When similarity breeds content: Need for closure and the allure of homogeneous and self-resembling groups.

Four studies explored the relation between members' need for cognitive closure and their feelings toward groups. It was found that high (vs. low) need for closure individuals liked in-groups and out-groups more as function of the degree to which their membership was perceived as homogeneous (Studies 1-4), provided it was also self-similar (Studies 3 and 4). These results are discussed in terms of the relation between need for closure and homogeneous (vs. heterogeneous) groups' apparent potential as "closure providers." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Overload, autonomy, and burnout as predictors of physicians' quality of care.

A model in which perceived overload and burnout mediated the relations of workload and autonomy with physicians' quality of care to their patients was examined. The study was based on data from 890 specialists representing six medical specialties. Including global burnout as well as its three first-order facets of physical fatigue, cognitive weariness, and emotional exhaustion improved the fit between the structural model and the data relative to an alternative model that included only global burnout. Workload (number of work hours) indirectly predicted quality of care through perceived overload. Additionally, the authors found that the paths from the first order factors of emotional exhaustion, physical fatigue, and cognitive weariness predicted quality of care negatively, positively, and nonsignificantly, respectively. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Temporal order and functional analysis of mutations within the Fli-1 and p53 genes during the erythroleukemias induced by F-MuLV

The erythroleukemias induced by Friend murine leukemia virus (F-MuLV) result from the accumulation of a number of genetic changes, including activation of the Fli-1 proto-oncogene and inactivation of the p53 tumor suppressor gene. We have determined the temporal order of mutation of the genes involved in this multistage malignancy, by serial in vivo transplantation of F-MuLV induced primary erythroleukemias into syngenic Balb/c mice. These primary tumors are capable of growing when transplanted into syngenic mice, but die after several days of in vitro culture. From the transplanted tumors grown in syngenic mice, erythropoietin-dependent cell lines were established in culture that are clonally related to cells in the primary tumors. We show that retroviral insertional activation of the Fli-1 ets family member is the first detectable genetic event in F-MuLV induced primary erythroleukemias. Mutations in the p53 gene were observed in the Epo-dependent cell lines but not in the transplanted erythroleukemias used to establish these cell lines in culture. These data suggest that activation of Fli-1 plays an important role in the early stages of F-MuLV-induced leukemia, perhaps by altering the self-renewal probabilities of erythroid progenitor cells and that p53 mutations immortalize these cells, enabling them to grow in vitro in the presence of Epo.     

Exceptions that prove the rule--Using a theory of motivated social cognition to account for ideological incongruities and political anomalies: Reply to Greenberg and Jonas (2003).

A meta-analysis by J. T. Jost, J. Glaser, A. W. Kruglanski, and F. J. Sulloway (2003) concluded that political conservatism is partially motivated by the management of uncertainty and threat. In this reply to J. Greenberg and E. Jonas (2003), conceptual issues are clarified, numerous political anomalies are explained, and alleged counterexamples are incorporated with a dynamic model that takes into account differences between "young" and "old" movements. Studies directly pitting the rigidity-of-the-right hypothesis against the ideological extremity hypothesis demonstrate strong support for the former. Medium to large effect sizes describe relations between political conservatism and dogmatism and intolerance of ambiguity; lack of openness to experience; uncertainty avoidance; personal needs for order, structure, and closure; fear of death; and system threat. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Transgenerational effects of the holocaust: Externalization of aggression in second generation of holocaust survivors.

Examined the psychological characteristics of the children of holocaust survivors. 38 males and females in their late 20's were interviewed; the parents of 19 Ss were holocaust survivors, and the parents of the other 19 Ss were in Israel during World War II and did not suffer directly. It was hypothesized that reactions of the children of the holocaust survivors would include guilt rather than external aggression and a tendency not to externalize aggressive impulses in reaction to frustrating events. The Ss' reactions to a projective test were analyzed, and the responses provide support for the major hypothesis. Results show that sons and daughters of holocaust survivors were less likely to externalize aggression than were those in a control group. This finding is supported by the content analysis of the structured interview conducted with the Ss in both groups. (20 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Algorithms to Separate $\{0,\frac{1}{2}\}$ -Chvátal-Gomory Cuts

Chvátal-Gomory cuts are among the most well-known classes of cutting planes for general integer linear programs (ILPs). In case the constraint multipliers are either 0 or , such cuts are known as -cuts. It has been proven by Caprara and Fischetti (Math. Program. 74:221–235, 1996) that separation of -cuts is -hard. In this paper, we study ways to separate -cuts effectively in practice. We propose a range of preprocessing rules to reduce the size of the separation problem. The core of the preprocessing builds a Gaussian elimination-like procedure. To separate the most violated -cut, we formulate the (reduced) problem as integer linear program. Some simple heuristic separation routines complete the algorithmic framework. Computational experiments on benchmark instances show that the combination of preprocessing with exact and/or heuristic separation is a very vital idea to generate strong generic cutting planes for integer linear programs and to reduce the overall computation times of state-of-the-art ILP-solvers.     

B2B Procurement and Marketplace Transformation

Emerging web technologies and systems have started a revolutionary path that will have a profound impact on procurement processes and systems, especially in the area of indirect procurement and the management of operating resources. In fact, what started as more narrowly focused procurement systems only a couple of years ago, has transformed into a web of technologies, markets, and business strategies that have ramifications well beyond the purchasing function. The focus of this paper is on the marketplace structure, functionality and capabilities of systems, and key factors that buyers need to take into consideration when transforming their procurement processes. Contents management, markets, standards, and outsourcing are important problems that are discussed in this paper.     

Influence of Reaction Parameters on the Hydrogenolysis of Hydroxymatairesinol Over Carbon Nanofibre Supported Palladium Catalysts

The density functional theory (DFT/B3LYP) calculations were applied to investigate the interaction of a Pt₆ particle with the ZSM-5 zeolite framework. The electronic structure of the metal particle is strongly affected by the interaction with basic framework oxygens and acid sites of the zeolite support. Adsorption on basic sites (E_ads = 6 kcal/mol) favors the formation of the electron enriched metal cluster. Interaction of the platinum cluster with the acid site characterized by stabilization energy of 47 kcal/mol results in oxidation of the metal particle and suppression of Brønsted acidity of the support. The hypothesis is put forward that the oxidized platinum particle can function as an active site for the alkane isomerisation on platinum supported high silica zeolites.     

Exact finite approximations of average-cost countable Markov decision processes

For a countable-state Markov decision process we introduce an embedding which produces a finite-state Markov decision process. The finite-state embedded process has the same optimal cost, and moreover, it has the same dynamics as the original process when restricting to the approximating set. The embedded process can be used as an approximation which, being finite, is more convenient for computation and implementation.