Surprising Outcome Research Articles

What the Yankees Did to Us: Sherman’s Bombardment and Wrecking of Atlanta by Stephen Davis (review)

Reviewed by: What the Yankees Did to Us: Sherman’s Bombardment and Wrecking of Atlanta by Stephen Davis Joseph M. Rizzo What the Yankees Did to Us: Sherman’s Bombardment and Wrecking of Atlanta. Stephen Davis. Macon, GA: Mercer University Press, 2012. ISBN 978-0-88146-398-9, 600 pp., cloth, $35.00. Since the city’s destruction in 1864, the “wrecking” of Atlanta has served as a polarizing topic of the Civil War. From Atlantans debating the necessity of William T. Sherman’s decisions both during and immediately following the war, to the mock trials of Federal actions held by historical societies, to the images of Atlanta burning in Gone with the Wind, Americans have long struggled with this aspect of war that does not fit into tales of military maneuvers and bravery on the battlefield. In What the Yankees Did to Us, Stephen Davis utilizes newspapers, military correspondence, and civilian writings to give an exhaustive account of both the shelling of Atlanta and the city’s subsequent occupation, a topic largely obscured by Atlanta’s burning in November 1864. While Davis discusses Atlanta’s growth in the antebellum era and its importance to the Confederate war effort, the core of this work chronicles the six-month period of the Union approach and eventual burning of the city. It also explores many of the myths and debates that surround Sherman’s actions during this time. Sherman’s decision not to give notice before shelling sparked outrage among Atlanta’s residents. Sherman believed his actions were within the rules of war and that the [End Page 345] bombing was of military necessity. Davis, however, questions the bombings’ necessity and effectiveness. Sherman sought to damage Atlanta’s war-munitions industry, divert the Confederates’ attention from the maneuverings of Union soldiers around the city, and demoralize the Confederate soldiers. Yet, Davis shows that the bombing failed to meet these objectives and did not contribute to Sherman’s success on either the strategic or tactical levels. While the shelling had little significance for taking the city, the thirty-seven-day bombardment was quite destructive, nonetheless. By the end of the barrage on August 25, Davis believes that at least five hundred tons of iron lay in and around downtown Atlanta, due to the constant shelling during the campaign. He also estimates roughly two-dozen civilian shell deaths, making this arguably the bloodiest urban barrage of the war. To demonstrate the needlessness of shelling Atlanta, Davis highlights the successful Federal maneuvers around the city. Sherman did not resort to frontal attacks on Confederate fortifications to compliment the urban bombing. Federal forces effectively extended their position around two-thirds of the city and slowly cut the railroad lines. When they cut the Macon & Western Railroad to the south, they severed John Bell Hood’s last link for supplies, leaving him little choice but to evacuate Confederate forces. It was this well-executed plan, not the extended bombardment of the city, that captured Atlanta. Once in the city, Sherman again raised the ire of southerners. Davis details how Sherman’s order for residents to evacuate, along with the demolition of buildings, the occupation of private homes for military purposes, and finally the burning of the city once the Union army left, generated debates over proper wartime conduct. Davis illuminates the ambivalence the city’s residents held for Sherman after the war. Upon his returns in 1879 and 1886, Atlantans cordially received him, a surprising outcome, considering the destruction under his command. The residents still strongly disapproved of the demolition and human suffering that had accompanied Union occupation, but there was a sense that the destruction allowed for a better city to emerge. From the ashes, Atlantans rebuilt and improved for future generations. It is for this reason, Davis contends, that Atlantans have waffled in attitudes toward Sherman—ranging from vilification to admiration, and cursing him for his destruction, yet thanking him for what it allowed Atlanta to become. What the Yankees Did to Us provides a detailed and well-structured account of Atlanta during the war, despite the lengthy chapters making it at times cumbersome. Davis ably examines critical periods and issues to help separate historical...

Control of hepatic glucose metabolism by islet and brain.

Dysregulation of hepatic glucose uptake (HGU) and inability of insulin to suppress hepatic glucose production (HGP) contribute to hyperglycaemia in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D). Growing evidence suggests that insulin can inhibit HGP not only through a direct effect on the liver but also through a mechanism involving the brain. Yet, the notion that insulin action in the brain plays a physiological role in the control of HGP continues to be controversial. Although studies in dogs suggest that the direct hepatic effect of insulin is sufficient to explain day-to-day control of HGP, a surprising outcome has been revealed by recent studies in mice, investigating whether the direct hepatic action of insulin is necessary for normal HGP: when the hepatic insulin signalling pathway was genetically disrupted, HGP was maintained normally even in the absence of direct input from insulin. Here, we present evidence that points to a potentially important role of the brain in the physiological control of both HGU and HGP in response to input from insulin as well as other hormones and nutrients.

Speculation in a two-stage retail supply chain

One perhaps surprising outcome of E-Commerce has been the emergence of speculators who resell products via the web. These speculators create retail shortages for popular products (e.g., toys) by removing them from store shelves in bulk and then selling them at inflated prices through secondary channels; e.g., on sites such as eBay. This article examines the impact of such speculation on ordering decisions in a two-stage manufacturer–retailer supply chain. The equilibrium results of the proposed model demonstrate a range of outcomes: in some cases both the retailer and manufacturer benefit from speculators, whereas in other cases, both may be hurt by a high number of speculators. The proposed model provides insight on when it is best for the manufacturer to take measures to preclude a high degree of speculation.

Unravelling the mysterious roles of melanocortin-3 receptors in metabolic homeostasis and obesity using mouse genetics.

The central nervous melanocortin system maintains body mass and adiposity within a 'healthy' range by regulating satiety and metabolic homeostasis. Neural melanocortin-4 receptors (MC4R) modulate satiety signals and regulate autonomic outputs governing glucose and lipid metabolism in the periphery. The functions of melanocortin-3 receptors (MC3R) have been less well defined. We have observed that food anticipatory activity (FAA) is attenuated in Mc3r-/- mice housed in light:dark or constant dark conditions. Mc3r-/- mice subjected to the restricted feeding protocol that was used to induce FAA also developed insulin resistance, dyslipidaemia, impaired glucose tolerance and evidence of a cellular stress response in the liver. MC3Rs may thus function as modulators of oscillator systems that govern circadian rhythms, integrating signals from nutrient sensors to facilitate synchronizing peak foraging behaviour and metabolic efficiency with nutrient availability. To dissect the functions of MC3Rs expressed in hypothalamic and extra-hypothalamic structures, we inserted a 'lox-stop-lox' (TB) sequence into the Mc3r gene. Mc3r (TB/TB) mice recapitulate the phenotype reported for Mc3r-/- mice: increased adiposity, accelerated diet-induced obesity and attenuated FAA. The ventromedial hypothalamus exhibits high levels of Mc3r expression; however, restoring the expression of the LoxTB Mc3r allele in this nucleus did not restore FAA. However, a surprising outcome came from studies using Nestin-Cre to restore the expression of the LoxTB Mc3r allele in the nervous system. These data suggest that 'non-neural' MC3Rs have a role in the defence of body weight. Future studies examining the homeostatic functions of MC3Rs should therefore consider actions outside the central nervous system.

Declining Numbers of Pancreas Transplantations but Significant Improvements in Outcome

In the United States, over the past 8 years, the number of pancreas transplantations has steadily declined. This decline comes as a surprise, because patient and graft outcomes have substantially improved during the same period of time. Patient survival rates at 1 year in all 3 recipient categories are >96%; graft survival rates are 82%–89%. Changes in immunosuppressive therapy have had a positive impact on outcome, as have better pancreas donor and recipient selection criteria and refined post-transplantation patient care. Although different factors may have contributed to the declining pancreas transplantation numbers, a more effective process of publicly promoting and widely communicating the improved results of pancreas transplantation is warranted.

A Computational Model of Narrative Generation for Surprise Arousal

This paper describes our effort for a planning-based computational model of narrative generation that is designed to elicit surprise in the reader's mind, making use of two temporal narrative devices: flashback and foreshadowing. In our computational model, flashback provides a backstory to explain what causes a surprising outcome, while foreshadowing gives hints about the surprise before it occurs. Here, we present Prevoyant, a planning-based computational model of surprise arousal in narrative generation, and analyze the effectiveness of Prevoyant. The work here also presents a methodology to evaluate surprise in narrative generation using a planning-based approach based on the cognitive model of surprise causes. The results of the experiments that we conducted show strong support that Prevoyant effectively generates a discourse structure for surprise arousal in narrative.

De cultuur van het televisiedebat - Veranderende percepties van de relatie tussen media en politiek, 1960 - heden

This article adopts a new perspective on the interaction between political parties and Dutch television in election campaigns from the 1960s onwards. Rather than exploring the ‘real’ impact of television on the nature and content of political campaigning, it presents a case study of televised debates in order to explore changing perceptions among parties and press regarding the so-called mediatization of politics. It shows that televised debates were at first perceived as a means to bridge the gap between politics and people. In the 1970s and early 1980s, when parties tried to control the set-up of these debates, they met with increasing criticism and were perceived as having hardly any influence on the outcome of the elections. Although the staging of the debates remained the same, midway through the 1980s perceptions of the impact of television dramatically changed. In response to the surprising outcome of the 1986 general election a discourse of mediatization and Americanization became dominant. This in turn resulted in a re-evaluation of the relationship between politics and the media in which the latter were now said to hold the upper hand.

Oil in the Sahara: mapping anthropogenic threats to Saharan biodiversity from space.

Deserts are among the most poorly monitored and understood biomes in the world, with evidence suggesting that their biodiversity is declining fast. Oil exploration and exploitation can constitute an important threat to fragmented and remnant desert biodiversity, yet little is known about where and how intensively such developments are taking place. This lack of information hinders local efforts to adequately buffer and protect desert wildlife against encroachment from anthropogenic activity. Here, we investigate the use of freely available satellite imagery for the detection of features associated with oil exploration in the African Sahelo-Saharan region. We demonstrate how texture analyses combined with Landsat data can be employed to detect ground-validated exploration sites in Algeria and Niger. Our results show that site detection via supervised image classification and prediction is generally accurate. One surprising outcome of our analyses is the relatively high level of site omission errors in Niger (43%), which appears to be due to non-detection of potentially small-scale, temporary exploration activity: we believe the repeated implementation of our framework could reduce the severity of potential methodological limitations. Overall, our study provides a methodological basis for the mapping of anthropogenic threats associated with oil exploitation that can be conducted across desert regions.

The Most Salient Matches in the History of Premier League Football

What are the most surprising, most impressive and most exciting matches in the history of the highest division of English football? Fans, clubs, critics and broadcasters often attempt to interpret and compare the outcomes of football matches. This can be useful as a means of building a reputation for and interest in a particular club, match or competition. However, such analysis is often subjective with fan bias, personal preference and the prize on offer influencing expectation and interpretation of the results. In this paper statistical measures are developed to identify the most surprising, most impressive and most exciting outcomes from an objective ex post point of view. To achieve this it is assumed that goal scoring in soccer can approximately be considered as a Poisson process. First, the most surprising outcomes are estimated as those with the lowest Poisson probability to occur. Second, the most impressive outcomes are identified by their so-called Skellam percentile position. This measure varies between 0 and 1 and has a close relationship with the p-value in statistical testing. Finally, the most exciting match is identified by measuring the variability in the win expectancy during a match.

Locus coeruleus neuromodulation of memories encoded during negative or unexpected action outcomes

When people experience surprising or sub-optimal performance outcomes, an increase in autonomic arousal helps allocate cognitive resources to adjust behavior accordingly. The locus-coeruleus–norepinephrine (LC–NE) system regulates a central orienting response to behaviorally relevant events, and might therefore signal the need to attend to and learn from performance feedback. Memories of such events also rely on elevated NE, suggesting that LC activity not only responds to salient performance outcomes but also strengthens memory for stimuli associated with their occurrence. In the present study, we used a monetary incentive delay paradigm to determine whether LC functional connectivity during reaction time feedback relates to trial-by-trial memory of preceding photo-objects. We used one psychophysiological interaction (PPI) analysis to examine patterns of LC functional connectivity that were associated with subsequent memory for picture trials in which negative or positive feedback was given, and a second PPI analysis to investigate whether successfully encoded objects from trials with uncertain outcomes were related to distinct patterns of LC functional connectivity across the brain. The PPI results revealed that successfully encoded negative feedback trials (i.e., responses exceeding the response deadline) were uniquely associated with enhanced functional coupling between the LC and left anterior insula. Furthermore, successful memory for objects in low reaction time certainty trials (i.e., responses closest to the response deadline) were linked to positive LC functional coupling with left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. These findings suggest that noradrenergic influences help facilitate memory encoding during outcome processing via dynamic interactions with regions that process negative or unexpected feedback.

Labour and Social Welfare Measures to Combat the Economic Crisis in Germany

Although Germany, and especially the labour market, were particularly affected by the global financial and economic crisis, it already started to recover, contrary to most other countries, in 2009. Meanwhile, it now has a lower unemployment rate than before the crisis. To explain this initially surprising outcome, the authors will first of all provide an overview of the course of the crisis in Germany and the subsequent development. Following this, there will be a detailed analysis of the most important governmental and entrepreneurial measures that are intended to cushion against the economic crisis, especially the utilisation of short-time work, the expansion of job placement and the flexibilisation of working times. Finally, there will be an examination of the question of which of these measures are responsible for the positive development and which optimisations can be proposed for the future.

Quantum chaotic subdiffusion in random potentials

Two interacting particles (TIP) in a disordered chain propagate beyond the single particle localization length $\xi_1$ up to a scale $\xi_2 > \xi_1$. An initially strongly localized TIP state expands almost ballistically up to $\xi_1$. The expansion of the TIP wave function beyond the distance $\xi_1 \gg 1$ is governed by highly connected Fock states in the space of noninteracting eigenfunctions. The resulting dynamics is subdiffusive, and the second moment grows as $m_2 \sim t^{1/2}$, precisely as in the strong chaos regime for corresponding nonlinear wave equations. This surprising outcome stems from the huge Fock connectivity and resulting quantum chaos. The TIP expansion finally slows down towards a complete halt -- in contrast to the nonlinear case.

The impact of information technology on bank profitability in Nigeria

This paper examines the impact of information technology on bank profitability. Using a sample comprising one-quarter of the banks in Nigeria currently quoted on the Nigerian Stock Exchange, regression results were in conflict with a priori expectations, which indicated that information technology spending in the study period had no significant impact on future operating performance. The results remained robust irrespective of alternative measures of profitability. This surprising outcome, among other things, is likely connected with the fact that investment in information technology is now a common denominator for all banks and that the data set is from a sub-Saharan African country where investment in information technology by banks is not yet at its prime level. However, what the results show is that information technology investment is inevitable for banking institutions to enable them to continue to operate efficiently in the current competitive banking industry.

Evolution of an oxidative dearomatization enabled total synthesis of vinigrol.

The evolution of the synthetic strategy resulting in a total synthesis of vinigrol is presented. Oxidative dearomatization/intramolecular Diels-Alder cycloaddition has served as the successful cornerstone for all of the approaches. Extensive radical cyclization efforts to form the tetracyclic core resulted in interesting and surprising reaction outcomes, none of which could be advanced to vinigrol. These cyclization obstacles were successfully overcome by using Heck instead of radical cyclizations. The total synthesis features a trifluoroethyl ether protecting group being used for the first time in organic synthesis. The logic of its selection and the group's importance beyond protecting the C8a hydroxyl group is presented along with a discussion of strategies for its removal. Because of the compact tetracyclic cage the route is built around many unusual reaction observations and solutions have emerged. For example, a first of its kind Grob fragmentation reaction featuring a trifluoroethyl leaving group has been uncovered, interesting interrupted selenium dioxide allylic oxidations have been observed as well as intriguing catalyst and counterion dependent directed hydrogenations.

Talent Acquisition a Key Factor to Overcome New Age Challenges and Opportunities for Human Resource Management

One of the most surprising outcomes of the 2007-2009 recessions is that talent acquisition — particularly top talent — is actually harder, not easier, than before the downturn. Despite the fact many well- respected, out-of-work executives are clamoring to get back in the game, surveys show companies are failing to find the right talent to fill reinstated positions. In a recent study by the Corporate Leadership Council, 72 percent of companies predict they will have a large number of leadership vacancies over the next three to five years. Even more surprising, 76 percent said they are less than confident in their abilities to adequately staff these positions. This phenomenon is worldwide. The chief executive of global recruitment agency Manpower recently told the World Economic Forum that 30 percent of companies across the globe continue to struggle to fill available positions. Global searches confirm the increased difficulty getting candidates attention. The situation is pervasive and clearly a result of a miserable economy, high unemployment and a rampant sense of anxiety and insecurity among the well-employed executives. The Dot Com era was tough but this is an even tougher time! There are several reasons why companies are struggling to fill their empty positions. In addition to the impact of retiring Baby-Boomer executives and the lack of qualified replacements ready to assume strategic positions and the role of HR department also more important to overcome this talent gap in the organization

Bicameralism in the Republic of Ireland: The Seanad Abolition Referendum

Scholars of comparative politics have long pondered the significance of whether parliament is constitutionally comprised of one chamber (unicameral) or two chambers (bicameral). Empirically, around two-thirds of democratic political systems in the world today operate with a unicameral legislature (Heller and Branduse 2014). Moreover, the degree to which each chamber in a bicameral system is politically significant varies greatly (Lijphart 2012). Ultimately, the cameral structure of the legislature has been found to have important consequence (Tsebelis and Money 1997). The Irish Constitution of 1937 specified a bicameral system comprising a directly elected lower chamber (Dail Eireann) and a less powerful, partly-appointed, partly indirectly elected, upper chamber (Seanad Eireann). In a referendum held on October 4th 2013, voters in the Irish Republic were given the opportunity to abolish Seanad Eireann (hereafter the Seanad). With a turnout of 39.17 percent, and by a margin of 42,500 ballots, the proposal to abolish the upper chamber at the next general election was rejected by 51.7 percent of those voting. What was meant to have been a populist centrepiece of political reform for the governing coalition ultimately produced a surprising outcome: Irish voters, despite being heavily disillusioned with the political system and political elites in the midst of a major economic crisis, voted to retain bicameralism.

Managing Risks and Tradeoffs Using Water Markets

Risk (and often the certainty) of adverse environmental outcomes motivates environmental regulation; other risks also affect welfare outcomes. Economic instruments are one way to reduce environmental risk while maintaining flexibility that helps manage other risks. However regulation not only mitigates risks, it also creates them. While the literature has explored some aspects of risk and economic instruments in great detail, other risks have been largely ignored. Actual and perceived risks are often a barrier to the use of economic instruments so, where they are appropriate, it would be valuable to pay more attention to mitigating risks and demonstrating that they can be mitigated. This note creates a framework for synthesising experience with economic instruments for managing risks relating to water quantity and quality and illustrates it with two New Zealand case studies for which detailed information is available. It also explores some linkages between economic instruments that are not primarily directed at water management - for example emissions trading - and water management outcomes. The surprising outcomes illustrate the importance of context for assessing impact and risk.

Rio+20: Sustainable Development in a Time of Multilateral Decline

The conditions that led to low expectations for the Rio+20 conference tell us more about the prospects for addressing collective global problems than a focus only on its substantive outcomes. Three conjectures on why expectations were so low are put forward: a lack of vision and modest ambition at the conference's core; unresolved and unconfronted normative contestation that limited progress on potentially transformative ideas such as the green economy; and practices of multilateralism that have not caught up to structural changes in the global system, exacerbated by the inability or unwillingness of key actors to move from entrenched identities. Some surprising institutional outcomes of Rio are also assessed in light of the three conjectures. This form of analysis turns attention to the politics that the outcomes reflect and opportunities and pitfalls going forward.

Effects of Connectivity and Regional Dynamics on Restoration of Small Mammal Communities in Midwestern Grasslands

AbstractGrasslands are among the most imperiled North American ecosystems. State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement (SAFE) is a national conservation program that converts agricultural fields into grasslands mainly to improve habitat for high priority wildlife species. To provide a broader assessment of the contribution of the SAFE program to biodiversity in the Midwest region of North America, we evaluated local and landscape constraints to restoration of small mammal communities. We livetrapped small mammals during three summers (2009–2011) on plots that were recently seeded, seeded 1–4 years prior to sampling, or established references (>10 years old). Restoration trajectories for small mammal communities included a shift over time from dominance by the habitat generalist Peromyscus maniculatus (deer mouse) to communities dominated by grassland Microtus species (prairie voles and meadow voles). Vole abundance during the first year following restoration depended on spatial connectivity provided by linear habitats (roadside ditches and grass waterways) within 300 m of the restored grassland. Patch size and seeding type (cool‐season versus warm‐season grasses) were not predictors of early restoration success. In 2011, voles experienced a severe regional decline consistent with multi‐year population cycles. During the crash, most remaining voles occurred on restored SAFE grasslands, but not on established grasslands. This surprising outcome suggests young restoration plots could function as refuges for voles during population declines in agricultural landscapes.

Integrating Wikis in the Support and Practice of Historical Analysis Skills

This case study examines the benefits of integrating wikis into the World History curriculum. Six middle school students chosen because of their designation in relevant subgroups—GATE, AVID, and RSP—participated in this 20-week study. Abstract historical concepts can be difficult to grasp; therefore, students collaborated via a wiki on topics that required students to practice historical analysis skills that are utilized by historians and social scientists who are experts in their field. Historical and social science analysis skills add rigor to the curriculum as students develop a deeper understanding of historical events beyond the core curriculum. Findings indicate that students, when given the option, chose to use higher order thinking skills. The high number of responses by the RSP students was a surprising outcome. The data indicates that wikis foster collaborative learning, interaction, and natural student inquiry.