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Comfort
Kinds of Comfort Terms modified by Comfort Selected AbstractsAN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY ON THE RIDE COMFORT OF THE KOREAN HIGH-SPEED TRAINEXPERIMENTAL TECHNIQUES, Issue 6 2009Y.-G. Kim First page of article [source] Evaluating Paramedic Comfort with Field Pronouncement: Development and Validation of an Outcome MeasureACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 6 2003Laurie J. Morrison MD Abstract Objectives: Interventions designed to improve cardiac resuscitation and the quality of field pronouncement need to consider outcomes on paramedic providers. The authors developed and evaluated the reliability and validity of a survey instrument measuring paramedic comfort with field pronouncement. Methods: A mail survey of 120 paramedics (EMT-Ps) was performed using the Modified Dillman survey methodology. Questions were sorted for analysis into subgroups assessing psychological comfort and technical skills. Sixty-five respondents were retested within two weeks. Results: The overall response rate was 96% (115). Respondents had an average age of 36 years (SD ± 5), with 5.2 years (SD ± 3.8) of out-of-hospital experience as an EMT-P, and were involved in a median of ten field pronouncements annually (range = 2,60). The face and content validity of the survey instrument was consistent with a content matrix derived by a focus group. The Cronbach's alpha for the survey instrument was 0.91. The retest response rate was 76% (46). The test,retest reliability coefficient was 0.84. Conclusions: This survey is a valid and reliable instrument for measuring the paramedic psychological comfort with field pronouncement. The high response rate and intrareliability support its generalizability. This outcome measure may be helpful in evaluating the psychological impact of changes to emergency medical services (EMS) policy with respect to termination of resuscitation promoted by the National Association of EMS Physicians. [source] Treatment of an osteoblastic osteosarcoma in an aged geldingEQUINE VETERINARY EDUCATION, Issue 4 2010T. Springer Summary A 27-year-old Thoroughbred gelding was examined for a right nasal mass visible inside the right nares. Airflow through the right nostril was absent. Endoscopy and radiography revealed the mass to occupy the entire right nasal passage. Nasal biopsies were inconclusive, so en bloc resection was performed. A diagnosis of an incompletely resected osteoblastic osteosarcoma was made. Endoscopic biopsies performed 4 weeks post surgery revealed osteosarcoma cells present in the caudal right nasal cavity. Metastatic disease was not present in mandibular lymph node aspirates or on thoracic radiographs. The right nasal passage was irradiated with 12 treatments over the course of 4 weeks. Comfort and quality of life were excellent during treatment and no adverse side effects were noted. Endoscopy and follow-up biopsies at 1, 2, 4, 12 and 14 months post radiation therapy have not found any evidence of regrowth of the osteosarcoma. [source] Relationship Between Perceived Clothing Comfort and Exam PerformanceFAMILY & CONSUMER SCIENCES RESEARCH JOURNAL, Issue 4 2005Rick Bell Recent controlled laboratory studies have shown an effect of clothing comfort on cognitive performance. To test this relationship under naturalistic conditions, student scores on statistics exams were compared with comfort ratings. Prior to the exam, students rated their confidence in taking the exam, number of hours studied, comfort level, type of clothes being worn, and other relevant variables. To maintain naturalistic conditions, clothing was not manipulated but was self-selected. Controlling for other variables associated with exam performance, multiple regression results indicated a significant positive relationship between comfort ratings and exam scores, with the model explaining 48% of the variance in exam scores R2 = .48). As expected, the more formal the attire, the lower the comfort rating of that attire and the lower the exam score. This study provides further evidence of a relationship between perceived clothing comfort and cognitive performance. [source] Texas Trooper Uniforms: Assessment of Fabrics, Comfort, and WearFAMILY & CONSUMER SCIENCES RESEARCH JOURNAL, Issue 3 2002Patricia E. Horridge Using the physical dimension triad of Branson and Sweeney's Model for Clothing Comfort as a conceptual framework, the purpose of the study was to examine the effects of cotton/wool fabrics on comfort and wear of trooper uniforms. Participants were 10 troopers recruited for wear- testing uniforms developed in accordance to Texas Department of Public Safety specifications. Trooper shirt and pants fabrics were developed in two fiber contents (80/20 and 70/30 cotton/wool) and tested before and after dry-cleaning. Twenty constructed uniforms and 10 issued uniforms were worn through four wear-refurbishing-dry-cleaning cycles. Surveys and scales were used to gather data during and after wear testing; data were analyzed by t-test and ANOVAs. Branson and Sweeney's comfort model was supported, in part, with person attributes (body weight, hours uniform worn) affecting uniform comfort. Implications are given for fabric producers and garment manufacturers. [source] American Humanitarian Intervention: Toward a Theory of CoevolutionFOREIGN POLICY ANALYSIS, Issue 1 2007ALYNNA J. LYON The goal of this study is twofold. First, it seeks to move beyond the exploration of motivations for understanding why the United States launches some humanitarian interventions and avoids others. Second, it initiates a theory building process to map the complex international and domestic environment that frames American humanitarianism. To explain the selectivity of U.S. engagement, the article establishes a typology of actors, restraints, and concerns involved in the humanitarian policy-making process. It then presents a theory of coevolution that serves as a framework for understanding the interactive and diffusive dynamics between policy makers and their broader operating environment. With illustrative case studies on Operation Provide Comfort in Iraq (1991), Operation Allied Force in Kosovo (1999), and Operation Unified Assistance in response to the Asian Tsunami (2004), this study suggests that U.S.-led humanitarian interventions are part of larger episodes of engagement that hold consequences for subsequent involvements. It finds that altruistic interventions are often blurred with self-interested power pursuits, as American humanitarianism is the product of a confluence of domestic political factors, historical milieu, and international normative advancement. [source] Communist Comfort: Socialist Modernism and the Making of Cosy Homes in the Khrushchev EraGENDER & HISTORY, Issue 3 2009Susan E. Reid In the Khrushchev Era Soviet Union, housing and homemaking became widely shared preoccupations both for specialist agents of the state and for individual homemakers, as standard, prefabricated apartments were erected on a mass scale. This essay examines a series of tensions and contradictions: between mobilisation and dwelling; between the chiliasm of the official ideology of communism and the process of settling and making home in these new single-family flats; between mass-produced structures and the agency of the individual; and between the prescriptions of the state's agents and the practices of ordinary amateur homemakers, primarily women. Drawing on contemporary press and archival sources, as well as on interviews with women who moved into the newly-built apartments, the article analyses the ways in which, in authoritative discourse and in everyday practice, specialists and amateurs, primarily female homemakers, sought to transcend the antithesis of home comfort and communism. [source] Beyond Comfort: German and English Military Chaplains and the Memory of the Great War, 1919,1929JOURNAL OF RELIGIOUS HISTORY, Issue 3 2005PATRICK PORTER How did German and English military chaplains commemorate the Great War? The established historiography broadly interprets war commemoration in the post-war period in two ways. One approach presents commemoration as a ritual of healing that soothed the bereft. The other emphasizes the political function of commemoration, interpreting it as a way of reshaping the war in collective memory to legitimize the status quo , by venerating sacrifices made for the nation, it put the nation beyond question to strengthen allegiance to the established order. Both interpretations treat the language of war commemoration as one of consolation and comfort. Military chaplains, however, espoused a more ambitious mission. For them, the purpose of war commemoration was to inculcate dissatisfaction, guilt, and discomfort. This was because they remembered the war as a contest of ideas embodied in the clash of nations, a contest that was still unsettled. Their purpose was therefore the antithesis to consolation and conventional patriotism: to mobilize the living to honour their "blood debt" to the dead through the language of agitation. They themselves had participated in a war regarded by the churches as a campaign of regeneration through blood, in which sacrifice and suffering would revitalize their nations by bringing them to repentance, piety, and social cohesion. Because they were implicated personally in that incomplete crusade, they were especially anxious to realize the mission and complete the sacrifices of the dead. Anglican ex-chaplains predominantly implored their congregations to ensure a permanent peace that had been purchased by blood, whereas German Protestants invoked a resurrected Volk reclaiming its status as a chosen people. Each articulated a politics of remembrance, one formed on the vision of a war to end all wars, the other on a vision of a war to resurrect the Reich as the Kingdom of God. While the political content of their memories was different, they shared an attitude to the function of remembrance, as a ritual to mobilize and arouse rather than console. Both groups preached that the peace was a continuation of an unfinished moral and spiritual struggle. Furthermore, while always honouring the dead, they stressed that the worth of their sacrifices was no longer guaranteed but contingent upon the conduct of living and future generations. Despite the divergences that emerged from their different confessional and national traditions, and from their respective circumstances, they shared a common moral language. [source] The Rigidity and Comfort of Habits: A Cultural and Philosophical Analysis of the Ups and Downs of Mainstreaming EvaluationNEW DIRECTIONS FOR EVALUATION, Issue 99 2003Nancy Grudens-Schuck Mainstreaming evaluation requires establishing aesthetic and ethical frameworks, as well as developing knowledge and skills that make "doing evaluation" seem like the right thing. Mainstreaming, however, can pose challenges to good evaluation practice; a view from cultural anthropology suggests that evaluation can have distinct meanings in different settings. Stories from program evaluation research in Indonesia illustrate the ways comforts and rigidities associated with mainstreamed evaluation processes may hinder high-quality evaluation. [source] Users' subjective evaluation of electronic vision enhancement systemsOPHTHALMIC AND PHYSIOLOGICAL OPTICS, Issue 2 2009Louise E. Culham Abstract The aims of this study were (1) to elicit the users' responses to four electronic head-mounted devices (Jordy, Flipperport, Maxport and NuVision) and (2) to correlate users' opinion with performance. Ten patients with early onset macular disease (EOMD) and 10 with age-related macular disease (AMD) used these electronic vision enhancement systems (EVESs) for a variety of visual tasks. A questionnaire designed in-house and a modified VF-14 were used to evaluate the responses. Following initial experience of the devices in the laboratory, every patient took home two of the four devices for 1 week each. Responses were re-evaluated after this period of home loan. No single EVES stood out as the strong preference for all aspects evaluated. In the laboratory-based appraisal, Flipperport typically received the best overall ratings and highest score for image quality and ability to magnify, but after home loan there was no significant difference between devices. Comfort of device, although important, was not predictive of rating once magnification had been taken into account. For actual performance, a threshold effect was seen whereby ratings increased as reading speed improved up to 60 words per minute. Newly diagnosed patients responded most positively to EVESs, but otherwise users' opinion could not be predicted by age, gender, diagnosis or previous CCTV experience. User feedback is essential in our quest to understand the benefits and shortcoming of EVESs. Such information should help guide both prescribing and future development of low vision devices. [source] Too Close for Comfort: Inadequate Boundaries With Parents and Individuation in Late Adolescent GirlsAMERICAN JOURNAL OF ORTHOPSYCHIATRY, Issue 2 2009Ofra Mayseless PhD This longitudinal study examined the ramifications of psychological control-guilt induction, parentification, triangulation, and blurring in parent-adolescent relationships for girls' individuation and adjustment. The study followed 120 girls in their transition from high school to military service. Results from the variable-centered and person-centered analyses merged in underscoring the somewhat different developmental path of two groups of inadequate boundary constellations. The group with high guilt induction and psychological control, which involves rejection and invalidation of the child's autonomous self, evinced the worst coping and adjustment to the transition and the lowest level of individuation with a combination of angry entanglement and strivings for overindependence. The blurred-parentified group resembled the adequate boundaries group regarding some indicators (e.g., low levels of engulfment anxiety and high conflictual independence), but further revealed overdependence and immaturity (e.g., high nurturance seeking, low emotional independence, and the lowest functional independence). Implications for preventive work with adolescents and their families are suggested. [source] Separation Anxiety in Parents of Adolescents: Theoretical Significance and Scale DevelopmentCHILD DEVELOPMENT, Issue 1 2001Ellen Hock Parents of adolescents commonly face separation-related issues associated with children's increasing independence and imminent leave-taking. The aims of this investigation were (1) to develop a reliable and valid measure of parental emotions associated with separation and (2) to validate the measure by relating it to other attributes (attachment relationship quality, parent , child communication, and parent , adolescent differentiation) assessed in mothers, fathers, and their adolescents. The newly constructed, 35-item Parents of Adolescents Separation Anxiety Scale (PASAS) was administered to 686 parents of teenagers in grades 6, 8, 10, and 12 or college-bound freshmen and seniors. Factor analyses supported formation of two subscales: Anxiety about Adolescent Distancing (AAD) and Comfort with Secure Base Role (CSBR); both subscales showed distinctive patterns of change with child age. Parents' reports indicated that healthy adult attachment styles were associated with lower AAD and higher CSBR scores; children of parents who had higher AAD scores reported lower quality of attachment to both mothers and fathers. [source] A Prospective Comparison of Ultrasound-guided and Blindly Placed Radial Arterial CathetersACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 12 2006Stephen Shiver MD Abstract Background Arterial cannulation for continuous blood-pressure measurement and frequent arterial-blood sampling commonly are required in critically ill patients. Objectives To compare ultrasound (US)-guided versus traditional palpation placement of arterial lines for time to placement, number of attempts, sites used, and complications. Methods This was a prospective, randomized interventional study at a Level 1 academic urban emergency department with an annual census of 78,000 patients. Patients were randomized to either palpation or US-guided groups. Inclusion criteria were any adult patient who required an arterial line according to the treating attending. Patients who had previous attempts at an arterial line during the visit, or who could not be randomized because of time constraints, were excluded. Enrollment was on a convenience basis, during hours worked by researchers over a six-month period. Patients in either group who had three failed attempts were rescued with the other technique for patient comfort. Statistical analysis included Fisher's exact, Mann-Whitney, and Student's t-tests. Results Sixty patients were enrolled, with 30 patients randomized to each group. Patients randomized to the US group had a shorter time required for arterial line placement (107 vs. 314 seconds; difference, 207 seconds; p = 0.0004), fewer placement attempts (1.2 vs. 2.2; difference, 1; p = 0.001), and fewer sites required for successful line placement (1.1 vs. 1.6; difference, 0.5; p = 0.001), as compared with the palpation group. Conclusions In this study, US guidance for arterial cannulation was successful more frequently and it took less time to establish the arterial line as compared with the palpation method. [source] Applications of cone-beam computed tomography in fractures of the maxillofacial complexDENTAL TRAUMATOLOGY, Issue 4 2009Werner H. Shintaku Several studies support the use of conventional two-dimensional imaging for traumas involving mainly the mandible, but for more complex situations advanced imaging modalities such as computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging have higher indication. Nowadays, besides CT, cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) has appeared as a reasonable and reliable alternative considering radiation dosage, image quality and comfort for the patient. The purpose of this study was to review the fracture patterns involving the maxillofacial complex, provide a technical and practical comparison between CT and CBCT, and finally present the potential applications of CBCT illustrated with clinical examples. [source] Effect of treatment delay upon pulp and periodontal healing of traumatic dental injuries , a review articleDENTAL TRAUMATOLOGY, Issue 3 2002J.O. Andreasen Abstract,,,Based on an analysis of the literature concerning parameters influencing the prognosis of traumatic dental injuries, few studies were found to have examined possible relationships between treatment delay and pulpal and periodontal ligament healing complications. It has been commonly accepted that all injuries should be treated on an emergency basis, for the comfort of the patient and also to reduce wound healing complications. For practical and especially economic reasons, various approaches can be selected to fulfill such a demand, such as acute treatment (i.e. within a few hours), subacute (i.e. within the first 24 h), and delayed (i.e. after the first 24 h). In this survey the consequences of treatment delay on pulpal and periodontal healing have been analyzed for the various dental trauma groups. Applying such a treatment approach to the various types of injuries, the following treatment guidelines can be recommended, based on our present rather limited knowledge of the effect of treatment delay upon wound healing. Crown and crown/root fractures: Subacute or delayed approach. Root fractures: Acute or subacute approach. Alveolar fractures: Acute approach (evidence however questionable). Concussion and subluxation: Subacute approach. Extrusion and lateral luxation: Acute or subacute approach (evidence however questionable). Intrusion: Subacute approach (evidence however questionable). Avulsion: If the tooth is not replanted at the time of injury, acute approach; otherwise subacute. Primary tooth injury: Subacute approach, unless the primary tooth is displaced into the follicle of the permanent tooth or occlusal problems are present; in the latter instances, an acute approach should be chosen. These treatment guidelines are based on very limited evidence from the literature and should be revised as soon as more evidence about the effect of treatment delay becomes available. [source] Management of scoliosis in Duchenne muscular dystrophy: a large 10-year retrospective studyDEVELOPMENTAL MEDICINE & CHILD NEUROLOGY, Issue 6 2006M Kinali MD Scoliosis affects 75 to 90% of patients with non-ambulant Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). Spinal surgery is the treatment of choice but the indication varies among centres. Some offer surgery to all non-ambulant patients, irrespective of scoliosis severity. Early surgery has the advantage of targeting DMD when cardiorespiratory function is preserved, but not all patients develop scoliosis. We report our 10-year experience of scoliosis management in 123 patients with DMD who were at least 17 years old at the time of the study. Scoliosis was absent in 10%, and mild, non-progressive (at least 30°) in 13% of patients. Another 13% had moderate scoliosis (31,50°) and were managed conservatively. Surgery was considered in 57% (70/123) of patients with scoliosis greater than 50° and eventually performed in 35%. The remaining patients either refused surgery (9%) or were unfit because of cardiorespiratory compromise (13%). In a further 7%, scoliosis (greater than 50°), first noted after 14 years of age, was progressing slowly and surgery was not performed. At 17 years there was no difference in survival, respiratory impairment, or sitting comfort among patients managed conservatively or with surgery. One-third (44/123) of our patients were managed satisfactorily without receiving spinal surgery. We provide insight into the natural history of scoliosis in DMD that should help families and clinicians with decision-making when surgery is considered. [source] Discerning the Spirits, Practicing the Faiths: Why Be Lutheran?DIALOG, Issue 1 2002Martha Stortz Some spiritual wanderers today are "unstuck" in their faith, therefore, they have many faiths; while others are securely "stuck" in their tradition. Getting stuck is desirable, and the path is through spiritual practice. One's inner life and even perception of reality become transformed through daily habits such as prayer, worship, and discipline. The Lutheran insight that a practicing Christian is simultaneously saint and sinner offers comfort and honest self,understanding. [source] Witnessing invasive paediatric procedures, including resuscitation, in the emergency department: A parental perspectiveEMERGENCY MEDICINE AUSTRALASIA, Issue 3 2005Jonathon Isoardi Abstract Objective:, To determine whether parents prefer to be present during invasive procedures performed on their children in the ED. Methods:, A prospective study using a written survey was carried out in the ED of a secondary level regional hospital in south-east Queensland. The survey conducted between August 2003 and November 2003 consisted of parental demographics, seven theoretical paediatric procedural scenarios with increasing level of procedural invasiveness (including resuscitation) and reasons for the decisions of parents to either stay with the child or leave the room. Parents of children with Australasian Triage Scale (ATS) triage category 3, 4 and 5 were surveyed. Results:, Of 573 surveys collected, 553 (96.5%) were completed correctly. The number of parents expressing a desire to be present during a procedure performed on their child was 519 (93.9%) for phlebotomy or i.v. cannulation of an extremity, 485 (87.7%) for nasogastric tube insertion, 461 (83.4%) for lumbar puncture, 464 (83.9%) for urinary catheter insertion, 430 (77.8%) for suprapubic bladder aspiration, 519 (93.4%) during procedural sedation and 470 (85%) during a resuscitation where the possibility existed that their child may die. The most common reason for wanting to be present was to provide comfort to their child (542/98%). The most common reason for not wanting to be present was a parental concern of getting in the way (181/33%). Conclusion:, Most parents surveyed would want to be present when invasive procedures are performed on their children in the ED. With increasing invasiveness, parental desire to be present decreased. However, the overwhelming majority of parents would want to be in attendance during procedural sedation or resuscitation. [source] Evaluating Paramedic Comfort with Field Pronouncement: Development and Validation of an Outcome MeasureACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 6 2003Laurie J. Morrison MD Abstract Objectives: Interventions designed to improve cardiac resuscitation and the quality of field pronouncement need to consider outcomes on paramedic providers. The authors developed and evaluated the reliability and validity of a survey instrument measuring paramedic comfort with field pronouncement. Methods: A mail survey of 120 paramedics (EMT-Ps) was performed using the Modified Dillman survey methodology. Questions were sorted for analysis into subgroups assessing psychological comfort and technical skills. Sixty-five respondents were retested within two weeks. Results: The overall response rate was 96% (115). Respondents had an average age of 36 years (SD ± 5), with 5.2 years (SD ± 3.8) of out-of-hospital experience as an EMT-P, and were involved in a median of ten field pronouncements annually (range = 2,60). The face and content validity of the survey instrument was consistent with a content matrix derived by a focus group. The Cronbach's alpha for the survey instrument was 0.91. The retest response rate was 76% (46). The test,retest reliability coefficient was 0.84. Conclusions: This survey is a valid and reliable instrument for measuring the paramedic psychological comfort with field pronouncement. The high response rate and intrareliability support its generalizability. This outcome measure may be helpful in evaluating the psychological impact of changes to emergency medical services (EMS) policy with respect to termination of resuscitation promoted by the National Association of EMS Physicians. [source] How many cisplatin administration protocols does your department use?EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF CANCER CARE, Issue 1 2010A.P. GREYSTOKE bsc, mbchb, registrar medical oncology GREYSTOKE A.P., JODRELL D.I., CHEUNG M., RIVANS I. & MACKEAN M.J. (2009) European Journal of Cancer Care19, 80,90 How many cisplatin administration protocols does your department use? The introduction, 30 years ago, of the co-administration of appropriate hydration and ensuring a diuresis occurs during the administration of cisplatin was important in its development, allowing clinically significant doses to be given with acceptable rates of toxicity. The clinical usage of cisplatin has increased and hydration protocols have been amended to increase patient comfort and reduce resource utilization. We suspected that this had led to unnecessary variations in practice both in clinical trials and subsequently in the clinic. Therefore, we reviewed practice in the Edinburgh Cancer Centre and discovered that 25 different hydration protocols were in use, with wide variation in dilution of cisplatin, total fluid administered, use of electrolyte (potassium and magnesium) supplementation and diuretics. These differences are a reflection of adoption of variations in hydration regimes published in pivotal clinical trials. A review of the available evidence relating to cisplatin associated hydration regimens was performed and recommendations will be made for the future design of evidence-based protocols. [source] Fluorescence-controlled Er:YAG laser for caries removal in permanent teeth: a randomized clinical trialEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF ORAL SCIENCES, Issue 2 2008Henrik Dommisch The aim of this randomized clinical study was to compare the efficacy of a fluorescence-controlled erbium-loaded yttrium aluminum garnet (Er:YAG) laser with conventional bur treatment for caries therapy in adults. Twenty-six patients with 102 carious lesions were treated using either the Er:YAG laser, at threshold levels of 7, 8, 9, and 10 [U], or rotary burs. Both techniques were applied to each lesion at separate locations. After treatment, dentine samples were obtained using a carbide bur. The viable counts of Streptococcus mutans (SM) and lactobacilli (LB) [expressed as colony-forming units (log10 CFUs)], treatment time, pain, vibration, and sound intensity were determined. The median numbers of CFUs for SM and LB were not statistically different between laser and bur treatment at threshold levels 7 and 8 [U]. At threshold levels 9 and 10 [U], the median number of CFUs for LB [1.11 (range: 0.00,2.04)] were significantly higher following laser treatment than following bur treatment [0.30 (range: 0.00,0.60)]. The results indicate that treatment with a fluorescence-controlled Er:YAG laser at threshold levels of 7 and 8 removed caries to a level similar to that achieved using conventional bur treatment, with clinically irrelevant amounts of remaining bacteria. Although more time consuming, laser treatment provided higher patient comfort than bur treatment. [source] The listener's temperament and perceived tempo and loudness of musicEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PERSONALITY, Issue 8 2009Joanna Kantor-MartynuskaArticle first published online: 8 JUL 200 Abstract The relationship between the listener's temperament and perceived magnitude of tempo and loudness of music was studied using the techniques of magnitude production, magnitude estimation scaling and cross-modal matching. Four piano pieces were presented at several levels of tempo and loudness. In Study 1, participants adjusted tempo and loudness of music to their subjective level of comfort. In Study 2, participants estimated these parameters on a numerical scale and matched the length of a line segment to the estimates of these musical features. The results showed significant correlations of selected aspects of perceived tempo with perseveration and endurance as well as of selected aspects of perceived loudness with endurance and emotional reactivity. Perceived tempo and loudness, as measured by magnitude production and cross-modal matching tasks, do not seem to systematically correlate with the six formal characteristics of behaviour distinguished in the most recent version of the Regulative Theory of Temperament (RTT). Additionally, there is some evidence that they are selectively associated with reactivity and activity, the dimensions of a previous version of the RTT. The study extends the methodology of research on music preferences and the stimulatory value of music. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] The effect of arm crossing on persistence and performanceEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 3 2008Ron Friedman Two experiments investigated the hypothesis that arm crossing serves as a proprioceptive cue for perseverance within achievement settings. Experiment 1 found that inducing participants to cross their arms led to greater persistence on an unsolvable anagram. Experiment 2 revealed that arm crossing led to better performance on solvable anagrams, and that this effect was mediated by greater persistence. No differences in comfort, instruction adherence, or mood were observed between the arms crossed and control conditions, and participants appeared to be unaware of the effect of arm crossing on their behavior. Implications of the findings are discussed in terms of the interplay between proprioceptive cues and contextual meaning. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] eCorner: Propulsion by Hub MotorsADVANCED ENGINEERING MATERIALS, Issue 5 2008B. Gombert Abstract The requirements of motor vehicles are constantly increasing, both in terms of consumption and emissions, as well as comfort and safety. Through the integration of sensors, the replacement and the intelligent processing of data and information, a lot of driver assistance functions have emerged. The evolving trend towards intelligent driver assistance systems and self autonomous driving is feasible nowadays. The vision of the car of the future could lie in the realisation of the eCorner. Here, every one of the four wheels can be controlled, steered and braked individually, through "by-wire" commands. [source] Phase Change Materials for the Improvement of Heat Protection,ADVANCED ENGINEERING MATERIALS, Issue 5 2005M. Rossi Abstract The use of phase change materials (PCM) that absorb and store heat by an aggregate state change for applications in fire fighters' protective clothing was studied. PCM can help improve the heat protection of the clothing combination, and thus contribute to a reduction of the weight of the equipment and an improvement of the wearing comfort. It was found that PCM have a positive effect on heat protection, but the efficiency of the heat absorption depends on the location of the PCM layer and the incident heat intensity. Furthermore, as the PCM used was made of paraffin, its burning behavior has to be improved for a commercial use in fire fighters' protective clothing. [source] Retail Store Lighting for Elderly Consumers: An Experimental ApproachFAMILY & CONSUMER SCIENCES RESEARCH JOURNAL, Issue 4 2007Nam-Kyu Park The study presents an investigation of the influence of the color of light on readability by figure to background value contrast, color perception, and overall room-light estimation for elderly consumers in an experimental setting representing a retail store. A factorial design with repeated measures was used to identify the impact of three independent variables: (a) lamp color temperatures, (b) lamp color-rendering properties, and (c) age of the participants. The results show that older adults perceived the higher color temperature light source as less cool than did younger adults. Older adults rated their level of comfort and preference higher than the younger participants under all lighting conditions. Regarding readability, higher color-rendering light sources provide better readability, and older adults have more difficulty with warmer lighting when value contrasts were reduced. Implications from this study can be applied to retail lighting techniques to attract elderly consumers. [source] Relationship Between Perceived Clothing Comfort and Exam PerformanceFAMILY & CONSUMER SCIENCES RESEARCH JOURNAL, Issue 4 2005Rick Bell Recent controlled laboratory studies have shown an effect of clothing comfort on cognitive performance. To test this relationship under naturalistic conditions, student scores on statistics exams were compared with comfort ratings. Prior to the exam, students rated their confidence in taking the exam, number of hours studied, comfort level, type of clothes being worn, and other relevant variables. To maintain naturalistic conditions, clothing was not manipulated but was self-selected. Controlling for other variables associated with exam performance, multiple regression results indicated a significant positive relationship between comfort ratings and exam scores, with the model explaining 48% of the variance in exam scores R2 = .48). As expected, the more formal the attire, the lower the comfort rating of that attire and the lower the exam score. This study provides further evidence of a relationship between perceived clothing comfort and cognitive performance. [source] Texas Trooper Uniforms: Assessment of Fabrics, Comfort, and WearFAMILY & CONSUMER SCIENCES RESEARCH JOURNAL, Issue 3 2002Patricia E. Horridge Using the physical dimension triad of Branson and Sweeney's Model for Clothing Comfort as a conceptual framework, the purpose of the study was to examine the effects of cotton/wool fabrics on comfort and wear of trooper uniforms. Participants were 10 troopers recruited for wear- testing uniforms developed in accordance to Texas Department of Public Safety specifications. Trooper shirt and pants fabrics were developed in two fiber contents (80/20 and 70/30 cotton/wool) and tested before and after dry-cleaning. Twenty constructed uniforms and 10 issued uniforms were worn through four wear-refurbishing-dry-cleaning cycles. Surveys and scales were used to gather data during and after wear testing; data were analyzed by t-test and ANOVAs. Branson and Sweeney's comfort model was supported, in part, with person attributes (body weight, hours uniform worn) affecting uniform comfort. Implications are given for fabric producers and garment manufacturers. [source] The Ecology of Attachment in the FamilyFAMILY PROCESS, Issue 2 2003Jonathan Hill FRCPsych In this article we outline a conceptualization of attachment processes within the family. We argue that the key elements of attachment processes are affect regulation, interpersonal understanding, information processing, and the provision of comfort within intimate relationships. Although these have been described and assessed primarily in terms of individual functioning and development, they are equally applicable in family systems, provided three farther steps are taken. First, the description of attachment processes at the individual level is applied to the family using the concept of shared frames or representations of emotions, cognitions, and behaviors. Second, there is an explicit formulation of the way in which individual and family processes are linked. Third, there is a conceptualization of the nature and quality of the dynamic between attachment and other processes in family life. In this "ecology" of family processes, those that entail heightened affect and a need to create certainty through action, particularly in response to threats to safety, attachment needs, and discipline challenges, are contrasted with exploratory processes characterized by low affect, tolerance of uncertainty, and opportunities to review existing assumptions and knowledge. [source] Anxiety and the True Beginner,False Beginner Dynamic in Beginning French and Spanish ClassesFOREIGN LANGUAGE ANNALS, Issue 2 2005Diana Frantzen Abstract: This study considered true beginners and false beginners in first-semester university French and Spanish classes to: (a) determine whether true beginners and false beginners differ in anxiety, grades, and plans to continue language study; and (b) identify classroom factors that foster anxiety or comfort. Students completed a questionnaire that included the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (Horwitz, Horwitz, & Cope, 1986), MacIntyre and Gardner Anxiety Subscales (1989, 1994), demographic information, grade expectations, and open-ended questions. Randomly selected students were interviewed about their experiences in the courses. Statistical analyses revealed that (a) although neither group was terribly anxious, true beginners were significantly more anxious overall and during processing and output stages than false beginners; (b) true beginners expected and received lower grades than false beginners; and (c) significantly more true beginners than false beginners planned to continue studying the language. Comments on one written open-ended question and in the interviews pointed to the key role of the instructor in reducing anxiety. [source] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||