THE SOCIAL PRESERVATION OF MIND: THE ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE EXPERIENCE

Data from the Alzheimer's disease (senile dementia) experience are interpreted to extend and refine George Mead's theory of mind. While Mead conceived of mind as an internal conversation, the disease experience shows that the reality-status of mind is more practical and radically dialogical in organization. Taken as collectively preserved, mind is circumscribed through agents by means of rule-guided articulations and closures. Suggestions are offered for a more fully dialogical appreciation of Mead's view.     

Determinants of Police Job Satisfaction

This paper reports the results of a partial replication and extension of Reiss's (1967) study of police job satisfaction. Utilizing indicators similar to those employed by Reiss, the study first determines the applicability of his results to a second sample of police officers at a more recent time. Second, it explores two new variables potentially related to job satisfaction: years on the force and years in current rank. Third, it employs multiple regression analysis to isolate the most predictive of the variables related to job satisfaction. Four variables account for most of the variance explained. The implications of the findings for enhancing police job satisfaction are examined.     

Portfolio analysis in practice

Much has been written about the theory of portfolio management and the consultant's approach to its use. This article describes a practical example of the implementation of the technique by a management without the assistance of external consultants. It shows how the technique was adapted and extended to meet the needs of the company. It further describes how the practical problems encountered during implementation led to the development of a system that provided strategically important data both for staff and operating management in a relatively digestible format.     

Robustness of the linear discriminant function to nonnormality: Johnson's system

The asymptotic distribution of the Errors of Misclassification in using the Linear Discriminant Function is investigated here. The purpose is to study the effects of nonnormality on these errors. The class of distributions considered is the Johnson's system. Each of the three random variables can be transformed to normality. In one particular case numerical evaluations are made, based on which it is possible to recommend whether or not it is necessary to make the transformation prior to classification. In a parallel study, we present similar results for the Edgeworth Series distribution, where the random variables cannot be transformed to normality.     

The benefits of a nap during prolonged work and wakefulness

Prolonged work scenarios with demands for sustained performance are increasingly common. Because sleep loss inevitably compromises functioning in such situations, napping has been proposed as a countermeasure. The optimal timing of the nap relative to its benefits for performance and mood is not known, however. To address this issue, 41 healthy adults were permitted a two-hour nap at one of five times during a 56-hour period of intermittent work, with no other sleep. Naps were placed 12 hours apart, near the circadian peak (P) or trough (T), and were preceded by 6(P), 18(T), 30(P), 42(T), or 54(P) hours of wakefulness. Work test bouts occurred every few hours and consisted of a variety of psychomotor and cognitive tasks as well as mood scales completed at the beginning, middle and end of each bout. A total of eight performance and 24 mood parameters were derived from the bouts and compared between groups at all test points prior to and following the naps. An estimate of the extent to which each nap condition differed from the control (P54) condition was derived by totalling the proportion of test points that yielded statistically significant results relative to the total number of tests conducted both before and after naps.

Although all performance and most mood parameters displayed a circadian-modulated deterioration as the protocol progressed, a nap appeared to attentuate the extent of this change in all performance parameters but not in mood parameters. Overall, the timing of the nap across days and within the circadian cycle was irrelevant to its effect on performance, suggesting that it diminished the intrusion of sleepiness into behavioural functioning, even though subjects were phenomenally unaware of this benefit.     

A microcomputer simulation of an automated non ferrous sand casting foundry

In this paper the authors describe the simulation of an automated non ferrous sand casting foundry using a popular microcomputer to evaluate the effects on output of several machine loading rules. The programmed facilities allow the scheduler to experiment with his own loading rules on actual, rather than hypothetical, batches of jobs which, if found to increase output or some other measure of performance, can be stored for scheduling future jobs. Scheduling in such an interactive manner allows the simulation program to learn and improve upon scheduling rules on actual jobs in much the same way as the human scheduler would in practice, without the associated risks of affecting production.     

Central City/Suburban Status Differences: Fifty Years of Change*

Changes in the relative status of central cities compared to their suburban rings are investigated for the periods 1920 to 1950, and 1950 to 1970. Longitudinal alterations in the relative statuses of the two components across metropolitan areas have primarily involved the suburban ring. Somewhat different processes of change were evident in the two time periods, particularly when metropolitan areas are distinguished by their age. In the 1920 to 1950 period, the oldest metropolitan areas evolved toward higher suburban than central city status, while newer metropolitan areas evolved toward higher central city than suburban status. In the 1950 to 1970 period, metropolitan areas generally moved toward a pattern of higher suburban than central city status, regardless of their individual characteristics such as age or period of development.     

Interest rate policies and inflation in interdependent economies: Recent policy dilemmas

This paper examines Federal Reserve Board policies that are premised on a negative short-run association of interest rate movements and the rate of inflation. In particular, econometric evidence is provided, supporting the view that tighter monetary policy appears to raise inflation rates in the short run. Conversely, it is demonstrated that easier monetary policy does not necessarily raise inflation rates in the short run. In the case of uncoordinated monetary restrictiveness, interest rate competition among major countries can produce higher inflation and lower growth than was originally intended.