The use of happiness research for public policy

Research on happiness tends to follow a "benevolent dictator" approach where politicians pursue people's happiness. This paper takes an antithetic approach based on the insights of public choice theory. First, we inquire how the results of happiness research may be used to improve the choice of institutions. Second, we show that the policy approach matters for the choice of research questions and the kind of knowledge happiness research aims to provide. Third, we emphasize that there is no shortcut to an optimal policy maximizing some happiness indicator or social welfare function since governments have an incentive to manipulate this indicator

Towards a Standard Approach for Wear Testing of Wheel and Rail Materials

Examination of the literature for wear testing methodologies for wheel and rail material reveals that while only a few different techniques have been used there is a wide variety in exactly how the tests have been conducted and the resulting data reported. This makes comparison of the data very difficult. This work, carried out as part of the International Collaborative Research Initiative (ICRI) which is aiming to bring together wheel/rail interface researchers from across the world to collate data and knowledge to try to solve some of the common problems that are faced, has examined the different approaches used and attempted to pull together all the good practice used into a test specification for future twin disc testing for wheel and rail materials. Adoption of the method will allow data to be compared reliably and eventually enable data to be compiled into wear maps to use as input, for example, to multi-body dynamics simulation wear prediction tools

Remarks on the method of comparison equations (generalized WKB method) and the generalized Ermakov-Pinney equation

The connection between the method of comparison equations (generalized WKB method) and the Ermakov-Pinney equation is established. A perturbative scheme of solution of the generalized Ermakov-Pinney equation is developed and is applied to the construction of perturbative series for second-order differential equations with and without turning points.Comment: The collective of the authors is enlarged and the calculations in Sec. 3 are correcte

Hardness characterisation of grey cast iron and its tribological performance in a contact lubricated with soybean oil

The effect of hardness of grey cast iron flat specimen on its wear and friction on the contact were characterised with the presence of vegetable oil as biolubricant. Prior to the tribological test, the as - received grey cast iron flat specimen hardness was characterised. Friction and wear tests were then conducted using a ball - on - flat reciprocating sliding contact. The one - way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to determine the significance of friction and wear data with a 95% significance level. The wear scars after the test were then characterised by surface roughness and wear mechanism. The microstructure and elemental analysis we re also reported. The average value of hardness was 210 HV with a large difference between minimum (185 HV) and maximum (250 HV) values. The friction and wear performance of grey cast iron specimens with soybean oil varied with its hardness. The specimens with higher hardness gave lower friction coefficient and greater wear resistance than the lower hardness specimens. The difference in coefficient of friction produced between high hardness specimens (COF = 0.122) and low hardness specimens (COF = 0.140) wa s 17%. In terms of mass loss, the low hardness 2 specimens (mass loss = 50.38 mg) and the high hardness specimens (mass loss = 12.90 mg) produced a difference of 74%. It is shown that, with soybean oil lubricant, the grey cast iron specimen can produce wide range of tribological data especially on mass loss due to its hardness distribution. The influence of soybean oil lubrication in this work is less in improving the wear resistance (about 7%), but greater for friction reduction (about 24%) compared to an un lubricated grey cast iron surface. The hardness of grey cast iron specimen is an important parameter that needs to be specifically measured and controlled on the contact due to wide hardness distribution of grey cast iron may produce variation in tribologi cal data

Indirect Measurement of Left Ventricular EndDiastolic Pressure in Congestive Cardiomyopathy and Constrictive Pericarditis

Pulmonary artery diastolic and pulmonary capillary wedge mean pressures were measured in 30 patients with congestive cardiomyopathy and in 30 patients with constrictive pericarditis. These measurements were compared with left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP) to assess their value as indirect measurements of left ventricular function. There was close correlation between the indirect measurements and LVEDP in both disorders: a better statistical correlation was achieved using a power curve than with linear regression, since pulmonary artery diastolic pressure increased disproportionately when LVEDP was high.S. Afr. Med. J., 48, 540 (1974

The scale of population structure in Arabidopsis thaliana

The population structure of an organism reflects its evolutionary history and influences its evolutionary trajectory. It constrains the combination of genetic diversity and reveals patterns of past gene flow. Understanding it is a prerequisite for detecting genomic regions under selection, predicting the effect of population disturbances, or modeling gene flow. This paper examines the detailed global population structure of Arabidopsis thaliana. Using a set of 5,707 plants collected from around the globe and genotyped at 149 SNPs, we show that while A. thaliana as a species self-fertilizes 97% of the time, there is considerable variation among local groups. This level of outcrossing greatly limits observed heterozygosity but is sufficient to generate considerable local haplotypic diversity. We also find that in its native Eurasian range A. thaliana exhibits continuous isolation by distance at every geographic scale without natural breaks corresponding to classical notions of populations. By contrast, in North America, where it exists as an exotic species, A. thaliana exhibits little or no population structure at a continental scale but local isolation by distance that extends hundreds of km. This suggests a pattern for the development of isolation by distance that can establish itself shortly after an organism fills a new habitat range. It also raises questions about the general applicability of many standard population genetics models. Any model based on discrete clusters of interchangeable individuals will be an uneasy fit to organisms like A. thaliana which exhibit continuous isolation by distance on many scales

Image-based Search and Retrieval for Biface Artefacts using Features Capturing Archaeologically Significant Characteristics

Archaeologists are currently producing huge numbers of digitized photographs to record and preserve artefact finds. These images are used to identify and categorize artefacts and reason about connections between artefacts and perform outreach to the public. However, finding specific types of images within collections remains a major challenge. Often, the metadata associated with images is sparse or is inconsistent. This makes keyword-based exploratory search difficult, leaving researchers to rely on serendipity and slowing down the research process. We present an image-based retrieval system that addresses this problem for biface artefacts. In order to identify artefact characteristics that need to be captured by image features, we conducted a contextual inquiry study with experts in bifaces. We then devised several descriptors for matching images of bifaces with similar artefacts. We evaluated the performance of these descriptors using measures that specifically look at the differences between the sets of images returned by the search system using different descriptors. Through this nuanced approach, we have provided a comprehensive analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the different descriptors and identified implications for design in the search systems for archaeology

Large-scale associations between the leukocyte transcriptome and BOLD responses to speech differ in autism early language outcome subtypes.

Heterogeneity in early language development in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is clinically important and may reflect neurobiologically distinct subtypes. Here, we identified a large-scale association between multiple coordinated blood leukocyte gene coexpression modules and the multivariate functional neuroimaging (fMRI) response to speech. Gene coexpression modules associated with the multivariate fMRI response to speech were different for all pairwise comparisons between typically developing toddlers and toddlers with ASD and poor versus good early language outcome. Associated coexpression modules were enriched in genes that are broadly expressed in the brain and many other tissues. These coexpression modules were also enriched in ASD-associated, prenatal, human-specific, and language-relevant genes. This work highlights distinctive neurobiology in ASD subtypes with different early language outcomes that is present well before such outcomes are known. Associations between neuroimaging measures and gene expression levels in blood leukocytes may offer a unique in vivo window into identifying brain-relevant molecular mechanisms in ASD

The dark side of technologies: Technostress among users of information and communication technologies

This paper tests the structure and the predictors of two psychological experiences of technostress associated with the use of information and communication technologies (ICT), i.e., technostrain (users report feelings of anxiety, fatigue, scepticism and inefficacy beliefs related to the use of technologies) and technoaddiction (users feel bad due to an excessive and compulsive use of these technologies). The study included a sample of 1072 ICT users (N = 675 nonintensive ICT users and N = 397 intensive ICT users). Results from multigroup confirmatory factor analyses among non-intensive and intensive ICT users showed, as expected, the four-factor structure of technostrain in both samples. Secondly, and also as expected, confirmatory factorial analyses revealed that technostress experiences are characterized not only by technostrain but also by an excessive and compulsive use of ICT. Moreover, multiple analyses of variance showed significant differences between non-intensive and intensive ICT users (1) in the dimensions of technostress and (2) in specific job demands and job/personal resources. Finally, linear multiple regression analyses revealed that technostrain is positively predicted by work overload, role ambiguity, emotional overload, mobbing and obstacles hindering ICT use, as well as by lack of autonomy, transformational leadership, social support, ICT use facilitators and mental competences. Work overload, role ambiguity and mobbing, as well as the lack of emotional competences, positively predict technoaddiction. Theoretical and practical implications, in addition to future research, are discussed

Systematic review and meta-analysis of the diagnostic accuracy of ultrasonography for deep vein thrombosis

Background Ultrasound (US) has largely replaced contrast venography as the definitive diagnostic test for deep vein thrombosis (DVT). We aimed to derive a definitive estimate of the diagnostic accuracy of US for clinically suspected DVT and identify study-level factors that might predict accuracy. Methods We undertook a systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression of diagnostic cohort studies that compared US to contrast venography in patients with suspected DVT. We searched Medline, EMBASE, CINAHL, Web of Science, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Cochrane Controlled Trials Register, Database of Reviews of Effectiveness, the ACP Journal Club, and citation lists (1966 to April 2004). Random effects meta-analysis was used to derive pooled estimates of sensitivity and specificity. Random effects meta-regression was used to identify study-level covariates that predicted diagnostic performance. Results We identified 100 cohorts comparing US to venography in patients with suspected DVT. Overall sensitivity for proximal DVT (95% confidence interval) was 94.2% (93.2 to 95.0), for distal DVT was 63.5% (59.8 to 67.0), and specificity was 93.8% (93.1 to 94.4). Duplex US had pooled sensitivity of 96.5% (95.1 to 97.6) for proximal DVT, 71.2% (64.6 to 77.2) for distal DVT and specificity of 94.0% (92.8 to 95.1). Triplex US had pooled sensitivity of 96.4% (94.4 to 97.1%) for proximal DVT, 75.2% (67.7 to 81.6) for distal DVT and specificity of 94.3% (92.5 to 95.8). Compression US alone had pooled sensitivity of 93.8 % (92.0 to 95.3%) for proximal DVT, 56.8% (49.0 to 66.4) for distal DVT and specificity of 97.8% (97.0 to 98.4). Sensitivity was higher in more recently published studies and in cohorts with higher prevalence of DVT and more proximal DVT, and was lower in cohorts that reported interpretation by a radiologist. Specificity was higher in cohorts that excluded patients with previous DVT. No studies were identified that compared repeat US to venography in all patients. Repeat US appears to have a positive yield of 1.3%, with 89% of these being confirmed by venography. Conclusion Combined colour-doppler US techniques have optimal sensitivity, while compression US has optimal specificity for DVT. However, all estimates are subject to substantial unexplained heterogeneity. The role of repeat scanning is very uncertain and based upon limited data