Inflated responsibility and perfectionism in child and adolescent anorexia

Objective: The aim of the pilot study was to investigate the cognitive biases of inflated responsibility (IR) and perfectionism in children and adolescents with a diagnosis of Anorexia Nervosa (AN). An additional aim was to provide a preliminary investigation into whether there is an interaction effect with AN severity, measured by body mass index (BMI). Method: A cross-sectional multi-site pilot study using standardised questionnaires was conducted and 30 young people diagnosed with AN participated. Results: Children and adolescents with AN reported significantly higher levels of IR and perfectionism, compared to published normative non-clinical data. Self-orientated perfectionism (SOP) was associated with frequency of IR thoughts. There was also a significant interaction effect: young people who had a higher frequency of IR thoughts and SOP had lower BMIs. Discussion: Further independent replication of these results is needed. IR and perfectionism should be considered in the assessment and treatment of child and adolescent AN, both in individual and systemic interventions. This research also adds to the growing body of literature examining cognitive biases of obsessive– compulsive disorder in an AN population, which may offer some insight into the overlap between the two disorders

Scaling collapse and structure functions: identifying self-affinity in finite length time series

Empirical determination of the scaling properties and exponents of time series presents a formidable challenge in testing, and developing, a theoretical understanding of turbulence and other out-of-equilibrium phenomena. We discuss the special case of self affine time series in the context of a stochastic process. We highlight two complementary approaches to the differenced variable of the data: i) attempting a scaling collapse of the Probability Density Functions which should then be well described by the solution of the corresponding Fokker-Planck equation and ii) using structure functions to determine the scaling properties of the higher order moments. We consider a method of conditioning that recovers the underlying self affine scaling in a finite length time series, and illustrate it using a Lévy flight

Modelling the impact of earthquake activity on real estate values: a multi-level approach

Purpose – This paper seeks to look at the impact of recent earthquake activity on house prices and their spatial distribution in the Istanbul housing market. Design/Methodology/Approach – The paper employs a multi-level approach within an event study framework to model changes in the pattern of house prices in Istanbul. The model allows us to isolate the effects of earthquake risk and explore the differential impact in different submarkets in two study periods - one before (2007) and one after (2012) recent earthquake activity in the Van region, which although in Eastern Turkey, served to alter the perceptions of risk through the wider geographic region. Findings – The analysis shows that their are variations in the size of price discounts in submarkets resulting from the differential influence of recent earthquake activity on perceived risk of damage. The model results show that the spatial impacts of these changes are not transmitted evenly across the study area. Rather it is clear that submarkets at the cheaper end of the market have proportionately larger negative impacts on real estate values. Practical implications – The methods introduced in this study can be used by real estate agents, valuers, and insurance companies to help them more accurately assess the likely impacts of changes in the perceived risk of earthquake activity (or other environmental events such as flooding) on the formation of house prices in different market segments. Originality/value – The paper represents an attempt to develop a novel extension of the standard use of hedonic models in event studies to investigate the impact of natural disasters on real estate values. The value of the approach is that it is able to better capture the granularity of the spatial effects of environmental events than the standard approach

Maximizing the hyperpolarizability of one-dimensional systems

Previous studies have used numerical methods to optimize the hyperpolarizability of a one-dimensional quantum system. These studies were used to suggest properties of one-dimensional organic molecules, such as the degree of modulation of conjugation, that could potentially be adjusted to improve the nonlinear-optical response. However, there were no conditions set on the optimized potential energy function to ensure that the resulting energies were consistent with what is observed in real molecules. Furthermore, the system was placed into a one-dimensional box with infinite walls, forcing the wavefunctions to vanish at the ends of the molecule. In the present work, the walls are separated by a distance much larger than the molecule's length; and, the variations of the potential energy function are restricted to levels that are more typical of a real molecule. In addition to being a more physically-reasonable model, our present approach better approximates the bound states and approximates the continuum states - which are usually ignored. We find that the same universal properties continue to be important for optimizing the nonlinear-optical response, though the details of the wavefunctions differ from previous result.Comment: 10 pages, 5 figure

LABOURING TOGETHER - COLLABORATIVE ALLIANCES IN MATERNITY CARE IN VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA: PROTOCOL OF A MIXED METHODS STUDY

online open acces

How realistic is the mixed-criticality real-time system model?

23rd International Conference on Real-Time Networks and Systems (RTNS 2015). 4 to 6, Nov, 2015, Main Track. Lille, France. Best Paper Award NomineeWith the rapid evolution of commercial hardware platforms, in most application domains, the industry has shown a growing interest in integrating and running independently-developed applications of different “criticalities” in the same multicore platform. Such integrated systems are commonly referred to as mixed-criticality systems (MCS). Most of the MCS-related research published in the state-of-the-art cite the safety-related standards associated to each application domain (e.g. aeronautics, space, railway, automotive) to justify their methods and results. However, those standards are not, in most cases, freely available, and do not always clearly and explicitly specify the requirements for mixed-criticality systems. This paper addresses the important challenge of unveiling the relevant information available in some of the safety-related standards, such that the mixed-criticality concept is understood from an industrialist’s perspective. Moreover, the paper evaluates the state-of-the-art mixed-criticality real-time scheduling models and algorithms against the safety-related standards and clarifies some misconceptions that are commonly encountered

Peptides as potent antimicrobials tethered to a solid surface: Implications for medical devices

Medical devices are an integral part of therapeutic management; despite their importance, they carry a significant risk of microbial infection. Bacterial attachment to a medical device is established by a single, multiplying organism, leading to subsequent biofilm formation. To date, no preventative measures have impacted the incidence of device-related infection. We report the bidirectional covalent coupling of an engineered cationic antimicrobial peptide (eCAP), WLBU2, to various biological surfaces is accomplished. These surfaces included (i) a carbohydrate-based gel matrix, (ii) a complex polymeric plastic bead, and (iii) a silica-calcium phosphate nanocomposite associated with bone reconstruction. WLBU2-conjugated surfaces are shown to retain potent antimicrobial activity related to bacterial surface adhesion. This study provides proof of principle that covalently coating laboratory and bone-regenerating materials with eCAPs has the potential for decreasing infection rates of implanted devices. These findings have important consequences to the patient management component of our current health care technology

Humanising communication between stroke unit practitioners (SUP) and patients with communication impairment (CI) to support therapeutic relationships

Introduction Research into the lived experience of CI describes discomfort, feeling isolated and ignored when interacting with SUP. Negative feelings are also described by SUP and relatives when attempting to communicate with patients with CI. Study Aim: To explore a humanising relationship-centred approach to support the development of positive relationships between patients, relatives and SUP. This abstract will present data specific to patients with CI. Methods A two-phase action research study with two stroke units over 20 months. Phase 1 explored the experiences of positive relationships with SUP, patients and relatives, and collaborated with SUP to develop and evaluate practices that supported relationships. Phase 2 used the practices developed in Phase 1 to explore translation to a second setting. Methods were participant observation, interviews, story-telling and group discussions. Processes of sense-making and immersion crystallisation were used to analyse data with staff as co-analysts. Results Three themes described the processes in clinical practice to support positive relationships: 1. Intentions by SUP or relatives to reach out towards, to try and connect with those with CI, was most meaningful for patients with CI. Successful transaction of information was less important. 2. Relatives and SUP used vicarious storytelling to share and maintain the uniqueness of the patient with CI. 3. Increasing SUP sensitivity to communicating beyond words – drawing on their emotional or tacit response during encounters. Conclusion This study has shown SUP using a humanising relationship-centred focus and wordless narratives support positive, therapeutic relationships. It offers new insights into practice developments beyond conventional supportive communication strategies

Searching for Planets in the Hyades. I. The Keck Radial Velocity Survey

We describe a high-precision radial velocity search for jovian-mass companions to main sequence stars in the Hyades star cluster. The Hyades provides an extremely well controlled sample of stars of the same age, the same metallicity, and a common birth and early dynamical environment. This sample allows us to explore the dependence of the process of planet formation on only a single independent variable: the stellar mass. In this paper we describe the survey and summarize results for the first five years.Comment: 8 pages, 3 figures; To appear in the July 2002 issue of The Astronomical Journa

Peanut Seed Treatment Tests in Texas.

5 p