From a pure motor disorder of the bowel,in the past few years,irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) has become a multifactorial disease that implies visceral hypersensitivity,alterations at the level of nervous and humoral c...From a pure motor disorder of the bowel,in the past few years,irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) has become a multifactorial disease that implies visceral hypersensitivity,alterations at the level of nervous and humoral communications between the enteric nervous system and the central nervous system,alteration of the gut microflora,an increased intestinal permeability and minimum intestinal inflammation.Psychological and social factors can interfere with the communication between the central and enteric nervous systems,and there is proof that they are involved in the onset of IBS and influence the response to treatment and outcome.There is evidence that abuse history and stressful life events are involved in the onset of functional gastrointestinal disorders.In order to explain clustering of IBS in families,genetic factors and social learning mechanisms have been proposed.The psychological features,such as anxiety,depression as well as the comorbid psychiatric disorders,health beliefs and coping of patients with IBS are discussed in relation to the symptoms and outcome.展开更多
Objectives:This study aimed to explore the dignity and related factors among older adults in long-term care facilities.Methods:Cross-sectional data were obtained from a sample of 253 Chinese older adults dwelling in l...Objectives:This study aimed to explore the dignity and related factors among older adults in long-term care facilities.Methods:Cross-sectional data were obtained from a sample of 253 Chinese older adults dwelling in long-term care facilities.Dignity among older adults was measured using the Dignity Scale,and its potential correlates were explored using multiple linear regressions.Results:Results showed that the total score of the Dignity Scale is 151.95±11.75.From high to low,the different factors of dignity among older adults in long-term care facilities were as follows:caring factors(4.83±0.33),social factors(4.73±0.41),psychological factors(4.66±0.71),value factors(4.56±0.53),autonomous factors(4.50±0.57),and physical factors(4.38±0.55).A higher score of the Dignity Scale was associated with higher economic status,fewer chronic diseases,less medication,better daily living ability and long-time lived in cities.Conclusion:Older adults with low economic status,more chronic diseases,and poor daily living ability,taking more medications,or the previous residence in rural areas seem to be most at low-level dignity in long-term care facilities and thus require more attention than their peers.展开更多
AIM:To examine if dietary and socio-economic factors contribute to Helicobacter pylori(H pylori)re-infection. METHODS:The population of patients consisted of subjects in whom H pylori infection had been successfully t...AIM:To examine if dietary and socio-economic factors contribute to Helicobacter pylori(H pylori)re-infection. METHODS:The population of patients consisted of subjects in whom H pylori infection had been successfully treated in the past.Patients were divided into two groups:Ⅰ-examined group(111 persons with H pylori re-infection)andⅡ-control group(175 persons who had not been re-infected).The respondents were interviewed retrospectively on their dietary habits and socio-economic factors. RESULTS:A statistically significant lower frequency of fermented dairy products(P<0.0001),vegetables (P=0.02),and fruit(P=0.008)consumption was noted among patients with H pylori re-infection as compared to those who had not been re-infected. CONCLUSION:High dietary intake of probiotic bacteria,mainly Lactobacillus,and antioxidants,mainly vitamin C(contained in fruit and vegetables),might decrease the risk of H pylori re-infection.展开更多
Transhumant pastoralism is an important activity in southern Morocco. Migration pattern of transhumant pastoralists can be affected by physical factors (e.g. droughts and diseases) or socioeconomic factors (e.g. schoo...Transhumant pastoralism is an important activity in southern Morocco. Migration pattern of transhumant pastoralists can be affected by physical factors (e.g. droughts and diseases) or socioeconomic factors (e.g. schooling options for children and migration costs). We studied the spatio-temporal rangeland usage of the three tribes Ait Mgoun, Ait Zekri, and Ait Toumert in the south-central Atlas region with a two-fold approach. First, we tracked the migration movements of one representative transhumant herd using the Advanced Research and Global Observation Satellite (ARGOS) collars, which record coordinates from satellite signals. Second, we interviewed herders to obtain information about general grazing practices of the respective tribe and to gain more direct information on motivations underlying decisions. For each tribe we observed small-, medium- and large-scale movements. We found that the most important drivers of migration decisions were seasonal fodder availability and weather conditions in combination with herd-specific risk and cost assessment, as well as personal factors. In conclusion, general migration patterns vary in time, both between and within the tribes, but according to a regulatory framework. Moreover, it appears that both the customary rules and its flexible adaptation to physical constraints are generally beneficial in terms of conservation of the arid and semiarid rangeland resources.展开更多
Support vector regression (SVR) method is a novel type of learning machine algorithms, which is seldom applied to the development of urban atmospheric quality models under multiple socio-economic factors. This study...Support vector regression (SVR) method is a novel type of learning machine algorithms, which is seldom applied to the development of urban atmospheric quality models under multiple socio-economic factors. This study presents four SVR models by selecting linear, radial basis, spline, and polynomial functions as kernels, respectively for the prediction of urban dust fall levels. The inputs of the models are identified as industrial coal consumption, population density, traffic flow coefficient, and shopping density coefficient. The training and testing results show that the SVR model with radial basis kernel performs better than the other three both in the training and testing processes. In addition, a number of scenario analyses reveal that the most suitable parameters (insensitive loss function e, the parameter to reduce the influence of error C, and discrete level or average distribution of parameters σ) are 0.001, 0.5, and 2 000, respectively.展开更多
Children(5-12 years) and adolescents(13-19 years) with Down syndrome(DS) possess a set of health,anatomical,physiological, cognitive,and psycho-social attributes predisposing them to limitations on their physical fitn...Children(5-12 years) and adolescents(13-19 years) with Down syndrome(DS) possess a set of health,anatomical,physiological, cognitive,and psycho-social attributes predisposing them to limitations on their physical fitness and physical activity(PA) capacities.The paucity of studies and their conflicting findings prevent a clear understanding and/or substantiation of these limitations.The purpose of this article was to review the measurement,determinants and promotion of physical fitness and PA for youth(i.e.,children and adolescents) with DS. The existing body of research indicates that youth with DS:1) have low cardiovascular and muscular fitness/exercise capacity;2) demonstrate a greater prevalence of overweight and obesity;3) a large proportion do not meet the recommended amount of daily aerobic activity;and 4) their PA likely declines through childhood and into adolescence.Future research should focus on:1) strength testing and training protocols;2) methodologies to determine PA levels;and 3) practical interventions to increase PA.展开更多
Forty-eight interviews were undertaken with residents in Timaru, Wanganui and Napier, New Zealand, in 2008 to explore how people understand and use information about earthquake hazards and preparedness, and how this p...Forty-eight interviews were undertaken with residents in Timaru, Wanganui and Napier, New Zealand, in 2008 to explore how people understand and use information about earthquake hazards and preparedness, and how this process affects actual preparedness. Three main types of information were identified as being utilized by people: passive information (e.g., newspapers, brochures, TV, radio, websites), interactive information (e.g., community activities, school activities~ and workplace activities), and experiential information (e.g., experiencing a hazardous event, responding to an event, and working in an organization that deals with hazards). People tended to either contextualize hazard and preparedness information around any prevailing beliefs they had or form new beliefs on exposure to information. A number of core beliefs were identified as crucial for helping people consider that preparing is important and motivating actual adjustment adoption. Society also has an influence on how people interpret information and form intentions to prepare. People are often influenced by the opinions of others, and as preparing for disasters is not seen as a societal norm, this can cause people not to prepare. Feeling a responsibility for others (e.g., children) appears to be a major driver of preparedness. Other societal factors such as trust, leadership and sense of community also influence interpretation, dissemination and use of hazards and preparedness information. Finally, a number of resource issues can help or hinder preparedness.展开更多
Pig production is becoming increasingly important in Mbozi and Mbeya rural districts to characterise smallholder pig Eastern Africa in recent years. Two studies were carried out in production systems and associated pi...Pig production is becoming increasingly important in Mbozi and Mbeya rural districts to characterise smallholder pig Eastern Africa in recent years. Two studies were carried out in production systems and associated pig management practises. A participatory rural appraisal (PRA), involving 279 pigs-keeping households in nine villages and a cross sectional survey using a random sample of 300 pig farmers in 30 villages of the study districts, were used to collect data. Important economic activities were crop farming, livestock keeping, petty business, casual labour and artisan works in that order. The mean farm size and number of pigs per household was 2 ± 2.7 ha and 4.9 ±4.2 pigs, respectively. The largest categories of pig herd structure were breeding females followed by piglets. Age, marital status, household size and land size of household head had significant influence on the pig herd size (P 〈 0.05). Pig farmers practised three main types of pig management systems, namely, total confinement, semi confinement and free range/herding. Each system had specific management practices in relation to feeding and housing. The frequencies of these systems varied significantly (P 〈 0.01) by socio-economic factors, such as, educational status of household head, land size and herd sizes of pigs, goats and cattle. The authors recommend effective use of locally available resources and careful consideration of existing farming systems for sustainable development of smallholder pig production.展开更多
Background: Physical activity participation(PAP) has been proven to improve health and promote optimal growth among adolescents. However,most adolescents do not meet the current physical activity(PA) recommendations i...Background: Physical activity participation(PAP) has been proven to improve health and promote optimal growth among adolescents. However,most adolescents do not meet the current physical activity(PA) recommendations in Turkey. The role of the social environment and social factors on PAP is being increasingly recognized. Although social capital(SC) indicators have been examined in high-income countries, there are few studies on developing countries. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between SC indicators and PAP among Turkish adolescents.Methods: A survey was conducted among 19 high schools in 4 different cities in Turkey in 2016. A total of 506 female and 729 male high school students participated in this study. The dependent variable was overall PAP, which was measured using the short form of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. The independent variables included self-perceived family, neighborhood, and school SC. Self-rated health and obesity status, measured by body mass index, were other study covariates in multiple binary logistic regression models. Chi-square tests were used to assess the differences between genders.Results: PAP levels were significantly different between males and females. A higher percentage of males reported PAP(77.4%) compared to females(51.0%). Among males, teacher–student interpersonal trust and informal social control were inversely associated with PAP, while high students interpersonal trust was positively associated with increased odds of PAP. For females, students interpersonal trust was inversely associated with PAP.Conclusion: Various SC indicators are associated with PAP for males and females. These associations are different from findings of studies conducted in developed countries. Therefore, health-promotion interventions and policies should consider gender and different social agents on the social and cultural background to improve PAP among Turkish adolescents.展开更多
This paper discusses the constraining factors to sustainable utilization ofwater resources in China, and the countermeasures to realize sustainable water utilization. Theresult of comprehensive analysis shows that con...This paper discusses the constraining factors to sustainable utilization ofwater resources in China, and the countermeasures to realize sustainable water utilization. Theresult of comprehensive analysis shows that constraining factors to sustainable utilization of waterresources in China are complicated, including physical geographical factors and socio-economicfactors, such as uneven distribution of water resources at temporal and spatial scales,inappropriate institutional arrangement and non-water-saving and non-wter-conservation productionand life mode. The countermeasures against constraining factors to water resources sustainabledevelopment are put forward as follows: 1) using wetlands and forests, and through spatialconversion to realize temporally sustainable supply of water resources; 2) transferring waterbetween basins and areas and developing various water resources in water shortage area; 3)establishing water-saving society; 4) strengthening water pollution control and water resourcesprotection; and 5) establishing unified water resources management mechanism.展开更多
Considering that there exists a strong similarity between behaviors of users and intelligence of swarm of agents,in this paper we propose a novel user recommendation strategy based on particle swarm optimization(PSO)f...Considering that there exists a strong similarity between behaviors of users and intelligence of swarm of agents,in this paper we propose a novel user recommendation strategy based on particle swarm optimization(PSO)for Microblog network. Specifically,a PSO-based algorithm is developed to learn the user influence,where not only the number of followers is incorporated,but also the interactions among users(e.g.,forwarding and commenting on other users' tweets). Three social factors,the influence and the activity of the target user,together with the coherence between users,are fused to improve the performance of proposed recommendation strategy. Experimental results show that,compared to the well-known Page Rank-based algorithm,the proposed strategy performs much better in terms of precision and recall and it can effectively avoid a biased result caused by celebrity effect and zombie fans effect.展开更多
Background: The well-rounded development of the child, including physical, cognitive, emotional, and social health, may be the most efficient route to well-being and academic success. The primary goal was to investiga...Background: The well-rounded development of the child, including physical, cognitive, emotional, and social health, may be the most efficient route to well-being and academic success. The primary goal was to investigate the feasibility of implementing a 12-week structured program of physical activity(PA) incorporating cognitive, social, and emotional elements in preschool. Additionally, this study, using a within-subject design,examined the acute effects of a PA session on classroom engagement and changes on perceived competence and peer acceptance from the first to the last week of the program.Methods: Twenty-seven preschoolers(mean age = 4.2 years) completed the Pictorial Scale of Perceived Competence and Social Acceptance for Young Children before and after a twice-weekly PA program. Unobtrusive classroom observations were conducted for verbal, social, and affective engagement during the first and last week of the program, both following a structured PA session(experimental day) and on a day without PA(control day). Treatment fidelity was monitored to ensure that the intervention was delivered as designed.Results: The children exhibited longer periods of verbal and social engagement during classroom periods that followed PA sessions than on non-PA days. Children also expressed more positive affect following PA sessions during the last week of the PA program. Despite high baseline scores,perceptions of general competence increased meaningfully(η2= 0.15, p = 0.05), driven by increase in perceptions of cognitive competence(η2= 0.15,p = 0.06).Conclusion: This study demonstrates the feasibility of providing structured PA program to preschoolers. Moreover, these initial findings suggest that purposely designed, structured PA may help advance the social–emotional engagement and perceived competence of preschool children.展开更多
To examine the importance of kin selection in shaping human societies, this study analyzed the kinship system practiced in traditional China for two millennia and teased apart its underlying genetic and other, presuma...To examine the importance of kin selection in shaping human societies, this study analyzed the kinship system practiced in traditional China for two millennia and teased apart its underlying genetic and other, presumably cultural, components. The results demonstrate that, in the traditional patrilineal Chinese family, both genetic relatedness and the cultural factor of generation were important in determining kinship status for male agnates (genetically related relatives). For female agnates, however, only genetic relatedness was important. Another surprising finding was that the influence of gender was not as important as genetic relatedness. The most interesting finding in this study, however, was that kin selection and culture (i.e., seniority in generation and age) played vastly different roles in different lineages in the Chinese family: for collateral (indirect) agnates, genetic relatedness was the most important factor in determining their kinship status, but for lineal (direct) agnates, its importance was overridden by seniority in generation and age, a cultural factor. Several other bio-cultural factors also explained a considerable amount of variance in kinship status. Since kinship profoundly affected, and was often the foundation of, the legal and social systems in dynastic China, kin selection, while its strength may differ remarkably between lineal and collateral relatives, could act as a selective force in Chinese families展开更多
In recent years, a number of organisations have implemented Executive Information Systems (EIS) including Computer-Based Information Systems (CBIS) in order to improve the performance of their executives' jobs th...In recent years, a number of organisations have implemented Executive Information Systems (EIS) including Computer-Based Information Systems (CBIS) in order to improve the performance of their executives' jobs though the majority of executives are unwilling to use EIS applications because of their design defects. Present researches on Executive Information Systems (EIS) are limited and less focused on the factors associated with EIS successful usage. This research adopts an extension of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) to derive useful variables to address the problem of the low usage of EIS by executives due to social factors, habits and facilitation conditions variables in Triandis' Framework. It reports on the adoption and usage of EIS by the executives in Organizations. The results show that experience in EIS usage was high with most respondents having used EIS for between 0 to 4 years (72.41%), followed by the 5-9 years group with 25.86%. However, in terms of ability to use EIS, most executives were at the expert (knowledgeable), casual user with 37.93%, followed by novice frequent user group with 31.03%. From this research, the authors propose a model that incorporates the habits, social factors and facilitating conditions in an Executive Information Systems.展开更多
Influenced by translator's individual background, semantic clash is inevitable during the process of code-switching from source language to target language. This re-correspondence in semantic level has been well-show...Influenced by translator's individual background, semantic clash is inevitable during the process of code-switching from source language to target language. This re-correspondence in semantic level has been well-shown not only in the translation of literature works, but in those of dictionary and glossary translations as well. Semantic clash, generally, is based on two main factors, one is the inherent difference between languages lying in typology features, the other is the social and culture diversity factors lying in the translator's personal background. According to actual translation works, social and culture factors of individual background take the dominant position unconsciously over other features in the process of code-switching. The present paper, branches the latter factor into certain categories, by analyzing bilingual dictionaries and glossaries cases in the 18th century, Qing Dynasty, and indicates that the conceptual lagging, religion beliefs, living environment and political stand embedded in individual background will somehow result in semantic clash, which will lead the relevant research to pay more attention on cross-cultural literature translation.展开更多
With the translation studies leaning to target-language, the translator's subjectivity has been paid more and more attention by translation scholars. It is noticed gradually that translation is actually a dynamic and...With the translation studies leaning to target-language, the translator's subjectivity has been paid more and more attention by translation scholars. It is noticed gradually that translation is actually a dynamic and complex process, during which the translator, acting as a reader of the source text and also a writer of the target text, will unavoidably add something subjective in his or her translation. Since literary translation is interwoven with more cultural and social elements, the translator has to make a choice between loyalty and violation, getting freedom and being restricted when he or she confronts with all the clashes and conflicts between the source language culture and the target language culture.展开更多
In this paper, the authors present a method to construct a simulation experiment system which used to prove how social network affects the stock market. The authors construct a model considered of three main stock mar...In this paper, the authors present a method to construct a simulation experiment system which used to prove how social network affects the stock market. The authors construct a model considered of three main stock market effect factors: cognitive factors, social factors and economic factors. In the simulation system, free-scale social network is generated for information relations among investors in stock market. The authors simulate the organization information propaganda processes and generate stock related news. The generated news contains economy factors and sudden events. Stockholders cooperate with the related stockholders in their social network, and make stock exchange decision based on this news and their cognitive understanding of this news. Simulation results shows that the social network news propaganda effect stock prices. If social network in stock market have circles, the news affection will be amplified.展开更多
According to Psychological theories of motivation, sexuality is a biological need which urges to satisfy sexual desire. Though it is not essential for the survival of an individual, it plays a major role in the growth...According to Psychological theories of motivation, sexuality is a biological need which urges to satisfy sexual desire. Though it is not essential for the survival of an individual, it plays a major role in the growth, development, adjustment and well-being. Therefore, sexuality is a common aspect in the existence and it should not be neglected. However, in many religious ethical issues, sexuality had been treated negatively and identified as a barrier for an advanced spiritual life. Even in tribal societies there were some sexual taboos that controlled man's sexual behavior to some extent. Among religious ethical codes, one may find that it had been placed an important position for controlling or completely eliminating sexual behaviors. In modem world, what is evident is that this so called sexual need has been used for many commercial and marketing purposes. Even in advertising field, sexual desire of man is used as a mean of attracting public. Phonograph has become a very profitable illegal professional today. Sexual medicines, drugs and tools are available everywhere in the society. Though sexual education had been included into the curriculum in schools and higher education institutions, the awareness of sexuality among people seems to be in a low level. While biologically man is compelled to fulfill sexual desire internally, it is motivated externally by many social factors. So that not only misconceptions of sexuality, but also misbehaviors of sexuality can be observed in the society today. By examining these current situations of man's sexual behaviors, there is a big need to formulate a sexual ethical code--a code of law with the help of religious teachings. Otherwise these various sexual behaviors may create more and more social and world problems. In this paper, my aim is to examine Buddhist ethics in order to formulate a sexual ethical code.展开更多
The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of macro social factors (states, religion, region, Arab spring, terrorism, unrest (Shoe index), democracy, corruption (GPI), Human development (HDI), low self...The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of macro social factors (states, religion, region, Arab spring, terrorism, unrest (Shoe index), democracy, corruption (GPI), Human development (HDI), low self-control, life stress events (LSE), youth unemployment, religiosity, feeling (fear and anger), youth unemployment and total unemployment) on Arab youth's radicalization. A sample of 6,730 Arab youth age 15-24 years was selected from Kuwait, UAE, KSA, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan, Tunisia, Libya, Morocco, Lebanon, Egypt, Gaza and Palestine and Syrian refuges in Jordan. A questionnaire of 43 items to measure radicalization was developed based on the literature review. A construct validity of the scale was estimated by calculating the correlation between radicalization scale and Low self-control scale and found a positive significant relationship (0.680, a = 0.000), a sign of validity of the scale. A Reliability of the scale is strong and was estimated by Cronbach's alpha and was 0.947. An average of 46.6% of the participants was categorized as radicals with standard deviation of 12. Macro social factors explained 64% of the variance on radicalization. It has a significant impact on radicalization (F = 807.6, a = 0.000). Each single variable has a significant impact. The analysis revealed three groups of macro determinants of youth radicalization were identified: (1) Geographic factors: state, region, and Arab spring; (2) Social factors: religion, religiously, feelings, LSE and LSC; (3) Human security: unrest, terrorism, democracy, corruption, human development, youth unemployment and employment rate. To alleviate the consequences of radicalization, prevention policies should take in account youth concerns as partners and victims of radicalization. Policies need to focus on radicalization pull and push factors on micro-meso-macro level.展开更多
基金Supported by The Sectorial Operational Programme Human Resources Development,Contract POSDRU 6/1.5/S/3-,Doctoral studies: through science towards society
文摘From a pure motor disorder of the bowel,in the past few years,irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) has become a multifactorial disease that implies visceral hypersensitivity,alterations at the level of nervous and humoral communications between the enteric nervous system and the central nervous system,alteration of the gut microflora,an increased intestinal permeability and minimum intestinal inflammation.Psychological and social factors can interfere with the communication between the central and enteric nervous systems,and there is proof that they are involved in the onset of IBS and influence the response to treatment and outcome.There is evidence that abuse history and stressful life events are involved in the onset of functional gastrointestinal disorders.In order to explain clustering of IBS in families,genetic factors and social learning mechanisms have been proposed.The psychological features,such as anxiety,depression as well as the comorbid psychiatric disorders,health beliefs and coping of patients with IBS are discussed in relation to the symptoms and outcome.
基金This work was supported by the Health Commission of Zhejiang Province(Grant number 2018KY544,2018).
文摘Objectives:This study aimed to explore the dignity and related factors among older adults in long-term care facilities.Methods:Cross-sectional data were obtained from a sample of 253 Chinese older adults dwelling in long-term care facilities.Dignity among older adults was measured using the Dignity Scale,and its potential correlates were explored using multiple linear regressions.Results:Results showed that the total score of the Dignity Scale is 151.95±11.75.From high to low,the different factors of dignity among older adults in long-term care facilities were as follows:caring factors(4.83±0.33),social factors(4.73±0.41),psychological factors(4.66±0.71),value factors(4.56±0.53),autonomous factors(4.50±0.57),and physical factors(4.38±0.55).A higher score of the Dignity Scale was associated with higher economic status,fewer chronic diseases,less medication,better daily living ability and long-time lived in cities.Conclusion:Older adults with low economic status,more chronic diseases,and poor daily living ability,taking more medications,or the previous residence in rural areas seem to be most at low-level dignity in long-term care facilities and thus require more attention than their peers.
基金Supported by Statutory action of National Food and Nutrition Institute
文摘AIM:To examine if dietary and socio-economic factors contribute to Helicobacter pylori(H pylori)re-infection. METHODS:The population of patients consisted of subjects in whom H pylori infection had been successfully treated in the past.Patients were divided into two groups:Ⅰ-examined group(111 persons with H pylori re-infection)andⅡ-control group(175 persons who had not been re-infected).The respondents were interviewed retrospectively on their dietary habits and socio-economic factors. RESULTS:A statistically significant lower frequency of fermented dairy products(P<0.0001),vegetables (P=0.02),and fruit(P=0.008)consumption was noted among patients with H pylori re-infection as compared to those who had not been re-infected. CONCLUSION:High dietary intake of probiotic bacteria,mainly Lactobacillus,and antioxidants,mainly vitamin C(contained in fruit and vegetables),might decrease the risk of H pylori re-infection.
基金funded by the German Federal Ministry of Research and Education (Grant no. 01 LC 0601A)
文摘Transhumant pastoralism is an important activity in southern Morocco. Migration pattern of transhumant pastoralists can be affected by physical factors (e.g. droughts and diseases) or socioeconomic factors (e.g. schooling options for children and migration costs). We studied the spatio-temporal rangeland usage of the three tribes Ait Mgoun, Ait Zekri, and Ait Toumert in the south-central Atlas region with a two-fold approach. First, we tracked the migration movements of one representative transhumant herd using the Advanced Research and Global Observation Satellite (ARGOS) collars, which record coordinates from satellite signals. Second, we interviewed herders to obtain information about general grazing practices of the respective tribe and to gain more direct information on motivations underlying decisions. For each tribe we observed small-, medium- and large-scale movements. We found that the most important drivers of migration decisions were seasonal fodder availability and weather conditions in combination with herd-specific risk and cost assessment, as well as personal factors. In conclusion, general migration patterns vary in time, both between and within the tribes, but according to a regulatory framework. Moreover, it appears that both the customary rules and its flexible adaptation to physical constraints are generally beneficial in terms of conservation of the arid and semiarid rangeland resources.
基金Projects(2007JT3018, 2008JT1013, 2009FJ4056) supported by the Key Project in Hunan Science and Technology Program, ChinaProject(20090161120014) supported by the New Teachers Sustentation Fund in Doctoral Program, Ministry of Education, China
文摘Support vector regression (SVR) method is a novel type of learning machine algorithms, which is seldom applied to the development of urban atmospheric quality models under multiple socio-economic factors. This study presents four SVR models by selecting linear, radial basis, spline, and polynomial functions as kernels, respectively for the prediction of urban dust fall levels. The inputs of the models are identified as industrial coal consumption, population density, traffic flow coefficient, and shopping density coefficient. The training and testing results show that the SVR model with radial basis kernel performs better than the other three both in the training and testing processes. In addition, a number of scenario analyses reveal that the most suitable parameters (insensitive loss function e, the parameter to reduce the influence of error C, and discrete level or average distribution of parameters σ) are 0.001, 0.5, and 2 000, respectively.
文摘Children(5-12 years) and adolescents(13-19 years) with Down syndrome(DS) possess a set of health,anatomical,physiological, cognitive,and psycho-social attributes predisposing them to limitations on their physical fitness and physical activity(PA) capacities.The paucity of studies and their conflicting findings prevent a clear understanding and/or substantiation of these limitations.The purpose of this article was to review the measurement,determinants and promotion of physical fitness and PA for youth(i.e.,children and adolescents) with DS. The existing body of research indicates that youth with DS:1) have low cardiovascular and muscular fitness/exercise capacity;2) demonstrate a greater prevalence of overweight and obesity;3) a large proportion do not meet the recommended amount of daily aerobic activity;and 4) their PA likely declines through childhood and into adolescence.Future research should focus on:1) strength testing and training protocols;2) methodologies to determine PA levels;and 3) practical interventions to increase PA.
文摘Forty-eight interviews were undertaken with residents in Timaru, Wanganui and Napier, New Zealand, in 2008 to explore how people understand and use information about earthquake hazards and preparedness, and how this process affects actual preparedness. Three main types of information were identified as being utilized by people: passive information (e.g., newspapers, brochures, TV, radio, websites), interactive information (e.g., community activities, school activities~ and workplace activities), and experiential information (e.g., experiencing a hazardous event, responding to an event, and working in an organization that deals with hazards). People tended to either contextualize hazard and preparedness information around any prevailing beliefs they had or form new beliefs on exposure to information. A number of core beliefs were identified as crucial for helping people consider that preparing is important and motivating actual adjustment adoption. Society also has an influence on how people interpret information and form intentions to prepare. People are often influenced by the opinions of others, and as preparing for disasters is not seen as a societal norm, this can cause people not to prepare. Feeling a responsibility for others (e.g., children) appears to be a major driver of preparedness. Other societal factors such as trust, leadership and sense of community also influence interpretation, dissemination and use of hazards and preparedness information. Finally, a number of resource issues can help or hinder preparedness.
文摘Pig production is becoming increasingly important in Mbozi and Mbeya rural districts to characterise smallholder pig Eastern Africa in recent years. Two studies were carried out in production systems and associated pig management practises. A participatory rural appraisal (PRA), involving 279 pigs-keeping households in nine villages and a cross sectional survey using a random sample of 300 pig farmers in 30 villages of the study districts, were used to collect data. Important economic activities were crop farming, livestock keeping, petty business, casual labour and artisan works in that order. The mean farm size and number of pigs per household was 2 ± 2.7 ha and 4.9 ±4.2 pigs, respectively. The largest categories of pig herd structure were breeding females followed by piglets. Age, marital status, household size and land size of household head had significant influence on the pig herd size (P 〈 0.05). Pig farmers practised three main types of pig management systems, namely, total confinement, semi confinement and free range/herding. Each system had specific management practices in relation to feeding and housing. The frequencies of these systems varied significantly (P 〈 0.01) by socio-economic factors, such as, educational status of household head, land size and herd sizes of pigs, goats and cattle. The authors recommend effective use of locally available resources and careful consideration of existing farming systems for sustainable development of smallholder pig production.
文摘Background: Physical activity participation(PAP) has been proven to improve health and promote optimal growth among adolescents. However,most adolescents do not meet the current physical activity(PA) recommendations in Turkey. The role of the social environment and social factors on PAP is being increasingly recognized. Although social capital(SC) indicators have been examined in high-income countries, there are few studies on developing countries. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between SC indicators and PAP among Turkish adolescents.Methods: A survey was conducted among 19 high schools in 4 different cities in Turkey in 2016. A total of 506 female and 729 male high school students participated in this study. The dependent variable was overall PAP, which was measured using the short form of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. The independent variables included self-perceived family, neighborhood, and school SC. Self-rated health and obesity status, measured by body mass index, were other study covariates in multiple binary logistic regression models. Chi-square tests were used to assess the differences between genders.Results: PAP levels were significantly different between males and females. A higher percentage of males reported PAP(77.4%) compared to females(51.0%). Among males, teacher–student interpersonal trust and informal social control were inversely associated with PAP, while high students interpersonal trust was positively associated with increased odds of PAP. For females, students interpersonal trust was inversely associated with PAP.Conclusion: Various SC indicators are associated with PAP for males and females. These associations are different from findings of studies conducted in developed countries. Therefore, health-promotion interventions and policies should consider gender and different social agents on the social and cultural background to improve PAP among Turkish adolescents.
文摘This paper discusses the constraining factors to sustainable utilization ofwater resources in China, and the countermeasures to realize sustainable water utilization. Theresult of comprehensive analysis shows that constraining factors to sustainable utilization of waterresources in China are complicated, including physical geographical factors and socio-economicfactors, such as uneven distribution of water resources at temporal and spatial scales,inappropriate institutional arrangement and non-water-saving and non-wter-conservation productionand life mode. The countermeasures against constraining factors to water resources sustainabledevelopment are put forward as follows: 1) using wetlands and forests, and through spatialconversion to realize temporally sustainable supply of water resources; 2) transferring waterbetween basins and areas and developing various water resources in water shortage area; 3)establishing water-saving society; 4) strengthening water pollution control and water resourcesprotection; and 5) establishing unified water resources management mechanism.
基金supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.61171109)Applied Basic Research Programs of Sichuan Science and Technology Department(No.2014JY0215)Basic Research Plan in SWUST(No.13zx9101)
文摘Considering that there exists a strong similarity between behaviors of users and intelligence of swarm of agents,in this paper we propose a novel user recommendation strategy based on particle swarm optimization(PSO)for Microblog network. Specifically,a PSO-based algorithm is developed to learn the user influence,where not only the number of followers is incorporated,but also the interactions among users(e.g.,forwarding and commenting on other users' tweets). Three social factors,the influence and the activity of the target user,together with the coherence between users,are fused to improve the performance of proposed recommendation strategy. Experimental results show that,compared to the well-known Page Rank-based algorithm,the proposed strategy performs much better in terms of precision and recall and it can effectively avoid a biased result caused by celebrity effect and zombie fans effect.
基金supported by a Team Science Seed grant from the College of Human Sciences, Iowa State University
文摘Background: The well-rounded development of the child, including physical, cognitive, emotional, and social health, may be the most efficient route to well-being and academic success. The primary goal was to investigate the feasibility of implementing a 12-week structured program of physical activity(PA) incorporating cognitive, social, and emotional elements in preschool. Additionally, this study, using a within-subject design,examined the acute effects of a PA session on classroom engagement and changes on perceived competence and peer acceptance from the first to the last week of the program.Methods: Twenty-seven preschoolers(mean age = 4.2 years) completed the Pictorial Scale of Perceived Competence and Social Acceptance for Young Children before and after a twice-weekly PA program. Unobtrusive classroom observations were conducted for verbal, social, and affective engagement during the first and last week of the program, both following a structured PA session(experimental day) and on a day without PA(control day). Treatment fidelity was monitored to ensure that the intervention was delivered as designed.Results: The children exhibited longer periods of verbal and social engagement during classroom periods that followed PA sessions than on non-PA days. Children also expressed more positive affect following PA sessions during the last week of the PA program. Despite high baseline scores,perceptions of general competence increased meaningfully(η2= 0.15, p = 0.05), driven by increase in perceptions of cognitive competence(η2= 0.15,p = 0.06).Conclusion: This study demonstrates the feasibility of providing structured PA program to preschoolers. Moreover, these initial findings suggest that purposely designed, structured PA may help advance the social–emotional engagement and perceived competence of preschool children.
文摘To examine the importance of kin selection in shaping human societies, this study analyzed the kinship system practiced in traditional China for two millennia and teased apart its underlying genetic and other, presumably cultural, components. The results demonstrate that, in the traditional patrilineal Chinese family, both genetic relatedness and the cultural factor of generation were important in determining kinship status for male agnates (genetically related relatives). For female agnates, however, only genetic relatedness was important. Another surprising finding was that the influence of gender was not as important as genetic relatedness. The most interesting finding in this study, however, was that kin selection and culture (i.e., seniority in generation and age) played vastly different roles in different lineages in the Chinese family: for collateral (indirect) agnates, genetic relatedness was the most important factor in determining their kinship status, but for lineal (direct) agnates, its importance was overridden by seniority in generation and age, a cultural factor. Several other bio-cultural factors also explained a considerable amount of variance in kinship status. Since kinship profoundly affected, and was often the foundation of, the legal and social systems in dynastic China, kin selection, while its strength may differ remarkably between lineal and collateral relatives, could act as a selective force in Chinese families
文摘In recent years, a number of organisations have implemented Executive Information Systems (EIS) including Computer-Based Information Systems (CBIS) in order to improve the performance of their executives' jobs though the majority of executives are unwilling to use EIS applications because of their design defects. Present researches on Executive Information Systems (EIS) are limited and less focused on the factors associated with EIS successful usage. This research adopts an extension of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) to derive useful variables to address the problem of the low usage of EIS by executives due to social factors, habits and facilitation conditions variables in Triandis' Framework. It reports on the adoption and usage of EIS by the executives in Organizations. The results show that experience in EIS usage was high with most respondents having used EIS for between 0 to 4 years (72.41%), followed by the 5-9 years group with 25.86%. However, in terms of ability to use EIS, most executives were at the expert (knowledgeable), casual user with 37.93%, followed by novice frequent user group with 31.03%. From this research, the authors propose a model that incorporates the habits, social factors and facilitating conditions in an Executive Information Systems.
文摘Influenced by translator's individual background, semantic clash is inevitable during the process of code-switching from source language to target language. This re-correspondence in semantic level has been well-shown not only in the translation of literature works, but in those of dictionary and glossary translations as well. Semantic clash, generally, is based on two main factors, one is the inherent difference between languages lying in typology features, the other is the social and culture diversity factors lying in the translator's personal background. According to actual translation works, social and culture factors of individual background take the dominant position unconsciously over other features in the process of code-switching. The present paper, branches the latter factor into certain categories, by analyzing bilingual dictionaries and glossaries cases in the 18th century, Qing Dynasty, and indicates that the conceptual lagging, religion beliefs, living environment and political stand embedded in individual background will somehow result in semantic clash, which will lead the relevant research to pay more attention on cross-cultural literature translation.
文摘With the translation studies leaning to target-language, the translator's subjectivity has been paid more and more attention by translation scholars. It is noticed gradually that translation is actually a dynamic and complex process, during which the translator, acting as a reader of the source text and also a writer of the target text, will unavoidably add something subjective in his or her translation. Since literary translation is interwoven with more cultural and social elements, the translator has to make a choice between loyalty and violation, getting freedom and being restricted when he or she confronts with all the clashes and conflicts between the source language culture and the target language culture.
文摘In this paper, the authors present a method to construct a simulation experiment system which used to prove how social network affects the stock market. The authors construct a model considered of three main stock market effect factors: cognitive factors, social factors and economic factors. In the simulation system, free-scale social network is generated for information relations among investors in stock market. The authors simulate the organization information propaganda processes and generate stock related news. The generated news contains economy factors and sudden events. Stockholders cooperate with the related stockholders in their social network, and make stock exchange decision based on this news and their cognitive understanding of this news. Simulation results shows that the social network news propaganda effect stock prices. If social network in stock market have circles, the news affection will be amplified.
文摘According to Psychological theories of motivation, sexuality is a biological need which urges to satisfy sexual desire. Though it is not essential for the survival of an individual, it plays a major role in the growth, development, adjustment and well-being. Therefore, sexuality is a common aspect in the existence and it should not be neglected. However, in many religious ethical issues, sexuality had been treated negatively and identified as a barrier for an advanced spiritual life. Even in tribal societies there were some sexual taboos that controlled man's sexual behavior to some extent. Among religious ethical codes, one may find that it had been placed an important position for controlling or completely eliminating sexual behaviors. In modem world, what is evident is that this so called sexual need has been used for many commercial and marketing purposes. Even in advertising field, sexual desire of man is used as a mean of attracting public. Phonograph has become a very profitable illegal professional today. Sexual medicines, drugs and tools are available everywhere in the society. Though sexual education had been included into the curriculum in schools and higher education institutions, the awareness of sexuality among people seems to be in a low level. While biologically man is compelled to fulfill sexual desire internally, it is motivated externally by many social factors. So that not only misconceptions of sexuality, but also misbehaviors of sexuality can be observed in the society today. By examining these current situations of man's sexual behaviors, there is a big need to formulate a sexual ethical code--a code of law with the help of religious teachings. Otherwise these various sexual behaviors may create more and more social and world problems. In this paper, my aim is to examine Buddhist ethics in order to formulate a sexual ethical code.
文摘The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of macro social factors (states, religion, region, Arab spring, terrorism, unrest (Shoe index), democracy, corruption (GPI), Human development (HDI), low self-control, life stress events (LSE), youth unemployment, religiosity, feeling (fear and anger), youth unemployment and total unemployment) on Arab youth's radicalization. A sample of 6,730 Arab youth age 15-24 years was selected from Kuwait, UAE, KSA, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan, Tunisia, Libya, Morocco, Lebanon, Egypt, Gaza and Palestine and Syrian refuges in Jordan. A questionnaire of 43 items to measure radicalization was developed based on the literature review. A construct validity of the scale was estimated by calculating the correlation between radicalization scale and Low self-control scale and found a positive significant relationship (0.680, a = 0.000), a sign of validity of the scale. A Reliability of the scale is strong and was estimated by Cronbach's alpha and was 0.947. An average of 46.6% of the participants was categorized as radicals with standard deviation of 12. Macro social factors explained 64% of the variance on radicalization. It has a significant impact on radicalization (F = 807.6, a = 0.000). Each single variable has a significant impact. The analysis revealed three groups of macro determinants of youth radicalization were identified: (1) Geographic factors: state, region, and Arab spring; (2) Social factors: religion, religiously, feelings, LSE and LSC; (3) Human security: unrest, terrorism, democracy, corruption, human development, youth unemployment and employment rate. To alleviate the consequences of radicalization, prevention policies should take in account youth concerns as partners and victims of radicalization. Policies need to focus on radicalization pull and push factors on micro-meso-macro level.