Nonconscious control mimics a purposeful strategy: Strength of Stroop-like interference is automatically modulated by proportion of compatible trials.

The magnitude of the Stroop effect is known to be modulated by the proportion of trials on which the irrelevant word and relevant ink color correspond. This has often been attributed to a conscious strategy of increased (or decreased) reliance on the irrelevant words when these are more likely (or less likely) to correspond to the ink colors. However, the present data from a Stroop-like task involving successively presented arrows indicate instead that this type of modulation can be automatic because it can occur even if the irrelevant stimuli are not phenomenally visible. In this case participants cannot determine the proportion of compatible trials to direct their strategy. An automatic, item-specific associative interpretation can account for these findings. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A mixed integer programming approach to multi-skilled workforce scheduling

The potential benefits of using human resources efficiently in the service sector constitute an incentive for decision makers in this industry to intelligently manage the work shifts of their employees, especially those dealing directly with customers. In the long term, they should attempt to find the right balance between employing as few labor resources as possible and keeping a high level of service. In the short run (e.g., 1 week), however, contracted staff levels cannot be adjusted, and management efforts thus focus on the efficient assignment of shifts and activities to each employee. This article proposes a mixed integer program model that solves the short-term multi-skilled workforce tour scheduling problem, enabling decision makers to simultaneously design workers’ shifts and days off, assign activities to shifts and assign those to employees so as to maximize and balance coverage of a firm’s demand for on-duty staff across multiple activities. Our model is simple enough to be solved with a commercial MIP solver calibrated by default without recurring to complex methodologies, such as extended reformulations and exact and/or heuristic column generation subroutines. A wide computational testing over 1000 randomly generated instances suggests that the model’s solution times are compatible with daily use and that multi-skilling is a significant source of labor flexibility to improve coverage of labor requirements, in particular when such requirements are negatively correlated and part-time workers are a scarce resource.     

Experimental results for improving the matrix condition using a hybrid optical system

We present preliminary experimental results for implementing the "blurred trajectories" method on three parallel optics (PO) systems. The "main" system and "auxiliary" optics were simple laboratory graded lenses attached to an iris diaphragm. When applying the blurred trajectories method we first show an improvement in the matrix condition, as the matrix condition number decreased in a range of factors of 3 to 418 relative to the main system. Following that, image restoration by weak regularization was performed so that the system matrix condition dominated the restoration process. It was shown that the restoration results of the PO are better than those of the main system and the auxiliary optics separately. In addition, the quality of the restoration follows the system's matrix condition. The improvement in the matrix condition achieved by the PO system improved the immunity to detection noise. Finally, a comparison to Wiener filtering restoration shows that it is also generally inferior to the proposed method.     

Micelle and bilayer formation of amphiphilic janus particles in a slit-pore

We employ molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the self-assembly of amphiphilic Janus particles in a slit-pore consisting of two plane-parallel, soft walls. The Janus particles are modeled as soft spheres with an embedded unit vector pointing from the hydrophobic to the hydrophilic hemisphere. The structure formation is analyzed via cluster size distributions, density and polarization profiles, and in-plane correlation functions. At low temperatures and densities, the dominating structures are spherical micelles, whereas at higher densities we also observe wall-induced bilayer formation. Finally, we compare the MD results with those from a previous density functional study.     

Pictures by pregnant patients with premature labor. Initial experiences with art therapy

Patients with preterm labor not only suffer from anxiety and uncertainty regarding the healthy development of their child but, especially as inpatients, in part severely from loss of autonomy and feelings of insufficiency. By the creative therapeutic means of art therapy it is aimed at influencing the disturbed emotional state and strengthening self-esteem. During the sessions patients experience challenge, success and relaxation with endurance some time after the sessions. Paintings produced by hospitalized patients in art therapeutic sessions are presented. Further psychophysiological investigations are in process for controlling the effects on preterm labor. Paintings of inpatients are discussed.     

Hesitations in manual tracking: A single-channel limit in response programming.

When Ss used a manual joystick to track the motion of a visual target (in either zero-order or 1st-order control), hesitations in tracking often occurred when the other hand responded to an auditory stimulus. These hesitations are related to postponement in the psychological refractory period effect. Because few hesitations occurred when the auditory stimulus was the no-go case of a go–no-go paradigm, hesitations must arise primarily during "late" processing associated with the concurrent response rather than during "early" perceptual or decision-making processes. Other findings suggest that the single-channel processing limit is in programming (as opposed to selecting or generating) concurrent responses. Blanking of the target also produced hesitations through a different mechanism. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)