Political Orientation, Media Consumption and Workplace Incivility during the 2012 American Presidential Election

The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which employees’ election season consumption of political media affects their perception and instigation of politically-motivated workplace incivility. Participants (N = 895; 81.2% White) enrolled a multi-wave longitudinal survey during the 2012 U.S. Presidential election and completed measures of political orientation, workplace incivility, and media consumption. Providing mixed support for our hypotheses, results indicated that consumption of pro-attitudinal political media was related to out-group mistreatment only for more conservative employees. Consumption of counter-attitudinal political media, on the other hand, was predictive of in-group mistreatment for both liberal and conservative employees. We discuss these findings in light of emerging research on political orientation as an important social identity and the unique and unstable social positions of political groups during elections

Finding the ‘Sweet Spot’ for reproductive performance in north Australian beef herds

We know that nutrition has a dominating effect on the reproductive performance of beef breeding females, but the level of pasture utilisation required for optimal cow herd production in northern Australia is unknown. We are using existing datasets to: 1) quantify the effect of pasture utilisation rates on reproductive performance (pregnancy, lactating cows pregnant within four months, calf loss and weaning percentage); 2) improve the capacity of existing models to predict cow performance and economics of herd management; and 3) recommend management to improve cow herd performance, production and profitability while maintaining the land and pasture resource for different land types and regions in northern Australia

Neurological soft signs in obsessive-compulsive disorder: two empirical studies and meta-analysis

Neurological soft signs (NSS) have been inconsistently reported in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) but may make an impact on treatment response. Method: The current study examined the presence of NSS in two independent European samples of OCD patients (combined 85 patients and 88 matched healthy controls) using a standardized instrument and conducted a meta-analysis of all published studies identified in the literature with the aim to provide a more definitive answer to the question of whether OCD patients are characterized by increased NSS. Results Both empirical studies found elevated NSS scores in patients compared with matched controls. The results of the meta-analysis, which included 15 studies (combined 498 patients and 520 controls) showed large effect sizes (Hedges' g=1.27, 95% confidence interval 0.80-1.75), indicating that OCD patients have significantly higher rates of NSS than matched controls on both sides of the body and in multiple domains (motor coordination, sensory integration and primitive reflexes). The results were robust and remained largely unchanged in our reliability analyses, which controlled for possible outliers. Meta-regression was employed to examine the role of potential variables of interest including sociodemographic variables, symptom severity, medication effects and the use of different instruments, but none of these variables was clearly associated with NSS. Conclusions: As a group, OCD patients are characterized by increased rates of NSS, compared with healthy controls. However, their origins and potential clinical importance remain to be clarified. Future directions for research are discussed

Evaluation of minerals policy statements

The Planning White Paper: Planning for a Sustainable Future published in 2007, set out proposals for streamlining planning policy. In this context research was commissioned by the Department for Communities and Local Government in January 2010, to undertake an evaluation of the implementation of mineral policy statements for England in order to inform any possible future review. The objectives were to: 1. Separate the ‘policy’ and ‘guidance’ components for specific Minerals Policy Statements (MPSs) / Minerals Planning Guidance Notes (MPGs) in order to assess the relative proportions of each. The documents assessed were MPS1, MPS2, MPG3, MPG5, MPG7, MPG10, MPG13 and MPG15. 2. Determine the uptake of national minerals policies in Regional Strategies (RSs) and local planning documents, and their application through development (management) control. 3. Identify any barriers to the effective implementation of national minerals policy. 4. Identify any policies which require review, clarification or amendment in the light of legislation, local practice or interpretation. 5. Identify partners’ preferred style and format for national minerals policy which will allow Government to most effectively deliver its objectives for minerals planning. 6. Undertake a strategic level review of legislation, policy and strategies that have been introduced since November 2006, when MPS1: Planning and Minerals was published, in order to identify those that may have an impact on existing minerals policy. The research was informed by extensive document analysis accompanied by two focus group workshops, a questionnaire and interviews

Automotive Cybersecurity

Industries, regulators, and consumers alike see cybersecurity as an ongoing challenge in our digital world. Protecting and defending computer assets against malicious attacks is a part of our everyday lives. From personal computing devices to online financial transactions to sensitive healthcare data, cyber crimes can affect anyone. As technology becomes more deeply embedded into cars in general, securing the global automotive infrastructure from cybercriminals who want to steal data and take control of automated systems for malicious purposes becomes a top priority for the industry. Systems and components that govern safety must be protected from harmful attacks, unauthorized access, damage, or anything else that might interfere with safety functions.Используемые программы Adobe AcrobatОтрасли, регулирующие органы и потребители в равной степени рассматривают кибербезопасность как постоянную проблему в нашем цифровом мире. Защита компьютерных ресурсов от вредоносных атак является частью нашей повседневной жизни. Киберпреступления могут затронуть любого - от персональных компьютерных устройств до онлайн-финансовых транзакций и конфиденциальных медицинских данных. По мере того как технологии все глубже внедряются в автомобили в целом, защита глобальной автомобильной инфраструктуры от киберпреступников, которые хотят украсть данные и взять под контроль автоматизированные системы в злонамеренных целях, становится главным приоритетом для отрасли. Системы и компоненты, отвечающие за безопасность, должны быть защищены от вредоносных атак, несанкционированного доступа, повреждений или чего-либо еще, что может нарушить функции безопасности