Reduction and analysis of VLA maps for 281 radio-loud quasars using the UNLV Cray Y-MP supercomputer

The identification of distorted radio-loud quasars provides a potentially very powerful tool for basic cosmological studies. If large morphological distortions are correlated with membership of the quasars in rich clusters of galaxies, optical observations can be used to identify rich clusters of galaxies at large redshifts. Hintzen, Ulvestad, and Owen (1983, HUO) undertook a VLA A array snapshot survey at 20 cm of 123 radio-loud quasars, and they found that among triple sources in their sample, 17 percent had radio axes which were bent more than 20 deg and 5 percent were bent more than 40 deg. Their subsequent optical observations showed that excess galaxy densities within 30 arcsec of 6 low-redshift distorted quasars were on average 3 times as great as those around undistorted quasars (Hintzen 1984). At least one of the distorted quasars observed, 3C275.1, apparently lies in the first-ranked galaxy at the center of a rich cluster of galaxies (Hintzen and Romanishin, 1986). Although their sample was small, these results indicated that observations of distorted quasars could be used to identify clusters of galaxies at large redshifts. The purpose of this project is to increase the available sample of distorted quasars to allow optical detection of a significant sample of quasar-associated clusters of galaxies at large redshifts

Interview of Paul Joslin, F.S.C.

Brother Paul Joslin was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on September 3, 1946. He grew up in Colwyn, Delaware Country, Pennsylvania which is adjacent to southwest Philadelphia. He attended West Philadelphia Catholic High School for Boys where he was introduced to the Lasallian Christians Brothers. During the middle of Brother Paul’s junior year of high school, he became a Juniorate and on June 15, 1964 became a Novitiate in the Christian Brothers. Brother Paul studied Spanish at LaSalle University, then LaSalle College, as an undergraduate from 1965 – 1969. He earned a Masters degree in Spanish from Millersville University of Pennsylvania, then Millersville College, in 1974. During his vocation as a Christian Brother, Brother Paul has taught Spanish and religion at Archbishop Carroll High School in Radnor, Pennsylvania, Calvert Hall Catholic High School in Towson, Maryland, West Philadelphia Catholic High School for Boys in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, a Christian Brother’s school in Chiquimula, Guatemala, the Colegio de la Salle in Huehuetenango, Guatemala and Hudson Catholic High School in Jersey City, New Jersey. Brother Paul currently lives at the Christian Brother’s house at Hudson Catholic High School in Jersey City, New Jersey. The interview discusses Brother James Miller, a Christian Brother who was murdered in Guatemala in 1982

Self-reported reasons for moral decisions

Many investigations of moral decision-making employ hypothetical scenarios in which each participant has to choose between two options. One option is usually deemed “utilitarian” and the other either “non-utilitarian” or “deontological”. Very little has been done to establish the validity of such measures. It is unclear what they measure, let alone how well they do so. In this exploratory study, participants were asked about the reasons for their decisions in six hypothetical scenarios. Various concerns contributed to each decision. Action decisions occurred when utilitarian concerns dominated. Bystanding decisions resulted from different concerns or combinations of concerns dominating in different situations, with utilitarianism usually among participants’ concerns. None of the labels usually used for either decision therefore seems entirely appropriate. Five concerns were identified as necessary and sufficient to predict over 85% of participants’ decisions. This suggests great promise for future research, particularly in investigation of real-world moral decisions

Is neurosurgery referral warranted for small brain aneurysms?

The risk of rupture of a small cerebral aneurysm (<10 mm) is very low in asymptomatic patients who have never had a subarachnoid hemorrhage. Because the risk of morbidity and mortality from surgical intervention significantly exceeds that of nonsurgical monitoring for this group, primary care physicians do not need to refer patients with this condition to a neurosurgeon for clipping (strength of recommendation [SOR]: B, based on cohort and case-control studies). For patients managed conservatively, annual office follow-up and imaging evaluation should be considered, and is necessary if a specific symptom should arise (SOR: C, based on expert opinion)

Using Relational Database Software To Prepare An Archival Dataset For Importation Into A Statistical Analysis Package

Researchers frequently find that archival data that they need to test their theoretical models must undergo a variety of preparatory steps before the data are ready to be loaded into their favorite statistical analysis package.&nbsp; Although some powerful software tools and techniques to handle such data preparation do exist and are relatively easy to learn, many researchers remain unaware of them.&nbsp; The purpose of this paper is to introduce some of these data preparation tools and techniques by use of a hands-on demonstration.&nbsp; The demonstration begins with data embedded in a Web page and shows how a spreadsheet, a word processor, and the SQL language from a relational database can be used to make the extracted &ldquo;ready for prime-time.&rdquo;&nbsp; The original Web page data for the demonstration can be downloaded from the authors&rsquo; web page; the software packages used to prepare the data are MS Excel, MS Word, and MS Access.&nbsp; Although SPSS is used for the statistical analysis described in the final phase of the process, readers do not have to have this software to benefit from the demonstration.&nbsp; Any statistical analysis package could be used

Communication And Research Skills In The Information Systems Curriculum: A Method Of Assessment

Assessment of learning goals has become the norm in business programs in higher education across the country.&nbsp; This paper offers a methodology for the assessment of both communication skills and research skills within a curriculum of the Bachelor of Science in Information Systems Program.&nbsp; Program level learning goals assessed in this paper are: (1) To be able to effectively communicate complex information system and business concepts both orally and in writing, (2) &nbsp;To be able to do research of the IS literature that will allow life-long learning in the field, and (3) To understand both individual and group dynamics of project teams.&nbsp;&nbsp; The discussion of each of the three learning goals includes: (1) the assessment methodology, (2) the assessment results and (3) recommendations on how to close-the-loop.&nbsp

Data Preparation 101: How To Use Query-By-Example To Get Your Research Dataset Ready For Primetime

Researchers are often distressed to discover that the data they wanted to use in their landmark study is not configured in a way that is usable by a Statistical Analysis Software Package (SASP). For example, the data needed may come from two or more sources and it may not be clear to the researcher how to get them combined into one analyzable dataset. Fortunately, there is hope. The query facility within database management software (DBMS), such as Microsoft Access, is particularly well-equipped to do the data reconfigurations necessary to get datasets ready for a SASP. Unfortunately, most researchers have either never been exposed to a DBMS or are unaware of the powerful data-transforming queries that they can perform. The purpose of this paper is to introduce researchers to some very helpful and relatively easy to learn techniques for solving common dataset misconfiguration problems. It is presented in three sets of hands-on examples: (1) how to import a dataset from an electronic spreadsheet into a database table, (2) how to use an easy-to-learn DBMS facility called Query-By-Example (QBE) to perform specific data reconfiguration tasks, and (3) how to import the reconfigured dataset from the DBMS into a SASP. The software used is MS Excel, MS Access, and SPSS (originally called Statistical Package for the Social Sciences). The examples are presented step-by-step so that the reader can follow along using files downloadable from the authors websit

The effect of self-identity alongside perceived importance within the theory of planned behaviour

Self-identity often predicts behavioural intentions after standard theory of planned behaviour (TPB) components are accounted for (Rise, Sheeran, & Hukkelberg, 2010). However, Fishbein and Ajzen (2010) claim this is due to conceptual similarity between self-identity and perceived importance of the behaviour. We examined this claim within the context of recycling food waste. Participants (N = 113) completed questionnaires assessing intentions, attitude, perceived behavioural control, perceived norms, perceived importance, self-identity, and past behaviour. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated that self-identity and perceived importance were distinct constructs. Further, after accounting for TPB components and perceived importance, self-identity explained a significant amount of additional variance in intentions. The present findings therefore do not support Fishbein and Ajzen’s (2010) argument against the predictive utility of self-identity