Recruitment efforts to reduce adverse impact: Targeted recruiting for personality, cognitive ability, and diversity.

Noting the presumed tradeoff between diversity and performance goals in contemporary selection practice, the authors elaborate on recruiting-based methods for avoiding adverse impact while maintaining aggregate individual productivity. To extend earlier work on the primacy of applicant pool characteristics for resolving adverse impact, they illustrate the advantages of simultaneous cognitive ability– and personality-based recruiting. Results of an algebraic recruiting model support general recruiting for cognitive ability, combined with recruiting for conscientiousness within the underrepresented group. For realistic recruiting effect sizes, this type of recruiting strategy greatly increases average performance of hires and percentage of hires from the underrepresented group. Further results from a policy-capturing study provide initial guidance on how features of organizational image can attract applicants with particular job-related personalities and abilities, in addition to attracting applicants on the basis of demographic background. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Modulation of Viscoelasticity and HIV Transport as a Function of pH in a Reversibly Crosslinked Hydrogel

Materials that respond to physiological stimuli are important in developing advanced biomaterials for modern therapies. The reversibility of covalent crosslinks formed by phenylboronate (PBA) and salicylhydroxamate (SHA) has been exploited to provide a pH‐responsive gel for application to the vaginal tract. Dynamic rheology reveals that the gel frequency‐dependent viscoelastic properties are modulated by pH. At pH 4.8 the viscous component dominates throughout most of the frequency range. As the pH increases, the characteristic relaxation time continues to increase while the G′_Plateau levels off above pH 6. At pH 7.5, the elastic component dominates throughout the frequency sweep and is predominately independent of frequency. Particle tracking assesses the transport of both fluorescently labeled HIV‐1 and 100‐nm latex particles in the PBA–SHA crosslinked gel as a function of pH. At pH 4.8 the ensemble‐averaged mean squared displacement at lag times greater than three seconds reveals that transport of the HIV‐1 and 100‐nm particles becomes significantly impeded by the matrix, exhibiting diffusion coefficients less than 0.0002 µm² s^?1. This pH‐responsive gel thus displays properties that have the potential to significantly reduce the transport of HIV‐1 to susceptible tissues and thus prevent the first stage of male‐to‐female transmission of HIV‐1.     

USGS Streamflow Data and Modeling Sand-Bed Rivers

United States Geological Survey streamflow data are commonly used for hydraulic model calibration and boundary conditions. The transitory nature of sand-bed rivers’ bathymetry is problematic for the traditional automated stream gauging methods used by the USGS. This note seeks to assess the limitations of streamflow measurements for use in hydraulic models. An overview of USGS rating-curve development and use is presented with a focus on the specific challenges of sand-bed rivers. Measurements from three consecutive USGS gauges for a storm event on the Rio Grande in Albuquerque, New Mexico, illustrate the outlined problems with rating curves. These gauges are utilized to study the impact of uncertainty in rating-curve discharges on hydraulic model results. A one dimensional hydraulic model of the study reach indicates up to 25% reduction in the calculated flow depth if questionable rating-curve discharges are used as model input. Recommendations for using USGS streamflow data in hydraulic models are outlined.     

Similarity and assumed similarity in personality reports of well-acquainted persons.

The authors obtained self- and observer reports of personality from pairs of well-acquainted college students. Consistent with previous findings, results of Study 1 showed strong cross-source agreement for all 6 HEXACO personality factors (rs ≈ .55). In addition, the authors found modest levels of similarity (r ≈ .25) between dyad members' self-reports on each of 2 dimensions, Honesty-Humility and Openness to Experience. For these same 2 factors, dyad members' self-reports were correlated with their observer reports of the other dyad member (r ≈ .40), thus indicating moderately high assumed similarity. In Study 2, Honesty-Humility and Openness to Experience were the 2 personality factors most strongly associated with the 2 major dimensions of personal values, which also showed substantial assumed similarity. In Study 3, assumed similarity was considerably stronger for close friends than for nonfriend acquaintances. Results suggest that assumed similarity for Honesty-Humility and Openness to Experience reflects a tendency to overestimate one's similarity to persons with whom one has a close relationship, but only on those personality characteristics whose relevance to values gives them central importance to one's identity. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Antibacterial activity of peptides extracted from tryptic hydrolyzate of whey protein by nanofiltration

Ultrafiltration permeate of whey protein tryptic hydrolyzate was processed by nanofiltration (NF) to obtain retentate (NFR) and permeate (NFP) that were then tested as inhibitors of Listeria, Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. NFR at 20 mg mL^?1 was most effective as an inhibitor (P < 0.001); whereas E. coli was relatively resistant, the effect on Listeria and S. aureus was greater at 20 mg mL^?1 than at 10 mg mL^?1 (P < 0.01). Peptide analysis revealed that NFR was rich in anionic peptides over eight amino acid residues in length. The antibacterial activity of two anionic peptides (84–91 and 125–135) and a cationic peptide (36–42) derived from β-lactoglobulin was tested. Peptide 125–135 was more inhibitory (P < 0.05) than peptide 84–91 against Listeria monocytogenes and S. aureus; peptide 36–42 was not inhibitory. NFR appears to have potential as a natural bio-preservative.     

淡蓝色的梦

如果做一个关于家居的梦,你的梦是什么颜色的?对S来说,她的梦想之家应该是一抹淡淡的蒂芙尼蓝,纯净优雅得不见半点点庸俗。显然,这不是一位甘于"将就"的业主。对于生活与居住,她讲究又有要求,即便是租住的房子,也要来一番彻头彻尾的翻新与变革,还专门聘请设计师帮助完成这个计划,壁纸的色彩,家具的风格,每一件她都精挑细选。与很多住在"房子里的人不同,她认为她是     

Consistent data operations for multi-databases in extended possibility-based data models

This paper considers the data operation for multi-databases in an extended possibility-based data model. Owing to the complexity of the data model considered, inconsistent redundancy of tuples may occur when database relations being operated are associated with different resemblance relations on a given domain. This work first demonstrates the inconsistency problem, and then presents the notions of consistency constraints for multi-database design. Under the constraints, the extended possibility-based databases using different resemblance relations can preserve consistent redundancy.     

Accessory child safety harnesses: Do the risks outweigh the benefits?

Accessory child safety harnesses are available in some countries as alternative restraints for young children or as an accessory restraint used with booster seats. Their use, in Australia at least, is becoming more common. There have been concerns that the risk of misuse of these restraints outweighs any potential benefit this system might have over a retractable lap-shoulder belt system used with a booster seat. However to date there is no evidence to confirm or deny this. This study used laboratory simulated frontal crash tests to examine the performance of accessory child safety harness systems compared to the lap-shoulder belt when used alone and when used with two common designs of Australian booster seat. The performance of the child safety harness system when misused was also investigated. The results demonstrate that the correctly used child safety harness system performed no better than the lap-shoulder system, and in fact allows for a greater risk of submarining. Furthermore, one common form of child safety harness misuse, where the harness is over-tightened causing the lap belt to be positioned high over the abdomen, allowed extremely undesirable dummy motion. This involved gross submarining and direct contact between the harness system and the dummy's neck. These findings suggest that the risks associated with accessory child safety harness systems most likely outweigh any potential benefits, in frontal impacts at least.