A Critique of Lee Loevinger\u27s Jurimetrics - The Next Step Forward

In my days as an undergraduate studying history at Mount Allison, a professor from one of the large American universities visited the campus and told us of Operation Ben Franklin . A group of eminent historians were engaged in a project whose aim was to electronically re-create the great statesman using the scientific method. Using primary sources such as diaries, letters and documents, and secondary sources such as printed books and journals, in short all available data, the group with the aid of computers was collecting and dissecting Franklin\u27s writings. The goal was to produce each step his mind took in his many experimentations and piece together every fact connected with his diplomatic career. Not content with this, the historians were bent on producing a record of what he did during each and every day of his life. Moreover, they analyzed and recorded the contents of each book in the man\u27s extensive Library along with the minutiae of the current events of Franklin\u27s era, all in an effort to recreate his mind. Rigorous control methods were used to ensure the most accurate probabilities. The project, employing dozens of people and costing millions of dollars, was to last well into the next century and unless common sense has prevailed, it no doubt continues

A Study of the Dynamics of Cardiac Ischemia using Experimental and Modeling Approaches

The dynamics of cardiac ischemia was investigated using experimental studies and computer simulations. An experimental model consisting of an isolated and perfused canine heart with full control over blood flow rate to a targeted coronary artery was used in the experimental study and a realistically shaped computer model of a canine heart, incorporating anisotropic conductivity and realistic fiber orientation, was used in the simulation study. The phenomena investigated were: (1) the influence of fiber rotation on the epicardial potentials during ischemia and (2) the effect of conductivity changes during a period of sustained ischemia. Comparison of preliminary experimental and computer simulation results suggest that as the ischemic region grows from the endocardium towards the epicardium, the epicardial potential patterns follow the rotating fiber orientation in the myocardium. Secondly, in the experimental studies it was observed that prolonged ischemia caused a subsequent reduction in the magnitude of epicardial potentials. Similar results were obtained from the computer model when the conductivity of the tissue in the ischemic region was reduce

Non-constructive interval simulation of dynamic systems

Publisher PD

Behaviour of the MgII 2798AA Line Over the Full Range of AGN Variability

We investigate the responsiveness of the 2798AA Mg II broad emission line in AGN on timescales of several years. Our study is based on a sample of extremely variable AGN as well as a broad population sample. The observed response of the line in previous studies has been mixed. By focussing on extreme variability ($|\Delta g|>$ 1) we find that Mg II clearly does respond to the continuum. However, the degree of responsiveness varies strikingly from one object to another; we see cases of Mg II changing by as much as the continuum, more than the continuum, or very little at all. In 74% of the highly variable sample the behaviour of Mg II corresponds with that of H$\beta$, with 30% of the objects showing large variations in both lines. We do not detect any change in the line width that would correspond to Broad Line Region `breathing', in accordance with results from literature. Some of the objects in our highly variable sample show a clear asymmetry in the Mg II profile. This skewness can be both to the blue and the red of the line centre. Results from our broad population sample show that highly variable quasars have lower Eddington ratios. This result holds for the variability of the continuum, but the correlation is significantly reduced for the variability of the Mg II line. For the first time, we present an overview of the value of the intrinsic Baldwin Effect for Mg II in a large sample.Comment: 22 pages, 21 figure

Inducing a Stroop Effect

We examine the conditions that lead to Stroop interference for a meaningless linguistic label. Tiffany's cognitive model of drug abuse implies that individuals will respond more slowly to drug-related words compared to neutral words in an emotional Stroop task, because the former have many automatic associations (e.g. positive expectancies). To examine this proposal, we trained participants to associate a meaningless label with either one other word or several other words and examined the induced Stroop interference for these meaningless labels. In two experiments, and contrary to expectations from Tiffany's work, we observed greatest Stroop interference for the meaningless label with just one association. These results are discussed in terms of associative learning theory

Knowledge economy and the social economy : university support for community enterprise development as a strategy for economic regeneration in distressed regions in Canada and Mexico

Meeting: Triple Helix Conference, 3 Jan. 1996, Amsterdam, N

Cr:ZnSe laser incorporating anti-reflection microstructures exhibiting low-loss, damage-resistant lasing at near quantum limit efficiency

We report demonstration of efficient continuous-wave lasing from chromium-doped zinc selenide using anti-reflection microstructures (ARMs) in place of thin-film AR coatings or Brewster angle cavity geometries. ARM textures are more resistant to laser-induced damage than coatings, exhibit low-loss, wide angular acceptance, broad wavelength effectiveness, and are not susceptible to water absorption. Slope-efficiencies of 68% were achieved, which compares favorably to the thin-film control samples at 58% for the same cavity. ARMs hold promise for near-term power scaling and wavelength agility of transition-metal-ion doped II-VI lasers

The impact of immunization on the association between poverty and child survival: Evidence from Kassena-Nankana District of northern Ghana

Research conducted in Africa has demonstrated consistently that parental poverty and low educational attainment adversely affect child survival. Relative poverty has a pronounced effect on the survival of children, even in a setting where nearly all families are poor. Results from the research presented in the working paper lend strong support to the United Nations’ goal of reducing excess childhood mortality among the poor by directing a particular focus on immunization. Findings in this working paper show that the adverse effects of poverty disappear and that the effects of educational attainment are reduced in survival models that control for immunization status. This finding lends empirical support to policies that promote immunization as a strategic component of poverty-reduction programs