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Results for “Utility Theory”

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PubMed1994

King's theory of goal attainment as a framework for managed care implementation in a hospital setting.

Implementation of nursing conceptual frameworks and theories in practice settings is essential to foster the growth and advancement of the discipline of nursing. Over the past several decades nurse educators, administrators, and clinicians have often seemed to function in isolation. Educators developed conceptual models and theories, but these frameworks were infrequently applied in practice settings. In addition, administrators used management theories as a framework for nursing practice in institutional settings, while clinicians were left to utilize the medical model and theories from other disciplines as a base to guide practice. This article focuses on how King's theory of goal attainment can serve as a nursing framework for managed care.

Goals↗

PubMed2001

The life world of the adolescent with mental health problems.

Adolescents are currently being more and more exposed to the expectations of parents, educators, health-workers/helpers and policy makers to meet the demands of society and conform to it. The perception arises that adults are not able to let the adolescent take responsibility for the HOW of his own life story, despite all the expectations and demands. Under the influence of the post-modernistic approach to science and the narrative therapy it appears that each person is an expert of his own life and that each person is responsible for the how and the writing and rewriting of his own life story. This means that even the adolescent with mental health problems is busy with the writing and rewriting of his life story till even unpleasant incidents and experiences gain new meaning. This demands from the adolescent with mental health problems to be actively involved with his treatment program while the therapist is a participating observer of the therapeutic events. A one-sided approach, where the therapist's objectives and ideas make the difference in the treatment of adolescents with mental health problems, becomes redundant. An alternative approach is suggested where the adolescent with mental health problems becomes co-author of his own life story and his treatment program. In this research the researcher aimed to explore and describe the HOW of the life world of the adolescent with mental health problems. The utilization of the case-study format as research method enabled an in-depth, holistic description of the life world of the adolescent with mental health problems. The implementation of the strategies to ensure trustworthiness, as described by Guba was applied to ensure the validity and reliability of this study. Focus was specifically placed on the application of the strategy of cross validation. This implies that multiple data-collection sources, different experts, theories and respondents were utilized in the exploration of the life world of the adolescent with mental health problems before this life word was described in depth. The researcher makes a few conclusions and based on these make recommendations for application in practice, education and research.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1998

An application of the concept of the therapeutic alliance to sadomasochistic pathology.

This paper traces the history of the therapeutic alliance concept, examining how it has been used and misused, at times elevated to a central position and at others rejected altogether. The loss of this concept created a vacuum in classical psychoanalysis that has been filled by rival theories. The continuing usefulness of looking at the treatment process through the lens of the therapeutic alliance, particularly in relation to the manifold difficulties of working with sadomasochistic pathology, is suggested. To this end, revisions of the theory of the therapeutic alliance are suggested to address some of the difficulties that have arisen in conceptualizing this aspect of the therapeutic relationship, and to provide an integrated dynamic model for working with patients at each phase of treatment. This revised model acknowledges the complexity of the domain and encompasses the multiple tasks, functions, partners, and treatment phases involved. The utility of the revised theory is illustrated in application to understanding the sadomasochistic, omnipotent resistances of a female patient through the phases of her analysis.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

The utility of ancillary tests in the diagnosis of jaundice.

The helpfulness of technological tests in the diagnosis of diseases presenting as jaundice was examined using a measure of expected utility derived from decision theory. Data from 243 patients admitted with jaundice yielded a total of 2260 test-results from twenty seven tests used. The results were partitioned into a total of 123 bands. Forty-three bands had a sufficient number of results to be considered for calculation. Eleven out of the 27 tests and 16 of 123 bands gave information recognized to be worthwhile. They contributed to the diagnosis of the 7 commonest diseases, and would permit the selection of the best combination of tests to be performed. The frequency of use of tests did not reflect their utility. A test-sequencing proforma might be a useful aid in the work-up of patients.

Blood Chemical Analysis↗

PubMed2003

The birth and evolution of surface science: child of the union of science and technology.

This article is an account of the birth and evolution of surface science as an interdisciplinary research area. Surface science emanated from the confluence of concepts and tools in physics and chemistry with technological innovations that made it possible to determine the structure and properties of surfaces and interfaces and the dynamics of chemical reactions at surfaces. The combination in the 1960s and 1970s of ultra-high-vacuum (i.e., P < 10(-7) Pascal or 10(-9) Torr) technology with the recognition that electrons in the energy range from 50 to 500 eV exhibited inelastic collision mean free paths of the order of a few angstroms fostered an explosion of activity. The results were a reformulation of the theory of electron solid scattering, the nearly universal use of electron spectroscopies for surface characterization, the rise of surface science as an independent interdisciplinary research area, and the emergence of the American Vacuum Society (AVS) as a major international scientific society. The rise of microelectronics in the 1970s and 1980s resulted in huge increases in computational power. These increases enabled more complex experiments and the utilization of density functional theory for the quantitative prediction of surface structure and dynamics. Development of scanning-probe microscopies in the 1990s led to atomic-resolution images of macroscopic surfaces and interfaces as well as videos of atoms moving about on surfaces during growth and diffusion. Scanning probes have since brought solid-liquid interfaces into the realm of atomic-level surface science, expanding its scope to more complex systems, including fragile biological materials and processes.

Journal Article↗

PubMed1996

Stress and performance: an application of Gray's three-factor arousal theory to basketball free-throw shooting.

The suitability of Gray's (1975) three-factor arousal theory as a model of human performance under stress was investigated in a study of basketball free-throw shooting. Free-throw attempts, made by members of an NCAA Division I men's varsity team, were videotaped during one full season. On the basis of Gray's theory, we predicted that increased stress (assumed to be present in games as opposed to practices) would be associated with longer pre-shot preparations and a greater incidence of overthrow shots. The prediction was confirmed by the results. Moreover, we found that free-throws were more frequently overthrown when attempted during crucial rather than non-crucial game situations. Further tests of the utility of Gray's theory are suggested.

Arousal↗

PubMed1989

Recent contributions to the theory of defense mechanisms: a comparative view.

Some of the most recent contributions to the theory of defense mechanisms are critically reviewed including theories of complex motivational properties of the ego (Schafer, 1968; Kris, 1984), a functional theory of defense (Brenner, 1982), an object-representational theory of defense (Kernberg, 1976), a "two-person" theory of defense (Modell, 1984) and a self-psychologically based theory of defense (Kohut, 1984). These recently proposed theories of defense mechanisms utilize differing levels of analytic observation and theoretical discourse. One of the major differences among theorists involves the variety of referents of defense mechanisms (i.e., what is being defended against) including impulse, drive derivative, object loss, or environmental failure. Another fundamental difference involves the variety of ways theorists regard the relation between internal homeostasis and the external world. Questions are raised about the recent tendency in psychoanalytic theory to develop or invoke different theories of defense to explain a broad range of clinical phenomena.

Defense Mechanisms↗

PubMed2000

Grandmother hypothesis and primate life histories.

The adaptive significance of midlife menopause in human females has long engaged the attention of evolutionary anthropologists. In spite of extensive debate, the problem has only recently been examined in the context of primate life histories. Here I extend those investigations by comparing life history traits in 16 primate species to test predictions generated from life history theory. In humans, late ages of maturity and higher than expected birth rates are systematically associated with extended postmenopausal longevity. Links among these adjustments on the primate pattern can explain how selection could slow somatic senescence without favoring extension of the fertile span. This conclusion is consistent with the observation that our fertile spans are similar to those of other pongids. The shape of the argument herein demonstrates the utility of life history theory for solving problems of adaptive evolution in female life history traits, with consequences for broader arguments regarding human evolution.

Aging↗

PubMed1988

Thermodynamics of short-term cell adhesion in vitro.

A thermodynamic theory of short-term (less than 2 hr) in vitro cell adhesion has been developed which allows calculation of reversible work of adhesion and estimation of a term proportional to cell-substrate contact area. The theory provides a means of determining a parameter related to membrane wetting tension for microscopic cells that does not require special manipulations which might desiccate or denature delicate cell membranes. Semiquantitative agreement between predicted and experimentally-measured cell adhesion obtained for three different cell types (MDCK, RBL-1, and HCT-15) in two different liquid phase compositions of surfactants (Tween-80 and fetal bovine serum) supports concepts and approximations utilized in development of theory. Cell-substrate contact areas were largest for wettable surfaces treated with ionizing corona or plasma discharges and smallest for hydrophobic materials for each cell type studied. Contact area for the continuous dog-kidney cell line MDCK was larger than that of either the leukemic blood cell RBL-1 or the anaplastic human colon cell HCT-15.

Animals↗

PubMed1997

[The life world of adolescents with mental health problems].

Adolescents are currently being exposed more and more to the expectations of parents, educators, healthworker/helpers and policy makers to meet the demands of society and conform with it. The perception arises that adults are not able to let the adolescent take responsibility for the HOW of his own life story, despite of all the expectations and demands. Under the influence of the postmodern approach to science and the narrative therapy it appears that each person is an expert of his own life and that each person is responsible for the how and the writing and rewriting of his own life story. This means that even the adolescent with mental health problems is busy with the writing and rewriting of his life story till even unpleasant incidents and experiences can get new meaning. This demands from the adolescent with mental health problems to be actively involved with his treatment programme while the therapist is a participative observer of the therapeutic events. A one sided approach where the therapist's objectives and ideals for the adolescent with mental health problems make the difference to the treatment is outdated. A alternative approach is suggested where the adolescent with mental health problems becomes co-author of his own life story and his treatment programme. In this research the researcher aimed to explore and describe the HOW of the lifeworld of the adolescent with mental health problems. The utilization of the case-study format as research method enabled a in depth, holistic description of the lifeworld of the adolescent with mental health problems. The implementation of the strategies to ensure trustworthiness, as described by Guba were applied to ensure the validity and reliability of this study. Focus were especially placed on the application of the strategy of cross validation. This implies that multiple data-collection sources, different experts, theories and respondents were utilized in the exploration of the lifeworld of the adolescent with mental health problems before this lifeworld was describe in depth. The researcher makes a few conclusions and based on this made recommendations for application in practice, education and research.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1995

Three-dimensional quantitative autoradiography by disparity analysis: theory and application to image averaging of local cerebral glucose utilization.

Traditional autoradiographic image analysis has been restricted to the two-dimensional assessment of local cerebral glucose utilization (LCMRglc) or blood flow in individual brains. It is advantageous, however, to generate an entire three-dimensional (3D) data set and to develop the ability to map replicate images derived from multiple studies into the same 3D space, so as to generate average and standard deviation images for the entire series. We have developed a novel method, termed "disparity analysis," for the alignment and mapping of autoradiographic images. We present the theory of this method, which is based upon a linear affine model, to analyze point-to-point disparities in two images. The method is a direct one that estimates scaling, translation, and rotation parameters simultaneously. Disparity analysis is general and flexible and deals well with damaged or asymmetric sections. We applied this method to study LCMRglc in nine awake male Wistar rats by the [14C]2-deoxyglucose method. Brains were physically aligned in the anteroposterior axis and were sectioned subserially at 100-microns intervals. For each brain, coronal sections were aligned by disparity analysis. The nine brains were then registered in the z-axis with respect to a common coronal reference level (bregma + 0.7 mm). Eight of the nine brains were mapped into the remaining brain, which was designated the "template," and aggregate 3D data sets were generated of the mean and standard deviation for the entire series. The averaged images retained the major anatomic features apparent in individual brains but with some defocusing. Internal anatomic features of the averaged brain were smooth, continuous, and readily identifiable on sections through the 3D stack. The fidelity of the internal architecture of the averaged brain was compared with that of individual brains by analysis of line scans at four representative levels. Line scan comparisons between corresponding sections and their template showed a high degree of correlation, as did similar comparisons performed on entire sections. Fourier analysis of line scan data showed retention of low-frequency information with the expected attenuation of high-frequency components produced by averaging. Region-of-interest (ROI) analysis of the averaged brain yielded LCMRglc values virtually identical to those derived from measurements and subsequent averaging of data from individual brains.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Animals↗

PubMed2000

Impact of a worker notification program: assessment of attitudinal and behavioral outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Hundreds of worker notification programs are conducted each year to communicate occupational risks to workers. However, few attempts have been made to evaluate their effectiveness and few have described how communication theories are applied in developing notification messages. We developed and assessed the effectiveness of a worker notification program at a beryllium machining plant. METHODS: We compared self-protective attitudinal and behavioral responses among workers in two plants: (1) an intervention plant that received beryllium risk notification and (2) a matched control plant that did not receive notification. RESULTS: Workers receiving notification reported significantly stronger perceptions of threat and efficacy, more positive attitudes toward safety practices, and engaged in more protective behaviors than the workers at the control plant. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates the utility of applying communication theories in the development of notification messages and the results suggest that mass presentations may be just as effective, if not more so, than one-on-one notifications. Am. J. Ind. Med. 37:205-213, 2000. Published 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Adult↗

PubMed1998

An event count model for studying health services utilization.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this article is to first conceptualize health services utilization behavior as event counts. Based on this concept and behavioral theory, the author presents the Generalized Event Count model as an alternative modeling tool for studying health services utilization. This model is theory driven and is consistent with behavioral assumptions. METHODS: In presenting the Generalized Event Count model, the author first examines its model assumptions to see whether they conform to elements of behavior theory, assumptions of health services utilization, and the distribution assumption of the nature of the data. To demonstrate the Generalized Event Count model, the author applied this model to an empirical ambulatory care utilization data set from a 1988 household interview of Chinese-Americans in Boston's inner-city community. RESULTS: The Generalized Event Count model analysis suggested that the regular source of medical care and the use of Chinese medicine were strong predictors of physician visits for this population. Further, the Generalized Event Count model was able to test that most of the ambulatory visits within an individual were correlated. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with other models, the Generalized Event Count model is more consistent with health services utilization behavioral assumptions. Moreover, it makes an efficient use of information from the utilization data for model estimation. This model has the potential of having broad applications in studying various types of health services utilization, especially for analyzing cross-sectional utilization data.

Ambulatory Care↗

PubMed2004

Population pharmacokinetics I: background, concepts, and models.

OBJECTIVE: To present and emphasize the background, foundations, utility, and conceptual underlying theory of the population pharmacokinetic (PPK) approach with an examination of the advantages when compared with other approaches of pharmacokinetic modeling. DATA SOURCES: Information on PPK was retrieved from a MEDLINE search (1979-June 2002) of literature and a bibliographic review of review articles and books. STUDY SELECTION AND DATA EXTRACTION: All articles identified from data sources were evaluated and relevant information was included in this review. DATA SYNTHESIS: PPK plays a pivotal role in developing dosing strategies for direct patient care and in drug development. PPK is valuable because it targets the patient group that will eventually receive the drug of interest, quantitates pharmacokinetic variability at several levels, and seeks to explain those sources of variability. CONCLUSIONS: PPK models have great utility and the applications are many. They are very different from single-subject pharmacokinetic models and therefore require different approaches to model development.

Humans↗

PubMed2005

Coevolution theory of the genetic code at age thirty.

The coevolution theory of the genetic code, which postulates that prebiotic synthesis was an inadequate source of all twenty protein amino acids, and therefore some of them had to be derived from the coevolving pathways of amino acid biosynthesis, has been assessed in the light of the discoveries of the past three decades. Its four fundamental tenets regarding the essentiality of amino acid biosynthesis, role of pretran synthesis, biosynthetic imprint on codon allocations and mutability of the encoded amino acids are proven by the new knowledge. Of the factors that guided the evolutionary selection of the universal code, the relative contributions of Amino Acid Biosynthesis: Error Minimization: Stereochemical Interaction are estimated to first approximation as 40,000,000:400:1, which suggests that amino acid biosynthesis represents the dominant factor shaping the code. The utility of the coevolution theory is demonstrated by its opening up experimental expansions of the code and providing a basis for locating the root of life.

Amino Acids↗

PubMed2006

The rate of senescence in maternal performance increases with early-life fecundity in red deer.

Tradeoffs between reproduction and somatic maintenance are a frequently cited explanation for reproductive senescence in long-lived vertebrates. Between-individual variation in quality makes such tradeoffs difficult to detect and evidence for their presence from wild populations remains scarce. Here, we examine the factors affecting rates of senescence in maternal breeding performance in a natural population of red deer (Cervus elaphus), using a mixed model framework to control for between-individual variance. Senescence began at 9 years of age in two maternal performance traits. In both traits, females that produced more offspring in early life had faster rates of senescence. This tradeoff is evident alongside significant effects of individual quality on late life breeding performance. These results present rare evidence in support of the disposable soma and antagonistic pleiotropy theories of senescence from a wild vertebrate population and highlight the utility of mixed models for testing theories of ageing.

Aging↗

PubMed2001

Social Orientation: Problem Behavior and Motivations Toward Interpersonal Problem Solving Among High Risk Adolescents.

A model of problematic adolescent behavior that expands current theories of social skill deficits in delinquent behavior to consider both social skills and orientation toward the use of adaptive skills was examined in an ethnically and socioeconomically diverse sample of 113 male and female adolescents. Adolescents were selected on the basis of moderate to serious risk for difficulties in social adaptation in order to focus on the population of youth most likely to be targeted by prevention efforts. Structural equation modeling was used to examine cross-sectional data using multiple informants (adolescents, peers, and parents) and multiple methods (performance test and self-report). Adolescent social orientation, as reflected in perceived problem solving effectiveness, identification with adult prosocial values, and self-efficacy expectations, exhibited a direct association to delinquent behavior and an indirect association to drug involvement mediated by demonstrated success in using problem solving skills. Results suggest that the utility of social skill theories of adolescent problem behaviors for informing preventive and remedial interventions can be enhanced by expanding them to consider adolescents' orientation toward using the skills they may already possess.

Journal Article↗

PubMed1990

An approach for time-dependent bone modeling and remodeling-application: a preliminary remodeling simulation.

In a companion paper, we presented a time-dependent theory for bone modeling and remodeling in response to a daily loading history. This paper represents a preliminary attempt to use the theory to determine the distribution of bone density within the adult proximal femur under an assumed normal loading history. Subsequent functional adaptation of the internal structure due to changes in the loading history are then determined. Throughout this preliminary study, the external geometry of the proximal femur is considered to be fixed, i.e., changes in the external shape are neither stimulated nor allowed. Linear and trilinear (dead-zone nonlinearity) rate remodeling laws were compared. Computer emulations using two-dimensional finite element models were successful in creating a normal-appearing distribution of bone tissue when remodeling was initiated from a solid structure of homogeneous bone density. Subsequent reduction in the loading history caused regional bone atrophy. Reinstatement of the normal loading history caused a generalized increase in bone mass but resulted in a slightly different bone distribution than was calculated for a constant loading history. These results demonstrate the utility of the remodeling theory and are consistent with the hypothesis that similar stress-related phenomena are responsible for both normal morphogenesis and functional adaptation in response to changes in the bone loading.

Animals↗