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The Lumberjack, October 22, 2008

Cal Poly Humboldt's Student Newspaper

The student newspaper of Humboldt State University.

The Colby Echo (2008-10-22), Colby College

The Colby Echo

Published by the students of Colby College since 1877, The Colby Echo is the weekly, editorially independent student-run newspaper of Colby College in Waterville, Maine. Published monthly, 1877-1886; semi-monthly, 1886-1897; and weekly, during the academic year, 1898-present.

The Robustness Of Rasch True Score Preequating To Violations Of Model Assumptions Under Equivalent And Nonequivalent Populations, Garron Gianopulos

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the feasibility of using Rasch true score preequating under violated model assumptions and nonequivalent populations. Dichotomous item responses were simulated using a compensatory two dimensional (2D) three parameter logistic (3PL) Item Response Theory (IRT) model. The Rasch model was used to calibrate difficulty parameters using two methods: Fixed Parameter Calibration (FPC) and separate calibration with the Stocking and Lord linking (SCSL) method. A criterion equating function was defined by equating true scores calculated with the generated 2D 3PL IRT item and ability parameters, using random groups equipercentile equating. True score preequating to FPC and SCSL calibrated item …

Polymeric Paracest Agents For Enhancing Mri Contrast Sensitivity, Yunkou Wu, Youfu Zhou, Olivier Quari, Mark Woods, Piyu Zhao, Todd B. Soesbe, Garry Kiefer, A. Dean Sherry

Chemistry Faculty Publications and Presentations

Linear polymers of PARACEST agents were prepared by using classical free radical chain polymerization conditions. The Eu³⁺-polymers exhibited similar intermediate-to-slow water exchange and CEST characteristics as the Eu³⁺-monomers. This provided an avenue to lower the detection limit of these imaging agents substantially and makes them potentially useful as MRI sensors for molecular imaging.

Ex Situ Variable Angle Spectroscopic Ellipsometry Studies On Chemical Vapor Deposited Boron-Doped Diamond Films: Layered Structure And Modeling Aspects, S. Gupta, A. Dudipala, O. A. Williams, K. Haenen, Eric W. Bohannan

Chemistry Faculty Research & Creative Works

We report the optical property measurements on boron-doped diamond (BDD) films which were synthesized by microwave plasma-assisted chemical vapor deposition technique on Si (100) using methane in high hydrogen dilution and trimethylboron as precursors with varying boron concentration such that [B] [C]gas =100, 500, 1000, 2000, 4000, and 6467 ppm. These BDD films were investigated using a rotating analyzer variable angle spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE) from the near IR to UV range (830-193 nm). by applying the conventional Bruggeman effective medium approximation and linear regression analyses to the raw SE data that is, [ψ (λi),Δ (λi)] and pseudodielectric function (〈 εr …

Spectator 2008-10-22, Editors Of The Spectator

The Spectator

No abstract provided.

Multilevel Latent Class Models With Dirichlet Mixing Distribution, Chongzhi Di, Karen Bandeen-Roche

Johns Hopkins University, Dept. of Biostatistics Working Papers

Latent class analysis (LCA) and latent class regression (LCR) are widely used for modeling multivariate categorical outcomes in social sciences and biomedical studies. Standard analyses assume data of different respondents to be mutually independent, excluding application of the methods to familial and other designs in which participants are clustered. In this paper, we develop multilevel latent class model, in which subpopulation mixing probabilities are treated as random effects that vary among clusters according to a common Dirichlet distribution. We apply the Expectation-Maximization (EM) algorithm for model fitting by maximum likelihood (ML). This approach works well, but is computationally intensive when …

Independent- Oct. 21, 2008, Lenny Ocasio

The Independent (1988-present)

No abstract provided.

Ultra-Sensitive Silicon Sensor, Long-Wave Infrared Microantenna, Glenn Boreman, Nathan Bluzer, Peter Krenz, Brian Lail

UCF Patents

Hybrid microantennas and improved sensor structures incorporating hybrid microantenna embodiments.

The Empirics Of The Digital Divide: Can Duration Analysis Help?, James Prieger, Wei-Min Hu

School of Public Policy Working Papers

Accurate measurement of digital divides is important for policy purposes. Empirical studies on broadband subscription gaps have largely used cross-sectional data, which cannot speak to the timing of technological adoption. Yet, the dynamics of a digital divide are important and deserve study. With the goal of improving our understanding of appropriate techniques for analyzing digital divides, we review competing econometric methodology and propose the use of duration analysis. We compare the performance of alternative estimation methods using a large dataset on DSL subscription in the U.S., paying particular attention to whether women, blacks, and Hispanics catch up to others in …

Developing A School Social Work Model For Predicting Academic Risk: School Factors And Academic Achievement, Robert Lucio

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The impact of school factors on academic achievement has become an important focus for school social work and revealed the need for a comprehensive school social work model that allows for the identification of critical areas to apply social work services. This study was designed to develop and test a more comprehensive school social work model. Specifically, the relationship between cumulative grade point average (GPA) and the cumulative risk index (CRI) and an additive risk index (ARI) were tested and a comparison of the two models was presented. Over 20,000 abstracts were reviewed in order to create a list of …

Formal Reasoning And Spatial Ability: A Step Towards "Science For All", Bo Jiang

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This work conducts an evaluation of a non-majors science curriculum named Molecules of Life (MOL) that aims to provide effective science education to undergraduate students who are not majoring in scientific disciplines.

As part of the process of developing an assessment plan for MOL, three related studies were undertaken in order to help us choose assessment instruments for MOL. The first study examined the validity of student evaluations of teaching. The second study investigated the Test of Logical Thinking (TOLT) and Group Assessment of Logical Thinking (GALT), two widely-used instruments for measuring formal reasoning ability. GALT is very similar to …

Tree Ring Dating Of The Kline Barn, Fredericksburg, Oh

Historic Structures

Dating historical structures in Holmes County, Ohio using dendrochronology. The Historical Structures collection consists of reports that are the result of dendochronological analysis of timbers from structures in Pennsylvania and Ohio. Contributors: Climate Change Class; Wiles, Greg

The Daily Gamecock, Monday, October 20, 2008, University Of South Carolina, Office Of Student Media

October

No abstract provided.

College Voice Vol. 33 No. 5, Connecticut College.

2008-2009

No abstract provided.

Relationship Web: Trailblazing, Analytics And Computing For Human Experience, Amit P. Sheth

Kno.e.sis Publications

This panel presentation was give at the 27th International Conference on Conceptual Modeling (ER 2008), Barcelona, Spain, October 20-23, 2008.

Reexamination Of The Power Spectrum In De Sitter Inflation, Iván Agulló, José Navarro-Salas, Gonzalo J. Olmo, Leonard Parker

Faculty Publications

We find that the amplitude of quantum fluctuations of the invariant de Sitter vacuum coincides exactly with that of the vacuum of a comoving observer for a massless scalar (inflaton) field. We propose redefining the actual physical power spectrum as the difference between the amplitudes of the above vacua. An inertial particle detector continues to observe the Gibbons-Hawking temperature. However, although the resulting power spectrum is still scale-free, its amplitude can be drastically reduced since now, instead of the Hubble's scale at the inflationary period, it is determined by the square of the mass of the inflaton fluctuation field. © …

Sensitivity Of Pdr Calculations To Microphysical Details, N. P. Abel, P. A. M. Van Hoof, G. Shaw, Gary J. Ferland, T. Elwert

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications

Our understanding of physical processes in photodissociation regions or photon-dominated regions (PDRs) largely depends on the ability of spectral synthesis codes to reproduce the observed infrared emission-line spectrum. In this paper, we explore the sensitivity of a single PDR model to microphysical details. Our calculations use the Cloudy spectral synthesis code, recently modified to include a wealth of PDR physical processes. We show how the chemical/thermal structure of a PDR, along with the calculated spectrum, changes when the treatment of physical processes such as grain physics and atomic/molecular rates are varied. We find a significant variation in the intensities of …

Using Vagueness Measures To Re-Rank Documents Retrieved By A Fuzzy Set Information Retrieval Model, Stephen Lynn, Yiu-Kai D. Ng

Faculty Publications

Traditional information retrieval (IR) systems evaluate user queries and retrieve/rank documents based on matching keywords in user queries with words in documents. These exact word-matching and ranking approaches ignore too many relevant documents that do not contain the exact keywords as specified in a user query. Instead of considering these traditional approaches, we propose to retrieve documents using a fuzzy set IR model and rank retrieved documents for any vague query using the “vagueness score” of the documents based on the word senses as defined in WordNet. Using the vagueness scores, we rank the most highest “relevant” documents of a …

College Of Education To Host Diversity In Education Conference Nov. 21, Winthrop University

Winthrop News 2008

• Dr. Gilbert Cuevas, professor of mathematics at Texas State University-San Marcos, is the keynote speaker.
• S.C. Superintendent of Education Dr. James Rex will speak at the conference luncheon.

Impact Assessment Of Problem-Based Learning In An Engineering Science Course, Karim J. Nasr, Bassem Ramadan

Mechanical Engineering Publications

This paper presents the development and implementation of Problem-Based Learning (PBL) in an engineering thermodynamics course at Kettering University. In this project, the thermodynamics course was restructured as modules presenting practical applications first, whereas principles were introduced just-in-time and as encountered. Theoretical information was presented to support the understanding of knowledge as students applied inquiry-based learning. These modules were carefully designed to reflect traditional concepts but made more exciting as students discover the need for the laws and principles. The classroom format was interactive, cooperative and revolves around students' needs. Formative and summative assessment tools were designed to examine the …

Reporter - October 17th 2008, Rit Reporter Staff

University Publications

No abstract provided.

R.I.T. News & Events - October 17, 2008, University News Services, Rochester Institute Of Technology

University Publications

RIT celebrates groundbreaking for Vignelli Center for Design Studies; Sustainability Ph.D. gets state approval; Roar Day: The fund for RIT; Athletics opens doors for NTID student; Annual staff awards honor outstanding employees; Professor captures beauty, science in winning image: ‘Spinning string photo intrigues judges at International Science and Engineering Visualization Challenge; Philanthropy everyone can believe in; Moka Lantum selected as next Minett Professor: Diversity education in business, health care is instructors goal; RIT Dubai sets standards for future collaborations; Brick City Homecoming 2008; Scientists peer through frozencooling lake to gauge energy production;RIT helps create the next step in the information …

Seasonal Variations Of Semidiurnal Tidalperturbations In Mesopause Region Temperature And Zonal And Meridional Winds Above Fort Collins, Colorado(40.6°N, 105.1°W), Tao Yuan, H. Schmidt, C. Y. She, D. A. Krueger, S. Reising

All Physics Faculty Publications

On the basis of Colorado State University (CSU) Na lidar observations over full diurnal cycles from May 2002 to April 2006, a harmonic analysis was performed to extract semidiurnal perturbations in mesopause region temperature and zonal and meridional winds over Fort Collins, Colorado (40.6°N, 105.1°W). The observed monthly results are in good agreement with MF radar tidal climatology for Urbana, Illinois, and with predictions of the Hamburg Model of the Neutral and Ionized Atmosphere (HAMMONIA), sampled at the CSU Na lidar coordinates. The observed semidiurnal tidal period perturbation within the mesopause region is found to be dominated by propagating modes …

Genetic Algorithm Based Design And Optimization Of Vlsi Asics And Reconfigurable Hardware, Pradeep Ruben Fernando

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Rapid advances in integration technology have tremendously increased the design complexity of very large scale integrated (VLSI) circuits, necessitating robust optimization techniques in many stages of VLSI design. A genetic algorithm (GA) is a stochastic optimization technique that uses principles derived from the evolutionary process in nature. In this work, genetic algorithms are used to alleviate the hardware design process of VLSI application specific integrated circuits (ASICs) and reconfigurable hardware.

VLSI ASIC design suffers from high design complexity and a large number of optimization objectives requiring hierarchical design approaches and multi-objective optimization techniques. The floorplanning stage of the design cycle …

Faculty Senate Meeting Minutes Oct 17, 2008, A-State Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Minutes

No abstract provided.

Asymptotics Of Greedy Energy Sequences, Abey Lopez

Analysis Seminar

In this talk, we will discuss results about the asymptotic behavior of certain point configurations called Greedy Energy (GE) points. These points form a sequence generated by means of a greedy algorithm, which is an energy-minimizing construction. The notion of energy that we consider comes from the Riesz potentials �� = 1/��ˢ in ℝᵖ, where �� > 0 and �� denotes the Euclidean distance. It turns out that for certain values of the parameter ��, these configurations behave asymptotically like Minimal Energy (ME) configurations. This property will also be discussed in more abstract contexts like locally compact Hausdorff spaces. For other …

Calculating Expected Dna Remnants From Ancient Founding Events In Human Population Genetics, Nathan C. Sheffield, Keith A. Crandall, Andrew Stacey

Faculty Publications

Background- Recent advancements in sequencing and computational technologies have led to rapid generation and analysis of high quality genetic data. Such genetic data have achieved wide acceptance in studies of historic human population origins and admixture. However, in studies relating to small, recent admixture events, genetic factors such as historic population sizes, genetic drift, and mutation can have pronounced effects on data reliability and utility. To address these issues we conducted genetic simulations targeting influential genetic parameters in admixed populations. Results- We performed a series of simulations, adjusting variable values to assess the affect of these genetic parameters on current …

Lanthorn, Vol. 43, No. 17, October 16, 2008, Grand Valley State University

Volume 43, July 10, 2008 - June 7, 2009

Lanthorn is Grand Valley State's student newspaper, published from 1968 to the present.

Council On Academic Affairs Minutes, Oct 16, 2008, Eastern Kentucky University

Council on Academic Affairs

No abstract provided.