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PubMed2006

Synchronization in complex networks with a modular structure.

Networks with a community (or modular) structure arise in social and biological sciences. In such a network individuals tend to form local communities, each having dense internal connections. The linkage among the communities is, however, much more sparse. The dynamics on modular networks, for instance synchronization, may be of great social or biological interest. (Here by synchronization we mean some synchronous behavior among the nodes in the network, not, for example, partially synchronous behavior in the network or the synchronizability of the network with some external dynamics.) By using a recent theoretical framework, the master-stability approach originally introduced by Pecora and Carroll in the context of synchronization in coupled nonlinear oscillators, we address synchronization in complex modular networks. We use a prototype model and develop scaling relations for the network synchronizability with respect to variations of some key network structural parameters. Our results indicate that random, long-range links among distant modules is the key to synchronization. As an application we suggest a viable strategy to achieve synchronous behavior in social networks.

Action Potentials↗

PubMed2005

Phytoplankton community and chlorophyll a as trophic state indices of Lake Skadar (Montenegro, Balkan).

BACKGROUND, AIMS AND SCOPE: Phytoplankton, as a first step in trophic cascades of lakes, can be a good indicator of trophic states, considering that every environmental change affects this community and many species of this community are sensitive to changes, and that they response very quickly. In this study, we tried to assess and predict the trophic state of Lake Skadar according to phytoplankton data. METHODS: Water samples were collected using Ruttner sampling bottle. Temperature, dissolved oxygen, ph, conductivity and transparence were measured in situ using portable equipment. Nutrients and chlorophyll a were measured using standard spectrophotometric methods. A determination of phytoplankton species was performed using relevant keys and the counting of cells was performed using sedimentation methods. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: The species composition of Lake Skadar revealed 95 taxa, with Chlorophyceae and Bacillariophyceae being represented best. According to an average chlorophyll a concentration of 5.9 pg/l, Lake Skadar belongs to the mesotrophic level of the trophic scale. Developed prediction equation for chlorophyll a revealed a good prediction (R2 = 0.71) and the parameter Secchi depth was primarily correlated with chlorophyll a concentration. Trophic state indices derived from chlorophyll a and transparency, were close together, but both were below the phosphorous index. Values of trophic state indices rank the Lake Skadar as being mesotrophic. This study also showed that indices of diversity based on phytoplankton are weak indicators of trophic status and that they can well characterize only differences between assemblages and associations. According to calculated saprobic indices (ranging from 1.5 to 2.15), Lake Skadar is on betamesosaprobic level of saprobity, which means that it is moderately polluted with organic compounds. CONCLUSIONS: Total phosphorus is not the main limiting factor for the phytoplankton community in Lake Skadar. Disagreements between chlorophyll and the transparency index, on the one hand, and the total phosphorus index, on the other, suggest that the phytoplankton in Lake Skadar is probably limited by other factors than phosphorus, such as nitrogen, toxic substances or intense zooplankton grazing. According to the majority of investigated parameters and indices derived from phytoplankton data, Lake Skadar is mesotrophic, with tendencies toward eutrophic levels during the summer period. RECOMMENDATIONS AND OUTLOOK: Long-term monitoring is required for a better estimation of state and the conditions of Lake Skadar. Further studies on factors influencing the phytoplankton community, especially zooplankton grazing and toxic substances, which were not included in this study, should be continued in the future to improve the efficiency of phytoplankton usage in estimating the ecological and trophic conditions of Lake Skadar.

Albania↗

PubMed1996

The Imagination Inventory and its correlates with imagery and hypnotizability.

Presented are two studies designed to establish the psychometric properties (Study 1) of the Imagination Inventory (II; Barber and Wilson, 1979), and (Study 2) to examine the relation between subscales derived by factor analysis and measures of hypnotizability: (HGSHS:A; Shor and Orne, 1962), and the Depth of Hypnosis Index (DHI), as well as waking imagination (CIS; Wilson and Barber, 1978). Testing a sample of 459 Polish students, it was found that rationally derived scales developed by Barber and Wilson (1979) failed to parallel the factor structure derived from empirical procedure. The cross-cultural validity of the II was supported by low-to-moderate correlations with the HGSHS:A and the CIS.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2001

Ethnic attitudes in relation to ethnic pride and ethnic differentiation.

A comparison of 4 subsamples with the Ethnic Identity Scale (developed for the present study) yielded 2 relatively independent facets of ethnic identity: ethnic pride and belonging (EP) and ethnic differentiation (ED). First, the distinction between EP and ED increased understanding of how age and immigration status affect changes in ethnic identity. In a comparison of Estonians living in Sweden with those living in Estonia, only ED was affected by emigration and contacts with other ethnic groups, although both EP and ED were positively correlated with age. Second, the distinction between EP and ED increased understanding of earlier and seemingly contradictory findings about the connection between ethnic identity and ethnic attitudes. In the present study, EP was not correlated with ethnic attitudes, but, for 2 majority groups, ED was positively correlated with negative evaluations of out-groups. The authors also discuss the role of group status and relationships with the target nation in understanding the relationship between ethnic identity and ethnic attitudes.

Acculturation↗

PubMed1999

Psychological health and change in closeness in platonic and romantic relationships.

The authors investigated (a) whether increased closeness and decreased closeness of a relationship are associated with better and poorer psychological health, respectively; and (b) whether poorer psychological health is related to perceiving oneself or to perceiving the other person as primarily responsible for decreased closeness. A sample of English undergraduate students (52 female, 52 male; 16-23 years of age) completed M. Rosenberg's (1965) Self-Esteem Scale, D. P. Goldberg's (1972) 12-item General Health Questionnaire, and a 6-item scale developed for this study to measure change in closeness and to identify the initiator(s) of the change. Decreased closeness was related to poorer psychological health in male participants' platonic relationships and in female participants' romantic relationships. Poorer psychological health was associated with (a) perceiving the other person as responsible for decreased closeness in male participants' platonic relationships and (b) perceiving both parties as mutually responsible for decreased closeness in female participants' romantic relationships.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1988

Assessment of therapeutic alliances in the psychiatric hospital milieu.

The authors developed scales to assess long-term hospital patients' collaboration in milieu treatment and their working relationships with various staff members. A factor analysis of patients' ratings of their collaboration in several areas of treatment yielded three dimensions: Goal Orientation, Involvement, and Use of Structure. While each dimension of collaboration correlated positively with working relationships and progress, Goal Orientation was the most substantial contributor. Patients' and staff members' perceptions of their working relationships corresponded to a statistically significant-but modest-degree. Only nurses' ratings of progress related significantly to patients' ratings. The authors highlight divergent perceptions of the treatment process, and advocate that different perspectives be openly discussed and clarified in the service of improved collaboration.

Adult↗

PubMed1979

The measurement of marital quality.

The quality of marital relationships is the most studied topic pertaining to marriage and family life. Moreover, clinicians have become increasingly interested in this variable as divorce rates have climbed and as services for counseling and therapy have become more readily available and more widely accepted. These research and clinical needs necessitate the availability of measures of variables which assess marital quality (e.g., marital adjustment, satisfaction, and happiness). This article discusses the need for such measures, reviews the history of measurements in this area, identifies some conceptual and methodological issues of relevance, and then focuses most specifically on the Dyadic Adjustment Scale developed by Spanier. Some cautions for clinicians are noted, and a discussion of future measurement needs is presented.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed1994

Factor structure of the Agitated Behavior Scale.

The Agitated Behavior Scale (ABS; Corrigan, 1989) is a 14-item scale developed to monitor agitation during the acute phase of recovery from acquired brain injury. While previous studies have supported the reliability, internal consistency, and concurrent validity of the ABS, the current study was designed to investigate its underlying factor structure, as well as to determine systematic effects of time-of-day on the occurrence of agitation. Subjects were 212 patients with traumatic or other recently acquired brain injury who exhibited agitation during their treatment on a specialized brain-injury unit of an acute rehabilitation hospital. Confirmatory factor analysis revealed that agitation is best represented by one general construct with three underlying factors: Aggression, Disinhibition, and Lability. Analysis of agitation by nursing shift in which ratings were made confirmed that overall level was lowest during the night shift; however, the relationship between time-of-day and underlying factors deviated from this pattern. Results are discussed in terms of the necessity for objective measurement, definition of the construct of agitation, and time-of-day issues in sampling agitated behavior.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1999

Individual differences, perceived task characteristics, and preferences for teaching and coaching.

One hundred ninety-two undergraduate physical education students participated in this study of the influence of individual differences, group, and task factors on respondents' preferences for teaching or coaching. The individual difference factors were gender, managerial potential (Gough, 1984), and sex role attributes (Spence & Helmreich, 1986). The group and task differences were measured by a specially developed scale that was factor analyzed to yield six factors: job status, job significance, job variety and control, job identity, ease of discipline, ease of motivation. Subgroup analyses showed that men preferred more to coach than women did, and women preferred more to teach than men did. Men and women perceived greater job variety in coaching and greater control in teaching. The genders did not differ in managerial motivation or in any of the other perceived characteristics of the teaching and coaching roles. Finally, preference for teaching or coaching was influenced by gender, perceived ease of motivating students and athletes, and perceived job variety. These results were discussed in relation to existing literature, and future research directions are identified.

Adult↗

PubMed1997

Growth in caring and professional ethics in hospice.

There is a continual growing concern and impetus being placed on comprehensive care and treatment of the individual from birth to death. There is also strong evidence to lead one to believe that humanization of health care delivery must include attention to the development of health workers who are academically, emotionally, and psychologically prepared to deal with the dying patient and the family. Health professionals must learn to cope with anxieties arising from such experiences. This requires an adjustment period for the professional, a time for adaption and a working through of one's own feelings about death, dying and life's end. In other words, health professionals must come to grips with their own feelings about their own mortality, life's end and the in-between life processes. This paper identifies six stages that the health professionals must go through in learning to be comfortable in working with terminal illnesses and catastrophic diseases. This involves the Harper Schematic Comfortability Growth and Development Scale as a conceptual framework in learning to care for the terminally ill and dying.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed2002

Attributions, stress, and work-related low back pain.

Occupational low back pain (LBP) is a major cause of morbidity and cost. Efforts to control LBP are largely unsuccessful, and better understanding of risks is needed, especially psychological factors. The purpose of this research was to assess the association between worker attributions and LBP. Attributing LBP to internal causes may increase the worker's perceived control, whereas external attribution may cause distress. A new model was developed to explore these associations. A cross-sectional design was used in this study of 278 garment workers. Data were gathered by a self-administered questionnaire and through direct observation. Responses to questions on worker attributions of LBP cause and knowledge of back safety were subjected to factor analysis and other psychometric evaluation to develop scales. Six hypotheses were tested using multivariate logistic regression. Workers who scored high in internal attribution were more likely to be knowledgeable of back safety (OR = 3.7, 95% CI = 2.0-6.7). Workers reporting high demand were more likely to report LBP (OR = 2.3, 95% CI = 1.2-4.4). Workers attributing LBP to job tasks were more likely to report LBP (OR = 3.2, 95% CI = 1.5-6.9), and those reporting high supervisor support were less likely to report LBP (OR = 0.23, 95% CI = 0.08-0.66). Workers with annual incomes above 15,000 dollars were more likely to report LBP in the test of both the Demand-Control-Support and Attribution models (OR = 2.8, 95% CI = 1.2-6.9 and OR = 4.1, 95% CI = 1.5-11.1, respectively). While both models appeared to be useful for the study of low back pain, the R(2)(L) of the Demand-Control-Support model equaled only 11.9 percent, whereas the Attribution model equaled 26.2 percent. This study provides evidence that attribution theory is useful in the study of LBP, including in future interventions in the prevention of LBP.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

Factors associated with perceived health among 12-year-old school children. Relevance of physical exercise and sense of coherence.

BACKGROUND: Poor perceived health during childhood may affect an individual's well-being throughout life. In adult studies, sense of coherence (SOC) has been shown to be associated with perceived health. AIMS: The aim of this study was to determine which factors with an emphasis on SOC and physical exercise were associated with perceived health among 12-year-old children. METHODS: A total of 1,231 12-year-old school children (83%) completed a questionnaire. Most of the 37 questions had multiple-choice types of response. The questions were largely based on those used in the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study coordinated by the WHO. SOC was determined using the 13-item scale developed by Antonovsky. Factors used in calculating performance at school were marks (given by the teachers, range 4-10, 10 being the best) in mathematics, native language, and first foreign language. Statistical analysis involved the use of logistic regression models and the so-called generalized estimation technique because of the multi-level study design. RESULTS: In a multivariate model adjusted for reported psychosomatic symptoms, insufficient physical exercise was clearly (OR 4.6) associated with poor perceived health. Other variables with significant associations (OR 1.4-1.7) were a mark below 9 in mathematics, belonging to the weakest SOC tertile, reporting of problems of perceived support from teachers, and reporting of various problems involving the class climate. CONCLUSIONS: Among the studied variables physical exercise was the most strongly associated with perceived health, even when several social and psychological risk factors were included in the analysis. SOC and variables of social support were also of importance.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed2003

Cigarette smoking among Chinese Americans and the influence of linguistic acculturation.

Less acculturated Chinese Americans experience cultural and language barriers. The present study assessed the relationship between linguistic aspects of acculturation and cigarette smoking among Chinese Americans. A cross-sectional, self-administered survey was administered to a consecutive sample of 541 Chinese American adults (aged 18 years or older) attending four pediatric, medical, or dental practices located in Philadelphia's Chinatown from November 2000 to February 2001. Linguistic acculturation was measured by adapting a reliable and valid acculturation scale developed for Southeast Asians. English and Chinese language proficiency subscales were utilized to analyze the association between language proficiency and current smoking. Whereas 25% of Chinese American men reported current smoking, only 3% of Chinese American women reported current smoking. Chinese American men with lower English proficiency reported significantly higher rates of current smoking compared with Chinese American men with a higher level of English proficiency (33% vs. 18%, p<.01). Less English-proficient Chinese American male smokers were less likely to have received advice from a physician to quit smoking (50% vs. 85%, p=.01). In multivariate analysis, increased English proficiency was associated with decreased odds of current smoking (OR=0.38, 95% CI=0.16-0.89) among Chinese American men after controlling for confounding variables. In conclusion, higher English proficiency was associated with decreased current smoking among Chinese American men. Chinese American men with limited English proficiency should especially be targeted for tobacco control interventions. Further research is needed to assess whether acculturation is associated with smoking among Chinese American women and with use of smoking cessation treatments and services by Chinese American smokers.

Adult↗

PubMed2004

Synthesis of (-)-DAPD.

A new synthesis of (-)-DAPD, suitable for large scale development, is described.

Antiviral Agents↗

PubMed1983

An activities index for use with stroke patients.

Scales of 'Activities of Daily Living' measure only a patient's ability for self-care. There is no brief scale to measure lifestyle, although this would be useful in determining rehabilitation goals. This paper describes such a scale, developed for use with stroke patients. The data obtained relate to pre-morbid and post-stroke levels of activities. Factor analysis indicates three major factors (domestic chores, leisure/work, outdoor activities). Two of these factors are sex-linked, as predicted. Some evidence is noted of the sensitivity of the index to severity of stroke.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMed2004

Modelling below- and above-ground biomass for non-woody and woody plants.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Intraspecific relationships between below- and above-ground biomass (MB and MA, respectively) have been studied extensively to evaluate environmental effects on growth and development at the level of the individual plant. However, no current theoretical model for this relationship exists for broad interspecific trends. The aims of this paper are to provide a model and to test its predictions using a recently assembled, large database (1406 data entries for 257 species). METHODS: An allometric model was derived to predict the relationship between MB and MA for non-woody and woody plants based on previously developed scaling relationships for leaf, stem and root standing biomass and annual growth rates. The predictions of this model were tested by comparing the numerical values of predicted scaling exponents (the slopes of log-log regression curves) with those observed for the database. KEY RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: For non-woody plants and the juveniles of woody species, the model predicts an isometric scaling relationship (i.e. MB proportional, variant MA). For woody plants, a complex scaling function is predicted. But, for a particular set of biologically reasonable conditions, the model predicts MB proportional, variant MA across woody plants. These predictions accord reasonably well with observed statistical trends when non-woody and woody plants are studied separately (n=1061 and 345 data entries, respectively). Although the reliability of regression formulas to estimate MB based on MA measurements increased with increasing plant size, estimates of MB can be as much as two orders of magnitude off, even when using regression formulas with r2 >>0.90 and F >>53,000.

Biomass↗

PubMed1994

A comparison of cognitive behavioral treatment for chronic fatigue syndrome and primary depression.

To evaluate the effect of cognitive behavioral intervention on chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), we studied three patient groups: a CFS-treatment group (n = 22), a primary depression-treatment group (n = 20), and a no-treatment control group of subjects with CFS (n = 22). For the CFS-treatment group, a trend toward reduced depression-symptom scores was noted, but there were no significant changes in stress-related symptoms or fatigue severity. For the most depressed treated subjects with CFS, significant score reductions were observed in measures of depression, stress, fatigue severity, and fatigue-related thinking. In the depression group, significant reductions in depression, stress, and fatigue severity scores were found. No significant changes in any measure were observed in the CFS control group. A new fatigue-related cognitions scale, developed to assess cognitive and emotional reactions to fatigue, showed a significant reduction in such reactions in the CFS-treatment group, a finding suggesting that depression in this group was mediated by maladaptive thinking. The results suggest that a subset of CFS patients with cognition-related depressive symptomatology may respond to short-term behavioral intervention.

Adult↗

PubMed2000

Assessment and understanding of pain in patients with dementia.

The literature on pain in dementia patients is reviewed. A summary of methods for assessment of pain in demented elderly persons and an examination of studies that used such methods are included. In addition, literature theorizing a decrease in affective pain in this population is discussed; management of pain in such patients is not discussed extensively. Research reveals 3 major findings: (a) a moderate decrease in pain occurs in cognitively impaired elderly persons, (b) communicative dementia patients' reports of pain tend to be as valid as those of cognitively intact patients, and (c) assessment scales developed thus far for noncommunicative patients require improvement in accuracy and facility. Many questions about pain in dementia patients remain, and the continued development of valid pain assessment techniques is a necessity.

Aged↗