Showing papers by "Long Island University published in 2006"
483 citations
TL;DR: The concept of pollution-safe cultivars (PSCs) is proposed, i.e. cultivars whose edible parts accumulate a specific pollutant at a level low enough for safe consumption, even when grown in contaminated soil, to reduce the risk of human exposure to soil pollutants through crop consumption.
343 citations
TL;DR: Improved understanding of normal tongue physiology during swallowing and maximum isometric tasks is improved, and a preliminary database of tongue function variables is established to establish if differences existed among the variables as a function of age, gender, or varied bolus consistency.
Abstract: The availability of objective measures of tongue function presents a possible supplement to the clinical dysphagia evaluation. The purpose of this study was to improve our understanding of normal tongue physiology during swallowing and maximum isometric tasks, establish a preliminary database of tongue function variables, and determine if differences existed among the variables as a function of age, gender, or varied bolus consistency. Ninety subjects, divided into age and gender groups, participated in tasks that determined maximum isometric tongue pressure, mean tongue pressure during swallowing, and percentage of maximum isometric pressure used during swallowing. Descriptive statistics, correlations, and analyses of variance were computed to analyze the data. Results indicated that males had significantly higher maximum isometric pressures than females, and the youngest group had significantly higher maximum pressures than the oldest group. Mean swallowing pressures and percentage of maximum isometric pressures used during swallowing differed as a function of bolus type but did not differ as a function of age or gender. In addition, maximum isometric pressures were correlated with mean swallowing pressures, and mean swallowing pressures and percentage of maximum isometric pressures used during swallowing were correlated between consistencies.
231 citations
TL;DR: The effectiveness of discrete trial instruction and pivotal response training strategies to teach joint attention to 5 children with autism and several additional dependent measures demonstrated collateral improvements in expressive language and social-communicative characteristics that were socially validated by parent raters.
Abstract: Joint attention refers to an early developing set of behaviors that plays a critical role in both social and language development and is specifically impaired in children with autism. In a series of three studies, preschool teachers demonstrated the effectiveness of discrete trial instruction and pivotal response training strategies to teach joint attention to 5 children with autism (Study 1). Parents of 2 of the 5 children also taught joint attention at home and in the community (Study 2). Several additional dependent measures demonstrated collateral improvements in expressive language and social-communicative characteristics that were socially validated by parent raters (Study 3). Results are discussed with respect to the importance of addressing different forms of joint attention, the necessity to extend intervention to naturalistic contexts and joint attention partners, the pivotal nature of joint attention, and whether intervention adequately addresses both the form and social function of joint attention.
207 citations
TL;DR: Semantic, content, conceptual, and technical equivalence of the Spanish version of the PTGI were supported and thus its valid use for research and practice with the study population was supported.
Abstract: Objectives. This study was designed to adapt and validate a Spanish translation of the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI) for the assessment of positive life changes following the stressful experiences of immigration. Method. A cross-cultural equivalence model was used to pursue semantic, content, conceptual, and technical equivalence. Translation teams and back translations were employed for semantic and content equivalence. Conceptual and technical equivalence were assessed through field-testing the reliability and factor structure of the translated PTGI in a sample of 100 Latina immigrants. Results. The translated version was highly reliable. Factor analysis failed to replicate the original five factors but the three factors identified were consistent with the conceptual underpinnings of the PTGI and another translated version. Conclusions. Semantic, content, conceptual, and technical equivalence of the Spanish version of the PTGI were supported and thus its valid use for research and practice with ...
155 citations
TL;DR: It is demonstrated how, as IT was used to support the exchange and combination of depersonalized objects, other aspects of the practice also changed and the related changes in these diverse aspects of a boundary-spanning practice supported the trend toward greater objectification.
Abstract: This paper examines how information technology (IT) transforms relations across fields of practice within organizations. Drawing on Bourdieu's practice theory, we argue that the production of any practice involves varying degrees of embodiment (i.e., relying on personal relationships) and objectification (i.e., relying on the exchange of objects). We subsequently characterize boundary-spanning practices according to their relative degrees of embodiment and objectification. We distinguish between "market-like" boundary-spanning practices, which rely primarily on an objectified mode of practice production, from "community-like" practices, which involve mostly the embodied mode of practice production. IT is then conceptualized as a medium for sharing objects in the production of practices. As such, IT use allows for the sharing of objects without relying on embodied relationships. We use data from an in-depth ethnographic case study to investigate how IT was used to transform community-like boundary-spanning practices within an organization into market-like ones. Moreover, we demonstrate how, as IT was used to support the exchange and combination of depersonalized objects, other aspects of the practice (such as the roles of intermediaries and the nature of meetings) also changed. The related changes in these diverse aspects of a boundary-spanning practice supported the trend toward greater objectification. IT use also increased visibility of the terms associated with object exchange. This increased visibility exposed the inequity of the exchange and encouraged the disadvantaged party to renegotiate the relationship.
149 citations
TL;DR: The authors found that the inhibition condition resulted in a different pattern of results in the older versus middle-aged and younger adults, and the findings were generally consistent with differential emotions theory.
Abstract: This investigation represents a multimodal study of age-related differences in experienced and expressed affect and in emotion regulatory skills in a sample of young, middle-aged, and older adults (N 96), testing formulations derived from differential emotions theory. The experimental session consisted of a 10-min anger induction and a 10-min sadness induction using a relived emotion task; participants were also randomly assigned to an inhibition or noninhibition condition. In addition to subjective ratings of emotional experience provided by participants, their facial behavior was coded using an objective facial affect coding system; a content analysis also was applied to the emotion narratives. Separate repeated measures analyses of variance applied to each emotion domain indicated age differences in the co-occurrence of negative emotions and co-occurrence of positive and negative emotions across domains, thus extending the finding of emotion heterogeneity or complexity in emotion experience to facial behavior and verbal narratives. The authors also found that the inhibition condition resulted in a different pattern of results in the older versus middle-aged and younger adults. The intensity and frequency of discrete emotions were similar across age groups, with a few exceptions. Overall, the findings were generally consistent with differential emotions theory.
142 citations
TL;DR: Guidelines for writing patient case reports, with a focus on medication-related reports, are provided.
Abstract: Purpose. Guidelines for writing patient case reports, with a focus on medication-related reports, are provided. Summary. The format of a patient case report encompasses the following five sections: an abstract, an introduction and objective that contain a literature review, a description of the case report, a discussion that includes a detailed explanation of the literature review, a summary of the case, and a conclusion. The abstract of a patient case report should succinctly include the four sections of the main text of the report. The introduction section should provide the subject, purpose, and merit of the case report. It must explain why the case report is novel or merits review, and it should include a comprehensive literature review that corroborates the author’s claims. The case presentation section should describe the case in chronological order and in enough detail for the reader to establish his or her own conclusions about the case’s validity. The discussion section is the most important section of the case report. It ought to evaluate the patient case for accuracy, validity, and uniqueness; compare and contrast the case report with the published literature; derive new knowledge; summarize the essential features of the report; and draw recommendations. The conclusion section should be brief and provide a conclusion with evidence-based recommendations and applicability to practice. Conclusion. Patient case reports are valuable resources of new and unusual information that may lead to vital research.
132 citations
TL;DR: There is a large cohort of patients with painful bladder syndrome/interstitial cystitis in whom symptoms are exacerbated by the ingestion of specific comestibles, and particular comestible items more likely to affect such symptoms are identified.
127 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present a model of ten ethical perspectives and briefly describe how these 10 ethical perspectives impact rule-based and principle-based ethical conduct for accountants and auditors.
Abstract: Although the foundation of financial accounting and auditing has traditionally been based upon a rule-based framework, the concept of a principle-based approach has been periodically advocated since being incorporated into the AICPA Code of Conduct in 1989. Recent high profile events indicate that the accountants and auditors involved have followed rule-based ethical perspectives and have failed to protect investors and stakeholders – resulting in a wave of scandals and charges of unethical conduct. In this paper we describe how the rule-based traditions of auditing became a convenient vehicle that perpetuated the unethical conduct of firms such as Enron and Arthur Andersen. We present a model of ten ethical perspectives and briefly describe how these ten ethical perspectives impact rule-based and principle-based ethical conduct for accountants and auditors. We conclude by identifying six specific suggestions that the accounting and auditing profession should consider to restore public trust and to improve the ethical conduct of accountants and auditors.
113 citations
TL;DR: The data suggest that fear is among the key psychological determinants of male screening behavior and would be usefully considered in models designed to increase male screening frequency.
Abstract: Rates of prostate cancer screening are known to vary among the major ethnic groups. However, likely variations in screening behavior among ethnic subpopulations and the likely role of psychological characteristics remain understudied. We examined differences in prostate cancer screening among samples of 44 men from each of seven ethnic groups (N = 308; U.S.-born European Americans, U.S.-born African Americans, men from the English-speaking Caribbean, Haitians, Dominicans, Puerto Ricans, and Eastern Europeans) and the associations among trait fear, emotion regulatory characteristics, and screening. As expected, there were differences in the frequency of both digital rectal exam (DRE) and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) tests among the groups, even when demographic factors and access were controlled. Haitian men reported fewer DRE and PSA tests than either U.S.-born European American or Dominican men, and immigrant Eastern European men reported fewer tests than U.S.-born European Americans; consistent with prior research, U.S.-born African Americans differed from U.S.-born European Americans for DRE but not PSA frequency. Second, the addition of trait fear significantly improved model fit, as did the inclusion of a quadratic, inverted U, trait fear term, even where demographics, access, and ethnicity were controlled. Trait fear did not interact with ethnicity, suggesting its effect may operate equally across groups, and adding patterns of information processing and emotion regulation to the model did not improve model fit. Overall, our data suggest that fear is among the key psychological determinants of male screening behavior and would be usefully considered in models designed to increase male screening frequency.
TL;DR: A new computer code to solve the general relativistic magnetohydrodynamics (GRMHD) equations using distributed parallel adaptive mesh refinement (AMR) substantially improve performance while reproducing the resolution equivalent unigrid simulation results.
Abstract: This paper presents a new computer code to solve the general relativistic magnetohydrodynamics (GRMHD) equations using distributed parallel adaptive mesh refinement (AMR). The fluid equations are solved using a finite difference convex ENO method (CENO) in 3 + 1 dimensions, and the AMR is Berger–Oliger. Hyperbolic divergence cleaning is used to control the ∇ ⋅ B = 0 constraint. We present results from three flat space tests, and examine the accretion of a fluid onto a Schwarzschild black hole, reproducing the Michel solution. The AMR simulations substantially improve performance while reproducing the resolution equivalent unigrid simulation results. Finally, we discuss strong scaling results for parallel unigrid and AMR runs.
TL;DR: This article presents a comprehensive model to integrate pricing and capacity allocation decisions in most revenue management models for perishable products, and shows that at any time, a customer class is active if and only if the price offered is over a threshold level.
TL;DR: Ezopiclone represents an effective and well-tolerated option for the treatment of insomnia and is not yet possible to evaluate its efficacy relative to other agents used for insomnia.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors consider the problem of locating a set of service facilities on a network when the demand for service is stochastic and congestion may arise at the facilities, and find the minimum number of facilities and their locations, so that the amount of demand lost from either source does not exceed certain preset levels.
Abstract: We analyze the problem of locating a set of service facilities on a network when the demand for service is stochastic and congestion may arise at the facilities. We consider two potential sources of lost demand: (i) demand lost due to insufficient coverage; and (ii) demand lost due to congestion. Demand loss due to insufficient coverage arises when a facility is located too far away from customer locations. The amount of demand lost is modeled as an increasing function of the travel distance. The second source of lost demand arises when the queue at a facility becomes too long. It is modeled as the proportion of balking customers in a Markovian queue with a fixed buffer length. The objective is to find the minimum number of facilities, and their locations, so that the amount of demand lost from either source does not exceed certain pre-set levels. After formulating the model, we derive and investigate several different integer programming formulations, focusing in particular on alternative representations...
TL;DR: Controlling for marital satisfaction, the authors found that spouses were more likely to engage in physical aggression at times when they engaged in higher levels of psychological aggression.
Abstract: Under what circumstances are spouses more or less likely to engage in aggressive behaviors? To address this question, the current study drew on multiple longitudinal assessments of 1st-married newlyweds to examine correlates of within-subject variability in aggressive behavior. Controlling for marital satisfaction, the authors found that spouses were more likely to engage in physical aggression at times when they engaged in higher levels of psychological aggression. Additionally, husbands reporting higher levels of chronic stress were more likely to engage in physical aggression overall and were more likely to engage in physical aggression when they were experiencing higher than average levels of acute stress. These results highlight how demands and supports in the context external to a marriage may affect processes within the marriage.
TL;DR: A general multiple attribute decision-making approach is proposed to integrate subjective preferences and objective information and to assess the relative weights of attributes, where subjective preferences are expressed by a fuzzy preference relation or by a pairwise comparison matrix.
TL;DR: In this paper, a repeated measures design study was conducted to evaluate the precision and repeatability of the Optotrak 3020 by measuring distance and angle in three sessions, four distances and three conditions (motion, static vertical, and static tilted).
Abstract: Several motion analysis systems are used by researchers to quantify human motion and to perform accurate surgical procedures. The Optotrak 3020 is one of these systems and despite its widespread use there is not any published information on its precision and repeatability. We used a repeated measures design study to evaluate the precision and repeatability of the Optotrak 3020 by measuring distance and angle in three sessions, four distances and three conditions (motion, static vertical, and static tilted). Precision and repeatability were found to be excellent for both angle and distance although they decreased with increasing distance from the sensors and with tilt from the plane of the sensors. Motion did not have a significant effect on the precision of the measurements. In conclusion, the measurement error of the Optotrak is minimal. Further studies are needed to evaluate its precision and repeatability under human motion conditions.
TL;DR: The kinematics of locomotion in both species, and the kinetics of locomotions in M. tuberculata are described, which observed that both species possess symmetrical lateral-sequence gaits similar to the kinematically defined walks of a broad range of tetrapods.
Abstract: Bats (Chiroptera) are generally awkward crawlers, but the common vampire bat (Desmodus rotundus) and the New Zealand short-tailed bat (Mystacina tuberculata) have independently evolved the ability to manoeuvre well on the ground. In this study we describe the kinematics of locomotion in both species, and the kinetics of locomotion in M. tuberculata. We sought to determine whether these bats move terrestrially the way other quadrupeds do, or whether they possess altogether different patterns of movement on the ground than are observed in quadrupeds that do not fly. Using high-speed video analyses of bats moving on a treadmill, we observed that both species possess symmetrical lateral-sequence gaits similar to the kinematically defined walks of a broad range of tetrapods. At high speeds, D. rotundus use an asymmetrical bounding gait that appears to converge on the bounding gaits of small terrestrial mammals, but with the roles of the forelimbs and hindlimbs reversed. This gait was not performed by M. tuberculata. Many animals that possess a single kinematic gait shift with increasing speed from a kinetic walk (where kinetic and potential energy of the centre of mass oscillate out of phase from each other) to a kinetic run (where they oscillate in phase). To determine whether the single kinematic gait of M. tuberculata meets the kinetic definition of a walk, a run, or a gait that functions as a walk at low speed and a run at high speed, we used force plates and high-speed video recordings to characterize the energetics of the centre of mass in that species. Although oscillations in kinetic and potential energy were of similar magnitudes, M. tuberculata did not use pendulum-like exchanges of energy between them to the extent that many other quadrupedal animals do, and did not transition from a kinetic walk to kinetic run with increasing speed. The gait of M. tuberculata is kinematically a walk, but kinetically run-like at all speeds.
TL;DR: The pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, contraindications, and drug-interaction potential of pegaptanib are discussed, and the results of clinical trials evaluating its efficacy and tolerability are summarized.
TL;DR: The in vitro antifungal activity of 92 volatile oils, 12 terpeneless oils, and 3 fixed oils was ascertained using the filter paper disk method and cinnamon, caraway, dill, and anise were found to possess the greatest antif fungus activity.
Abstract: The in vitro antifungal activity of 92 volatile oils, 12 terpeneless oils, and 3 fixed oils was ascertained using the filter paper disk method. The oils were tested against 18 pathogenic and nonpathogenic fungi. Ninety volatile oils were found to possess antifungal activity on at least one organism. Origanum (red), lemongrass (imported), thyme (red), sweet birch, savory select, coriander, sassafras, cinnamon, laurel leaves (distilled), and chenopodium exhibited the greatest antifungal activity. Streptomyces venezuelae was most susceptible to the volatile oils while Candida krusei was the most resistant. Among the terpeneless oils, cinnamon, caraway, dill, and anise were found to possess the greatest antifungal activity. The fixed oils used were found to possess no antifungal properties. Oils of chenopodium, origanum (red), and dill (terpeneless) were found to be very effective against Ustilago avenae ; chenopodium and thyme (red) against Trichophyton mentagrophytes ; and oil of cinnamon against Epidermophyton interdigitale . More than 90% of the volatile and terpeneless oils tested were found to produce fungicidal effects.
TL;DR: In this article, a longitudinal interpretative field study of an information technology (IT) organization in which a new chief information officer (CIO) implemented a major organizational redesign is presented.
Abstract: This paper details a longitudinal interpretative field study of an information technology (IT) organization in which a new chief information officer (CIO) implemented a major organizational redesign. The redesign increased the degree of codification in activities of the IT organization so as to control, coordinate, and deliver services more cost effectively to its business clients. We examine different stakeholders views of the change, the implementation processes, and the consequences of the redesign.
The case analysis emphasizes specific challenges that designers of support organizations face when increasing the degree of codification. Key implications include the need for these designers to (1) pay as much, if not more, attention to the local organizational context as they do to the external environmental conditions; (2) communicate and negotiate constantly with various stakeholders concerning the appropriate degree of codification and control; (3) be wary of how a strict alignment of all design elements can blind the designer to important, unrecognized issues; and (4) consider that increased codification may help support organizations compete more efficiently with external vendors, but may also ease the process of outsourcing.
TL;DR: It was found that in adults, Hispanics had lower incidence rates for each of the major types of leukemia as compared to non-Hispanic Whites; and in AML, CML, and CLL, among people age 65 or older, white non-Hispanics have higher incidence rates than Blacks, and Blacks have higher occurrence rates than Hispanics.
Abstract: While leukemia rates are thought to be lower in South and Central America, no study has systematically investigated incidence rates of the leukemia subtypes among Hispanics in the U.S. This was a retrospective cohort study, using data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program of the National Cancer Institute, 1992 - 2001, to compare leukemia incidence rates as a function of race and ethnicity. It was found that in adults, Hispanics had lower incidence rates for each of the major types of leukemia as compared to non-Hispanic Whites: For AML, elderly Whites had an incidence rate ratio (IRR) of 1.61 in comparison to Hispanics (p < 0.001) and 1.27 in comparison to Blacks (p < 0.001); for CML, the IRR among the elderly was 1.42 that of Hispanics (p < 0.001) and 1.22 that of Blacks (p = 0.003); and for CLL, the IRR was 2.31 times that of Hispanics (p < 0.001) and 1.48 times that of Blacks (p < 0.001). In ALL, however, Hispanics aged 0 - 19 had a significantly higher incidence rate than Whites and Blacks, with an IRR of 1.32 compared to Whites (p < 0.001), and 2.62 compared to Blacks (p < 0.001). In AML, CML, and CLL, among people age 65 or older, white non-Hispanics have higher incidence rates than Blacks, and Blacks have higher incidence rates than Hispanics. Childhood ALL incidence rates are highest among Hispanics, and lowest among Blacks.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors give an explicit description of an action of cyclic Sullivan chord diagrams on the normalized Hochschild cochain complex of a finite dimensional, unital and associative algebra which is endowed with a non-degenerate and invariant inner product.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors used a sample of companies charged with government, financial reporting, or stakeholder fraud or regulatory violation in the United States during the 1978-2001 period, and found that after the accusation of fraud, companies increased the proportion of outsider directors on their boards of directors and on the monitoring committees of the boards.
Abstract: Using a sample of companies charged with government, financial reporting, or stakeholder fraud or regulatory violation in the United States during the 1978–2001 period, this study found that after the accusation of fraud, companies increased the proportion of outsider directors on their boards of directors and on the monitoring committees of the boards. Furthermore, the results show comparable long-run stock price and operating performance between companies charged with fraud and a matching sample of companies not accused of fraud. Collectively, these results suggest that improvements in internal control systems following accusations of fraud help repair a company’s damaged reputation and reinstate confidence in the company.
TL;DR: In this article, the structure of the non-polar α-phase of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) was determined by density-functional methods using X-ray diffraction studies.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors evaluated the edaphic conditions and natural vegetation of three large quarries in southern China 3, 5, and 7 years following abandonment and found that soil formation on the steep slopes of quarry cliffs is a secondary migration process rather than a primary weathering process, which suggests that vegetation succession is more limited by available soil volume than by soil fertility during the early stages of quarry restoration.
Abstract: The large number of abandoned quarries in many countries presents challenges for restoration of these extremely degraded habitats. To understand soil and plant development in these extreme habitats at a most critical stage of restoration, we evaluated the edaphic conditions and natural vegetation of three large quarries in southern China 3, 5, and 7 years following abandonment. Although soil fertility (organic matter, and N, P, K concentrations) did not differ significantly over a few years, it was much higher than would be expected from newly weathered soil and was comparable to that of the adjacent garden soil on level ground with no slope. This suggests that soil formation on the steep slopes of quarry cliffs is a secondary migration process rather than a primary weathering process. Vegetation cover increased from 10.6 to 18.6 and 23.4%, and species abundance increased from 8 to 11 and 12 species, and from 3 to 6 and 7 families. Plant species composition changed from predominantly annual and perennial herbaceous species to a more diverse community with drought-tolerant and heliophilous shrubs. The vegetation cover was highly positively correlated with soil depth and soil volume (p < 0.001), and also significantly correlated with soil organic matter, total N, and available N and P concentrations ( p< 0.05). This suggests that vegetation succession is more limited by available soil volume than by soil fertility during the early stages of quarry restoration.
TL;DR: This work argues for the combination, that is a higher order accurate adaptive scheme, that combines the power that adaptive gridding techniques provide to resolve fine scales together with the higher accuracy furnished by higher order schemes when the solution is adequately resolved.
Abstract: Efforts to achieve better accuracy in numerical relativity have so far focused either on implementing second-order accurate adaptive mesh refinement or on defining higher order accurate differences and update schemes. Here, we argue for the combination, that is a higher order accurate adaptive scheme. This combines the power that adaptive gridding techniques provide to resolve fine scales (in addition to a more efficient use of resources) together with the higher accuracy furnished by higher order schemes when the solution is adequately resolved. To define a convenient higher order adaptive mesh refinement scheme, we discuss a few different modifications of the standard, second-order accurate approach of Berger and Oliger. Applying each of these methods to a simple model problem, we find these options have unstable modes. However, a novel approach to dealing with the grid boundaries introduced by the adaptivity appears stable and quite promising for the use of high order operators within an adaptive framework.
TL;DR: It was found that nanoparticles offered both effective delivery of si RNA and prominent GFP gene silencing effect and may also offer improved formulation stability, which is practically beneficial and may be used in the future clinical studies of siRNA therapeutics.
Abstract: RNA interference (RNAi) is an emerging technology in which the introduction of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) into a diverse range of organisms and cell types causes degradation of the complementary mRNA. It offers a broad spectrum of applications in both biological and medical research. Small interference RNA (siRNA) was recently explored for its therapeutical potential. However, the drug delivery of siRNA oligos is very novel and is in great need of future research. To this end, a biodegradable poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) nanoparticle drug carrier system was prepared to load siRNA oligos with desired physicochemical properties. The nanoparticles were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and laser diffraction particle sizer. The delivery of siRNA into the targeted 293T cells was observed using fluorescent-labeled double-stranded Cy3-oligos. The model siRNA oligos, si-GFP-RNA, were also successfully loaded into PLGA nanoparticles and delivered in 293T cells. The gene silencing effect and the inhibition of GFP expression were investigated using fluorescent microscopy. Both positive and negative controls were used to compare with the new siRNA nanoparticle delivery system. It was found that nanoparticles offered both effective delivery of siRNA and prominent GFP gene silencing effect. Compared to conventional carrier systems, the new biodegradable polymeric nanoparticle system may also offer improved formulation stability, which is practically beneficial and may be used in the future clinical studies of siRNA therapeutics.
TL;DR: Two new approaches for the assessment of the weights to be associated with fuzzy opinions are proposed, respectively, the minimization of the sum of squared distances from one weighted fuzzy opinion to another and the least squares distance method.