bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Quantitative Modeling of Complex Environments
Authors: Decker Keith S. , Lesser Victor R. 
Published: March 2014

AbstractThere are many formal approaches to specifying how the mental state of an agent entails the particular actions it will perform. These approaches put the agent at the center of analysis. For some questions and purposes, it is more realistic and convenient for the center of analysis to be the task environment, domain or society of which agents will be a part. This paper presents such a task environment‐oriented modeling framework that can work hand in hand with more agent‐centered approaches. Our approach features careful attention to the quantitative computational interrelationships between tasks, to what information is available (and when) to update an agent's mental state and to the general structure of the task environment rather than single‐instance examples. A task environment model can be used for both analysis and simulation, it avoids the methodological problems of relying solely on single‐instance examples and provides concrete, meaningful characterizations with which to state general theories. This paper is organized around an example model of co‐operative problem solving in a distributed sensor network.
Explaining Financial Results
Authors: Hamscher Walter 
Published: March 2014

AbstractCROSBY III automatically constructs explanations for financial results. The key elements of the program are (1) a body of raw financial data to be explained, (2) an extensible knowledge base of financial relations expressed as algebraic constraints, (3) a selection of possible explanatory variables and information about the relative likelihoods of individual hypotheses, (4) an algorithm for generating consistent, adequate, plausible and parsimonious interpretations of the data, (5) a facility for explaining how a particular interpretation supports the data and (6) a facility for explaining why one interpretation is preferred over another. This paper focuses on facilites (5) and (6). CROSBY III is an implemented but undeployed prototype that has been tested on historical data and financial models of a small high‐technology company along with its closest competitors, on more than ten divisions of a large company and on a collection of large banks.
Certainty Factor Algebras: Comparing Conventional Mappings and Experimental Results
Authors: Holsapple Clyde W. , Wu Jen‐Her 
Published: March 2014

AbstractAmong the various means that have been advanced for handling uncertainty in expert systems, certainty factor (CF) approaches have been widely adopted in both individual expert system applications and shells for building such systems. Nevertheless, CF approaches have been challenged on analytical grounds. This paper examines the descriptive efficacy of CF approaches from an empirical standpoint. Specifically, it compares conventional CF methods for certainty‐combining situations in a rule's premise with experimentally observed behaviors. The experimental data are subjected to ‘hit’ analyses that present the percentages of experts adhering to conventional algebraic means for combining CFs. The findings indicate that anywhere from about one‐fourth up to nine‐tenths of subjects combine certainties in a way consistent with CF algebras conventionally mapped into various certainty‐combining situations. Put another way, conventional CF algebra mappings are inadequate for describing anywhere from 10% to 75% of human behaviors across the situations studied here. This empirical evidence suggests that knowledge engineers should be cautious about adopting conventional CF algebras, particularly under certain circumstances identified in this study. It also suggests the prudence of considering uncertainty treatments other than conventional certainty factor algebras.
Integrating Logical Inference with Numeric Optimization
Authors: Lee Ho Geun , Lee Ronald M. 
Published: March 2014

AbstractOR and AI techniques have progressed separately without adequate interactions although they can benefit from each other's complementary strengths: OR in efficient mathematical computation and AI in domain‐specific knowledge representation. Constraint Logic Programming (CLP) is introduced as a problem‐ solving tool which combines these complementary strengths. CLP uses predicate logic for knowledge representation, thus providing stronger expressive powers than prepositional logic, which is employed by mathematical programming. In addition, CLP allows numeric optimization with a computational efficiency comparable to OR approaches. This integration of logical inference and mathematical computation fits well into a special class of decision problems that requires not only logical inference on domain‐specific knowledge but also numeric optimization through mathematical formulation. A production planning problem is introduced and solved by CLP. The results are compared with an implementation by mixed integer programming to show the advantages of the integration of OR and AI approaches over either one used alone.
An Evaluation of the Corporate Takeover Model Using Neural Networks
Authors: Sen Tarun K. , Gibbs Andrew M. 
Published: March 2014

AbstractNeural networks have been found to be promising in financial prediction tasks like bankruptcy and loan defaults. Their use in the capital markets is relatively new, although they have been used with some success in picking undervalued stocks. Accurate prediction of corporate takeover targets results in high financial payoffs. Researchers have used statistical procedures like logistic regression with little success in predicting corporate takeover targets. We use neural networks that are capable of producing complex mapping functions to predict mergers. We develop several neural network models carefully controlling for overfitting. Our results indicate that although neural networks map the data very well, they do not predict merger targets significantly better than logistic regression. This strongly suggests that the financial models used to predict mergers are inadequate. Firms should approach the development of merger prediction models cautiously and identify other factors that are more likely to predict mergers. Attempts to apply better analysis techniques to existing models will most likely produce similar results.
A Computational Model of Coordination for the Design of Organizational Decision Support Systems
Authors: Howorka Gary V. , Anderson Lorien A. , Goul K. Michael , Hine Michael 
Published: March 2014

AbstractThe Information Technology (IT) for realizing Organizational Decision Support Systems (ODSS) is in a nascent stage of development. This is particularly true in the area of coordination, which is a critical element of ODSS, and which distinguishes ODSS research from earlier research in Group DSS and individually oriented DSS. As a first step in ODSS coordination research, alternative representation schemes need to be examined in terms of both their match with the prevailing needs of organizations and of existing IT approaches that can be brought to bear. Matching ODSS needs with coordination representation requirements is examined by using several supporting reference disciplines including foundational DSS and recent ODSS research frameworks/architectures. Existing IT approaches are adapted from the reference disciplines of Active DSS, Distributed Artificial Intelligence (DAI), and Mathematical/Computational Organization Theory (MCOT) to operationalize a computational model of coordination that: (1) embodies the philosophies of Active DSS—including the idea that automated intelligent agents can play a significant role in supporting decision makers by independently carrying out rudimentary tasks to support the various phases of a decision making process; (2) adapts DAI and IT approaches to reflect practical human organizational realities including what we refer to as the ‘Open‐Ended Knowledge World‘, and the evolutionary nature of organizations—whereby ODSS coordination representations will be subjected to almost constant revision due to both external environment disruptions and internal events that require adjustments to a preliminary plan; and (3) reflects the fact that organizational goals are often vague, which implies that a coordination representation should be sufficiently robust to reflect ad hoc analysis accommodating of strategy changes.
A Hybrid‐Based Expert System for Personal Pension Planning in the UK
Authors: Lymer Andrew , Richards Ken 
Published: March 2014

AbstractWhile advanced computing technology, and particularly the use of artificial intelligence in the form of expert systems, could not necessarily be said to be common in the US financial planning domain, it is certainly not unheard of. This situation is significantly different from that found in the comparable UK domain. This paper is based on a project to look at the use of computing technology to support the role of the personal financial adviser in the UK—a domain in which little published research work has been undertaken. It briefly describes the current UK marketplace and details the construction of a small hybrid‐based expert system, built to support the selection of personal pension plans, to illustrate the inherent value in developing such technology in this domain. The paper discusses the benefits of using hybrid representational techniques as opposed to single representations in creating an expert system in a financial planning domain.
Detection of Management Fraud: A Neural Network Approach
Authors: Fanning Kurt , Cogger Kenneth O. , Srivastava Rajendra 
Published: March 2014

AbstractThe detection of management fraud is an important issue facing the auditing profession. A major contributor to this issue is the Loebbecke and Willingham (1988) conceptual model for the detection of management fraud. A cascaded Logit approach using the Loebbecke and Willingham model was developed in Bell et al. (1993). The present study offers an alternative approach using Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs). This paper develops a successful discriminator of management fraud using both the generalized adaptive neural network architectures (GANNA) and the Adaptive Logic Network (ALN) approaches to designing neural networks. The discriminant functions can distinguish between fraudulent and non‐fraudulent companies with superior accuracy to the cascaded Logit results of Bell et al. (1993). Finally, the discriminant function provides a parsimonious set of questions useful for detecting management fraud.
Case‐Based Reasoning: Application Techniques for Decision Support
Authors: Hansen James V. , Meservy Rayman D. , Wood Larry E. 
Published: March 2014

AbstractDecision‐support systems can be improved by enabling them to use past decisions to assist in making present ones. Reasoning from relevant past cases is appealing because it corresponds to some of the processes an expert uses to solve problems quickly and accurately. All this depends on an effective method of organizing cases for retrieval. This paper investigates the use of inductive networks as a means for case organization and outlines an approach to determining the desired number of cases—or assessing the reliability of a given number. Our method is demonstrated by application to decision making on corporate tax audits.
The application of a thermoresponsive chitosan/β‐GP gel to enhance cell repopulation of decellularized vascular scaffolds
Authors: Sheridan William S. , Grant Orna B. , Duffy Garry P. , Murphy Bruce P. 
Published: March 2014

AbstractDecellularized arterial scaffolds have achieved success in advancing towards clinical use for small diameter vascular graft applications. Issues remain with effectively cell seeding these scaffolds, which may result in slow remodeling in vivo and reduced patency rates. This study aims to efficiently bulk load decellularized arterial scaffolds with cells and/or growth factors to promote cell migration within the scaffold. A chitosan/β‐glycerophosphate (β‐GP) hydrogel was used as a delivery vehicle for scaffold repopulation with rat mesenchymal stem cells (rMSCs) and/or murine hepatocyte growth factor (HGF). The thermoresponsivity of the chitosan/β‐GP HGF gel was determined by rheological analysis and the release of HGF by ELISA. The chitosan/β‐GP gel was fully injectable with gelation at 30°C in ∼30 min and demonstrated sustained controlled HGF release up to 28 days. Encapsulation of rMSCs allowed for consistent efficient cell delivery within the scaffold. Directional migration toward the released HGF was demonstrated within the medial layer of the scaffold up to a distance of 3 mm. The gel/cell/growth factor combination demonstrates a means of accelerating scaffold repopulation, without costly excessive in vitro maturation times. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 102B: 1700–1710, 2014.
Topical microbicides and HIV prevention in the female genital tract
Authors: Cottrell Mackenzie L. , Kashuba Angela D.M. 
Published: March 2014

AbstractWorldwide, HIV disproportionately affects women who are often unable to negotiate traditional HIV preventive strategies such as condoms. In the absence of an effective vaccine or cure, chemoprophylaxis may be a valuable self‐initiated alternative. Topical microbicides have been investigated as one such option. The first generation topical microbicides were non‐specific, broad‐spectrum antimicrobial agents, including surfactants, polyanions, and acid buffering gels, that generally exhibited contraceptive properties. After extensive clinical study, none prevented HIV infection, and their development was abandoned. Second generation topical microbicides include agents with selective mechanisms of antiviral activity. Most are currently being used for, or have previously been explored as, drugs for treatment of HIV. The most advanced of these is tenofovir 1% gel: the first topical agent shown to significantly reduce HIV infection by 39% compared to placebo. This review summarizes the evolution of topical microbicides for HIV chemoprophylaxis, highlights important concepts learned, and offers current and future considerations for this area of research.
The effects of passive leadership on workplace incivility
Authors: Harold Crystal M. , Holtz Brian C. 
Published: March 2014

SummaryIn this article, we examine the effects of passive leadership on workplace incivility across two studies. Study 1 examines passive leadership–incivility relationships in a sample of employee–supervisor dyads, and Study 2 examines these relationships in a sample of employee–coworker dyads. Results from these studies suggest that passive leadership has a significant direct effect on behavioral incivility and an indirect effect through experienced incivility. Moreover, our results suggest that the relationship between experienced incivility and behavioral incivility is conditional on the level of passive leadership, such that the effect of experienced incivility on behavioral incivility is stronger at higher levels of passive leadership. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The extent of ligament injury and its influence on pelvic stability following type II anteroposterior compression pelvic injuries––A computer study to gain insight into open book trauma
Authors: Böhme Jörg , Lingslebe Uwe , Steinke Hanno , Werner Michael , Slowik Volker , Josten Christoph , Hammer Niels 
Published: March 2014

ABSTRACTSurgical stabilization of the pelvis following type II anteroposterior compression pelvic injuries (APCII) is based on the assumption that the anterior sacroiliac, sacrospinous, and sacrotuberous ligaments disrupt simultaneously. Recent data on the ligaments contradict this concept. We aimed at determining the mechanisms of ligament failure in APCII computationally. In an individual osteoligamentous computer model of the pelvis, ligament load, and strain were observed for the two‐leg stance, APCII with 100‐mm symphyseal widening and for two‐leg stance with APCII‐related ligament failure, and validated with body donors. The anterior sacroiliac and sacrotuberous ligaments had the greatest load with 80% and 17% of the total load, respectively. APCII causes partial failure of the anterior sacroiliac ligament and the pelvis to become horizontally instable. The other ligaments remained intact. The sacrospinous ligament was negligibly loaded but stabilized the pelvis vertically. The interosseous sacroiliac and sacrotuberous ligaments are likely responsible for reducing the symphysis and might serve as an indicator of vertical stability. The sacrospinous ligament appears to be of minor significance in APCII but plays an important role in vertical stabilization. Further research is necessary to determine the influence of alterations in ligament and bone material properties. © 2014 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 32:873–879, 2014.
Physical properties of sugar cookies containing chia–oat composites
Authors: Inglett George E , Chen Diejun , Liu Sean 
Published: March 2014

AbstractBACKGROUNDOmega‐3 fatty acids of chia seeds (Salvia hispanica L.) and soluble β‐glucan of oat products are known for lowering blood cholesterol and preventing coronary heart disease. Nutrim, oat bran concentrate (OBC), and whole oat flour (WOF) were composited with finely ground chia, and used in cookies at 20% replacement of wheat flour for improved nutritional and physical quality. The objective was to evaluate physical properties of chia–oat composites, dough, and cookies.RESULTSThese composites had improved water‐holding capacities compared to the starting materials. The geometrical properties and texture properties of the cookies were not greatly influenced by a 20% flour replacement using chia–OBC or chia–WOF composites. There was a decrease in the cookie diameter, and increases in the height of cookies and dough hardness using 20% Chia‐ Nutrim composite.CONCLUSIONThese fine‐particle chia–oat composites were prepared by a feasible procedure for improved nutritional value and physical properties of foods. The cookies containing chia–oat composites can be considered a health‐promoting functional food. Published 2014. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
Changes in Implementation of Two Evidence‐Based Psychotherapies for PTSD in VA Residential Treatment Programs: A National Investigation
Authors: Cook Joan M. , Dinnen Stephanie , Thompson Richard , Simiola Vanessa , Schnurr Paula P. 
Published: March 2014

AbstractThere has been little investigation of the natural course of evidence‐based treatments (EBTs) over time following the draw‐down of initial implementation efforts. Thus, we undertook qualitative interviews with the providers at 38 U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ residential treatment programs for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to understand implementation and adaptation of 2 EBTs, prolonged exposure (PE), and cognitive processing therapy (CPT), at 2 time points over a 4‐year period. The number of providers trained in the therapies and level of training improved over time. At baseline, of the 179 providers eligible per VA training requirements, 65 (36.4%) had received VA training in PE and 111 (62.0%) in CPT with 17 (9.5%) completing case consultation or becoming national trainers in both PE and CPT. By follow‐up, of the increased number of 190 eligible providers, 87 (45.8%) had received VA training in PE and 135 (71.1%) in CPT, with 69 (36.3%) and 81 (42.6%) achieving certification, respectively. Twenty‐two programs (57.9%) reported no change in PE use between baseline and follow‐up, whereas 16 (42.1%) reported an increase. Twenty‐four (63.2%) programs reported no change in their use of CPT between baseline and follow‐up, 12 (31.6%) programs experienced an increase, and 2 (5.2%) programs experienced a decrease in use. A significant number of providers indicated that they made modifications to the manuals (e.g., tailoring, lengthening). Reasons for adaptations are discussed. The need to dedicate time and resources toward the implementation of EBTs is noted.
A Pilot Study of a Randomized Controlled Trial of Yoga as an Intervention for PTSD Symptoms in Women
Authors: Mitchell Karen S. , Dick Alexandra M. , DiMartino Dawn M. , Smith Brian N. , Niles Barbara , Koenen Karestan C. , Street Amy 
Published: March 2014

AbstractPosttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a debilitating condition that affects approximately 10% of women in the United States. Although effective psychotherapeutic treatments for PTSD exist, clients with PTSD report additional benefits of complementary and alternative approaches such as yoga. In particular, yoga may downregulate the stress response and positively impact PTSD and comorbid depression and anxiety symptoms. We conducted a pilot study of a randomized controlled trial comparing a 12‐session Kripalu‐based yoga intervention with an assessment control group. Participants included 38 women with current full or subthreshold PTSD symptoms. During the intervention, yoga participants showed decreases in reexperiencing and hyperarousal symptoms. The assessment control group, however, showed decreases in reexperiencing and anxiety symptoms as well, which may be a result of the positive effect of self‐monitoring on PTSD and associated symptoms. Between‐groups effect sizes were small to moderate (0.08–0.31). Although more research is needed, yoga may be an effective adjunctive treatment for PTSD. Participants responded positively to the intervention, suggesting that it was tolerable for this sample. Findings underscore the need for future research investigating mechanisms by which yoga may impact mental health symptoms, gender comparisons, and the long‐term effects of yoga practice.
Glasgow Coma Scores, Early Opioids, and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Among Combat Amputees
Authors: Melcer Ted , Walker Jay , Sechriest V. Franklin , Lebedda Martin , Quinn Kimberly , Galarneau Michael 
Published: March 2014

AbstractA recent study found that combat amputees had a reduced prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) compared with nonamputees with serious extremity injuries. We hypothesized that an extended period of impaired consciousness or early treatment with morphine could prevent consolidation of traumatic memory and the development of PTSD. To examine this hypothesis, we retrospectively reviewed 258 combat casualty records from the Iraq or Afghanistan conflicts from 2001–2008 in the Expeditionary Medical Encounter Database, including medications and Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) scores recorded at in‐theater facilities within hours of the index injury. All patients sustained amputations from injuries. Psychological diagnoses were extracted from medical records for 24 months postinjury. None of 20 patients (0%) with GCS scores of 12 or lower had PTSD compared to 20% of patients with GCS scores of 12 or greater who did have PTSD. For patients with traumatic brain injury, those treated with intravenous morphine within hours of injury had a significantly lower prevalence of PTSD (6.3%) and mood disorders (15.6%) compared to patients treated with fentanyl only (prevalence of PTSD = 41.2%, prevalence of mood disorder = 47.1%). GCS scores and morphine and fentanyl treatments were not significantly associated with adjustment, anxiety, or substance abuse disorders.