Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Applying the Mantel-Haenszel Procedure to Complex Samples of Items

This Monte Carlo study examined the effect of complex sampling of items on the measurement of differential item functioning (DIF) using the Mantel-Haenszel procedure. Data were generated using a 3-parameter logistic item response theory model according to the balanced incomplete block (BIB) design used in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). The length of each block of items and the number of DIF items in the matching variable were varied, as was the difficulty, discrimination, and presence of DIF in the studied item. Block, booklet, pooled booklet, and extra-information analyses were compared to a complete data analysis using the transformed log-odds on the delta scale. The pooled booklet approach is recommended for use when items are selected for examinees according to a BIB design. This study has implications for DIF analyses of other complex samples of items, such as computer administered testing or another complex assessment design. One important issue in educational measurement is to identify items that function differently for subgroups. Such items are said to have differential item functioning (DIF). DIF studies compare the relative performance of the group of interest (the focal group) to that of a comparison or reference group. The Mantel-Haenszel (MH) procedure (Holland & Thayer, 1988; Mantel & Haenszel, 1959) matches the groups on some measure of performance. In usual DIF applications of MH, this matching variable is the total score on the test. For each of the K levels of the matching variable, MH forms a 2 x 2 table, which is shown in Table 1. Tk is the total number of examinees at level k, nRk and nFk are the numbers of reference and focal group members, mlk is the number of examinees who answered the studied item correctly, and mOk is the number who missed the item.
Plant proteome analysis: A 2004–2006 update

Since the appearance of the review entitled “Plant Proteome Analysis” in Proteomics in February 2004 (Cánovas, F. M., Dumas‐Gaudot, E., Recorbert, G., Jorrín, J. et al., Proteomics 2004, 4, 285–298), about 200 original articles focusing on plant proteomics have been published. Although this represents less than 1% of the global proteomics output during this period, it nevertheless reflects an increase in activity over the period 1999–2004. These papers concern the proteome of at least 35 plant species but have concentrated mainly on thale cress (Arabidopsis thaliana) and rice (Oryza sativa). The scientific objectives have ranged from a proteomic analysis of organs, tissues, cell suspensions, or subcellular fractions to the study of plant development and response to various stresses. A number of contributions have covered PTMs and protein interactions. The dominant analytical platform has been 2‐DE coupled to MS, but “second generation” techniques such as DIGE, multidimensional protein identification technology, isotope‐coded affinity tags, and stable isotope labeling by amino acids in cell culture have begun to make an impact. This review aims to provide an update of the contribution of proteomics to plant biology during the period 2004–2006, and is divided into six sections: introduction, subcellular proteomes, plant development, responses to biotic and abiotic stresses, PTMs, and protein interactions. The conclusions summarize a view of the major pitfalls and challenges of plant proteomics.
The role of subjective norms in theory of planned behavior in the context of organic food consumption

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the applicability of theory of planned behavior (TPB) with special emphasis on measuring the direct and moderating effects of subjective norms on attitude, perceived behavioral control and buying intention in context of buying organic food. Design/methodology/approach – Structured questionnaires were randomly distributed among academic staffs and students of two universities in southern Punjab, Pakistan. Structural equation modeling was employed to test the proposed model fit. Findings – Results of the study showed that subjective norms significantly moderate the relationship between attitudes and buying intention as well as between perceived behavior control and buying intention. Furthermore, subjective norms significantly influence attitude toward buying intention. Practical implications – The paper provides useful insights for the academics and marketers. Academics may further explore the role of subjective norms in order to have a better understand.
MOCA: Multiobjective Cell Association for Device-to-Device Communications

It is widely accepted that device-to-device (D2D) communication is envisaged to become the key enabler of direct localized communication between mobile nodes in future wireless networks. However, little attention has been paid to an important aspect that can potentially affect both the performance of D2D and cellular transmissions, which is that of the D2D cell association. In this paper, a multiobjective cell association (MOCA) optimization framework for orchestrating a large number of D2D links in a multicell network is introduced. To this end, and without loss of generality, a differentiated Fractional Frequency Reuse (FFR) scheme is considered as the interference-limiting method, especially for cell-edge users, and we assume the provision of different resource pools for D2D and cellular users, which can vary according to their location. Under this assumption, we develop a set of integer linear programming optimization formulations for D2D links, part of which fall within the coverage area of different neighboring base stations. The main purpose is to achieve improved network traffic balancing via an efficient cell association scheme. Furthermore, we provide an iterative randomized resource allocation algorithm (i-RRA ), which roots its logic on the differentiated FFR model in order to increase the overall network throughput. A wide set of numerical investigations demonstrate the benefits offered by MOCA, as well as the throughput gains that can be achieved through i-RRA, compared to existing solutions.
Perfect simulation for sample-based inference

Perfect simulation algorithms based on Propp and Wilson (1996) have so far been of limited use for sampling problems of interest in statistics. We specify a new family of perfect sampling algorithms obtained by combining MCMC tempering algorithms with dominated coupling from the past, and demonstrate that our algorithms will be useful for sample based inference. Perfect tempering algorithms are less efficient than the MCMC algorithms on which they typically depend. However, samples returned by perfect tempering are distributed according to the intended distribution, so that these new sampling algorithms do not suffer from the convergence problems of MCMC. Perfect tempering is related to rejection sampling. When rejection sampling has been tried, but has proved impractical, it may be possible to convert the rejection algorithm into a perfect tempering algorithm, with a significant gain in algorithm efficiency.
Vive la différence: Sign language and spoken language in language evolution

Abstract Michael Arbib's book proposes a scenario of language evolution that begins with pantomime, progresses to proto-sign, and then develops together with proto-speech in an “expanding spiral” to create a language-ready brain. The richness of detail in Arbib's hypothesis makes serious appraisal of each of its aspects possible. Here I describe findings about established and emerging sign languages that bear specifically upon the interaction between sign and speech proposed in the Mirror System Hypothesis. While supporting the central role that Arbib attributes to gestural/visual communication in understanding language and its evolution, I point out some kinks in the spiral that potentially disrupt its smooth expansion. One is the fact that each modality relies on an entirely different motor system. Another is the type of relation that holds between the articulators and grammatical structure, which is radically different in each system as well. A third kink disrupts the proposed continuity between holistic pantomime (gestural holophrases) and signs. Given such differences, instead of a scenario in which speech grew out of sign, it seems more likely that the two modalities complemented each other symbiotically throughout evolution as they do today. If so, then the modern ability to spontaneously create sign languages reveals the extraordinary richness and plasticity of human cognition, and not an evolutionary stepping stone to speech.
Personality and Behavioral Genetics: Where Have We Been and Where Are We Going?

Abstract Behavioral genetic research consistently indicates that individual differences in personality are genetically influenced. However, behavioral genetics has much more to offer to the study of personality than heritability estimates. The present paper describes some recent findings from behavioral genetics research in personality that go well beyond the rudimentary nature–nurture question. These findings include the importance of nonshared environmental influences on personality, genetic continuity and environmental change during development, personality as a mediator of genetic influence on environmental measures, links between personality and psychopathology, and harnessing the power of molecular genetics to identify specific genes responsible for genetic influence on personality.
Can We Blame the Climate of an Organization for the Stress Experienced by Employees?

The environment of workplace has received much attention in research in human resource literature. However, its impact on employee’s behavior such as stress has not been established widely. This research explores the relationship between stress and organizational climate among employees of a large manufacturing organization. A sample of 625 employees was selected using convenience sampling method to measure the level of occupational stress and organizational climate. Pearson’s correlation coefficient was computed to study the relationship between the two variables. To identify the predictors of occupational stress with organizational climate as a criterion, stepwise regression analysis was calculated. The findings indicate that there exists a negative significant correlation between the two variables under study. Regression analysis reveals that support system, decision-making, motivational level, and warmth as climate factors, significantly predict occupational stress. The findings are significant for management practitioners, organizational psychologists, and human resources personnel since it empirically directs them to focus on diagnosing the climate of the organization, especially giving importance to strengthen the support system and empowering employees with decision-making power which, if neglected, may cause stress to employees.
Stressors and Child and Adolescent Psychopathology: Measurement Issues and Prospective Effects

This article reviews existing research on the association between stressors and symptoms of psychopathology in children and adolescents with a focus on measurement issues and prospective effects. The first half of the article focuses on the measurement of stressors, emphasizing checklists and interviews. Available measures of stressful experiences are reviewed and critiqued. Results of this review reveal both substantial progress (i.e., development of valid stressor assessment tools) and remaining problems (i.e., inconsistent measurement across studies). The second half of this article reviews studies that have tested for prospective associations between stressors and symptoms of psychopathology in children and adolescents. Studies that have examined the prospective effects of recent or prior stressors on current psychological symptoms, while controlling for prior psychological symptoms, are reviewed. Results overall suggest that stressors predict changes in rates of symptoms of psychopathology in children and adolescents over time. Results also suggest that symptoms of psychopathology predict changes in rates of stressors over time. Implications of these findings are that conclusive evidence now exists for the importance of stressors in the development of child and adolescent psychopathology.
Juxtaposing identities as a symbolic resource: social and problem gamblers in Singapore's problem gambling campaign

Abstract This study of gambling discourse focuses on how the governing party in Singapore makes use of the discursively constructed juxtaposing identities of social and problem gamblers as a symbolic resource for reaching its objective of public governance. To this end, the present article studies four gamblers' spoken testimonials recorded for a campaign launched by the Singapore National Council on Problem Gambling. The data were analyzed in relation to process types, appraisal resources, and code choice. It is found that via different linguistic means, the gamblers, as represented in the discourse, perform a range of identities, thereby foregrounding specific aspects of their self. Examples include the social gamblers' frequent use of relational processes to offer descriptive statements on the definition of gambling and the problem gamblers' self-evaluation of unethical behavior associated with gambling through intensive use of social sanction judgment markers. The results lead to the conclusion that the juxtaposition of the identities between social and problem gamblers is used symbolically by the government to construct the stigmatized identity of “problematic gamblers” so as to monitor its citizens' demeanor in the midst of legitimizing casino gambling.
Anxiety and the College Musician: A Study of Performance Conditions and Subject Variables

The purpose of this study was to determine response to anxiety in musical performance in relation to anxiety theory statements concerning A-Trait and/or A-State arousal and the Drive or motivational properties of anxiety. Performances of 60 subjects were recorded under a reduced and an enhanced anxiety situation and were evaluated for musical quality by five adjudicators. From research results it was found that anxiety had positive effects on subjects' performances due to the Drive properties of anxiety. Further, musicians tend to respond to anxiety in relation to anxiety theory hypotheses.
PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT OF MEDICAL IMAGING SYSTEMS BASED ON MUTUAL INFORMATION METRIC

Information on physical image quality of medical images is important for imaging system assessment in order to promote and stimulate the development of state- of-the-art imaging systems. In this paper, we present a method for measuring physical performance of medical imaging systems. In this method, mutual information (MI) which is a concept from information theory was used to measure combined properties of image noise and resolution of an imaging system. In our study, the MI was used as a measure to express the amount of information that an output image contains about an input object. The more the MI value provides, the better the image quality is. To validate the proposed method, computer simulations were first performed to investigate the effects of noise and resolution degradation on the MI. Then experiments were conducted to measure the physical performance of an imaging plate which was used as an image detector. Our simulation and experimental results confirmed that the combined effect of deteriorated blur and noise on the images can be measured and analyzed using the MI metric. The results demonstrate the potential usefulness of the proposed method for measuring physical quality of medical imaging systems.
Numerical Experiments on the Steady-State Meridional Structure and Ozone Distribution in the Stratosphere

Abstract A two-dimensional circulation model of the stratosphere, incorporating the mutual interrelationships between radiation, photochemistry, and seasonal transport processes, was run under steady-state assumptions to study seasonal variations. The large-scale, quasi-horizontal eddy processes were parameterized in terms of time-zonal mean temperature and ozone mixing ratio using the generalized diffusion formulation on a sloping surface. The computed distributions of temperature and ozone mixing ratio in the meridional plane show satisfactory agreement with the observations in different seasons, thus accounting for the considerable discrepancies between the radiative-photochemical equilibrium state and observations. The significant jetlike features such as westerlies in winter and tropical easterlies in summer are well-reproduced in the upper stratosphere. As a consequence of the generalized diffusion, the mean meridional motions developed the two-cell structure typical of that found in recent observat.
Boundaries in school: Educational settings for pupils perceived as different

Abstract This paper analyses the contradictions in the Swedish school organisation between the intentions of an implemented integration of pupils with disabilities, and the actual dramatic increase of pupils enrolled in special units. The study is a multiple case study of the functions and conditions of special support in differentiated educational settings (such small teaching groups, special units, cooperation classes) based on interviews with special educators and observations in three schools with such differentiated groups in the county of Stockholm. None of the studied groups were homogeneous, but most of the children in them had in common some kind of vulnerability. The potential or actual reactions of teachers and peers in the regular settings seem to be a common criterion for placement in the differentiated setting. Psycho‐medical diagnoses were not always a prerequisite for enrolment in the special units; they were not always accurate and they were not sufficient to get special support. Problema.
Disenfranchised Grief Revisited: Discounting Hope and Love

Kenneth Doka's two anthologies on disenfranchised grief (Doka, 1989, 2002) are filled with discussions of the effects of disenfranchisement and its scope. The present article furthers reflection on both topics. It first explores the nature of disenfranchisement as a denial of a mourner's “right to grieve” and analyzes the empathic, political, and ethical failures involved in this denial. It then notes that the literature on the subject is dominated by treatments of the disenfranchisement of suffering. And it urges that the scope of disenfranchisement extends to efforts to overcome suffering, the constructive labors of hope and love at the heart of grieving response to bereavement.
Development of a measure of workplace deviance.

The purpose of this research was to develop broad, theoretically derived measure(s) of deviant behavior in the workplace. Two scales were developed: a 12-item scale of organizational deviance (deviant behaviors directly harmful to the organization) and a 7-item scale of interpersonal deviance (deviant behaviors directly harmful to other individuals within the organization). These scales were found to have internal reliabilities of . 81 and . 78, respectively. Confirmatory factor analysis verified that a 2-factor structure had acceptable fit. Preliminary evidence of construct validity is also provided. The implications of this instrument for future empirical research on workplace deviance are discussed.
Individualism-Collectivism

Individualism-collectivism (IC) constitutes a cultural variable thought to influence a wide variety of variables including career planning and decision making. To examine this possibility, college students (216 women, 106 men, 64% racial-ethnic minorities) responded to measures of IC, occupational plans, and work values. Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) results indicated significant main effects for gender and race. Men, more so than women, endorsed vertical individualism (VI)—a cultural pattern characterized by independence and dominance—and intrinsic work values. African Americans expressed more fit of their occupational plans with personal goals and endorsed extrinsic work values more than did European Americans. A hypothesized inverse relationship between collectivism and consistency of occupational plans with personal goals was not supported. Hypothesized positive relationships between collectivism and work values stressing relationship and interdependence were supported, whereas expected inverse relationships between collectivism and work values emphasizing independence and personal gain were not supported. Findings are discussed in terms of acculturation issues, career assessment implications, and future research directions.
A Systematic Review of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for Managing Anxiety: Applicability for People With Acquired Brain Injury?

Abstract Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is increasingly used in clinical practice to manage anxiety conditions. This psychotherapeutic approach focuses on the following: (1) acceptance of an individual's experience of the spectrum of psychological and emotional states, (2) choosing valued direction for the individual's life, and (3) commitment to action that leads the individual in the direction of those values. This article presents an empirical review of ACT for treatment of anxiety in two parts. In the first part we systematically review the literature for studies examining ACT for anxiety management in the general population with anxiety problems. In the second part, we discuss applicability of acceptance-based approaches for a health population in which these techniques may have applicability, that is, for people with acquired brain injury (ABI). Electronic searches for the review were conducted on PsycINFO and Medline. Inclusion criteria were as follows: (1) used an ACT intervention study, (2) the target of the intervention was an anxiety disorder or anxiety symptomatology, (3) the intervention used a randomised controlled trial (RCT) or single case experimental design (SCED) methodology, and (4) the paper was available in English. Studies were rated for methodological quality using standardised assessment procedures. Four RCTs provided support for ACT for obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), maths anxiety, trichotillomania (TTM), and mixed anxiety and depression. Three SCED trials scoring in the high range on the scale of methodological quality revealed some support for ACT for managing TTM, skin picking, and OCD. Although no studies were identified that investigated ACT for managing anxiety in people with ABI, the review highlights issues for consideration when applying ACT in this population.
Presence of Culex asteliae larvae and Ochlerotatus notoscriptus adults (Diptera: Culicidae) in a native tree canopy in the Auckland region

Although New Zealand has a species-poor mosquito (Diptera: Culicidae) fauna with only 12 endemic and four exotic species (Derraik 2004), little information is available on their bionomics, particularly for indigenous species. One poorly known species is the endemic Culex (Culex) asteliae Belkin. Adults of this species have recently been collected in nature for the first time, and all specimens were recorded in canopy traps at 10 m (Derraik et al. 2005). This species is not believed to occur south of Auckland, and its main larval habitat seems to be the leaf axils of the native epiphyte Collospermum hastatum (Liliaceae) (Belkin 1968).