Interval-based methods can approximate all the real solutions of a system of equations and inequalities. The Box interval constraint propagation algorithm enforces Box consistency. Its main procedure BoxNarrow handles one function f corresponding to the revised constraint, and one variable x, replacing the other variables of f by their current intervals. This paper proposes an improved BoxNarro...

This paper compares different forms of singleton arc consistency (SAC) algorithms with respect to: (i) their relative efficiency as a function of the increase in problem size and/or difficulty, (ii) the effectiveness with which they can be transformed into algorithms for establishing neighbourhood singleton arc consistency (NSAC) In such comparisons, it was found useful to distinguish two class...

We present an approach to spatial inference which is based on the procedural semantics of spatial relations. In contrast to qualitative reasoning, we do not use discrete symbolic models. Instead, relations between pairs of objects are represented by parameterized homogeneous transformation matrices with numerical constraints. A textual description of a spatial scene is transformed into a graph ...

BACKGROUND Given the importance of high-quality healthy food for humans, contamination control is the most important concern for healthy staff. AIM To determine the attitudes of students at Islamic Azad University (Tehran Medical Branch) toward food safety. METHODS This cross-sectional and analytic-descriptive study was conducted on 326 students of Azad University of Medical Sciences in 201...

Objectives. Community processes are key determinants of older adults' ability to age in place, but existing scales measuring these constructs may not provide accurate, unbiased measurements among older adults because they were designed with the concerns of child-rearing respondents in mind. This study examines the properties of a new theory-based measure of collective efficacy (CE) that account...

While the Body Checking Questionnaire (BCQ; Reas et al., 2002) is the most commonly-used measure of body checking behaviors, findings on the factor structure in nonclinical samples are mixed. This study investigated the factor structure and psychometric properties of the BCQ among nonclinical college women. In Study 1 (n=326), an exploratory factor analysis indicated factors corresponding to (a...

We study different dynamic Stackelberg solutions within a pollution control problem framework. This study is made under the assumption of different information structures, mainly we assume open-loop, feedback and closed-loop structures of information. Some of the numerical results may appear counterintuitive. Hence, there exists some situations where the time consistent solution is optimal in c...

This article describes the construction of the Conformity to Feminine Norms Inventory (CFNI), which was designed to assess women’s conformity to an array of feminine norms found in the dominant culture in the United States. In addition, we present four studies in which the psychometric properties of the CFNI were examined. In Study 1, factor analysis indicated that the CFNI is comprised of eigh...

The (alpha) version of the Fermi-Pasta-Ulam is revisited through direct numerical simulations and an application of weak turbulence theory. The energy spectrum, initializedwith a large scale excitation, is traced through a series of distinct qualitative phases en route to eventual equipartition. Weak turbulence theory is applied in an attempt to provide an effective quantitative description of ...

Worry is often assessed with the 16-item Penn State Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ; Meyer, Miller, Metzger, & Borkovec, 1990. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 28, 487-495), but the factor structure of the PSWQ is not well articulated. Three factor analyses of the PSWQ have been conducted, with two (Brown, Antony, & Barlow, 1992. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 30, 33-37; van Rijsoort, Emmelkamp, & Ve...