Experienced Utility versus Decision Utility: Putting the 'S' in Satisfaction

Recent research distinguishes an individual's decision utility, inferred from her observed choices, from her experienced utility, which more closely matches the notion of happiness. Using various estimation techniques with a unique experimental data set, we test whether post-choice satisfaction (experienced utility), like decision utility, is S-shaped with loss aversion around a given reference point. We also present a model which estimates the satisfaction function and reference point simultaneously. When pooling the data across individuals, we find an S-shaped satisfaction function in which the reference point depends on past payments, social comparisons, and subjective expectations. There is mixed evidence of loss aversion. At the individual level, there is substantial variation in satisfaction function shapes, although the S-shape is common. Though the two notions of utility are distinct, our findings imply that the two are related at a fundamental level.Happiness; Utility; Experiment; Value function; Prospect theory

Implementation and Analysis of the IP Measurement Protocol (IPMP)

The increased size and complexity of the Internet necessitates a more substantial measurement protocol than is currently available. This work explores the IP Measurement Protocol, providing background information, covering the development of a reference implementation, and finally comparing its accuracy, overhead, and ease of implementation to the current generation of protocols used in network measurement. Vmware, a hardware simulation application, was used to simulate a network on which to test IPMP, as well as compare it to current generation tools. Ipmp_ping, a tool written to test IPMP, was pitted against ping and traceroute in order to attain round trip time, one-way delay, and path discovery measurements. The accuracy and overhead of these tools were compared to each other. Although ipmp_ping had more overhead than ping when measuring round trip time, it was just as accurate and more capable. Ipmp_ping proved to be much more efficient than traceroute with similar accuracy. Overall, ipmp_ping was as accurate and had negligibly more or significantly less overhead than the tools it was compared to while providing more functionality and being easy to implement

The Affect Effect: State Affect, Cognitions and IT Usage

This study presents state affect as a necessary theoretical and empirical component of information systems (IS) research models addressing the cognitions regarding, and usage of, information technology (IT). We position state affect as a powerful predictor of trusting cognitions and explain how state affect may also directly impact IT use. We tested our research model using data from 376 users of Microsoft Excel. Results indicate that positive and negative affect influence various trusting cognitions as well as directly impact post-adoptive use intentions. Our findings offer particular implications IS research models intending to comprehensively model cognitions and attitudes regarding IT and IT usage

The impact of education inequality on rheumatoid arthritis risk is mediated by smoking and body mass index: mendelian randomization study

Objective To estimate the causal relationship between educational attainment—as a proxy for socioeconomic inequality—and risk of RA, and quantify the roles of smoking and BMI as potential mediators. Methods Using the largest genome-wide association studies (GWAS), we performed a two‐sample Mendelian randomization (MR) study of genetically predicted educational attainment (instrumented using 1265 variants from 766 345 individuals) and RA (14 361 cases, 43 923 controls). We used two-step MR to quantify the proportion of education’s effect on RA mediated by smoking exposure (as a composite index capturing duration, heaviness and cessation, using 124 variants from 462 690 individuals) and BMI (517 variants, 681 275 individuals), and multivariable MR to estimate proportion mediated by both factors combined. Results Each S.D. increase in educational attainment (4.2 years of schooling) was protective of RA (odds ratio 0.37; 95% CI: 0.31, 0.44). Higher educational attainment was also protective for smoking exposure (β = −0.25 S.D.; 95% CI: −0.26, −0.23) and BMI [β = −0.27 S.D. (∼1.3 kg/m2); 95% CI: −0.31, −0.24]. Smoking mediated 24% (95% CI: 13%, 35%) and BMI 17% (95% CI: 11%, 23%) of the total effect of education on RA. Combined, the two risk factors explained 47% (95% CI: 11%, 82%) of the total effect. Conclusion Higher educational attainment has a protective effect on RA risk. Interventions to reduce smoking and excess adiposity at a population level may reduce this risk, but a large proportion of education’s effect on RA remains unexplained. Further research into other risk factors that act as potentially modifiable mediators are required

Brief Of Law Professors Bruce P. Frohnen, Robert P. George, Alan J. Meese, Michael P. Moreland, Nathan B. Oman, Michael Stokes Paulsen, Rodney K. Smith, Steven D. Smith, And O. Carter Snead As Amici Curiae In Support Of Petitioners

Suppose a federal law required government officials to enter a Catholic church and use church property to distribute contraceptives and abortifacients over church’s objection. Such a law would surely burden the church’s religion, even if the government paid for the objectionable medications and compensated the church for the use of its resources. By commandeering church property, such a law would force the church to be complicit in activity to which it has serious religious objection

Modeling the impact of floating oyster (Crassostrea virginica) aquaculture on sediment−water nutrient and oxygen fluxes

Bivalve aquaculture relies on naturally occurring phytoplankton, zooplankton, and detritus as food sources, thereby avoiding external nutrient inputs that are commonly associated with finfish aquaculture. High filtration rates and concentrated bivalve biomass within aquacul- ture operations, however, result in intense biodeposition of particulate organic matter (POM) on surrounding sediments, with potential adverse environmental impacts. Estimating the net deposi- tional flux is difficult in shallow waters due to methodological constraints and dynamic processes such as resuspension and advection. In this study, we combined sediment trap deployments with simulations from a mechanistic sediment flux model to estimate seasonal POM deposition, resus- pension, and processing within sediments in the vicinity of an eastern oyster Crassostrea virginica farm in the Choptank River, Maryland, USA. The model is the stand-alone version of a 2-layer sediment flux model currently implemented within larger models for understanding ecosystem responses to nutrient management. Modeled sediment−water fluxes were compared to observed denitrification rates and nitrite + nitrate (NO2 −+NO3 −), phosphate (PO4 3−) and dissolved O2 fluxes. Model-derived estimates of POM deposition, which represent POM incorporated and processed within the sediment, comprised a small fraction of the material collected in sediment traps. These results highlight the roles of biodeposit resuspension and transport in effectively removing oyster biodeposits away from this particular farm, resulting in a highly diminished local environmental impact. This study highlights the value of sediment models as a practical tool for computing inte- grated measures of nitrogen cycling as a function of seasonal dynamics in the vicinity of aquaculture operations

Synergistic induction of apoptosis by simultaneous disruption of the Bcl-2 and MEK/MAPK pathways in acute myelogenous leukemia

: Recent studies suggest that the Bcl-2 and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways together confer an aggressive, apoptosis-resistant phenotype on acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) cells. In this study, we analyzed the effects of simultaneous inhibition of these 2 pathways. In AML cell lines with constitutively activated MAPK, MAPK kinase (MEK) blockade by PD184352 strikingly potentiated the apoptosis induced by the small-molecule Bcl-2 inhibitor HA14-1 or by Bcl-2 antisense oligonucleotides. Isobologram analysis confirmed the synergistic nature of this interaction. Moreover, MEK blockade overcame Bcl-2 overexpression-mediated resistance to the proapoptotic effects of HA14-1. Most importantly, simultaneous exposure to PD184352 significantly (P =.01) potentiated HA14-1-mediated inhibition of clonogenic growth in all primary AML samples tested. These findings show that the Bcl-2 and MAPK pathways are relevant molecular targets in AML and that their concurrent inhibition could be developed into a new therapeutic strategy for this disease

Taxonomic revision of true morels (Morchella) in Canada and the United States

Recent molecular phylogenetic studies have revealed the existence of at least 50 species of Morchella worldwide and demonstrated a high degree of continental endemism within the genus. Here we describe 19 phylogenetic species of Morchella from North America, 14 of which are new (M. diminutiva, M. virginiana, M. esculentoides, M. prava, M. cryptica, M. frustrata, M. populiphila, M. sextelata, M. septimelata, M. capitata, M. importuna, M. snyderi, M. brunnea and M. septentrionalis). Existing species names (M. rufobrunnea, M. tomentosa, M. punctipes and M. angusticeps) are applied to four phylogenetic species, and formal description of one species (M. sp. Mel-8 ) is deferred pending study of additional material. Methods for assessing morphological features in Morchella are delineated, and a key to the known phylogenetic species of Morchella in North America is provided. Type studies of M. crassistipa, M. hotsonii, M. angusticeps and M. punctipes are provided. Morchella crassistipa is designated nomen dubium

Taxonomic revision of true morels (Morchella) in Canada and the United States

Recent molecular phylogenetic studies have revealed the existence of at least 50 species of Morchella worldwide and demonstrated a high degree of continental endemism within the genus. Here we describe 19 phylogenetic species of Morchella from North America, 14 of which are new (M. diminutiva, M. virginiana, M. esculentoides, M. prava, M. cryptica, M. frustrata, M. populiphila, M. sextelata, M. septimelata, M. capitata, M. importuna, M. snyderi, M. brunnea and M. septentrionalis). Existing species names (M. rufobrunnea, M. tomentosa, M. punctipes and M. angusticeps) are applied to four phylogenetic species, and formal description of one species (M. sp. Mel-8 ) is deferred pending study of additional material. Methods for assessing morphological features in Morchella are delineated, and a key to the known phylogenetic species of Morchella in North America is provided. Type studies of M. crassistipa, M. hotsonii, M. angusticeps and M. punctipes are provided. Morchella crassistipa is designated nomen dubium