Older adults may be better able to modulate their emotional experiences than younger adults, and thus may recover more quickly from negative stressors. Additionally, older adults may be more likely to experience co-occurrence of negative and positive emotions in the setting of negative stressors, which may facilitate emotion recovery. To date, few studies have investigated the nature of age group differences in spontaneous emotional responses to a standardized stressor. The current study utilizes a laboratory mood manipulation to determine age group differences in emotion recovery in negative and positive affects, as well as age group differences in the co-occurrence of negative and positive affect. Older adults reported greater reactivity in one and greater recovery in two negative affect scales than younger adults; however, these differences did not remain significant when controlling for overall arousal ratings of the mood induction. There were no age group differences in reactivity or recovery of positive affects. Both younger and older adults returned to baseline in negative affects by the end of the recovery period despite age group differences in affect responses and arousal ratings. Older adults reported greater co-occurrence of negative and positive emotions in response to the mood induction as compared to younger adults. Overall, these results provide support for age group similarities in reactivity and recovery in discrete affects, and age group differences in mixed emotion states. Greater co-occurrence appears to reflect greater baseline endorsement of positive affect in older as compared to younger adults. Thus, higher baseline positive affect may create greater opportunities for older adults to experience mixed emotion states, which may in turn serve as an adaptive resource for older adults.

京都大学 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(医学) / 甲第23373号 / 医博第4742号 / 新制||医||1051(附属図書館) / 京都大学大学院医学研究科医学専攻 / (主査)教授 古川 壽亮, 教授 林 康紀, 教授 髙橋 良輔 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Medical Science / Kyoto University / DFAM

Mount Cameroon is considered the only active volcano along a 1600 km long chain of volcanic complexes called the Cameroon Volcanic Line (CVL). It has erupted seven times during the last 100 years, the most recent was in May 2000. The approximately 500,000 inhabitants that live and work around the fertile flanks are exposed to impending threats from volcanic eruptions and earthquakes. In this thesis, a hazard assessment study that involves both statistical modelling of seismic hazard parameters and the evaluation of a future volcanic risk was undertaken on Mount Cameroon. The Gutenberg-Richter magnitude-frequency relations, the annual activity rate, the maximum magnitude, the rate of volcanic eruptions and risks assessment were examined. The seismic hazard parameters were estimated using the Maximum Likelihood Method on the basis of a procedure which combines seismic data containing incomplete files of large historical events with complete files of short periods of observations. A homogenous Poisson distribution model was applied to previous recorded volcanic eruptions of Mount Cameroon to determine the frequency of eruption and assess the probability of a future eruption. Frequency-magnitude plots indicated that Gutenberg-Richter b-values are partially dependent on the maximum regional magnitude and the method used in their calculation. b-values showed temporal and spatial variation with an average value of 1.53 ± 0.02. The intrusion of a magma body generating the occurrence of relatively small earthquakes as observed in our instrumental catalogue, could be responsible for this high anomalous b-value. An epicentre map of locally recorded earthquakes revealed that the southeastern zone is the most seismically active part of the volcano. The annual mean activity rate of the seismicity strongly depends on the time span of the seismic catalogue and results showed that on average, one earthquake event occurs every 10 days. The maximum regional magnitude values which had been determined from various approaches overlap when their standard deviations are taken into account. However, the magnitude distribution model of the Mt. Cameroon earthquakes might not follow the form of the Gutenberg-Richter frequency magnitude relationship. The datations of the last eruptive events that have occurred on Mt. Cameroon volcanic complex are presented. No specific pattern was observed on the frequency of eruptions, which means that a homogenous Poisson distribution provides a suitable model to estimate the rate of occurrence of volcanic eruptions and evaluate the risk of a future eruption. Two different approaches were used to estimate the mean eruption rate (λ) and both yielded a value of 0.074. The results showed that eruptions take place on average once every 13 years and, with the last eruption occurring over 15 years ago, it is considered that there is at present a high risk of an eruption to occur. / Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 2016. / Geology / MSc / Unrestricted

Thesis (Master of Nursing)--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2019 / One of the most important issues in the provision of healthcare services which threaten the patient's safety, is medication administration errors. These could compromise patient safety and may lead to patient disability or even death, besides the financial cost of these errors. Nurses are responsible for administering medication to numerous patients. They thus are the last defence line against medication administration errors. All student nurses are trained very early in their courses on how to administer medication and all the complications and implications that accompany this important procedure. Although lecturers spend time and effort in teaching nursing students about protocols for safe medication administration, nurses still commit medication administration errors. The aim of the study was to determine awareness and perception of the occurrence and reporting of medication administration errors (MAEs) among nursing students. A descriptive quantitative design was employed. A questionnaire was used to collect data. Responses were collected from 291 nursing students at a higher education institution in the Western Cape, South Africa. Nonprobability proportional quota sampling was used in this study for data collection. Data was analysed with IBM SPSS® software. Data was presented in graphs, percentages, means, and standard deviation, while inferential statistics were conducted. The findings of the study reveal that 85.2% of the respondents were aware of MAE occurrence, but 40.1% were unaware of reporting of these errors. The top and most significant subscale for MAE occurrence was the physician communication subscale, while the top and only significant barrier to reporting these errors was the fear subscale. In conclusion, most of the respondents were aware of MAE occurrence, while more than a third were unaware of the reporting of these errors. The study recommended building non-punitive blame-free reporting systems to emphasise the importance of reporting errors.

This study addresses the problem of asphyxia neonatorum in a developing African community in the Mdantsane region of Ciskei. It also documents asphyxia as a prominent cause of childhood handicap, examines aspects of its epidemiology and evaluates the effectiveness of a regimen of phenobarbitone and dexamethasone in limiting subsequent neurological deficit in asphyxiated neonates. Analysis of neonatal deaths at Cecilia Makiwane Hospital over an 18-month period showed that asphyxia accounted for one third of all neonatal deaths. In particular, asphyxia caused two thirds of deaths in infants over 2 Kg birth weight. From a hospital register of handicapped children, 211 had cerebral palsy. Asphyxia was the cause of cerebral palsy in 33% of these children. Spastic quadriplegia, the type of cerebral palsy most often resulting from the cerebral damage associated with asphyxial hypoxic-ischaemic insults, was by far the largest diagnostic category (57%). Asphyxia therefore appears to be the single largest cause of significant handicap in Ciskei. In view of the underdeveloped support services to parents in most developing areas, the problem of asphyxia is of considerable importance. In the study of the epidemiology of asphyxia, details of pregnancy and labour were obtained for 163 asphyxiated term infants and 2758 non- asphyxiated term infants whose mothers had delivered in the hospital. The factors positively associated with asphyxia were: low gravidity and parity, failure to book for antenatal care, the occurrence of antenatal disorders, the occurrence of fetal distress, a prolonged first stage of labour and delivery by caesarean section or vacuum extraction. Maternal age and the actual number of antenatal visits were not associated with asphyxia. The causes of asphyxia assigned by the specialist obstetrician in charge were cephalopelvic disproportion (CPD) (39%), utero-placental pathologies (22%), other (8%), and "unknown" where he could find no abnormality in pregnancy and labour (27%). From these findings it appears that the steps that need to be taken for prevention include: active recruitment of patients to book for antenatal care, more active detection and management of cephalopelvic disproportion and basic research to elucidate the causes of the "unknown" group whom it is speculated have undetected utero-placental pathology.

Silicosis continues to be an important occupational disease in South Africa, particularly in small, poorly regulated industries. A case series is described of six workers who developed silicosis whilst involved in the processing of semi-precious gem stones. They had been employed as stone sculptors in lapidaries where they processed tigers' eye, rose quartz, amethyst, quartz crystal and a variety of other locally occurring semi-precious stones. In five of the cases exposure was in small and poorly regulated lapidaries without specific dust control measures. The sixth was detected during the course of a health and hygiene survey (including dust sampling) that I conducted in one of two lapidaries still operating in the Western Cape. These workers developed serious disease. Progressive massive fibrosis (PMF) was noted in 4 of the 6 cases, three of whom had progression of their disease after cessation of exposure. With the development of PMF the initial restrictive pulmonary function abnormalities were followed by steadily worsening airflow obstruction. Lung biopsies confirmed silicosis in one case and were suggestive in a further two. Tuberculosis was confirmed in two cases and suspected and treated in a third. Workmen's' Compensation was awarded in five cases. The survey confirmed that in semiprecious gem stone processing, the risk of silicosis appears to be confined to stone sculptors. Tried and proven techniques of general and local exhaust ventilation combined with water or oil to control dust at source were capable of effectively reducing dust emission to acceptable levels.

Fire occurrence and behavior were determined by collecting and analyzing fuel , weather , and fire history ii data. Fuel plots were used to measure average fuel loading by vegetation type and integrated with weather to make worst - case fire behavior prediction s . A fire history was developed using oakbrush (Quercus qaffibelli Nutt . ) sprouts to determine age and the Global Positioning System (GPS) for mapping the burned areas . Average fuel loading was highest in the oakbrush fuel type with 16.8 t/ha , then juniper (Juniperus ost eosoerma Torrey ) with 6 . 72 t/ha , and the lowest was in sagebrush (Artemisia triden~at a Nutt. ) with 4 . 93 t/ha . Fire behavior predictions were similar for all fuel types. The fire rotation for the study area was calculated to be 30 years. The fire history showed the most hectares burned were in the oakbrush fuel type due to fuel loading and horizontal continuity. Prescribed burns and negative fuel breaks were suggested as management alternatives. The effect of fire on deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus) density in oakbrush was determined by using a trapping web design with distance sampling techniques . Webs were set in four pairs with one web of each pair being in 7- year- old burned oakbrush and the other web in unburned oakbrush. Variables such as shrub height and litter depth were recorded in order to reduce variance . Trapping occurred in June 1994 with each web set for two consecutive nights using 80 Museum Special snap traps spaced 6 m apart on eight lines . Density estimates were determined by using a computer program called DI STANCE and then analyzed using analysis of variance with a randomized block design . No significant differences between deer mouse densities were detected between burned and unburned oakbrush. Although litter depth and shrub height were both significantly less in burned sites, it did not affect deer mouse density . The conclusion from these result s was that after 7 years oakbrush had recovered to a point that the effect of fire on deer mouse density was negligible.

Introduction: Research has found extensive similarities between symptoms of gaming disorder/Internet gaming disorder (GD/IGD) and symptoms of other addictive disorders, including the presence of cravings, tolerance, and inability to stop despite adverse consequences (Müller & Montag, 2017). Significant associations between GD/IGD and financial strain, occupational difficulties, sleep deprivation, malnutrition, obesity, and the development and/or exacerbation of other mental illness have been found, contributing to growing concern over the detrimental impact of GD/IGD (Kohorst et al., 2018). Video gaming is also associated with increased use of substances, including nicotine as found in electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS; Cranwell et al., 2016). The harmful consequences of ENDS use may exacerbate the health risks associated with GD/IGD, especially in connection to sleep, nutrition, and mental health. There is extensive overlap between the demographic and psychosocial characteristics of typical video gamers and typical users of ENDS, including being young, male, highly impulsive, sensation-seeking, and having a diagnosis of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), which may account for the rates of concurrent dependence (Von der Heiden et al., 2019; Mathews, 2019). However, definitive characteristics of individuals demonstrating symptoms of both GD/IGD and ENDS dependency remain unknown. The present study aims to explore the demographic and psychological associations of co-occurring symptoms of GD/IGD and ENDS dependency. Method:Participants (n = 2,174) were college students age 18-24 (M=19.25) recruited as part of a multi-university study examining psychological variables within young adults. Participants completed a battery of self-report questions assessing for demographic characteristics, symptoms of ADHD, and level of impulsivity and sensation seeking as measured by the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale, Brief Sensation Seeking Scale, and Barratt Impulsiveness Scale Version 11, respectively. ENDS dependency was evaluated through the PROMIS E-cigarette Dependence Scale, and GD/IGD was measured by the Video Game Dependency Scale. Pearson correlations, chi-square tests, MANCOVAS, and moderation analyses were used to evaluate this data. Results:Results found that 7.3% of the sample met criteria for probable ENDS dependency, 4.7% of the sample endorsed symptoms of GD/IGD dependency, and 1.4% of the sample endorsed both dependencies. Age, gender, and race/ethnicity were all associated with increased risk of concurrent GD/IGD and ENDS dependency. The moderating effect of ADHD symptoms on the relation between GD/IGD and ENDS dependency was significant, ΔR2 = .067, F(1, 1036) = 24.75, p < .001, indicating that the relation between GD/IGD and ENDS dependency was stronger when participants endorsed more symptoms of ADHD. Impulsivity and sensation seeking also had significant interaction effects on the relation between ENDS dependency and GD/IGD. Conclusion:Ultimately, there is ample evidence that ENDS dependency and GD/IGD occur at significant levels on college campuses. Heightened impulsivity and sensation seeking and the diagnosis of ADHD significantly correspond with increased rates of GD/IGD and ENDS dependency. These results are supported by prior research findings that impulsivity and sensation seeking are risk factors for many behavioral health concerns, including engagement in risky sexual behaviors and substance addiction. Future research examining protective factors and treatment of co-occurring GD/IGD and ENDS dependency is warranted. References: Cranwell, J., Whittamore, K., Britton, J., & Leonardi-Bee, J. (2016). Alcohol and tobacco content in UK video games and their association with alcohol and tobacco use among young people. Cyberpsychology, Behavior and Social Networking, 19(7), 426-434. https://doi.org/10.1089/cyber.2016.0093 Kohorst, M. A., Warad, D. M., Nageswara Rao, A. A., & Rodriguez, V. (2018). Obesity, sedentary lifestyle, and video games: The new thrombophilia cocktail in adolescents. Pediatric Blood & Cancer, 65(7), e27041. Mathews, C. L., Morrell, H. E. R., & Molle, J. L. (2019). Video game addiction, ADHD symptomatology, and video game reinforcement. The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, 45(1), 67-76. https://doi.org/10.1080/00952990.2018.1472269 Müller, M., & Montag, C. (2017). The relationship between internet addiction and alcohol consumption is influenced by the smoking status in male online video gamers. Clinical Neuropsychiatry: Journal of Treatment Evaluation, 14(1), 34–43. Von der Heiden, J. M., Braun, B., Müller, K. W., & Egloff, B. (2019). The association between video gaming and psychological functioning. Frontiers in Psychology, 10, 17-31. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01731

Gray level co-occurrence matrix has proven to be a powerful basis for use in texture classification. Various textural parameters calculated from the gray level co-occurrence matrix help understand the details about the overall image content. The aim of this research is to investigate the use of the gray level co-occurrence matrix technique as an absolute image quality metric. The underlying hypothesis is that image quality can be determined by a comparative process in which a sequence of images is compared to each other to determine the point of diminishing returns. An attempt is made to study whether the curve of image textural features versus image memory sizes can be used to decide the optimal image size. The approach used digitized images that were stored at several levels of compression. GLCM proves to be a good discriminator in studying different images however no such claim can be made for image quality. Hence the search for the best image quality metric continues.

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