A connectionist model of septohippocampal dynamics during conditioning: Closing the loop.

Septohippocampal interactions determine how stimuli are encoded during conditioning. This study extends a previous neurocomputational model of corticohippocampal processing to incorporate hippocamposeptal feedback and examines how the presence or absence of such feedback affects learning in the model. The effects of septal modulation in conditioning were simulated by dynamically adjusting the hippocampal learning rate on the basis of how well the hippocampal system encoded stimuli. The model successfully accounts for changes in behavior and septohippocampal activity observed in studies of the acquisition, retention, and generalization of conditioned responses and accounts for the effects of septal disruption on conditioning. The model provides a computational, neurally based synthesis of prior learning theories that predicts changes in medial septal activity based on the novelty of stimulus events. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Synthesis, Characterization and Cold Workability of Cast Copper-Magnesium-Tin Alloys

The use of Mg as an alloying element in copper alloys has largely been overlooked in scientific literature and technological applications. Its supposed tribological compatibility with iron makes it an interesting option to replace Pb in tribological alloys. This work describes the casting process of high-quality thin slabs of Cu-Mg-Sn alloys with different compositions by means of conventional methods. The resulting phases were analyzed using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, optical microscopy, and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy techniques. Typical dendritic α-Cu, eutectic Cu₂Mg(Sn) and eutectoid non-equilibrium microstructures were found. Tensile tests and Vickers microhardness show the excellent hardening capability of Mg as compared to other copper alloys in the as-cast condition. For some of the slabs and compositions, cold rolling reductions of over 95 pct have been easily achieved. Other compositions and slabs have failed during the deformation process. Failure analysis after cold rolling reveals that one cause for brittleness is the presence of casting defects such as microshrinkage and inclusions, which can be eliminated. However, for high Mg contents, a high volume fraction of the intermetallic phase provides a contiguous path for crack propagation through the connected interdendritic regions.     

Stream Sockets versus Web Services for High-Performance and Secure Structural Analysis in Internet Environments

The increased growth of internet use in the last several years has opened up new possibilities for structural engineering analysis, moving from personal computer oriented software to client–server distributed software. In this paper two client–server applications for structural engineering based on stream sockets and on web services are presented. These two technologies have been chosen to compare, in terms of performance and complexity, new internet protocols with traditional ways of implementing client–server applications. Moreover, special care has been taken in the security aspects as the internet has become much more susceptible to breaches of security. Therefore, two new applications based on the same technologies have been created that guarantee a secure use of structural software. Also, two different client applications are presented to emphasize the versatility and power of internet distributed technology—one as a stand-alone application and the other as an integrated commercial computer-aided design program.     

Performance Assessment of Construction Companies Integrating Key Performance Indicators and Data Envelopment Analysis

The web benchmarking systems broadly used in the construction industry (CI) are designed to provide results based on key performance indicators (KPIs). No insights concerning organization overall performance and improvements targets are available. This research aims to fulfill this gap using data envelopment analysis (DEA) as a method to complement the information provided by a set of KPIs. The methodology proposed is useful to all organizations involved in benchmarking routines. To enable a more realistic assessment of CI companies, two types of DEA models were used, one allows factor weights to vary freely and the other includes weight restrictions. These models assign an efficiency score to each organization, identifying efficient organizations and providing performance improvements targets for the others. To enable suggesting targets for all organizations, expert opinion was used to specify virtual units which were included in the efficiency assessment to define a practical frontier located beyond the productivity levels of the original DEA frontier. Based on a sample of 20 Portuguese leading contractors, the Portuguese web benchmarking system for CI, icBench, was used to demonstrate the advantages of integrating the DEA method with KPIs benchmark scores.     

Harnessing information for development: A proposal for a world bank group vision and strategy∗

Abstract

Revolutionary advances in information technology reinforce economic and social changes that are transforming business and society. A new kind of economy ‐ the information economy ‐ is emerging where trade and investment are global and firms compete with knowledge, networking and agility on a global basis. A corresponding new society is also emerging with pervasive information capabilities that make it substantially different from an industrial society: more competitive, more democratic, less centralized, less stable, better able to address individual needs, and friendlier to the environment.

These changes dictate, for all countries, a major adjustment to harness information for economic and social development. This adjustment requires urgent new policies, regulatory and institutional reforms, and investments. Through this adjustment, countries must achieve macroeconomic balance, political stability, and growth amidst global information flows, competition, trade, and investment. Advanced countries are rapidly adjusting. Developing countries must also adjust or risk exclusion from the global economy and severe competitive disadvantage for their goods and services.

Fortunately, the information revolution creates both the challenge and the means for countries to adjust to new ways of doing business and to put in place the needed infrastructure of telecommunications and information systems. The information revolution also creates extraordinary new opportunities to attack vexing problems of poverty, inequality, and environmental degradation.

To harness information and information technology for its mission of poverty alleviation and sustainable economic development, the World Bank Group will pursue four objectives in its assistance strategy:

• Widespread and equitable access to communication and information services through accelerated deployment of national information infrastructure and effective integration into international communication and information networks.

• Systemic improvements in the functioning and competitiveness of key economic sectors through strategic information policies and systems.

• New ways to use information technology to help solve the most pressing problems of human and economic development ‐ education, health, poverty alleviation, rural development, and care for the environment.

• Increased impact of the entire range of World Bank Group operations through inclusion of effective information components.

The World Bank Group will be a long‐term partner and facilitator for countries adjusting to the information economy. It will cooperate with them on information policy, strategy, and project design at the national and sectoral levels. To this end, it will develop strategic alliances to mobilize worldwide knowledge and financing, including its own. In addition, the World Bank Group will increase the level and effectiveness of the information content of its projects in all sectors and will explore new frontiers of development through information‐intensive projects.     

Chewing on It Can Chew You Up: Effects of Rumination on Triggered Displaced Aggression.

Ruminating about a provocation increases the likelihood of displaced aggression following a minor annoyance (trigger). In Study 1, provoked participants who ruminated for 25 min were more aggressive toward a fumbling confederate than were distracted participants. Provocation-induced negative affect was positively related to aggression but only among those who ruminated. Study 2 conceptually replicated Study 1 and also found that the more negatively people reacted to the trigger, the more likely the trigger was to increase displaced aggression. Study 3 replicated the findings of Studies 1 and 2 by using an 8-hr rumination period. All 3 studies suggest that ruminating about a provocation increases the likelihood that a minor triggering annoyance will increase displaced aggression. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Relationships Between Organizational Justice and Burnout at the Work-Unit Level.

Relationships between organizational justice and well-being are traditionally investigated at the individual level. This article extends previous efforts by testing such relationships at the work-unit level. Three corridors of influence were examined. First, the level (work units' average scores) of justice is related to the level of burnout. Second, justice climate strength (level of agreement among work-unit members) moderates the predictability of the level of burnout. Third, justice strength is related to burnout strength. The authors interviewed 324 contact employees from 108 work units in 59 service organizations. Findings showed the predominance of interactional justice over distributive and procedural justice in all 3 corridors. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Bedload Transport in Alluvial Channels

Hydraulic, sediment, land-use, and rock-erosivity data of 22 alluvial streams were used to evaluate conditions of bedload transport and the performance of selected bedload-transport equations. Transport categories of transport-limited (TL), partially transport-limited (PTL), and supply-limited (SL) were identified by a semiquantitative approach that considers hydraulic constraints on sediment movement and the processes that control sediment availability at the basin scale. Equations by Parker et al. in 1982, Schoklitsch in 1962, and Meyer-Peter and Muller in 1948 adequately predicted sediment transport in channels with TL condition, whereas the equations of Bagnold in 1980, and Schoklitsch, in 1962, performed well for PTL and SL conditions. Overall, the equation of Schoklitsch predicted well the measured bedload data for eight of 22 streams, and the Bagnold equation predicted the measured data in seven streams.