Southeastern Louisiana University

Abstract: We synthesized key findings from the Biological Dynamics of Forest Fragments Project, the world's largest and longest‐running experimental study of habitat fragmentation. Although initially designed to assess the influence of fragment area on Amazonian biotas, the project has yielded insights that go far beyond the original scope of the study. Results suggest that edge effects play a key role in fragment dynamics, that the matrix has a major influence on fragment connectivity and functioning, and that many Amazonian species avoid even small (<100‐m–wide) clearings. The effects of fragmentation are highly eclectic, altering species richness and abundances, species invasions, forest dynamics, the trophic structure of communities, and a variety of ecological and ecosystem processes. Moreover, forest fragmentation appears to interact synergistically with ecological changes such as hunting, fires, and logging, collectively posing an even greater threat to the rainforest biota.

In 2009-2010, the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) operated together with international partners Virgo and GEO600 as a network to search for gravitational waves of astrophysical origin. The sensitivity of these detectors was limited by a combination of noise sources inherent to the instrumental design and its environment, often localized in time or frequency, that couple into the gravitational-wave readout. Here we review the performance of the LIGO instruments during this epoch, the work done to characterize the detectors and their data, and the effect that transient and continuous noise artefacts have on the sensitivity of LIGO to a variety of astrophysical sources.

The goal of the Laser Interferometric Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) is to detect and study gravitational waves (GWs) of astrophysical origin. Direct detection of GWs holds the promise of testing general relativity in the strong-field regime, of providing a new probe of exotic objects such as black holes and neutron stars and of uncovering unanticipated new astrophysics. LIGO, a joint Caltech-MIT project supported by the National Science Foundation, operates three multi-kilometer interferometers at two widely separated sites in the United States. These detectors are the result of decades of worldwide technology development, design, construction and commissioning. They are now operating at their design sensitivity, and are sensitive to gravitational wave strains smaller than one part in 10(21). With this unprecedented sensitivity, the data are being analyzed to detect or place limits on GWs from a variety of potential astrophysical sources.

We present an up-to-date, comprehensive summary of the rates for all types of compact binary coalescence sources detectable by the Initial and Advanced versions of the ground-based gravitational-wave detectors LIGO and Virgo. Astrophysical estimates for compact-binary coalescence rates depend on a number of assumptions and unknown model parameters, and are still uncertain. The most confident among these estimates are the rate predictions for coalescing binary neutron stars which are based on extrapolations from observed binary pulsars in our Galaxy. These yield a likely coalescence rate of 100 per Myr per Milky Way Equivalent Galaxy (MWEG), although the rate could plausibly range from 1 per Myr per MWEG to 1000 per Myr per MWEG. We convert coalescence rates into detection rates based on data from the LIGO S5 and Virgo VSR2 science runs and projected sensitivities for our Advanced detectors. Using the detector sensitivities derived from these data, we find a likely detection rate of 0.02 per year for Initial LIGO-Virgo interferometers, with a plausible range between 0.0002 and 0.2 per year. The likely binary neutron-star detection rate for the Advanced LIGO-Virgo network increases to 40 events per year, with a range between 0.4 and 400 per year.

Only recently has Bayesian inference of phylogeny been proposed. The method is now a practical alternative to the other methods; indeed, the method appears to possess advantages over the other methods in terms of ability to use complex models of evolution, ease of interpretation of the results, and computational efficiency. However, the method should be used cautiously. The results of a Bayesian analysis should be examined with respect to the sensitivity of the results to the priors used and the reliability of the Markov chain Monte Carlo approximation of the probabilities of trees.

Despite the many clear benefits of an active lifestyle, lack of physical activity is a significant health problem in the college population. A key issue in physical activity research is developing an understanding of motivation. Although physical activity takes many forms, most research designed to enhance motivation for and adherence to physical activity focuses on exercise behavior and ignores sport participation. In this study, the authors compare motivations for sport participation versus exercise among college students. Results indicate that participants were more likely to report intrinsic motives, such as enjoyment and challenge, for engaging in sport, whereas motivations for exercise were more extrinsic and focused on appearance and weight and stress management. The findings suggest that motives for sport participation are more desirable than those for exercise and may facilitate improved adherence to physical activity recommendations.

Rapid response to a health epidemic is critical to reduce loss of life. Existing methods mostly rely on expensive surveys of hospitals across the country, typically with lag times of one to two weeks for influenza reporting, and even longer for less common diseases. In response, there have been several recently proposed solutions to estimate a population's health from Internet activity, most notably Google's Flu Trends service, which correlates search term frequency with influenza statistics reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In this paper, we analyze messages posted on the micro-blogging site Twitter.com to determine if a similar correlation can be uncovered. We propose several methods to identify influenza-related messages and compare a number of regression models to correlate these messages with CDC statistics. Using over 500,000 messages spanning 10 weeks, we find that our best model achieves a correlation of .78 with CDC statistics by leveraging a document classifier to identify relevant messages.

We sampled understory insectivorous birds in Amazonian forest fragments from before isolation through 9 yr after isolation. We accumulated 3658 mist net captures of 84 insectivorous species in five 1—ha fragments and four 10—ha fragments. Abundance and species richness declined dramatically after isolation, even though fragments were separated from continuous forest by only 70—650 m. Three species of obligate army ant followers disappeared within the first 2 yr after isolation. Mixed—species flocks containing 13 commonly netted species disintegrated within 2—3 yr after isolation, although three species that dropped out of flocks persisted in fragments. Among insectivores not associated with flocks or army ants, only two species of edge specialists were unaffected by fragmentation. Overall, loss of forest insectivores was not compensated for by an increase in nonforest or previously uncommon species. Secondary vegetation surrounding fragments strongly affected use of fragments after isolation. Fragments surrounded by Vismia, the dominant regrowth where felled forest was burned and temporarily used as cattle pasture, remained depauperate. In contrast, many species returned to fragments by moving through regenerating forest dominated by Cecropia, which occurred in areas where the felled forest was not burned. Both 1— and 10—ha fragments surrounded by Cecropia were used by ant followers by 5 yr after isolation. Mixed—species flocks reassembled in 10—ha fragments surrounded by Cecropia by 7—9 yr after isolation, and augmented their group territories by foraging in secondary forest outside fragments. Solitary species were more variable in their responses, although several species returned to 10—ha fragments surrounded by Cecropia. Terrestrial insectivores, such as Sclerurus leafscrapers and various antbirds, did not return to any fragments, and appear to be the group most vulnerable to fragmentation. Ordination of the insectivore community showed that 1—ha fragments diverged from their pre—isolation communities more than did 10—ha fragments. Communities in 10—ha fragments surrounded by Cecropia were more closely associated with pre—isolation communities than those in fragments surrounded by Vismia. Over time, communities in 10—ha fragments surrounded by Cecropia became more like pre—isolation communities, although communities in other fragments generally continued to diverge.

In many inventory situations, the purchaser is allowed a permissible period to pay back the cost of goods bought without paying any interest. Depending on the length of that payment period, the purchaser can earn interest on the sales of the inventory. This paper develops a model to determine an optimal ordering policy for deteriorating items under permissible delay of payment and allowable shortage. Different facets of the permissible delays in payment are discussed, and this generalized model exhibits a set of solutions that reduces to an existing model. Results are discussed and demonstrated with an illustrative example.

A model hypothesizing relationship quality and relationship context as antecedents of two complementary forms of interpersonal citizenship behavior (ICB) was tested. Measures with coworkers as the frame of reference were used to collect data from 273 individuals working in 2 service-oriented organizations. As hypothesized, variables reflecting relationship quality were associated with person-focused ICB, as mediated by empathic concern. Also as hypothesized, a relationship context variable, network centrality, exhibited a direct relationship with task-focused ICB. Unexpectedly, network centrality was directly associated with person-focused ICB. and empathic concern was associated with task-focused ICB. The results are discussed, and implications for research and practice are offered.

This study examined whether structural, attitudinal, and behavioral variables of a relational nature were predictive of employee turnover. Participants were a sample of 176 health care employees from a large public medical center. Using survival analysis over a five-year time frame, we found that two such variables, network centrality and interpersonal citizenship behavior, predicted turnover. Implications of taking a relational perspective toward turnover and other withdrawal behaviors found in organizations are discussed.

Fundamental Concepts Examples of Complex Adaptive Systems Nonadaptive Systems, Scaling, Self-Similarity, and Measures of Complexity General Discussion Afterwords.

This article reports the development and evaluation of a new intervention termed "Supported Conversation for Adults with Aphasia" (SCA). The approach is based on the idea that the inherent competence of people with aphasia can be revealed through the skill of a conversation partner. The intervention approach was developed at a community-based aphasia center where volunteers interact with individuals with chronic aphasia and their families. The experimental study was designed to test whether training improves the conversational skills of volunteers, and, if so, whether the improvements affect the communication of their conversation partners with aphasia. Twenty volunteers received SCA training, and 20 control volunteers were merely exposed to people with aphasia. Comparisons between the groups' scores on a Measure of Supported Conversation for Adults with Aphasia provide support for the efficacy of SCA. Trained volunteers scored significantly higher than untrained volunteers on ratings of acknowledging competence [F(1, 36) = 19. 1, p < .001] and revealing competence [F(1, 36) = 159.0, p < .001] of their partners with aphasia. The training also produced a positive change in ratings of social [F(1, 36) = 5.7, p < .023] and message exchange skills [F(1, 36) = 17.6, p < .001 ] of individuals with aphasia, even though these individuals did not participate in the training. Implications for the treatment of aphasia and an argument for a social model of intervention are discussed.

Our study develops and uses a new methodology for analyzing journal citations to recent publications to determine which management journals now have the greatest influence on the field of management. It analyzes the 23637 academic journal references cited in the 1275 articles published in 17 key management journals during 1993 and 1994, focusing on citations to references published up to the modal vintage of 4 years earlier. Most cited as a percentage of all these references was Strategic Management Journal (11%), followed by Academy of Management Journal, Journal of Applied Psychology, Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Academy of Management Review, Administrative Sciences Quarterly, and Journal of Management—accounting in total for 51 percent of all citations. Strategic Management Journal, whose subfield of strategic management has become a major concern of management in general, has developed as the predominant academic journal influencing the field of management. Our measures of journal influence provide information which can aid management scholars, practitioners, department heads, and university libraries to decide on efficient choices of journals for research and for manuscript submissions, for evaluation, and for subscriptions. Just seven management and social science journals, led by Strategic Management Journal, contain more than half of the cited articles published recently. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

This paper investigates the possible causes for high attrition rates for Computer Science students. It is a serious problem in universities that must be addressed if the need for technologically competent professionals is to be met.

The final results of processing the data from the balloon-born experiment ATIC-2 (Antarctica, 2002–2003) for the energy spectra of protons and He, C, O, Ne, Mg, Si, and Fe nuclei, the spectrum of all particles, and the mean logarithm of atomic weight of primary cosmic rays as a function of energy are presented. The final results are based on improvement of the methods used earlier, in particular, considerably increased resolution of the charge spectrum. The preliminary conclusions on the significant difference in the spectra of protons and helium nuclei (the proton spectrum is steeper) and the non-power character of the spectra of protons and heavier nuclei (flattening of carbon spectrum at energies above 10 TeV) are confirmed. A complex structure of the energy dependence of the mean logarithm of atomic weight is found.

Radio frequency identification (RFID) allows for objects to be identified electronically through the use of radio waves. RFID can be applied to table games in casinos by allowing gaming operators to gain the same levels of customer and game-play data in table game operations as they presently have in the slot area. Using chips imprinted with RFID, gaming companies can monitor game play, prevent instances of chip counterfeiting and theft, and (by identifying addicted gamblers) promote responsible gaming. Beyond casino chips, casinos will eventually be able to install RFID on playing cards, again to give casinos a better picture of their customers, but also to reduce opportunities for cheating.

Social norms are communally agreed upon, morally significant behavioral standards that are, at least in part, responsible for uniquely human forms of cooperation and social organization. This article summarizes evidence demonstrating that ritual and ritualized behaviors are essential to the transmission and reinforcement of social norms. Ritualized behaviors reliably signal an intentional mental state giving credibility to verbal expressions while emotionally binding people to each other and group-based values. Early ritualized infant-caregiver interactions and the family routines and rituals that emerge from them are primary mechanisms for transmitting social norms vertically from parent to offspring, while adult community rituals are a primary mechanism by which norms are reinforced horizontally within the community.

Background: The initial motivation was our inability to capture the important but often elusive outcomes of interventions that focus on making a difference to the everyday experience of individuals with aphasia and their families. In addition, a review of the literature and input from stakeholder focus groups revealed the lack of an integrated approach to outcome evaluation across diverse approaches to aphasia intervention. Input from focus groups also indicated that existing classifications and models offering potential solutions are not always easily accessible and user friendly. Aims: We aimed to create a user‐friendly conceptual framework for outcome measurement in aphasia that included a focus on real‐life outcomes of intervention and could be easily accessed by clinicians, researchers, policy makers, funders, and those living with aphasia. We wanted to build on existing work, e.g., that of the World Health Organisation, simplify presentation for accessibility, and make specific adaptations relevant to aphasia. By providing a common context for a broad range of outcome tools or measures, we hoped to enable more efficient and effective communication between and among all stakeholders. Main contribution: Living with Aphasia: Framework for Outcome Measurement (A‐FROM) is a conceptual guide to outcome assessment in aphasia that is situated within current thinking about health and disability. This simple platform can be used to frame and broaden thinking concerning outcome measurement for aphasia clinicians and researchers while enhancing the potential for meaningful communication between the clinical community, policy makers, and funders. By integrating Quality of Life and including domains related to environment, participation, and personal identity in the same framework as impairment, the importance of outcomes in all these areas is acknowledged for aphasia in particular and disability in general. A‐FROM has the potential to be used as an advocacy tool. Conclusions: This article is the first presentation of A‐FROM as an alternate guide to outcome measurement in aphasia. Initial ideas regarding applications are discussed. Further development and applications await input from our community of practice.

Abstract Reform‐based curriculum materials have been suggested as a mechanism to make inquiry‐based instruction more prevalent in secondary science classrooms, specifically when accompanied by comprehensive professional development (Loucks‐Horsley, Hewson, Love, &amp; Stiles, 1998 ; Powell &amp; Anderson, 2002 ). This research examines the implementation of a reform‐based high school chemistry curriculum in a large, urban school district. We explicitly consider the role of the teachers' knowledge and beliefs in their implementation of the reform‐based chemistry curriculum, as well as school level factors. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected in the form of beliefs interviews and classroom observations from 27 high school chemistry teachers. Analysis of the data revealed that implementation of the curriculum was strongly influenced by the teachers' beliefs about teaching and learning, and the presence of a supportive network at their school sites. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 44: 883–907, 2007