metacognitions about procrastination differentiate between general, intentional, and unintentional procrastination. The UPS is brief, has good psychometric properties, and has strong associations with negative affect, suggesting it has value as a research and clinical tool