Factor structure and psychometric properties of the body appreciation scale-2 in university students in Hong Kong

Previous studies have suggested that there may not be cross-cultural equivalence in the factor structure of body appreciation. Here, we examine the conceptual equivalence of a Chinese (Cantonese) translation of the Body Appreciation Scale-2 (BAS-2; Tylka & Wood-Barcalow, 2015b), a newly-developed measure of body appreciation. Participants were 457 women and 417 men from a university in Hong Kong. The results of exploratory factor analyses showed that, like its English version, the Chinese BAS-2 had a one-dimensional structure. Body appreciation scores had good internal consistency and were also significantly associated with respondent body mass index, self-esteem, life satisfaction, and (in women) actual-ideal weight discrepancy. Men had significantly higher scores than women, while comparisons with data from Tylka and Wood-Barcalow (2015b) suggest that cross-cultural differences are small-to-moderate at best. The present findings suggest that the BAS-2 may prove to be a useful tool for the assessment of body appreciation across cultures

Factor structure and psychometric properties of the body appreciation scale among adults in Hong Kong

Previous research has suggested that the factor structure of Body Appreciation Scale (BAS), a widely-used measure of positive body image, may not be cross-culturally equivalent. Here, we used confirmatory factor analysis to evaluate the conceptual equivalence of a Chinese (Cantonese) translation of the BAS among women (n = 1,319) and men (n = 1,084) in Hong Kong. Results showed that neither the one-dimensional nor proposed two-dimensional factor structures had adequate fit. Instead, a modified two-dimensional structure, which retained 9 of the 13 BAS items in two factors, had the best fit. However, only one these factors, reflective of General Body Appreciation, had adequate internal consistency. This factor also had good patterns of construct validity, as indicated through significant correlations with participant body mass index, self-esteem, and (among women) actual-ideal weight discrepancy. The present results suggest that there may be cultural differences in the concept and experience of body appreciation

Effect of Burning Rate Modifiers on Subatmospheric Flame Temperatures of AP/HTPB Composite Solid Propellants

Using 30 um. pt and Pt 13 percent Rh thermocouples, flame temperatures of uncatalysed andcatalysed ammonium perchlorate/hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene (AP/lffPB) composite solidpropellants were measured under subatmospheric conditions. Ferric oxide F e 2 and copper chromite(CC) were the catalysts used. The study demonstrates that Fe2O3 catalysed propellant, notwithstandingits least combustion efficiency undt;r subatmospheric conditions and weak gas-phase flame, has themaximum burning rate enhancement. This is argued to be due to the increased surface and subsurfacereactions caused by Fe2O3. CC-catalysed propellant burns to the least subatmospheric pressure withminimum loss in combustion efficiency indicating that this class of propellant may be more suitablefor base-bleed applications

The Breast Size Rating Scale: Development and psychometric evaluation

Existing measures of breast size dissatisfaction have poor ecological validity or have not been fully evaluated in terms of psychometric properties. Here, we report on the development of the Breast Size Rating Scale (BSRS), a novel measure of breast size dissatisfaction consisting of 14 computer-generated images varying in breast size alone. Study 1 (N = 107) supported the scale’s construct validity, insofar as participants were able to correctly order the images in terms of breast size. Study 2 (N = 234) provided evidence of the test-retest reliability of BSRS-derived scores after 3 months. Studies 3 (N = 730) and 4 (N = 234) provided evidence of the convergent validity of BSRS-derived breast size dissatisfaction scores, which were significantly associated with a range of measures of body image. The BSRS provides a useful tool for researchers examining women’s breast size dissatisfaction

Seismic Bearing Capacity of Strip Footing Resting on Reinforced Earth Bed

With an increase in demand for construction the use of poor soils becomes imperative. Soil bearing capacity and settlement play an important role in the design of foundations. Seismicity of the site is another important parameter in the design of the foundation for a structure. Hence seismic bearing capacity of soil becomes an important component in the design. In weak soils often deep foundations are recommended on account of the low soil bearing capacity available. In poor soils, ground improvement techniques are commonly used to improve the soil bearing capacity. Reinforcing earth with geo synthetic is one such technique adopted in practice. This is preferred due to its cost effectiveness as in most of the engineering projects economy plays an important role. If the weak soil is improved by using geo synthetic, then it becomes feasible to use shallow foundations instead of deep foundations for the same structure, thus effecting economy. Shallow foundations still remain the most used foundation type in construction due to its economy and ease in construction. In this paper an attempt has been made to develop an analytical approach to obtain the seismic bearing capacity of a strip footing resting on reinforced earth. The approach is based on the analysis proposed by Binquet and Lee (1975b) for a strip footing subjected to static load. Both vertical and horizontal accelerations have been considered in terms of seismic coefficients, αh and αv. Results have been presented in the form of non - dimensional charts from which seismic bearing capacity can be obtained, conveniently. Both rupture strength and frictional resistance criteria, have been taken into account in preparing these charts. Charts incorporate horizontal seismic acceleration coefficient, αh = 0.0 and 0.10. The value of vertical seismic acceleration coefficient, αv, is taken as 2/3αh. An illustrative example has been included for a lucid understanding

Distributed optimization framework for in-network data processing

In-Network Processing (INP) is an effective way to aggregate and process data from different sources and forward the aggregated data to other nodes for further processing until it reaches the end user. There is a trade-off between energy consumption for processing data and communication energy spent on transferring the data. Specifically, aggressive data aggregation consumes much energy for processing, but results in less data for transmission, thus using less energy for communications, and vice versa. An essential requirement in the INP process is to ensure that the user expectation of quality of information (QoI) is delivered during the process. Using wireless sensor networks for illustration and with the aim of minimising the total energy consumption of the system, we study and formulate the trade-off problem as a nonlinear optimisation problem where the goal is to determine the optimal data reduction rate, while satisfying the QoI required by the user. The formulated problem is a Signomial Programming (SP) problem, which is a non-convex optimisation problem and very hard to be solved directly. We propose two solution frameworks. First, we introduce an equivalent problem which is still SP and non-convex as the original one, but we prove that the strong duality property holds, and propose an efficient distributed algorithm to obtain the optimal data reduction rates, while delivering the required QoI. The second framework applies to the system with identical nodes and parameter settings. In such cases, we prove that the complexity of the problem can be reduced logarithmically. We evaluate our proposed frameworks under different parameter settings and illustrate the validity and performance of the proposed techniques through extensive simulation

Analytic thinking reduces belief in conspiracy theories

Belief in conspiracy theories has been associated with a range of negative health, civic, and social outcomes, requiring reliable methods of reducing such belief. Thinking dispositions have been highlighted as one possible factor associated with belief in conspiracy theories, but actual relationships have only been infrequently studied. In Study 1, we examined associations between belief in conspiracy theories and a range of measures of thinking dispositions in a British sample (N = 990). Results indicated that a stronger belief in conspiracy theories was significantly associated with lower analytic thinking and open-mindedness and greater intuitive thinking. In Studies 2–4, we examined the causational role played by analytic thinking in relation to conspiracist ideation. In Study 2 (N = 112), we showed that a verbal fluency task that elicited analytic thinking reduced belief in conspiracy theories. In Study 3 (N = 189), we found that an alternative method of eliciting analytic thinking, which related to cognitive disfluency, was effective at reducing conspiracist ideation in a student sample. In Study 4, we replicated the results of Study 3 among a general population sample (N = 140) in relation to generic conspiracist ideation and belief in conspiracy theories about the July 7, 2005, bombings in London. Our results highlight the potential utility of supporting attempts to promote analytic thinking as a means of countering the widespread acceptance of conspiracy theories

PREDICTION OF DIFFICULT LARYNGOSCOPY BY ULTRASOUND GUIDED VALUATION OF ANTERIOR NECK SOFT TISSUE THICKNESS.

Background : The major responsibility of the anaesthesiologist is to provide adequate ventilation to the patient. Most vital element for this is the airway. Difficulties in optimal airway management can lead to serious adverse effects and failure can even lead to mortality. We have evaluated the feasibility of sonography as an imaging tool in identifying important airway anatomical structures on the anterior aspect of the neck and correlated the ultrasound-guided measurements of the airway parameters with the Cormack Lehane classification of the direct laryngoscopy for prediction of the difficult airway. Aim : To predict Difficult Laryngoscopy by Ultrasound guided valuation Of Anterior Neck Soft Tissue Thickness. Method : The study was a prospective observational study. For this study, n (no of cases) =100 considering power of 95% from the previous study; including patients between the age group of 18 to 65 years, ASA I to III grades, scheduled for elective surgery and requiring general anaesthesia with directlaryngoscopy and endotracheal intubation. Patient with anticipated difficult airway were excluded. Modified Mallampati score, Neck circumference at the level of the thyroid cartilage, Thyromental distance, BMI, distance from skin to hyoid bone and distance from skin to the anterior commissure of vocal cords using the USG machine followed by MCLS grade on laryngoscopy were noted. Result : With reference to ROC analysis, the optimal cut-offs of DSHB, DSAC, neck circumference and BMI measurements for the prediction of difficult Laryngoscopy is 0.81 cm, 0.92 cm, 35.75cm and 24.8 kg/m2 respectively with the area under the curves being 0.944, 0.970, 0.801 and 0.745 respectively. Similarly, the optimal cut-off value for modifiedMallampati grades for the prediction of difficult Laryngoscopy is Grade II and above with area under the curves being 0.718. We also found that with experience the required time to measure the distances using USG was reduced with experience. Conclusion : We conclude from our study that the BMI, modified Mallampati grade and neck circumference are good predictors of difficult laryngoscopy. However, USG guided measurements at the level of hyoid bone and anterior commissure of vocal cords showed a higher specificity and sensitivity for the prediction of difficult laryngoscopy

Girl in the cellar: a repeated cross-sectional investigation of belief in conspiracy theories about the kidnapping of Natascha Kampusch

The present study utilized a repeated cross-sectional survey design to examine belief in conspiracy theories about the abduction of Natascha Kampusch. At two time points (October 2009 and October 2011), participants drawn from independent cross-sections of the Austrian population (Time Point 1, N = 281; Time Point 2, N = 277) completed a novel measure of belief in conspiracy theories concerning the abduction of Kampusch, as well as measures of general conspiracist ideation, self-esteem, paranormal and superstitious beliefs, cognitive ability, and media exposure to the Kampusch case. Results indicated that although belief in the Kampusch conspiracy theory declined between testing periods, the effect size of the difference was small. In addition, belief in the Kampusch conspiracy theory was significantly predicted by general conspiracist ideation at both time points. The need to conduct further longitudinal tests of conspiracist ideation is emphasized in conclusion

Demand-Driven Scheduling of Movies in a Multiplex

This paper describes a model that generates weekly movie schedules in a multiplex movie theater. A movie schedule specifies within each day of the week, on which screen(s) different movies will be played, and at which time(s). The model consists of two parts: (i) conditional forecasts of the number of visitors per show for any possible starting time; and (ii) an optimization procedure that quickly finds an almost optimal schedule (which can be demonstrated to be close to the optimal schedule). To generate this schedule we formulate the so-called movie scheduling problem as a generalized set partitioning problem. The latter is solved with an algorithm based on column generation techniques. We have applied this combined demand forecasting /schedule optimization procedure to a multiplex in Amsterdam where we supported the scheduling of fourteen movie weeks. The proposed model not 2 only makes movie scheduling easier and less time consuming, but also generates schedules that would attract more visitors than the current ‘intuition-based’ schedules.Integer programming;Column generation;Demand forecasting;Optimization of movie schedules