An empirical assessment of the form of utility functions.

Utility functions, which relate subjective value to physical attributes of experience, are fundamental to most decision theories. Seven experiments were conducted to test predictions of the most widely assumed mathematical forms of utility (power, log, and negative exponential), and a function proposed by Rachlin (1992). For pairs of gambles for real monetary gains, undergraduate and nonstudent subjects either reported an equalizing amount for 1 outcome that made the gambles subjectively equal or chose between gambles where the amounts were varied across trial, which allowed the equalizing amount to be estimated from their pattern of choices. Using a novel method that eliminates several limitations of previous research, I manipulated the outcomes across trials such that each type of utility function predicted a linear relationship between the equalizing amounts and the amounts of the other outcomes, and made point predictions for either the slope or intercept of that relationship. In a meta-analysis across experiments, systematic departures from the point predictions were observed for each type of utility function. Thus, the data imply that despite their historical importance and incorporation in many psychological and economic decision theories, the most widely assumed models of utility are incorrect. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Memory effects on symptom reporting in a respiratory learning paradigm.

With odors as conditioned stimuli (CSs) and CO?-enriched air as the unconditioned stimulus, participants learned to exhibit respiratory responses and somatic complaints on presentation of only the odor CS+. Studied was whether complaints during CS+-only trials were inferred from the conditioned somatic responses or were based on activated memory of the complaints during acquisition. Participants (N?=?56) were either attentionally directed away or not from the complaints during acquisition, and the effects on somatic complaints during test were studied. Respiratory responses, heart rate, and somatic complaints were measured. No physiological conditioning effects were found. However, more complaints were reported to the CS+ than to the CS– odor, but only when the CS+ was foul smelling. This effect was modulated by the attention manipulation, showing that the learned complaints during the test phase were based on memory of the acquisition complaints and not on physiological responses during the test. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A theoretical model for the flow behavior of commercial dual-phase steels containing metastable retained austenite: Part I. derivation of flow curve equations

A semi-mechanistic model for predicting the flow behavior of a typical commercial dual-phase steel containing 20 vol pct of ‘as quenched’ martensite and varying amounts of retained austenite has been developed in this paper. Assuming that up to 20 vol pct of austenite with different degrees of mechanical stability can be retained as a result of certain thermomechanical treatments in a steel of appropriate low carbon low alloy chemistry, expressions for composite flow stress and strain have been derived. The model takes into account the work hardening of the individual microconstituents(viz., ferrite-@#@ α, retained austenite- γ _r, and martensite -α′) and the extra hardening of ferrite caused by accommodation dislocations surrounding the ‘as quenched’ as well as the strain-induced(γ _r→ α′) martensite. Load transfer between the phases has been accounted for using an intermediate law of mixtures which also considers the relative hardness of the soft and the hard phases. From the derived expressions, the flow behavior of dual phase steels can be predicted if the properties of the individual microconstituents are known. Versatility of the model for application to other commercial steels containing a metastable phase is discussed.     

High-dose edatrexate with oral leucovorin rescue: a phase I and clinical pharmacological study in adults with advanced cancer

Our objective was to determine the maximum tolerated dose and toxicity of i.v. edatrexate with p.o. leucovorin. Thirty-one adults with advanced solid tumors received edatrexate as a 2-h infusion, once a week for 3 weeks, recycled every 28 days. p.o. leucovorin (10 mg/m2, every 6 h for 10 doses) began 24 h later. All had urinary alkalinization and p.o. hydration. Nine dosage levels ranging from 120 to 3750 mg/m2 were explored. Fatigue, epistaxis, nausea/emesis, mucositis, rash, myalgias, leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, and transient elevations of serum aspartate transferase were observed. Leukoencephalopathy with clinical manifestations occurred in two patients (one had prior cranial irradiation). Pharmacokinetic studies carried out at the 120- and 1080-mg/m2 dose levels revealed no significant difference in the elimination half-life at the two dose levels studied and no significant intrapatient variability between day 1 and day 8 edatrexate administration. Serum edatrexate levels measured using a dihydrofolate reductase inhibition assay correlated with those by high-performance liquid chromatography. Three major and two minor antitumor responses occurred. The maximum tolerated dose was 3750 mg/m2, with grade 3 or 4 leukopenia (one patient), stomatitis (one patient), and leukoencephalopathy (one patient). Because of the occurrence of leukoencephalopathy, further study of high-dose edatrexate with leucovorin rescue is not recommended.     

Sexual fantasy.

This article reviews the research literature on sexual fantasy, a central aspect of human sexual behavior. Topics include (a) gender similarities and differences in the incidence, frequency, and content of sexual fantasies and how they relate to sociocultural and sociobiological theories of sexual behavior; (b) the association between frequency or content of sexual fantasies and variables such as age, sexual adjustment and satisfaction, guilt, sexual orientation, personality, and sexual experience; and (c) "deviant" sexual fantasies (i.e., what they are, whether they play a role in the commission of sexual crimes, and whether they can be modified). The article ends with a summary of major findings and suggestions for future research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Lightweight PUF based authentication scheme for fog architecture

Fog computing improves efficiency and reduces the amount of bandwidth to the cloud. In many use cases, the internet of things (IoT) devices do not know the fog nodes in advance. Moreover, as the fog nodes are often placed in open publicly available places, they can be easily captured. Therefore, it should be ensured that even if the key material is leaked from the fog devices, the previously generated session keys and the identity of the devices can be kept secret, i.e. satisfying anonymity, unlinkability, perfect forward secrecy and resistance against stolen devices attack. Such demands require a multi-factor authentication scheme, which is typically done by providing input of the user with password or biometric data. However, in real use case scenarios, IoT devices should be able to automatically start the process without requiring such manual interaction and also fog devices need to autonomously operate. Therefore, this paper proposes a physical unclonable function (PUF) based mutual authentication scheme, being the first security scheme for a fog architecture, capable of providing simultaneously all these suggested security features. In addition, we also show the resistance against other types of attacks like synchronization and known session specific temporary information attack. Moreover, the scheme only relies on symmetric key based operations and thus results in very good performance, compared to the other fog based security systems proposed in literature.

     

Environmental resilience and intergovernmental collaboration in the Pearl River Delta

Abstract

Water resource management is a crucial issue in the rapidly urbanizing Pearl River Delta. Numerous studies have examined transboundary water management, but those focusing on Hong Kong are largely technical, with little consideration for political dynamics or collaboration. This study’s contribution is a systematic analysis of water governance in China’s ‘one country–two systems’ setting. Through interviews and historical analysis, the study applies Ostrom’s Institutional Analysis and Development framework to a setting with political complexity and environmental vulnerability. The principal finding is that cooperation on supply infrastructure reflects a regional interdependence that builds the multiparty trust needed for more strategic governance.     

Measuring working memory load effects on electrophysiological markers of attention orienting during a simulated drive

Intersection accidents result in a significant proportion of road fatalities, and attention allocation likely plays a role. Attention allocation may depend on (limited) working memory (WM) capacity. Driving is often combined with tasks increasing WM load, consequently impairing attention orienting. This study (n = 22) investigated WM load effects on event-related potentials (ERPs) related to attention orienting. A simulated driving environment allowed continuous lane-keeping measurement. Participants were asked to orient attention covertly towards the side indicated by an arrow, and to respond only to moving cars appearing on the attended side by pressing a button. WM load was manipulated using a concurrent memory task. ERPs showed typical attentional modulation (cue: contralateral negativity, LDAP; car: N1, P1, SN and P3) under low and high load conditions. With increased WM load, lane-keeping performance improved, while dual task performance degraded (memory task: increased error rate; orienting task: increased false alarms, smaller P3).

Practitioner Summary: Intersection driver-support systems aim to improve traffic safety and flow. However, in-vehicle systems induce WM load, increasing the tendency to yield. Traffic flow reduces if drivers stop at inappropriate times, reducing the effectiveness of systems. Consequently, driver-support systems could include WM load measurement during driving in the development phase.