Digital Commons Network^™

Speech Development: Toddlers Don't Mind Getting It Wrong, Piers Messum, Ian S. Howard

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

No abstract provided.

An Analytical And Empirical Measure Of The Degree Of Conditional Conservatism, Dan Segal, Jeffrey L. Callen

Research Collection School Of Accountancy

There is a profound gap between models of accounting conservatism and the proxies for conditional conservatism currently used by the empirical literature. Not one of the proxies employed by the empirical literature to date obtains from a rigorous definition of conditional conservatism. In contrast, this study defines conditional conservatism in terms of truncated distributions and derives analytically a nonlinear relation between revisions to returns and earnings news for the conservative firm. This nonlinear relation is shown to be mathematically equivalent to two linear relations conditioned on the firm's degree of conservatism. From these relations, we derive a model-based proxy of …

Crisis Response Information Networks, Shan L. Pan, Gary Pan, Dorothy Leidner

Research Collection School Of Accountancy

In the past two decades, organizational scholars have focused significant attention on how organizations manage crises. While most of these studies concentrate on crisis prevention, there is a growing emphasis on crisis response. Because information that is critical to crisis response may become outdated as crisis conditions change, crisis response research recognizes that the management of information flows and networks is critical to crisis response. Yet despite its importance, little is known about the various types of crisis information networks and the role of IT in enabling these information networks. Employing concepts from information flow and social network theories, this …

Cssc Program [2012], Cssc

Curriculum Studies Summer Collaborative (2011-2025)

N/A

Investor Competition Over Information And The Pricing Of Information Asymmetry, Brian K. Atkins, Jeffrey Ng, Rodrigo Verdi

Research Collection School Of Accountancy

Whether the information environment affects the cost of capital is a fundamental question in accounting and finance research. Relying on theories about competition between informed investors as well as the pricing of information asymmetry, we hypothesize a cross-sectional variation in the pricing of information asymmetry that is conditional on competition. We develop and validate empirical proxies for competition using the number and concentration of institutional investor ownership. Using these proxies, we find a lower pricing of information asymmetry when there is more competition. Overall, our results suggest that competition between informed investors has an important effect on how the information …

My Sister, Our Stories: Exploring The Lived Experience Of School Leavers Through Narrative And Poetics, C. Amelia Davis, Jennifer L. Pepperell

Curriculum, Foundations & Reading: Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study was to explore the educational experiences of two adult female siblings who are both school leavers. Through the use of thematic narrative analysis, sibling narratives and poetic re-presentations, their stories were developed. These stories represent the participants’ experiences of prior schooling and their current commitments to education. While each story conveyed a profound similarity in terms of prior schooling, contrasting narratives were illustrated through description of transitional moments and sibling relationship. The analysis also explored the intersections of race, gender,and social class within educative moments of the life experiences of the participants.

Enhance Rule Based Detection For Software Fault Prone Modules, H. Najadat, Izzat M. Alsmadi

Computer Science Faculty Publications (Archived)

Software quality assurance is necessary to increase the level of confidence in the developed software and reduce the overall cost for developing software projects. The problem addressed in this research is the prediction of fault prone modules using data mining techniques. Predicting fault prone modules allows the software managers to allocate more testing and resources to such modules. This can also imply a good investment in better design in future systems to avoid building error prone modules. Software quality models that are based upon data mining from previous projects can identify fault-prone modules in the current similar development project, once …

Effects Of Message Interactivity Upon Relational Maintenance Strategy In Digital Communications Between Organizations And The Public, Zhan-Qing Liu

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Digital communication between organizations and the public is strategically important in shaping mutual understanding and long term relationship. The primary focus of this project was to investigate the relationship between message interactivity and relational maintenance strategy in the email communication process on organization websites. At issue is to what extent message interactivity and relational maintenance strategy is purposefully incorporated in email responses to public inquiries and consequently, to what extent such interactivity is potentially related to the quality of communication in terms of relationship maintenance. An experimental approach was used to exchange emails with randomly selected 2011 Fortune 500 companies …

Examining The Impact Parental Educational Attainment Has On Students' Perceptions Of Residence Hall Living, Joshua D. Lawrie

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The current study sought to examine the impact parentalEducational attainment had on how students perceived their residence hall environment. This multi-campus study utilized the University Residence Environment Scale, along with a demographic form to gather data. The study occurred on three campuses during the Spring 2012 semester and had 347 participants. The findings suggest there were no differences in how parentalEducational attainment impacted participants' perspectives of the residence hall. ParentalEducational attainment was a significant factor when coded only as two options (i.e. college degree, no college degree). Additional results were that gender and ethnicity played a role in how students …

Resources And Instructional Strategies Effective Middle School Science Teachers Use To Improve Content Area Reading Skills, Melanie S. Beaver

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the resources and instructional strategies effective middle school science teachers use to improve content area reading skills. Reading instruction in the middle school years should follow the natural cognitive progression that occurs in the adolescent brain from learning to read to reading to learn. Scientific reading is a different type of reading than most middle school students are accustomed to. It is important to understand that students will continue to be expected to read non-fiction critically for success in the 21st century. Effective teachers know this, and they perceive themselves as teachers of reading regardless of the …

A Mems Viscosity Sensor For Conductive Fluids, Luis Gan Chau

Theses

MEMS Viscosity sensors are widely used in different applications nowadays. MEMS sensors are created by making them small in size almost penny-like sized. With low power consumption, cheap costs of production, and mass production of the devices. These sensors are able to measure viscosity through three different characteristics, the frequency, amplitude and the quality factor. Each of these describes the fluids viscosity, by using a vibrational type viscometer. The sensor has been proven to work in conductive fluids after a post process fabrication of a protective layer of Parylene C. The sensors performance has been altered due to a thicker …

Factors Affecting The Governance Of Innovation Commercialization: A Theoretical Model, Datta Avimanyu, Richard Reed, Len Jessup

Business Faculty Publications

The ability to commercialize innovations is central to firm survival and success and despite research on parts of the process, there is no overarching framework. Successful commercialization can include retaining ownership of the innovation and bringing it to market, sharing it by licensing or developing it with partners, or by selling it. A firm-level model is constructed that goes from innovation sourcing, through assessment of viability, to selection of the optimum form of governance. External networks and absorptive capacity at the meso level, plus micro- and macro-level factors, as moderators affecting the strength of the relationship between viability and governance …

Computation Of The Stochastic Volatility And Levy Index Using The Kolmogorov-Feller Equation With Applications To Carbon Price Data Analysis, Jonathan Blackledge, Marc Lamphiere, Afshin Panahi

Articles

We derive new algorithms for computing time variations in the Stochastic Volatility and the L´evy index using a standard financial price model and a Green’s function solution to the Kolmogorov-Feller equation. A principal condition upon which the algorithms are based is the Phase Only Condition which allows the Power Spectral Density Function of a financial time series (specifically the log price differences) to be taken to be a constant. The paper is composed of four component parts: (i) the Stochastic Volatility is derived and studied numerically; (ii) the Kolmogorov-Feller equation is studied and solved to provide a model for the …

Stochastic Volatility Analysis Using The Generalised Kolmogorov-Feller Equation, Jonathan Blackledge, Marc Lamphiere, Kieran Murphy, Shaun Overton, Afshin Panahi

Articles

We consider an approach to analysing the Stochastic Volatility of a financial time series using the Generalised Kolmogorov-Feller Equation (GKFE). After reviewing the computation of the Stochastic Volatility using a phase only condition, a Green’s function solution to the GKFE equation is derived which depends upon the ‘memory function’ used to construct the GKFE. Using the Mittag-Leffler memory function, we derive an expression for the Impulse Response Function associated with a short time window of data which is then used to derive an algorithm for computing a new index using a standard moving window process. It is shown that application …

Simulation And Analysis Of Stochastic Signals Using The Kolmogorov-Feller Equation, Jonathan Blackledge, Marc Lamphiere, Kieran Murphy, Shaun Overton, Afshin Panahi

Articles

We consider a Green's function solution to the Classical Kolmogorov- Feller Equation which requires an iterative approach for which a sufficient convergence condition is derived. The solution obtained is applied to the simulation of signals whose spectral properties are determined by a Characteristic Function of the form j k j��q; q > 0 where k is the spatial frequency and q is the 'Fourier Dimension'. Using example macroeconomic financial time series (FTSE Close-of-Day and the Dow Jones Industrial Average), correlations are observed to exist between q and long term trends in the series using a standard moving window process. This result …

Analysis Of Wind Velocity Signals For Estimating The Wave Power Density Of Ireland's Coastal Resource, Jonathan Blackledge, Eugene Dermot Coyle Professor, Derek Kearney, Ronan Mcguirk

Articles

The aim of this paper is to report on a possible correlation between the Lévy index for the wind velocity and the mean Energy Density of sea surface waves in the same location. The result is based on data obtained from six buoys located around the coast of Ireland and maintained by the Marine Institute of Ireland. These buoys provide signals on the wind velocity, wave height and wave period as well as other data on an hourly interval. Using this data, we consider the relationship between a stochastic model for the time variations in wave height that, in turn, …

Evaluation Of A Prototype Desktop Virtual Reality Model Developed To Enhance Electrical Safety And Design In The Built Environment, Martin Barrett, Jonathan Blackledge

Articles

The use of Desktop Virtual Reality (VR) systems for enhancing electrical safety and engineering design is a novel prospect for both practicing and student electrical services engineers. This innovative approach, which can be readily accessed via the World Wide Web, constitutes a marked shift in conventional learning and design techniques to a more immersive, interactive and intuitive working and learning environment. This paper initially identifies the unique characteristics of desktop web based VR technologies and highlights the educational affordances offered by working in such an environment. Subsequently, using a prototype model titled ‘Virtual Electrical Services’, a case study is carried …

A Teaching Practice Review Of The Use Of Multiple-Choice Questions For Formative And Summative Assessment Of Student Work On Advanced Undergraduate And Postgraduate Modules In Engineering, Aidan O'Dwyer

Articles

This paper reflects on, reports on and evaluates the use of multiple-choice questions, in both formative and summative assessment modes, on control engineering modules taken by advanced undergraduate and postgraduate engineering students, over four academic years. The material covered by the modules is analytical in nature. The rationale for examining the assessment strategy was the poor performance by students in a closed book traditional terminal examination on one of the advanced undergraduate modules over some years. The change in assessment strategy has improved student learning, as measured by assessment data; student feedback on the assessment methods is broadly positive. The …

Non-Gaussian Anisotropic Diffusion Processing For Medical Imagining Using The Osirix Dicom Viewer, Jonathan Blackledge, Matthew Blackledge, Jane Courtney

Articles

Medical imaging is a fertile area for computer graphics, image processing and real time visualization. In this paper we present a method for reducing noise in CT (Computed Tomography) and MR (Magnetic Resonance) images that (in addition to other noise sources) is characteristic of the numerical procedures required to construct the images, namely, the (inverse) Radon Transform. In both cases, MR imaging in particular, an additional noise source is due to the process of diffusion thereby predicating use of the Anisotropic Diffusion method for noise suppression. This method is based on a diffusion model for noise generation where the Diffusivity …

Energy Commodities Trading Using A Phase Signal Derived From The Levy Index Of Price And Volatility, Jonathan Blackledge, Derek Kearney, Claire Farrell, Grace Kearney

Articles

Energy traders need to decide what markets and commodities to trade in, when to open and close trades and how to maximize profits. In this paper we consider an approach for analyzing energy commodity price data based on the Lévy index in order to develop a new short-term predictive trend indicator for the price. This is achieved by computing the unwrapped phase signal generated from the Lévy index of both the Stochastic Volatility and price and is evaluated using data from the Irish Energy Market, namely, time series for the price of Electricity, Gas and Oil. The initial results show …

Analysis Of Wind Velocity And The Quantification Of Wind Turbulence In Rural And Urban Environments Using The Levy Index And Fractal Dimension, Jonathan Blackledge, Eugene Coyle, Niall Mccoy, Derek Kearney, Keith Sunderland, Thomas Woolmington

Articles

This paper is concerned with a quantitative and comparative analysis of wind velocities in urban and rural environments. It is undertaken to provide a route to the classification of wind energy in a rural and urban setting. This is a common problem and the basis of a significant focus of research into wind energy. In this paper, we use a non-Gaussian statistical model to undertake this task, and, through a further modification of the data analysis algorithms used, extend the model to study the effect of wind turbulence, thereby introducing a new metric for this effect that is arguably superior …

Predator-Induced Vertical Behavior Of A Ctenophore, Josefin Titelman, Lars Johan Hansson, Trygve Nilsen, Sean Colin, John H. Costello

Arts & Sciences Faculty Publications

Although many studies have focused on Mnemiopsis leidyi predation, little is known about the role of this ctenophore as prey when abundant in native and invaded pelagic systems. We examined the response of the ctenophore M. leidyi to the predatory ctenophore Beroe ovata in an experiment in which the two species could potentially sense each other while being physically separated. On average, M. leidyi responded to the predator’s presence by increasing variability in swimming speeds and by lowering their vertical distribution. Such behavior may help explain field records of vertical migration, as well as stratified and near-bottom distributions of M. …

Multi-Color Observations Of Short Grb Afterglows: 20 Events Observed Between 2007 And 2010, A. Nicuesa Guelbenzu, S. Klose, J. Greiner, D.A. Kann, T. Krühler, A. Rossi, S. Schulze, P.M.J. Afonso, J. Elliott, R. Filgas, D.H. Hartmann, A. Küpcü Yoldas, S. Mcbreen, M. Nardini, F. Olivares E., A. Rau, S. Schmidl, P. Schady, V. Sudilovsky, Adria Updike, A. Yoldas

Arts & Sciences Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

A Deep Search For The Host Galaxies Of Gamma-Ray Bursts With No Detected Optical Afterglow, A. Rossi, S. Klose, P. Ferrero, J. Greiner, L.A. Arnold, E. Gonsalves, D.H. Hartmann, Adria Updike, D.A. Kann, T. Krühler, E. Palazzi, S. Savaglio, S. Schulze, P.M.J. Afonso, L. Amati, A.J. Castro-Tirado, C. Clemens, R. Filgas, J. Gorosabel, L.K. Hunt, A. Küpcü Yoldas, N. Masetti, M. Nardini, A. Nicuesa Guelbenzu, F.E. Olivares, E. Pian, A. Rau, P. Schady, S. Schmidl, A. Yoldas, A. De Ugarte Postigo

Arts & Sciences Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Supersolar Metal Abundances In Two Galaxies At Z ∼ 3.57 Revealed By The Grb 090323 Afterglow Spectrum, S. Savaglio, A. Rau, J. Greiner, T. Kruhler, S. Mcbreen, D.H. Hartmann, Adria Updike, R. Filgas, S. Klose, P. Afonso, C. Clemens, A. Kupcu Yoldas, F. Olivares E., V. Sudilovsky, G. Szokoly

Arts & Sciences Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Characterizing Dissolved Organic Matter And Cu2+, Zn2+, Ni2+, And Pb2+ Binding In Salt Water And Implications For Toxicity, Rachael L. Diamond

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The binding of metal to dissolved organic matter in aquatic environments is important in controlling the bioavailability and potential toxicity of metals such as Zn²⁺, Pb²⁺, Ni²⁺ and Cu²⁺. The purpose of this research is to: (i) quantify binding capacity to different sources of marine organic matter at environmentally relevant concentrations; (ii) test fluorescence quenching and voltammetric method for use in seawater conditions and; (iii) compare predicted speciation parameters with toxicological observations in the same samples.

Information regarding the solubility of copper and copper compounds is important for risk assessment and can be …

Laboratory Methods For The Advancement Of Wastewater Treatment Modeling, Holly E. Gray

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

To achieve the low levels of total phosphorus required in wastewater treatment plant effluent all chemical forms of phosphorus should be removed. The most refractory phosphorus in terms of removal is so-called “organic phosphorus”. This thesis explores potential relationships between dissolved organic matter and organic phosphorus and methods of removing organic phosphorus from waste water. Fluorescence spectroscopy will be used to characterize dissolved organic matter (DOM) in wastewater. The fluorescent DOM will then be monitored throughout the various wastewater treatment plants to investigate any changes throughout the treatment train. Correlations between fluorophore concentrations (concentrations determined for the different classifications of …

Density Functional Theory Calculations On Hydrated Dimethylarsinic Acid And Iron Oxide Clusters, Adrian Adamescu

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Dimethylarsinic Acid (DMA) or (CH₃)₂AsO₂H is an important organoarsenical compound detected in arsenic speciation studies of environmental samples and synthesized during pyrolysis of oil shale. DMA was used historically as a herbicide on large agricultural fields and can be detected in the leachates of landfills rich in waste containing arsenic such as glass, alloys, and semiconductors, as well as biologically pre-treated municipal solid waste. Under certain soil conditions DMA can become bio-available and has the potential to be recycled to more toxic inorganic forms of arsenic. Bioavailability of DMA is largely controlled by the …

Effect Of Two-Way Communication On Parental Involvement And Third-Grade Achievement In Mathematics, Diana Elysee

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which implementing a collaborative effort using 2-way communication increased parent involvement, impacted parental roles, and helped students improve their performance in mathematics. This parental-involvement intervention was implemented in response to low parental involvement at the school site and low mathematics achievement of students.

Eighteen parents of 3rd-grade students were invited to participate in the study, and only 5 participated. Data were collected from individual interviews with parents to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention. Focus groups were conducted with parents using a protocol to collect data about the parents’ …

Dynamic Decision Making Under Uncertainty In Renewable Energy Portfolio Management And Inventory Management, Jianjun Deng

Doctoral Dissertations

"It is challenging and important for a firm to make effective decisions under uncertainties, such as random fluctuations of products prices or demands, etc. This dissertation formulates mathematic models to help decision makers in energy and retail industries make optimal timing and optimal operational decisions when facing uncertain electricity prices and demands. As for energy portfolio management, the optimal entry and dispatch strategies are investigated for an electricity generating firm to introduce a renewable power plant as an alternative method for generating electricity, with or without construction delay. In addition, the abandonment strategies of considering shutting down one of the …