Of Cherries, Fudge, and Onions: Science and Its Courtroom Perversion

The thesis of this article is that the Supreme Court decision in Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals, Inc.\u27s focus on the scientific method, however rigorously applied, invites certain classes of abuses. There are instances in which evidence can be made to look more scientific by a process that in fact and substance makes is utterly unscientific

Demographic and psychological variables affecting test subject evaluations of ride quality

Ride-quality experiments similar in objectives, design, and procedure were conducted, one using the U.S. Air Force Total In-Flight Simulator and the other using the Langley Passenger Ride Quality Apparatus to provide the motion environments. Large samples (80 or more per experiment) of test subjects were recruited from the Tidewater Virginia area and asked to rate the comfort (on a 7-point scale) of random aircraft motion typical of that encountered during STOL flights. Test subject characteristics of age, sex, and previous flying history (number of previous airplane flights) were studied in a two by three by three factorial design. Correlations were computed between one dependent measure, the subject's mean comfort rating, and various demographic characteristics, attitudinal variables, and the scores on Spielberger's State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. An effect of sex was found in one of the studies. Males made higher (more uncomfortable) ratings of the ride than females. Age and number of previous flights were not significantly related to comfort ratings. No significant interactions between the variables of age, sex, or previous number of flights were observed

RP Process Selection for Rapid Tooling in Sand Casting

The significant cycle-time improvements and geometrical capabilities of solid freeform fabrication systems have led to applications in sand casting industry for design verification and tooling. The time and cost effective deployment of rapid tooling processes using rapid prototyping technology has thus becoming an emerging area to be studied. To make full use of the advantages of rapid prototyping processes, the factors influencing the tooling approach must be identified and understood. This understanding is then used to develop a decision-making structure for RP process selection for rapid tooling in sand casting. In this manuscript we review our work in evaluating and building a framework for tooling process selection for sand castingMechanical Engineerin

ORGANIZATIONAL COGNITION AS INTERVENED BY ORGANIZATIONAL SUPPORT AND ENGAGEMENT ON MEDICAL CODERS’ EXHIBITION OF ORGANIZATIONAL CITIZENSHIP BEHAVIORS

Informed by the social cognitive theory and social exchange theory, this study examined medical coders’ evaluation of organizational cognition in the presence or perception of organizational support and organization engagement and their resultant behavior. The reciprocal exchanges present in the employee and organization relationship are identified, as positive valuations facilitate mutually beneficial outcomes. Specifically, the examination of cognitions, implicit employee judgments, and behaviors provide a framework to examine the state of engagement and its related outcomes. The use of perceived organizational support and organization engagement as intervening variables provided insight into the complex relationships between medical coding employees’ evaluation of organizational cognition and their exhibition of organizational citizenship behaviors in the context of U.S. healthcare. The a priori non-experiment survey design quantitatively examined the employee and organization exchanges that are implicit in the workplace and supported by theory and empirical research. This study found a statistically and practically significant effect for the higher order factor organizational cognition as intervened by perceived organizational support and organization engagement on the outcome of organizational citizenship behavior. The establishment of a multi-step intervening model highlighted the importance of the exchanges that are ongoing in an employee and organization relationship. In addition, examining perceived organizational support as a serial intervening variable with organization engagement provided a conceptual bridge beyond viewing the construct as just a resource. This study theoretically implies that perceived organizational support and engagement are inextricably tied, as the employee and organization relationship is facilitated by ongoing exchanges. Furthermore, engagement research modeling organizationally centric factors acknowledges the psychological valuations that employees undergo that influence behavior. Lastly, this study offers practical insight for promoting a supportive workplace environment that is distributively and procedurally just, offers growth opportunities, and has identified performance expectations. Medical coding employees who feel supported by the organization are more likely to be engaged and go above and beyond their assigned duties in the interest of themselves and the organization

Fixation of virgin lunar surface soil

Two systems are shown to be suitable for fixing loose particulate soils with a polymer film, without visually detectable disturbance of the soil particle spatial relationships. A two-component system is described, which uses a gas monomer condensible at the soil temperature and a gas phase catalyst acting to polymerize the monomer. A one-component system using a monomer which polymerizes spontaneously on and within the top few millimeters of the soil is also considered. The two-component system employs a simpler apparatus, but it operates over a narrower temperature range (approximately -40 to -10 C). Other two-component systems were identified which may operate at soil temperatures as high as +100 C, at relatively narrow temperature ranges of approximately 30 C. The one-component system was demonstrated to operate successfully with initial soil temperatures from -70 C or lower to +150 C