On the discrete time dynamics of a self-stabilizing MCA learning algorithm

The stability of minor component analysis (MCA) learning algorithms is an important problem in many signal processing applications. In this paper, we propose an effective MCA learning algorithm that can offer better stability. The dynamics of the proposed algorithm are analyzed via a corresponding deterministic discrete time (DDT) system. It is proven that if the learning rate satisfies some mild conditions, almost all trajectories of the DDT system starting from points in an invariant set are bounded, and will converge to the minor component of the autocorrelation matrix of the input data. Simulation results will be furnished to illustrate the theoretical results achieved.

Avoiding Stereotyping and enhancing intercultural understanding

Anecdotally, language learners often struggle to acquire in­tercultural understanding. Teaching intercultural understanding presents significant challenges for language teachers. This article offers some in-sights into language learners' intercultural understanding and strategies to help enhance intercultural understanding that seek to promote analyti­cal and critical thinking. The aim is to build on the principles of the emerging pedagogy of Intercultural Language Learning (1cLL). IcLL suggests there is a 'third place', where cultures overlap. IcLL acknowl­edges the importance of identifying with the 'other', whilst not denying the 'self'. Intercultural competence requires sensitivity to difference, an ability to identify with others and to critically reflect on one's own cul­tural background.

Psychometric validation of the Self-Care Inventory-Revised (SCI-R) in UK adults with type 2 diabetes using data from the AT.LANTUS follow-on study.

Background:
Achieving optimal outcomes in type 2 diabetes (T2DM) involves several demanding self-care behaviours, e.g. managing diet, activity, medications, monitoring glucose levels, footcare. The Self-Care Inventory-Revised (SCI-R) is valid for use in people with T2DM in the US. Our aim was to determine its suitability for use in the UK.

Self-regulation of older drivers with cognitive impairment : a systematic review

Background
Cognitive decline contributes significantly to the safety risk of older drivers. Some drivers may be able to compensate for the increased crash risk by avoiding complex driving situations or restricting their driving.

Objective and Method
A comprehensive English-language systematic review was conducted to determine the level of evidence for older adult drivers with cognitive impairment engaging in self-regulation.

Results
Twelve studies were included in the review. The majority of studies investigated driver avoidance, followed by driver restriction. Few studies ascertained the reasons for changing driving behaviour.

Conclusions
The evidence supports the view that drivers with cognitive impairment do restrict their driving and avoid complex driving situations. However, it remains to be determined whether the drivers who do engage in self-regulation require insight into their own driving abilities or whether external factors result in self-regulation of driving behaviour.

Barriers to avoiding fast-food consumption in an environment supportive of unhealthy eating

Objective
To investigate factors (ability, motivation and the environment) that act as barriers to limiting fast-food consumption in women who live in an environment that is supportive of poor eating habits.

Design
Cross-sectional study using self-reports of individual-level data and objectively measured environmental data. Multilevel logistic regression was used to assess factors associated with frequency of fast-food consumption.

Setting
Socio-economically disadvantaged areas in metropolitan Melbourne, Australia.

Subjects
Women (n 932) from thirty-two socio-economically disadvantaged neighbourhoods living within 3 km of six or more fast-food restaurants. Women were randomly sampled in 2007–2008 as part of baseline data collection for the Resilience for Eating and Activity Despite Inequality (READI) study.

Results
Consuming low amounts of fast food was less likely in women with lower perceived ability to shop for and cook healthy foods, lower frequency of family dining, lower family support for healthy eating, more women acquaintances who eat fast food regularly and who lived further from the nearest supermarket. When modelled with the other significant factors, a lower perceived shopping ability, mid levels of family support and living further from the nearest supermarket remained significant. Among those who did not perceive fruits and vegetables to be of high quality, less frequent fast-food consumption was further reduced for those with the lowest confidence in their shopping ability.

Conclusions
Interventions designed to improve women's ability and opportunities to shop for healthy foods may be of value in making those who live in high-risk environments better able to eat healthily.

Non-suicidal self-injury : attachment in specific relationships and experiences of emotion and coping

 Two studies examined associations between non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), emotion dysregulation, attachment, and alexithymia. Using cross-sectional and ecological momentary assessment methods, results revealed that attachment variables were correlated with NSSI, and that emotion dysregulation partially explained this association, with participants with NSSI reporting higher levels of negative affect and greater fluctuations in affect across time.

Individual differences in intention to fake job interviews: Personality, self-monitoring, and the theory of planned behaviour

When job applicants lie in job interviews, they can deprive a more honest candidate of a job and deprive an organisation of the best employees. To better understand job interview faking, the present study examined the effect of general dispositions and domain-specific beliefs on the intention to fake job interviews. A community sample of 313 participants completed measures of personality (i.e., extraversion, neuroticism, conscientiousness) and self-monitoring, and a domain-specific measure of beliefs about faking job interviews based on the theory of planned behaviour, which measured attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioural control. Results indicated that the measure of attitudes was the strongest predictor of intention to fake. In line with the compatibility principle, the domain-specific measures based on the theory of planned behaviour correlated much more strongly with intentions to fake job interviews than did the general measures of personality or self-monitoring. Of the dispositional measures, lower conscientiousness, higher neuroticism, and higher self-monitoring was associated with greater intention to fake job interviews. The findings support a model whereby the effect of personality on intentions is partially mediated by domain-specific beliefs.

Fear of self, doubt and obsessive compulsive symptoms

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Following observations in the literature that obsessions often contain or imply negative evaluative information about the self, Aardema et al. (2013) recently developed a measure of feared-self relevant to OCD. The current study aimed to provide further examination of the relevance of such feared self-beliefs to obsessive compulsive processes - in particular whether they partially underlie doubt in OCD-relevant situations. METHOD: Nonclinical participants (N = 463; 291 females; Mage = 25.17, SD = 7.47), were presented with three vignettes, related to washing, checking and non-OCD relevant themes, which assessed doubt through providing alternating sensory and possibility-based information. RESULTS: Higher levels of OCD symptoms and feared-self beliefs both significantly predicted both higher baseline levels of doubt and greater fluctuation in levels of doubt in both the contamination and checking scenarios, and to a much lesser extent in the control scenario. Feared-self beliefs did not predict fluctuation in doubt over-and-above OCD symptoms, consistent with a mediation model. LIMITATIONS: The main limitation was the use of a non-clinical sample, although this allowed sufficient participant numbers to test hypotheses. CONCLUSIONS: The findings provided further experimental support for reasoning processes in OCD, and suggested that feared self-beliefs may make individuals vulnerable to experiencing doubt. Additionally, these results suggested that individuals with high OCD symptoms and those with high feared self-beliefs are unable to recognise the improbable nature of possibility-based statements. Implications for treatment and theory are discussed.

The role of fear of self and responsibility in obsessional doubt processes: a bayesian hierarchical model

The literature concerning obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) indicates that obsessions frequently imply negative evaluative beliefs regarding the self. The construct of the feared self has been used to describe the set of harmful attributes an individual worries they may possess. This study aimed to partially replicate previous research that demonstrated a relationship between feared-self beliefs and obsessional doubt in OCD-relevant contexts. The relationship between perceptions of personal responsibility and associated levels of doubt was also examined. Nonclinical participants (N = 221; 155 female; Mage = 26.4, SD = 9.2) were presented with vignettes related to checking and non OCD-relevant themes, which quantified doubt through the presentation of alternating reality-based (i.e., sensory) and possibility-based information. Of the total sample, 112 participants were randomly allocated to a personally relevant condition (in which the action implied in the vignettes was completed by the reader), and 109 were allocated to a second, other-relevant, condition (in which the action implied in the vignettes was completed by a proximal other). The results provided support for reasoning processes implicated in OCD, suggesting that feared-self beliefs may partially contribute to heightened levels of doubt in response to possibility vs. reality-based information in OCD-relevant contexts. Personal relevance contributed to greater baseline levels of doubt, but not to greater responses to the reality- and possibility-based statements accompanying the OCD-relevant vignette. Implications for theory and future research are discussed.

The HEART mobile phone trial: the partial mediating effects of self-efficacy on physical activity among cardiac patients

BACKGROUND: The ubiquitous use of mobile phones provides an ideal opportunity to deliver interventions to increase physical activity levels. Understanding potential mediators of such interventions is needed to increase their effectiveness. A recent randomized controlled trial of a mobile phone and Internet (mHealth) intervention was conducted in New Zealand to determine the effectiveness on exercise capacity and physical activity levels in addition to current cardiac rehabilitation (CR) services for people (n = 171) with ischemic heart disease. Significant intervention effect was observed for self-reported leisure-time physical activity and walking, but not peak oxygen uptake at 24 weeks. There was also significant improvement in self-efficacy.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the mediating effect of self-efficacy on physical activity levels in an mHealth delivered exercise CR program.

METHODS: Treatment evaluations were performed on the principle of intention to treat. Adjusted regression analyses were conducted to evaluate the main treatment effect on leisure-time physical activity and walking at 24 weeks, with and without change in self-efficacy as the mediator of interest.

RESULTS: Change in self-efficacy at 24 weeks significantly mediated the treatment effect on leisure-time physical activity by 13%, but only partially mediated the effect on walking by 4% at 24 weeks.

CONCLUSION: An mHealth intervention involving text messaging and Internet support had a positive treatment effect on leisure-time physical activity and walking at 24 weeks, and this effect was likely mediated through changes in self-efficacy. Future trials should examine other potential mediators related to this type of intervention.

Self-regulatory driving behaviours amongst older drivers according to cognitive status

Self-regulation of older drivers was explored according to their cognitive status in this pilot study by examining situations commonly avoided by older drivers. In addition, the role of driver insight on self-regulation was examined via passenger reports. Telephone interviews were conducted comprising 49 drivers aged 65 years and above and 40 passengers who acted as informants. Self-regulation was found to be common, with the majority of drivers (71.4%) reporting sometimes or always avoiding one of seven driving situations. However, drivers with cognitive impairment reported self-regulating more often than drivers without cognitive impairment. The largest discrepancy between passenger and driver reports of self-regulation behaviours was found for the drivers with cognitive impairment. These results possibly reflect a decreased awareness of self-regulatory driving behaviours in this subgroup of older drivers and may suggest that other external factors are contributing to self-regulation in older drivers with cognitive impairment. A discussion of these factors is provided with the aim of maintaining mobility and enhancing quality of life in this growing segment of the driver population.