Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
NEIGHBORHOOD STRUCTURE AND ACADEMIC SELF CONCEPT: A MULTILEVEL MODEL

Title of Thesis: NEIGHBORHOOD STRUCTURE AND ACADEMIC SE LF CONCEPT: A MULTILEVEL MODEL Cyril Pickering, Master of Arts, 20011 Thesis Directed by: Professor William Strein School Psychology Program Department of Counseling and Personnel Services University of Maryland, College Park There is a robust correlation between a student’s academic achievement and his/her academic self concept. Various contextual variables, such as the sc hool population’s average academic ability, have been shown to have an effect on acad emic self-concept and on the relationship between self-concept and measured achievement. Community variables can have an effect on a student’s academic achievement, t hough the relationship with academic self-concept is not well established. Urbanicit y of the environment is a variable of interest, as there are various ways to describe and me asure a neighborhood, though there is still a question about what makes a neighborhood urban. This study seeks to measure urbanicity and uses this urbanicity variable in a m ultilevel model, estimating the direct effects of the context on academic self-concept a d explores the possibility that urbanicity modifies the relationship between self-conce pt and other student variables. Analysis revealed that neighborhood variables had no significant relationship with self-concept NEIGHBORHOOD STRUCTURE AND ACADEMIC SELF CONCEPT: A MULTILEVEL MODEL
Platform Competition in Telecommunications

In this Paper we consider the economics of platform competition in telecommunications. Platform competition occurs when different, sometimes incompatible, technologies compete to provide telecommunications services to end-users. Battles between competing technologies have been an important feature of telecommunications in the last twenty or so years. Examples of platform competition in telecommunications include wireless vs. wireline networks, competing wireless options, such as satellite vs. cellular, and, within cellular, different digital standards.
Optimal Tests When a Nuisance Parameter Is Present Only Under the Alternative

This paper derives asymptotically optimal tests for testing problems in which a nuisance parameter exists under the alternative hypothesis but not under the null. For example, the results apply to tests of structural change with unknown changepoint. The testing problem considered is nonstandard and the classical asymptotic optimality results for the Lagrange multiplier, Wald, and likelihood ratio do not apply. A weighted average power criterion is used here to generate optimal tests. This criterion is similar to that used by A. Wald (1943) to obtain the classical asymptotic optimality properties of Wald tests in 'regular' testing problems. Copyright 1994 by The Econometric Society.
Elementary graphs with respect to (1, f)-odd factors

This note concerns the (1, f)-odd subgraph problem, i.e. we are given an undirected graph G and an odd value function f : V (G) → N, and our goal is to find a spanning subgraph F of G with degF ≤ f minimizing the number of even degree vertices. First we prove a Gallai–Edmonds type structure theorem and some other known results on the (1, f)-odd subgraph problem, using an easy reduction to the matching problem. Then we use this reduction to investigate barriers and elementary graphs with respect to (1, f)odd factors, i.e. graphs where the union of (1, f)-odd factors form a connected spanning subgraph.
Supplemental Material for the Manuscript : Decoupling the Cortical Power Spectrum Reveals Real-time Representation of Individual Finger Movements in Humans

All 10 subjects in the study were epileptic patients at Harborview Hospital in Seattle, WA (18-45 years old, 6 female). Sub-dural grids were placed for extended clinical monitoring and localization of seizure foci. Each subject gave informed consent to participate in an internalreview-board (IRB) approved experimental protocol. All patient data was anonymized according to IRB protocol, in accordance with HIPAA mandate. Stimulation mapping was performed clinically, and coarse stimulation schematics were made available to the researchers (Fig. S11). All data and patient information was anonymized before handling by researchers.
Perspective Biological Markers for Autism Spectrum Disorders: Advantages of the Use of Receiver Operating Characteristic Curves in Evaluating Marker Sensitivity and Specificity

Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are a heterogeneous group of neurodevelopmental disorders. Recognized causes of ASD include genetic factors, metabolic diseases, toxic and environmental factors, and a combination of these. Available tests fail to recognize genetic abnormalities in about 70% of ASD children, where diagnosis is solely based on behavioral signs and symptoms, which are difficult to evaluate in very young children. Although it is advisable that specific psychotherapeutic and pedagogic interventions are initiated as early as possible, early diagnosis is hampered by the lack of nongenetic specific biological markers. In the past ten years, the scientific literature has reported dozens of neurophysiological and biochemical alterations in ASD children; however no real biomarker has emerged. Such literature is here reviewed in the light of Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) analysis, a very valuable statistical tool, which evaluates the sensitivity and the specificity of biomarkers to be used in diagnostic decision making. We also apply ROC analysis to some of our previously published data and discuss the increased diagnostic value of combining more variables in one ROC curve analysis. We also discuss the use of biomarkers as a tool for advancing our understanding of nonsyndromic ASD.
Dynamic Brazilian Tests of Granite Under Coupled Static and Dynamic Loads

Rocks in underground projects at great depth, which are under high static stresses, may be subjected to dynamic disturbance at the same time. In our previous work (Li et al. Int J Rock Mech Min Sci 45(5):739-748, 2008), the dynamic compressive behaviour of pre-stressed rocks was investigated using coupled-load equipment. The current work is devoted to the investigation of the dynamic tensile behaviour of granite rocks under coupled loads using the Brazilian disc (BD) method with the aid of a high-speed camera. Through wave analyses, stress mea- surements and crack photography, the fundamental prob- lems of BD tests, such as stress equilibrium and crack initiation, were investigated by the consideration of dif- ferent loading stresses with abruptly or slowly rising stress waves. The specially shaped striker method was used for the coupled-load test; this generates a slowly rising stress wave, which allows gradual stress accumulation in the specimen, whilst maintaining the load at both ends of the specimen in an equilibrium state. The test results showed that the tensile strength of the granite under coupled loads decreases with increases in the static pre-stresses, which might lead to modifications of the blasting design or sup- port design in deep underground projects. Furthermore, the failure patterns of specimens under coupled loads have been investigated.
The Effect of Material, Social and Activities Compensations toward Work Performance Using Organizational Commitment as The Mediator

This study aims to determine the effect of material compensation, social compensation, and activities compensation on work performance through organizational commitment as the mediator. This study retrieved data through questionnaires (surveys). The population in this study were all employees of PT. Tiga Serangkai Pustaka Mandiri Surakarta, with taking 150 respondents for sampling purpose. Sampling technique in this study was a simple random sampling. The data were processed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) with the help of Analysis of Moment Structure (AMOS) version 20.0. The results of the data analysis found that 1) There is a significantly positive influence of social compensation variables on organizational commitment; 2) There is a positive significant effect of activity compensation on organizational commitment; 3) There is a significantly positive effect of activity compensation on job performance; 4) Organizational commitment does not mediate material compensation, social compensation, and activities compensation on job performance. Keywords : material compensation, social compensation, activities compensation, work performance, and organizational commitment, Tiga Serangkai Pustaka Mandiri
The Nature of the Faint Chandra X-Ray Sources in the Galactic Center

Recent Chandra X-Ray Observatory observations have revealed a large population of faint X-ray point sources in the Galactic center. The observed population consists of ≳2000 faint sources in the luminosity range ~1031-1033 ergs s-1. The majority of these sources (70%) are described by hard spectra, while the rest are rather soft. The nature of these sources still remains unknown. Belczynski & Taam demonstrated that X-ray binaries with neutron star or black hole accretors may account for most of the soft sources, but are not numerous enough to account for the observed number and X-ray properties of the faint hard sources. A population synthesis calculation of the Galactic center region has been carried out. Our results indicate that the numbers and X-ray luminosities of intermediate Polars are consistent with the observed faint hard Galactic center population.
Financial Deepening, Property Rights and Poverty: Evidence from Sub-Saharan Africa

The recent financial crisis has brought to the forefront renewed concerns about the merit of financial development, especially for the most vulnerable segments of our population. Studies on the relationship between financial development and poverty have been inconclusive. Some claim that, by allowing more entrepreneurs to obtain financing, financial development improves the allocation of capital, which has a particularly large impact on the poor. Others argue that it is primarily the rich and politically connected who benefit from improvements in the financial system. This paper looks at a sample of 37 countries in sub-Saharan Africa from 1992 through 2006. Its results suggest that financial deepening could narrow income inequality and reduce poverty, and that stronger property rights reinforce these effects. Interest rate and lending liberalization alone could, however, be detrimental to the poor if not accompanied by institutional reforms, in particular stronger property rights and wider access to creditor information.
Spinning pulsating string solitons in AdS 5 ×S 5

We point out the existence of some simple string solitons in ${\mathrm{AdS}}_{5}\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{\mathrm{S}}^{5},$ which at the same time are spinning in ${\mathrm{AdS}}_{5}$ and pulsating in ${\mathrm{S}}^{5},$ or vice versa. This introduces an additional arbitrary constant into the scaling relations between energy and spin or R charge. The arbitrary constant is not an angular momentum, but can be related to the amplitude of the pulsation. We discuss the solutions in detail and consider the scaling relations. Pulsating multispin or multi-R-charge solutions can also be constructed.
Habilidades gerenciales como estrategia de competitividad empresarial en las pequeñas y medianas empresas (Pymes)

Esta investigacion tiene como objetivo medir la influencia de las habilidades gerenciales como factor interno en la competitividad empresarial que perciben los empresarios de las pequenas y medianas empresas (Pymes) de Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico. Para tal efecto, se utilizo una metodologia mixta con el fin de poder recolectar, analizar y vincular los datos cuantitativos y cualitativos, y responder al planteamiento de la investigacion con mayor evidencia cientifica. La primera fase fue exploratoria mediante entrevista a panel de expertos usando el metodo Delphi, para contextualizar la problematica objeto de analisis y validar el instrumento de medida. En la segunda fase se muestrearon 108 Pymes y se realizo un analisis estadistico utilizando modelos de ecuaciones estructurales (PLS) para obtener resultados. Las conclusiones demostraron que las habilidades gerenciales son un factor interno de las Pymes que influyen considerablemente en su competitividad empresarial.
TYPE A EVALUATION OF UNCERTAINTY DUE TO SYSTEMATIC EFFECTS IN DIGITAL OSCILLOSCOPES

The paper presents a type A (experimental) evaluation of the uncertainty due to systematic effects. After a brief discussion about the general problem of choosing a proper mathematical representation for systematic effects in the context of uncertainty evaluation, a pragmatic approach, based on the familiar random variable theory and the ISO 5725 norm is proposed. The approach is called "inter- instrument experiment", on the analogy of the "inter- laboratory experiment" of the ISO 5725. Preliminary experimental results, relevant to commercial digital oscilloscopes, are presented and discussed.
Variance and invariance in speech rate as a reflection of conceptual planning

This study investigates the variance and invariance in speech rate as a reflection of conceptual planning and cognitive rhythm. A four-frame comic strip was used to elicit speech and low-pass smoothing was done afterwards to filter out high frequency noise. Results showed that subjects invariably planned narration in terms of story plots. Variance lies in the way subjects synchronize planning and execution stages. Some tended to start the execution stage before the planning stage ends while others were inclined to speak only after macroplanning was done. Lexical retrieval failure is one of the main causes for disruptive story-plot-based temporal cycle.
Towards automatic generation of query taxonomy: a hierarchical query clustering approach

Most previous work on automatic query clustering generated a flat, un-nested partition of query terms. In this work, we discuss the organization of query terms into a hierarchical structure and construct a query taxonomy in an automatic way. The proposed approach is designed based on a hierarchical agglomerative clustering algorithm to hierarchically group similar queries and generate cluster hierarchies using a novel cluster partition technique. The search processes of real-world search engines are combined to obtain highly ranked Web documents as the feature source for each query term. Preliminary experiments show that the proposed approach is effective for obtaining thesaurus information for query terms, and is also feasible for constructing a query taxonomy which provides a basis for in-depth analysis of users' search interests and domain-specific vocabulary on a larger scale.
Modeling of an Optimized Electrostimulative Hip Revision System Under Consideration of Uncertainty in the Conductivity of Bone Tissue

Since several years, the number of total hip arthroplasty revision surgeries is substantially growing. One of the main reasons for this procedure to become necessary is the loosening or damage of the prothesis, which is facilitated by bone necrosis at the implant-bone interface. Electrostimulation is one promising technique, which can accelerate the growth of bone cells and, therefore, enhance the anchorage of the implant to the bone. We present computational models of an electrostimulative total hip revision system to enhance bone regeneration. In this study, the influence of uncertainty in the conductivity of bone tissue on the electric field strength and the beneficial stimulation volume for an optimized electrode geometry and arrangement is investigated. The generalized polynomial chaos technique is used to quantify the uncertainty in the stimulation volumes with respect to the uncertain conductivity of cancellous bone, bone marrow, and bone substitute, which is used to fill defective areas. The results suggest that the overall beneficial stimulation areas are only slightly sensitive to the uncertainty in conductivity of bone tissue. However, in the proximity of tissue boundaries, larger uncertainties, especially in the transition between beneficial and understimulation areas, can be expected.
On the universal ac optical background in graphene

Latest experiments have confirmed the theoretically expected universal value πe2/2h of the ac conductivity of graphene and have revealed departures of the quasi-particle dynamics from predictions for the Dirac fermions in idealized graphene. We present analytical expressions for the ac conductivity in graphene that allow one to study how it is affected by interactions, temperature, external magnetic field and the opening of a gap in the quasi-particle spectrum. We show that the ac conductivity of graphene does not necessarily give a metrologically accurate value of the von Klitzing constant h/e2, because it is depleted by the electron–phonon interaction. In a weak magnetic field, the ac conductivity oscillates around the universal value and the Drude peak evolves into a peak at the cyclotron frequency.
Sparse logistic regression utilizing cardinality constraints and information criteria

In this paper we address the problem of estimating a sparse parameter vector that defines a logistic regression. The problem is then solved using two approaches: i) inequality constrained Maximum Likelihood estimation and ii) penalized Maximum Likelihood which is closely related to Information Criteria such as AIC. For the promotion of sparsity, we utilize a nonlinear constraint based on the ℓ0 (pseudo) norm of the parameter vector. The corresponding optimization problem is solved using an equivalent representation of the problem that is simpler to solve. We illustrate the benefits of our proposal with an example that is inspired by a gene selection problem in DNA microarrays.
Glucose Levels at the Site of Subcutaneous Insulin Administration and Their Relationship to Plasma Levels

OBJECTIVE To examine insulin's effect on the tissue glucose concentration at the site of subcutaneous insulin administration. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS A CMA-60 microdialysis (MD) catheter and a 24-gauge microperfusion (MP) catheter were inserted into the subcutaneous adipose tissue of fasting, healthy subjects (n = 5). Both catheters were perfused with regular human insulin (100 units/ml) over a 6-h period and used for glucose sampling and simultaneous administration of insulin at sequential rates of 0.33, 0.66, and 1.00 units/h (each rate was used for 2 h). Before and after the insulin delivery period, both catheters were perfused with an insulin-free solution (5% mannitol) for 2 h and used for glucose sampling only. Blood plasma glucose was clamped at euglycemic levels during insulin delivery. RESULTS Start of insulin delivery with MD and MP catheters resulted in a decline of the tissue glucose concentration and the tissue-to-plasma glucose ratio (TPR) for ∼60 min (P < 0.05). However, during the rest of the 6-h period of variable insulin delivery, tissue glucose concentration paralleled the plasma glucose concentration, and the TPR for MD and MP catheters remained unchanged at 83.2 ± 3.1 and 77.1 ± 4.8%, respectively. After subsequent switch to insulin-free perfusate, tissue glucose concentration and TPR increased slowly and reattained preinsulin delivery levels by the end of the experiments. CONCLUSIONS The results show the attainment of a stable TPR value at the site of insulin administration, thus indicating that insulin delivery and glucose sensing may be performed simultaneously at the same adipose tissue site.
The Effects of Classwide Function-Related Intervention Teams on Preschool Behavior

The Effects of Class-Wide Function-Related Intervention Teams on Preschool Behavior Krystine A. Jolstead Department of Counseling Psychology and Special Education, BYU Educational Specialist in School Psychology Challenging behavior in preschool is a serious concern for teachers. In recent years, positive behavior support (PBS) has been shown to be effective in reducing such behaviors. Class-Wide Function-related Intervention Teams (CW-FIT) is a specific program for implementing PBS principles in classroom settings. CW-FIT is a group contingency that utilizes social skills training, teacher praise, and positive reinforcement to improve student behavior. Students are taught specific social skills and then work in teams to earn a group reward based on the use of these skills. CW-FIT has been shown to be effective in elementary classrooms but has not yet been evaluated with other age groups. The present study examined the effects of CW-FIT implementation on teacher praise rates and student engagement in four preschool classrooms with 55 total students. A single-subject, multiple-baseline design with embedded reversals was used to evaluate impact. Results indicate that CW-FIT increased teacher praise rates and student engagement while reducing student disruptive behavior. Both teachers and students found CWFIT to be socially valid. The present study indicates promising results for the implementation of CW-FIT in a preschool setting.
Broadband X-Ray Spectra of GX 339–4 and the Geometry of Accreting Black Holes in the Hard State

A major question in the study of black hole binaries involves our understanding of the accretion geometry when the sources are in the ``hard'' state, with an X-ray energy spectrum dominated by a hard power-law component and radio emission coming from a steady ``compact'' jet. Although the common hard state picture is that the accretion disk is truncated, perhaps at hundreds of gravitational radii (Rg) from the black hole, recent results for the recurrent transient GX 339–4 by Miller and coworkers show evidence for disk material very close to the black hole's innermost stable circular orbit. That work studied GX 339–4 at a luminosity of ~5% of the Eddington limit (LEdd) and used parameters from a relativistic reflection model and the presence of a thermal component as diagnostics. Here we use similar diagnostics but extend the study to lower luminosities (2.3% and 0.8% LEdd) using Swift and RXTE observations of GX 339–4. We detect a thermal component with an inner disk temperature of ~0.2 keV at 2.3% LEdd. At both luminosities, we detect broad features due to iron Kα that are likely related to reflection of hard X-rays off disk material. If these features are broadened by relativistic effects, they indicate that the material resides within 10Rg, and the measurements are consistent with the disk's inner radius remaining at ~4Rg down to 0.8% LEdd. However, we also discuss an alternative model for the broadening, and we note that the evolution of the thermal component is not entirely consistent with the constant inner radius interpretation.