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Chance
Kinds of Chance Terms modified by Chance Selected AbstractsGENETIC ENGINEERING TO AVOID GENETIC NEGLECT: FROM CHANCE TO RESPONSIBILITYBIOETHICS, Issue 4 2010JESSICA HAMMOND ABSTRACT Currently our assessment of whether someone is a good parent depends on the environmental inputs (or lack of such inputs) they give their children. But new genetic intervention technologies, to which we may soon have access, mean that how good a parent is will depend also on the genetic inputs they give their children. Each new piece of available technology threatens to open up another way that we can neglect our children. Our obligations to our children and our susceptibilities to corresponding legal and moral sanctions may be about to explosively increase. In this paper I argue that we should treat conventional neglect and ,genetic neglect', failing to use genetic intervention technologies to prevent serious diseases and disabilities , morally consistently. I conclude that in a range of cases parents will have a moral obligation to use genetic treatments to prevent serious disabilities in their children. My particular focus is on prenatal interventions and their impact of the bodily integrity of expectant mothers. I conclude that although bodily integrity constrains moral obligations, it is outweighed in a range of cases. [source] The Bitter End and the Lost Chance in Vietnam: Congress, the Ford Administration, and the Battle Over Vietnam, 1975,76DIPLOMATIC HISTORY, Issue 2 2000T. Christopher Jespersen First page of article [source] What is the Chance of Yuan Revaluation?ECONOMIC OUTLOOK, Issue 1 2003Vanessa Rossi From a Chinese perspective, chances of any change in the Yuan exchange rate look pretty slim. If you were an official in Beijing, would you stick your neck out even recommending this idea? If the status quo looks fairly acceptable, and it is ,stability oriented' (a very Chinese preference), why go rocking the boat? You certainly do not make any changes just because Japan or the US tell you to. And financial markets are not that persuasive , after all they wanted a devaluation only a short while ago. In this article, Vanessa Rossi and Simon Knapp assess the likelihood of a Yuan revaluation and its implications for the economic outlook. [source] UK Assessment , Give Growth a Chance?ECONOMIC OUTLOOK, Issue 4 2000Article first published online: 16 DEC 200 First page of article [source] Chase, Chance, and Creativity: The Lucky Art of NoveltyEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY, Issue 12 2004K. A. Jellinger No abstract is available for this article. [source] Chance and determinism in the development of isolated communitiesGLOBAL ECOLOGY, Issue 1 2000S. A. Ward Abstract 1In the colonization of an island by potentially interacting species both the severity of the competition between them and the length of the interval between their arrivals should affect the likelihood of the second species becoming established. Between-island variation in priority and the interval between colonizations will depend on the dispersal rates of the two species. 2We predict that early colonization should be relatively deterministic, whereas later in the colonization process both the sequence of arrivals and the interval between them will be more variable. 3Possible instances of both deterministic and stochastic stages in community development are identified in the colonization of the Krakatau islands by zoochorous forest trees and large zoochorous lianes. [source] A mathematical river walk Fractal River Basins: Chance and Self-Organization by Ignacio Rodríguez-Iturbe and Andrea Rinaldo (Eds.) Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, 547pp ISBN-0-521-47398-5 (hardback) Published 1997; ISBN 0-521-00405-5 (paperback) Published 2001HYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES, Issue 15 2002Glenn E. Moglen No abstract is available for this article. [source] Give Functionalism Another ChanceINTERNATIONAL STUDIES REVIEW, Issue 3 2004Gerald Schneider No abstract is available for this article. [source] The Elements of Rationality and Chance in the Choice of Human ActionJOURNAL FOR THE THEORY OF SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR, Issue 4 2004ERNEST KRAUSZ The focus in this paper is on deliberate human action. The central questions addressed are: whether purely rational choice is possible; whether choices may be induced by chance alone; or whether there is always a mixture of rationality and chance, as well as other factors such as habit, emotion, imitation and irrationality. The approach is a factualist one, upholding the view that, although human action can be explained by its antecedents, this is not incompatible with the notion of "free choice". It is the actual choosing process that determines the final choice of action. Whatever the sources of the elements involved in the choosing process, the choice of action is a specific outcome created by the acting agent. It is in this choosing process and decision making that both rationality and chance enter. The conclusion is that rationality is the element which links intentionality with goal seeking and attainment, but that the actual choice is determined by a complex interactive process in which both logic and chance play a part. [source] Paths to nursing leadershipJOURNAL OF NURSING MANAGEMENT, Issue 5 2006TERESE BONDAS PhD Aim, The aim was to explore why nurses enter nursing leadership and apply for a management position in health care. The study is part of a research programme in nursing leadership and evidence-based care. Background, Nursing has not invested enough in the development of nursing leadership for the development of patient care. There is scarce research on nurses' motives and reasons for committing themselves to a career in nursing leadership. Method, A strategic sample of 68 Finnish nurse leaders completed a semistructured questionnaire. Analytic induction was applied in an attempt to generate a theory. Findings, A theory, Paths to Nursing Leadership, is proposed for further research. Four different paths were found according to variations between the nurse leaders' education, primary commitment and situational factors. They are called the Path of Ideals, the Path of Chance, the Career Path and the Temporary Path. Conclusion, Situational factors and role models of good but also bad nursing leadership besides motivational and educational factors have played a significant role when Finnish nurses have entered nursing leadership. The educational requirements for nurse leaders and recruitment to nursing management positions need serious attention in order to develop a competent nursing leadership. [source] Au vent de l'éventuel: Following the Winds of ChanceAMERICAN ANTHROPOLOGIST, Issue 1 2005NADINE WANONO No abstract is available for this article. [source] Are Spirituality and Religiosity Resources for Patients with Chronic Pain Conditions?PAIN MEDICINE, Issue 2 2009Arndt Büssing Prof Dr ABSTRACT Objective., We studied whether or not spirituality/religiosity is a relevant resource for patients with chronic pain conditions, and to analyze interrelations between spirituality/religiosity (SpREUK Questionnaire; SpREUK is an acronym of the German translation of "Spiritual and Religious Attitudes in Dealing with Illness"), adaptive coping styles that refer to the concept of locus of disease control (AKU Questionnaire; AKU is an acronym of the German translation of "Adaptive Coping with Disease"), life satisfaction, and appraisal dimensions. Patients., In a multicenter cross-sectional study, 580 patients with chronic pain conditions were enrolled. Results., We found that the patients relied on both external powerful sources of disease control and on internal powers and virtues, while Trust in Higher Source (intrinsic religiosity) or Illness as Chance (reappraisal) were valued moderately; Search for Meaningful Support/Access (spiritual quest orientation) was of minor relevance. Stepwise regression analyses revealed that the internal sources of disease control, such as Conscious and Healthy Way of Living and Positive Attitudes, were (apart from the religious denomination) the strongest predictors of patients' reliance on spirituality/religiosity. Both behavioral styles were rated significantly lower in patients who regarded themselves as neither religious nor spiritual. Positive disease interpretations such as Challenge and Value were clearly associated with a spiritual quest orientation and intrinsic religiosity. Conclusion., The associations between spirituality/religiosity, positive appraisals. and internal adaptive coping strategies indicate that the utilization of spirituality/religiosity goes far beyond fatalistic acceptance, but can be regarded as an active coping process. The findings support the need for further research concerning the contributions of spiritual coping in adjustment to chronic pain. [source] VIII,Epistemic Deference: The Case of ChancePROCEEDINGS OF THE ARISTOTELIAN SOCIETY (HARDBACK), Issue 1pt2 2007James M. Joyce Epistemic deference is the phenomenon in which one person uses the deliverances of some information source, perhaps the opinions of another person, as a model for what to believe. The paper aims to clarify the nature of epistemic deference in probabilistic contexts, to explain the conditions under which deference is appropriate, and to examine deference to objective chances, as epitomized in David Lewis's Principal Principle. This latter analysis will show, in contrast with views that portray chance as an ideal inductive logician with total recall, that our deference to chance is grounded in contingent limitations on our ability to access information and our recognition that the physical probabilities that instantiate the actual chances codify all the types of information that humans are able to possess. [source] Chance and Change: Ecology for ConservationistsRESTORATION ECOLOGY, Issue 2 2000Article first published online: 25 DEC 200 No abstract is available for this article. [source] Give Macroeconomic Stability and Growth in Russia a ChanceTHE ECONOMICS OF TRANSITION, Issue 2 2000Brian Pinto This paper identifies and investigates conceptual and empirical links among Russia's disappointing growth performance of the mid-1990s, its costly and eventually unsuccessful stabilization, the macroeconomic meltdown of 1998 and the spectacular rise of non-payments. Non-payments developed into a system that flourished in an atmosphere of fundamental inconsistency between a macroeconomic policy geared at sharp disinflation and a microeconomic policy of bailing-out enterprises through soft budget constraints. It embodies a large volume of untargeted, implicit subsidies in the order of 7,10 per cent of GDP, which has stifled growth, contributed to the 1998 meltdown through its impact on public debt and made at best a questionable contribution to equity. The overwhelming priority at this point is to dismantle this system, thereby promoting enterprise restructuring and growth (by hardening budget constraints) and medium-term macroeconomic stability (by reducing the size of the subsidies). [source] Selective Retransplant After Graft Loss to Nonadherence: Success with a Second ChanceAMERICAN JOURNAL OF TRANSPLANTATION, Issue 6 2009T. B. Dunn Nonadherence (NA) is a difficult posttransplant problem that can lead to graft loss. A retransplant is controversial because of a fear of recurrent NA. We reviewed our center's data base and identified 114 kidney recipients who lost their graft to overt NA; of this group, 35 (31%) underwent a retransplant after a thorough reevaluation. We compared this NA retransplant group to a control group of second transplant recipients who did not lose their first graft to overt NA (non-NA) (n = 552). After 8 years of follow-up, we found no significant differences between the groups in actuarial graft or patient survival rates, renal function, or the incidence of biopsy-proven chronic rejection. However, 5 of 35 (14%) NA recipients versus 10 of 552 (2%) non-NA recipients lost their retransplant to NA (p = 0.0001). Twenty of 35 (57%) of the NA group exhibited repeat NA behavior after retransplant. We conclude that prior graft loss to NA is associated with increased graft loss to NA after retransplant. However, the majority of NA retransplant recipients did well,with overall long-term outcomes similar to those of the non-NA group. With careful patient selection and aggressive intervention, prior overt NA should not be an absolute contraindication to retransplantation. [source] The evolution of coenzyme QBIOFACTORS, Issue 1-4 2008Frederick L. Crane In the 50 years since the identification of coenzyme Q as an electron carrier in mitochondria, it has been identified with diverse and unexpected functions in cells. Its discovery came as a result of a search for electron carriers in mitochondria following the identification of flavin and cytochromes by Warburg, Keilin, Chance and others. As a result of investigation of membrane lipids at D.E. Green's laboratory at University of Wisconsin coenzyme Q was identified as the electron carrier between primary flavoprotein dehydrogenases and the cytochromes. Then Peter Mitchell identified the role of transmembrane proton transfer as a basis for ATP synthesis. The general distribution of coenzyme Q in all cell membranes then led to the recognition of a role as a primary antioxidant. The protonophoric function was extended to acidification of Golgi and lysosomal vericles. A further role in proton release through the plasma membrane and its relation to cell proliferation has not been fully developed. A role in generation of H2 O2 as a messenger for hormone and cytokine action is indicated as well as prevention of apoptosis by inhibition of ceramide release. Identification of the genes and proteins required for coenzyme Q synthesis has led to a basis for defining deficiency. For 50 years Karl Folkers has led the search for deficiency and therapeutic application. The development of large scale production, better formulation for uptake, and better methods for analysis have furthered this search. The story isn't over yet. Questions remain about effects on membrane structure, breakdown and control of cellular synthesis and uptake and the basis for therapeutic action. [source] Naturschutz und Tourismus am Brocken.BIOLOGIE IN UNSERER ZEIT (BIUZ), Issue 1 2006Der neue Nationalpark im Harz Im Gebiet des Hochharzes verbindet sich eine schützenswerte Natur mit interessanten historischen und kulturgeschichtlichen Aspekten. Besonders schützenswert sind die zahlreichen Hochmoore der Region sowie der unmittelbare Gipfelbereich des Brockens. Der Gipfel beherbergt aufgrund seiner exponierten Lage und seines rauen Mikroklimas eine Reihe seltener, zum Teil endemischer Arten. Durch massive menschliche Einflussnahme vor allem im Verlauf des 20. Jahrhunderts wurde die natürliche Flora und Fauna des Brockengipfels allerdings stark beeinträchtigt. Ähnliches gilt für die Wälder des Hochharzes, wobei die menschliche Einflussnahme hier wesentlich früher ansetzte. Der neu formierte Nationalpark Harz bietet die große Chance, das touristische Potenzial der Region für eine nachhaltige Öffentlichkeitsarbeit zu nutzen. [source] Untreated Hypertension and the Emergency Department: A Chance to Intervene?ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 6 2008Craig A. Umscheid MD Abstract Objectives:, Untreated hypertension (HTN) is a major public health problem. Screening for untreated HTN in the emergency department (ED) may lead to appropriate treatment of more patients. The authors investigated the accuracy of identifying HTN in the ED, the proportion of ED patients with untreated HTN, patient characteristics predicting untreated HTN, and provider documentation of untreated HTN. Methods:, The authors performed a retrospective cross-sectional study on a random sample of 2,061 adults treated at an urban academic ED. The validity of six candidate definitions of HTN in the ED was assessed in a subsample using outpatient clinic records as the reference standard. "Untreated HTN" was HTN without a HTN medication listed in the ED history. "Documentation of untreated HTN was documentation of HTN as a visit problem, specific referral for HTN, or ED discharge with a HTN" information sheet or a HTN medication. Multivariable logistic regression was used to determine associations. Results:, The preferred definition of HTN in the ED had sensitivity of 86% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 80% to 90%), specificity of 78% (95% CI = 69% to 85%), and accuracy of 83% (95% CI = 78% to 87%). Of the 42% (95% CI = 40% to 44%) of ED patients with HTN, 43% (95% CI = 39% to 46%) had untreated HTN. Patients who were younger and male, without primary care physicians, with fewer prior ED visits, and without cardiovascular comorbidities, had higher odds of untreated HTN. Of those with untreated HTN, 8% (95% CI = 5% to 11%) had their untreated HTN documented. Conclusions:, Untreated HTN was common in the ED but rarely documented. Providers can use ED blood pressures along with patient characteristics to identify those with untreated HTN for referral to primary care. [source] Cultural imagery and statistical models of the force of mortality: Addison, Gompertz and PearsonJOURNAL OF THE ROYAL STATISTICAL SOCIETY: SERIES A (STATISTICS IN SOCIETY), Issue 3 2010Elizabeth L. Turner Summary., We describe selected artistic and statistical depictions of the force of mortality (hazard or mortality rate), which is a concept that has long preoccupied actuaries, demographers and statisticians. We provide a more graphic form for the force-of-mortality function that makes the relationship between its constituents more explicit. The ,Bridge of human life' in Addison's allegorical essay of 1711 provides a particularly vivid image, with the forces depicted as external. The model that was used by Gompertz in 1825 appears to treat the forces as internal. In his 1897 essay Pearson mathematically modernized ,the medieval conception of the relation between Death and Chance' by decomposing the full mortality curve into five distributions along the age axis, the results of five ,marksmen' aiming at the human mass crossing this bridge. We describe Addison's imagery, comment briefly on Gompertz's law and the origin of the term ,force of mortality', describe the background for Pearson's essay, as well as his imagery and statistical model, and give the bridge of life a modern form, illustrating it via statistical animation. [source] Trust Evaluation Model for Catching Japanese Bankruptcy ChancesJOURNAL OF CONTINGENCIES AND CRISIS MANAGEMENT, Issue 2 2002Shingo Ogawa This article aims at verifying the rationality of experiential subjectivities of credit analysts. In order to understand future events that can occur in an enterprise, uncertainty can be reduced based on their expertise. Rather than bankruptcy prediction accuracy, as in preceding studies, the aim here is to build a credit risk model from the viewpoint of credit analysts with sufficient experience for causal analysis. Factors that professional analysts pay major attention to in discovering bankruptcy chances are studied. The significant factors presented are four categories of what I call trust fear factors. The significance of the credit risk model based on these four factors was validated by statistical test, and this model was verified as a pragmatic model. The finding here is that subjective expertise works effectively for discovering an enterprise's critical situation turning towards bankruptcy. [source] Species-specific detection of Lobaria pulmonaria (lichenized ascomycete) diaspores in litter samples trapped in snow coverMOLECULAR ECOLOGY, Issue 9 2001J.-C. Walser Abstract The foliose lichen Lobaria pulmonaria has suffered a substantial decline in central and northern Europe during the twentieth century and is now considered to be critically endangered in many European lowland regions. Based on demographic studies, it has been proposed that under the present environmental conditions and forest management regimes, dispersal of diaspores and subsequent establishment of new thalli are insufficient to maintain the remnant small lowland populations. Chances of long-term survival may therefore be reduced. The data and analytical power of these demographic studies are limited. Since lichen diaspores show very few species-specific morphological characteristics, and are therefore almost indistinguishable, the accurate assessment of diaspore flux would be a fundamental first step in better understanding the life cycle of L. pulmonaria. Here we present a new molecular approach to investigate the dispersal of L. pulmonaria diaspores in its natural environment by specifically identifying small amounts of DNA in snow litter samples at varying distances from known sources. We used a species-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) primer pair to amplify the ribosomal internal transcribed spacer region (ITS rDNA) and a sensitive automated PCR product detection system using fluorescent labelled primers. We detected considerable amounts of naturally dispersed diaspores, deposited as far as 50 m away from the closest potential source. Diaspores were only found in the direction of the prevailing wind. Diaspore deposition varied from 1.2 diaspores per m2 per day at 50 m distance from the source to 15 diaspores per m2 per day at 1 m distance. The method described in this paper opens up perspectives for studies of population dynamics and dispersal ecology mainly in lichenized ascomycetes but also in other organisms with small, wind-dispersed diaspores. [source] The Long-Term Evaluation of Tracheostomy in the Management of Severe Obstructive Sleep Apnea,THE LARYNGOSCOPE, Issue 2 2003Gentry W. Thatcher MD Abstract Objective To determine the long-term success and morbidity of tracheostomies for patients with severe obstructive sleep apnea. Study Design A retrospective study of patients who have undergone tracheostomy for documented obstructive sleep apnea at Hennepin County Medical Center since 1979. Methods Retrospective chart review of all tracheostomy patients operated January 1, 1979, to June 30, 1999, were evaluated. Follow-up data from patient records, death certificates, and DMV. Results Seventy-nine patients (70 men and 9 women; age range, 25,70 y; mean age, 47 y) received tracheostomies at a regional sleep disorder center. Respiratory distress index ranged from 45 to 146 (mean value, 81). Tracheostomy eliminated obstructive sleep apnea in all cases. Follow-up ranged from 3 months to 20 years (mean period, 8.3 y). In all, 16 patients had decannulation (range, 2 mo to 13 y): 5 of the patients chose continuous positive airway pressure, 3 grew intolerant of their tracheostomy, 3 had obstructive sleep apnea fully resolve after uvulopalatopharyngoplasty, 3 unknown diagnosis for decannulation, 2 had significant weight loss. Morbidity seen within the first year was primarily limited to granulation tissue, infection, and stoma revision. Fourteen deaths were identified. Average age at time of death was 62 years. Five deaths were cardiopulmonary related, four were from cancer, two were from postoperative complications of unrelated surgery, and one was from aspiration. Tracheostomy-related mortality included one postoperative myocardial infarction and one tracheal-innominate fistula. Conclusion Severe obstructive sleep apnea and its comorbid conditions are effectively treated in the long term with tracheostomy. Initial management of more frequent complication is well tolerated. Significant morbidity and mortality are low. Chances of obstructive sleep apnea resolution allowing decannulation remain poor. [source] Chancen und Grenzen der Mikroverkapselung in der modernen LebensmittelverarbeitungCHEMIE-INGENIEUR-TECHNIK (CIT), Issue 11 2003B. Kunz Prof. Dr. Abstract Die Mikroverkapselung ist in der Lebensmittelindustrie immer bedeutender geworden, besonders im Bereich der funktionellen Lebensmittel und der Nahrungsergänzungsmittel. Die Verkapselung dient dem Schutz des eingeschlossenen Materials vor schädlichen Einflüssen. Das Verfahren birgt ein großes Potenzial für die Entwicklung neuer Produkte. Der Einschluss von ernährungsphysiologisch positiv zu bewertenden Substanzen führt zu Produkten mit einem zusätzlichen gesundheitlichen Nutzen (Added Value). Obwohl die Mikroverkapselung sich erst am Anfang ihrer Entwicklung befindet, ist es sinnvoll, die Chancen und Risiken dieser vielversprechenden Technologie abzuschätzen. Der Beitrag gibt einen Überblick über die Möglichkeiten der Mikroverkapselung in der Lebensmittelindustrie und zeigt zugleich die Grenzen der neuen Technologie auf. Chances and Limits of Microencapsulation in Progressive Food Industry Microencapsulation has gained importance in food technology especially in coevolution with the developments in functional food and dietary supplements. The aim of microencapsulation is to protect the core material from harsh conditions, so that it keeps its nutritional value. Although microencapsulation is in an early state of development, it seems to be necessary to evaluate the chances and risks of this technology. Because of the effects which can be reached by using the microencapsulation process there seems to be a great potential for the developments of new products or products with an added value. This contribution reviews the chances of microencapsulation in the food industry and tries to present and evaluate the limits of this new technology. [source] The Impact of Metropolitan Residential Segregation on the Employment Chances of Blacks and Whites in the United StatesCITY & COMMUNITY, Issue 3 2010Niki Dickerson VonLockette Studies of residential segregation's role in creating employment inequality between blacks and whites have focused on the characteristics of neighborhoods (e.g., mean SES or distance from job centers). In contrast, this study considers the broader structure of metropolitan segregation in which neighborhoods are situated and its impact on the racial disparity in access to employment opportunities. The study employs multilevel analyses and the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth to test the effects of metropolitan segregation in 1980 on respondents' probability of being employed by 1990 net of individual and family level characteristics, and to assess the role of segregation in explaining the race gap in employment between blacks and whites. The analyses reveal that residential segregation decreases employment odds for blacks, but not for whites, and explains the residual race gap in the probability of being employed. In addition, the depressive effect of segregation on employment is weaker for black women than it is for black men. El impacto de la segregación residencial metropolitana en las oportunidades de empleo de personas negras y blancas en los Estados Unidos (Niki Dickerson vonLockette) Resumen Los estudios sobre el rol de la segregación residencial en la creación de la desigualdad en el empleo entre personas de raza negra y personas de raza blanca se han concentrado en las características de los barrios en que viven (por ejemplo, el estatus socio-económico promedio o la distancia a la que se encuentran de los centros de trabajo). Por el contrario, el presente estudio aborda la estructura más amplia de la segregación en el área metropolitana de la que los barrios forman parte y su impacto en la disparidad racial en el acceso a las oportunidades de empleo. El estudio hace uso del análisis multinivel y la Encuesta Longitudinal Nacional sobre la Juventud para evaluar los efectos que tuvo la segregación a nivel metropolitano en 1980 en la probabilidad de que los informantes estuvieran empleados en 1990 (después de tomar en cuenta las características a nivel individual y familiar). El estudio también examinó el rol que la segregación tiene en la brecha en el acceso al empleo entre personas blancas y negras. El análisis revela que la segregación residencial reduce la probabilidad de tener un empleo para las personas de raza negra pero no para las personas de raza blanca y es la razón por la que se mantiene la brecha racial residual en la probabilidad de tener un empleo. Además, el efecto reductor de la segregación en el empleo es más débil para las mujeres negras en comparación con los hombres negro. [source] Hypervideo application on an experimental control system as an approach to educationCOMPUTER APPLICATIONS IN ENGINEERING EDUCATION, Issue 1 2008Debevc, Matja Abstract Hypervideo, as an interactive tool with links within video frames, is becoming widely used in multimedia presentations for e-learning applications. Its concept of rich multimedia presentation together with temporal based link objects, gives a chance for use in engineering education courses, where many practical work and experiments are needed. In the article we present a strategy for the development and navigation of hypervideo application, to be used in engineering education. Example of magnetic suspension system experiment was built as hypervideo application. The system usability was tested with two methods, software usability measurement inventory (SUMI) evaluation and general approach to usability engineering. Test results have shown that hypervideo increases the users' motivation to work and helps students recognize, organize and present specific information. By applying some of the proposed improvements in future development, hypervideo could be a significant tool in the future of engineering education. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Comput Appl Eng Educ 16: 31,44, 2008; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com); DOI 10.1002/cae.20116 [source] Investigating Driver Injury Severity in Traffic Accidents Using Fuzzy ARTMAPCOMPUTER-AIDED CIVIL AND INFRASTRUCTURE ENGINEERING, Issue 6 2002Hassan T. Abdelwahab This paper applies fuzzy adaptive resonance theory MAP (fuzzy ARTMAP) neural networks to analyze and predict injury severity for drivers involved in traffic accidents. The paper presents a modified version of fuzzy ARTMAP in which the training patterns are ordered using the K,means algorithm before being presented to the neural network. The paper presents three applications of fuzzy ARTMAP for analyzing driver injury severity for drivers involved in accidents on highways, signalized intersections, and toll plazas. The analysis is based on central Florida's traffic accident database. Results showed that the ordered fuzzy ARTMAP proved to reduce the network size and improved the performance. To facilitate the application of fuzzy ARTMAP, a series of simulation experiments to extract knowledge from the models were suggested. Results of the fuzzy ARTMAP neural network showed that female drivers experience higher severity levels than male drivers. Vehicle speed at the time of an accident increases the likelihood of high injury severity. Wearing a seat belt decreases the chance of having severe injuries. Drivers in passenger cars are more likely to experience a higher injury severity level than those in vans or pickup trucks. Point of impact, area type, driving under the influence, and driver age were also among the factors that influence the severity level. [source] Integral conflict analysis: A comprehensive quadrant analysis of an organizational conflictCONFLICT RESOLUTION QUARTERLY, Issue 3 2005Richard McGuigan Influenced by Ken Wilber's brilliant synthesis of some of the world's most influential thinkers, including Jürgen Habermas, the authors have developed an integral model of conflict analysis and action. The integral approach has been helpful in explaining conflict dynamics to clients and allows more comprehensive response, thus ensuring a greater chance of successful intervention. [source] Role of Corridors in Plant Dispersal: an Example with the Endangered Ranunculus nodif lorusCONSERVATION BIOLOGY, Issue 2 2003Florian Kirchner But the few experimental studies supporting the usefulness of corridors have all concerned animal species. We investigated the role of corridors in seed dispersal, studying population genetic and demographic structure in metapopulations of the rare, pond-dwelling, autogamous plant species Ranunculus nodiflorus L. in the Fontainebleau Forest ( France ). Differentiation on three polymorphic isozyme markers was strong among local populations ( ponds ) within metapopulations ( sites ) and moderate among metapopulations. Partial Mantel tests revealed that the connection of ponds through temporarily flooded natural corridors, facilitating seed migration, had a strong negative effect on genetic differentiation between local populations and that a pond was more likely to be colonized when connected by corridors to other occupied ponds. Thus, corridors are probably a key element of landscape structure for metapopulation dynamics in R. nodiflorus. From a conservation perspective, our results suggest that corridors could increase the chance of persistence of plant species living in fragmented habitats by promoting seed dispersal between habitat patches. Resumen: La propuesta de que la migración de organismos entre parches de hábitat puede ser incrementada por corredores ha sido muy discutida en biología de la conservación. Pero los pocos estudios experimentales que apoyan la utilidad de los corredores han sido enfocados hacia especies de animales. Investigamos el papel de los corredores en la dispersión de semillas, estudiando la genética poblacional y la estructura demográfica en metapoblaciones de la especie de planta rara, autógama, habitante de estanques Ranunculus nodiflorus L. en el bosque Fontainebleau ( Francia ). La diferenciación de tres isozimas polimórficas marcadoras fue fuerte entre las poblaciones locales ( estanques ) dentro de metapoblaciones ( sitios ) y fue moderada entre metapoblaciones. Las pruebas parciales de Mantel revelaron que la conexión de estanques a través de corredores naturales inundados facilitando la migración de semillas, tuvo un efecto negativo fuerte en la diferenciación genética entre poblaciones locales y que un estanque fue más probable de ser colonizado cuando se conectaba por corredores con otros estanques ocupados. Por lo tanto, los corredores probablemente son un factor clave de la estructura del paisaje para dinámicas metapoblacionales en R. nodiflorus. Desde una perspectiva de conservación, nuestros resultados sugieren que los corredores podrían incrementar la probabilidad de persistencia de especies de plantas que viven en hábitats fragmentados al promover la dispersión de semillas entre parches de hábitats. [source] Studying Biodiversity on Private LandsCONSERVATION BIOLOGY, Issue 1 2003Jodi Hilty Private lands harbor a great amount of biodiversity, including at least some habitat for 95% of the federally listed species in the United States. It is important to conduct conservation biology research on private lands, but our review of the literature indicates that few conservation-oriented field studies are conducted on private property. Based on our success in obtaining permission to conduct research on 43 land parcels in Sonoma County, California, we developed methods to enhance a conservation biologist's chance of obtaining permission to work on private lands. We provide guidelines for researchers to conduct studies successfully on private land with the goal of improving access, data collection, and relationships with private landowners. We also discuss constraints researchers face, such as designing studies appropriate for working on privately owned parcels. In light of the importance of these lands to biodiversity conservation, greater effort should be made to conduct research on private lands. Resumen: Más de la mitad de la tierra en los Estados Unidos es propiedad privada. Las tierras de propiedad privada albergan una gran cantidad de biodiversidad, incluyendo al menos algunos hábitats para el 95% de las especies incluidas en la lista nacional de especies en peligro de extinción en los Estados Unidos. Es importante llevar a cabo investigación sobre biología de la conservación en tierras privadas, pero nuestra revisión de la literatura indica que existen pocos estudios a campo orientados hacia la conservación en propiedades privadas. En base a nuestro éxito en obtener permisos para llevar a cabo estudios de investigación en 43 parcelas de tierra en el condado de Sonoma, California, desarrollamos métodos para mejorar las posibilidades de los biólogos conservacionistas de obtener permisos para trabajar en tierras privadas. Hemos provisto lineamientos para que los investigadores lleven a cabo estudios exilosos en tierras privadas con el objeto de mejorar el acceso, la recolección de datos y las relaciones con los dueños de tierras privadas. También discutimos las limitantes que los investigadores enfrentan, tales como el diseño de estudios adecuados para trabajar en parcelas de propiedad privada. Dada la importancia de estas tierras para la conservación de la biodiversidad, se debería realizar un esfuerzo mayor para llevar a cabo investigaciones en tierras privadas. [source] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||