Einstellung zum Alkoholkonsum und Motivation zur Veränderung des Trinkverhaltens bei Schwangeren- Eine Validierung des Transtheoretischen Modells der Verhaltensänderung

Ziel dieser Studie war es, die Motivation von schwangeren Frauen zum Alkoholverzicht zu untersuchen. Ebenso sollte die Anwendbarkeit des Transtheoretischen Modells der Verhaltensänderung auf das Problemverhalten des Alkoholkonsums in der Schwangerschaft überprüft werden. Weitere Fragestellungen befassten sich mit dem Vergleich des Alkoholkonsums von Frauen, die sich in Familienstand, Ausbildungsstand und Rauchverhalten unterschieden. Es handelt sich um eine Querschnittstudie, in der Frauen aus 5 gynäkologischen Arztpraxen während eines Besuches bei ihrem Gynäkologen ein Fragebogen vorgelegt wurde. Insgesamt 256 Schwangere zwischen der 3. und 40. Schwangerschaftswoche nahmen an der Befragung teil. Ihr Alter betrug im Durchschnitt 29,9 Jahre (SD 5,6). Erstgebärende waren 145 Frauen, weitere 79 Frauen waren in ihrer zweiten Schwangerschaft und nur wenige Teilnehmerinnen waren in ihrer dritten, vierten oder fünften Schwangerschaft. 1. Die Dimensionalität der Konstrukte des TTM, wie sie in vorhergehenden Untersuchungen gefunden wurde, kann im Wesentlichen bestätigt werden. 2. Die Gütekriterien der zur Operationalisierung der Konstrukte verwendeten Skalen sind befriedigend. 3. Einen Alkoholkonsum während der Schwangerschaft geben 44 % aller Teilnehmerinnen an. Der durchschnittliche Alkoholkonsum beträgt 0,5 (SD = 0,95) alkoholischen Getränke bei einem Anlass während der letzten 30 Tage, wobei ein Maximalwert von 5 Getränken bei einem Anlass berichtet wird. Auf die Frage nach der Anzahl der Tage, an denen während der letzten 10 Tage ein alkoholisches Getränk getrunken wurde, geben die Teilnehmerinnen einen Mittelwert von 1,3 (SD = 0,63) Tagen an, das Maximum beträgt 5 Tage. Zur Frage nach der Anzahl der Anlässe, an denen seit Beginn der Schwangerschaft ein alkoholisches Getränk getrunken wurde, zeigt sich ein Mittelwert von 2,1 (SD = 1,7) Anlässen mit einem Maximalwert von mehr als 20 Anlässen. Sechs Frauen geben einen maximalen Alkoholkonsum von 4 oder mehr Getränken bei einem Anlass an. 4. Es zeigt sich ein signifikant höherer Alkoholkonsum bei unverheirateten Schwangeren im Vergleich zu Verheirateten. 5. Einen signifikant höheren Alkoholkonsum geben Frauen mit Universitätsabschluss und Frauen in Führungspositionen an. 6. Raucherinnen trinken während der Schwangerschaft nicht mehr Alkohol als Nichtraucherinnen

Deriving Boltzmann Equations from Kadanoff-Baym Equations in Curved Space-Time

To calculate the baryon asymmetry in the baryogenesis via leptogenesis scenario one usually uses Boltzmann equations with transition amplitudes computed in vacuum. However, the hot and dense medium and, potentially, the expansion of the universe can affect the collision terms and hence the generated asymmetry. In this paper we derive the Boltzmann equation in the curved space-time from (first-principle) Kadanoff-Baym equations. As one expects from general considerations, the derived equations are covariant generalizations of the corresponding equations in Minkowski space-time. We find that, after the necessary approximations have been performed, only the left-hand side of the Boltzmann equation depends on the space-time metric. The amplitudes in the collision term on the right--hand side are independent of the metric, which justifies earlier calculations where this has been assumed implicitly. At tree level, the matrix elements coincide with those computed in vacuum. However, the loop contributions involve additional integrals over the the distribution function.Comment: 14 pages, 5 figures, extended discussion of the constraint equations and the solution for the spectral functio

Regular and Irregular Boundary Conditions in the AdS/CFT Correspondence

We expand on Klebanov and Witten's recent proposal for formulating the AdS/CFT correspondence using irregular boundary conditions. The proposal is shown to be correct to any order in perturbation theory.Comment: 7 pages, typos correcte

Avalanche of Bifurcations and Hysteresis in a Model of Cellular Differentiation

Cellular differentiation in a developping organism is studied via a discrete bistable reaction-diffusion model. A system of undifferentiated cells is allowed to receive an inductive signal emenating from its environment. Depending on the form of the nonlinear reaction kinetics, this signal can trigger a series of bifurcations in the system. Differentiation starts at the surface where the signal is received, and cells change type up to a given distance, or under other conditions, the differentiation process propagates through the whole domain. When the signal diminishes hysteresis is observed

THEORY OF PHASE-LOCKING IN SMALL JOSEPHSON JUNCTION CELLS

Within the RSJ model, we performed a theoretical analysis of phase-locking in elementary strongly coupled Josephson junction cells. For this purpose, we developed a systematic method allowing the investigation of phase-locking in cells with small but non-vanishing loop inductance.The voltages across the junctions are found to be locked with very small phase difference for almost all values of external flux. However, the general behavior of phase-locking is found to be just contrary to that according to weak coupling. In case of strong coupling there is nearly no influence of external magnetic flux on the phases, but the locking-frequency becomes flux-dependent. The influence of parameter splitting is considered as well as the effect of small capacitive shunting of the junctions. Strongly coupled cells show synchronization even for large parameter splitting. Finally, a study of the behavior under external microwave radiation shows that the frequency locking-range becomes strongly flux-dependent, whereas the locking frequency itself turns out to be flux-independent.Comment: 26 pages, REVTEX, 9 PS figures appended in uuencoded form at the end, submitted to Phys. Rev. B

Instabilities in Josephson Ladders with Current Induced Magnetic Fields

We report on a theoretical analysis, consisting of both numerical and analytic work, of the stability of synchronization of a ladder array of Josephson junctions under the influence of current induced magnetic fields. Surprisingly, we find that as the ratio of the mutual to self inductance of the cells of the array is increased a region of unstable behavior occurs followed by reentrant stable synchronization. Analytic work tells us that in order to understand fully the cause of the observed instabilities the behavior of the vertical junctions, sometimes ignored in analytic analyses of ladder arrays, must be taken into account.Comment: RevTeX, 4 pages, 3 figure

The influence of peers on fraternity behaviors : the role of social norming and masculinity

College drinking has been identified as one of the most serious problems on college campuses, and Greek organizations, specifically fraternities, are often identified as groups with particularly excessive alcohol use (O'Brien, McNamara, McCoy, Sutfin, Wolfson and Rhodes, 2013). The peer influence of brothers in fraternities has been identified as the greatest influence on drinking behaviors for members of those organizations (Borsari and Carey, 2003). Shaped by assumptions about what it means to be masculine boys and men will conform to the expectations of their peers by engaging in behaviors and expressing attitudes that are actually contradictory to what they truly believe in order to be accepted (Pollack, 2000). Thus, better understanding of how social norms play a role in a fraternity member's drinking behaviors is important for universities, prevention specialists, and student affairs practitioners in order to address excessive and binge drinking. The theoretical frameworks used throughout this study are theories of social norms and masculinities and allowed for the examination the role peers play in influencing drinking behaviors of fraternity men at a large, public institution in the Midwest (The University of Missouri or Mizzou). A qualitative case study methodology was employed to collect data from participants via a focus group and individual follow up interviews. From this, four overarching themes developed: (1) to be a brother, (2) competition, (3) liquid bonding, and (4) what it means to be a man. Within the context of the study, implications for practice and recommendations for additional research are included

Singular values of the Dirac operator in dense QCD-like theories

We study the singular values of the Dirac operator in dense QCD-like theories at zero temperature. The Dirac singular values are real and nonnegative at any nonzero quark density. The scale of their spectrum is set by the diquark condensate, in contrast to the complex Dirac eigenvalues whose scale is set by the chiral condensate at low density and by the BCS gap at high density. We identify three different low-energy effective theories with diquark sources applicable at low, intermediate, and high density, together with their overlapping domains of validity. We derive a number of exact formulas for the Dirac singular values, including Banks-Casher-type relations for the diquark condensate, Smilga-Stern-type relations for the slope of the singular value density, and Leutwyler-Smilga-type sum rules for the inverse singular values. We construct random matrix theories and determine the form of the microscopic spectral correlation functions of the singular values for all nonzero quark densities. We also derive a rigorous index theorem for non-Hermitian Dirac operators. Our results can in principle be tested in lattice simulations.Comment: 3 references added, version published in JHE

Communication style and exercise compliance in physiotherapy (CONNECT). A cluster randomized controlled trial to test a theory-based intervention to increase chronic low back pain patients’ adherence to physiotherapists’ recommendations: study rationale, design, and methods

Physical activity and exercise therapy are among the accepted clinical rehabilitation guidelines and are recommended self-management strategies for chronic low back pain. However, many back pain sufferers do not adhere to their physiotherapist’s recommendations. Poor patient adherence may decrease the effectiveness of advice and home-based rehabilitation exercises. According to self-determination theory, support from health care practitioners can promote patients’ autonomous motivation and greater long-term behavioral persistence (e.g., adherence to physiotherapists’ recommendations). The aim of this trial is to assess the effect of an intervention designed to increase physiotherapists’ autonomy-supportive communication on low back pain patients’ adherence to physical activity and exercise therapy recommendations. \ud \ud This study will be a single-blinded cluster randomized controlled trial. Outpatient physiotherapy centers (N =12) in Dublin, Ireland (population = 1.25 million) will be randomly assigned using a computer-generated algorithm to either the experimental or control arm. Physiotherapists in the experimental arm (two hospitals and four primary care clinics) will attend eight hours of communication skills training. Training will include handouts, workbooks, video examples, role-play, and discussion designed to teach physiotherapists how to communicate in a manner that promotes autonomous patient motivation. Physiotherapists in the waitlist control arm (two hospitals and four primary care clinics) will not receive this training. Participants (N = 292) with chronic low back pain will complete assessments at baseline, as well as 1 week, 4 weeks, 12 weeks, and 24 weeks after their first physiotherapy appointment. Primary outcomes will include adherence to physiotherapy recommendations, as well as low back pain, function, and well-being. Participants will be blinded to treatment allocation, as they will not be told if their physiotherapist has received the communication skills training. Outcome assessors will also be blinded. \ud \ud We will use linear mixed modeling to test between arm differences both in the mean levels and the rates of change of the outcome variables. We will employ structural equation modeling to examine the process of change, including hypothesized mediation effects. \ud \ud This trial will be the first to test the effect of a self-determination theory-based communication skills training program for physiotherapists on their low back pain patients’ adherence to rehabilitation recommendations. Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN63723433\u