Efficiency of pair formation in a model society

In a recent paper a set of differential equations was proposed to describe a social process, where pairs of partners emerge in a community. The choice was performed on a basis of attractive resources and of random initial preferences. An efficiency of the process, defined as the probability of finding a partner, was found to depend on the community size. Here we demonstrate, that if the resources are not relevant, the efficiency is equal to unity; everybody finds a partner. With this new formulation, about 80 percent of community members enter to dyads; the remaining 20 percent form triads.Comment: 6 pages, 2 figures. Presented at 2nd Polish Symposium on Econo- and Sociophysics, Cracow, 21-22 April 2006. New comment: to be published in Acta Phys. Pol.

Wind-tunnel investigation of thermal and pressure environments in the base of the Saturn S-IC booster from Mach 0.1 to 3.5

Wind tunnel testing of thermal and pressure in base of Saturn S-IC booste

Doxycycline Resistance in Plasmodium falciparum Linked to Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms in the Plasmodium falciparum apicoplast Small Subunit Ribosomal RNA (pfSSrRNA) gene

Plasmodium falciparum, a protozoan parasite known as malaria, widely impacts human health; thus antimalarial drug investigations are critical. Doxycycline is a commonly used antimalarial prophylactic, but its mechanism of action is unclear. In prokaryotes, doxycycline works as an antibacterial by disrupting protein translation via the small subunit ribosome. Interestingly, P. falciparum has a small subunit ribosome of prokaryotic origins in the apicoplast, a plastid-like organelle. Therefore, we hypothesized that doxycycline works in P. falciparum by inhibiting protein synthesis via the small subunit ribosomal RNA and that mutations in the gene encoding the P. falciparum apicoplast small subunit ribosomal RNA (pfSSrRNA) are associated with doxycycline resistance. We generated nine doxycycline-resistant parasite lines with continuous incremental drug pressure over approximately twelve months. Resistant lines had doxycycline IC50 values of ~2.4 μM while the drug-free control had an IC50 of 587 nM, resulting in a ~4 fold decrease in doxycycline susceptibility as measured by 96-hour growth inhibition assays. Sequencing of the pfssrRNA gene in a resistant line revealed a g439a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP). We suspect this mutation reduces parasite susceptibility to doxycycline by altering the molecular structure of the apicoplast SSrRNA, so that doxycycline can no longer inhibit protein synthesis. Future studies involve cloning the resistant lines, sequencing pfssrRNA for all resistant lines, and characterizing the drug phenotypes of the resistant lines to doxycycline and a panel of standard antimalarial drugs. Understanding how doxycycline works will help health care professionals better combat doxycycline resistance in the field

The Relationship Between Disordered Eating Behaviors and Exercise Addiction Among Selected University Students at Minnesota State University, Mankato

College students are faced with many difficult decisions as they begin to gain independence and adjust to new responsibilities. Some of these decisions may include changes in eating behaviors and exercise patterns. Such changes may lead to unhealthy weight control behaviors such as disordered eating or excessive exercise. The combination of controlling eating and exercise behaviors may be especially detrimental and prevalent in college students. The purpose of this research was to determine whether or not there was a relationship between disordered eating and exercise addiction among university students at Minnesota State University, Mankato. A 50-item survey was used to assess the prevalence of disordered eating behaviors and exercise addiction patterns among undergraduate college students. The survey was administered via email to a random sample of 2,947 undergraduate students attending a mid-sized Midwestern public university. This study examined undergraduate students between the ages of 18-25 years with a mean age was 20.68 years. Data indicated a relationship between disordered eating and exercise addiction in both genders which indicated that females and males are exhibiting these weight control behaviors and should be of concern to health educators. In order to establish a greater understanding of the risk factors associated and reduce the prevalence of such unhealthy weight control behaviors, there is a need for additional research in this area

La economía política del cine /

Este artículo parte de la base de que el cine es una forma de comunicación mediada, por lo que se le puede aplicar muchos de los análisis utilizados en estudiar otros medios. Primero, se presenta un breve análisis de la Economía Política de la Comunicación, sus principios teóricos y sus diferencias con la escuela de los 'media economics'; luego, se centra de manera más específica en la Economía Política del cine, destacando la pertinencia de esta perspectiva, así como los métodos utilizados y las principales cuestiones que emanan de este tipo de análisis, dejado de lado frecuentemente por los economistas políticos. Por ello se plantea ampliar el objeto de estudio haciendo que reúna a los distintos medios, incluida la industria del cine, además de integrar aportaciones de otros enfoques críticosThis paper is based on the assumption that film is a form of mediated communication, thus appropriate for many of the approaches used in studying other forms of media. The article begins with a brief discussion of the Political Economy of Communication, their tehoretical principle and their main differences with media economics, and then focusses more specifically on the Political Economy of film, pointing to the significance of the approach, as well as identifying questions raised and methods used in this type of analysis, less often explained by political economists. Thus it is called for a cross-media analysis, film industry included, and to foster with another critical approache

ANTECEDENTS AND CONSEQUENCES OF APPLICANT PERCEPTIONS WITHIN AN INTERNET-BASED TESTING CONTEXT

The current study proposes and tests components of a model of applicant perceptions of Internet-based testing (IBT). Based on existing applicant reactions frameworks (e.g., Hausknecht, Day, & Thomas, 2004; Ryan & Ployhart, 2000), the model posits that actual test-taking conditions (e.g., presence or absence of a proctor, presence of absence of other test-takers), perceived test procedure characteristics (e.g., user-friendliness), and initial applicant perceptions (e.g., information privacy concerns) both directly and indirectly influence scores on a each of three composites of a selection test battery; Situational Judgment, Personality Fit, and Background Experience. Client-type (i.e., clients hiring entry-level applicants vs. clients hiring leader-level applicants) and race are examined as moderators of various proposed relationships. The study\u27s sample consisted of 5,675 applicants across 23 organizations. Results from mixed-models analyses provided support for the proposed framework, highlighting both single and dual mediational pathways of importance in an IBT context. Notably, results highlight information privacy concerns as an initial applicant perception variable of interest in IBT, over and above selection procedure fairness. Evidence also suggests that various mediational pathways are moderated by client type, but not race. Additionally, characteristics of actual test-taking conditions were subjected to an empirical analysis, resulting in a structure of Internet-based testing conditions that goes beyond the simple \u27proctored/unproctored\u27 distinction common in the literature. Implications of the study\u27s results for future research into IBT are discussed, as are the ways in which the study\u27s results can be incorporated into organizations\u27 online selection practices

How are Knowledge Management Systems Different from Information Systems,and Who Cares?

Knowledge has long been identified as a key resource for organizations. Due to recent technological convergence and cost reductions, information and communication technologies (ICT) have renewed focus on organizational knowledge assets and how to manage them. Knowledge management systems (ICT systems that capture, store and distribute the knowledge of the firm) have been popularized in the national press, and consulting firms are racing to market technical knowledge solutions to their clients. However, what is the difference between a knowledge management system and a traditional information system, and does this distinction matter? The purpose of this paper is to clearly delineate the similarities and differences between these systems, and I argue that in fact, the distinctions are critical to both the performance of the knowledge management system as well as the success of the organization

The Impact of Sexual Orientation on the Process of Identity Formation in Adolescence as Measured Through Imaginary Audience and Personal Fable Ideation

Digitized thesi

A Framework for Successful Knowledge Management Implementation

This paper examines how an organization can use information technologies, in the form of a knowledge management system (KMS), to leverage the knowledge base of the firm. This paper proposes that one aspect of knowledge management is the capture and integration of intellectual capital, residing in a firm’s employees, through the expansion of social capital, residing at the level of the firm. Based on this proposition, the success of a knowledge management system can be measured. A model of KMS Success is developed drawing from literature in the fields of information systems and strategic management. This model proposes that there are three main components to determine KMS success: system quality, knowledge quality, and organizational environment. A theory is presented that predicts if the technology and the knowledge fit the needs of the users, and if there is proper alignment of the organizational environment, the result will be high system usage. KMS success, a measure of the increase in the firm’s social capital, can be determined by examining system usage