Psychological and Situational Variables Associated with Objective Knowledge on Water-Related Issues in a Northern Spanish City

This study brings together the level of objective knowledge on water-related issues and other variables of psychological and situational nature. A random sample of 459 participants was employed, selected proportionally based on sex and age. In this sample, knowledge on the water-related issues tended to be low, particularly related to the direct source of water in the household, the type of services involved in the management, and consumption itself. In order to understand both the relationship with knowledge on water and the relative importance of all the other factors, a regression model was formulated. The highest standardised effect was for sex, followed by occupation, political leaning, and water-related emotions. The best level of knowledge was attained if the residents were male, if they were actively employed or unemployed, if their political leaning was towards the left, and if they demonstrated greater emotional involvement with the water use. Consequently, the design of programmes would need to consider that the information flow must be greater for citizens as a whole, particularly for certain groups such as women and students. It should contribute to the realistic perception of water as a problem and to seek emotional involvement.

Enriching the Lives of High School Teenagers With Science Cafés

This chapter provides a roadmap for any who are inspired to start a teen science café program as a member of the teen science café network. These out-of-school programs are a free, fun way for teens to explore the advances in science and technology affecting their lives. Teens and scientists engage in lively conversations and activities to explore a topic deeply. Teens get increased understanding of the nature of science and develop a realistic perception of scientists, science careers, and the lives they lead. Scientists gain skills in communicating science to the public and inspire youth to STEM careers. Adult leaders serve as guides for the teen leaders and are the linchpin of the program. Evaluation shows programs positively influenced teens understanding of science issues in the news, the ability to use facts to support scientific points of view and considering multiple sides of an issue before making a decision.

Hydraulic Analysis and Modelling of Water Distribution Network Using WATERCAD and GIS: AL-Karada Area

The hydraulic study of drinking water is one of the things that must be done in order to obtain a realistic perception of the network’s functioning and the problems it suffers from, As well as to reach the scientific method to expand it if required, knowing that the population density is constantly increasing, as is the urban expansion, The aim of this study is evaluated and analyzed al-karada water distribution network to determine the areas of pure water scarcity and its causes, and the study relied on the data of the Baghdad water supply administration for the year 2020 and its divisions, where a hydraulic model of the network was created for the purpose of analysis, it included a review of the pressures and speeds during the average daily demand per person of 350 liters / day and during the maximum operational design capacities of the compacts Units, the results showed that the pressures within the acceptable limits and the flow velocity are not excessive in some pipe due to the low average daily demand.

M219. OVERESTIMATING FUNCTION – A RISK FACTOR FOR SUBOPTIMAL COMMUNITY AID IN SCHIZOPHRENIA

Background Patients with schizophrenia have difficulties in judging their own performance. Patients with no or little practical experience of demands from active performance in society tends to overestimate their ability. Research has also found that patients who overestimate their function also runs a risk to be perceived as better functioning than what they actually are when judged by caregivers. The aim with this study is to examine if patients who overestimate their ability will receive less community support compared to patients who have an accurate perception of their ability? Methods The study population was 184 patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorder. They were tested with the Swedish version of the UCSD Performance-based Skills Assessment–Brief Version (UPSA-B). Before the test they were asked how they thought their functioning were in four different domains covered in the UPSA-B. After the test they were divided into four groups: “Good functioning with realistic perception”, “Good functioning but underestimating their function”, “Impaired function with realistic perception” and “Impaired function but overestimating their performance”. The amount of received community support were investigated and related to patients′ actual performance and self-perception. Results Analyzes showed that patients who had an impaired function and a realistic view of their ability had more support than those who were impaired but overestimated their ability. Also, patients with good functioning but underestimating their performance had more support than those who had a good ability and a realistic perception. Finally, there were no difference in community support to the patients in the two groups “Good function with realistic perception” and “Impaired function but overestimating their performance”. Discussion Our results indicate that patients with impaired functioning who overestimate their ability risk an insufficient community support. This in combination with earlier findings, that staff-members in psychiatric out-patient settings are likely to base their judgement on patients′ report consequential leading to false positive conclusions, may have both short- and long-term implications. Not achieving symptomatic remission, as a consequence of inability to follow medical prescriptions, and sub-optimal social functioning with isolation are two possible implications. The findings once again raises the need for the testing of patients′ function instead of only conducting interviews.

Language means of representation of the chronotope of Chaos in a series of novels “The Chronicles of Amber” by Roger Zelazny

This article examines the problem of representation of chronotope using language means. The object of this research is a series of novels “The Chronicles of Amber” by Roger Zelazny in English language. The subject of this research is the lexical units and stylistic techniques used by R. Zelazny for visualization of representation of the chronotope of Chaos. The article substantiates attribution of this series of novels to postmodernist based on the analysis of characteristic features of the text and realization of the ideological concept. The goal of study lies determination of the universal principles of representation of spatial-temporal continuum of the Chaos, as well as establishment of dependence of the choice evaluative connotation of language means on personality of the narrator. The work is conducted at the intersection of linguistics and literary studies. The novelty consists in recognition of the leading role of chronotopic subject in determining tonality of representation of the chronotope. The main conclusion is defined by the fact that the key principle of representation of spatial and temporal components of the chronotope of Chaos in R. Zelazny’s series of novels is the destruction of realistic perception of space and time. It was also established that change of voice of the narrator leads to the shift of evaluative paradigm. An extremely negative attitude of the first narrator to the Courts of Chaos as a representative of the chronotope of Chaos, expressed through the negatively connoted epithets, is justified by its affiliation to Amber as a representative of the Order. Dual position of the second narrator leads to the change in tonality of description of physical personification of the chronotope of Chaos. Counterbalance of negatively and positively connoted lexical units creates the effect of objectivity, essential for realization of ideological content of the novel.

The More Med-Mals, the Shorter the Litigation: Evidence from Florida

Medical malpractices (med-mals) are among the most long-lasting litigations in the United States with an average duration of more than 4 years. Using the Florida database of med-mals, this study examines each physician in multiple sequential cases and documents a significantly negative correlation between the length of litigation and defendants’ numbers of past med-mals: a case closes nearly 1 year sooner if its defendant has previously experienced another claim. To explain this stylized fact, a dynamic model with the feature of “firmness of beliefs” is developed. The model assumes that the more prior litigations, the more realistic perception of the tort system and therefore a faster closure of the final dispute. I call this mechanism “learning-by-doing.” Alternative hypotheses include the following: (1) plaintiffs’ endogenous choice of filing against physicians with worse histories and (2) physicians’ reputation (career) concerns. I find no evidence in support of the first one, but the reputation concern cannot be rejected. The learning-by-doing mechanism is consistent in many robustness tests, including controlling for the reputation concerns. An earlier version of this paper was circulated under the title: Learning How to Handle Malpractice Litigation from Experience: Evidence from Florida

Virtual Reality as Innovative Approach to the Interior Designing

We can observe significant potential of information and communication technologies (ICT) in interior designing field, by development of software and hardware virtual reality tools. Using ICT tools offer realistic perception of proposal in its initial idea (the study). A group of real-time visualization, supported by hardware tools like Oculus Rift HTC Vive, provides free walkthrough and movement in virtual interior with the possibility of virtual designing. By improving of ICT software tools for designing in virtual reality we can achieve still more realistic virtual environment. The contribution presented proposal of an innovative approach of interior designing in virtual reality, using the latest software and hardware ICT virtual reality technologies