947 research outputs found
NEEMIS : text of governors presentation of October 6, 1975
Prepared in association with the Alfred P. Sloan School of ManagementThis is the text of a presentation given to the six New England
governors on November 7, 1975. The presentation focused on explaining
how the New England Energy Management Information System (NEEMIS) has
helped the region, what it is, how it will continue to help the region,
what unique technology made it possible, what shall be done in the future,
and a demonstration of one application
Regulation of motor vehicle advertising: toward a framework for compliance research
There is concern that certain content within some motor vehicle television advertising may negatively influence the driving attitudes and behaviours of viewers, particularly young people, and hence have a negative impact on road safety. In recognition of this concern, many developed countries have adopted a self-regulatory approach to motor vehicle advertising. The basic elements of self-regulation are a code of practice or guiding principles governing advertising content and the establishment of a process for hearing and adjudicating complaints about alleged breaches of that code. However, as in other areas, the effectiveness of self-regulation is being questioned in that many motor vehicle advertisements in Australia and elsewhere appear non-compliant with self-regulatory codes. Applying lessons from studies of alcohol advertising, this paper first reviews the research assessing the content of motor vehicle advertising. A suggested research framework is then proposed to inform the development of motor vehicle advertising regulatory codes where they do not exist, and to better monitor compliance with codes where they do exist. The research framework suggested includes expert content analysis of ads, the impact of advertising on risk-taking cognitions and decisions in computer-simulated traffic situations, and assessing audience perceptions of, and reactions to, messages in advertisements mapped against regulatory code content. An example of audience reaction research is also presented
3D MAS NMR Experiment Utilizing Through-Space
We demonstrate a novel 3D NNC magic angle spinning NMR experiment that generates Ā¹āµNāĀ¹āµN internuclear contacts in protein systems using an optimized Ā¹āµNāĀ¹āµN proton assisted recoupling (PAR) mixing period and a Ā¹Ā³C dimension for improved resolution. The optimized PAR condition permits the acquisition of high signal-to-noise 3D data that enables backbone chemical shift assignments using a strategy that is complementary to current schemes. The spectra can also provide distance constraints. The utility of the experiment is demonstrated on an MāAĪ²āāāā fibril sample that yields high-quality data that is readily assigned and interpreted. The 3D NNC experiment therefore provides a powerful platform for solid-state protein studies and is broadly applicable to a variety of systems and experimental conditions.National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (U.S.) (Grant EB-001960)National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (U.S.) (Grant EB-002026
Perfectionistic profiles among elite athletes and differences in their motivational orientations
Although there is an emerging body of research that has examined perfectionistic clusters in the general population, few studies have explored such profiles in athlete samples. The purposes of this research were to explore perfectionistic profiles within a sample of elite athletes and the differences between them on key motivational variables. A sample of 423 elite athletes (179 males, 244 females) aged between 14 and 66 years (M = 25.64; SD = 8.57) from a variety of team (e.g., rowing, hockey, baseball, rugby) and individual sports (e.g., cycling, athletics, triathlon, gymnastics) completed a multisection questionnaire including measures of sport perfectionism, motivation regulation, achievement goals, and fear of failure. Cluster analyses revealed the existence of three perfectionism profiles, namely, nonperfectionists, maladaptive perfectionists, and adaptive perfectionists. Subsequent analyses generally supported the robustness of these perfectionism profiles in terms of differential motivational orientations (achievement goals, fear of failure, and motivation regulation) in hypothesized directions. Overall, the differences in motivational orientations between the three clusters supported a categorical conceptualization of perfectionism
Classifying short genomic fragments from novel lineages using composition and homology
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The assignment of taxonomic attributions to DNA fragments recovered directly from the environment is a vital step in metagenomic data analysis. Assignments can be made using <it>rank-specific </it>classifiers, which assign reads to taxonomic labels from a predetermined level such as named species or strain, or <it>rank-flexible </it>classifiers, which choose an appropriate taxonomic rank for each sequence in a data set. The choice of rank typically depends on the optimal model for a given sequence and on the breadth of taxonomic groups seen in a set of close-to-optimal models. Homology-based (<it>e.g</it>., LCA) and composition-based (<it>e.g</it>., PhyloPythia, TACOA) rank-flexible classifiers have been proposed, but there is at present no hybrid approach that utilizes both homology and composition.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We first develop a hybrid, rank-specific classifier based on BLAST and NaĆÆve Bayes (NB) that has comparable accuracy and a faster running time than the current best approach, PhymmBL. By substituting LCA for BLAST or allowing the inclusion of suboptimal NB models, we obtain a rank-flexible classifier. This hybrid classifier outperforms established rank-flexible approaches on simulated metagenomic fragments of length 200 bp to 1000 bp and is able to assign taxonomic attributions to a subset of sequences with few misclassifications. We then demonstrate the performance of different classifiers on an enhanced biological phosphorous removal metagenome, illustrating the advantages of rank-flexible classifiers when representative genomes are absent from the set of reference genomes. Application to a glacier ice metagenome demonstrates that similar taxonomic profiles are obtained across a set of classifiers which are increasingly conservative in their classification.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our NB-based classification scheme is faster than the current best composition-based algorithm, Phymm, while providing equally accurate predictions. The rank-flexible variant of NB, which we term Īµ-NB, is complementary to LCA and can be combined with it to yield conservative prediction sets of very high confidence. The simple parameterization of LCA and Īµ-NB allows for tuning of the balance between more predictions and increased precision, allowing the user to account for the sensitivity of downstream analyses to misclassified or unclassified sequences.</p
Detecting changes in winter precipitation extremes and fluvial flood risk
There is a widely held perception that flood risk has increased across
Europe during the last decade (EEA, 2005). Following extensive flash
flooding in England, the Pitt Review (2008) concluded that: āThe
Summer 2007 floods cannot be attributed directly to climate change, but
they do provide a clear indication of the scale and nature of the severe
weather events we may experience as a resultā. The review further
asserted that, ātimely decisions will allow organisations the flexibility to
choose the most cost-effective measures, rather than being forced to act
urgently and reactively. Early action will also avoid lock-in to long-lived
assets such as buildings and infrastructure which are not resilient to the
changing climateā..
Positively Versus Negatively Framed Product Attributes: The
ABSTRACT Previous studies have shown that the positive framing of a meat product attribute (i.e., 75% lean) results in more positive evaluation of the product than its presumed equivalent negative framing (25% fat). Other framing studies, particularly those dealing with health messages, show mixed results, although there is a tendency in favor of negative framing. Involvement has been hypothesized to account for these conflicting results, in that under high-involvement conditions, negative framing has been found to be superior, with positive framing superior under low-involvement conditions. This article replicates the original meat product study with respect to product attribute framing, and extends this by analyzing the data with respect to subjects' involvement in dietary fat decisions. The study also explores the relationship between framing effects and the influence of the frame on some decision-making reference point
Continuity of heavy Rydberg behaviour in the ungerade ion-pair states of H 2
Heavy Rydberg behaviour and absolute quantum defects are reported for resonances in the ungerade manifold of H2 above the (1s, 3l) dissociation limit. The continuity of the vibrational progression of the B\u27\u27B-bar state through the crossing with the 3p asymptote is demonstrated and a predominantly diabatic picture of the vibrational motion emerges, indicating that the ion-pair resonances possess little 61Ī£u+ state character
Athletesā Beliefs About and Attitudes Towards Taking Banned Performance-Enhancing Substances: A Qualitative Study
Elite athletesā beliefs about, and attitudes toward, taking banned performance enhancing substances were explored in 8 focus-group discussions with 57 athletes from 7 different sports. Discussion was initiated by 3 broad open-ended questions pertaining to 3 important themes likely to affect beliefs and attitudes toward banned performance enhancing substances. Thematic content analysis of interview transcripts revealed 9 lower-order themes emerging under the 3 global themes: personal attitudes (reputation and getting caught, health effects, and financial incentives and rewards), social influences (coaches, parents, and medical staff and sport scientists), and control beliefs (i.e., insufficiency of doping testing, resource availability, and sport level and type). Findings provide insight into the beliefs and attitudes that likely underpin motives and intentions to take banned performance-enhancing substances. Results are generally consistent with, and complement, research adopting quantitative approaches based on socialā cognitive models examining the beliefs and attitudes linked to taking banned performance-enhancing substances
Self-Control, Self-Regulation, and Doping in Sport: A Test of the Strength-Energy Model
We applied the strength-energy model of self-control to understand the relationship between self-control and young athletesā behavioral responses to taking illegal performance-enhancing substances, or ādoping.ā Measures of trait self-control, attitude and intention toward doping, intention toward, and adherence to, doping-avoidant behaviors, and the prevention of unintended doping behaviors were administered to 410 young Australian athletes. Participants also completed a ālollipopā decision-making protocol that simulated avoidance of unintended doping. Hierarchical linear multiple regression analyses revealed that self-control was negatively associated with doping attitude and intention, and positively associated with the intention and adherence to doping-avoidant behaviors, and refusal to take or eat the unfamiliar candy offered in the ālollipopā protocol. Consistent with the strength-energy model, athletes with low self-control were more likely to have heightened attitude and intention toward doping, and reduced intention, behavioral adherence, and awareness of doping avoidance
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