Associations of objectively measured moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and sedentary behavior with quality of life and psychological well-being in prostate cancer survivors

PURPOSE: Although evidence is building on the positive effects of physical activity for prostate cancer survivors, less is known about the possible independent effects of sedentary behavior on quality of life and psychological well-being in this population. We determined the extent to which objectively measured moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and sedentary behavior were independently associated with quality of life, anxiety, and depressive symptoms in prostate cancer survivors.

METHODS: An exploratory cross-sectional analysis was undertaken on baseline data from a multicenter, cluster randomized controlled trial on the efficacy of a clinician referral and 12-week exercise program for men who had completed active treatment for prostate cancer. Multiple regression analyses were performed using data from 98 prostate cancer survivors who wore hip-mounted accelerometers (time spent sedentary defined as <100 counts per minute [CPM]; MVPA defined as >1,951 CPM) and completed self-report instruments on their quality of life, anxiety, and depressive symptoms. Results were compared with minimal clinically important differences for the quality of life scales.

RESULTS: Independent of sedentary behavior, increases in MVPA of between 15 and 33 min/day were associated with clinically important (but not statistically significant) improvements in three quality of life scales (insomnia, diarrhea, and financial difficulties). Independent of MVPA, decreases in sedentary behavior of 119 and 107 min/day were associated with clinically important (but not statistically significant) improvements in physical functioning and role functioning, respectively.

CONCLUSION: Within our exploratory study, modest increases in MVPA and more substantive decreases in sedentary behavior were independently associated with clinically important improvements in several quality of life scales. Further research, including prospective studies, is required to understand sedentary behavior across larger and more representative samples (in terms of their physical, psychological, and social functioning and their engagement in physical activity) of prostate cancer survivors.

Pharmacological management of challenging behavior of individuals with intellectual disability

In many Westernized countries, including Australia, concerns about the use of psychotropic drugs to manage the challenging behavior of individuals with intellectual disability have resulted in the development of legislative and procedural controls. Although these constraints may limit indiscriminate use, employing medication remains a common practice. This study examined information about 873 individuals (566 males, 307 females) who were the subjects of reports to the Intellectual Disability Review Panel in March 2000 concerning the use of chemical restraint. A high proportion of people with intellectual disability were reported to have received drugs for purposes of behavioral restraint. The range of drugs was extensive, although those from the antipsychotic class were the most frequently reported. Many individuals concurrently received more than one type of drug or more than one drug from the same drug class. More males than females and more older than younger individuals were administered medication. A relationship between gender and age was apparent, with younger males but older females dominating. The use of drugs to mange the behavior of people with intellectual disability may at times be warranted. However, it is important that the extent and type of drug use, as well as the characteristics of those who are medicated, be subject to ongoing scrutiny.

Developing better public policy to motivate responsible environmental behavior - an examination of managers' attitudes and perceptions towards controlling introduced species

This paper examines the application of public policy, including social marketing, to programs designed to control an environmentally harmful introduced species in Australia. Managers involved in dealing with the issue identify a range of factors that contribute to the lack of success of existing control programs. The results suggest that there needs to be a broad-based integrated program that incorporates changes in stakeholders' attitudes as well as governmental resources and support for implementation of relevant initiatives.

The effect of school suspensions and arrests on subsequent adolescent antisocial behavior in Australia and the United States

Purpose: To examine the effect of school suspensions and arrests (i.e., being taken into police custody) on subsequent adolescent antisocial behavior such as violence and crime, after controlling for established risk and protective factors in Victoria, Australia and Washington State, United States (U.S.). Methods: This article reports on analyses of two points of data collected 1 year apart within a cross-national longitudinal study of the development of antisocial behavior, substance use, and related behaviors in approximately 4000 students aged 12 to 16 years in Victoria, Australia and Washington State, U.S. Students completed a modified version of the Communities That Care self-report survey of behavior, as well as risk and protective factors across five domains (individual, family, peer, school, and community). Multivariate logistic regression analyses investigate the effect of school suspensions and arrests on subsequent antisocial behavior, holding constant individual, family, peer, school, and community level influences such as being female, student belief in the moral order, emotional control, and attachment to mother. Results: At the first assessment, school suspensions and arrests were more commonly reported in Washington, and school suspensions significantly increased the likelihood of antisocial behavior 12 months later, after holding constant established risk and protective factors (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 1.5, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.1–2.1, _p < .05). Predictors of antisocial behavior spanned risk and protective factors across five individual and ecological areas of risk. Risk factors in this study were pre-existing antisocial behavior (OR 3.6, CI 2.7–4.7, _p < .001), association with antisocial peers (OR 1.8, CI 1.4–2.4, _p < .001), academic failure (OR 1.3, CI 1.1–1.5, _p < .01), and perceived availability of drugs in the community (OR 1.3, CI 1.1–1.5, _p < .001). Protective factors included being female (OR 0.7, CI 0.5–0.9, _p < .01), student belief in the moral order (OR 0.8, CI 0.6–1.0, p < .05), student emotional control (OR 0.7, CI 0.6–0.8, _p < .001), and attachment to mother (OR 0.8, CI 0.7–1.0, _p < .05). Conclusions:  School suspensions may increase the likelihood of future antisocial behavior. Further research is required to both replicate this finding and establish the mechanisms by which school suspensions exert their effects.

Effect of cell characteristics on the compressive deformation behavior of a closed-cell aluminium

In this study, the mechanical properties of a closed-cell aluminium foam have been investigated by compressive tests. The deformation behaviors of the aluminium foams were studied using X-ray microtomography (XMT). Aluminium foam samples with various cell size distributions and cell
morphologies were intentionally selected to investigate the effect of the cell characteristics on the deformation behaviors. Results indicated that the deformation of the aluminium foams under compressive loading was localized in narrow continuous deformation bands having widths of order of a cell diameter. The cells in the deformation bands collapsed by a mixed deformation mechanism, which includes mainly bending, and also minor buckling and yielding as well. Different fractions of the three deformation modes led to variations in the peak stress and energy absorption for different foam samples with the same density. It was also found that the cell morphology affected the deformation mechanism significantly, whilst the cell size showed little influence. Those cells with defects such as corrugations, curvatures and non-uniformities in the wall thickness were the initiators of the deformation bands of the aluminium foam.

Emotions in organizational behavior

"Emotions in Organizational Behavior is an edited volume and the first of its kind to incorporate organizational behavior and bounded emotionality. The volume looks at the range of research on emotions within an organizational behavior framework, organized in terms of the individual, interpersonal, and organizational levels. This research was presented at the bi-annual International Conference on Emotions and Organizational Life held in London, England. Particular emphasis has been placed on obtaining the leading research in the international sphere. This book is intended to be useful to the student of organizational behavior, as well as the managers of organizations."

Socio-demographic constraints to travel behavior

Purpose – This study aims to ascertain the effect of socio-demographic constraints on dimension of travel choice. This study also seeks to derive personal ecological explanations for variation in travel preference, travel intention and travel choice behavior of a wide range of destinations.

Design/methodology/approach – A large representative sample of 49,105 Australian respondents is utilized. Binary logistic regression is used to determine the impact of constraint variables.

Findings – Age, income and life stage have significant differential and interactive effects on travel behavior. Socio-demographic variables act in different ways to constrain/free different types of travel behavior. However there are significant levels of travel by even the most constrained groups as well as significant amounts of non-travel by the least constrained sectors of our society. These impacts are country specific.

Research limitations/implications – The travel motivations of constraint groups need to be considered to order better understand travel behavior. Investigation of psychological and ecological facilitators and constraints to travel is needed.

Practical implications – This information is most useful for market segmentation and the development of constraint group destination marketing plans. Managers can use utilize such results to minimize the barriers to travel by particular groups.

Originality/value – This paper utilizes a large database to provide insights into the personal ecological constraints to travel.

Influence of porosity on shape memory behavior of porous TiNi shape memory alloy

Porous Ti-50.5at.%Ni shape memory alloy (SMA) samples with a range of  porosities were prepared by spacer sintering. The porous structure of the alloy was examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The phase constituents of the porous TiNi alloy were determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The shape memory behavior of the porous TiNi alloy was investigated using loading–unloading compression tests. Results indicate that the porous TiNi alloy exhibits superelasticity and the recoverable strain by the superelasticity decreases with the increase of porosity. After a prestrain of 7%, the superelastically recovered strains for the porous TiNi alloy samples with porosities of 46%, 59%, 69% and 77% are 2.0%, 1.8%, 1.5% and 1.3%, respectively. The pores in the TiNi alloy samples cause stress/strain concentration, as well as crack initiation, which adversely affect the shape memory behavior of the porous TiNi alloy.

Multifractality and long-range dependence of asset returns: the scaling behavior of the Markov-switching multifractal model with lognormal volatility components

In this paper, we consider daily financial data from various sources (stock market indices, foreign exchange rates and bonds) and analyze their multiscaling properties by estimating the parameters of a Markov-switching multifractal (MSM) model with Lognormal volatility components. In order to see how well estimated models capture the temporal dependency of the empirical data, we estimate and compare (generalized) Hurst exponents for both empirical data and simulated MSM models. In general, the Lognormal MSM models generate "apparent" long memory in good agreement with empirical scaling provided that one uses sufficiently many volatility components. In comparison with a Binomial MSM specification [11], results are almost identical. This suggests that a parsimonious discrete specification is flexible enough and the gain from adopting the continuous Lognormal distribution is very limited.

Weight status and perception barriers to healthy physical activity and diet behavior

Background : Physical inactivity and insufficient fruit and vegetable consumption are key risk factors for obesity and noncommunicable diseases. Weight perceptions may affect physical activity and diet behaviors. We report current prevalence estimates of Australian adults meeting recommended levels of leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) (150 min/week or more of at least moderate-intensity physical activity (including walking) on 5 days/week) and fruit (2 servings/day) and vegetable (5 servings/day) consumption for health benefits, by weight status and perceptions.
Methods : We conducted a cross-sectional survey analysis of data for 16 314 adults from the Australian National Health Survey 2004–2005. All variables were collected by self-report. Weighted estimates were age- and gender-specific, and data were analyzed using logistic regression with acceptable weight referent categories, adjusting for covariates.
Results : Among acceptable, overweight and obese adults, the prevalence of LTPA was 26.8, 26.1 and 19.3% for men, and 27.7, 23.7 and 19.7% for women, respectively. Approximately 55 and 15% of adults consumed sufficient fruit servings/day and vegetable servings/day, respectively, and less than 5% of adults met combined LTPA and diet guidelines. Overweight decreased the odds ratio for LTPA among women but not men, and obesity decreased the odds ratio for LTPA among both men and women. Overweight perception conferred odds ratios of 0.83 (95% CI 0.70–0.97, P=0.021) for overweight men, and of 0.74 (95% CI 0.62–0.88, P=0.001) and 0.69 (95% CI 0.59–0.80, P<0.001) for obese men and women, respectively; for LTPA, whereas no significant associations were found for acceptable weight perception. No consistent associations between weight status or perceptions and diet behaviors were found.
Conclusions : Overweight perception may be another barrier to physical activity participation among men and women with excess body weight. Public health strategies might need to focus on overcoming weight perception as well as weight status barriers to adopting healthy physical activity behaviors.

Electronic media use and adolescent health and well-being : cross-sectional community study

Objective : To describe time adolescents spend using electronic media (television, computer, video games, and telephone); and to examine associations between self-reported health/well-being and daily time spent using electronic media overall and each type of electronic media.

Methods : Design–Cross-sectional data from the third (2005) wave of the Health of Young Victorians Study, an Australian school-based population study. Outcome Measures–Global health, health-related quality of life (HRQoL; KIDSCREEN), health status (Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory 4.0; PedsQL), depression/anxiety (Kessler-10), and behavior problems (Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire). Exposure Measures–Duration of electronic media use averaged over 1 to 4 days recalled with the Multimedia Activity Recall for Children and Adolescents (MARCA) computerized time-use diary. Analysis–Linear and logistic regression; adjusted for demographic variables and body mass index z score.

Results : A total of 925 adolescents (mean ± standard deviation age, 16.1 ± 1.2 years) spent, on average, 3 hours 16 minutes per day using electronic media (television, 128 minutes per day; video games, 35; computers, 19; telephone, 13). High overall electronic media use was associated with poorer behavior, health status, and HRQoL. Associations with duration of specific media exposures were mixed; there was a favorable association between computer use (typing/Internet) and psychological distress, whereas high video game use was associated with poorer health status, HRQoL, global health, and depression/anxiety. Television and telephone durations were not associated with any outcome measure.

Conclusions : Despite television's associations with obesity, time spent in other forms of media use appear more strongly related to adolescent health and well-being. This study supports efforts to reduce high video game use and further exploration of the role of computers in health enhancement.

Nonisothermal Crystallization Behavior of Poly(m-xylene adipamide)/Montmorillonite Nanocomposites

This article reports the nonisothermal crystallization behavior of MXD6 and its clay nanocomposite system (MXD6/MMT) using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The DSC experimental data were analyzed by theoretical modeling of the crystallization kinetics using the Avrami, Ozawa, Jeziorny, and the combined Avrami―Ozawa semiempirical models. It has been determined that these models adequately described the crystallization behavior of the MXD6 nanocomposite at cooling rates below 20 °C/min, but there was a deviation from linear dependence at higher cooling rates. This was attributed to changes of both the free energy and the cooling crystallization function K(T) over the entire crystallization process, as well as possible relaxation effects leading to structural rearrangements. In addition, the activation energy determined using the differential isoconversional method of Friedman was also found to vary, indicating changes in both the free energy and crystallization mechanism. Despite the lack of a reliable theoretical model, the heterogeneous nucleating activity of the MMT nanoparticles was demonstrated and quantified using Dobreva's method (Φ = 0.71), and the crystallization rate for the nanocomposite system was found to be greater than pure MXD6 by up to 79% at 40 °C/min.

The processes through which Affect infuses judgements of subjective well-being

This thesis clarifies the processing routes through which Affect can influence global subjective well-being, and reveals that the strength of these processing routes is moderated by dispositional factors. This has important implications that furthers understanding in the field of subjective well-being. The portfolio focuses on the client characteristics that are indicated to be influential upon the effectiveness, and thus the suitability of cognitive behavioural therapy. Four case studies are presented which illustrate how the suitability of CBT can be influenced by client factors.

Behavior of magnesium in Hank's solution aimed to trabecular pattern of natural bone

An ideal artificial bone is expected to grow together with other natural bones with aid of osteoblast cells and to fade out into other natural bones at the same rate of restructuring natural bone. Magnesium is thought to be one of candidate materials, since it has a potential to enhance natural bone growth and to homogenize the implanted artificial bodies with natural bone. In the present study, we are concerned with the formation of trabecular pattern in the natural bone to consider how to reconstruct this pattan in the artificial bone made from magnesium. For that purpose, a series of experiments were perfonned to observe the chemical behavior of dipped magnesium plate and cellular magnesium in Hank's solution. A magnesium specimen is annealed at 773 - 803 K for various periods in an atmosphere to homogenize its microstructure. Mass change of magnesium is estimated by immersing it in Hank's solution. It is well known that magnesium is easily corroded by chlorine ion. Both x-ray diffraction and energy dispersed x-ray analyses were carried out in order to identify a reaction product and its chemical composition. Mass of a magnesium specimen, which was annealed at 803 K for 32.4 ks or 14.4 ks, increases after immersing it into Hank's solution for 4.5 18 Ms (1255 h). Furthermore, the cellular magnesium, which was annealed at 803 K for 1.8 ks, fanned a reacted layer with around 80 μ in thickness and it contained Mg, Ca, P, and a little bit of CI.

Subjective well-being maintenance

This thesis research examined the relationship between SWB and depression in the context of homeostasis theory. Results provide support for homeostasis as the SWB maintenance mechanism and strong support for conceptualising depression as a loss of SWB. Remarkable, results also indicate that some SWB measures outperform depression inventories in detecting depression. The portfolio uses attachment theory as a conceptual framework for understanding the contribution of attachment relationships to the development of borderline and antisocial personality pathology in children and adolescents. Four case studies are presented in illustration.