Behavioural Science Application in Vancouver Based Firms

Depuis l'apparition des écoles de relations humaines au cours de la décennie 1930, les théories et les pratiques fondées sur les découvertes de la science des comportements sont devenues de plus en plus complexes. Elles se sont beaucoup développées en Amérique du Nord, en Europe, au Japon, en Australie et même en Russie soviétique. Aux États-Unis, des entreprises comme General Motors, Proctor and Gamble et Texas Instruments ont investi des sommes considérables dans les applications de la science des comportements.Par contre, il y a d'autres groupements qui estiment que les investissements dans le behaviorisme ne sont que lubies et quelques-uns pensent même que les tenants de cette science sont des imposteurs. Ils croient que la recherche à laquelle on se livre pour rétablir les applications de la science des comportements sont contestables lorsqu'on les applique à la réalité tant externe qu'interne.L'auteur principal, un savant en la matière de l'Académie des sciences sociales de Shanghai, a décidé de mener sa propre enquête en collaboration avec un professeur et un assistant de recherches de la faculté de Commerce de l'Université de la Colombie Britannique. Notre « étranger » de la Chine tend à considérer les controverses qui entourent l'utilisation des découvertes de la science des comportements dans les entreprises nord-américaines avec beaucoup d'intérêt, mais aussi avec des sentiments partagés et du scepticisme.L'objet de l'étude était en premier lieu d'identifier les applications de cette science et de ses réalisations dans l'Ouest canadien et, en outre, de refléter les vues disparates de divers groupes à son endroit de façon à déterminer l'applicabilité et la valeur pratique de la science des comportements à l'intérieur de l'entreprise. L'article résume les constatations d'une enquête auprès de 39 entreprises de Vancouver représentant un large éventail de l'activité économique. Cette enquête a consisté en plus de 50 entrevues personnelles avec différents cadres de ces entreprises.La majorité du groupe d'employeurs, qui ont fait l'objet de l'enquête semblent de plus en plus au courant de la signification de la science des comportements. De plus en plus, les cadres supérieurs étaient prêts à consacrer temps et argent pour acquérir une certaine formation en cette matière et beaucoup de spécialistes ont été engagés par des hommes d'affaires pour appliquer leurs connaissances au fonctionnement des entreprises. En même temps, un autre groupe de dirigeants demeuraient sceptiques au sujet de la valeur de cette discipline. Ils n'y voient que « jargon académique », « propos de tour d'ivoire » ou même « pur verbiage ».Si ces opinions contradictoires peuvent être considérées comme résultat de degré de connaissance différent du behaviorisme, les arguments suivants méritent, eux, de retenir l'attention.a) Parmi les syndicalistes et les spécialistes en relations professionnelles, certains estiment que cette science se range toujours du côté des employeurs et que les techniciens en behaviorisme sont leurs serviteurs. Au milieu de la décennie 1970, il y avait même une tendance à l'utiliser comme une arme pour affaiblir les syndicats. Ces gens soutiennent que, idéalement, la science des comportements devrait servir à mettre en valeur les aspects les meilleurs de la culture occidentale de façon à rendre les entreprises plus humaines. Malheureusement, l'utilisation que l'on en fait est trop souvent symbolique et partiale. Dans la situation actuelle, seule la négociation collective et non la science des comportements peut donner aux travailleurs de véritables avantages et une voix réelle au chapitre.b) Les intellectuels de « gauche » considèrent que le behaviorisme ne peut fonctionner sous le régime capitaliste à cause du milieu socio-économique et de la forme de pouvoir qui en découle. Le professeur Nord, auteur deFailure of Current, Applied Behavioral Science. A Marxist Perspective, (1974) a souligné que « la pondération du pouvoir comporte des coûts réels et des risques pour les puissants. En conséquence, la gestion prévisionnelle, la gestion intéressée et autres formules pour abaisser le pouvoir dans la hiérarchie sont destinées à être sujettes à des contre-pressions continuelles. Lorsque les intérêts de ceux qui sont au sommet de la hiérarchie sont menacés, les contrôles sont rétablis et les systèmes sont changés ». Il souligna en outre que, sans un changement radical dans la structure du pouvoir, tout programme de gestion des ressources humaines serait condamné à la faillite. Il faut en présumer que les applications du behaviorisme sont plus efficaces dans les sociétés égalitaires.c) Parmi les spécialistes en behaviorisme, beaucoup considèrent que les applications de cette science peuvent être efficaces dans la mesure où l'on s'appuie sur une analyse approfondie de situations spécifiques. En d'autres termes, ce qui convient dans une entreprise peut être inappropriée dans une autre. Au lieu de s'en tenir aux exigences d'une analyse individualisée de la situation et à des applications taillées sur mesure, trop d'entreprises éblouies par une publicité habile adoptent l'un ou plusieurs de toute une gamme instable de techniques de gestion entremêlées fondées sur les découvertes de la science des comportements. Résultat: certaines entreprises y trouvent désappointement et désillusion. De telles expériences sont malheureuses, mais plutôt que discréditer le behaviorisme normal, elles servent à mettre en lumière l'importance d'une application soignée de découvertes valables. Ainsi, le développement de la science des comportements, plutôt que de présenter une série de hauts et de bas s'accompagnant d'un enthousiasme extravagant et de désenchantement, devrait normalement être considéré comme un processus de développement en évolution qui progresse à un rythme un peu plus lent que nous l'aimerions. Néanmoins, avec le temps, ce processus d'évolution peut produire des changements fondamentaux dans le tissu social d'une culture, comme en témoignent en Amérique du nord les mouvements progressifs vers des formes plus engagées d'interaction sociale tant dans les écoles, les familles, les hôpitaux et les entreprises.Par dessus tout, l'enquête révèle la nécessité évidente d'une compréhension meilleure et plus complète du behaviorisme à l'intérieur des organisations. Ceci peut être considéré à la fois comme un encouragement et un défi à tous les théoriciens et à tous les praticiens de travailler d'un commun accord au développement des applications possibles de la science des comportements.This study aims first at identifying the state of the art of behavioural science applications and its achievements in Western Canada and at reflecting the different views of various parties towards behavioural science so as to help determine the applicability and practical value of behavioural science in the field of management

North Dakota Economic-Demographic Assessment Model (NEDAM): Technical Description

This report describes the logic, structure, data bases, and operational procedures of the North Dakota model.Research Methods/ Statistical Methods,

Activation of PI3-Kinase Is Required for AMPA Receptor Insertion during LTP of mEPSCs in Cultured Hippocampal Neurons

AbstractHippocampal CA1 homosynaptic long-term potentiation (LTP) is expressed specifically at activated synapses. Increased insertion of postsynaptic α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-isoxazole-4-propionic acid receptors (AMPARs) appears to be crucial for CA1 LTP. However, the mechanism underlying AMPAR insertion during LTP remains largely unknown. We now report that phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) is complexed with AMPARs at synapses and activated by selective stimulation of synaptic N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors. Activation of the AMPAR-associated PI3K is required for the increased cell surface expression of AMPARs and LTP. Thus, our results strongly suggest that the AMPAR-PI3K complex may constitute a critical molecular signal responsible for AMPAR insertion at activated CA1 synapses during LTP, and consequently, this lipid kinase may serve to determine the polarity of NMDA receptor-dependent synaptic plasticity

Acoustics and oceanographic observations collected during the QPE Experiment by Research Vessels OR1, OR2 and OR3 in the East China Sea in the Summer of 2009

This document describes data, sensors, and other useful information pertaining to the ONR sponsored QPE field program to quantify, predict and exploit uncertainty in observations and prediction of sound propagation. This experiment was a joint operation between Taiwanese and U.S. researchers to measure and assess uncertainty of predictions of acoustic transmission loss and ambient noise, and to observe the physical oceanography and geology that are necessary to improve their predictability. This work was performed over the continental shelf and slope northeast of Taiwan at two sites: one that was a relatively flat, homogeneous shelf region and a more complex geological site just shoreward of the shelfbreak that was influenced by the proximity of the Kuroshio Current. Environmental moorings and ADCP moorings were deployed and a shipboard SeaSoar vehicle was used to measure environmental spatial structure. In addition, multiple bottom moored receivers and a horizontal hydrophone array were deployed to sample transmission loss from a mobile source and ambient noise. The acoustic sensors, environmental sensors, shipboard resources, and experiment design, and their data, are presented and described in this technical report.Funding was provided by the Office of Naval Research under Contract No. N00014-08-1-076

Bodyweight Perceptions among Texas Women: The Effects of Religion, Race/Ethnicity, and Citizenship Status

Despite previous work exploring linkages between religious participation and health, little research has looked at the role of religion in affecting bodyweight perceptions. Using the theoretical model developed by Levin et al. (Sociol Q 36(1):157–173, 1995) on the multidimensionality of religious participation, we develop several hypotheses and test them by using data from the 2004 Survey of Texas Adults. We estimate multinomial logistic regression models to determine the relative risk of women perceiving themselves as overweight. Results indicate that religious attendance lowers risk of women perceiving themselves as very overweight. Citizenship status was an important factor for Latinas, with noncitizens being less likely to see themselves as overweight. We also test interaction effects between religion and race. Religious attendance and prayer have a moderating effect among Latina non-citizens so that among these women, attendance and prayer intensify perceptions of feeling less overweight when compared to their white counterparts. Among African American women, the effect of increased church attendance leads to perceptions of being overweight. Prayer is also a correlate of overweight perceptions but only among African American women. We close with a discussion that highlights key implications from our findings, note study limitations, and several promising avenues for future research

The connectome of the adult Drosophila mushroom body provides insights into function

Making inferences about the computations performed by neuronal circuits from synapse-level connectivity maps is an emerging opportunity in neuroscience. The mushroom body (MB) is well positioned for developing and testing such an approach due to its conserved neuronal architecture, recently completed dense connectome, and extensive prior experimental studies of its roles in learning, memory, and activity regulation. Here, we identify new components of the MB circuit in Drosophila, including extensive visual input and MB output neurons (MBONs) with direct connections to descending neurons. We find unexpected structure in sensory inputs, in the transfer of information about different sensory modalities to MBONs, and in the modulation of that transfer by dopaminergic neurons (DANs). We provide insights into the circuitry used to integrate MB outputs, connectivity between the MB and the central complex and inputs to DANs, including feedback from MBONs. Our results provide a foundation for further theoretical and experimental work

The connectome of the adult Drosophila mushroom body provides insights into function.

Making inferences about the computations performed by neuronal circuits from synapse-level connectivity maps is an emerging opportunity in neuroscience. The mushroom body (MB) is well positioned for developing and testing such an approach due to its conserved neuronal architecture, recently completed dense connectome, and extensive prior experimental studies of its roles in learning, memory, and activity regulation. Here, we identify new components of the MB circuit in Drosophila, including extensive visual input and MB output neurons (MBONs) with direct connections to descending neurons. We find unexpected structure in sensory inputs, in the transfer of information about different sensory modalities to MBONs, and in the modulation of that transfer by dopaminergic neurons (DANs). We provide insights into the circuitry used to integrate MB outputs, connectivity between the MB and the central complex and inputs to DANs, including feedback from MBONs. Our results provide a foundation for further theoretical and experimental work

Rare high branching pattern from the first part of the right axillary artery

A 77-year-old female cadaver was observed to have a rare branching pattern of the right axillary artery (AA)  The first part of the AA typically gives off only a superior thoracic artery (STA) but was observed to give off three branches in the case: a lateral thoracic artery (LTA), a thoracoacromial trunk (TAT), and a large common trunk (CT). The LTA traveled to provide a variant STA to the 1st and 2nd intercostal spaces. The CT provided an accessory lateral thoracic artery (aLTA) and accessory thoracodorsal artery (aTDA) before bifurcating into a subscapular artery (SA) and posterior humeral circumflex artery (PHCA). As expected, the SA further divided into the circumflex scapular artery (CSA) and thoracodorsal artery (TDA). A pectoral artery and the anterior humeral circumflex artery (AHCA) originated directly from the second and third parts of the AA, respectively. Knowledge of AA branching variations is of great clinical significance to anatomists, radiologists, and surgeons due to the high rate of injury to this artery

Hundreds of variants clustered in genomic loci and biological pathways affect human height

Most common human traits and diseases have a polygenic pattern of inheritance: DNA sequence variants at many genetic loci influence the phenotype. Genome-wide association (GWA) studies have identified more than 600 variants associated with human traits, but these typically explain small fractions of phenotypic variation, raising questions about the use of further studies. Here, using 183,727 individuals, we show that hundreds of genetic variants, in at least 180 loci, influence adult height, a highly heritable and classic polygenic trait. The large number of loci reveals patterns with important implications for genetic studies of common human diseases and traits. First, the 180 loci are not random, but instead are enriched for genes that are connected in biological pathways (P = 0.016) and that underlie skeletal growth defects (P < 0.001). Second, the likely causal gene is often located near the most strongly associated variant: in 13 of 21 loci containing a known skeletal growth gene, that gene was closest to the associated variant. Third, at least 19 loci have multiple independently associated variants, suggesting that allelic heterogeneity is a frequent feature of polygenic traits, that comprehensive explorations of already-discovered loci should discover additional variants and that an appreciable fraction of associated loci may have been identified. Fourth, associated variants are enriched for likely functional effects on genes, being over-represented among variants that alter amino-acid structure of proteins and expression levels of nearby genes. Our data explain approximately 10% of the phenotypic variation in height, and we estimate that unidentified common variants of similar effect sizes would increase this figure to approximately 16% of phenotypic variation (approximately 20% of heritable variation). Although additional approaches are needed to dissect the genetic architecture of polygenic human traits fully, our findings indicate that GWA studies can identify large numbers of loci that implicate biologically relevant genes and pathways.

Classification and biomarker identification using gene network modules and support vector machines

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Classification using microarray datasets is usually based on a small number of samples for which tens of thousands of gene expression measurements have been obtained. The selection of the genes most significant to the classification problem is a challenging issue in high dimension data analysis and interpretation. A previous study with SVM-RCE (Recursive Cluster Elimination), suggested that classification based on groups of correlated genes sometimes exhibits better performance than classification using single genes. Large databases of gene interaction networks provide an important resource for the analysis of genetic phenomena and for classification studies using interacting genes.</p> <p>We now demonstrate that an algorithm which integrates network information with recursive feature elimination based on SVM exhibits good performance and improves the biological interpretability of the results. We refer to the method as SVM with Recursive Network Elimination (SVM-RNE)</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Initially, one thousand genes selected by t-test from a training set are filtered so that only genes that map to a gene network database remain. The Gene Expression Network Analysis Tool (GXNA) is applied to the remaining genes to form <it>n </it>clusters of genes that are highly connected in the network. Linear SVM is used to classify the samples using these clusters, and a weight is assigned to each cluster based on its importance to the classification. The least informative clusters are removed while retaining the remainder for the next classification step. This process is repeated until an optimal classification is obtained.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>More than 90% accuracy can be obtained in classification of selected microarray datasets by integrating the interaction network information with the gene expression information from the microarrays.</p> <p>The Matlab version of SVM-RNE can be downloaded from <url>http://web.macam.ac.il/~myousef</url></p