16 CFR 1018.16 - Membership selection.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

....16 Commercial Practices CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION GENERAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE MANAGEMENT... volunteer, that bear any relationship to the subject area of product safety or to membership on the advisory... qualified, staff members of the Commission, including the Advisory Committee Management Officer. (d) The...

Fault Detection of Wind Turbines with Uncertain Parameters: A Set-Membership Approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thomas Bak

2012-07-01

Full Text Available In this paper a set-membership approach for fault detection of a benchmark wind turbine is proposed. The benchmark represents relevant fault scenarios in the control system, including sensor, actuator and system faults. In addition we also consider parameter uncertainties and uncertainties on the torque coefficient. High noise on the wind speed measurement, nonlinearities in the aerodynamic torque and uncertainties on the parameters make fault detection a challenging problem. We use an effective wind speed estimator to reduce the noise on the wind speed measurements. A set-membership approach is used generate a set that contains all states consistent with the past measurements and the given model of the wind turbine including uncertainties and noise. This set represents all possible states the system can be in if not faulty. If the current measurement is not consistent with this set, a fault is detected. For representation of these sets we use zonotopes and for modeling of uncertainties we use matrix zonotopes, which yields a computationally efficient algorithm. The method is applied to the wind turbine benchmark problem without and with uncertainties. The result demonstrates the effectiveness of the proposed method compared to other proposed methods applied to the same problem. An advantage of the proposed method is that there is no need for threshold design, and it does not produce positive false alarms. In the case where uncertainty on the torque lookup table is introduced, some faults are not detectable. Previous research has not addressed this uncertainty. The method proposed here requires equal or less detection time than previous results.

Advanced Concepts in Fuzzy Logic and Systems with Membership Uncertainty

CERN Document Server

Starczewski, Janusz T

2013-01-01

This book generalizes fuzzy logic systems for different types of uncertainty, including - semantic ambiguity resulting from limited perception or lack of knowledge about exact membership functions - lack of attributes or granularity arising from discretization of real data - imprecise description of membership functions - vagueness perceived as fuzzification of conditional attributes. Consequently, the membership uncertainty can be modeled by combining methods of conventional and type-2 fuzzy logic, rough set theory and possibility theory.            In particular, this book provides a number of formulae for implementing the operation extended on fuzzy-valued fuzzy sets and presents some basic structures of generalized uncertain fuzzy logic systems, as well as introduces several of methods to generate fuzzy membership uncertainty. It is desirable as a reference book for under-graduates in higher education, master and doctor graduates in the courses of computer science, computational intelligence, or...

12 CFR 925.30 - Readmission to membership.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 7 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Readmission to membership. 925.30 Section 925.30 Banks and Banking FEDERAL HOUSING FINANCE BOARD FEDERAL HOME LOAN BANK MEMBERS AND HOUSING ASSOCIATES MEMBERS OF THE BANKS Reacquisition of Membership § 925.30 Readmission to membership. (a) In...

Long-term consequences of adolescent gang membership for adult functioning.

Science.gov (United States)

Gilman, Amanda B; Hill, Karl G; Hawkins, J David

2014-05-01

We examined the possible public health consequences of adolescent gang membership for adult functioning. Data were drawn from the Seattle Social Development Project, a longitudinal study focusing on the development of positive and problem outcomes. Using propensity score matching and logistic regression analyses, we assessed the effects of adolescent gang membership on illegal behavior, educational and occupational attainment, and physical and mental health at the ages of 27, 30, and 33 years. In comparison with their nongang peers, who had been matched on 23 confounding risk variables known to be related to selection into gang membership, those who had joined a gang in adolescence had poorer outcomes in multiple areas of adult functioning, including higher rates of self-reported crime, receipt of illegal income, incarceration, drug abuse or dependence, poor general health, and welfare receipt and lower rates of high school graduation. The finding that adolescent gang membership has significant consequences in adulthood beyond criminal behavior indicates the public health importance of the development of effective gang prevention programs.

7 CFR 1206.30 - Establishment and membership.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 10 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Establishment and membership. 1206.30 Section 1206.30 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (MARKETING...) and Washington, DC (54). (2) District II includes the Customs Districts of Mobile, AL (19), New...

12 CFR 564.6 - Professional association membership; competency.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 5 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Professional association membership; competency. 564.6 Section 564.6 Banks and Banking OFFICE OF THRIFT SUPERVISION, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY APPRAISALS § 564.6 Professional association membership; competency. (a) Membership in appraisal organizations...

Building up active membership in cooperatives

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Verhees, F.J.H.M.; Sergaki, P.; Dijk, van G.

2015-01-01

Abstract Active membership is crucial for agricultural cooperatives as it engenders better performance. It even is the key for cooperative competitiveness. Active membership, however, decreases in many cooperatives. Thus, it is important to know what galvanizes members to become active members. The

Measuring the Economic Impact of Rural Tourism Membership on Local Economy: A Korean Case Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hio-Jung Shin

2017-04-01

Full Text Available The implementation of rural tourism membership can aid in boosting economic growth in rural areas. This study examines households’ preferences for rural tourism experience in association with sales of local agricultural products. Using a choice experiment method developed by experimental designs, this paper examines households’ preferences to trade off purchasing costs of local agricultural products against various benefits provided by the rural tourism membership. The methods utilized in this paper represent an effective approach to evaluate the value of local tourism resources and the influence of these resources on the local economy. In empirical estimation we applied econometric approaches that allow for different preferences by incorporating income and residence effects into the models. Findings reveal that respondents place a premium on tourism attributes such as invitation seats and outdoor adventure tickets when choosing a tourism membership. We also find that the economic impacts associated with inducing higher-level tourism membership are substantial. This paper illustrates the potential for the development of a strategy associated with rural tourism management to enhance the local economy.

Cookies as agents for community membership

Science.gov (United States)

Rodriguez, Idaykis; Goertzen, Renee Michelle; Brewe, Eric; Kramer, Laird

2013-01-01

When becoming a member of a community of practice, a novice must adopt certain community norms to participate, and these include the social norms of the group. Using the analytical perspective of Legitimate Peripheral Participation in a Community of Practice, this paper explores the social role of cookies as agents for community participation and membership in a physics research group. We analyze data from an ethnographic case study of a physics research group weekly research meeting. The mentors bring cookies to each meeting and view the cookies as a token of appreciation for the graduate students' work. These cookies take on a subtler role of initiating guests and students into scientific conversations and participation. Via the cookies, members also share personal histories and stories that help members strengthen their membership. The study of social norms in this research group is part of a larger study of physics expert identity development.

77 FR 7133 - Advisory Committee on Supply Chain Competitiveness Solicitation of Nominations for Membership

Science.gov (United States)

2012-02-10

... Competitiveness Solicitation of Nominations for Membership AGENCY: International Trade Administration, U.S... Competitiveness. SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce is currently seeking applications for public or semi-public... Competitiveness (Committee). Representatives of ports are particularly encouraged to apply. The purpose of the...

On the perception of religious group membership from faces.

Science.gov (United States)

Rule, Nicholas O; Garrett, James V; Ambady, Nalini

2010-12-07

The study of social categorization has largely been confined to examining groups distinguished by perceptually obvious cues. Yet many ecologically important group distinctions are less clear, permitting insights into the general processes involved in person perception. Although religious group membership is thought to be perceptually ambiguous, folk beliefs suggest that Mormons and non-Mormons can be categorized from their appearance. We tested whether Mormons could be distinguished from non-Mormons and investigated the basis for this effect to gain insight to how subtle perceptual cues can support complex social categorizations. Participants categorized Mormons' and non-Mormons' faces or facial features according to their group membership. Individuals could distinguish between the two groups significantly better than chance guessing from their full faces and faces without hair, with eyes and mouth covered, without outer face shape, and inverted 180°; but not from isolated features (i.e., eyes, nose, or mouth). Perceivers' estimations of their accuracy did not match their actual accuracy. Exploration of the remaining features showed that Mormons and non-Mormons significantly differed in perceived health and that these perceptions were related to perceptions of skin quality, as demonstrated in a structural equation model representing the contributions of skin color and skin texture. Other judgments related to health (facial attractiveness, facial symmetry, and structural aspects related to body weight) did not differ between the two groups. Perceptions of health were also responsible for differences in perceived spirituality, explaining folk hypotheses that Mormons are distinct because they appear more spiritual than non-Mormons. Subtle markers of group membership can influence how others are perceived and categorized. Perceptions of health from non-obvious and minimal cues distinguished individuals according to their religious group membership. These data

Changes in the Demographic Characteristics of the American Geophysical Union Membership, 2006-2010

Science.gov (United States)

Rhodes, D. D.

2010-12-01

Significant change occurred in the demographic properties of the American Geophysical Union membership during the period April 2006- January 2010. During this period AGU membership decreased from 48,332 to 38,847, a drop of 19.6%. Most of the change appears to have been driven by the aging membership of the Union, especially in the United States, and the effects of the global economic crisis on employment in all sectors of economy. Of the 38,847 members in January 2010, data on the birth year and gender were available for 33,610 members including 21,567 who reside in the United States. These data were compared to a similar data set captured in April 2006. The following observations are based on this subset of the total AGU membership for who country of residence and both age and gender are known. The number of AGU members residing in the United States decreased by 18.6% during the study period. As should be expected, the changes were not spread evenly between the genders or across birth-year cohorts. Membership among males decreased by 19%, while there were 17% fewer female members. The female cohorts that experienced the greatest losses were those including women from 30-40 years old (born 1970-1979). These data appear to echo multiple studies that show women leaving the sciences for gender-specific reasons. For the purposes of this analysis, the birth-year cohorts are divided into three groups. Members born prior to 1945 compose the oldest cohort. The Baby-Boom generation includes members born between 1945 and 1964. The youngest group includes members born from 1965 onward. Because of the very small number of women in the oldest group (only 4.7%) most of the change occurred among males. The total membership loss from this group was 1,140 members, 23% of the total. The largest change occurred among Baby Boomers. The group decreased by 2,760 members, accounting for 56% of the total decline in membership among US residents. Males accounted for most of the change (2

Does union membership really reduce job satisfaction?

OpenAIRE

Alex Bryson; Lorenzo Cappellari; Claudio Lucifora

2003-01-01

We investigate the effect of union membership on job satisfaction. Whilst it is common to study the effects of union status on satisfaction treating individual membership as given, in this paper, we account for the endogenous selection induced by the sorting of workers into unionised jobs. Using linked employer-employee data from the 1998 British Workplace Employee Relations Survey, we address the question of how the membership decision is related to overall job satisfaction and to satisfacti...

77 FR 30993 - Secretary's Advisory Committee on Animal Health; Notice of Solicitation for Membership

Science.gov (United States)

2012-05-24

.... R.J. Cabrera, Writing, Editing, and Regulatory Coordination, VS, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 35... within or outside its membership. Nomination forms are available on the Internet at http://www.ocio.usda... taken into account the needs of the diverse groups served by the Department, membership should include...

The effect of alliance block membership on innovative performance

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Duysters, G.M.; Hagedoorn, J.; Lemmens, C.E.A.V.

2002-01-01

This paper longitudinally explores the technology positioning strategies, i.e. block membership or non-block membership, in interorganizational networks that maximize innovative performance. Hence, we will derive some basic propositions on the effect of block membership on innovative performance

7 CFR 956.20 - Establishment and membership.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Marketing... Establishment and membership. (a) The Walla Walla Sweet Onion Marketing Committee, consisting of ten members, is... committee membership. At the time of selection, no more than two producer members may be affiliated with the...

On the perception of religious group membership from faces.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nicholas O Rule

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: The study of social categorization has largely been confined to examining groups distinguished by perceptually obvious cues. Yet many ecologically important group distinctions are less clear, permitting insights into the general processes involved in person perception. Although religious group membership is thought to be perceptually ambiguous, folk beliefs suggest that Mormons and non-Mormons can be categorized from their appearance. We tested whether Mormons could be distinguished from non-Mormons and investigated the basis for this effect to gain insight to how subtle perceptual cues can support complex social categorizations. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Participants categorized Mormons' and non-Mormons' faces or facial features according to their group membership. Individuals could distinguish between the two groups significantly better than chance guessing from their full faces and faces without hair, with eyes and mouth covered, without outer face shape, and inverted 180°; but not from isolated features (i.e., eyes, nose, or mouth. Perceivers' estimations of their accuracy did not match their actual accuracy. Exploration of the remaining features showed that Mormons and non-Mormons significantly differed in perceived health and that these perceptions were related to perceptions of skin quality, as demonstrated in a structural equation model representing the contributions of skin color and skin texture. Other judgments related to health (facial attractiveness, facial symmetry, and structural aspects related to body weight did not differ between the two groups. Perceptions of health were also responsible for differences in perceived spirituality, explaining folk hypotheses that Mormons are distinct because they appear more spiritual than non-Mormons. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Subtle markers of group membership can influence how others are perceived and categorized. Perceptions of health from non-obvious and minimal cues

Membership Functions for Fuzzy Focal Elements

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Porębski Sebastian

2016-09-01

Full Text Available The paper presents a study on data-driven diagnostic rules, which are easy to interpret by human experts. To this end, the Dempster-Shafer theory extended for fuzzy focal elements is used. Premises of the rules (fuzzy focal elements are provided by membership functions which shapes are changing according to input symptoms. The main aim of the present study is to evaluate common membership function shapes and to introduce a rule elimination algorithm. Proposed methods are first illustrated with the popular Iris data set. Next experiments with five medical benchmark databases are performed. Results of the experiments show that various membership function shapes provide different inference efficiency but the extracted rule sets are close to each other. Thus indications for determining rules with possible heuristic interpretation can be formulated.

Gang membership of California middle school students: behaviors and attitudes as mediators of school violence.

Science.gov (United States)

Estrada, Joey Nuñez; Gilreath, Tamika D; Astor, Ron Avi; Benbenishty, Rami

2013-08-01

Empirical evidence examining how risk and protective behaviors may possibly mediate the association between gang membership and school violence is limited. This study utilizes a statewide representative sample of 152 023 Latino, Black and White seventh graders from California to examine a theoretical model of how school risk (e.g. truancy, school substance use and risky peer approval) and protective (e.g. connectedness, support and safety) behaviors and attitudes mediate the effects of gang membership on school violence behaviors. The dataset was collected in the 2005-2006 and 2006-2007 academic school years using the ongoing large-scale California Healthy Kids Survey conducted by WestEd for the State of California. Approximately 9.5% of the sample considered themselves to be a member of a gang. The findings indicate that school risk behaviors and attitudes mediate the association between gang membership and school violence behaviors. Although the direct negative association between gang membership and school violence perpetration is weak, the positive indirect effect mediated by school risks behaviors and attitudes is strong. This indicates that when gang members engage in school risk behaviors, they are much more likely to be school violence perpetrators. Implications for further research, theory and practice for both gang and school violence researchers are discussed.

KECK/LRIS SPECTROSCOPIC CONFIRMATION OF COMA CLUSTER DWARF GALAXY MEMBERSHIP ASSIGNMENTS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chiboucas, Kristin; Tully, R. Brent; Marzke, Ronald O.; Trentham, Neil; Ferguson, Henry C.; Hammer, Derek; Carter, David; Khosroshahi, Habib

2010-01-01

Keck/LRIS multi-object spectroscopy has been carried out on 140 of some of the lowest and highest surface brightness faint (19 < R < 22) dwarf galaxy candidates in the core region of the Coma Cluster. These spectra are used to measure redshifts and establish membership for these faint dwarf populations. The primary goal of the low surface brightness sample is to test our ability to use morphological and surface brightness criteria to distinguish between Coma Cluster members and background galaxies using high resolution Hubble Space Telescope/Advanced Camera for Surveys images. Candidates were rated as expected members, uncertain, or expected background. From 93 spectra, 51 dwarf galaxy members and 20 background galaxies are identified. Our morphological membership estimation success rate is ∼100% for objects expected to be members and better than ∼90% for galaxies expected to be in the background. We confirm that low surface brightness is a very good indicator of cluster membership. High surface brightness galaxies are almost always background with confusion arising only from the cases of the rare compact elliptical (cE) galaxies. The more problematic cases occur at intermediate surface brightness. Many of these galaxies are given uncertain membership ratings, and these were found to be members about half of the time. Including color information will improve membership determination but will fail for some of the same objects that are already misidentified when using only surface brightness and morphology criteria. cE galaxies with B-V colors ∼0.2 mag redward of the red sequence in particular require spectroscopic follow up. In a sample of 47 high surface brightness, ultracompact dwarf candidates, 19 objects have redshifts which place them in the Coma Cluster, while another 6 have questionable redshift measurements but may also prove to be members. Redshift measurements are presented and the use of indirect means for establishing cluster membership is

Infinite Multiple Membership Relational Modeling for Complex Networks

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mørup, Morten; Schmidt, Mikkel Nørgaard; Hansen, Lars Kai

Learning latent structure in complex networks has become an important problem fueled by many types of networked data originating from practically all fields of science. In this paper, we propose a new non-parametric Bayesian multiplemembership latent feature model for networks. Contrary to existing...... multiplemembership models that scale quadratically in the number of vertices the proposedmodel scales linearly in the number of links admittingmultiple-membership analysis in large scale networks. We demonstrate a connection between the single membership relational model and multiple membership models and show...

Measuring Multi-Membership in Economic Integration and Its Trade Impact

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Afesorgbor, Sylvanus Kwaku; van Bergeijk, Peter A.G.

2014-01-01

impact in two major African regional blocs, Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS) and Southern Africa Development Community (SADC). We find that the impact of multi-membership critically depends on the characteristics of the multi-membership of regional integration initiatives. We find...... a positive impact if an additional membership complements the integration process of the original regional integration initiative: overlapping memberships had a much stronger and significant positive effect on bilateral trade within ECOWAS compare with an insignificant impact within the SADC....

Bayesian assessment of moving group membership: importance of models and prior knowledge

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Jinhee; Song, Inseok

2018-04-01

Young nearby moving groups are important and useful in many fields of astronomy such as studying exoplanets, low-mass stars, and the stellar evolution of the early planetary systems over tens of millions of years, which has led to intensive searches for their members. Identification of members depends on the used models sensitively; therefore, careful examination of the models is required. In this study, we investigate the effects of the models used in moving group membership calculations based on a Bayesian framework (e.g. BANYAN II) focusing on the beta-Pictoris moving group (BPMG). Three improvements for building models are suggested: (1) updating a list of accepted members by re-assessing memberships in terms of position, motion, and age, (2) investigating member distribution functions in XYZ, and (3) exploring field star distribution functions in XYZ and UVW. The effect of each change is investigated, and we suggest using all of these improvements simultaneously in future membership probability calculations. Using this improved MG membership calculation and the careful examination of the age, 57 bona fide members of BPMG are confirmed including 12 new members. We additionally suggest 17 highly probable members.

12 CFR 323.6 - Professional association membership; competency.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... excluded from consideration for an assignment for a federally related transaction solely by virtue of membership or lack of membership in any particular appraisal organization. (b) Competency. All staff and fee... individual's experience and educational background as they relate to the particular appraisal assignment for...

12 CFR 34.46 - Professional association membership; competency.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... excluded from consideration for an assignment for a federally related transaction solely by virtue of membership or lack of membership in any particular appraisal organization. (b) Competency. All staff and fee... individual's experience and educational background as they relate to the particular appraisal assignment for...

12 CFR 722.6 - Professional association membership; competency.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... consideration for an assignment for a federally related transaction solely by virtue of membership or lack of membership in any particular appraisal organization. (b) Competency. All staff and fee appraisers performing...'s experience and educational background as they relate to the particular appraisal assignment for...

Firm productivity in the western Balkans: The impact of European Union membership and access to finance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Howard-Jones P.

2017-01-01

Full Text Available This study examines the productivity performance of Balkan firms within and outside the European Union (EU, including the influence of loans. A multiple treatment model is used to compare the effects on productivity of membership and loans both separately and collectively, which in the case of loans allows a separate analysis of their influence on firms in non-member states. The use of conditional quantile regressions measures the effect on productivity of membership and loans separately as treatment variables. This provides an analysis of where the treatment influence is greatest across the distribution curve and identifies the significance of selected control variables on the outcome. In the full sample, the findings indicate that EU membership and loans have a positive effect on productivity, with membership being more important than loans. Outside the EU, firms in receipt of loans are more productive than those without. However, the significance of both membership and loans is restricted to the lower end of the productivity distribution curve. The manufacturing sample shows that EU membership has a significant positive effect across 70% of the deciles measured, whilst the influence of loans is restricted to the lower deciles, with rental capital (leasing also positively significant in the lower four deciles. In the services sector, however, membership is significant up to 90% of the distribution, with loans at 60%.

Democracy predicts sport and recreation membership: Insights from 52 countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Balish, Shea M

2017-03-01

Although evidence suggests sport and recreation are powerful contributors to worldwide public health, sizable gender differences persist. It is unknown whether country characteristics moderate gender differences across countries. The primary purpose of this study was to examine if countries' levels of democracy and/or gender inequality moderate gender differences in sport and recreation membership across countries. The secondary purpose was to examine if democracy and/or gender inequality predicts overall rates of sport and recreation membership for both males and females. This study involved a nested cross-sectional design and employed the sixth wave (2013) of the world value survey (n Ss =71,901, n countries =52). Multiple hierarchal nonlinear Bernoulli models tested: (1) if countries' levels of democracy moderate gender differences in sport and recreation membership; and (2) if democracy is associated with increased sport and recreation membership for both males and females. Countries' level of democracy fully moderated gender differences in sport and recreation membership across countries. Moreover, democracy was positively associated with both male and female membership, even when controlling for individual and country-level covariates. Democratic political regimes may confer health benefits via increased levels of sport and recreation membership, especially for females. Future research should test mediating mechanisms. Copyright © 2016 Ministry of Health, Saudi Arabia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Birth Order, Club Membership and Mass Media Exposure

Science.gov (United States)

Tomeh, Aida K.

1976-01-01

Examines the relationship between birth order, club membership and mass media exposure for women college students in Lebanon. Findings show the total membership rate and mass media consumption are higher among last born girls than first born. Birth order differences are explained in terms of the differential socialization of children. (Author)

Fuzzy Logic Controller Design for A Robot Grasping System with Different Membership Functions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahmad, Hamzah; Razali, Saifudin; Mohamed, Mohd Rusllim

2013-01-01

This paper investigates the effects of the membership function to the object grasping for a three fingered gripper system. The performance of three famously used membership functions is compared to identify their behavior in lifting a defined object shape. MATLAB Simulink and SimMechanics toolboxes are used to examine the performance. Our preliminary results proposed that the Gaussian membership function surpassed the two other membership functions; triangular and trapezoid memberships especially in the context of firmer grasping and less time consumption during operations. Therefore, Gaussian membership function could be the best solution when time consumption and firmer grasp are considered

State Membership: A Question of Individual Choice

OpenAIRE

Duarte, Melina

2016-01-01

The papers I, III and IV of this thesis are not available in Munin. Paper I: I. Duarte, M.: "Right to Hospitality, Right to Membership: a Critical Review of Kant's and Benhabib's Cosmopolitan Accounts on Immigration and Borders.". Published version available in "Varieties of Liberalism: Contemporary Challenges. Alnes, J. H. and Manuel Toscano (eds.), ISBN: 978-1443858120. Newcastle: Cambridge Scholars Publishing, p.:204-222. Paper III:Duarte, M.: "State Membership: Contesting Natur...

Three Steps to Engage Volunteers in Membership Marketing

Science.gov (United States)

Rossell, Tony

2011-01-01

There is a big world out there, and volunteers can make a significant impact in helping one reach out to others and grow his/her PTA membership. In fact, word-of-mouth marketing tied for the top spot as the most effective method of new member recruitment in Marketing General's 2010 Membership Marketing Benchmarking Report. So getting volunteers'…

76 FR 60473 - Membership of the Performance Review Board

Science.gov (United States)

2011-09-29

... Services Agency, Defense Logistics Agency, Defense Threat Reduction Agency, Missile Defense Agency, and... DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE Office of the Secretary Membership of the Performance Review Board AGENCY: Office of the Secretary (OSD), Department of Defense (DoD). ACTION: Notice of board membership. SUMMARY...

Survey Results of Society Membership: The Face of Our Profession at the Threshold of the New Millennium.

Science.gov (United States)

Michaels, Mishelle; Shepard, Marshall; Aberson, Sim; Friedman, Howard; Murphy, Kathleen

2001-07-01

In the spring of 1999, the American Meteorological Society surveyed its membership in order to update demographic information on the Society and to gain a more detailed perspective on the workplace. The survey was sent out with the dues statement and was solicited on a separate form returned independently to protect privacy and maintain anonymity. The responses were captured in a newly employed, machine-readable format to provide an ease of statistical analysis and data compilation not available in prior survey analysis. This data collection and subsequent demographic analysis represents the first attempt to update information regarding the membership since the 1993 survey results were published by Zevin and Seitter. The format of the 1999 survey was designed to logically follow and expand upon the historical data of the membership collected at varying intervals since 1975. The 1999 survey was broken into six parts. The sections on demographics, education, and current employment closely followed the previous surveys from 1993 and 1990 to facilitate direct comparisons between historical datasets whenever possible. The last three sections were reworked to elicit more declarative responses regarding personal circumstances, workplace circumstances, and additional issues concerning career choice and AMS membership, respectively. An additional space was provided for narrative comments regarding opportunities for women and minorities in the AMS-related sciences. Some 10 000 members were sent the 1999 dues statement and enclosed survey questionnaire. A total of 4669 members responded. The following is a detailed analysis of the data collected from the 1999 membership survey.

77 FR 49440 - Membership of the Performance Review Board

Science.gov (United States)

2012-08-16

..., Defense Security Cooperation Agency, Defense Threat Reduction Agency, Missile Defense Agency, and Pentagon... DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE Office of the Secretary Membership of the Performance Review Board AGENCY: Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD), DoD. ACTION: Notice of board membership. SUMMARY: This notice...

78 FR 52517 - Membership of the Performance Review Board

Science.gov (United States)

2013-08-23

..., Defense Security Cooperation Agency, Defense Threat Reduction Agency, Missile Defense Agency, and Pentagon... DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE Office of the Secretary Membership of the Performance Review Board AGENCY: Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD), DoD. ACTION: Notice of board membership. SUMMARY: This notice...

45 CFR 1700.3 - Membership.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... ORGANIZATION AND FUNCTIONS § 1700.3 Membership. (a) The Commission is composed of the Librarian of Congress, the Director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (who serves as an ex officio, nonvoting...

On PR group classes and PR algebra membership

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lebedenko, V.M.

1978-01-01

The necessary and sufficient conditions are found for the membership of Lee algebras to PR algebra class, to algebras with commutation relations of [Hsub(i), Hsub(j)]=rsub(ij)Hsub(i) (i< j) type. Due to this, a criterion is obtained for the membership of the Lee froups to PR group classes, connected and simply connected Lee groups, which Lee algebras are PR algebras

Factors associated with Spanish older people's membership in political organizations: the role of active aging activities.

Science.gov (United States)

Serrat, Rodrigo; Villar, Feliciano; Celdrán, Montserrat

2015-09-01

This study explores older people's membership in political organizations by using data from the Survey on older people 2010, carried out by Spain's National Institute for older people and social services. The objectives were to describe the extent of this kind of participation among Spaniards aged 65 and over, and to analyze the factors that are associated with it. Results show that only slightly less than 7 % of the sample belonged to a political organization. To analyze the factors related to this membership, a set of models of multivariate analyses were run, including socioeconomic resources and participation in other types of active aging activity (participation in leisure, learning, and productive activities). Educational level, leisure activities, learning activities, and only volunteering in the case of productive activities were found to be associated with membership in political organizations. Results provide partial support for the socioeconomic resources model and suggest that engagement in leisure activities, learning activities, and volunteering might have an enhancing effect on membership in political organizations.

Membership in fraternities and sororities, depression, and suicidal ideation.

Science.gov (United States)

Ridgway, Rachael; Tang, Connie; Lester, David

2014-06-01

College student membership in fraternities/sororities may have positive or negative effects on their behavior. This study investigated the relationships between fraternity/sorority membership, depression, and suicidal behavior. 293 undergraduate students (232 women, 61 men; M age = 22.6 yr., SD = 1.5, range = 18-24; 127 sorority sisters, 35 fraternity brothers) from a rural state college participated in the study. Depression, self-esteem and perceived social support were measured with the Beck Depression Inventory, the Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale, and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, respectively. Depression and suicidal ideation correlated negatively with self-esteem and perceived social support, but were not correlated with membership in fraternities/sororities.

The impact of alcohol management practices on sports club membership and revenue.

Science.gov (United States)

Wolfenden, L; Kingsland, M; Rowland, B; Dodds, P; Sidey, M; Sherker, S; Wiggers, J

2016-04-13

Issue addressed: The aim of this study was to assess the impact of an alcohol management intervention on community sporting club revenue (total annual income) and membership (number of club players, teams and spectators). Methods: The study employed a cluster randomised controlled trial design that allocated clubs either an alcohol accreditation intervention or a control condition. Club representatives completed a scripted telephone survey at baseline and again ~3 years following. Demographic information about clubs was collected along with information about club income. Results: Number of players and senior teams were not significantly different between treatment groups following the intervention. The intervention group, however, showed a significantly higher mean number of spectators. Estimates of annual club income between groups at follow-up showed no significant difference in revenue. Conclusions: This study found no evidence to suggest that efforts to reduce alcohol-related harm in community sporting clubs will compromise club revenue and membership. So what?: These findings suggest that implementation of an intervention to improve alcohol management of sporting clubs may not have the unintended consequence of harming club viability.

76 FR 50329 - Request for Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee Membership Applications

Science.gov (United States)

2011-08-12

... Membership Applications SUMMARY: Pursuant to United States Code, Title 31, section 5135(b), the United States... appointment consideration. Candidates should include specific skills, abilities, talents, and credentials to.... Peterson, Acting Director, United States Mint. [FR Doc. 2011-20471 Filed 8-11-11; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE...

LMI-based stability analysis of fuzzy-model-based control systems using approximated polynomial membership functions.

Science.gov (United States)

Narimani, Mohammand; Lam, H K; Dilmaghani, R; Wolfe, Charles

2011-06-01

Relaxed linear-matrix-inequality-based stability conditions for fuzzy-model-based control systems with imperfect premise matching are proposed. First, the derivative of the Lyapunov function, containing the product terms of the fuzzy model and fuzzy controller membership functions, is derived. Then, in the partitioned operating domain of the membership functions, the relations between the state variables and the mentioned product terms are represented by approximated polynomials in each subregion. Next, the stability conditions containing the information of all subsystems and the approximated polynomials are derived. In addition, the concept of the S-procedure is utilized to release the conservativeness caused by considering the whole operating region for approximated polynomials. It is shown that the well-known stability conditions can be special cases of the proposed stability conditions. Simulation examples are given to illustrate the validity of the proposed approach.

Defining Components of Team Leadership and Membership in Prehospital Emergency Medical Services.

Science.gov (United States)

Crowe, Remle P; Wagoner, Robert L; Rodriguez, Severo A; Bentley, Melissa A; Page, David

2017-01-01

Teamwork is critical for patient and provider safety in high-stakes environments, including the setting of prehospital emergency medical services (EMS). We sought to describe the components of team leadership and team membership on a single patient call where multiple EMS providers are present. We conducted a two-day focus group with nine subject matter experts in crew resource management (CRM) and EMS using a structured nominal group technique (NGT). The specific question posed to the group was, "What are the specific components of team leadership and team membership on a single patient call where multiple EMS providers are present?" After round-robin submission of ideas and in-depth discussion of the meaning of each component, participants voted on the most important components of team leadership and team membership. Through the NGT process, we identified eight components of team leadership: a) creates an action plan; b) communicates; c) receives, processes, verifies, and prioritizes information; d) reconciles incongruent information; e) demonstrates confidence, compassion, maturity, command presence, and trustworthiness; f) takes charge; g) is accountable for team actions and outcomes; and h) assesses the situation and resources and modifies the plan. The eight essential components of team membership identified included: a) demonstrates followership, b) maintains situational awareness, c) demonstrates appreciative inquiry, d) does not freelance, e) is an active listener, f) accurately performs tasks in a timely manner, g) is safety conscious and advocates for safety at all times, and h) leaves ego and rank at the door. This study used a highly structured qualitative technique and subject matter experts to identify components of teamwork essential for prehospital EMS providers. These findings and may be used to help inform the development of future EMS training and assessment initiatives.

Moral accounts and membership categorization in primary care medical interviews.

Science.gov (United States)

Dillon, Patrick J

2011-01-01

Although the link between health and morality has been well established, few studies have examined how issues of morality emerge and are addressed in primary care medical encounters. This paper addresses the need to examine morality as it is (re) constructed in everyday health care interactions. A Membership Categorization Analysis of 96 medical interviews reveals how patients orient to particular membership categories and distance themselves from others as a means of accounting (Buttny 1993; Scott and Lyman 1968) for morally questionable health behaviours. More specifically, this paper examines how patients use membership categorizations in order to achieve specific social identity(ies) (Schubert et al. 2009) through two primary strategies: defensive detailing and prioritizing alternative membership categories. Thus, this analysis tracks the emergence of cultural and moral knowledge about social life as it takes place in primary care medical encounters.

Stemming the Growth: Exploring the Risk Factors in Group Membership in Domestic Street Gangs and Foreign Terrorist Organizations

Science.gov (United States)

2015-09-01

attempt to explain gang membership and offending and delinquent behavior. New CVE program developers may be able to use these same theories to help...outcome in question—in this case, gang membership. Gang research scholars have discovered a multitude of risk factors that are statistically linked...and offending and delinquent behavior, including cultural diffusion, differential association, social disorganization and strain theory. CVE program

Staff Association membership is free of charge for the rest of 2017

CERN Multimedia

Staff Association

2017-01-01

Starting from September 1st, membership of the Staff Association is free for all new members for the period up to the end of 2017. This is to allow you to participate in the Staff Council elections. Indeed, only Employed Members of the Personnel (MPE: staff and fellows) and Associated Members of the Personnel (MPA), who are members of the Staff Association, can: stand for election and become a delegate of the personnel; vote and elect their representatives to the Staff Council. Do not hesitate any longer; join now!

48 CFR 9901.304 - Membership.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... Administrator. (d) An individual who is particularly knowledgeable about cost accounting problems and systems... Section 9901.304 Federal Acquisition Regulations System COST ACCOUNTING STANDARDS BOARD, OFFICE OF FEDERAL PROCUREMENT POLICY, OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET ADMINISTRATION RULES AND PROCEDURES 9901.304 Membership...

Associations of Health Club Membership with Physical Activity and Cardiovascular Health.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elizabeth C Schroeder

Full Text Available This study evaluates whether a health club membership is associated with meeting the US physical activity (PA guidelines and/or favorable cardiovascular health.Using cross-sectional data of health club members (n = 204 and non-members (n = 201 from April to August 2013, this is the first study to our knowledge to examine a health club membership in relation to objectively measured cardiovascular health indicators including resting blood pressure, resting heart rate, body mass index, waist circumference, and cardiorespiratory fitness based on a non-exercise test algorithm. To determine the total PA and sedentary time, this study used a comprehensive PA questionnaire about both aerobic and resistance activities at the health club, as well as lifestyle activities in other settings, which was developed based on the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ.The odds ratios (95% confidence interval of meeting either the aerobic, resistance, or both aerobic and resistance PA guidelines for members compared to non-members were 16.5 (9.8-27.6, 10.1 (6.2-16.3, and 13.8 (8.5-22.4, respectively. Significant associations of health club membership with more favorable cardiovascular health outcomes and sedentary behavior were observed for resting heart rate (B: -4.8 b/min, p1 year had more favorable health outcomes, with a smaller waist circumference (men, B: -4.0 cm, p = 0.04; women, B: -3.4 cm, p = 0.06, compared to non-members.Health club membership is associated with significantly increased aerobic and resistance physical activity levels and more favorable cardiovascular health outcomes compared to non-members. However, longitudinal, randomized controlled trials would be clearly warranted as cross-sectional data prohibits causal inferences.

Certified Health Education Specialists' Participation in Professional Associations: Implications for Marketing and Membership

Science.gov (United States)

Thackeray, Rosemary; Neiger, Brad L.; Roe, Kathleen M.

2005-01-01

A number of health education professional associations exist to advance the profession through research, practice, and professional development. Benefits of individual membership may include continuing education, networking, leadership, professional recognition, advocacy, professional mobility, access to research findings, advances in the…

15 CFR 8a.215 - Membership practices of certain organizations.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 15 Commerce and Foreign Trade 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Membership practices of certain organizations. 8a.215 Section 8a.215 Commerce and Foreign Trade Office of the Secretary of Commerce... Coverage § 8a.215 Membership practices of certain organizations. (a) Social fraternities and sororities...

Handbook of mixed membership models and their applications

CERN Document Server

Airoldi, Edoardo M; Erosheva, Elena A; Fienberg, Stephen E

2014-01-01

In response to scientific needs for more diverse and structured explanations of statistical data, researchers have discovered how to model individual data points as belonging to multiple groups. Handbook of Mixed Membership Models and Their Applications shows you how to use these flexible modeling tools to uncover hidden patterns in modern high-dimensional multivariate data. It explores the use of the models in various application settings, including survey data, population genetics, text analysis, image processing and annotation, and molecular biology.Through examples using real data sets, yo

Growth effects of EU and EZ memberships

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dreyer, Johannes Kabderian; Schmid, Peter A.

2017-01-01

of economic integration in Europe. The aim of this article is to investigate whether EU and EZ memberships enhance growth for their members. In order to perform our empirical analysis, we estimate different growth models restricting the time frame to the first 15 years of the Euro - from 1999 to 2013. We find...... a positive impact of EU membership on economic growth, but no impact of being part of the EZ, except during the financial crisis, when the EZ has a negative impact on growth amongst its members. Considering the heated political debate related to the Brexit referendum, our results favour a “yes” to the EU...

An Analysis of the Role of Preexisting Internal Factors in Collegiate Alcohol Abuse within Membership of Social Groups/Organizations

Science.gov (United States)

Fusilier, Kristy D.

2013-01-01

This study utilized the administration of the CORE Drug and Alcohol Survey long form, with the inclusion of 10 additional questions to assess prior history of behaviors, social organization membership status, and reasons for utilization of alcohol, to a representative sample of 2500 college students within a single university in order to determine…

Does generalized social trust lead to associational membership? Unraveling a bowl of well-tossed spaghetti

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sønderskov, Kim Mannemar

2011-01-01

Within the social capital literature it is often assumed that membership of voluntary associations causes generalized social trust and not the other way around. This study challenges this assumption by investigating if generalized social trust causes membership in a novel design that yields valid...... provide rare individual level evidence for a connection between generalized social trust and collective action in that generalized social trust in particular increases membership of associations producing public goods....... results despite possible feed-back effects from membership to trust. Using individual level data from several countries, the paper shows that trust does increase membership. Treating associational membership as exogenous to trust produces biased results, it is therefore concluded. Moreover, the study...

Does generalized social trust lead to associational membership? Unraveling a bowl of well-tossed spaghetti

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sønderskov, Kim Mannemar

Within the social capital literature it is often assumed that membership of voluntary associations causes generalized social trust and not the other way around. This study challenges this assumption by investigating if generalized social trust causes membership in a novel design that yields valid....... Moreover, the study provide rare individual level evidence for a connection between generalized social trust and collective action in that generalized social trust in particular increases membership of associations producing public goods....... results despite possible feed-back effects from membership to trust. Using both individual and country level data in a multilevel analysis, the paper shows that trust does increase membership. Treating associational membership as exogenous to trust produces biased results, it is therefore concluded...

16 CFR 1031.12 - Membership criteria.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... Commercial Practices CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION GENERAL COMMISSION PARTICIPATION AND COMMISSION EMPLOYEE INVOLVEMENT IN VOLUNTARY STANDARDS ACTIVITIES Employee Involvement § 1031.12 Membership criteria. (a) The Commissioners, their special assistants, and Commission officials and employees holding the...

When Is Group Membership Zero-Sum? Effects of Ethnicity, Threat, and Social Identity on Dual National Identity.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael Smithson

Full Text Available This paper presents an investigation into marginalizing racism, a form of prejudice whereby ingroup members claim that specific individuals belong to their group, but also exclude them by not granting them all of the privileges of a full ingroup member. One manifestation of this is that perceived degree of outgroup membership will covary negatively with degree of ingroup membership. That is, group membership may be treated as a zero-sum quantity (e.g., one cannot be both Australian and Iraqi. Study 1 demonstrated that judges allocate more zero-sum membership assignments and lower combined membership in their country of origin and their adopted country to high-threat migrants than low-threat migrants. Study 2 identified a subtle type of zero-sum reasoning which holds that stronger degree of membership in one's original nationality constrains membership in a new nationality to a greater extent than stronger membership in the new nationality constrains membership in one's original nationality. This pattern is quite general, being replicated in large samples from four nations (USA, UK, India, and China. Taken together, these studies suggest that marginalizing racism is more than a belief that people retain a "stain" from membership in their original group. Marginalizing racism also manifests itself as conditional zero-sum beliefs about multiple group memberships.

The Prospects of Membership in International Organizations: The Case of Kosovo

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ardian Emini

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this paper is to analyze the perspective of Kosovo and its membership in international organizations. There are three pillars upon which the analysis of the paper is built. Initially the general question of theoretical frameworks in general the organizations which focus on the elaboration of the very concept of statehood and state-building in general and specifically on Kosovo. The final section deals with a range of behaviors and initiatives of countries in general and the challenges for membership in international organizations. With the aim of contextualizing the subject, the paper focuses on the case of Kosovo state and membership in international organizations with a view to strengthening the international subjectivity and security in the international arena. Finally, the paper concludes that the importance of the accession countries, namely Kosovo's membership in international organizations, and the use of multilateral diplomacy are vital to their safety and welfare.

75 FR 71417 - Manufacturing Council Membership

Science.gov (United States)

2010-11-23

... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE International Trade Administration Manufacturing Council Membership AGENCY... marketing programs in support of manufacturing industries, job creation in the manufacturing sector, or the... their travel, living and other personal expenses. Meetings are held regularly and not less than annually...

78 FR 30737 - Irish Potatoes Grown in Colorado; Reestablishment of Membership on the Colorado Potato...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-05-23

... FR] Irish Potatoes Grown in Colorado; Reestablishment of Membership on the Colorado Potato...: This final rule reestablishes the membership on the Colorado Potato Administrative Committee, Area No... Irish potatoes grown in Colorado. This action modifies the Committee membership structure by amending...

The Multi-Criteria Negotiation Analysis Based on the Membership Function

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Roszkowska Ewa

2014-08-01

Full Text Available In this paper we propose a multi-criteria model based on the fuzzy preferences approach which can be implemented in the prenegotiation phase to evaluate the negotiations packages. The applicability of some multi-criteria ranking methods were discussed for building a scoring function for negotiation packages. The first one is Simple Additive Weighting (SAW technique which determines the sum of the partial satisfactions from each negotiation issue and aggregate them using the issue weights. The other one is Distance Based Methods (DBM, with its extension based on the distances to ideal or anti-ideal package, i.e. the TOPSIS procedure. In our approach the negotiator's preferences over the issues are represented by fuzzy membership functions and next a selected multi-criteria decision making method is adopted to determine the global rating of each package. The membership functions are used here as the equivalents of utility functions spread over the negotiation issues, which let us compare different type of data. One of the key advantages of the approach proposed is its usefulness for building a general scoring function in the ill-structured negotiation problem, namely the situation in which the problem itself as well as the negotiators preferences cannot be precisely defined, the available information is uncertain, subjective and vague. Secondly, all proposed variants of scoring functions produce consistent rankings, even though the new packages are added (or removed and do not result in rank reversal.

22 CFR 225.107 - IRB membership.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... Relations AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROTECTION OF HUMAN SUBJECTS § 225.107 IRB membership. (a..., to promote respect for its advice and counsel in safeguarding the rights and welfare of human... individuals who are knowledgeable about and experienced in working with these subjects. (b) Every...

12 CFR 725.6 - Termination of membership.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... CREDIT UNION ADMINISTRATION CENTRAL LIQUIDITY FACILITY § 725.6 Termination of membership. (a) A member of... member has failed to comply with any provision of the National Credit Union Central Liquidity Facility...

Having a Lot of a Good Thing: Multiple Important Group Memberships as a Source of Self-Esteem

Science.gov (United States)

Jetten, Jolanda; Branscombe, Nyla R.; Haslam, S. Alexander; Haslam, Catherine; Cruwys, Tegan; Jones, Janelle M.; Cui, Lijuan; Dingle, Genevieve; Liu, James; Murphy, Sean; Thai, Anh; Walter, Zoe; Zhang, Airong

2015-01-01

Membership in important social groups can promote a positive identity. We propose and test an identity resource model in which personal self-esteem is boosted by membership in additional important social groups. Belonging to multiple important group memberships predicts personal self-esteem in children (Study 1a), older adults (Study 1b), and former residents of a homeless shelter (Study 1c). Study 2 shows that the effects of multiple important group memberships on personal self-esteem are not reducible to number of interpersonal ties. Studies 3a and 3b provide longitudinal evidence that multiple important group memberships predict personal self-esteem over time. Studies 4 and 5 show that collective self-esteem mediates this effect, suggesting that membership in multiple important groups boosts personal self-esteem because people take pride in, and derive meaning from, important group memberships. Discussion focuses on when and why important group memberships act as a social resource that fuels personal self-esteem. PMID:26017554

Having a lot of a good thing: multiple important group memberships as a source of self-esteem.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jolanda Jetten

Full Text Available Membership in important social groups can promote a positive identity. We propose and test an identity resource model in which personal self-esteem is boosted by membership in additional important social groups. Belonging to multiple important group memberships predicts personal self-esteem in children (Study 1a, older adults (Study 1b, and former residents of a homeless shelter (Study 1c. Study 2 shows that the effects of multiple important group memberships on personal self-esteem are not reducible to number of interpersonal ties. Studies 3a and 3b provide longitudinal evidence that multiple important group memberships predict personal self-esteem over time. Studies 4 and 5 show that collective self-esteem mediates this effect, suggesting that membership in multiple important groups boosts personal self-esteem because people take pride in, and derive meaning from, important group memberships. Discussion focuses on when and why important group memberships act as a social resource that fuels personal self-esteem.

Improved Membership Probability for Moving Groups: Bayesian and Machine Learning Approaches

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Jinhee; Song, Inseok

2018-01-01

Gravitationally unbound loose stellar associations (i.e., young nearby moving groups: moving groups hereafter) have been intensively explored because they are important in planet and disk formation studies, exoplanet imaging, and age calibration. Among the many efforts devoted to the search for moving group members, a Bayesian approach (e.g.,using the code BANYAN) has become popular recently because of the many advantages it offers. However, the resultant membership probability needs to be carefully adopted because of its sensitive dependence on input models. In this study, we have developed an improved membership calculation tool focusing on the beta-Pic moving group. We made three improvements for building models used in BANYAN II: (1) updating a list of accepted members by re-assessing memberships in terms of position, motion, and age, (2) investigating member distribution functions in XYZ, and (3) exploring field star distribution functions in XYZUVW. Our improved tool can change membership probability up to 70%. Membership probability is critical and must be better defined. For example, our code identifies only one third of the candidate members in SIMBAD that are believed to be kinematically associated with beta-Pic moving group.Additionally, we performed cluster analysis of young nearby stars using an unsupervised machine learning approach. As more moving groups and their members are identified, the complexity and ambiguity in moving group configuration has been increased. To clarify this issue, we analyzed ~4,000 X-ray bright young stellar candidates. Here, we present the preliminary results. By re-identifying moving groups with the least human intervention, we expect to understand the composition of the solar neighborhood. Moreover better defined moving group membership will help us understand star formation and evolution in relatively low density environments; especially for the low-mass stars which will be identified in the coming Gaia release.

Factors affecting membership in specialty nursing organizations.

Science.gov (United States)

White, Mary Joe; Olson, Rhonda S

2004-01-01

A discouraging trend in many specialty nursing organizations is the stagnant or declining membership. The research committee of the Southeast Texas Chapter of the Association of Rehabilitation Nurses (ARN) collected data and studied this trend to determine what changes would be necessary to increase membership. Using Herzberg's motivational theory as a framework, a review of the literature was initiated. There were few current studies on this issue, but relevant information was found about nursing's emerging workforce, as well as implications of the growth of magnet hospitals, which affect whether nurses join specialty nursing organizations. A multifaceted data-collection approach using convenience samples was designed. First, relevant literature was reviewed. Second, a survey was sent by e-mail to other ARN chapters. Third, a telephone survey on other specialty organizations in the geographic region was completed. Finally, members of the local ARN chapter and four other specialty organizations, as well staff nurses in the geographic area, were given questionnaires to complete. Descriptive statistics and cross tabulations were used to determine why nurses do and do not join specialty organizations (N = 81). The most frequent reasons for joining an organization were to increase knowledge, benefit professionally, network, and earn continuing education units. Reasons for choosing not to participate were family responsibilities, lack of information about these organizations, and lack of time. Ways to reverse the decline in membership are discussed.

Smoking and Membership in a Fraternity or Sorority: A Systematic Review of the Literature

Science.gov (United States)

Cheney, Marshall K.; Harris, LaNita W.; Gowin, Mary J.; Huber, Jamie

2014-01-01

Objective: Fraternity and sorority members have higher rates of smoking than other college students. This systematic review examines studies that included fraternity/sorority membership in their investigation of smoking behaviors. Participants/Methods: Studies identified in MEDLINE, PsychInfo, JSTOR, CINAHL, ERIC, and Google Scholar published…

40 CFR 26.107 - IRB membership.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY GENERAL PROTECTION OF HUMAN SUBJECTS Basic EPA Policy for Protection of Subjects in Human Research Conducted or Supported by EPA § 26.107 IRB membership..., to promote respect for its advice and counsel in safeguarding the rights and welfare of human...

16 CFR 1018.15 - Membership composition.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... specified in section 20 of the Federal Hazardous Substances Act, as amended (Pub. L. 95-631, 92 Stat. 3747... 16 Commercial Practices 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Membership composition. 1018.15 Section 1018.15 Commercial Practices CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION GENERAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE MANAGEMENT...

49 CFR 11.107 - IRB membership.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... Transportation Office of the Secretary of Transportation PROTECTION OF HUMAN SUBJECTS § 11.107 IRB membership. (a..., to promote respect for its advice and counsel in safeguarding the rights and welfare of human... individuals who are knowledgeable about and experienced in working with these subjects. (b) Every...

Social Identity Mapping: A procedure for visual representation and assessment of subjective multiple group memberships.

Science.gov (United States)

Cruwys, Tegan; Steffens, Niklas K; Haslam, S Alexander; Haslam, Catherine; Jetten, Jolanda; Dingle, Genevieve A

2016-12-01

In this research, we introduce Social Identity Mapping (SIM) as a method for visually representing and assessing a person's subjective network of group memberships. To provide evidence of its utility, we report validating data from three studies (two longitudinal), involving student, community, and clinical samples, together comprising over 400 participants. Results indicate that SIM is easy to use, internally consistent, with good convergent and discriminant validity. Each study also illustrates the ways that SIM can be used to address a range of novel research questions. Study 1 shows that multiple positive group memberships are a particularly powerful predictor of well-being. Study 2 shows that social support is primarily given and received within social groups and that only in-group support is beneficial for well-being. Study 3 shows that improved mental health following a social group intervention is attributable to an increase in group compatibility. In this way, the studies demonstrate the capacity for SIM to make a contribution both to the development of social-psychological theory and to its practical application. © 2016 The British Psychological Society.

Rejected applications: an early American Academy of Neurology struggles to define its membership.

Science.gov (United States)

Louis, Elan D

2014-07-22

To review membership application materials (especially rejected applications) to the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) during its formative years (1947-1953). Detailed study of materials in the AAN Historical Collection. The author identified 73 rejected applications. Rejected applicants (71 male, 2 female) lived in 25 states. The largest number was for the Associate membership category (49). These were individuals "in related fields who have made and are making contributions to the field of neurology." By contrast, few applicants to Active membership or Fellowship status were rejected. The largest numbers of rejectees were neuropsychiatrists (19), neurosurgeons (16), and psychiatrists (14). The AAN, established in the late 1940s, was a small and politically vulnerable organization. A defining feature of the fledgling society was its inclusiveness; its membership was less restrictive than that of the older American Neurological Association. At the same time, the society needed to preserve its core as a neurologic society rather than one of psychiatry or neurosurgery. Hence, the balance between inclusiveness and exclusive identity was a difficult one to maintain. The Associate membership category, more than any other, was at the heart of this issue of self-definition. Associate members were largely practitioners of psychiatry or neurosurgery. Their membership was a source of consternation and was to be carefully been held in check during these critical formative years. © 2014 American Academy of Neurology.

45 CFR 46.107 - IRB membership.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... Welfare DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES GENERAL ADMINISTRATION PROTECTION OF HUMAN SUBJECTS Basic HHS Policy for Protection of Human Research Subjects § 46.107 IRB membership. (a) Each IRB shall have... respect for its advice and counsel in safeguarding the rights and welfare of human subjects. In addition...

The interactional establishment of the membership category ‘nonnative speaker’ in gatekeeping encounters

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tranekjær, Louise; Kappa, Katherine

2016-01-01

This paper examines how the membership category ‘nonnative speaker’ is interactionally established and initiated by the ‘native speaker’ interviewers during internship interviews between Danish employers and born abroad1 candidates. The analysis is based on 16 recorded internship interviews...... and related to studies that demonstrate how membership categories are fundamentally indexical of the context of interaction (Day, 2006; Drew & Heritage, 1992; Mondada, 2004). By taking on a membership categorization analysis (MCA) approach and utilizing conversation analytic (CA) tools, this paper shows three...

12 CFR 725.3 - Regular membership.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... UNION ADMINISTRATION CENTRAL LIQUIDITY FACILITY § 725.3 Regular membership. (a) A natural person credit....5(b) of this part, and forwarding with its completed application funds equal to one-half of this... 1, 1979, is not required to forward these funds to the Facility until October 1, 1979. (3...

The impact of group membership on collaborative learning with wikis.

Science.gov (United States)

Matschke, Christina; Moskaliuk, Johannes; Kimmerle, Joachim

2013-02-01

The social web stimulates learning through collaboration. However, information in the social web is often associated with information about its author. Based on previous evidence that ingroup information is preferred to outgroup information, the current research investigates whether group memberships of wiki authors affect learning. In an experimental study, we manipulated the group memberships (ingroup vs. outgroup) of wiki authors by using nicknames. The designated group memberships (being fans of a soccer team or not) were completely irrelevant for the domain of the wiki (the medical disorder fibromyalgia). Nevertheless, wiki information from the ingroup led to more integration of information into prior knowledge as well as more increase of factual knowledge than information from the outgroup. The results demonstrate that individuals apply social selection strategies when considering information from wikis, which may foster, but also hinder, learning and collaboration. Practical implications for collaborative learning in the social web are discussed.

Women otolaryngologist representation in specialty society membership and leadership positions.

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Sukgi S; Miller, Robert H

2012-11-01

To determine the proportion of female otolaryngologists in leadership positions relative to their number in the specialty, their membership in various otolaryngology organizations, and age. Cross-sectional analyses of otolaryngology organization membership with a subgroup analysis on female membership and leadership proportion comparing 5-year male/female cohort groups. Information on the number of members and leaders was obtained from various specialty societies by direct communication and from their Web sites between June and December 2010. The number of female and male otolaryngologists and their age distribution in 5-year age groups was obtained from the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (AAO-HNS). Statistical analyses were used to determine whether women had proportional membership and leadership representation in various specialty societies. Additionally, female representation in other leadership roles was analyzed using the male/female ratio within the 5-year cohort groups. Female otolaryngologists were found to constitute approximately 11% of practicing otolaryngologists. The American Society of Pediatric Otolaryngology had a higher proportion of female members (22%) compared to five other societies. When the gender composition within each organization was taken into account, female representation in specialty society leadership positions was proportionate to their membership across all societies. When gender and age were considered, women have achieved proportionate representation in each of the specialty societies' leadership positions. There was also proportionate representation of females as program directors, American Board of Otolaryngology directors, Residency Review Committee members, and journal editors/editorial board members. Finally, fewer female chairs or chiefs of departments/divisions were seen, but when age was taken into consideration, this difference was no longer significant. Women have achieved parity in

78 FR 40138 - Notification of Deletion of System of Records: Kid's Club Membership List (EPA-57)

Science.gov (United States)

2013-07-03

... children. Participants received certificates, membership cards and stickers for joining the club. Completed... System of Records: Kid's Club Membership List (EPA-57) AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA... Kids Club Membership List (EPA-57) published in the Federal Register on March 2, 2006, from its...

Advantages and disadvantages of the Republic of Serbia's membership in NATO

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Beriša Hatidža

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The subject of the work analyzes the advantages and disadvantages of possible membership of the Republic of Serbia in NATO as an opportunity to answer the question of whether a commitment to military neutrality of the Republic of Serbia in comparison to the region is the best choice? The fact is that almost no other topic in our public causes so much disagreement among citizens, non-governmental organizations and political elite as is the relationship Serbia to NATO and possible membership in the union. However, although the frequent occurrence experience any reason to discuss the (un desirability of joining the military alliance, NATO membership is not a question of 'to be or not to be' that is often asked, but of the actual budget, strategic and security assessments maximizing the consensus at the national political level, as well as some public support in the country. The opinions about Atlantic integration are therefore opposed. The fact that Serbia has declared its military neutrality, which was voted by the Assembly of the Republic of Serbia. But the fact that we have dissonant tones in public, which are in line with the declaration of neutrality, despite Serbia introduced in Atlantic integration, ie. NATO. The aim of this paper is to present the needs and commitment of Serbia's membership in NATO, but to present what is good, and what's membership in NATO would have negative connotations for the country. Based on this, the reader to conclude that solution is more correct and what should be done.

76 FR 65503 - Performance Review Board Membership

Science.gov (United States)

2011-10-21

... CONTACT: Andrea Burckman, Director, Executive Resources Division, Human Capital and Client Services... DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Performance Review Board Membership AGENCY: Office of Management... of Education is composed of career and non-career senior executives. The PRB reviews and evaluates...

Reducing Prejudice With Labels: Shared Group Memberships Attenuate Implicit Bias and Expand Implicit Group Boundaries.

Science.gov (United States)

Scroggins, W Anthony; Mackie, Diane M; Allen, Thomas J; Sherman, Jeffrey W

2016-02-01

In three experiments, we used a novel Implicit Association Test procedure to investigate the impact of group memberships on implicit bias and implicit group boundaries. Results from Experiment 1 indicated that categorizing targets using a shared category reduced implicit bias by increasing the extent to which positivity was associated with Blacks. Results from Experiment 2 revealed that shared group membership, but not mere positivity of a group membership, was necessary to reduce implicit bias. Quadruple process model analyses indicated that changes in implicit bias caused by shared group membership are due to changes in the way that targets are evaluated, not to changes in the regulation of evaluative bias. Results from Experiment 3 showed that categorizing Black targets into shared group memberships expanded implicit group boundaries. © 2015 by the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Inc.

76 FR 57712 - Performance Review Board Membership

Science.gov (United States)

2011-09-16

... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE Performance Review Board Membership AGENCY: Economics and Statistics... the Performance Review Board (PRB) in accordance with the Economics and Statistics Administration's.... Bostic, Jr., Arnold A. Jackson, Theodore A. Johnson, Steven J. Jost, J. Steven Landefeld, Jennifer Madans...

75 FR 57440 - Performance Review Board Membership

Science.gov (United States)

2010-09-21

... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE Performance Review Board Membership AGENCY: Economics and Statistics... the Performance Review Board in accordance with the Economics and Statistics Administration's Senior... Callahan, Nancy M. Gordon, Howard R. Hogan, Arnold A. Jackson, Theodore A. Johnson, Steven J. Jost, J...

Mapping of initiatives to increase membership in mutual health organizations in Benin

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Turcotte-Tremblay Anne-Marie

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Introduction Mutual health organizations (MHO have been implemented across Africa to increase access to healthcare and improve financial protection. Despite efforts to develop MHOs, low levels of both initial enrolment and membership renewals continue to threaten their financial viability. The purpose of this study was to map initiatives implemented to increase the pool of MHO members in Benin. Methods A multiple case study was conducted to assess MHOs supported by five major promoters in Benin. Three months of fieldwork resulted in 23 semi-structured interviews and two focus groups with MHO promoters, technicians, elected members, and health professionals affiliated with the MHOs. Fifteen non-structured interviews provided additional information and a valuable source of triangulation. Results MHOs have adopted a wide range of initiatives targeting different entry points and involving a variety of stakeholders. Initiatives have included new types of collective health insurance packages and efforts to raise awareness by going door-to-door and organizing health education workshops. Different types of partnerships have been established to strengthen relationships with healthcare professionals and political leaders. However, the selection and implementation of these initiatives have been limited by insufficient financial and human resources. Conclusions The study highlights the importance of prioritizing sustainable strategies to increase MHO membership. No single MHO initiative has been able to resolve the issue of low membership on its own. If combined, existing initiatives could provide a comprehensive and inclusive approach that would target all entry points and include key stakeholders such as household decision-makers, MHO elected members, healthcare professionals, community leaders, governmental authorities, medical advisors, and promoters. There is a need to evaluate empirically the implementation of these interventions. Mechanisms

Membership in cooperative societies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eba Gaminde Egia

2017-12-01

Full Text Available In this work we will analyze the practical application of one of the cooperative principles, «voluntary and free membership», referring to the entering of members in cooperative societies. We will first explain the meaning of this principle, and then bring up its normative regulation, with special emphasis on those aspects in which our autonomic laws differ, and ending with a brief reference to the economic aspect and the different ways to make contributions and their consequences.Received: 31 May 2017Accepted: 14 October 2017Published online: 22 December 2017

Measuring multi-membership in economic integration and its trade-impact. A comparative study of ECOWAS and SADC

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Afesorgbor, Sylvanus Kwaku; van Bergeijk, Peter A.G.

in two major African Regional blocs, ECOWAS and SADC. We find that the impact of multi-membership critically depends on the characteristics of the multi-membership of regional integration initiatives. We find a positive impact if an additional membership complements the integration process...... of the original regional integration initiative: overlapping memberships had a much stronger and significant positive effect on bilateral trade within ECOWAS compare to an insignificant impact within SADC....

Set-Membership Proportionate Affine Projection Algorithms

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stefan Werner

2007-01-01

Full Text Available Proportionate adaptive filters can improve the convergence speed for the identification of sparse systems as compared to their conventional counterparts. In this paper, the idea of proportionate adaptation is combined with the framework of set-membership filtering (SMF in an attempt to derive novel computationally efficient algorithms. The resulting algorithms attain an attractive faster converge for both situations of sparse and dispersive channels while decreasing the average computational complexity due to the data discerning feature of the SMF approach. In addition, we propose a rule that allows us to automatically adjust the number of past data pairs employed in the update. This leads to a set-membership proportionate affine projection algorithm (SM-PAPA having a variable data-reuse factor allowing a significant reduction in the overall complexity when compared with a fixed data-reuse factor. Reduced-complexity implementations of the proposed algorithms are also considered that reduce the dimensions of the matrix inversions involved in the update. Simulations show good results in terms of reduced number of updates, speed of convergence, and final mean-squared error.

Supervised Classification High-Resolution Remote-Sensing Image Based on Interval Type-2 Fuzzy Membership Function

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chunyan Wang

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Because of the degradation of classification accuracy that is caused by the uncertainty of pixel class and classification decisions of high-resolution remote-sensing images, we proposed a supervised classification method that is based on an interval type-2 fuzzy membership function for high-resolution remote-sensing images. We analyze the data features of a high-resolution remote-sensing image and construct a type-1 membership function model in a homogenous region by supervised sampling in order to characterize the uncertainty of the pixel class. On the basis of the fuzzy membership function model in the homogeneous region and in accordance with the 3σ criterion of normal distribution, we proposed a method for modeling three types of interval type-2 membership functions and analyze the different types of functions to improve the uncertainty of pixel class expressed by the type-1 fuzzy membership function and to enhance the accuracy of classification decision. According to the principle that importance will increase with a decrease in the distance between the original, upper, and lower fuzzy membership of the training data and the corresponding frequency value in the histogram, we use the weighted average sum of three types of fuzzy membership as the new fuzzy membership of the pixel to be classified and then integrated into the neighborhood pixel relations, constructing a classification decision model. We use the proposed method to classify real high-resolution remote-sensing images and synthetic images. Additionally, we qualitatively and quantitatively evaluate the test results. The results show that a higher classification accuracy can be achieved with the proposed algorithm.

MEMBERSHIP PROCESS OF ISTANBUL IN 2020 OLYMPIC GAMES AND ECONOMIC INVESTMENTS

OpenAIRE

MUSTAFA YILDIZ

2014-01-01

The Olympic Game is an expensive and costly sport organization with the participation of athletes, journalists, broadcasters and sportsmen and audiences. This cost can be born only by developed countries and this enables introduction of home countries, increase of tourism activities and acquisition of sports facilities. Membership of Istanbul for 2020 Olympic Games is the first sport organization membership officially announced by prime minister of Turkish government. Therefore the support wa...

7 CFR 929.20 - Establishment and membership.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

..., processor, handler, or have a financial interest in the production, sales, marketing or distribution of... Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Marketing... Establishment and membership. (a) There is hereby established a Cranberry Marketing Committee consisting of 13...

ANALYSIS OF BUDGET DEFICIT IN THE CANDIDATE COUNTRIES FOR EU MEMBERSHIP

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Danijela Despotović

2017-11-01

Full Text Available The problems of deficit and debt are the traditional drivers of the recession in the past. Due to the high impact of the budget deficit to increase in indebtedness and deterioration of a macroeconomic performance, the European Union in Maastricht Treaty and later in the Pact of Stability and Growth strictly defined fiscal criteria which the member states should adhere to. Fiscal criteria are particularly important when it comes to candidate countries for EU membership. The aim of this paper is that, through theoretical and empirical basis perform a comparative analysis of the budget deficit in EU countries and candidates for membership in the EU, to rank the 34 countries according to the criteria of public finances and to show the causality between the candidate countries for membership of the EU and EU member states.

77 FR 61379 - Performance Review Board Membership

Science.gov (United States)

2012-10-09

... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE Performance Review Board Membership AGENCY: Economics and Statistics... eligible to serve on the Performance Review Board (PRB) in accordance with the Economics and Statistics.... Arnold William G. Bostic, Jr. Joanne Buenzli Crane Justin R. Ehrenwerth Ron S. Jarmin Theodore A. Johnson...

78 FR 67333 - Performance Review Board Membership

Science.gov (United States)

2013-11-12

... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE Performance Review Board Membership AGENCY: Economics and Statistics... eligible to serve on the Performance Review Board (PRB) in accordance with the Economics and Statistics.... Arnold William G. Bostic, Jr. Stephen B. Burke Joanne Buenzli Crane Susan R. Helper Ron S. Jarmin Enrique...

11 CFR 100.134 - Internal communications by corporations, labor organizations, and membership organizations.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... shall be voted, if it is voting stock, and has the right to receive dividends. (d) Definition of...: affirmation of membership on at least an annual basis and direct participatory rights in the governance of the... aspects of the organization's governance. (g) Additional considerations in determining membership...

Impacts of extension access and cooperative membership on technology adoption and household welfare.

Science.gov (United States)

Wossen, Tesfamicheal; Abdoulaye, Tahirou; Alene, Arega; Haile, Mekbib G; Feleke, Shiferaw; Olanrewaju, Adetunji; Manyong, Victor

2017-08-01

This paper examines the impacts of access to extension services and cooperative membership on technology adoption, asset ownership and poverty using household-level data from rural Nigeria. Using different matching techniques and endogenous switching regression approach, we find that both extension access and cooperative membership have a positive and statistically significant effect on technology adoption and household welfare. Moreover, we find that both extension access and cooperative membership have heterogeneous impacts. In particular, we find evidence of a positive selection as the average treatment effects of extension access and cooperative membership are higher for farmers with the highest propensity to access extension and cooperative services. The impact of extension services on poverty reduction and of cooperatives on technology adoption is significantly stronger for smallholders with access to formal credit than for those without access. This implies that expanding rural financial markets can maximize the potential positive impacts of extension and cooperative services on farmers' productivity and welfare.

Identifying groups at risk for 1-year membership termination from a fitness center at enrollment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stephanie A. Hooker

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The vast majority of Americans do not engage in adequate regular physical activity despite its well-known health benefits. Even when individuals attempt to become more active by joining a fitness center, estimates suggest that nearly half terminate their membership within the first 6 months. A better understanding of who is at risk for early membership termination upon joining may help researchers develop targeted interventions to improve the likelihood that individuals will successfully maintain memberships and physical activity. This study's purpose was to identify, based on a wellness assessment (WA used in fitness centers, individuals at risk for fitness membership termination prior to 1-year. Center members (N = 441; Mage = 41.9, SD = 13.1; 74.4% female completed a comprehensive WA of stress, life satisfaction, physical fitness, metabolic health, and sleep quality at the beginning of their memberships and were followed for one year. Latent class analyses utilized the WA to identify four groups: (a healthy, (b unhealthy, (c poor psychological wellness, and (d poor physical wellness. Participants in the poor psychological wellness group (OR = 2.24, p = 0.007 and the unhealthy group (OR = 2.40, p = 0.037 were significantly more likely to terminate their memberships at 1-year as compared to the healthy group. Participants with poor physical wellness visited the fitness center less frequently than healthy participants (p < 0.01. Results suggest that poor psychological wellness is a risk factor for terminating memberships, whereas poor physical wellness is not. Future studies should replicate these latent classes and develop targeted interventions to address psychological wellness as a method to improve fitness membership retention.

7 CFR 946.22 - Establishment and membership.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 8 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Establishment and membership. 946.22 Section 946.22 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Marketing... in acreage within districts and within the production area during recent years; (2) The importance of...

7 CFR 927.20 - Establishment and membership.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 8 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Establishment and membership. 927.20 Section 927.20 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Marketing... within districts and within the production area during recent years; (2) The importance of new pear...

I want to join the zoo! A conjoint study of membership program preferences

Science.gov (United States)

David B. Klenosky; Chi-Ok Oh; Christopher C. Panek; Jerry F. Luebke

2009-01-01

Membership programs are an important and often vital element for the success and economic sustainability of leisure and tourism visitor attractions. Unfortunately, very little research is available to guide membership program development and promotion efforts. To address this gap in the research literature, a research project assessed member and nonmember preferences...

Socioeconomic and programmatic determinants of renewal of membership in a voluntary micro health insurance scheme: evidence from Chakaria, Bangladesh.

Science.gov (United States)

Iqbal, Mohammad; Chowdhury, Asiful Haidar; Mahmood, Shehrin Shaila; Mia, Mohammad Nahid; Hanifi, S M A; Bhuiya, Abbas

2017-01-01

Out-of-pocket (OOP) healthcare expenditure is a major obstacle for achieving universal health coverage in low-income countries including Bangladesh. Sixty-three percent of the USD 27 annual per-capita healthcare expenditure in Bangladesh comes from individuals' pockets. Although health insurance is a financial tool for reducing OOP, use of such tools in Bangladesh has been limited to some small-scale voluntary micro health insurance (MHI) schemes run by non-governmental organizations (NGO). The MHI, however, can orient people on health insurance concept and provide learning for product development, implementation, barriers to enrolment, membership renewal, and other operational challenges and solutions. Keeping this in mind, icddr,b in 2012 initiated a pilot MHI, Amader Shasthya, in Chakaria, Bangladesh. This paper explores the determinants of membership renewal in this scheme, which is a perpetual challenge for MHI. Identify socioeconomic and programmatic determinants and their effects on membership renewal in a voluntary MHI scheme. Data came from the online management information system of the scheme and Health and Demographic Surveillance System of Chakaria, covering the period February 2012-May 2015. Association between renewal and independent variables was examined using cross-tabular and logistic regression analyses. Nearly 20% of households in the catchment area ever enroled in the scheme, and 38% renewed membership over the initial 3 years of operation. Frequency of consultation with healthcare providers, benefits received, proximity of member's residence to health facility, socioeconomic status, educational level, and age of the household head showed significant positive association with renewal of membership. Villagers' enrolment in the scheme indicated that even in poor economic and literacy conditions people can be motivated to enrol in insurance schemes. Degree of service utilization and benefits received can greatly enhance the probability of

Gang membership and substance use: guilt as a gendered causal pathway.

Science.gov (United States)

Coffman, Donna L; Melde, Chris; Esbensen, Finn-Aage

2015-03-01

We examine whether anticipated guilt for substance use is a gendered mechanism underlying the noted enhancement effect of gang membership on illegal drug use. We also demonstrate a method for making stronger causal inferences when assessing mediation in the presence of moderation and time-varying confounding. We estimate a series of inverse propensity weighted models to obtain unbiased estimates of mediation in the presence of confounding of the exposure (i.e., gang membership) and mediator (i.e., anticipated guilt) using three waves of data from a multi-site panel study of a law-related education program for youth ( N =1,113). The onset of gang membership significantly decreased anticipated substance use guilt among both male and female respondents. This reduction was significantly associated with increased frequency of substance use only for female respondents, however, suggesting that gender moderates the mechanism through which gang membership influences substance use. Criminologists are often concerned with identifying causal pathways for antisocial and/or delinquent behavior, but confounders of the exposure, mediator, and outcome often interfere with efforts to assess mediation. Many new approaches have been proposed for strengthening causal inference for mediation effects. After controlling for confounding using inverse propensity weighting, our results suggest that interventions aimed at reducing substance use by current and former female gang members should focus on the normative aspects of these behaviors.

75 FR 15704 - Old Dominion Electric Cooperative; North Carolina Electric Membership Corporation, Complainants v...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-03-30

... Electric Cooperative; North Carolina Electric Membership Corporation, Complainants v. Virginia Electric and... the Federal Power Act, 16 U.S.C. 824(e) and 825(e), Old Dominion Electric Cooperative and North Carolina Electric Membership Corporation (Complainants) filed a formal complaint against Virginia Electric...

Stochastic Local Search for Core Membership Checking in Hedonic Games

Science.gov (United States)

Keinänen, Helena

Hedonic games have emerged as an important tool in economics and show promise as a useful formalism to model multi-agent coalition formation in AI as well as group formation in social networks. We consider a coNP-complete problem of core membership checking in hedonic coalition formation games. No previous algorithms to tackle the problem have been presented. In this work, we overcome this by developing two stochastic local search algorithms for core membership checking in hedonic games. We demonstrate the usefulness of the algorithms by showing experimentally that they find solutions efficiently, particularly for large agent societies.

Emotions facilitate the communication of ambiguous group memberships.

Science.gov (United States)

Tskhay, Konstantin O; Rule, Nicholas O

2015-12-01

It is well known that emotions intersect with obvious social categories (e.g., race), influencing both how targets are categorized and the emotions that are read from their faces. Here, we examined the influence of emotional expression on the perception of less obvious group memberships for which, in the absence of obvious and stable physical markers, emotion may serve as a major avenue for group categorization and identification. Specifically, we examined whether emotions are embedded in the mental representations of sexual orientation and political affiliation, and whether people may use emotional expressions to communicate these group memberships to others. Using reverse correlation methods, we found that mental representations of gay and liberal faces were characterized by more positive facial expressions than mental representations of straight and conservative faces (Study 1). Furthermore, participants were evaluated as expressing more positive emotions when enacting self-defined "gay" and "liberal" versus "straight" and "conservative" facial expressions in the lab (Study 2). In addition, neutral faces morphed with happiness were perceived as more gay than when morphed with anger, and when compared to unmorphed controls (Study 3). Finally, we found that affect facilitated perceptions of sexual orientation and political affiliation in naturalistic settings (Study 4). Together, these studies suggest that emotion is a defining characteristic of person construal that people tend to use both when signaling their group memberships and when receiving those signals to categorize others. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

7 CFR 1c.107 - IRB membership.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... Office of the Secretary of Agriculture PROTECTION OF HUMAN SUBJECTS § 1c.107 IRB membership. (a) Each IRB... promote respect for its advice and counsel in safeguarding the rights and welfare of human subjects. In... knowledgeable about and experienced in working with these subjects. (b) Every nondiscriminatory effort will be...

Identifying desertification risk areas using fuzzy membership and geospatial technique - A case study, Kota District, Rajasthan

Science.gov (United States)

Dasgupta, Arunima; Sastry, K. L. N.; Dhinwa, P. S.; Rathore, V. S.; Nathawat, M. S.

2013-08-01

Desertification risk assessment is important in order to take proper measures for its prevention. Present research intends to identify the areas under risk of desertification along with their severity in terms of degradation in natural parameters. An integrated model with fuzzy membership analysis, fuzzy rule-based inference system and geospatial techniques was adopted, including five specific natural parameters namely slope, soil pH, soil depth, soil texture and NDVI. Individual parameters were classified according to their deviation from mean. Membership of each individual values to be in a certain class was derived using the normal probability density function of that class. Thus if a single class of a single parameter is with mean μ and standard deviation σ, the values falling beyond μ + 2 σ and μ - 2 σ are not representing that class, but a transitional zone between two subsequent classes. These are the most important areas in terms of degradation, as they have the lowest probability to be in a certain class, hence highest probability to be extended or narrowed down in next or previous class respectively. Eventually, these are the values which can be easily altered, under extrogenic influences, hence are identified as risk areas. The overall desertification risk is derived by incorporating the different risk severity of each parameter using fuzzy rule-based interference system in GIS environment. Multicriteria based geo-statistics are applied to locate the areas under different severity of desertification risk. The study revealed that in Kota, various anthropogenic pressures are accelerating land deterioration, coupled with natural erosive forces. Four major sources of desertification in Kota are, namely Gully and Ravine erosion, inappropriate mining practices, growing urbanization and random deforestation.

The role of delinquency, proactive aggression, psychopathy and behavioral school engagement in reported youth gang membership.

Science.gov (United States)

Ang, Rebecca P; Huan, Vivien S; Chan, Wei Teng; Cheong, Siew Ann; Leaw, Jia Ning

2015-06-01

Given the robust positive association between gangs and crime, a better understanding of factors related to reported youth gang membership is critical and especially since youth in gangs are a universal concern. The present study investigated the role of delinquency, proactive aggression, psychopathy and behavioral school engagement in reported youth gang membership using a large sample of 1027 Singapore adolescents. Results from logistic regression showed that delinquency, proactive aggression, and behavioral school engagement were statistically significant risk factors for reported youth gang membership, and that psychopathy was not related to reported gang membership. Implications for prevention and intervention work with respect to youth gang membership were discussed. In particular, strengthening students' engagement with school and meaningful school-related activities and developing supportive teacher-student relationships are particularly important in working with young people with respect to prevention work. Additionally, the present study's theoretical and empirical contributions were also discussed. Copyright © 2015 The Foundation for Professionals in Services for Adolescents. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

12 CFR 925.32 - Official membership insignia.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... the words “Member Federal Home Loan Bank System.” [58 FR 43542, Aug. 17, 1993. Redesignated at 61 FR... 12 Banks and Banking 7 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Official membership insignia. 925.32 Section 925.32 Banks and Banking FEDERAL HOUSING FINANCE BOARD FEDERAL HOME LOAN BANK MEMBERS AND HOUSING...

Membership Contests: Encountering Immigrant Youth in Finland

Science.gov (United States)

Harinen, Paivi; Suurpaa, Leena; Hoikkala, Tommi; Hautaniemi, Petri; Perho, Sini; Keskisalo, Anne-Mari; Kuure, Tapio; Kunnapuu, Krista

2005-01-01

This article discusses different aspects of social and societal membership, when minority groups of young immigrants living in Finland are under consideration. During its history, Finland has mainly been a country of emigration. In the 1990s the direction of moving turned to the contrary and the amount of immigrants in Finland increased relatively…

Identifying desertification risk areas using fuzzy membership and ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

An integrated model with fuzzy membership analysis, fuzzy rule- ... major sources of desertification in Kota are, namely Gully and Ravine erosion, inappropriate ... plant production, soil health and water quantity ..... fied for implementing preventive methods to check ...... Determination and management in soil physical proper-.

12 CFR 614.4267 - Professional association membership; competency.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

.... 614.4267 Section 614.4267 Banks and Banking FARM CREDIT ADMINISTRATION FARM CREDIT SYSTEM LOAN POLICIES AND OPERATIONS Collateral Evaluation Requirements § 614.4267 Professional association membership... real, personal, or intangible property taken as collateral in connection with extensions of credit must...

77 FR 42257 - General Conference Committee of the National Poultry Improvement Plan; Solicitation for Membership

Science.gov (United States)

2012-07-18

...] General Conference Committee of the National Poultry Improvement Plan; Solicitation for Membership AGENCY... regional membership for the General Conference Committee of the National Poultry Improvement Plan. DATES... INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. C. Stephen Roney, Senior Coordinator, National Poultry Improvement Plan, VS, APHIS...

Membership, binarity, and rotation of F-G-K stars in the open cluster Blanco 1

Science.gov (United States)

Mermilliod, J.-C.; Platais, I.; James, D. J.; Grenon, M.; Cargile, P. A.

2008-07-01

Context: The nearby open cluster Blanco 1 is of considerable astrophysical interest for formation and evolution studies of open clusters because it is the third highest Galactic latitude cluster known. It has been observed often, but so far no definitive and comprehensive membership determination is readily available. Aims: An observing programme was carried out to study the stellar population of Blanco 1, and especially the membership and binary frequency of the F5-K0 dwarfs. Methods: We obtained radial-velocities with the CORAVEL spectrograph in the field of Blanco 1 for a sample of 148 F-G-K candidate stars in the magnitude range 10 rate reaches 40% (27/68) if one includes the photometric binaries. The cluster mean heliocentric radial velocity is +5.53 ± 0.11 km s-1 based on the most reliable 49 members. The V sin i distribution is similar to that of the Pleiades, confirming the age similarities between the two clusters. Conclusions: This study clearly demonstrates that, in spite of the cluster's high Galactic latitude, three membership criteria - radial velocity, proper motion, and photometry - are necessary for performing a reliable membership selection. Furthermore, even with accurate and extensive data, ambiguous cases still remain. Based on observations collected with the Danish 1.54-m and the Swiss telescopes at the European Southern Observatory, La Silla, Chile, and with the old YALO 1-m telescope at the Cerro Tololo InterAmerican Observatory, Chile. Table [see full textsee full textsee full textsee full textsee full textsee full text] is also available in electronic form at the CDS via anonymous ftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/cgi-bin/qcat?J/A+A/485/95

Compensation to the pension fund for the reduction of the active membership

CERN Document Server

2002-01-01

Following the Council's approval of compensation to the Pension Fund for the reduction of the active membership between 1995 and 1997 at its meeting of 18 June 1998 (CERN/FC/4074-CERN/2241), the Governing Board proposes that the Finance Committee should recommend the Council to approve compensation of 16.1 MCHF for the reduction of the active membership between 1998 and 2000, which should be added to the amount owing to the Pension Fund at the end of 2001.

Membership to innovation platforms and gender in ownership of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Membership to innovation platforms and gender in ownership of productive assets in the savannas of west Africa. ... African Crop Science Journal ... inception of the project improved with participation in the innovations of the project, in terms of ...

78 FR 9629 - Irish Potatoes Grown in Colorado; Reestablishment of Membership on the Colorado Potato...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-02-11

... Service 7 CFR Part 948 [Doc. No. AMS-FV-12-0044; FV12-948-2 PR] Irish Potatoes Grown in Colorado; Reestablishment of Membership on the Colorado Potato Administrative Committee, Area No. 2 AGENCY: Agricultural... membership on the Colorado Potato Administrative Committee, Area No. 2 (Committee). The Committee locally...

10 YEARS AFTER NATO MEMBERSHIP

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

”10 years after NATO Membership. An Anniversary in the Shadow of a Crisis”, indeholder artikler fra politiske aktører, diplomater og forskere, der alle bidrog til til konferencen af samme navn, hvor den 10-året for baltisk medlemskab af NATO var omdrejningspunktet. Udover den danske...... forsvarsminister, er den estiske og litauiske forsvarsminister og NATO’s vicegeneralsekretær blandt bidragyderne. Konferencens formål var at fejre, inddrage og diskutere 10 års forsvarspolitisk NATO-samarbejde i Østersøområdet. Den internationale udvikling i Europa betød at konferencens dagsorden i stedet for kom...

Dynamic Output Feedback Robust Model Predictive Control via Zonotopic Set-Membership Estimation for Constrained Quasi-LPV Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xubin Ping

2015-01-01

Full Text Available For the quasi-linear parameter varying (quasi-LPV system with bounded disturbance, a synthesis approach of dynamic output feedback robust model predictive control (OFRMPC is investigated. The estimation error set is represented by a zonotope and refreshed by the zonotopic set-membership estimation method. By properly refreshing the estimation error set online, the bounds of true state at the next sampling time can be obtained. Furthermore, the feasibility of the main optimization problem at the next sampling time can be determined at the current time. A numerical example is given to illustrate the effectiveness of the approach.

The approach of political parties in Turkey to the membership of the European Union in the eyes of the youth

OpenAIRE

Hakan Samur

2007-01-01

Political parties are the representatives of interests and expectations in the society and the stance of political parties in relation to an issue critical for our society, such as membership of Turkey to the European Union is very important. The perceived image of political parties among people regarding that stance is also important to the same extent. Based on this understanding and moving from the results of a survey conducted among seniors from almost all of the faculties at Dice Univers...

Party Members in Context. Social networks and local branches as context for party membership

OpenAIRE

Paulis, Emilien

2018-01-01

In this doctoral dissertation, I put party members and activists back in context. I stress theimportance of two contextual dimensions, often overlooked in the scientific literature. On theone hand, I put forward social network explanations of party membership and activism,emphasizing the importance of social interactions, relations and structures, which were scarcelyexplored as potential triggers. Like other forms of participation, party membership haspredominantly been portrayed through indi...

A study on effect of world trade organization on Iran's membership on export of Iranian handmade carpet

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mansoureh Golmeymi

2013-10-01

Full Text Available World Trade Organization (WTO has been established to facilitate fringe trade in the world and there are many studies associated with the effect of WTO membership on export of various countries. This paper presents an empirical investigation to find the effect of WTO membership on export of Iranian handmade carpet. The survey uses insights from 80 experts who have at least ten years of related job experiences in carpet industry by performing an expletory and using descriptive and quantitative method for analyzing the data. The results of the survey indicate that Iran's membership in WTO will most likely reduce the sales price of handmade carpet. In addition, Iran's membership in WTO will increase scientific and professional power in handmade carpet. It will also help industry get more exposure into international market.

Analysing "Migrant" Membership Frames through Education Policy Discourse: An Example of Restrictive "Integration" Policy within Europe

Science.gov (United States)

Dubois-Shaik, Farah

2014-01-01

This article proposes combining discourse theory and perspectives on political membership developments in Western European societies. It combines theories and examples of policy discourses about "migrant integration" in the Swiss national context in the sphere of education. This examination aims to deconstruct specific membership framing…

Validation of the Spanish Version of the Psychological Sense of School Membership (PSSM) Scale in Chilean Adolescents and Its Association with School-Related Outcomes and Substance Use

Science.gov (United States)

Gaete, Jorge; Montero-Marin, Jesus; Rojas-Barahona, Cristian A.; Olivares, Esterbina; Araya, Ricardo

2016-01-01

School membership appears to be an important factor in explaining the relationship between students and schools, including school staff. School membership is associated with several school-related outcomes, such as academic performance and expectations. Most studies on school membership have been conducted in developed countries. The Psychological Sense of School Membership (PSSM) scale (18 items: 13 positively worded items, 5 negatively worded items) has been widely used to measure this construct, but no studies regarding its validity and reliability have been conducted in Spanish-speaking Latin American countries. This study investigates the psychometric properties, factor structure and reliability of this scale in a sample of 1250 early adolescents in Chile. Both exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses provide evidence of an excellent fit for a one-factor solution after removing the negatively worded items. The internal consistency of this new abbreviated version was 0.92. The association analyses demonstrated that high school membership was associated with better academic performance, stronger school bonding, a reduced likelihood of school misbehavior, and reduced likelihood of substance use. Analyses showed support for the reliability and validity of the PSSM among Chilean adolescents. PMID:27999554

Validation of the Spanish version of the Psychological Sense of School Membership Scale (PSSM in Chilean adolescents and its association with school-related outcomes and substance use

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jorge Gaete

2016-12-01

Full Text Available School membership appears to be an important factor in explaining the relationship between students and schools, including school staff. School membership is associated with several school-related outcomes, such as academic performance and expectations. Most studies on school membership have been conducted in developed countries. The Psychological Sense of School Membership (PSSM scale (18 items: 13 positively worded items, 5 negatively worded items has been widely used to measure this construct, but no studies regarding its validity and reliability have been conducted in Spanish-speaking Latin American countries. This study investigates the psychometric properties, factor structure and reliability of this scale in a sample of 1250 early adolescents in Chile. Both exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses provide evidence of an excellent fit for a one-factor solution after removing the negatively worded items. The internal consistency of this new abbreviated version was 0.92. The association analyses demonstrated that high school membership was associated with better academic performance, stronger school bonding, a reduced likelihood of school misbehavior and reduced likelihood of substance use. Analyses showed support for the reliability and validity of the PSSM among Chilean adolescents.

Refugees, nationalism, and political membership

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Signe Larsen

2012-09-01

Full Text Available This essay aims to understand how refugees present a problem for liberal nation-states. The point of departure is Arendt’s The Origins of Totalitarianism where she argues that the continual existence of refugees within liberal nation-states threatens to break down the principle of equality before the law thereby enabling the rise of police-states and totalitarianism. In light of this diagnosis, three of Arendt’s philosophical heirs—Giorgio Agamben, Seyla Benhabib and Peg Birmingham—argue that it is necessary to think political membership in different and broader terms than national citizenship if we are to avoid a new rise of totalitarianism.

Dynamic Output Feedback Robust MPC with Input Saturation Based on Zonotopic Set-Membership Estimation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xubin Ping

2016-01-01

Full Text Available For quasi-linear parameter varying (quasi-LPV systems with bounded disturbance, a synthesis approach of dynamic output feedback robust model predictive control (OFRMPC with the consideration of input saturation is investigated. The saturated dynamic output feedback controller is represented by a convex hull involving the actual dynamic output controller and an introduced auxiliary controller. By taking both the actual output feedback controller and the auxiliary controller with a parameter-dependent form, the main optimization problem can be formulated as convex optimization. The consideration of input saturation in the main optimization problem reduces the conservatism of dynamic output feedback controller design. The estimation error set and bounded disturbance are represented by zonotopes and refreshed by zonotopic set-membership estimation. Compared with the previous results, the proposed algorithm can not only guarantee the recursive feasibility of the optimization problem, but also improve the control performance at the cost of higher computational burden. A nonlinear continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR example is given to illustrate the effectiveness of the approach.

Set-membership fault detection under noisy environment with application to the detection of abnormal aircraft control surface positions

Science.gov (United States)

El Houda Thabet, Rihab; Combastel, Christophe; Raïssi, Tarek; Zolghadri, Ali

2015-09-01

The paper develops a set membership detection methodology which is applied to the detection of abnormal positions of aircraft control surfaces. Robust and early detection of such abnormal positions is an important issue for early system reconfiguration and overall optimisation of aircraft design. In order to improve fault sensitivity while ensuring a high level of robustness, the method combines a data-driven characterisation of noise and a model-driven approach based on interval prediction. The efficiency of the proposed methodology is illustrated through simulation results obtained based on data recorded in several flight scenarios of a highly representative aircraft benchmark.

Sex, Occupational Membership, and the Measurement of Psychological Androgyny.

Science.gov (United States)

Fitzgerald, Louise F.

This study examines the relationship of androgyny to occupational membership. It was hypothesized that: (1) persons in stereotypically masculine occupations would be characterized by high levels of masculininity; (2) workers in a typically feminine occupation would rate themselves as highly feminine; and (3) androgynous individuals would be…

Robust fault detection of linear systems using a computationally efficient set-membership method

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tabatabaeipour, Mojtaba; Bak, Thomas

2014-01-01

In this paper, a computationally efficient set-membership method for robust fault detection of linear systems is proposed. The method computes an interval outer-approximation of the output of the system that is consistent with the model, the bounds on noise and disturbance, and the past measureme...... is trivially parallelizable. The method is demonstrated for fault detection of a hydraulic pitch actuator of a wind turbine. We show the effectiveness of the proposed method by comparing our results with two zonotope-based set-membership methods....

Information Technology Strategies for Honor Society and Organization Membership Retention in Online Nursing Programs.

Science.gov (United States)

Hopkins, Emily E; Wasco, Jennifer J

Membership retention in an honor society or organization is of utmost importance for sustainability. However, retaining members in organizations that serve online education nursing students can be a challenging task. Understanding the importance of creating a sense of community to promote retention within an honor society chapter, nursing faculty at a small private university implemented different online approaches. This article highlights successful information technology strategies to promote membership retention in organizations for online nursing students.

Gang Membership and Drug Involvement: Untangling the Complex Relationship

Science.gov (United States)

Bjerregaard, Beth

2010-01-01

Previous research has consistently demonstrated a relationship between gang membership and involvement in illegal substances. In addition, researchers have noted that gang members are frequently more heavily involved in drug sales, which often lead to increases in violent behaviors. Most of this research, however, is either cross-sectional or…

78 FR 55244 - Senior Executive Service Performance Review Board; Membership

Science.gov (United States)

2013-09-10

... DEFENSE NUCLEAR FACILITIES SAFETY BOARD Senior Executive Service Performance Review Board... the membership of the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB) Senior Executive Service (SES... rating of a senior executive's performance, the executive's response, and the higher level official's...

78 FR 63275 - Senior Executive Service Performance Review Boards Membership

Science.gov (United States)

2013-10-23

... DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Office of the Secretary [Docket No. DOT-OST-2013-0184] Senior Executive Service Performance Review Boards Membership AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, Department of Transportation (DOT). ACTION: Notice of Performance Review Board (PRB) appointments. SUMMARY: DOT publishes the...

77 FR 43900 - Senior Executive Service Performance Review Boards Membership

Science.gov (United States)

2012-07-26

... DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Office of the Secretary [Docket No. DOT-OST-2012-0111] Senior Executive Service Performance Review Boards Membership AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, Department of Transportation (DOT). ACTION: Notice of Performance Review Board (PRB) appointments. SUMMARY: DOT publishes the...

76 FR 63986 - Senior Executive Service Performance Review Boards Membership

Science.gov (United States)

2011-10-14

... DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Office of the Secretary [Docket No. DOT-OST-2011-0188] Senior Executive Service Performance Review Boards Membership AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, Department of Transportation (DOT). ACTION: Notice of Performance Review Board (PRB) appointments. SUMMARY: DOT publishes the...

Functions of Aggression and Delinquency: The Moderating Role of Parent Criminality and Friends' Gang Membership.

Science.gov (United States)

Ang, Rebecca P; Huan, Vivien S; Li, Xiang; Chan, Wei Teng

2016-03-02

This study examined the relationships between two functions of aggression (i.e., reactive and proactive) and delinquency, including the moderating effects of parent criminality and friends' gang membership, in a sample of 1,027 Singaporean adolescents from Grade 7 to Grade 9, with age ranging from 12 to 19 years (M = 14.10, SD = 1.15). Findings suggested that both reactive aggression and proactive aggression significantly and positively predicted delinquency (after controlling for proactive aggression and reactive aggression, respectively), with proactive aggression being a stronger predictor. Friends' gang membership was found to moderate the relationship between reactive aggression and delinquency, and proactive aggression and delinquency, with stronger moderator effects for the latter. Those who were aggressive proactively and who had friends in a gang appear to be impacted most negatively with respect to delinquency. Parent criminality did not moderate these relationships. These findings highlight the need to effectively address the issues of child and adolescent aggression. Also, developing positive peer relations early is crucial for delinquency prevention. © The Author(s) 2016.

Trends in Female Authorships, Editorial Board Memberships, and Editorships in Educational Psychology Journals from 2003 to 2008

Science.gov (United States)

Fong, Carlton J.; Yoo, Julia H.; Jones, Sara J.; Torres, Laura G.; Decker, Mark Lowry

2009-01-01

Robinson, McKay, Katayama, and Fan ("Contemporary Educational Psychology," 23, 331-343, 1998) reported that women were underrepresented in terms of authorships, editorial board memberships, and editorships in the field of educational psychology based on membership trends. More recently, Evans, Hsieh, and Robinson ("Educational Psychology Review,"…

The Nearby, Young, Argus Association: Membership, Age, and Dusty Debris Disks

Science.gov (United States)

Zuckerman, Ben

2018-01-01

The Argus Association (AA) defined by Torres et al. (2008) is distinguished from other nearby young moving groups by virtue of its unusual Galactic U-velocity. As defined by Torres et al, their initial AA consisted of 35 members of the IC 2391 open cluster (~135 pc from Earth) and 29 “field members”, 15 of which are within 100 pc of Earth. The spectral types range from F through K with the exception of two M-type members of IC 2391. Zuckerman et al. (2011 & 2012) proposed 13 additional field members – 12 A-type and one F-type -- all of which lie within 80 pc of Earth. Additional AA members have been proposed, typically a few at a time, by other researchers. Deduced ages of the AA (via various techniques) lie, typically, between 40 and 60 Myr. Bell et al (2015) consider the membership and age of a subset of proposed AA stars via color-magnitude diagrams combined with a Bayesian analysis (following Malo et al 2013 & 2014). For the sample of AA stars that they considered, the group age, membership status of individual stars, and even the reality of a coeval moving group were in some doubt. The purpose of the present communication is to consider all proposed AA members – including the frequency of dusty debris disks -- in an attempt to bring some clarity to what is going on.

75 FR 59704 - Office of Management; Performance Review Board Membership

Science.gov (United States)

2010-09-28

... FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mary Beth Pultz, Director, Executive Resources Team, Human Resources Services... DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Management; Performance Review Board Membership AGENCY... Department of Education for 2010 is composed of career and non-career senior executives. The PRB reviews and...

78 FR 5516 - Senior Executive Service Performance Review Board Membership

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-25

... OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH REVIEW COMMISSION Senior Executive Service Performance Review Board Membership AGENCY: Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. ACTION: Annual notice. SUMMARY: Notice... established a Senior Executive Service PRB. The PRB reviews and evaluates the initial appraisal of a senior...

75 FR 14214 - Senior Executive Service Performance Review Board Membership

Science.gov (United States)

2010-03-24

... OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH REVIEW COMMISSION Senior Executive Service Performance Review Board Membership AGENCY: Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. ACTION: Annual notice. SUMMARY: Notice... established a Senior Executive Service PRB. The PRB reviews and evaluates the initial appraisal of a senior...

76 FR 39926 - Senior Executive Service Performance Review Board Membership

Science.gov (United States)

2011-07-07

... OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH REVIEW COMMISSION Senior Executive Service Performance Review Board Membership AGENCY: Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. ACTION: Annual notice. SUMMARY: Notice... established a Senior Executive Service PRB. The PRB reviews and evaluates the initial appraisal of a senior...

76 FR 81998 - Senior Executive Service Performance Review Board Membership

Science.gov (United States)

2011-12-29

... OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH REVIEW COMMISSION Senior Executive Service Performance Review Board Membership AGENCY: Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. ACTION: Annual notice. SUMMARY: Notice... established a Senior Executive Service PRB. The PRB reviews and evaluates the initial appraisal of a senior...

76 FR 57947 - Senior Executive Service Performance Review Board Membership

Science.gov (United States)

2011-09-19

... AND EFFICIENCY Senior Executive Service Performance Review Board Membership AGENCY: Council of the... of Personnel Management, each agency is required to establish one or more Senior Executive Service... appraisal of a senior executive's performance by the supervisor, along with any recommendations to the...

Association of nutrition club membership with markers of health: a cross sectional study.

Science.gov (United States)

Das, Sai Krupa; Vail, Taylor A; Lebrón-Torres, Namibia; Livingston, Kara A; Roberts, Susan B; Rogers, Gail T; Gilhooly, Cheryl H; Urban, Lorien E; Saltzman, Edward; McKeown, Nicola M; Folta, Sara C

2017-04-11

Nutrition clubs (NC) operate in community settings and provide members with nutrition education and meal replacements for weight management. NC are owned and operated by distributors of Herbalife products. There are over 6200 NC in the US, but there has been no independent assessment of the association of these NC with biomarkers of health. We conducted a cross-sectional pilot study to compare the health status of 100 NC members to 100 community-matched controls (CC) in the greater Boston area. Each CC was matched to a NC member for community of residence (zip code), age category, gender, BMI category, race/ethnicity, education level (category), and readiness to make health changes. Measures obtained included cardio-metabolic risk factors, body composition, markers of nutritional status, reported health status, dietary intake, physical activity, sleep and depression. Participants were predominantly female (64%) and Hispanic (73%). NC members had significantly lower fasting insulin (P Herbalife NC membership for themselves and their families. A higher percentage of NC members (86%) compared to CC (32%) reported being in much better or somewhat better health compared to a year ago (P Herbalife NC membership was positively associated with perceived health and measured cardiometabolic benefits. However, causality cannot be inferred from these findings.

2013 Membership Profile of the Financial Therapy Association: A Strategic Planning Report

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sarah Asebedo

2014-03-01

Full Text Available A second profile of the Financial Therapy Association (FTA membership was conducted to continue the development of financial therapy as a new area of practice and study. The FTA was established in 2010 as an effort to bring together practitioners and researchers from diverse disciplines to share in a common vision of financial therapy. This profile report depicts the demographic profile (e.g., age, education, gender, occupation, income and perspectives of members who participated in the survey commissioned by the FTA Strategic Planning Committee in 2013. The results of the membership profile survey highlight the future directions of and the challenges facing the FTA and the emerging area of financial therapy.

The Effects of Minimal Group Membership on Young Preschoolers’ Social Preferences, Estimates of Similarity, and Behavioral Attribution

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nadja Richter

2016-07-01

Full Text Available We investigate young children’s sensitivity to minimal group membership. Previous research has suggested that children do not show sensitivity to minimal cues to group membership until the age of five to six, contributing to claims that this is an important transition in the development of intergroup cognition and behavior. In this study, we investigated whether even younger children are sensitive to minimal cues to group membership. Random assignment to one of either of two color groups created a temporary, visually salient minimal group membership in 3 and 4-year-old study participants. Using explicit measures, we tested whether children preferred minimal group members when making social judgments. We find that, in the absence of any knowledge regarding the two groups, children expressed greater liking for ingroup than outgroup targets. Moreover, children estimated that ingroup members would share their preferences. Our findings demonstrate that from early in development, humans assess unknown others on the basis of minimal cues to social similarity and that the perception of group boundaries potentially underlies social assortment in strangers.

75 FR 31279 - Blueberry Promotion, Research, and Information Order; Increase Membership

Science.gov (United States)

2010-06-03

..., Advertising, Consumer information, Marketing agreements, Blueberry promotion, Reporting and recordkeeping... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Agricultural Marketing Service 7 CFR Part 1218 [Document Number AMS-FV-09-0022; FV-09-705] Blueberry Promotion, Research, and Information Order; Increase Membership AGENCY...

Amendment to the Agreement between CERN and the Republic of Cyprus concerning the granting of the status of Associate Membership as the pr-stage to Membership at CERN Extension of the deadline for internal approval of the agreement by the Republic of Cyprus

CERN Document Server

2015-01-01

Amendment to the Agreement between CERN and the Republic of Cyprus concerning the granting of the status of Associate Membership as the pr-stage to Membership at CERN Extension of the deadline for internal approval of the agreement by the Republic of Cyprus

Reconsidering Hispanic Gang Membership and Acculturation in a Multivariate Context

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, Holly Ventura; Barnes, J. C.; Hartley, Richard D.

2011-01-01

Previous qualitative research has suggested that Hispanic gang membership is linked to the process of acculturation. Specifically, studies have indicated that those who are less assimilated into mainstream American or "Anglo" society are at greater risk for joining gangs. Building on these observations, this study examines the relationship between…

Society Membership Profile: Employment Mobility and Career Change. AIP Report.

Science.gov (United States)

Porter, Beverly Fearn; Kellman, Dawn

Information on the influence of employment mobility and career change on the flexibility of the physics labor force is provided, noting the past several decades have brought a dramatic roller coaster of changes to the physics community. Five sections are as follows: membership composition (demographics, professional self-identification, and…

Memberships, Voting, Social Trust, and Online Participation in Emerging Adulthood

Science.gov (United States)

Menard, Lauren Ann; Slater, Robert O.

2012-01-01

American political and civic engagement was examined by life stage and educational attainment levels in 2008 political data. Engaged proportions of older Americans were larger than young Americans for Memberships, Voting, and Social Trust. A larger proportion of Young Adults (23%) than Older Adults (19%), however, was found for Online…

Polynomial fuzzy model-based control systems stability analysis and control synthesis using membership function dependent techniques

CERN Document Server

Lam, Hak-Keung

2016-01-01

This book presents recent research on the stability analysis of polynomial-fuzzy-model-based control systems where the concept of partially/imperfectly matched premises and membership-function dependent analysis are considered. The membership-function-dependent analysis offers a new research direction for fuzzy-model-based control systems by taking into account the characteristic and information of the membership functions in the stability analysis. The book presents on a research level the most recent and advanced research results, promotes the research of polynomial-fuzzy-model-based control systems, and provides theoretical support and point a research direction to postgraduate students and fellow researchers. Each chapter provides numerical examples to verify the analysis results, demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed polynomial fuzzy control schemes, and explain the design procedure. The book is comprehensively written enclosing detailed derivation steps and mathematical derivations also for read...

Which benefits and limits derive from ESA membership for European Countries owning ;medium-sized; space agencies?

Science.gov (United States)

Petroni, Giorgio; Bigliardi, Barbara; Galati, Francesco; Petroni, Alberto

2018-01-01

This study investigates the benefits and limits deriving from membership with ESA of six medium-sized space agencies in terms of strengthening and development (or not) of space technologies, as well as their contribution to the growth of productive activities and to the increase of services for citizens. This research contributes to the more general issue of the usefulness of space activities, not only for scientific or military-political purposes but also for economic and social development. Results show that, on the one hand, the membership with ESA has allowed smaller Countries to access space programs, to develop advanced technologies and to support the growth of their firms in some significant markets, but, on the other hand, the membership has also limited the access to space to few companies, without encouraging the broad dissemination of technological knowledge.

77 FR 66793 - Senior Executive Service: Membership of Performance Review Board

Science.gov (United States)

2012-11-07

... AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT Senior Executive Service: Membership of Performance Review Board ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: This notice lists approved candidates who will comprise a standing roster for service on the Agency's 2012 and 2013 SES Performance Review Boards. The Agency will use this...

Determining open cluster membership. A Bayesian framework for quantitative member classification

Science.gov (United States)

Stott, Jonathan J.

2018-01-01

Aims: My goal is to develop a quantitative algorithm for assessing open cluster membership probabilities. The algorithm is designed to work with single-epoch observations. In its simplest form, only one set of program images and one set of reference images are required. Methods: The algorithm is based on a two-stage joint astrometric and photometric assessment of cluster membership probabilities. The probabilities were computed within a Bayesian framework using any available prior information. Where possible, the algorithm emphasizes simplicity over mathematical sophistication. Results: The algorithm was implemented and tested against three observational fields using published survey data. M 67 and NGC 654 were selected as cluster examples while a third, cluster-free, field was used for the final test data set. The algorithm shows good quantitative agreement with the existing surveys and has a false-positive rate significantly lower than the astrometric or photometric methods used individually.

Are clusters of dietary patterns and cluster membership stable over time? Results of a longitudinal cluster analysis study.

Science.gov (United States)

Walthouwer, Michel Jean Louis; Oenema, Anke; Soetens, Katja; Lechner, Lilian; de Vries, Hein

2014-11-01

Developing nutrition education interventions based on clusters of dietary patterns can only be done adequately when it is clear if distinctive clusters of dietary patterns can be derived and reproduced over time, if cluster membership is stable, and if it is predictable which type of people belong to a certain cluster. Hence, this study aimed to: (1) identify clusters of dietary patterns among Dutch adults, (2) test the reproducibility of these clusters and stability of cluster membership over time, and (3) identify sociodemographic predictors of cluster membership and cluster transition. This study had a longitudinal design with online measurements at baseline (N=483) and 6 months follow-up (N=379). Dietary intake was assessed with a validated food frequency questionnaire. A hierarchical cluster analysis was performed, followed by a K-means cluster analysis. Multinomial logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify the sociodemographic predictors of cluster membership and cluster transition. At baseline and follow-up, a comparable three-cluster solution was derived, distinguishing a healthy, moderately healthy, and unhealthy dietary pattern. Male and lower educated participants were significantly more likely to have a less healthy dietary pattern. Further, 251 (66.2%) participants remained in the same cluster, 45 (11.9%) participants changed to an unhealthier cluster, and 83 (21.9%) participants shifted to a healthier cluster. Men and people living alone were significantly more likely to shift toward a less healthy dietary pattern. Distinctive clusters of dietary patterns can be derived. Yet, cluster membership is unstable and only few sociodemographic factors were associated with cluster membership and cluster transition. These findings imply that clusters based on dietary intake may not be suitable as a basis for nutrition education interventions. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Farklı Koalisyon Senaryolarına Bağlı Olarak Türkiye’nin Üyeliği Sonrası Avrupa Birliği’nde Oylama Gücü Dağılımı(Depending On Different Coalition Scenarios Voting Power Distribution In The European Union After Turkey’s Membership

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hatice Burcu ESKİCİ

2013-01-01

Full Text Available It is taken into consideration of the influence on voting power distribution of candidate countries’ European Union membership enlargement is one of the most important issue the for European Union. In this study, the impact of Turkey’s membership on voting power distribution is evaluated for coalition formation determined with hierarchical clustering methods, according to the acts adopted by the Council of the European Union and voting system brought by the Treaty of Lisbon. In the analysis, the effect of Turkey’s membership on voting power distribution is evaluated for four coalition formation determined with hierarchical clustering methods and Banzhaf power index, one of the most frequently used voting power measurement, is used for voting power analysis. Based on the results of the analysis, voting power distribution is affected by Turkey’s European Union membership for four coalition formation. When the Council does not act on a proposal from the Commission or the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, voting power distribution is not affected by Turkey’s membership for four coalition formation.

Design alternatives for process group membership and multicast

Science.gov (United States)

Birman, Kenneth P.; Cooper, Robert; Gleeson, Barry

1991-01-01

Process groups are a natural tool for distributed programming, and are increasingly important in distributed computing environments. However, there is little agreement on the most appropriate semantics for process group membership and group communication. These issues are of special importance in the Isis system, a toolkit for distributed programming. Isis supports several styles of process group, and a collection of group communication protocols spanning a range of atomicity and ordering properties. This flexibility makes Isis adaptable to a variety of applications, but is also a source of complexity that limits performance. This paper reports on a new architecture that arose from an effort to simplify Isis process group semantics. Our findings include a refined notion of how the clients of a group should be treated, what the properties of a multicast primitive should be when systems contain large numbers of overlapping groups, and a new construct called the casuality domain. As an illustration, we apply the architecture to the problem of converting processes into fault-tolerant process groups in a manner that is 'transparent' to other processes in the system.

76 FR 50328 - Request for Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee Membership Applications

Science.gov (United States)

2011-08-12

... Membership Applications SUMMARY: Pursuant to United States Code, Title 31, section 5135(b), the United States... skills, abilities, talents, and credentials to support their applications. The United States Mint is also.... 2011-20474 Filed 8-11-11; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4810-02-P ...

78 FR 10104 - Watermelon Research and Promotion Plan; Importer Membership Requirements

Science.gov (United States)

2013-02-13

..., advertising, and promotion designed to strengthen the watermelon's position in the market place and to... Service 7 CFR Part 1210 [Document Number AMS-FV-11-0031] Watermelon Research and Promotion Plan; Importer... rule proposes to amend the Watermelon Research and Promotion Plan (Plan) importer membership...

The Benefits of FFA Membership as Part of Agricultural Education

Science.gov (United States)

Rose, Chelsea; Stephens, Carrie A.; Stripling, Christopher; Cross, Tim; Sanok, Danielle E.; Brawner, Shelby

2016-01-01

The study sought to identify the benefits of FFA membership based on the fulfillment of three basic human needs: love and belonging, self-esteem, and self-actualization. The study focused on the fulfillment of FFA members' basic human needs as defined by Abraham Maslow. The three needs on which this study focused are: love and belonging,…

Low Membership in Czech Political Parties: Party Strategy or Structural Determinants?

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Linek, Lukáš; Pecháček, Š.

2007-01-01

Roč. 23, č. 2 (2007), s. 259-275 ISSN 1352-3279 R&D Projects: GA MPS 1J004/04-DP1 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z70280505 Keywords : political parties * party membership * antiparty sentiments * party organization Subject RIV: AD - Politology ; Political Sciences

Comparative study on membership legislation in Canadian and Chinese agricultural co-operative laws

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

CHU Zhihong; GUO Xiangyu

2007-01-01

For centuries, groups of people desiring to supply themselves with goods, to market their products, or to obtain services of various kinds on a co-operative basis, have made increasing use of co-operative associations to achieve these purposes. During the period, legislation designed especially for the incorporation and conduct of such associations has been enacted by different counties.Since a co-operative is established and carried on by and for the use of its members, this essay makes a comparison between Canadian and Chinese co-operative laws in terms of membership in the aspects of qualifications, rights and obligations and withdrawal of membership, so as to probe the function of co-operative legislation and find some enlightment from it.

76 FR 16655 - Request for Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee Membership Applications

Science.gov (United States)

2011-03-24

... Membership Applications SUMMARY: Pursuant to United States Code, Title 31, section 5135(b), the United States..., abilities, talents, and credentials to support their applications. The United States Mint is also interested... Mint. [FR Doc. 2011-6962 Filed 3-23-11; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4810-02-P ...

77 FR 71793 - Notice of Senior Executive Service Performance Review Board Membership

Science.gov (United States)

2012-12-04

..., Resources, and Technology, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, 540 Gaither Road, Suite 4010... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Notice of Senior Executive Service Performance Review Board Membership The Agency for Healthcare Research and...

76 FR 64948 - Notice of Senior Executive Service Performance Review Board Membership

Science.gov (United States)

2011-10-19

..., Accountability, Resources, and Technology, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, 540 Gaither Road, Suite... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Notice of Senior Executive Service Performance Review Board Membership The Agency for Healthcare Research and...

Estimating group size: effects of category membership, differential construal and selective exposure

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bosveld, W.; Koomen, W.; van der Pligt, J.

1996-01-01

Examined the role of category membership, differential construal, and selective exposure in consensus estimation concerning the social categorization of religion. 54 involved and less involved Christians and 40 non-believers were asked to estimate the percentage of Christians in the Netherlands

Education for the Rights and Responsibilities of Trade Union Membership.

Science.gov (United States)

World Confederation of Organizations of the Teaching Profession, Morges (Switzerland).

It is vitally important for workers in all regions of the world to form unions and to exercise the rights and discharge the responsibilities which membership involves. The right to organize or join a union is essential not only for the welfare of the individual worker, or for all of those belonging to the union, but also for the welfare of society…

Density Estimation in Several Populations With Uncertain Population Membership

KAUST Repository

Ma, Yanyuan

2011-09-01

We devise methods to estimate probability density functions of several populations using observations with uncertain population membership, meaning from which population an observation comes is unknown. The probability of an observation being sampled from any given population can be calculated. We develop general estimation procedures and bandwidth selection methods for our setting. We establish large-sample properties and study finite-sample performance using simulation studies. We illustrate our methods with data from a nutrition study.

Group membership and social identity in addiction recovery.

Science.gov (United States)

Buckingham, Sarah A; Frings, Daniel; Albery, Ian P

2013-12-01

Despite a growing interest in how group membership can positively impact health, little research has addressed directly the role social identity processes can have on recovery from addiction. Drawing on social identity theory and self-categorization theory, the present study investigated how recovery group membership can introduce a new social identity associated with recovery, compared to the social identity associated with addiction. We hypothesized that two processes--evaluative differentiation and identity preference--would be linked with higher self-efficacy and positive health outcomes (i.e., reduced relapse, lower levels of appetitive behavior, and elevated feelings of social connectedness [Study 2]). Study 1 recruited members (N = 61) from United Kingdom based mutual aid groups of Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous. Study 2 recruited ex-smokers (N = 81) from online sources. In Study 1, evaluative differentiation was significantly related to lowered relapse and reduced appetitive behavior. Identity preference was related to higher levels of self-efficacy, which was related to months drug-free and reduced levels of appetitive behaviors. In Study 2, evaluative differentiation was related to identity preference. Identity preference was also related to higher self-efficacy, which in turn was related to lower relapse. Although exploratory, these results suggest that developing a social identity as a "recovering addict" or an "ex-smoker" and subsequently highlighting the difference between such identities may be a useful strategy for reducing relapse among people with problems associated with addictive behaviors. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved.

Is Multiple Team Membership a Challenge or a Hindrance for Individual Employees?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van de Brake, Hendrik; Walter, Frank; Rink, Floor; Essens, Peter; van der Vegt, Gerben S.

Many employees in today’s organizations are concurrently involved in more than one team at the same time. This study investigates the individual-level relationships between such multiple team memberships (MTM) and employees’ wellbeing and job performance. Building on the challenge-hindrance stressor

Credit Scoring by Fuzzy Support Vector Machines with a Novel Membership Function

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jian Shi

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Due to the recent financial crisis and European debt crisis, credit risk evaluation has become an increasingly important issue for financial institutions. Reliable credit scoring models are crucial for commercial banks to evaluate the financial performance of clients and have been widely studied in the fields of statistics and machine learning. In this paper a novel fuzzy support vector machine (SVM credit scoring model is proposed for credit risk analysis, in which fuzzy membership is adopted to indicate different contribution of each input point to the learning of SVM classification hyperplane. Considering the methodological consistency, support vector data description (SVDD is introduced to construct the fuzzy membership function and to reduce the effect of outliers and noises. The SVDD-based fuzzy SVM model is tested against the traditional fuzzy SVM on two real-world datasets and the research results confirm the effectiveness of the presented method.

Communication of 30 September 1996 received from the resident representatives of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, and Slovenia to the International Atomic Energy Agency

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1996-01-01

The document reproduces the text of a letter dated 29 august 1996 received on 4 September 1996 by the Director General of IAEA from the Resident Representatives of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, and Slovenia regarding certain references to 'Yugoslavia' and 'the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro)' in the Annual Report for 1995 in connection with Agency membership and participation in international treaties which was distributed in document GC(40)/INF/10. The text of the Director General's reply dated 17 September 1996 to that letter, and the text of a new letter dated 30 September 1996 received on 9 October 1996 by the Director General from the same Resident Representatives referring to the Director General's letter of 17 September are also included

Predicting disease Risk by Transformation Models in the Presence of Unspecified Subgroup Membership.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Qianqian; Ma, Yanyuan; Wang, Yuanjia

2017-10-01

Some biomedical studies lead to mixture data. When a discrete covariate defining subgroup membership is missing for some of the subjects in a study, the distribution of the outcome follows a mixture distribution of the subgroup-specific distributions. Taking into account the uncertain distribution of the group membership and the covariates, we model the relation between the disease onset time and the covariates through transformation models in each sub-population, and develop a nonparametric maximum likelihood based estimation implemented through EM algorithm along with its inference procedure. We further propose methods to identify the covariates that have different effects or common effects in distinct populations, which enables parsimonious modeling and better understanding of the difference across populations. The methods are illustrated through extensive simulation studies and a real data example.

Secession and EU Membership - Is an EU member state secessionist territory automatically within EU after archiving its independence or have to reapply for membership?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Spiro Paço

2015-07-01

To answer to this question I will analyses the possible past experiences in secessionist territory getting membership in international organization like UN. The Vienna Convention on Succession of States in Respect of Treaties is a good material to use in case of succession but the fact that is not in force and not signed by the greatest part of EU member state make it only advisory and not binding.

Inequality and union membership: the influence of relative earnings and inequality attitudes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Checchi, D.; Visser, J.; van de Werfhorst, H.G.

2010-01-01

Using surveys from the International Social Survey Programme covering the period 1985-2002 for seven European countries (West and East Germany, Sweden, Norway, Italy, the Netherlands and Great Britain), we examine the effect of relative earnings on union membership and show that union density is

Justice, fairness, and membership in a class: conceptual confusions and moral puzzles in the regulation of human subjects research.

Science.gov (United States)

Iltis, Ana S

2011-01-01

This essay examines conceptual difficulties with one of the ways in which justice has been understood and applied the ethical and regulatory review of human research. Justice requires the fair distribution of the benefits and burdens of research. Class membership is seen as justifying inclusion in higher hazard-no benefit research from which members of potentially vulnerable classes, such as children, typically would be excluded. I argue that class membership does not do the justificatory work it is thought to do and that the use of class membership to justify inclusion in higher hazard-no benefit research leads to unjustified discrimination of sick children and offers special protections to healthy children. © 2011 American Society of Law, Medicine & Ethics, Inc.

Turkey’s Population Dynamics As A Candidate Country For EU Membership

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Harun Uçak

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Literally, it has been accepted that one of the major obstacles to Turkey’s EU membership is in population term. There has not been any enlargement process as large as Turkey’s population as a single state in EU history before. The enlargement in 2004 which includes 10 states involved 74 million people as whole member states while Turkey’s population is 72 million inhabitants in 2007 data which is only lower than Germany’s population in all EU member states. Thus, Turkey's accession would be different from previous enlargements because of the combined impact of high population. This study compares the population dynamics, working conditions, minimum wage rates and main macroeconomic indicators between Turkey and EU member states. Turkey has young generations compared to EU countries. In the comparison of age groups proportion in total population, 0-19 age group %21,9 in EU 27 and %36,5 in Turkey, 20-39 age group is %28 in EU 27 and %34,3 in Turkey, 40-59 age group is %27,9 in EU and %20,9 in Turkey, 60 and above age group is %22,1 in EU and %9,5 in Turkey. Thus, population dynamics of Turkey could make a contribution to offsetting the ageing of EU 27 societies if the membership would occur in the future. However, minimum wage rates in Turkey are lower than many EU member states but generally higher than EU member states located in Central and Eastern Europe. Thus, immigration possibilities from Turkey can be expected to Western European Countries, but not the same direction to Central and Eastern Europe Countries. Furthermore, the process in macroeconomic indicators will be a determinant in immigration expectations while Turkey’s GDP has been grown faster than EU level recently.

Fuzzy optimization of primal-dual pair using piecewise linear membership functions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pandey D.

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Present paper improves the model of Bector and Chandra [Fuzzy Sets and Systems, 125 (2002 317-325] on duality in fuzzy linear programming by using non-linear membership functions. Numerical problem discussed by these authors has also been worked out through our non-linear model to demonstrate improved optimality of the results.

Set-membership estimations for the evolution of infectious diseases in heterogeneous populations.

Science.gov (United States)

Tsachev, Tsvetomir; Veliov, Vladimir M; Widder, Andreas

2017-04-01

The paper presents an approach for set-membership estimation of the state of a heterogeneous population in which an infectious disease is spreading. The population state may consist of susceptible, infected, recovered, etc. groups, where the individuals are heterogeneous with respect to traits, relevant to the particular disease. Set-membership estimations in this context are reasonable, since only vague information about the distribution of the population along the space of heterogeneity is available in practice. The presented approach comprises adapted versions of methods which are known in estimation and control theory, and involve solving parametrized families of optimization problems. Since the models of disease spreading in heterogeneous populations involve distributed systems (with non-local dynamics and endogenous boundary conditions), these problems are non-standard. The paper develops the needed theoretical instruments and a solution scheme. SI and SIR models of epidemic diseases are considered as case studies and the results reveal qualitative properties that may be of interest.

Measuring the influence of industry sector membership on supply chain disruption reporting.

Science.gov (United States)

Alcantara, Patrick

2015-01-01

The global Supply Chain Resilience Survey by the Business Continuity Institute and Zurich Insurance is a comprehensive study on the state of supply chains in different organisations worldwide. As a benchmarking tool, it also contains data about business continuity arrangements in place to ensure supply chain resilience. Given this study's historically qualitative approach to reporting, this paper aims to introduce quantitative analysis. In this paper, responses that report membership in Standard Industrial Classification 2007 industry sectors from the 2013 Supply Chain Resilience Survey were disaggregated and related to supply chain disruption reporting. A chi-square test of independence reveals that membership in a particular industry sector influences reporting of supply chain disruption. Nonetheless, the relationship between these variables is weak. This study demonstrates interesting differences between industry sectors in terms of supply chain resilience. Further research is required in terms of other variables in order to provide granularity and relevant findings to supply chain planners.

Distinguishing Family from Friends : Implicit Cognitive Differences Regarding General Dispositions, Attitude Similarity, and Group Membership.

Science.gov (United States)

O'Gorman, Rick; Roberts, Ruth

2017-09-01

Kinship and friendship are key human relationships. Increasingly, data suggest that people are not less altruistic toward friends than close kin. Some accounts suggest that psychologically we do not distinguish between them; countering this is evidence that kinship provides a unique explanatory factor. Using the Implicit Association Test, we examined how people implicitly think about close friends versus close kin in three contexts. In Experiment 1, we examined generic attitudinal dispositions toward friends and family. In Experiment 2, attitude similarity as a marker of family and friends was examined, and in Experiments 3 and 4, strength of in-group membership for family and friends was examined. Findings show that differences exist in implicit cognitive associations toward family and friends. There is some evidence that people hold more positive general dispositions toward friends, associate attitude similarity more with friends, consider family as more representative of the in-group than friends, but see friends as more in-group than distant kin.

Ethnicity and Occupational Pension Membership in the UK

Science.gov (United States)

2015-01-01

Abstract Reflecting a relatively low‐value Basic State Pension, occupational pensions have historically been a key aspect of pension protection within Britain. Existing research shows that minority ethnic groups are less likely to benefit from such pensions and are more likely to face poverty in later life, as a result of the interaction of their labour market participation and pension membership patterns. However, the lack of adequate data on ethnic minorities has so far prevented the direct comparison of different ethnic groups, as well as their comparison to the White British group. Using data from the UK Household Longitudinal Study, this article explores patterns of employment and the odds ratios of membership in an employer's pension scheme among working‐age individuals from minority ethnic groups and the White British population, taking into account factors not used by previous research, such as one's migration history and sector of employment (public/private). The analysis provides new empirical evidence confirming that ethnicity remains a strong determinant of one's pension protection prospects through being in paid work, being an employee and working for an employer who offers a pension scheme. However, once an individual is working for an employer offering a pension scheme, the effect of ethnicity on that person's odds of being a member of that scheme reduces, except among Pakistani and Bangladeshi individuals for whom the differentials remain. The article also provides evidence on the pension protection of Polish individuals, a relatively ‘new’ minority group in the UK. PMID:27563161

What factors facilitate the engagement with flipped classrooms used in the preparation for postgraduate medical membership examinations?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jesurasa A

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Amrita Jesurasa, Kelly Mackenzie, Hannah Jordan, Elizabeth C Goyder School of Health and Related Research (ScHARR, University of Sheffield, Regent Court, Sheffield, UK Background: The “flipped classroom,” a pedagogical model where typical lecture and homework elements are reversed, is being advocated in medical education to support the teaching of a large curriculum. However, research into the use of this model in postgraduate medical education, which requires the application of acquired knowledge, is limited. The aim of this study was to explore the barriers and facilitators to engagement with the flipped classroom model in preparation for the written element of postgraduate membership examinations. Methods: Three focus groups (n=14 were held between February and June 2016. Participants were drawn from a membership examination preparation course, run by the University of Sheffield. Two of the groups (n=10 involved “students” (public health registrars while the other focus group (n=4 was held with “tutors” (experienced registrars and consultants. The focus groups were audiorecorded and transcribed verbatim. Transcripts were thematically analyzed by using both predetermined and emergent themes. Results: Key themes that emerged from the data included variation in learning and teaching styles of individuals as well as the feasibility and flexibility of the overall course design. However, management of students’ expectations was found to be the fundamental factor, which underpinned the engagement. Conclusion: The complex interaction of factors affecting engagement in this study highlights the need to consider the appropriateness of the flipped classroom model. However, this must be balanced by the potential benefits of the approach for delivering a large curriculum. Recognizing the central importance of managing expectations at the outset would be useful when considering this model in postgraduate medical education. Keywords

Exploring Mixed Membership Stochastic Block Models via Non-negative Matrix Factorization

KAUST Repository

Peng, Chengbin

2014-12-01

Many real-world phenomena can be modeled by networks in which entities and connections are represented by nodes and edges respectively. When certain nodes are highly connected with each other, those nodes forms a cluster, which is called community in our context. It is usually assumed that each node belongs to one community only, but evidences in biology and social networks reveal that the communities often overlap with each other. In other words, one node can probably belong to multiple communities. In light of that, mixed membership stochastic block models (MMB) have been developed to model those networks with overlapping communities. Such a model contains three matrices: two incidence matrices indicating in and out connections and one probability matrix. When the probability of connections for nodes between communities are significantly small, the parameter inference problem to this model can be solved by a constrained non-negative matrix factorization (NMF) algorithm. In this paper, we explore the connection between the two models and propose an algorithm based on NMF to infer the parameters of MMB. The proposed algorithms can detect overlapping communities regardless of knowing or not the number of communities. Experiments show that our algorithm can achieve a better community detection performance than the traditional NMF algorithm. © 2014 IEEE.

Democracy predicts sport and recreation membership: Insights from 52 countries

OpenAIRE

Balish, Shea M.

2017-01-01

Although evidence suggests sport and recreation are powerful contributors to worldwide public health, sizable gender differences persist. It is unknown whether country characteristics moderate gender differences across countries. The primary purpose of this study was to examine if countries’ levels of democracy and/or gender inequality moderate gender differences in sport and recreation membership across countries. The secondary purpose was to examine if democracy and/or gender inequality pre...

A MIT-Based Nonlinear Adaptive Set-Membership Filter for the Ellipsoidal Estimation of Mobile Robots' States

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dalei Song

2012-10-01

Full Text Available The adaptive extended set-membership filter (AESMF for nonlinear ellipsoidal estimation suffers a mismatch between real process noise and its set boundaries, which may result in unstable estimation. In this paper, a MIT method-based adaptive set-membership filter, for the optimization of the set boundaries of process noise, is developed and applied to the nonlinear joint estimation of both time-varying states and parameters. As a result of using the proposed MIT-AESMF, the estimation effectiveness and boundary accuracy of traditional AESMF are substantially improved. Simulation results have shown the efficiency and robustness of the proposed method.

A qualitative study of the perceived value of membership in The Oley Foundation by home parenteral and enteral nutrition consumers.

Science.gov (United States)

Chopy, Katelyn; Winkler, Marion; Schwartz-Barcott, Donna; Melanson, Kathleen; Greene, Geoffrey

2015-05-01

Support and educational organizations have been shown to improve quality of life of consumers of home nutrition support. One such organization, The Oley Foundation, offers resources for the home parenteral and enteral nutrition (HPEN) consumer. While research has shown proven benefits to HPEN consumers affiliated with The Oley Foundation, no studies have investigated the perceived value of membership to the consumer or the way in which consumers are introduced to the organization. Qualitative methodology was used to gain a deeper understanding of the perceived value of membership in The Oley Foundation. Audiotaped, in-depth, semistructured telephone interviews were conducted to explore participants' experiences with The Oley Foundation and HPEN. Inductive content analysis was used to analyze data and identify themes associated with membership value. The value of The Oley Foundation lies in programs and resources and the competency, inspiration, normalcy, and advocacy gained from membership, helping individuals adjust to life with HPEN dependency. More than half of participants found the organization through self-initiated Internet searches, but all participants clearly expressed the desire "I wish I knew about it sooner." This study identifies the value of membership in The Oley Foundation and the important role the organization has in the lives of HPEN-dependent consumers. Nutrition support clinicians should introduce the organization to patients when the need for HPEN is established and prior to hospital discharge. © 2014 American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition.

Social Customs and Trade Union Membership

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ibsen, Christian Lyhne; Toubøl, Jonas; Jensen, Daniel Sparwath

2017-01-01

In this article, we investigate the effect of social customs on one of the most important instances of collective action, namely, workers uniting in trade unions. Although many studies have used social custom theory to explain unionization, existing studies have not adequately analysed social...... customs at the workplace. Using workplace union density as a proxy for social custom, this analysis improves existing studies in a number of ways. First, multi-level analyses of a large panel data set from Denmark reveal that there is a significant positive effect of workplace union density...... in unionization are required to create self-sustaining social customs for union membership. Thirdly, we test the acceleration using segmented regression analysis and find a significant acceleration around 45–65 per cent workplace union density. In the conclusion, we discuss the implications of our study...

Fraternity Membership and Sexual Aggression: An Examination of Mediators of the Association

Science.gov (United States)

Kingree, Jeffrey B.; Thompson, Martie P.

2013-01-01

Objective: This prospective study examined attitudes (ie, hostility toward women, acceptance of rape myths), peer influences (ie, peer pressure to have sex, peer approval of forced sex), and risky behaviors (ie, high-risk alcohol use, number of sexual partners) as possible mediators of the association between fraternity membership and sexual…

Heterogeneous trade agreements, WTO membership and international trade : an analysis using matching econometrics

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kohl, Tristan; Trojanowska, Sofia

2015-01-01

This article explores the heterogeneous effects of trade agreements (TAs) and World Trade Organization (WTO) membership on the volume of international trade. We extend Baier and Bergstrand’s (2009a) application of matching econometrics by distinguishing between different types of TAs and WTO

78 FR 66384 - Membership of the Merit Systems Protection Board's Performance Review Board

Science.gov (United States)

2013-11-05

... MERIT SYSTEMS PROTECTION BOARD Membership of the Merit Systems Protection Board's Performance Review Board AGENCY: Merit Systems Protection Board. ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given of the members of the Merit Systems Protection Board's Performance Review Board. DATES: November 5, 2013...

Handling membership dynamicity in service composition for ubiquitous computing

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brønsted, Jeppe Rørbæk; Hansen, Klaus Marius

2008-01-01

. A proposed solution is to use a service oriented architecture and implement applications as composite services. As long as the set of services that constitute the composite is static, traditional techniques can be used to specify the composite. In this paper we show how the PalCom service composition...... language can be extended to support service composites with dynamic membership and present a decentralized implementation. Preliminary user studies indicate that the extensions are easily understandable and simulations of application scenarios show that the performance of the implementation is appropriate...

Young Children’s Motor Interference is Influenced by Novel Group Membership

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Johanna Elizabeth van Schaik

2016-03-01

Full Text Available From early childhood onwards, individuals use behavior copying to communicate liking and belonging. This nonverbal signal of affiliation is especially relevant in the context of social groups and indeed both children and adults copy in-group more than out-group members. Given the societal importance of inter-group interactions, it is imperative to understand the mechanistic level at which group modulations of copying occur early in development. The current study was designed to investigate the effect of novel group membership on young children’s motor behavior during a simultaneous movement-observation and -execution task. Four- to six-year-olds (n = 65 first gained membership to one of two novel groups based on their color preference and put on a vest in their chosen color. Subsequently, they were instructed to draw a straight line back-and-forth on a tablet computer that was concurrently displaying a stimulus video in which a model moved her arm congruently or incongruently to the child’s instructed direction. In half of the stimulus videos the model belonged to the in-group, while in the other half the model belonged to the out-group, as identified by the color of her dress. The deviations into the uninstructed direction of the children’s drawings were quantified as a measure of how much observing the models’ behaviors interfered with executing their own behaviors. The motor interference effect, namely higher deviations in the incongruent trials than in the congruent trials, was found only for the out-group condition. An additional manipulation of whether the models’ arms followed a biological or non-biological velocity profile had little effect on children’s motor interference. The results are interpreted in the context of the explicit coordinative nature of the task as an effect of heightened attention towards interacting with an out-group member. This study demonstrates that already during early childhood, novel group

Voluntary Association Membership and Social Cleavages: A Micro-Macro Link in Generalized Trust

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Chan-ung; Subramanian, S. V.

2012-01-01

Generalized trust varies across individuals and countries. Past studies on trust have demonstrated that voluntary association membership, inequality and ethnic homogeneity at country level are important. However, those studies examined either individual-level or country-level factors separately. In this paper, we conceptualized the emergence of…

76 FR 7807 - National Wildlife Services Advisory Committee; Notice of Solicitation for Membership

Science.gov (United States)

2011-02-11

... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service [Docket No. APHIS-2010-0060... Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA. ACTION: Notice of solicitation for membership. SUMMARY: We are... minorities, women, and persons with disabilities. Done in Washington, DC this 7th day of February 2011. Kevin...

Bounded mirroring: joint action and group membership in political theory and cognitive neuroscience

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Keestra, M.; Vander Valk, F.

2012-01-01

A crucial socio-political challenge for our age is how to redefine or extend group membership in such a way that it adequately responds to phenomena related to globalization like the prevalence of migration, the transformation of family and social networks, and changes in the position of the nation

Time Perspective and School Membership as Correlates to Academic Achievement among African American Adolescents

Science.gov (United States)

Adelabu, Detris Honora

2007-01-01

This study examined the relationship of academic achievement to time perspective (future, present) and school membership (belonging, acceptance, rejection) among 232 low-income, urban African American adolescents. Findings indicated positive, significant relationships among academic achievement, future time perspective, school belonging, and…

Characterizing the avian gut microbiota: membership, driving influences, and potential function.

Science.gov (United States)

Waite, David W; Taylor, Michael W

2014-01-01

Birds represent a diverse and evolutionarily successful lineage, occupying a wide range of niches throughout the world. Like all vertebrates, avians harbor diverse communities of microorganisms within their guts, which collectively fulfill important roles in providing the host with nutrition and protection from pathogens. Although many studies have investigated the role of particular microbes in the guts of avian species, there has been no attempt to unify the results of previous, sequence-based studies to examine the factors that shape the avian gut microbiota as a whole. In this study, we present the first meta-analysis of the avian gut microbiota, using 16S rRNA gene sequences obtained from a range of publicly available clone-library and amplicon pyrosequencing data. We investigate community membership and structure, as well as probe the roles of some of the key biological factors that influence the gut microbiota of other vertebrates, such as host phylogeny, location within the gut, diet, and association with humans. Our results indicate that, across avian studies, the microbiota demonstrates a similar phylum-level composition to that of mammals. Host bird species is the most important factor in determining community composition, although sampling site, diet, and captivity status also contribute. These analyses provide a first integrated look at the composition of the avian microbiota, and serve as a foundation for future studies in this area.

Characterising the avian gut microbiota: membership, driving influences and potential function

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David eWaite

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Birds represent a diverse and evolutionarily successful lineage, occupying a wide range of niches throughout the world. Like all vertebrates, avians harbour diverse communities of microorganisms within their guts, which collectively fulfil important roles in providing the host with nutrition and protection from pathogens. Although many studies have investigated the role of particular microbes in the guts of avian species, there has been no attempt to unify the results of previous, sequence-based studies to examine the factors that shape the avian gut microbiota as a whole. In this study, we present the first meta-analysis of the avian gut microbiota, using 16S rRNA gene sequences obtained from a range of publicly available clone-library and amplicon pyrosequencing data. We investigate community membership and structure, as well as probe the roles of some of the key biological factors that influence the gut microbiota of other vertebrates, such as host phylogeny, location within the gut, diet and association with humans. Our results indicate that, across avian studies, the microbiota demonstrates a similar phylum-level composition to that of mammals. Host bird species is the most important factor in determining community composition, although sampling site, diet and captivity status also contribute. These analyses provide a first integrated look at the composition of the avian microbiota, and serve as a foundation for future studies in this area.

Associations between school violence, military connection, and gang membership in California secondary schools.

Science.gov (United States)

Estrada, Joey Nuñez; Gilreath, Tamika D; Sanchez, Cathia Y; Astor, Ron Avi

2017-01-01

Recent studies have found that military-connected students confront many challenges-such as secondary traumatization-that may stem from a parent's deployment and frequent relocations. It is possible that multiple moves and deployments of family service members are associated with military-connected students' gang membership and involvement with school violence behaviors. In this study, a total of 13,484 students completed the core and military modules of the California Healthy Kids Survey. Logistic regressions examined the odds of a student being a member of a gang given their grade, gender, race/ethnicity, school violence behaviors, military-connectedness, changes in schools, and familial deployments. Results indicated that of the nearly 8% of students sampled who reported being in a gang, those with a parent or sibling currently serving in the military reported a higher prevalence rate of gang membership than students with no military connection. Students who reported being in fights or carrying weapons to school were at least twice more likely to be a gang member than students who reported not having been in fights or carrying weapons. Changing schools 4 or more times in a 5-year period and experiencing at least 1 familial deployment were also associated with an increased likelihood of gang membership. The findings of this study offer incentive to further explicate the gang and school violence experiences of military-connected students. This study supports schools in understanding the characteristics of the military-connected students and families they serve so they can implement appropriate interventions to curb gang and school violence behaviors. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

An empirical study on the effect of WTO membership on Iranian Handicraft industry: A case study of Persian carpet

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zahra Shirzour Aliabadi

2013-05-01

Full Text Available The world Trade Organization (WTO is one of the few organizations, which could significantly influence on foreign trade and consequently on the economic structure of the countries. There are literally different people in Iran who either encourage or discourage WTO membership. Therefore, it is important to analyze Iran’s WTO membership to empower Iranian handmade carpet in international trades and to help improvement in quality of production. The purpose of this research is to study the effects of Iran’s membership in WTO to empower this industry by performing an empirical survey among 100 experts in this industry. Findings demonstrate that access to WTO plays an important role on increasing production of handmade carpet and developing this industry. In addition, the industry needs to incorporate the recent advances on technology to ensure cost efficient production materials. The industry also needs more creative and innovative ideas due to an increase competition in handmade carpet producers from other countries.

International Institutions and Domestic Reform: Equal Pay and British Membership in the European Economic Community.

Science.gov (United States)

Frader, Laura Levine

2018-03-01

Despite having been overlooked in the standard histories of the UK and the European Community, gender politics and gender policies played a significant role in Britain's applications for membership in the EEC in the 1960s. Joining the European Community required that Britain comply with Article 119 on equal pay for equal work. A combination of domestic feminist and labour movement activism, the commitment of unions and parties, and the internationalization of formal commitments to women's rights constituted internal and external pressures for the passage of an Equal Pay Act in 1970. The article argues that the formal legislative commitment to gender pay equality, changing public attitudes towards women's employment, and European membership impacted further domestic social policy reform and slowly began to shift government attitudes towards gender equality.

Representing Social Network and Research Diversity of Library and Information Science in Taiwan Using Thesis Advisory Network

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

董采維 Tsai-Wei Tung

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Drawing from thesis committee membership data, the study took a social analytical approach toanalyze the social and intellectual structure of the field of LIS (Library and Information Science inTaiwan. Specifically, the study attempt to study: firstly, the faculty collaboration network; andsecondly, the degree and nature of inter-disciplinary collaboration, as reflected in the compositionof the thesis committees. A total 751 Master’s theses published by the eight LIS in the periodsfrom 2006 to 2011 were analyzed. Data extracted included the composition of each committeemember-ship and research topics covered in these theses. Furthermore, data about the faculty’sbackground were also collected, including gender, seniority, department affiliation, highest degreereceived, with which the faculty’s degree of interdisciplinary collaboration, as reflected in the thesiscommittee they appeared, could be analyzed. With the theses committee composition data, networksof faculty collaboration were generated where each faulty member were represented by a node,and the strength of their collaboration was represented by the frequency of their co-appeared inthese committees. Various network measures, such as centrality, clustering coefficient, E-I indexwere used to study the cohesion of each department and the LIS filed as a whole. Three diversitymeasures: Shannon, Simpson, and Gini coefficient, were used to assess the degree of interdisciplinarityof each department and faculty. Regression analyses showed that the number of these advised,seniority, and thesis topic diversity were the significant predictor of a faculty’s centrality in the LISnetwork.

A Quasi-Experimental Analysis of Fraternity or Sorority Membership and College Student Success

Science.gov (United States)

Bowman, Nicholas A.; Holmes, Joshua M.

2017-01-01

Despite considerable debate about the effects of fraternities and sororities on college campuses, the extent to which these organizations promote or detract from student success is unclear. Therefore, we used propensity score analyses to examine the link between membership in a social fraternity or sorority and several student success outcomes.…

76 FR 27311 - Cobb Customer Requesters v. Cobb Electric Membership Corporation, Cobb Energy Management...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-05-11

... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Docket No. EL11-38-000] Cobb Customer Requesters v. Cobb Electric Membership Corporation, Cobb Energy Management Corporation, Cooperative Energy... April 26, 2011, Cobb Customer Requesters (CCR or Complainant) filed a complaint against Cobb Electric...

The Influence of Membership Groups on Selecting Accommodations: the Case of the Residential Tourist

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Javier Perez-Aranda

2017-06-01

Full Text Available An understanding of consumer behavior when choosing property as accommodations improves the use of limited resources such as land and may promote the suitable development of tourism destinations. Knowledge of the factors that influence consumer behavior and that condition the process of purchasing a residential tourism property is useful in managing and designing strategies for segmenting tourism destinations. This study analyzes the influence of membership groups such as social class, culture, and family on choosing the type of property (ownership versus renting or using family or friends’ property and the typology (single- or multifamily that is in demand among residential tourists in the destination. Firstly, we identify which membership groups specifically influence the selection of type of property (social class and family. Then, we identify which groups influence the property typology (social class and people who are traveling and, in addition, those that influence both choices (social class.

Modeling Temporal Behavior in Large Networks: A Dynamic Mixed-Membership Model

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rossi, R; Gallagher, B; Neville, J; Henderson, K

2011-11-11

Given a large time-evolving network, how can we model and characterize the temporal behaviors of individual nodes (and network states)? How can we model the behavioral transition patterns of nodes? We propose a temporal behavior model that captures the 'roles' of nodes in the graph and how they evolve over time. The proposed dynamic behavioral mixed-membership model (DBMM) is scalable, fully automatic (no user-defined parameters), non-parametric/data-driven (no specific functional form or parameterization), interpretable (identifies explainable patterns), and flexible (applicable to dynamic and streaming networks). Moreover, the interpretable behavioral roles are generalizable, computationally efficient, and natively supports attributes. We applied our model for (a) identifying patterns and trends of nodes and network states based on the temporal behavior, (b) predicting future structural changes, and (c) detecting unusual temporal behavior transitions. We use eight large real-world datasets from different time-evolving settings (dynamic and streaming). In particular, we model the evolving mixed-memberships and the corresponding behavioral transitions of Twitter, Facebook, IP-Traces, Email (University), Internet AS, Enron, Reality, and IMDB. The experiments demonstrate the scalability, flexibility, and effectiveness of our model for identifying interesting patterns, detecting unusual structural transitions, and predicting the future structural changes of the network and individual nodes.

Association of nutrition club membership with markers of health: a cross sectional study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sai Krupa Das

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Nutrition clubs (NC operate in community settings and provide members with nutrition education and meal replacements for weight management. NC are owned and operated by distributors of Herbalife products. There are over 6200 NC in the US, but there has been no independent assessment of the association of these NC with biomarkers of health. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional pilot study to compare the health status of 100 NC members to 100 community-matched controls (CC in the greater Boston area. Each CC was matched to a NC member for community of residence (zip code, age category, gender, BMI category, race/ethnicity, education level (category, and readiness to make health changes. Measures obtained included cardio-metabolic risk factors, body composition, markers of nutritional status, reported health status, dietary intake, physical activity, sleep and depression. Results Participants were predominantly female (64% and Hispanic (73%. NC members had significantly lower fasting insulin (P < 0.001 and lower HbA1c (P = 0.008, higher levels of 25 hydroxy-vitamin D (P = 0.001, and vitamin E:cholesterol ratio (P < 0.001, and lower prevalence of metabolic syndrome (P = 0.02 compared to CC. In addition, most of the NC members (99% were satisfied with Herbalife NC membership for themselves and their families. A higher percentage of NC members (86% compared to CC (32% reported being in much better or somewhat better health compared to a year ago (P < 0.001; and they reported significantly better physical health (P = 0.03, and fewer sleep problems (P = 0.03. Conclusion Herbalife NC membership was positively associated with perceived health and measured cardiometabolic benefits. However, causality cannot be inferred from these findings.

Improving organizational climate for quality and quality of care: does membership in a collaborative help?

Science.gov (United States)

Nembhard, Ingrid M; Northrup, Veronika; Shaller, Dale; Cleary, Paul D

2012-11-01

The lack of quality-oriented organizational climates is partly responsible for deficiencies in patient-centered care and poor quality more broadly. To improve their quality-oriented climates, several organizations have joined quality improvement collaboratives. The effectiveness of this approach is unknown. To evaluate the impact of collaborative membership on organizational climate for quality and service quality. Twenty-one clinics, 4 of which participated in a collaborative sponsored by the Institute for Clinical Systems Improvement. Pre-post design. Preassessments occurred 2 months before the collaborative began in January 2009. Postassessments of service quality and climate occurred about 6 months and 1 year, respectively, after the collaborative ended in January 2010. We surveyed clinic employees (eg, physicians, nurses, receptionists, etc.) about the organizational climate and patients about service quality. Prioritization of quality care, high-quality staff relationships, and open communication as indicators of quality-oriented climate and timeliness of care, staff helpfulness, doctor-patient communication, rating of doctor, and willingness to recommend doctor's office as indicators of service quality. There was no significant effect of collaborative membership on quality-oriented climate and mixed effects on service quality. Doctors' ratings improved significantly more in intervention clinics than in control clinics, staff helpfulness improved less, and timeliness of care declined more. Ratings of doctor-patient communication and willingness to recommend doctor were not significantly different between intervention and comparison clinics. Membership in the collaborative provided no significant advantage for improving quality-oriented climate and had equivocal effects on service quality.

Assessment of health risk due to PM 10 using fuzzy linear membership kriging with particle swarm optimization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Singh, Jeetendra B.; Reddy, Vijay S.; Jana, Soumya; De, Swades

2013-01-01

Air quality is an important determinant of individual as well as broader well-being. Major pollutants include gasses as well as assorted suspended particulate matter (PM). In this paper, we focus on PM10, which are a collection of particles with median aerodynamic diameter less than 10 μm that remains suspended in the air for long periods. PM10, usually consist of smoke, dirt and dust particles, as well as spores and pollen, could easily be inhaled deep into lung. As a result, high outdoor PM10 concentration poses significant health hazard, and accurate modeling and prediction of health risk due to PM10 assume importance in pollution and public health management. In this backdrop, we propose an improved health risk assessment technique, and demonstrate its efficacy using widely used California PM10 database. At the heart of the proposed method lies indicator kriging, a well-known risk estimation technique. However, improved assessment of subjective health risk is achieved by posing the problem in a fuzzy setting, and optimizing the associated membership functions. In particular, we employ particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm, which has been motivated by natural behavior of organisms such as fish-schooling and bird flocking, and proven effective in various optimization contexts. We apply the fuzzy PSO membership grade kriging technique to predict the PM10 spatial distribution over the entire California state. (orig.)

Assessment of health risk due to PM 10 using fuzzy linear membership kriging with particle swarm optimization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Singh, Jeetendra B.; Reddy, Vijay S.; Jana, Soumya [Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad (India). Dept. of Electrical Engineering; De, Swades [Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi (India). Dept. of Electrical Engineering

2013-07-01

Air quality is an important determinant of individual as well as broader well-being. Major pollutants include gasses as well as assorted suspended particulate matter (PM). In this paper, we focus on PM10, which are a collection of particles with median aerodynamic diameter less than 10 {mu}m that remains suspended in the air for long periods. PM10, usually consist of smoke, dirt and dust particles, as well as spores and pollen, could easily be inhaled deep into lung. As a result, high outdoor PM10 concentration poses significant health hazard, and accurate modeling and prediction of health risk due to PM10 assume importance in pollution and public health management. In this backdrop, we propose an improved health risk assessment technique, and demonstrate its efficacy using widely used California PM10 database. At the heart of the proposed method lies indicator kriging, a well-known risk estimation technique. However, improved assessment of subjective health risk is achieved by posing the problem in a fuzzy setting, and optimizing the associated membership functions. In particular, we employ particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm, which has been motivated by natural behavior of organisms such as fish-schooling and bird flocking, and proven effective in various optimization contexts. We apply the fuzzy PSO membership grade kriging technique to predict the PM10 spatial distribution over the entire California state. (orig.)

77 FR 10725 - Establishment of the Consumer Advisory Board and Solicitation of Nominations for Membership

Science.gov (United States)

2012-02-23

... the Bureau's functions under the Federal consumer financial protection laws, and which will provide... BUREAU OF CONSUMER FINANCIAL PROTECTION Establishment of the Consumer Advisory Board and Solicitation of Nominations for Membership AGENCY: Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection. ACTION: Notice...

Handling membership dynamicity in service composition for ubiquitous computing

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brønsted, Jeppe

2007-01-01

In ubiquitous computing, as more and more devices are introduced into the environment, new applications are made possible that exploit device capabilities in new ways. Currently, however, there is a mismatch between the effort involved in implementing these applications and the benefit they provide...... to specify which nodes partake in the composite and how they interact. In this paper we introduce mechanisms for handling membership dynamicity in service composition specifications. We demonstrate how an application scenario developed in cooperation with users can be implemented using the mechanisms...

Life course persistent and adolescence limited conduct disorder in a nationally representative US sample: prevalence, predictors, and outcomes.

Science.gov (United States)

Moore, Ashlee A; Silberg, Judy L; Roberson-Nay, Roxann; Mezuk, Briana

2017-04-01

The course of conduct disorder (CD) is heterogeneous. Moffitt proposed the heuristic of life course persistent (LCP) and adolescence limited (AL) to differentiate etiologically distinct forms of antisocial behavior (AB), each with distinct predictors and consequences, although a few studies have assessed this demarcation within the context of CD. The objective of this study was to apply Moffitt's taxonomy in a nationally representative US sample to investigate the prevalence, predictors, and outcomes of LCP and AL CD. Data come from the Collaborative Psychiatric Epidemiology Studies, a set of population-based nationally representative cross-sectional surveys (N = 20,130). Predictors included harsh discipline, maternal and paternal closeness, poverty in childhood, history of learning disability, parental deviance, and nativity. Outcomes included substance use, employment status, education attainment, marital status, income level, and self-rated mental and physical health. The prevalence of LCP and AL CD was 0.5 and 4.6%, respectively, for females, and 1.9 and 5.1%, respectively, for males. Low childhood SES [Odds Ratio (OR) = 3.49], lack of maternal closeness (OR = 2.50), and history of harsh discipline (OR = 2.17) increased odds of LCP group membership. The LCP group had higher odds of developing substance use disorders (OR = 2.00) relative to AL. LCP CD is more strongly influenced by childhood environment and confers increased odds for substance use problems in adulthood relative to AL CD.

The Extent of Membership Representation and Non-Representation on the IASB

OpenAIRE

Alistair Brown

2008-01-01

Status groups abound in financial markets and none more so than in the global accounting market. One such group is the powerful and closed International Accounting Standards Board (IASB). This study empirically examines the social control of IASB membership by considering the country affiliation of members, Internet access, and gender composition over a five-year period. The results of the study show that over the period 2001-2005 representation on a four IASB committees was dominated by m...

Contextual cueing based on the semantic-category membership of the environment

OpenAIRE

GOUJON, A

2005-01-01

During the analysis of a visual scene, top-down processing is constantly directing the subject's attention to the zones of interest in the scene. The contextual cueing paradigm developed by Chun and Jiang (1998) shows how contextual regularities can facilitate the search for a particular element via implicit learning mechanisms. In the proposed study, contextual cueing task with lexical displays was used. The semantic-category membership of the contextual words predicted the location of the t...

77 FR 20489 - Open Season for Membership to the Electronic Tax Administration Advisory Committee (ETAAC)

Science.gov (United States)

2012-04-04

... returns, (3) tax software developers, (4) large and small business, (5) employers and payroll service... DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY Internal Revenue Service Open Season for Membership to the Electronic Tax Administration Advisory Committee (ETAAC) AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Treasury. ACTION...

78 FR 10693 - Open Season for Membership to the Electronic Tax Administration Advisory Committee (ETAAC)

Science.gov (United States)

2013-02-14

... returns, (3) tax software developers, (4) large and small business, (5) employers and payroll service... DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY Internal Revenue Service Open Season for Membership to the Electronic Tax Administration Advisory Committee (ETAAC) AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Treasury. ACTION...

34 CFR 461.51 - What are the membership requirements of a State advisory council?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... State public assistance agency; (E) The State library program; and (F) The State economic development... of— (i) Urban and rural areas; (ii) Women; (iii) Persons with disabilities; and (iv) Racial and... vacancy in the membership of the council must be filled in the same manner as the original appointment...

The Big Five Health Insurers' Membership And Revenue Trends: Implications For Public Policy.

Science.gov (United States)

Schoen, Cathy; Collins, Sara R

2017-12-01

The five largest US commercial health insurance companies together enroll 125 million members, or 43 percent of the country's insured population. Over the past decade these insurers have become increasingly dependent for growth and profitability on public programs, according to an analysis of corporate reports. In 2016 Medicare and Medicaid accounted for nearly 60 percent of the companies' health care revenues and 20 percent of their comprehensive plan membership. Although headlines have focused on losses in the state Marketplaces created by the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the Marketplaces represent only a small fraction of insurers' members. Overall, the five largest insurers have remained profitable since passage of the ACA as a result of profits in other market segments. Notably, companies with significant Medicare or Medicaid enrollment have continued to insure beneficiaries in states where the insurers do not participate in Marketplaces. Given the insurers' dependence on public programs, there is potential to improve access if federal or state governments, or both, required insurers that participate in Medicare or Medicaid to also participate in the Marketplaces in the same geographic area. Such requirements could ensure more viable and less volatile insurance, benefiting people insured within each market as well as those who cycle on and off public and private insurance.

Two experimental tests of relational models of procedural justice: non-instrumental voice and authority group membership.

Science.gov (United States)

Platow, Michael J; Eggins, Rachael A; Chattopadhyay, Rachana; Brewer, Greg; Hardwick, Lisa; Milsom, Laurin; Brocklebank, Jacinta; Lalor, Thérèse; Martin, Rowena; Quee, Michelle; Vassallo, Sara; Welsh, Jenny

2013-06-01

In both a laboratory experiment (in Australia) using university as the basis of group membership, and a scenario experiment (in India) using religion as the basis of group membership, we observe more favourable respect and fairness ratings in response to an in-group authority than an out-group authority who administers non-instrumental voice. Moreover, we observe in our second experiment that reported likelihood of protest (herein called "social-change voice") was relatively high following non-instrumental voice from an out-group authority, but relatively low following non-instrumental voice from an in-group authority. Our findings are consistent with relational models of procedural justice, and extend the work by examining likely use of alternative forms of voice as well as highlighting the relative importance of instrumentality. ©2012 The British Psychological Society.

Negotiating Formal Membership in Mexico and the United States: The case of Federations of Mexican Hometown Associations in Los Angeles County

OpenAIRE

Noriega Gonzalez, Veronica

2015-01-01

This study focuses on how Mexican Federations of HTAs have negotiated their formal membership in Mexico and the United States. In Mexico, migrants’ market citizenship opened the channels of communication between Federations of HTAs, and the Mexican government. Once those channels were established; HTA Federation leaders were able to negotiate their passage from market to formal membership. In the case of the United States, HTA Federations have advocated for a formal inclusion in the United St...

75 FR 43944 - Membership of the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) Senior Executive Service (SES) Performance...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-27

... CONTACT: Ms. Lisa Novajosky, SES Program Manager, DLA Human Resources (J-14), Defense Logistics Agency... DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE Defense Logistics Agency Membership of the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA... management of the SES cadre. DATES: Effective Date: September 16, 2010. ADDRESSES: Defense Logistics Agency...

The influence of gender and group membership on food safety: the case of meat sellers in Bodija market, Ibadan, Nigeria.

Science.gov (United States)

Grace, Delia; Olowoye, Janice; Dipeolu, Morenike; Odebode, Stella; Randolph, Thomas

2012-09-01

We describe a study to assess the bacteriological quality and safety of meat in Bodija market in Ibadan and to investigate the influence of gender and group membership on food safety. Mixed methods were used to gather information on meat safety and related socioeconomic factors. These methods included a participatory urban appraisal, focus group discussions with eight butchers' associations, in depth discussions with six key informants, a questionnaire study of 269 meat sellers and a cross-sectional survey of meat quality (200 samples from ten associations). We found that slaughter, processing and sale of beef meat take place under unhygienic conditions. The activities involve both men and women, with some task differentiation by gender. Meat sold by association members is of unacceptable quality. However, some groups have consistently better quality meat and this is positively correlated with the proportion of women members. Women also have significantly better food safety practice than men, though there was no significant difference in their knowledge of and attitude towards food safety. Most meat sellers (85 %) reported being ill in the last 2 weeks and 47 % reported experiencing gastrointestinal illness. Eating beef, eating chicken, eating offal, consuming one's own products and belonging to a group with poor quality of meat were all strong and significant predictors of self-reported gastrointestinal illness. We include that gender and group membership influence meat quality and self-reported gastrointestinal illness and that butchers' associations are promising entry points for interventions to improve food safety.

The effect of membership rules and voting schemes on the success of international climate agreements

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Finus, M.; Altamirano-Cabrera, J.C.; Ierland, van E.C.

2005-01-01

We empirically test the role of membership rules and voting schemes for climate change coalitions with the STAbility of COalitions model (STACO). The model comprises twelve world regions and captures long-run effects of greenhouse gas accumulation. We apply three stability concepts that capture the

75 FR 34423 - Secretary’s Advisory Committee on Animal Health; Notice of Solicitation for Membership

Science.gov (United States)

2010-06-17

... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service [Docket No. APHIS-2009-0025... Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA. ACTION: Notice of solicitation for membership. SUMMARY: We are... disabilities. Done in Washington, DC, this 11\\th\\ day of June 2010. Kevin Shea, Acting Administrator, Animal...

The Effect of Implied Performer Age and Group Membership on Evaluations of Music Performances

Science.gov (United States)

Harrington, Ann M.

2018-01-01

This study examined the effects of implied performer age and group membership on listeners' evaluations of music performances. Undergraduate music majors (n = 23), nonmusic majors (n = 17), and members of a New Horizons ensemble (n = 16) were presented with six 30-second excerpts of concert band performances. Excerpts were presented to all…

Gangs, clubs, and alcohol: The effect of organizational membership on adolescent drinking behavior.

Science.gov (United States)

Suh, Chan S; Brashears, Matthew E; Genkin, Michael

2016-07-01

How does adolescent organizational membership in general, and simultaneous membership in distinct types of organizations in particular, impact drinking behavior? While past studies have focused either on the learning effect of involvement with gangs or on the constraining influence of conventional organizations on adolescent problem behavior, we explore the possibility that conventional school clubs can serve as socializing opportunities for existing gang members to engage in drinking behavior with non-gang club members. Using the Add Health data, we show that gang members drink more often, and engage in more binge drinking, than non-members. More importantly, individuals who are members of both gangs and school clubs drink alcohol at greater levels than those who are solely involved in gangs. In addition, non-gang adolescents who are co-members with gang members in the same school club are more likely to drink alcohol than non-members. This result has important implications for understanding the role of organizations in adolescent behavior and suggests that the study of delinquent behaviors would benefit from devoting more attention to individuals who bridge distinct types of organizations. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Gang membership and marijuana use among African American female adolescents in North Carolina

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wechsberg WM

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Wendee M Wechsberg,1–4 Irene A Doherty,1 Felicia A Browne,1,5 Tracy L Kline,1 Monique G Carry,6 Jerris L Raiford,6 Jeffrey H Herbst6 1Substance Abuse Treatment Evaluations and Interventions Research Program, RTI International, Research Triangle Park, 2Gillings Global School of Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, 3Psychology in the Public Interest, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, 4Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, NC, 5Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, 6Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD and TB Prevention, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA Abstract: The southeastern US sustains the highest high school dropout rates, and gangs persist in underserved communities. African American female adolescents who drop out of school and are gang members are at substantial risk of exposure to severe violence, physical abuse, and sexual exploitation. In this study of 237 female African American adolescents 16–19 years of age from North Carolina who dropped out or considered dropping out, 11% were current or past gang members. Adolescents who reported gang membership began smoking marijuana at a mean age of 13, whereas those who reported no gang membership began at a mean age of 15 years (P<0.001. The mean ages of first alcohol use were 14 years and 15 years for gang members and non-gang members, respectively (P=0.04. Problem alcohol use was high in both groups: 40% and 65% for non-gang and gang members, respectively (P=0.02. Controlling for frequent marijuana use and problem alcohol use, adolescents who reported gang membership were more likely than non-gang members to experience sexual abuse (odds ratio [OR] =2.60, 95% confidence interval [CI] [1.06, 6.40], experience physical abuse (OR =7.33, 95% CI [2.90, 18.5], report emotional abuse from

The Association between Membership in the Sandwich Generation and Health Behaviors: A Longitudinal Study

Science.gov (United States)

Chassin, Laurie; Macy, Jon T.; Seo, Dong-Chul; Presson, Clark C.; Sherman, Steven J.

2010-01-01

The current study examined the association between membership in the sandwich generation, defined as providing care to both children and parents or in-laws, and five health behaviors: checking the food label for health value when buying foods, using a seat belt, choosing foods based on health value, exercising regularly, and cigarette smoking.…

Brief report: Association between psychological sense of school membership and mental health among early adolescents.

Science.gov (United States)

Gaete, Jorge; Rojas-Barahona, Cristian A; Olivares, Esterbina; Araya, Ricardo

2016-07-01

Mental health problems among adolescents are prevalent and are associated with important difficulties for a normal development during this period and later in life. Understanding better the risk factors associated with mental health problems may help to design and implement more effective preventive interventions. Several personal and family risk factors have been identified in their relationship to mental health; however, much less is known about the influence of school-related factors. One of these school factors is school belonging or the psychological sense of school membership. This is a well-known protective factor to develop good academic commitment, but it has been scarcely studied in its relationship to mental health. We explored this association in a sample of early adolescents and found that students who reported having a high level of school membership had lower mental health problems, even after controlling for several personal and family factors. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Early processing of orthographic language membership information in bilingual visual word recognition: Evidence from ERPs.

Science.gov (United States)

Hoversten, Liv J; Brothers, Trevor; Swaab, Tamara Y; Traxler, Matthew J

2017-08-01

For successful language comprehension, bilinguals often must exert top-down control to access and select lexical representations within a single language. These control processes may critically depend on identification of the language to which a word belongs, but it is currently unclear when different sources of such language membership information become available during word recognition. In the present study, we used event-related potentials to investigate the time course of influence of orthographic language membership cues. Using an oddball detection paradigm, we observed early neural effects of orthographic bias (Spanish vs. English orthography) that preceded effects of lexicality (word vs. pseudoword). This early orthographic pop-out effect was observed for both words and pseudowords, suggesting that this cue is available prior to full lexical access. We discuss the role of orthographic bias for models of bilingual word recognition and its potential role in the suppression of nontarget lexical information. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

The ties that bind: Group membership shapes the neural correlates of in-group favoritism.

Science.gov (United States)

Telzer, Eva H; Ichien, Nicolas; Qu, Yang

2015-07-15

Across species, including non-human primates, rodents, and humans, prosocial behavior, the act of helping others, is preferentially provided to members of one's own group. Whereas a particularly ubiquitous example of this is kinship, whereby humans and animals expend greater resources and take more risks for their own kin, in-group prosocial behavior has been demonstrated among diverse shared social groups, including race and culture. In the current study, we made group membership salient by recruiting Chinese and American participants to engage in a prosocial decision-making task during fMRI with an American and Chinese confederate. We found across all participants that donations to the in-group relative to out-group was associated with increased activation in the ventral striatum. Moreover, participants with a greater sense of group identity and Chinese participants relative to American participants, showed heightened activation in self-control (VLPFC, ACC) and mentalizing (TPJ, DMPFC) regions when contributing to the out-group relative to in-group. Our findings provide novel evidence about the neural mechanisms involved in intergroup prosocial behavior. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Representing uncertainty in objective functions: extension to include the influence of serial correlation

Science.gov (United States)

Croke, B. F.

2008-12-01

The role of performance indicators is to give an accurate indication of the fit between a model and the system being modelled. As all measurements have an associated uncertainty (determining the significance that should be given to the measurement), performance indicators should take into account uncertainties in the observed quantities being modelled as well as in the model predictions (due to uncertainties in inputs, model parameters and model structure). In the presence of significant uncertainty in observed and modelled output of a system, failure to adequately account for variations in the uncertainties means that the objective function only gives a measure of how well the model fits the observations, not how well the model fits the system being modelled. Since in most cases, the interest lies in fitting the system response, it is vital that the objective function(s) be designed to account for these uncertainties. Most objective functions (e.g. those based on the sum of squared residuals) assume homoscedastic uncertainties. If model contribution to the variations in residuals can be ignored, then transformations (e.g. Box-Cox) can be used to remove (or at least significantly reduce) heteroscedasticity. An alternative which is more generally applicable is to explicitly represent the uncertainties in the observed and modelled values in the objective function. Previous work on this topic addressed the modifications to standard objective functions (Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency, RMSE, chi- squared, coefficient of determination) using the optimal weighted averaging approach. This paper extends this previous work; addressing the issue of serial correlation. A form for an objective function that includes serial correlation will be presented, and the impact on model fit discussed.

Romania’s Membership of International Financial Institutions – a Necessary Change

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Doltu Claudiu

2018-03-01

Full Text Available After a 17-year transformation process from a centralized economy to a functional market economy, Romania joined the European Union on January 1, 2007. Today, 11 years after the EU accession, Romania is still looking forward to achieve many of the real convergence conditions and also to join the euro zone. Independent of these, as an upper medium income country is now the time to evaluate its role, benefits and obligations as a shareholder in various international financial institutions – multilateral development banks and multilateral regional banks – as a first step in assuming an active and positive role in the development international community. At the EU level, international development is slowly but constant evolving to a coherent and common approach. However, individual member states still have a lot of space to maneuver to use specific individual approaches in pursuing their own interests. The objective of this paper is to signal that for Romania the right time has come to change its passive and reactive approach of its membership in various international financial institutions for a new dynamic and active approach. In terms of financial resources that can be mobilized and used for international development Romania cannot realistically aspire to stay along with the big traditional donors. However, its relatively small contribution can be leveraged by its membership in such multilateral and/or regional institutions so to maximize the benefits both for the international community and for the Romanian taxpayer.

Racial Group Membership and Multicultural Training: Examining the Experiences of Counseling and Counseling Psychology Students

Science.gov (United States)

Pieterse, Alex L.; Lee, Minsun; Fetzer, Alexa

2016-01-01

This study documents various process elements of multicultural training from the perspective of counseling and counseling psychology students within the United States (US). Using a mixed-methods approach, findings indicate that racial group membership is an important variable that differentially impacts White students and students of Color while…

17 CFR 240.15b9-2 - Exemption from SRO membership for OTC derivatives dealers.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 17 Commodity and Securities Exchanges 3 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Exemption from SRO membership for OTC derivatives dealers. 240.15b9-2 Section 240.15b9-2 Commodity and Securities Exchanges SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION (CONTINUED) GENERAL RULES AND REGULATIONS, SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934...

Religious Influence on Older Americans' Sexual Lives: A Nationally-Representative Profile.

Science.gov (United States)

Iveniuk, James; O'Muircheartaigh, Colm; Cagney, Kathleen A

2016-01-01

This study investigated the relationship between religious influence and sexual expression in older Americans, with specific attention to gender. Using the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project, a nationally-representative survey of older adults, we created a composite measure of religious influence on sexual expression using Latent Class Analysis. We found more variability within denominations than between in terms of membership in the high-influence class; this indicated that religious influence on sexual expression was diverse within faiths. We show that religious influence was associated with higher self-reported satisfaction with frequency of sex, as well as higher physical and emotional satisfaction with sex, but only for men. Men were also significantly more likely than women to report that they would only have sex with a person they love. These results persisted in the presence of controls for demographic characteristics, religious affiliation, church attendance, intrinsic religiosity, political ideology, and functional health.

Religious influence on older Americans’ sexual lives: A nationally-representative profile

Science.gov (United States)

Iveniuk, James; O’Muircheartaigh, Colm

2017-01-01

This study investigates the relationship between religious influence and sexual expression in older Americans, with specific attention to gender. Using the National Social Life, Health and Aging Project, a nationally-representative survey of older adults, we create a composite measure of religious influence on sexual expression using Latent Class Analysis. We find more variability within denominations than between in terms of membership in the high-influence class; this indicates that religious influence on sexual expression is diverse within faiths. We show that religious influence is associated with higher self-reported satisfaction with frequency of sex, as well as higher physical and emotional satisfaction with sex, but only for men. Men are also significantly more likely than women to report that they would only have sex with a person they love. These results persisted in the presence of controls for demographic characteristics, religious affiliation, church attendance, intrinsic religiosity, political ideology, and functional health. PMID:26063533

Pediatric radiologists: who we are and what we do. Results of a membership survey of the Society for Pediatric Radiology - 1999

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goske, M.J.; Lieber, M.; Lebowitz, R.L.; Ablin, D.; Royal, S.

2000-01-01

Background. There is a need for reliable monitoring of workforce trends in the field of pediatric radiology by the Society for Pediatric Radiology. In addition, the Society should periodically assess itself as to its mission and relevance to its members via membership surveys. Objective. The Membership Committee of the Society for Pediatric Radiology, 1999, conducted a 54-question survey to determine the makeup of its members, job profiles, satisfaction with services of the Society for Pediatric Radiology, and its official journal, Pediatric Radiology. Materials and methods. Seven hundred fifty surveys were given to active members of the Society for Pediatric Radiology in the United States and Canada. There were 275 surveys returned for an overall response of 37%. Results. Mean age of members is 48 years with 99 % of respondents working. Membership is 34 % female and 66 % male. Women members of the Society are younger (45 vs 49 years, P = 0.0012) and work less hours (47.8 vs 51.0, P = 0.0135) than men. Fifty-seven percent of respondents practice in a freestanding children's hospital, 29 % in a ''children's hospital within a hospital,'' and 14 % are in community hospitals or an office-based practice. Eighty-two percent of the responding pediatric radiologist's time is spent in performing examination on children, with only 18 % spent on adult work or administration. Forty-eight percent work at more than one office. Sixty-one percent worked evenings or weekends, excluding night call. Two hundred twenty-two of 275 respondents had received a Certificate of Added Qualification. The meeting ''for CME credit'' was considered the most important benefit of Society membership. Most respondents read select articles in Pediatric Radiology. There was sentiment to decrease esoteric case reports in favor of review articles. Only 19 % of respondents submitted their articles to Pediatric Radiology initially. Conclusion. Pediatric radiologists are a diverse membership with the common

Optimal fuzzy logic-based PID controller for load-frequency control including superconducting magnetic energy storage units

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pothiya, Saravuth; Ngamroo, Issarachai

2008-01-01

This paper proposes a new optimal fuzzy logic-based-proportional-integral-derivative (FLPID) controller for load frequency control (LFC) including superconducting magnetic energy storage (SMES) units. Conventionally, the membership functions and control rules of fuzzy logic control are obtained by trial and error method or experiences of designers. To overcome this problem, the multiple tabu search (MTS) algorithm is applied to simultaneously tune PID gains, membership functions and control rules of FLPID controller to minimize frequency deviations of the system against load disturbances. The MTS algorithm introduces additional techniques for improvement of search process such as initialization, adaptive search, multiple searches, crossover and restarting process. Simulation results explicitly show that the performance of the optimum FLPID controller is superior to the conventional PID controller and the non-optimum FLPID controller in terms of the overshoot, settling time and robustness against variations of system parameters

A Note on the Core of TU-cooperative Games with Multiple Membership Externalities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Heinrich H. Nax

2014-10-01

Full Text Available A generalization of transferable utility cooperative games from the functional forms introduced by von Neumann and Morgenstern (1944, Theory of Games and Economic Behavior and Lucas and Thrall (1963, Naval Research Logistics Quarterly, 10, 281–298 is proposed to allow for multiple membership. The definition of the core is adapted analogously and the possibilities for the cross-cutting of contractual arrangements are illustrated and discussed.

Social Exclusion Based on Group Membership is a Form of Prejudice.

Science.gov (United States)

Cooley, Shelby; Elenbaas, Laura; Killen, Melanie

Children around the world are affected by bias, prejudice, and discrimination. In this chapter, we argue that intergroup social exclusion-exclusion of peers on the basis of group membership-is a form of prejudice. As such, research efforts should be directed at uncovering the negative intergroup attitudes that sustain these behaviors, and encouraging the development of children's capacity to resist biases in favor of inclusion and just treatment of others. In order to interpret what is known about intergroup social exclusion in childhood, as well as identify compelling issues for current investigation, we introduce our integrative social reasoning developmental model, which emphasizes how children weigh moral and social concerns in everyday peer contexts. This chapter emphasizes three areas of research that have contributed to understanding social inclusion and exclusion decisions in childhood which include the roles of: (1) intergroup contact and friendship, (2) peer group norms, and (3) messages from parents and teachers. While providing a background on the state of research to date, this chapter also pinpoints recent work, shedding new light on the complex interplay of moral reasoning and intergroup attitudes in children's inclusion and exclusion decisions. © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

20 CFR 661.210 - Under what circumstances may the Governor select an alternative entity in place of the State...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... the membership structure includes any significant change in the organization of the alternative entity... a minimum, two or more representatives of business in the State and two or more representatives of labor organizations in the State. (c) If the alternative entity does not provide for representative...

How membership of the CERN Pension Fund is taken into account by certain French Pension Funds

CERN Multimedia

HR Department

2010-01-01

Information for current and former CERN staff members from the Rhône-Alpes branch of the Caisse Régionale d’Assurance Maladie (CRAM) The Rhône-Alpes branch of the Caisse Régionale d’Assurance Maladie (CRAM) has recently informed CERN that, since 1 January 2010, periods of membership of the CERN Pension Fund can, under certain conditions, be used in the calculation of the pension paid by certain French pension funds. For more information on this subject, please consult Circular DSS/DACI/2010/85 of 4 March 2010 pertaining to the manner in which periods of membership of compulsory pension funds of European or international organisations, to which France is a party, are taken into account in determining the period used by French pension funds to establish the pension entitlement. The Circular can be accessed at the following sites: http://www.securite-sociale.fr/textes/retraite/international/affiliation_instut_international_eu.htm and http://www.c...

Designing and recruiting to UK autism spectrum disorder research databases: do they include representative children with valid ASD diagnoses?

Science.gov (United States)

Warnell, F; George, B; McConachie, H; Johnson, M; Hardy, R; Parr, J R

2015-09-04

(1) Describe how the Autism Spectrum Database-UK (ASD-UK) was established; (2) investigate the representativeness of the first 1000 children and families who participated, compared to those who chose not to; (3) investigate the reliability of the parent-reported Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) diagnoses, and present evidence about the validity of diagnoses, that is, whether children recruited actually have an ASD; (4) present evidence about the representativeness of the ASD-UK children and families, by comparing their characteristics with the first 1000 children and families from the regional Database of children with ASD living in the North East (Dasl(n)e), and children and families identified from epidemiological studies. Recruitment through a network of 50 UK child health teams and self-referral. Parents/carers with a child with ASD, aged 2-16 years, completed questionnaires about ASD and some gave professionals' reports about their children. 1000 families registered with ASD-UK in 30 months. Children of families who participated, and of the 208 who chose not to, were found to be very similar on: gender ratio, year of birth, ASD diagnosis and social deprivation score. The reliability of parent-reported ASD diagnoses of children was very high when compared with clinical reports (over 96%); no database child without ASD was identified. A comparison of gender, ASD diagnosis, age at diagnosis, school placement, learning disability, and deprivation score of children and families from ASD-UK with 1084 children and families from Dasl(n)e, and families from population studies, showed that ASD-UK families are representative of families of children with ASD overall. ASD-UK includes families providing parent-reported data about their child and family, who appear to be broadly representative of UK children with ASD. Families continue to join the databases and more than 3000 families can now be contacted by researchers about UK autism research. Published by the BMJ

Delineation of the riparian zone in data-scarce regions using fuzzy membership functions: An evaluation based on the case of the Naryn River in Kyrgyzstan

Science.gov (United States)

Betz, Florian; Lauermann, Magdalena; Cyffka, Bernd

2018-04-01

Riparian zones contain important ecosystems with a high biodiversity and relevant ecosystem services. From a process point of view, riparian zones are characterized by the interaction of hydrological, geomorphological and ecological processes. Consequently, their boundary is dynamic and blurred as it depends on not only the local valley morphology but also the hydrological regime. This makes a delineation of riparian zones from digital elevation data a challenging task as it should represent this blurred nature of riparian zone boundaries. While the application of high resolution topography from LIDAR and hydraulic models have become standard in many developed countries, studies and applications in remote areas still commonly rely on the freely available coarse resolution digital elevation models. In this article, we present the delineation of riparian zones from the SRTM-1 elevation model and fuzzy membership functions for the Naryn River in Kyrgyzstan having a length of approximately 700 km. We evaluate the extraction of the underlying channel network as well as the different indicator variables. The maximum user's accuracy for the delineation of riparian zones along the entire Naryn River is 82.14% reflecting the uncertainty arising from the heterogeneity of the riverscape as well as from the quality of the underlying elevation data. Despite the uncertainty, the fuzzy membership approach is considered as an appropriate method for riparian zone delineation as it reflects their dynamic, transitional character and can be used as indicator of connectivity within a riverscape.

CARDfile data base representativeness, Phase 1 : general characteristics including populations, vehicles, roads, and fatal accidents

Science.gov (United States)

1988-08-01

This report details the results of an analysis performed to evaluate the : representativeness of the Crash Avoidance Research accident data base : (CARDfile). The accident records for 1983 and 1984 from six states (Indiana, : Maryland, Michigan, Penn...

CARDfile Data Base Representatives - Phase I: General Characteristics including Populations, Vehicles, Roads, and Fatal Accidents

Science.gov (United States)

1985-12-01

This report details the results of an analysis performed to evaluate the representativeness of the Crash Avoidance Research accident data base (CARDfile). The accident records for 1983 and 1984 from six states (Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Pennsylvan...

Systematic design of membership functions for fuzzy-logic control: A case study on one-stage partial nitritation/anammox treatment systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Boiocchi, Riccardo; Gernaey, Krist V; Sin, Gürkan

2016-10-01

A methodology is developed to systematically design the membership functions of fuzzy-logic controllers for multivariable systems. The methodology consists of a systematic derivation of the critical points of the membership functions as a function of predefined control objectives. Several constrained optimization problems corresponding to different qualitative operation states of the system are defined and solved to identify, in a consistent manner, the critical points of the membership functions for the input variables. The consistently identified critical points, together with the linguistic rules, determine the long term reachability of the control objectives by the fuzzy logic controller. The methodology is highlighted using a single-stage side-stream partial nitritation/Anammox reactor as a case study. As a result, a new fuzzy-logic controller for high and stable total nitrogen removal efficiency is designed. Rigorous simulations are carried out to evaluate and benchmark the performance of the controller. The results demonstrate that the novel control strategy is capable of rejecting the long-term influent disturbances, and can achieve a stable and high TN removal efficiency. Additionally, the controller was tested, and showed robustness, against measurement noise levels typical for wastewater sensors. A feedforward-feedback configuration using the present controller would give even better performance. In comparison, a previously developed fuzzy-logic controller using merely expert and intuitive knowledge performed worse. This proved the importance of using a systematic methodology for the derivation of the membership functions for multivariable systems. These results are promising for future applications of the controller in real full-scale plants. Furthermore, the methodology can be used as a tool to help systematically design fuzzy logic control applications for other biological processes. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Which Membership Matters? External vs. Internal Determinants of Institutional Change in Transition Countries

OpenAIRE

Thorsten Drautzburg; Inna Melnykovska; Rainer Schweickert

2008-01-01

This paper analyses potential internal and external determinants of institutional change as measured by the World Bank Governance Indicators (WBGI) based on a panel of 25 transition countries for the period from 1996 to 2005. We show that natural resources and capital inflows exert an insignificant or negative influence and that economic policy allows to break path-dependency. Most importantly, however, we are able to show that incentives provided by NATO membership are important for institut...

Turkey’s Membership in the European Union: Analyzing Potential Benefits and Drawbacks

Science.gov (United States)

2008-12-01

began with the establishment of a coal and steel community, and it has led to an economic, social, and political union.1 Considering the historical...important tool for economic, social and political progress. Yet, this membership is not a sine qua non for Turkey. Turkey wants to be treated as well...and Germany – and its role in the consolidation of democracy in Spain and Portugal – constitute important examples.132 The EU has not, however, had

77 FR 42230 - Indian Oil Valuation Negotiated Rulemaking Committee

Science.gov (United States)

2012-07-18

... Committee membership includes representatives from Indian tribes, individual Indian mineral owner organizations, minerals industry representatives, and other Federal bureaus. The public will have the... Federal Center in Lakewood, Colorado, or are available at www.onrr.gov/Laws_R_D/IONR . ONRR conducts these...

77 FR 71751 - Notice of Meeting for the Indian Oil Valuation Negotiated Rulemaking Committee

Science.gov (United States)

2012-12-04

... Committee membership includes representatives from Indian tribes, individual Indian mineral owner organizations, minerals industry representatives, and other Federal bureaus. The public will have the... in Building 85 on the Denver Federal Center in Lakewood, Colorado, or are available at www.onrr.gov...

Protein-protein interaction site prediction in Homo sapiens and E. coli using an interaction-affinity based membership function in fuzzy SVM.

Science.gov (United States)

Sriwastava, Brijesh Kumar; Basu, Subhadip; Maulik, Ujjwal

2015-10-01

Protein-protein interaction (PPI) site prediction aids to ascertain the interface residues that participate in interaction processes. Fuzzy support vector machine (F-SVM) is proposed as an effective method to solve this problem, and we have shown that the performance of the classical SVM can be enhanced with the help of an interaction-affinity based fuzzy membership function. The performances of both SVM and F-SVM on the PPI databases of the Homo sapiens and E. coli organisms are evaluated and estimated the statistical significance of the developed method over classical SVM and other fuzzy membership-based SVM methods available in the literature. Our membership function uses the residue-level interaction affinity scores for each pair of positive and negative sequence fragments. The average AUC scores in the 10-fold cross-validation experiments are measured as 79.94% and 80.48% for the Homo sapiens and E. coli organisms respectively. On the independent test datasets, AUC scores are obtained as 76.59% and 80.17% respectively for the two organisms. In almost all cases, the developed F-SVM method improves the performances obtained by the corresponding classical SVM and the other classifiers, available in the literature.

Succinct Data Structures for Retrieval and Approximate Membership

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dietzfelbinger, Martin; Pagh, Rasmus

2008-01-01

The retrieval problem is the problem of associating data with keys in a set. Formally, the data structure must store a function that has specified values on the elements of a given set S ⊆ U, |S| = n, but may have any value on elements outside S. All known methods (e. g. those based on perfect hash...... functions), induce a space overhead of Θ(n) bits over the optimum, regardless of the evaluation time. We show that for any k, query time O(k) can be achieved using space that is within a factor 1 + e − k of optimal, asymptotically for large n. The time to construct the data structure is O(n), expected....... If we allow logarithmic evaluation time, the additive overhead can be reduced to O(loglogn) bits whp. A general reduction transfers the results on retrieval into analogous results on approximate membership, a problem traditionally addressed using Bloom filters. Thus we obtain space bounds arbitrarily...

Predicting Protein-Protein Interaction Sites with a Novel Membership Based Fuzzy SVM Classifier.

Science.gov (United States)

Sriwastava, Brijesh K; Basu, Subhadip; Maulik, Ujjwal

2015-01-01

Predicting residues that participate in protein-protein interactions (PPI) helps to identify, which amino acids are located at the interface. In this paper, we show that the performance of the classical support vector machine (SVM) algorithm can further be improved with the use of a custom-designed fuzzy membership function, for the partner-specific PPI interface prediction problem. We evaluated the performances of both classical SVM and fuzzy SVM (F-SVM) on the PPI databases of three different model proteomes of Homo sapiens, Escherichia coli and Saccharomyces Cerevisiae and calculated the statistical significance of the developed F-SVM over classical SVM algorithm. We also compared our performance with the available state-of-the-art fuzzy methods in this domain and observed significant performance improvements. To predict interaction sites in protein complexes, local composition of amino acids together with their physico-chemical characteristics are used, where the F-SVM based prediction method exploits the membership function for each pair of sequence fragments. The average F-SVM performance (area under ROC curve) on the test samples in 10-fold cross validation experiment are measured as 77.07, 78.39, and 74.91 percent for the aforementioned organisms respectively. Performances on independent test sets are obtained as 72.09, 73.24 and 82.74 percent respectively. The software is available for free download from http://code.google.com/p/cmater-bioinfo.

The effect of chain membership on hospital costs.

Science.gov (United States)

Menke, T J

1997-06-01

To compare the cost structures of hospitals in multihospital systems and independently owned hospitals. The American Hospital Association's Annual Survey from 1990 for data on hospital costs and attributes. Area characteristics came from the Area Resource File, and the Medicare case-mix index came from the Health Care Financing Administration. Data on wages are from the Bureau of the Census' State and Metropolitan Area Data Book. The Guide to Hospital Performance from HCIA, Inc. provided data on quality of care. Separate cost functions were estimated for chain and independent hospitals. Hybrid translog cost functions included measures of outputs, input prices, and hospital and area characteristics. The estimation method accounted for the simultaneous determination of costs and chain membership, and for any nonrandom selection of hospitals into chains. Several economic cost measures were calculated to compare the cost structures of the two types of hospitals. Data from all sources were merged at the hospital level to form the study sample. Hospitals in multihospital systems were less costly than independently owned hospitals. Among independent hospitals, for-profits had the highest costs. There were no statistically significant differences in costs by ownership among chain members. Economies of scale were enjoyed in both types of hospitals only at high volumes of output, while economies of scope occurred at all volumes for chain hospitals, but only at low and medium volumes for independent hospitals. This study provides support for the idea that growth of the multihospital system sector can provide a market solution to the problem of constraining costs. It does not, however, support the property rights theory that proprietary hospitals are more efficient than nonprofit hospitals.

What factors facilitate the engagement with flipped classrooms used in the preparation for postgraduate medical membership examinations?

Science.gov (United States)

Jesurasa, Amrita; Mackenzie, Kelly; Jordan, Hannah; Goyder, Elizabeth C

2017-01-01

Background The “flipped classroom,” a pedagogical model where typical lecture and homework elements are reversed, is being advocated in medical education to support the teaching of a large curriculum. However, research into the use of this model in postgraduate medical education, which requires the application of acquired knowledge, is limited. The aim of this study was to explore the barriers and facilitators to engagement with the flipped classroom model in preparation for the written element of postgraduate membership examinations. Methods Three focus groups (n=14) were held between February and June 2016. Participants were drawn from a membership examination preparation course, run by the University of Shef-field. Two of the groups (n=10) involved “students” (public health registrars) while the other focus group (n=4) was held with “tutors” (experienced registrars and consultants). The focus groups were audiorecorded and transcribed verbatim. Transcripts were thematically analyzed by using both predetermined and emergent themes. Results Key themes that emerged from the data included variation in learning and teaching styles of individuals as well as the feasibility and flexibility of the overall course design. However, management of students’ expectations was found to be the fundamental factor, which underpinned the engagement. Conclusion The complex interaction of factors affecting engagement in this study highlights the need to consider the appropriateness of the flipped classroom model. However, this must be balanced by the potential benefits of the approach for delivering a large curriculum. Recognizing the central importance of managing expectations at the outset would be useful when considering this model in postgraduate medical education. PMID:28721116

Public funding of innovation R and D y cooperation and membership in printing industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guisado Tato, M.; Vila, M.; Guisado Gonzalez, M.

2010-01-01

This paper contrasts how business cooperation at the level of R and D, the size and the membership in printing industry determine the participation of innovative manufacturing companies in the systems of public support for innovation. Material and methods. From the microdata of the survey on technological innovation 1998-2000, of the National Institute of Statistics (INE), a database is created by the manufacturing Spanish companies involved in innovation. Afterwards, by univariate and multivariate statistical methods, we contrast whether cooperation, size and membership in printing industry determine the participation of the manufacturing innovative companies in the systems of public support for innovation, as well as the direction of that conditioning. Results. The tests carried out indicate that more cooperation between companies at the level of a larger size have a positive influence on the degree of business involvement in the systems of public support for innovation.Discussion. Public administrations seek to foster the development of innovation among manufacturing companies facilitating by providing funds to the companies that cooperate in the area of I and D. Likewise, public support for innovation are targeting in larger firms, while the companies, belonging to the printing industry have less likely to obtain public funding for their innovative projects that the remaining companies of the Spanish manufacturing sector. (Author).

Type-2 fuzzy elliptic membership functions for modeling uncertainty

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kayacan, Erdal; Sarabakha, Andriy; Coupland, Simon

2018-01-01

Whereas type-1 and type-2 membership functions (MFs) are the core of any fuzzy logic system, there are no performance criteria available to evaluate the goodness or correctness of the fuzzy MFs. In this paper, we make extensive analysis in terms of the capability of type-2 elliptic fuzzy MFs...... in modeling uncertainty. Having decoupled parameters for its support and width, elliptic MFs are unique amongst existing type-2 fuzzy MFs. In this investigation, the uncertainty distribution along the elliptic MF support is studied, and a detailed analysis is given to compare and contrast its performance...... advantages mentioned above, elliptic MFs have comparable prediction results when compared to Gaussian and triangular MFs. Finally, in order to test the performance of fuzzy logic controller with elliptic interval type-2 MFs, extensive real-time experiments are conducted for the 3D trajectory tracking problem...

Gender Variations in the Effects of Number of Organizational Memberships, Number of Social Networking Sites, and Grade-Point Average on Global Social Responsibility in Filipino University Students

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Romeo B. Lee

2016-02-01

Full Text Available The study seeks to estimate gender variations in the direct effects of (a number of organizational memberships, (b number of social networking sites (SNS, and (c grade-point average (GPA on global social responsibility (GSR; and in the indirect effects of (a and of (b through (c on GSR. Cross-sectional survey data were drawn from questionnaire interviews involving 3,173 Filipino university students. Based on a path model, the three factors were tested to determine their inter-relationships and their relationships with GSR. The direct and total effects of the exogenous factors on the dependent variable are statistically significantly robust. The indirect effects of organizational memberships on GSR through GPA are also statistically significant, but the indirect effects of SNS on GSR through GPA are marginal. Men and women significantly differ only in terms of the total effects of their organizational memberships on GSR. The lack of broad gender variations in the effects of SNS, organizational memberships and GPA on GSR may be linked to the relatively homogenous characteristics and experiences of the university students interviewed. There is a need for more path models to better understand the predictors of GSR in local students.

Gender Variations in the Effects of Number of Organizational Memberships, Number of Social Networking Sites, and Grade-Point Average on Global Social Responsibility in Filipino University Students

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Romeo B.; Baring, Rito V.; Sta. Maria, Madelene A.

2016-01-01

The study seeks to estimate gender variations in the direct effects of (a) number of organizational memberships, (b) number of social networking sites (SNS), and (c) grade-point average (GPA) on global social responsibility (GSR); and in the indirect effects of (a) and of (b) through (c) on GSR. Cross-sectional survey data were drawn from questionnaire interviews involving 3,173 Filipino university students. Based on a path model, the three factors were tested to determine their inter-relationships and their relationships with GSR. The direct and total effects of the exogenous factors on the dependent variable are statistically significantly robust. The indirect effects of organizational memberships on GSR through GPA are also statistically significant, but the indirect effects of SNS on GSR through GPA are marginal. Men and women significantly differ only in terms of the total effects of their organizational memberships on GSR. The lack of broad gender variations in the effects of SNS, organizational memberships and GPA on GSR may be linked to the relatively homogenous characteristics and experiences of the university students interviewed. There is a need for more path models to better understand the predictors of GSR in local students. PMID:27247700

Gender Variations in the Effects of Number of Organizational Memberships, Number of Social Networking Sites, and Grade-Point Average on Global Social Responsibility in Filipino University Students.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Romeo B; Baring, Rito V; Sta Maria, Madelene A

2016-02-01

The study seeks to estimate gender variations in the direct effects of (a) number of organizational memberships, (b) number of social networking sites (SNS), and (c) grade-point average (GPA) on global social responsibility (GSR); and in the indirect effects of (a) and of (b) through (c) on GSR. Cross-sectional survey data were drawn from questionnaire interviews involving 3,173 Filipino university students. Based on a path model, the three factors were tested to determine their inter-relationships and their relationships with GSR. The direct and total effects of the exogenous factors on the dependent variable are statistically significantly robust. The indirect effects of organizational memberships on GSR through GPA are also statistically significant, but the indirect effects of SNS on GSR through GPA are marginal. Men and women significantly differ only in terms of the total effects of their organizational memberships on GSR. The lack of broad gender variations in the effects of SNS, organizational memberships and GPA on GSR may be linked to the relatively homogenous characteristics and experiences of the university students interviewed. There is a need for more path models to better understand the predictors of GSR in local students.

Membership of Eastern European countries of the European Union -environmental perspectives. Main report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1997-06-01

Ten central and eastern European countries have made association agreements with the EU and submitted applications for EU membership. The countries are: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Romania and Bulgaria. Accession to the EU by the central and eastern European countries requires that the countries accept the acquis communautaire (the rules of the EU) as well as the acquis politique (the political aims of the EU), including environmental issues. Accession to the EU is expected to result in substantial environmental improvements both in the central and eastern European countries and in the countries which are exposed to pollution originating from these countries. The extent of the environmental improvements when the 10 countries implement and use the rules laid down by the EU is an important issue. Another important approximation related problem is how the countries will secure the human and financial resources to meet the EU requirements. The purpose of this publication is to provide a first analysis of the tasks ahead in the environmental field during the current approximation process, including the environmental consequences/gains and the costs of accession of the 10 associated countries to the EU. This analysis deals both with general and sectoral problems, focusing on sectors with special adaptation problems which thus need targeted assistance. The analysed sectors are: air pollution, ozone depleting substances, waste, water pollution, agriculture, chemical substances, biodiversity, energy - including nuclear energy. (LN) 119 refs

Gang Membership, School Violence, and the Mediating Effects of Risk and Protective Behaviors in California High Schools

Science.gov (United States)

Estrada, Joey Nuñez, Jr.; Gilreath, Tamika D.; Astor, Ron Avi; Benbenishty, Rami

2014-01-01

There is insufficient empirical evidence exploring associations between gang membership and school violence behaviors. Using a sample of 272,863 high school students, this study employs a structural equation model to examine how school risk and protective behaviors and attitudes mediate effects of gang members' involvement with school violence…

Representing "Us" and "Them": Building Blocks of Intergroup Cognition

Science.gov (United States)

Baron, Andrew Scott; Dunham, Yarrow

2015-01-01

Three experiments explored whether group membership affects the acquisition of richer information about social groups. Employing a minimal-groups paradigm, 6- to 8-year-olds were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 novel social groups. Experiment 1 demonstrated that immediately following random assignment to a novel group, children were more likely to…

Sociodemographic predictors of latent class membership of problematic and disordered gamblers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Richard J.E. James

2016-06-01

Full Text Available This paper reports a series of analyses examining the predictors of gambling subtypes identified from a latent class analysis of problem gambling assessment data, pooled from four health and gambling surveys conducted in Britain between 2007 and 2012. Previous analyses have indicated that gambling assessments have a consistent three class structure showing quantitative and potentially qualitative differences. Bringing this data together is useful for studying more severe problem gamblers, where the small number of respondents has been a chronic limitation of gambling prevalence research. Predictors were drawn from sociodemographic indicators and engagement with other legal addictive behaviours, namely smoking and alcohol consumption. The pooled data was entered into a multinomial logistic regression model in which class membership was regressed along a series of demographic variables and survey year, based on previous analyses of gambling prevalence data. The results identified multiple demographic differences (age, general health, SES, being single, membership of ethnic minority groups between the non-problem and two classes endorsing some problem gambling indicators. Although these two groups tended to share a sociodemographic profile, the odds of being male, British Asian and a smoker increased between the three groups in line with problem gambling severity. Being widowed was also found to be associated with the most severe gambling class. A number of associations were also observed with other addictive behaviours. However these should be taken as indicative as these were limited subsamples of a single dataset. These findings identify specific groups in which gambling problems are more prevalent, and highlight the importance of the interaction between acute and determinant aspects of impulsivity, suggesting that a more complex account of impulsivity should be considered than is currently present in the gambling literature.

THE ADMISSION OF NEWLY CREATED STATES TO THE MEMBERSHIP OF THE UNITED NATIONS: THE CASE OF REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Milorad Petreski

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The international law which regulates the formation, functioning and legal capacity of international organizations, and also the international law in the United Nations system, are always relevant and subject to progressive development, because the international relations are in constant dynamics. Each newly created state has one major foreign policy goal during its first years of formation or after obtaining independence – admission to the membership of the United Nations. That is because the decision of admission to the membership of the UN guarantees the country’s statehood which can no longer be questioned. The country becomes part of a global community of nations – the international community. Therefore, the present paper is a qualitative research regarding the admission of new states to the international community, and the decision-making process concerning the admission of new Member States to the UN.

Dignity, Health, and Membership: Who Counts as One of Us?

Science.gov (United States)

Pilkington, Bryan C.

2016-01-01

This essay serves as an introduction to this issue of the Journal of Medicine and Philosophy. The five articles in this issue address a range of topics from the human embryo and substantial change to conceptions of disability. They engage claims of moral status, defense of our humanity, and argue for an accurate and just classification of persons of different communities within a healthcare system. I argue in this essay that though their concerns are diverse, the authors in this issue help to answer a common question: “Who counts as one of us?” Reading these articles through the lens of membership and the themes of dignity illustrates this commonality and bears fruit for further reflection on many of the challenging issues addressed in the subsequent papers. PMID:26868673

Associations between membership of farm assurance and organic certification schemes and compliance with animal welfare legislation.

Science.gov (United States)

KilBride, A L; Mason, S A; Honeyman, P C; Pritchard, D G; Hepple, S; Green, L E

2012-02-11

Animal health (AH) defines the outcome of their inspections of livestock holdings as full compliance with the legislation and welfare code (A), compliance with the legislation but not the code (B), non-compliance with legislation but no pain, distress or suffering obvious in the animals (C) or evidence of unnecessary pain or unnecessary distress (D). The aim of the present study was to investigate whether membership of farm assurance or organic certification schemes was associated with compliance with animal welfare legislation as inspected by AH. Participating schemes provided details of their members, past and present, and these records were matched against inspection data from AH. Multivariable multilevel logistic binomial models were built to investigate the association between compliance with legislation and membership of a farm assurance/organic scheme. The percentage of inspections coded A, B, C or D was 37.1, 35.6, 20.2 and 7.1 per cent, respectively. Once adjusted for year, country, enterprise, herd size and reason for inspection, there was a pattern of significantly reduced risk of codes C and D compared with A and B, in certified enterprises compared with the enterprises that were not known to be certified in all species.

The influence of group membership on the neural correlates involved in empathy.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Robert eEres

2013-05-01

Full Text Available Empathy involves affective, cognitive and emotion regulative components. The affective component relies on the sharing of emotional states with others and is discussed here in relation to the human Mirror System. On the other hand, the cognitive component is related to understanding the mental states of others and draws upon literature surrounding Theory of Mind. The final component, emotion regulation depends on executive function and is responsible for managing the degree to which explicit empathic responses are made. This mini-review provides information on how each of the three components is individually affected by group membership and how this leads to in-group bias.

Any of them will do: In-group identification, out-group entitativity, and gang membership as predictors of group-based retribution.

Science.gov (United States)

Vasquez, Eduardo A; Wenborne, Lisa; Peers, Madeline; Alleyne, Emma; Ellis, Kirsty

2015-05-01

In non-gang populations, the degree of identification with an in-group and perceptions of out-group entitativity, the perception of an out-group as bonded or unified, are important contributors to group-based aggression or vicarious retribution. The link between these factors and group-based aggression, however, has not been examined in the context of street gangs. The current study assessed the relationship among in-group identification, perceptions of out-group entitativity, and the willingness to retaliate against members of rival groups who did not themselves attack the in-group among juvenile gang and non-gang members in London. Our results showed the predicted membership (gang/non-gang) × in-group identification × entitativity interaction. Decomposition of the three-way interaction by membership revealed a significant identification × entitativity interaction for gang, but not for non-gang members. More specifically, gang members who identify more strongly with their gang and perceived a rival group as high on entitativity were more willing to retaliate against any of them. In addition, entitativity was a significant predictor of group-based aggression after controlling for gender, in-group identification, and gang membership. Our results are consistent with socio-psychological theories of group-based aggression and support the proposal that such theories are applicable for understanding gang-related violence. Aggr. Behav. 41:242-252, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Does self-selection affect samples' representativeness in online surveys? An investigation in online video game research.

Science.gov (United States)

Khazaal, Yasser; van Singer, Mathias; Chatton, Anne; Achab, Sophia; Zullino, Daniele; Rothen, Stephane; Khan, Riaz; Billieux, Joel; Thorens, Gabriel

2014-07-07

The number of medical studies performed through online surveys has increased dramatically in recent years. Despite their numerous advantages (eg, sample size, facilitated access to individuals presenting stigmatizing issues), selection bias may exist in online surveys. However, evidence on the representativeness of self-selected samples in online studies is patchy. Our objective was to explore the representativeness of a self-selected sample of online gamers using online players' virtual characters (avatars). All avatars belonged to individuals playing World of Warcraft (WoW), currently the most widely used online game. Avatars' characteristics were defined using various games' scores, reported on the WoW's official website, and two self-selected samples from previous studies were compared with a randomly selected sample of avatars. We used scores linked to 1240 avatars (762 from the self-selected samples and 478 from the random sample). The two self-selected samples of avatars had higher scores on most of the assessed variables (except for guild membership and exploration). Furthermore, some guilds were overrepresented in the self-selected samples. Our results suggest that more proficient players or players more involved in the game may be more likely to participate in online surveys. Caution is needed in the interpretation of studies based on online surveys that used a self-selection recruitment procedure. Epidemiological evidence on the reduced representativeness of sample of online surveys is warranted.

How to sit on Two Sides of the Table? Swedish and Norwegian Unions’ Approaches to Representative Worker Participation during the 20th Century

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Katharina Sass

2014-09-01

Full Text Available To this day, participation rights in Sweden have been reserved for union members both on the company level and on the board level, while all employees in companies, which are covered by respective agreements and laws, have voting rights in Norway. The aim of this article is twofold: First of all, it traces this difference back in time, using historical evidence from relevant periods of the 20th century to illuminate how approaches of Swedish and Norwegian unions to representative worker participation evolved. Through the method of comparison, not only similarities and differences between the two countries but also continuities within the two union movements become apparent. It becomes clear that unions of both countries were worried about “double loyalties”, but participation was more closely and deliberately linked with membership in Sweden. This in turn points to the second aim of the article, namely to identify possible reasons for this particular difference. Why were Swedish unions apparently more worried about “free riders”? While a final explanation will not be attempted here, one possible explaining factor is that private capital concentration was higher in Sweden and that Swedish employer organizations were more powerful. Swedish unions thus might have used membership requirements with regard to participation to avoid internal splits and to protect their comparatively high unity and density. This might have helped them to confront their, in comparison with Norway, better organized adversaries. The main aim of the article, however, is the first one, namely to give a synthetical, comparative account of Swedish and Norwegian unions’ approaches to representative worker participation during the 20th century, with a main focus on voting rights.

Cooperative membership and farmers’ choice of marketing channels – Evidence from apple farmers in Shaanxi and Shandong Provinces, China

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hao, Jinghui; Bijman, Jos; Gardebroek, Cornelis; Heerink, Nico; Heijman, Wim; Huo, Xuexi

2018-01-01

Cooperatives are established to improve farmers' production conditions, to increase their bargaining power and to enable them to benefit from modern value chains. In China, farmers are members of a cooperative for multiple reasons. Little is known on whether and how cooperative membership affects

Introducing SONS, a Tool for Operational Taxonomic Unit-Based Comparisons of Microbial Community Memberships and Structures

OpenAIRE

Schloss, Patrick D.; Handelsman, Jo

2006-01-01

The recent advent of tools enabling statistical inferences to be drawn from comparisons of microbial communities has enabled the focus of microbial ecology to move from characterizing biodiversity to describing the distribution of that biodiversity. Although statistical tools have been developed to compare community structures across a phylogenetic tree, we lack tools to compare the memberships and structures of two communities at a particular operational taxonomic unit (OTU) definition. Furt...

Systematic design of membership functions for fuzzy-logic control: A case study on one-stage partial nitritation/anammox treatment systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Boiocchi, Riccardo; Gernaey, Krist; Sin, Gürkan

2016-01-01

constrained optimization problems corresponding to different qualitative operation states of the system are defined and solved to identify, in a consistent manner, the critical points of the membership functions for the input variables. The consistently identified critical points, together with the linguistic...

Social media as social capital of LGB individuals in Hong Kong: its relations with group membership, stigma, and mental well-being.

Science.gov (United States)

Chong, Eddie S K; Zhang, Yin; Mak, Winnie W S; Pang, Ingrid H Y

2015-03-01

Social media are found to facilitate social information exchange among lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) individuals who are subjected to social stigma. This study tested the protective role of LGB-tailored social media uses and gratifications in promoting LGB group membership, which we hypothesized to reduce LGB stigma and enhance mental health among LGB individuals in Hong Kong. Based on a sample of 233 Chinese LGB individuals in Hong Kong, structural equation modeling showed evidence for our hypotheses, χ(df=62)(2)= 88.20, GFI = 0.95, CFI = 0.98, NNFI = 0.98, SRMR = 0.07, RMSEA = 0.04. Community surveillance, identity expression, and emotional support on social media may promote mental health by instilling a sense of group membership and reducing stigma. Social media may build camaraderie and bolster resilience among LGB individuals that may otherwise be difficult in conservative regions.

(In)direct framing effects: the effects of news media framing on public support for Turkish membership in the European Union

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Vreese, C.H.; Boomgaarden, H.G.; Semetko, H.A.

2011-01-01

News framing can exert a strong influence on public opinion. Following a media content analysis, this article investigates the effects of news framing on support for membership of Turkey in the European Union. A first experimental study (n = 304) showed a significant difference in the level of

Does highly symptomatic class membership in the acute phase predict highly symptomatic classification in victims 6 months after traumatic exposure?

Science.gov (United States)

Hansen, Maj; Hyland, Philip; Armour, Cherie

2016-05-01

Recently studies have indicated the existence of both posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and acute stress disorder (ASD) subtypes but no studies have investigated their mutual association. Although ASD may not be a precursor of PTSD per se, there are potential benefits associated with early identification of victims at risk of developing PTSD subtypes. The present study investigates ASD and PTSD subtypes using latent class analysis (LCA) following bank robbery (N=371). Moreover, we assessed if highly symptomatic ASD and selected risk factors increased the probability of highly symptomatic PTSD. The results of LCA revealed a three class solution for ASD and a two class solution for PTSD. Negative cognitions about self (OR=1.08), neuroticism (OR=1.09) and membership of the 'High symptomatic ASD' class (OR=20.41) significantly increased the probability of 'symptomatic PTSD' class membership. Future studies are needed to investigate the existence of ASD and PTSD subtypes and their mutual relationship. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Does Self-Selection Affect Samples’ Representativeness in Online Surveys? An Investigation in Online Video Game Research

Science.gov (United States)

van Singer, Mathias; Chatton, Anne; Achab, Sophia; Zullino, Daniele; Rothen, Stephane; Khan, Riaz; Billieux, Joel; Thorens, Gabriel

2014-01-01

Background The number of medical studies performed through online surveys has increased dramatically in recent years. Despite their numerous advantages (eg, sample size, facilitated access to individuals presenting stigmatizing issues), selection bias may exist in online surveys. However, evidence on the representativeness of self-selected samples in online studies is patchy. Objective Our objective was to explore the representativeness of a self-selected sample of online gamers using online players’ virtual characters (avatars). Methods All avatars belonged to individuals playing World of Warcraft (WoW), currently the most widely used online game. Avatars’ characteristics were defined using various games’ scores, reported on the WoW’s official website, and two self-selected samples from previous studies were compared with a randomly selected sample of avatars. Results We used scores linked to 1240 avatars (762 from the self-selected samples and 478 from the random sample). The two self-selected samples of avatars had higher scores on most of the assessed variables (except for guild membership and exploration). Furthermore, some guilds were overrepresented in the self-selected samples. Conclusions Our results suggest that more proficient players or players more involved in the game may be more likely to participate in online surveys. Caution is needed in the interpretation of studies based on online surveys that used a self-selection recruitment procedure. Epidemiological evidence on the reduced representativeness of sample of online surveys is warranted. PMID:25001007

Recent activities of the Seismology Division Early Career Representative(s)

Science.gov (United States)

Agius, Matthew; Van Noten, Koen; Ermert, Laura; Mai, P. Martin; Krawczyk, CharLotte

2016-04-01

The European Geosciences Union is a bottom-up-organisation, in which its members are represented by their respective scientific divisions, committees and council. In recent years, EGU has embarked on a mission to reach out for its numerous 'younger' members by giving awards to outstanding young scientists and the setting up of Early Career Scientists (ECS) representatives. The division representative's role is to engage in discussions that concern students and early career scientists. Several meetings between all the division representatives are held throughout the year to discuss ideas and Union-wide issues. One important impact ECS representatives have had on EGU is the increased number of short courses and workshops run by ECS during the annual General Assembly. Another important contribution of ECS representatives was redefining 'Young Scientist' to 'Early Career Scientist', which avoids discrimination due to age. Since 2014, the Seismology Division has its own ECS representative. In an effort to more effectively reach out for young seismologists, a blog and a social media page dedicated to seismology have been set up online. With this dedicated blog, we'd like to give more depth to the average browsing experience by enabling young researchers to explore various seismology topics in one place while making the field more exciting and accessible to the broader community. These pages are used to promote the latest research especially of young seismologists and to share interesting seismo-news. Over the months the pages proved to be popular, with hundreds of views every week and an increased number of followers. An online survey was conducted to learn more about the activities and needs of early career seismologists. We present the results from this survey, and the work that has been carried out over the last two years, including detail of what has been achieved so far, and what we would like the ECS representation for Seismology to achieve. Young seismologists are

Short-range forecast of Shershnevskoie (South Ural) water-storage algal blooms: preliminary results of predictors' choosing and membership functions' construction

Science.gov (United States)

Gayazova, Anna; Abdullaev, Sanjar

2014-05-01

Short-range forecasting of algal blooms in drinking water reservoirs and other waterbodies is an actual element of water treatment system. Particularly, Shershnevskoie reservoir - the source of drinking water for Chelyabinsk city (South Ural region of Russia) - is exposed to interannual, seasonal and short-range fluctuations of blue-green alga Aphanizomenon flos-aquae and other dominant species abundance, which lead to technological problems and economic costs and adversely affect the water treatment quality. Whereas the composition, intensity and the period of blooms affected not only by meteorological seasonal conditions but also by ecological specificity of waterbody, that's important to develop object-oriented forecasting, particularly, search for an optimal number of predictors for such forecasting. Thereby, firstly fuzzy logic and fuzzy artificial neural network patterns for blue-green alga Microcystis aeruginosa (M. aeruginosa) blooms prediction in nearby undrained Smolino lake were developed. These results subsequently served as the base to derive membership functions for Shernevskoie reservoir forecasting patterns. Time series with the total lenght about 138-159 days of dominant species seasonal abundance, water temperature, cloud cover, wind speed, mineralization, phosphate and nitrate concentrations were obtained through field observations held at Lake Smolino (Chelyabinsk) in the warm season of 2009 and 2011 with time resolution of 2-7 days. The cross-correlation analysis of the data revealed the potential predictors of M. aeruginosa abundance quasi-periodic oscillations: green alga Pediastrum duplex (P. duplex) abundance and mineralization for 2009, P. duplex abundance, water temperature and concentration of nitrates for 2011. According to the results of cross-correlation analysis one membership function "P. duplex abundance" and one rule linking M. aeruginosa and P. duplex abundances were set up for database of 2009. Analogically, for database of 2011

Compensation to the pension fund for the reduction of the active membership

CERN Document Server

1999-01-01

The Governing Board of the Pension Fund has proposed (cf. attached document) that the Finance Committee recommend Council to approve compensation to the Pension Fund for the reduction of the active membership in 1998 in accordance with document CERN/FC/4074 ? CERN/2241. At the TREF meeting of 19 November 1999, while the Management indicated that it had no objection to the Governing Board?s proposal, most delegations were in favour of postponing implementation of the compensation until the next actuarial review. As a consequence, the Management feels it necessary to hold further discussions with the Governing Board of the Pension Fund before submitting a proposal to Finance Committee and Council. At this stage, the Management invites Finance Committee and Council to take note of this document.

40 CFR 72.22 - Alternate designated representative.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... designated representative is selected shall include a procedure for the owners and operators of the source and affected units at the source to authorize the alternate designated representative to act in lieu...) In the event of a conflict, any action taken by the designated representative shall take precedence...

Waste management association with compulsory membership ante portas?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heller, W.

2004-01-01

In the course of considerations in the early nineties of reforming atomic energy law, the possibilities was analyzed to privatize the final storage of radioactive waste. One key idea incorporated the finding that the government was of limited usefulness when acting as an entrepreneur, while privatization of this duty could solve the problems associated with planning, building, and operating a repository more speedily and, above all, more economically. In the reform of atomic energy law, final storage remained a government function. The Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, and Nuclear Safety (BMU) is now considering ''reforming the regulations on the final storage of radioactive waste.'' One of the basic ideas underlying this concept is to transfer to an association the site selection, installation, and operation of a repository. The federal government then could limit its functions of those of legal supervision. The upshot would be that the former duties of the federal government of exploring and establishing repositories would be transferred to the association, membership of which would be compulsory and which would have the legal form of a public corporation. A structure of this kind raises a number of organizational and legal problems which are discussed in this contribution. (orig.)

Electrophysiological assessment of the time course of bilingual visual word recognition: Early access to language membership.

Science.gov (United States)

Yiu, Loretta K; Pitts, Michael A; Canseco-Gonzalez, Enriqueta

2015-08-01

Previous research examining the time course of lexical access during word recognition suggests that phonological processing precedes access to semantic information, which in turn precedes access to syntactic information. Bilingual word recognition likely requires an additional level: knowledge of which language a specific word belongs to. Using the recording of event-related potentials, we investigated the time course of access to language membership information relative to semantic (Experiment 1) and syntactic (Experiment 2) encoding during visual word recognition. In Experiment 1, Spanish-English bilinguals viewed a series of printed words while making dual-choice go/nogo and left/right hand decisions based on semantic (whether the word referred to an animal or an object) and language membership information (whether the word was in English or in Spanish). Experiment 2 used a similar paradigm but with syntactic information (whether the word was a noun or a verb) as one of the response contingencies. The onset and peak latency of the N200, a component related to response inhibition, indicated that language information is accessed earlier than semantic information. Similarly, language information was also accessed earlier than syntactic information (but only based on peak latency). We discuss these findings with respect to models of bilingual word recognition and language comprehension in general. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

17 CFR 240.19h-1 - Notice by a self-regulatory organization of proposed admission to or continuance in membership or...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 17 Commodity and Securities Exchanges 3 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Notice by a self-regulatory... Notice by a self-regulatory organization of proposed admission to or continuance in membership or... statutory disqualification. (1) Any self-regulatory organization proposing, conditionally or unconditionally...

Identifying Changes in Youth's Subgroup Membership over Time Based on Their Targeted Communication about Substance Use with Parents and Friends

Science.gov (United States)

Kam, Jennifer A.

2011-01-01

Using latent class/transition analyses, this study: (a) identified subgroups of youth based on their targeted communication about substance use with parents and friends, (b) examined subgroup differences in substance use, and (c) considered changes in subgroup membership over four years. Among 5,874 youth, five subgroups emerged, with parents-only…

Ombudsman institutions in the candidate countries on the road to EU membership: a comparative view

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Vahap Atilla OĞUŞGİL

2015-06-01

Full Text Available The European Union has been attaching great importance to the values of democracy and human rights in its external policy, including to its relationship with candidate countries seeking membership in the Union. In accordance with the significance of the values stipulated by the Copenhagen political criteria, as well, it urges the countries in question, for example, to build or strengthen national oversight mechanisms that are tasked to promote the democratic governance of the state and protect human rights. This paper examines one of those oversight mechanisms – ombudsman institutions – in the candidate states conducting accession negotiations with the EU. It specifically scrutinises a fundamental characteristic for the effective functioning of these institutions – the jurisdiction and powers granted by their statutes. Relying on the findings to be noted, the paper also seeks an answer to the question of which ombudsman institution(s score(s better in terms of effectiveness and thus play(s a more significant role in the improvement and consolidation of democracy and protection of human rights in its or their countries, and as a result, contribute(s more to the fulfilment of Copenhagen political criteria during the EU accession processes.

Women and Rural Water Management: Token Representatives or Paving the Way to Power?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christina Geoffrey Mandara

2017-02-01

Full Text Available This paper discusses how informal structures intersect with women’s participation in formally created decision-making spaces for managing domestic water at the village level in Tanzania. The results reveal the influence of the informal context on women’s access to and performance in the formal decision-making spaces. Overall, there is low community involvement in local governance structures, and in most village assemblies that of women is even less. Only in the Social Welfare Committee women are fairly well represented, presumably because of its linkage with the traditional division of labour and women’s practical gender needs. In the Village Water Committees, women’s representation is regulated by a quota system but women rarely occupy leadership positions. Even when husbands are supportive, patriarchal culture, scepticism and negative stereotypical assumptions on female leadership frustrate the government’s effort to enlarge women’s representation in the local decision-making spaces. Three entry points for change were identified: successful women leaders as role models; women’s passive participation in village meetings that could develop into active participation; and women’s membership of social and economic groups which strengthens their skills and bargaining position.

Job insecurity, union support and the intention to resign membership. A psychological contract perspective tested among union members in four European countries

NARCIS (Netherlands)

De Witte, Hans; Sverke, Magnus; Van Ruysseveldt, Joris; Goslinga, Sjoerd; Chirumbolo, Antonio; Hellgren, Johnny; Näswall, Katharina

2010-01-01

This paper explores the consequences of job insecurity among union members. Starting from the dominance of the instrumental motive for union membership, and using psychological contract theory, we hypothesize that the perception of job insecurity will correlate with a lower level of perceived union

Variations in Social Network Type Membership Among Older African Americans, Caribbean Blacks, and Non-Hispanic Whites.

Science.gov (United States)

Nguyen, Ann W

2017-07-01

This study examined race differences in the probability of belonging to a specific social network typology of family, friends, and church members. Samples of African Americans, Caribbean blacks, and non-Hispanic whites aged 55+ were drawn from the National Survey of American Life. Typology indicators related to social integration and negative interactions with family, friendship, and church networks were used. Latent class analysis was used to identify typologies, and latent class multinomial logistic regression was used to assess the influence of race, and interactions between race and age, and race and education on typology membership. Four network typologies were identified: optimal (high social integration, low negative interaction), family-centered (high social integration within primarily the extended family network, low negative interaction), strained (low social integration, high negative interaction), and ambivalent (high social integration and high negative interaction). Findings for race and age and race and education interactions indicated that the effects of education and age on typology membership varied by race. Overall, the findings demonstrate how race interacts with age and education to influence the probability of belonging to particular network types. A better understanding of the influence of race, education, and age on social network typologies will inform future research and theoretical developments in this area. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Membership function used to construction of a hand homogeneous phantom

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pavan, Ana Luiza Menegatti; Alvarez, Matheus; Alves, Allan Felipe Fattori; Rosa, Maria Eugenia Dela; Miranda, Jose Ricardo de Arruda

2014-01-01

Fractures and dislocations of the hand are some injuries most frequently encountered in trauma of the musculoskeletal system. In evaluating these lesions, in addition to physical examination, radiography, in at least two incidents, is the investigation of choice, and rarely is necessary the help of other images to establish the diagnosis and treatment. The image quality of X-ray examination is therefore essential. In this study, a homogeneous phantom hand was developed to be used in the optimization of images from hand using computed radiography system process. In this procedure were quantified thicknesses of different tissues that constitute an anthropomorphic phantom hand. To perform the classification and quantification of tissue was applied membership functions for histograms of CT scans. The same procedure was adopted for retrospective examinations of 30 patients of the Hospital das Clinicas, Botucatu Medicine School, UNESP (HCFMB-UNESP). The results showed agreement between the thicknesses of tissues that make up the anthropomorphic phantom and sampling of patients, presenting variations between 12.63% and 6.48% for soft tissue and bone, respectively. (author)

Effects Of Membership Of Cooperative Organisations And Determinants On Farmer-Members Income In Rural Anambra State Nigeria

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Nkechi Cordelia Ojiagu

2015-08-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACT The study examined the effect of membership of cooperative societies on the economic activities of farmers as well as the determinants of their income in rural Nigeria focusing on Anambra State. Data from 2506 members selected through multi-stage stratified random sampling were analyzed. The study found among others that members incomes are dependent upon their socio-economic profile such as age marital status and membership or otherwise of cooperative societies education cooperative marketing credit gender and business expertise. Also respondents depend largely on farming related activities for generation of income in the study area. Furthermore it was found that the major challenge of the farmer-members is inadequate fund poor education and illiteracy among most members conflict among members and lack of access to farm input. The Nigerian government is advised to formulate policies that will incorporate information from the local level that can support planning implementation and evaluation of programmes that can enhance farmers income this however will influence the pattern of agricultural growth in ways that can change income level of rural farmers to grow fast. The study recommends that cooperatives should intensify their education of members to gain more benefits and that government non-governmental organizations and international development agencies should show interest in supervising and providing development support to Farmers Cooperative Societies in rural Nigeria.

Membresía a barras bravas y su influencia en el uso de drogas Barras bravas membership and its influence on drug use

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Catalina López-Quintero

2012-03-01

Full Text Available Objetivos. Identificar los factores asociados con la membresía a las barras bravas, la incidencia del uso de drogas y la asociación entre membresía y uso de drogas. Materiales y métodos. Se analizan los datos reportados por 1303 adolescentes escolares que participaron en dos etapas (T1 y T2 de un estudio longitudinal realizado en 23 colegios de Bogotá, Colombia entre 2006 y 2007, seleccionados a partir de un muestreo probabilístico estratificado por conglomerados. Se implementaron modelos de regresión logística para estudiar las asociaciones de interés. Resultados. En T1, 8,2% de los encuestados reportaron membresía a las barras bravas. Luego de un año de seguimiento, el 14,2% y el 4,6% de los estudiantes que afirmaron y negaron respectivamente pertenecer a una barra brava, iniciaron el consumo de drogas. La asociación entre membresía a las barras bravas e inicio del uso de drogas permanece después de ajustar por múltiples factores de confusión (RRA: 2,4; IC 95%: 1,2 - 4,7. En el análisis estratificado por sexo, esta asociación permanece significativa únicamente en las mujeres (RRA: 6,1; IC 95%: 2,5 - 15,3. Conclusiones. La membresía a las barras bravas mostró incrementar el riesgo de inicio del uso de drogas, particularmente en las mujeres. Los hallazgos implican que se deben focalizar los esfuerzos preventivos hacia las mujeres en dichos contextos.Objectives. To identify the factors associated with barras bravas (soccer fans clubs membership, the incidence in drug use and the association between membership and drug use. Materials and methods. This report analyzed data from 1303 adolescent scholars who participated in two stages (T1 and T2 of a longitudinal study done in 23 schools of Bogota during 2006- 2007, selected through a probabilistic sampling stratified by clusters. Logistic regression models were implemented in order to evaluate the associations of interest. Results. In T1, 8,2% of the surveyed students reported

1.5V fully programmable CMOS Membership Function Generator Circuit with proportional DC-voltage control

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C. Muñiz-Montero

2013-06-01

Full Text Available A Membership Function Generator Circuit (MFGC with bias supply of 1.5 Volts and independent DC-voltage programmable functionalities is presented. The realization is based on a programmable differential current mirror and three compact voltage-to-current converters, allowing continuous and quasi-linear adjustment of the center position, height, width and slopes of the triangular/trapezoidal output waveforms. HSPICE simulation results of the proposed circuit using the parameters of a double-poly, three metal layers, 0.5 μm CMOS technology validate the functionality of the proposed architecture, which exhibits a maximum deviation of the linearity in the programmability of 7 %.

Improving Diversity and Educational Outreach at the K-14 level: A Call to Action for the AGU Membership

Science.gov (United States)

Hall, F. R.; Johnson, R.

2002-12-01

In 2002, the Subcommittee on Diversity (SD) of the Committee on Education and Human Resources (CEHR) submitted a Diversity Plan to the leadership of AGU. This plan outlines specific programs and goals that AGU can follow to help improve diversity in the Earth and space sciences. Diversity issues are key components to improve the human resource potential in the geosciences. As women are the majority population, and racial and ethnic minorities are experiencing the largest growing segment of the United States population, it is within our best interest to actively recruit and retain these populations into our dynamic fields of study. The SD recognizes that the strength of the AGU lies within its membership. Composed of some of the brightest and talented scientists in the world, the AGU members are leaders and pioneers in our understanding of the Earth System. Yet, many, if not most, people within underrepresented communities are not aware of the relevance that the Earth and space sciences play in their lives. In this discussion, we will discuss the importance of the AGU membership in the Diversity Plan. In addition, we will outline specific things that AGU members can do to improve access of US students and citizenry to Earth and space science education. These steps require that AGU members become active advocates in the public, especially at the K-14 level.

Optimization of Membership Functions for the Fuzzy Controllers of the Water Tank and Inverted Pendulum with Differents PSO Variants

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Patricia Melin

2013-11-01

Full Text Available In this paper the Particle Swarm Optimization metaheuristic and two of its variants (inertia weight and constriction coefficient are used as an optimization strategy for the design of optimal membership functions of fuzzy control systems for the water tank and inverted pendulum benchmark problems. Each variant has its own advantages in the algorithm, allowing the exploration and exploitation in different ways and this allows finding the optimal solution in a better way.

Do Savings and Credit Institutions Reduce Vulnerability? New Evidence From Mexico

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lensink, Robert; Servin Juarez, Roselia; Berg, van den Marrit

2017-01-01

This study examines whether membership in a savings and credit society (SACP) reduces vulnerability to poverty, using a representative survey from the National Savings and Financial Services Bank. The sample of households includes those that are and are not members of a SACP during 2004−2007.

Representing culture in interstellar messages

Science.gov (United States)

Vakoch, Douglas A.

2008-09-01

As scholars involved with the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) have contemplated how we might portray humankind in any messages sent to civilizations beyond Earth, one of the challenges they face is adequately representing the diversity of human cultures. For example, in a 2003 workshop in Paris sponsored by the SETI Institute, the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) SETI Permanent Study Group, the International Society for the Arts, Sciences and Technology (ISAST), and the John Templeton Foundation, a varied group of artists, scientists, and scholars from the humanities considered how to encode notions of altruism in interstellar messages . Though the group represented 10 countries, most were from Europe and North America, leading to the group's recommendation that subsequent discussions on the topic should include more globally representative perspectives. As a result, the IAA Study Group on Interstellar Message Construction and the SETI Institute sponsored a follow-up workshop in Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA in February 2005. The Santa Fe workshop brought together scholars from a range of disciplines including anthropology, archaeology, chemistry, communication science, philosophy, and psychology. Participants included scholars familiar with interstellar message design as well as specialists in cross-cultural research who had participated in the Symposium on Altruism in Cross-cultural Perspective, held just prior to the workshop during the annual conference of the Society for Cross-cultural Research . The workshop included discussion of how cultural understandings of altruism can complement and critique the more biologically based models of altruism proposed for interstellar messages at the 2003 Paris workshop. This paper, written by the chair of both the Paris and Santa Fe workshops, will explore the challenges of communicating concepts of altruism that draw on both biological and cultural models.

REFractions: The Representing Equivalent Fractions Game

Science.gov (United States)

Tucker, Stephen I.

2014-01-01

Stephen Tucker presents a fractions game that addresses a range of fraction concepts including equivalence and computation. The REFractions game also improves students' fluency with representing, comparing and adding fractions.

Judgments of and by Representativeness

Science.gov (United States)

1981-05-15

p. 4i). This hy- pothesis was studied in several contexts, including intuitive statisti- cal judgments and the prediction of professional choice (Kahneman... professional choice . Here, X is representative of M either because it is frequently associated with M (e.g., high fever commonly accompanies pneumonia

Participative leadership and organizational identification in SMEs in the MENA Region : testing the roles of CSR perceptions and pride in membership

OpenAIRE

Lythreatis, Sophie; Mostafa, Ahmed; Wang, Xiaojun

2017-01-01

The aim of this research is to explore the process linking participative leadership to organizational identification. The study examines the relationship between participative leadership and internal CSR perceptions of employees and also investigates the role that pride in membership plays in the affiliation of CSR perceptions with organizational identification. By studying these relationships, the paper aspires to contemplate new presumed mediators in the association of participative leaders...

Measurement of Loneliness Among Clients Representing Four Stages of Cancer: An Exploratory Study.

Science.gov (United States)

1985-03-01

status, and membership in organizations for each client were entered into a SPSS program in a mainframe computer . The means and a one-way analysis of...Study 6. PERFORMING ORG. REPORT NUMBER 7. AUTHOR(e) S. CONTRACT OR GRANT NUMBER(&) Suanne Smith 9. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME AND ADDRESS 10. PROGRAM ...27 Definitions of Terms .......... . . . . 28 II. MErODOLOGY . . . . . . . . . . ......... 30 Overviev of Design

34 CFR 300.168 - Membership.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... birth through 26). (Approved by the Office of Management and Budget under control number 1820-0030... with disabilities (ages birth through 26); (2) Individuals with disabilities; (3) Teachers; (4... of private schools and public charter schools; (9) Not less than one representative of a vocational...

Crisis Relocation Workshops for Transportation Industry Representatives

Science.gov (United States)

1979-12-01

executive, two National Guard members, one Air Force transporta- _a ,tion representative, two Red Cross representatives, one school bus z coordinators...manaaers, local transitCD operator, and miiltary busingA authorityA Local Governa-ient 2 Fire chief, assistantI Air Force 3 Liaison Support D CPA :z...to attend the workshop. Majur trans- portation problems anticipated during crisis relocation include: 1. Transportation of carless residents; 2. The

A Study of the Effects of Rank and Gender on Officers' Club Membership and Club Usage at U.S. Air Force Bases in the Continental United States

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Smith, C

1999-01-01

Scope and Method of Study: The purpose of this study was to examine relationships between both officer rank and officer gender and both club membership and member usage at Air Force officers' clubs in the Continental United States (CONUS...

Membership survey of the Australasian College of Legal Medicine: Quality assurance.

Science.gov (United States)

Beran, Roy G; Djekic, Sanja; Bishop, Robert

2012-08-01

The Council of the Australasian College of Legal Medicine (ACLM) considered it timely to survey its membership to determine how to best accommodate its members' needs. A questionnaire was devised, piloted and circulated amongst the 219 College members (excluding the 13 Honorary Fellows). Yield was maximised with 4 direct mailings, 4 questionnaire insertions in the quarterly College newsletter, 3 targeted emails and follow-up phone calls. The survey achieved 160 (73%) response rate of whom ∼40% were substantially involved in legal and forensic medicine and ∼40% were occasionally involved. Thirty-five participants (23%) specialised in forensic medicine and 101 (63%) held Fellowship status in other recognised medical specialities. Equal ⅓ of the members had been so for >10 years, 5-10 years or educative programs found them useful but attendance was between 32 and 49%, depending on the course. There appeared widespread satisfaction with College performance and activities but a low uptake of educative courses, other than Annual Scientific Meetings, thereby identifying marketing of courses as needing extra attention. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd and Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine. All rights reserved.

Membership determination of open clusters based on a spectral clustering method

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Xin-Hua

2018-06-01

We present a spectral clustering (SC) method aimed at segregating reliable members of open clusters in multi-dimensional space. The SC method is a non-parametric clustering technique that performs cluster division using eigenvectors of the similarity matrix; no prior knowledge of the clusters is required. This method is more flexible in dealing with multi-dimensional data compared to other methods of membership determination. We use this method to segregate the cluster members of five open clusters (Hyades, Coma Ber, Pleiades, Praesepe, and NGC 188) in five-dimensional space; fairly clean cluster members are obtained. We find that the SC method can capture a small number of cluster members (weak signal) from a large number of field stars (heavy noise). Based on these cluster members, we compute the mean proper motions and distances for the Hyades, Coma Ber, Pleiades, and Praesepe clusters, and our results are in general quite consistent with the results derived by other authors. The test results indicate that the SC method is highly suitable for segregating cluster members of open clusters based on high-precision multi-dimensional astrometric data such as Gaia data.

Introducing SONS, a tool for operational taxonomic unit-based comparisons of microbial community memberships and structures.

Science.gov (United States)

Schloss, Patrick D; Handelsman, Jo

2006-10-01

The recent advent of tools enabling statistical inferences to be drawn from comparisons of microbial communities has enabled the focus of microbial ecology to move from characterizing biodiversity to describing the distribution of that biodiversity. Although statistical tools have been developed to compare community structures across a phylogenetic tree, we lack tools to compare the memberships and structures of two communities at a particular operational taxonomic unit (OTU) definition. Furthermore, current tests of community structure do not indicate the similarity of the communities but only report the probability of a statistical hypothesis. Here we present a computer program, SONS, which implements nonparametric estimators for the fraction and richness of OTUs shared between two communities.

An improved α-cut approach to transforming fuzzy membership function into basic belief assignment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yang Yi

2016-08-01

Full Text Available In practical applications, pieces of evidence originated from different sources might be modeled by different uncertainty theories. To implement the evidence combination under the Dempster–Shafer evidence theory (DST framework, transformations from the other type of uncertainty representation into the basic belief assignment are needed. α-Cut is an important approach to transforming a fuzzy membership function into a basic belief assignment, which provides a bridge between the fuzzy set theory and the DST. Some drawbacks of the traditional α-cut approach caused by its normalization step are pointed out in this paper. An improved α-cut approach is proposed, which can counteract the drawbacks of the traditional α-cut approach and has good properties. Illustrative examples, experiments and related analyses are provided to show the rationality of the improved α-cut approach.

Social categorization of social robots: anthropomorphism as a function of robot group membership.

Science.gov (United States)

Eyssel, Friederike; Kuchenbrandt, Dieta

2012-12-01

Previous work on social categorization has shown that people often use cues such as a person's gender, age, or ethnicity to categorize and form impressions of others. The present research investigated effects of social category membership on the evaluation of humanoid robots. More specifically, participants rated a humanoid robot that either belonged to their in-group or to a national out-group with regard to anthropomorphism (e.g., mind attribution, warmth), psychological closeness, contact intentions, and design. We predicted that participants would show an in-group bias towards the robot that ostensibly belonged to their in-group--as indicated by its name and location of production. In line with our hypotheses, participants not only rated the in-group robot more favourably--importantly, they also anthropomorphized it more strongly than the out-group robot. Our findings thus document that people even apply social categorization processes and subsequent differential social evaluations to robots. ©2011 The British Psychological Society.

78 FR 5454 - Solicitation of Nominations for Organizations To Serve as Non-Voting Liaison Representatives to...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-25

... science and definition of ME/CFS; and public health, clinical, research, and educational issues related to... membership with demonstrated expertise in ME/CFS and related research, clinical services, or advocacy and... research, clinical services, or advocacy and outreach on issues of ME/CFS, as well as expert knowledge of...

Does ethical membership matter? Moral identification and its organizational implications.

Science.gov (United States)

May, Douglas R; Chang, Young K; Shao, Ruodan

2015-05-01

This research meaningfully connects the literatures on identification and business ethics by proposing the new construct of moral identification. Moral identification is defined here as the perception of oneness or belongingness associated with an organization that exhibits ethical traits (e.g., care, kindness, and compassion), which also involves a deliberate concern of the membership with an ethical organization. Integrating social identity theory with theory on the moral self, this research examines an overall theoretical model where moral identification plays a significant role in explaining employee attraction, motivation, and retention (i.e., 3 components of the overall theoretical framework). These components were examined separately in 3 empirical studies and findings from these studies first revealed that moral identification explained why job seekers with strong (vs. weak) moral identities were more attracted to a socially responsible organization (Study 1). Second, moral identification was associated with lower employee unethical proorganizational behavior (Study 2). Finally, moral identification was negatively related to employees' turnover intentions. Organizations' legal compliance moderated this relation such that it was stronger when organizations have higher (vs. lower) levels of legal compliance (Study 3). Taken together, these studies suggest that moral identification offers new insights in explaining both potential and current employees' behaviors when morality is contextually relevant and subjectively meaningful. Theoretical contributions and practical implications are discussed. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved.

The Influence of the Interest Rate on the Level of Investment Activity in Poland after Receiving the Membership of the EU

OpenAIRE

Małgorzata Gawrycka; Anna Szymczak

2010-01-01

Polish economy as a member of the EU structure is considered as more reliable and stable on the international arena. This membership also appears to provide the wider range of possibilities of acquiring financial means from the European funds that constitute the inseparable element of the new investments and further development. The purpose of the following study is to investigate the relation between the interest rate and the level of the investment activity in Poland after joining the Europ...

Representing uncertainty on model analysis plots

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Trevor I. Smith

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Model analysis provides a mechanism for representing student learning as measured by standard multiple-choice surveys. The model plot contains information regarding both how likely students in a particular class are to choose the correct answer and how likely they are to choose an answer consistent with a well-documented conceptual model. Unfortunately, Bao’s original presentation of the model plot did not include a way to represent uncertainty in these measurements. I present details of a method to add error bars to model plots by expanding the work of Sommer and Lindell. I also provide a template for generating model plots with error bars.

The Influence of the Interest Rate on the Level of Investment Activity in Poland after Receiving the Membership of the EU

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Małgorzata Gawrycka

2010-10-01

Full Text Available Polish economy as a member of the EU structure is considered as more reliable and stable on the international arena. This membership also appears to provide the wider range of possibilities of acquiring financial means from the European funds that constitute the inseparable element of the new investments and further development. The purpose of the following study is to investigate the relation between the interest rate and the level of the investment activity in Poland after joining the European Union.

14 CFR 1274.906 - Designation of New Technology Representative and Patent Representative.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 5 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Designation of New Technology... Conditions § 1274.906 Designation of New Technology Representative and Patent Representative. Designation of New Technology Representative and Patent Representative July 2002 (a) For purposes of administration...

Chemical fingerprints encode mother–offspring similarity, colony membership, relatedness, and genetic quality in fur seals

Science.gov (United States)

Stoffel, Martin A.; Caspers, Barbara A.; Forcada, Jaume; Giannakara, Athina; Baier, Markus; Eberhart-Phillips, Luke; Müller, Caroline; Hoffman, Joseph I.

2015-01-01

Chemical communication underpins virtually all aspects of vertebrate social life, yet remains poorly understood because of its highly complex mechanistic basis. We therefore used chemical fingerprinting of skin swabs and genetic analysis to explore the chemical cues that may underlie mother–offspring recognition in colonially breeding Antarctic fur seals. By sampling mother–offspring pairs from two different colonies, using a variety of statistical approaches and genotyping a large panel of microsatellite loci, we show that colony membership, mother–offspring similarity, heterozygosity, and genetic relatedness are all chemically encoded. Moreover, chemical similarity between mothers and offspring reflects a combination of genetic and environmental influences, the former partly encoded by substances resembling known pheromones. Our findings reveal the diversity of information contained within chemical fingerprints and have implications for understanding mother–offspring communication, kin recognition, and mate choice. PMID:26261311

Use of triangular membership function for prediction of compressive strength of concrete containing nanosilica

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sakshi Gupta

2015-12-01

Full Text Available In this paper, application of fuzzy logic technique using triangular membership function for developing models for predicting compressive strength of concrete with partial replacement of cement with nanosilica has been carried out. For this, the data have been taken from various literatures and help in optimizing the constituents available and reducing cost and efforts in studying design to develop mixes by predefining suitable range for experimenting. The use of nanostructured materials in concrete can add many benefits that are directly related to the durability of various cementitious materials, besides the fact that it is possible to reduce the quantities of cement in the composite. Successful prediction by the model indicates that fuzzy logic could be a useful modelling tool for engineers and research scientists in the area of cement and concrete. Compressive strength values of concrete can be predicted in fuzzy logic models without attempting any experiments in a quite short period of time with tiny error rates.

Recreation as a reinforcer: increasing membership and decreasing disruptions in an urban recreation centre1

Science.gov (United States)

Pierce, Charles H.; Risley, Todd R.

1974-01-01

It is presumed that recreation activities have a variety of functions for people, from tension reduction to citizenship development; however, a recreation activity's most empirically obvious function is as a reinforcer. This study demonstrates how two recurrent problems of urban recreation programs—recruitment of members and reduction of disruptive behaviors within the program—can be handled simply by contingently adjusting the amount of time the recreation activities are available. When extra time in the recreation center was provided to those youths who brought new members, dramatic increases in membership were achieved. On the other hand, when the closing time for each evening's recreation program was publicly moved forward by a few minutes for each offense, disruptive behaviors were nearly eliminated. Recreation used as a reinforcer can thus improve the basic operation of a recreation center and might similarly enhance other presumed and desired functions of recreation. PMID:16795471

Sample representativeness verification of the FADN CZ farm business sample

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marie Prášilová

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Sample representativeness verification is one of the key stages of statistical work. After having joined the European Union the Czech Republic joined also the Farm Accountancy Data Network system of the Union. This is a sample of bodies and companies doing business in agriculture. Detailed production and economic data on the results of farming business are collected from that sample annually and results for the entire population of the country´s farms are then estimated and assessed. It is important hence, that the sample be representative. Representativeness is to be assessed as to the number of farms included in the survey and also as to the degree of accordance of the measures and indices as related to the population. The paper deals with the special statistical techniques and methods of the FADN CZ sample representativeness verification including the necessary sample size statement procedure. The Czech farm population data have been obtained from the Czech Statistical Office data bank.

Patterns of seasonality and group membership characterize the gut microbiota in a longitudinal study of wild Verreaux's sifakas (Propithecus verreauxi).

Science.gov (United States)

Springer, Andrea; Fichtel, Claudia; Al-Ghalith, Gabriel A; Koch, Flávia; Amato, Katherine R; Clayton, Jonathan B; Knights, Dan; Kappeler, Peter M

2017-08-01

The intestinal microbiota plays a major role in host development, metabolism, and health. To date, few longitudinal studies have investigated the causes and consequences of microbiota variation in wildlife, although such studies provide a comparative context for interpreting the adaptive significance of findings from studies on humans or captive animals. Here, we investigate the impact of seasonality, diet, group membership, sex, age, and reproductive state on gut microbiota composition in a wild population of group-living, frugi-folivorous primates, Verreaux's sifakas ( Propithecus verreauxi ). We repeatedly sampled 32 individually recognizable animals from eight adjacent groups over the course of two different climatic seasons. We used high-throughput sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene to determine the microbiota composition of 187 fecal samples. We demonstrate a clear pattern of seasonal variation in the intestinal microbiota, especially affecting the Firmicutes-Bacteroidetes ratio, which may be driven by seasonal differences in diet. The relative abundances of certain polysaccharide-fermenting taxa, for example, Lachnospiraceae, were correlated with fruit and fiber consumption. Additionally, group membership influenced microbiota composition independent of season, but further studies are needed to determine whether this pattern is driven by group divergences in diet, social contacts, or genetic factors. In accordance with findings in other wild mammals and primates with seasonally fluctuating food availability, we demonstrate seasonal variation in the microbiota of wild Verreaux's sifakas, which may be driven by food availability. This study adds to mounting evidence that variation in the intestinal microbiota may play an important role in the ability of primates to cope with seasonal variation in food availability.

STELLAR MEMBERSHIP AND DUSTY DEBRIS DISKS IN THE α PERSEI CLUSTER

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zuckerman, B.; Melis, Carl; Rhee, Joseph H.; Schneider, Adam; Song, Inseok

2012-01-01

Because of its proximity to the Galactic plane, reliable identification of members of the α Persei cluster is often problematic. Based primarily on membership evaluations contained in six published papers, we constructed a mostly complete list of high-fidelity members of spectral type G and earlier that lie within 3 arc degrees of the cluster center. α Persei was the one nearby, rich, young open cluster not surveyed with the Spitzer Space Telescope. We examined the first and final data releases of the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer and found 11, or perhaps 12, α Per cluster members that have excess mid-infrared emission above the stellar photosphere attributable to an orbiting dusty debris disk. The most unusual of these is V488 Per, a K-type star with an excess IR luminosity 16% (or more) of the stellar luminosity; this is a larger excess fraction than that of any other known dusty main-sequence star. Much of the dust that orbits V488 Per is at a temperature of ∼800 K; if these grains radiate like blackbodies, then they lie only ∼0.06 AU from the star. The dust is probably the aftermath of a collision of two planetary embryos or planets with small semimajor axes; such orbital radii are similar to those of many of the transiting planets discovered by the Kepler satellite.

A latent class analysis of substance use and culture among gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men.

Science.gov (United States)

Card, Kiffer G; Armstrong, Heather L; Carter, Allison; Cui, Zishan; Wang, Lu; Zhu, Julia; Lachowsky, Nathan J; Moore, David M; Hogg, Robert S; Roth, Eric A

2018-03-28

Assessments of gay and bisexual men's substance use often obscures salient sociocultural and identity-related experiences related to how they use drugs. Latent class analysis was used to examine how patterns of substance use represent the social, economic and identity-related experiences of this population. Participants were sexually active gay and bisexual men (including other men who have sex with men), aged ≥ 16 years, living in Metro Vancouver (n = 774). LCA indicators included all substances used in the past six months self-reported by more than 30 men. Model selection was made with consideration to model parsimony, interpretability and optimisation of statistical criteria. Multinomial regression identified factors associated with class membership. A six-class solution was identified representing: 'assorted drug use' (4.5%); 'club drug use' (9.5%); 'street drug use' (12.1%); 'sex drug use' (11.4%); 'conventional drug use' (i.e. tobacco, alcohol, marijuana; 25.9%); and 'limited drug use' (36.7%). Factors associated with class membership included age, sexual orientation, annual income, occupation, income from drug sales, housing stability, group sex event participation, gay bars/clubs attendance, sensation seeking and escape motivation. These results highlight the need for programmes and policies that seek to lessen social disparities and account for social distinctions among this population.

Assessing childhood maltreatment and mental health correlates of disordered eating profiles in a nationally representative sample of English females.

Science.gov (United States)

Armour, Cherie; Műllerová, Jana; Fletcher, Shelley; Lagdon, Susan; Burns, Carol Rhonda; Robinson, Martin; Robinson, Jake

2016-03-01

Previous research suggests that childhood maltreatment is associated with the onset of eating disorders (ED). In turn, EDs are associated with alternative psychopathologies such as depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and with suicidality. Moreover, it has been reported that various ED profiles may exist. The aim of the current study was to examine the profiles of disordered eating and the associations of these with childhood maltreatment and with mental health psychopathology. The current study utilised a representative sample of English females (N = 4206) and assessed for the presence of disordered eating profiles using Latent Class Analysis. Multinomial logistic regression was implemented to examine the associations of childhood sexual and physical abuse with the disordered eating profiles and the associations of these with PTSD, depression and suicidality. Results supported those of previous findings in that we found five latent classes of which three were regarded as disordered eating classes. Significant relationships were found between these and measures of childhood trauma and mental health outcomes. Childhood sexual and physical abuse increased the likelihood of membership in disordered eating classes and these in turn increased the likelihood of adverse mental health and suicidal outcomes.

14 CFR 1260.58 - Designation of new technology representative and patent representative.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 5 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Designation of new technology... of new technology representative and patent representative. Designation of New Technology... of this grant entitled “New Technology,” the following named representatives are hereby designated by...

Romanian Minister of Education, Research, Youth and Sport, Daniel Petru Funeriu, and CERN Director General, Rolf Heuer, signed an agreement that formally recognises Romania as a Candidate for Accession to membership of CERN.

CERN Multimedia

Maximilien Brice

2010-01-01

Romanian Minister of Education, Research, Youth and Sport, Daniel Petru Funeriu, and CERN Director General, Rolf Heuer, signed an agreement that formally recognises Romania as a Candidate for Accession to membership of CERN.

Counterproliferation, Border Security and Counterterrorism Subject-Related Laws and Regulations, Including Export Control Regimes in South-Eastern European Countries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bokan, S.

2007-01-01

gaps exist, much less fill them. All this suggests that, to fulfil obligations under UNSC Resolutions 1540 and 1373, States must enact harmonized criminal prohibitions and authorization for law enforcement cooperation in order to establish a seamless web of security among all nations. Failure to do so implicitly poses a threat to international peace and security. One of the main issues which deserve to be further addressed and which prompts the continuation of the Southeast Europe Counterproliferation, Borger Security and Counterterrorism (CBSC) Working Group is to harmonize national laws and regulations that deal with deterring, detecting and interdicting WMD. Inventory of relevant CBSC subject-related laws of the Southeast Europe countries, including Export Control Laws was created and prepared for further consideration and harmonization by judiciary experts, with the aim to develop m odel laws . Let me very briefly present you the main features of the SEDM CBSC subject-related laws and regulations. This paper will present that inventory which includes the membership in the international Conventions, Treaties and Arrangements and also the membership in Multilateral Export Control Regimes of Southeast Europe countries. Also, it will be presented the membership in the international legal instruments that play an integral part in the global fight against terrorism. (author)

Memory bias for negative emotional words in recognition memory is driven by effects of category membership.

Science.gov (United States)

White, Corey N; Kapucu, Aycan; Bruno, Davide; Rotello, Caren M; Ratcliff, Roger

2014-01-01

Recognition memory studies often find that emotional items are more likely than neutral items to be labelled as studied. Previous work suggests this bias is driven by increased memory strength/familiarity for emotional items. We explored strength and bias interpretations of this effect with the conjecture that emotional stimuli might seem more familiar because they share features with studied items from the same category. Categorical effects were manipulated in a recognition task by presenting lists with a small, medium or large proportion of emotional words. The liberal memory bias for emotional words was only observed when a medium or large proportion of categorised words were presented in the lists. Similar, though weaker, effects were observed with categorised words that were not emotional (animal names). These results suggest that liberal memory bias for emotional items may be largely driven by effects of category membership.

CONTROL SYSTEM DESIGN WITH FUZZY LOGIC PID-СONTROLLER TYPE 2

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Tунік

2011-04-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a fuzzy logic PID-controller synthesis method for solid body guidance. Formany nonlinear systems with nonlinearities and uncertainties, the performance of fuzzy controllertype 1 may not be satisfactory. Therefore, in this work, fuzzy logic type 2 controller design isintroduced. These controllers capture the advantage of a linear controller in terms of simplicity andalso can handle nonlinearity because of their inference mechanism.The main feature of the proposedmethod constitutes in a membership functions type 2 applications. The membership function type 2is represented by upper and lower membership functions of type 1. The interval between these twofunctions represent the footprint of uncertainty, which give an opportunity to synthesize commonregulator for set of a models. The structure of fuzzy logic controller for solid body control isgrounded. Simulation results confirm the effectiveness of the proposed approach.

Under-Representation in Nationally Representative Secondary Data

Science.gov (United States)

Frederick, Karen; Barnard-Brak, Lucy; Sulak, Tracey

2012-01-01

There has been a significant increase in the use of secondary data sets. Many such data sets purport to be nationally representative. Secondary data sets include research commissioned by the National Center for Education Statistics, the Centers for Disease Control, and other public entities. Research increasingly utilizes these secondary data in…

Yucca Mountain Climate Technical Support Representative

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sharpe, Saxon E

2007-01-01

The primary objective of Project Activity ORD-FY04-012, 'Yucca Mountain Climate Technical Support Representative', was to provide the Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management (OCRWM) with expertise on past, present, and future climate scenarios and to support the technical elements of the Yucca Mountain Project (YMP) climate program. The Climate Technical Support Representative was to explain, defend, and interpret the YMP climate program to the various audiences during Site Recommendation and License Application. This technical support representative was to support DOE management in the preparation and review of documents, and to participate in comment response for the Final Environmental Impact Statement, the Site Recommendation Hearings, the NRC Sufficiency Comments, and other forums as designated by DOE management. Because the activity was terminated 12 months early and experience a 27% reduction in budget, it was not possible to complete all components of the tasks as originally envisioned. Activities not completed include the qualification of climate datasets and the production of a qualified technical report. The following final report is an unqualified summary of the activities that were completed given the reduced time and funding

Is psychological membership in the classroom a function of standing out while fitting in? Implications for achievement motivation and emotions.

Science.gov (United States)

Gray, DeLeon L

2017-04-01

Education researchers have consistently linked students' perceptions of "fitting in" at school with patterns of motivation and positive emotions. This study proposes that "standing out" is also helpful for producing these outcomes, and that standing out works in concert with perceptions of fitting in. In a sample of 702 high school students nested within 33 classrooms, principal components analysis and confirmatory factor analysis were each conducted on half of the sample. Results support the proposed structure of measures of standing out and fitting in. Multilevel latent profile analysis was then used to classify students into four profiles of standing out while fitting in (SOFI): Unfulfilled, Somewhat Fulfilled, Nearly Fulfilled, and Fulfilled. A multinomial logistic regression revealed that students of color and those on who paid free/reduced prices lunch were overrepresented in the Unfulfilled and Somewhat Fulfilled profiles. A multilevel path analysis was then performed to assess the direct and indirect associations of profile membership with measures of task value and achievement emotions. Relative to the other profiles, students in the Fulfilled SOFI Profile express greater psychological membership in their classrooms and, in turn, express higher valuing of academic material (i.e., intrinsic value, utility value, and attainment value) and more positive achievement emotions (i.e., more enjoyment and pride; less boredom, hopelessness, and shame). This investigation provides critical insights on the potential benefits of structuring academic learning environments to foster feelings of distinctiveness among adolescents; and has implications for cultivating identities and achievement motivation in academic settings. Copyright © 2017 Society for the Study of School Psychology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Two Ranking Methods of Single Valued Triangular Neutrosophic Numbers to Rank and Evaluate Information Systems Quality

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Samah Ibrahim Abdel Aal

2018-03-01

Full Text Available The concept of neutrosophic can provide a generalization of fuzzy set and intuitionistic fuzzy set that make it is the best fit in representing indeterminacy and uncertainty. Single Valued Triangular Numbers (SVTrN-numbers is a special case of neutrosophic set that can handle ill-known quantity very difficult problems. This work intended to introduce a framework with two types of ranking methods. The results indicated that each ranking method has its own advantage. In this perspective, the weighted value and ambiguity based method gives more attention to uncertainty in ranking and evaluating ISQ as well as it takes into account cut sets of SVTrN numbers that can reflect the information on Truth-membership-membership degree, false membership-membership degree and Indeterminacy-membership degree. The value index and ambiguity index method can reflect the decision maker's subjectivity attitude to the SVTrN- numbers.

The relationship between sun protection policies and practices in schools with primary-age students: the role of school demographics, policy comprehensiveness and SunSmart membership.

Science.gov (United States)

Dono, J; Ettridge, K A; Sharplin, G R; Wilson, C J

2014-02-01

Schools can implement evidence-based sun protection policies that guide practices to help protect children from harmful sun exposure. This national study assessed the relationship between the existence and comprehensiveness of written policies and the comprehensiveness of sun protection practices. The impact of school demographics on the strength of the relationship was also examined, as was the possibility that 'SunSmart' membership would have an additional impact on practices, beyond having any formal policy. In 2011-12, staff members of 1573 schools catering to primary-age students completed a self-administered survey about sun protection policies and practices (response rate of 57%). Results showed that schools with a written policy had more comprehensive practices than schools without a written policy. The relationship between having a written policy and sun protection practices was stronger for remote schools compared with metropolitan and regional schools, and for schools catering to both primary and secondary students compared with primary students only. In addition, policy comprehensiveness was associated with practice comprehensiveness, and SunSmart membership was indirectly related to practice comprehensiveness via policy comprehensiveness. These results indicate that written policies relate to practice comprehensiveness, but the strength of the association can vary according to the characteristics of the organization.

Active fault detection and isolation of discrete-time linear time-varying systems: a set-membership approach

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tabatabaeipour, Mojtaba

2013-01-01

Active fault detection and isolation (AFDI) is used for detection and isolation of faults that are hidden in the normal operation because of a low excitation signal or due to the regulatory actions of the controller. In this paper, a new AFDI method based on set-membership approaches is proposed...... un-falsified, the AFDI method is used to generate an auxiliary signal that is injected into the system for detection and isolation of faults that remain otherwise hidden or non-isolated using passive FDI (PFDI) methods. Having the set-valued estimation of the states for each model, the proposed AFDI...... method finds an optimal input signal that guarantees FDI in a finite time horizon. The input signal is updated at each iteration in a decreasing receding horizon manner based on the set-valued estimation of the current states and un-falsified models at the current sample time. The problem is solved...

Forecasting business cycle with chaotic time series based on neural network with weighted fuzzy membership functions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chai, Soo H.; Lim, Joon S.

2016-01-01

This study presents a forecasting model of cyclical fluctuations of the economy based on the time delay coordinate embedding method. The model uses a neuro-fuzzy network called neural network with weighted fuzzy membership functions (NEWFM). The preprocessed time series of the leading composite index using the time delay coordinate embedding method are used as input data to the NEWFM to forecast the business cycle. A comparative study is conducted using other methods based on wavelet transform and Principal Component Analysis for the performance comparison. The forecasting results are tested using a linear regression analysis to compare the approximation of the input data against the target class, gross domestic product (GDP). The chaos based model captures nonlinear dynamics and interactions within the system, which other two models ignore. The test results demonstrated that chaos based method significantly improved the prediction capability, thereby demonstrating superior performance to the other methods.

Representative of the municipality

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Castellnou Barcelo, J.

2007-01-01

Full text of publication follows. The decommissioning of the Vandellos-I nuclear power plant was a big challenge for the host community of Vandellos i l'Hospitalet de l'Infant and the close-by region. Closing down of the facility resulted in a rise of unemployment and a decrease of municipal income. The public was concerned with three issues: safety, transparency and information about the decommissioning, and economic future. Therefore, from the very beginning, municipal governments entered into negotiations with ENRESA on socio-economic benefits, including local employment in dismantling activities, and other types of financial and non-financial compensation. The ADE business association, i.e. a network of business organisations was created that guided the allotment of work to local firms. To satisfy public demand, local municipalities focused on the triad of safety, dialogue and local development, considered the three 'pillars of trust'. A Municipal Monitoring Commission was created, made up of representatives of affected municipalities, the regional government, the ADE business association, trade unions, the local university, the NPP management and ENRESA to monitor the dismantling process and regularly inform the local public. Items that were handled by this Commission included: - Work process monitoring. - Workers. - Materials Control. - Conventional and radioactive or contaminated waste management. - Emanation waste management (liquid and gas) - Safety (training and accidents). - Surveillance (radiological and environmental: dust, noise). - Effects. - Fulfillment of agreed conditions. A number of communication tools and channels were used, e.g., public information meetings, an information centre, the municipal magazine, the municipal radio station, and meetings with representatives of the local press. Particularly innovative was the idea to ask academics from the University of Tarragona to help with 'translating' technical information into language that could

Reliability evaluation of containments including soil-structure interaction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pires, J.; Hwang, H.; Reich, M.

1985-12-01

Soil-structure interaction effects on the reliability assessment of containment structures are examined. The probability-based method for reliability evaluation of nuclear structures developed at Brookhaven National Laboratory is extended to include soil-structure interaction effects. In this method, reliability of structures is expressed in terms of limit state probabilities. Furthermore, random vibration theory is utilized to calculate limit state probabilities under random seismic loads. Earthquake ground motion is modeled by a segment of a zero-mean, stationary, filtered Gaussian white noise random process, represented by its power spectrum. All possible seismic hazards at a site, represented by a hazard curve, are also included in the analysis. The soil-foundation system is represented by a rigid surface foundation on an elastic halfspace. Random and other uncertainties in the strength properties of the structure, in the stiffness and internal damping of the soil, are also included in the analysis. Finally, a realistic reinforced concrete containment is analyzed to demonstrate the application of the method. For this containment, the soil-structure interaction effects on; (1) limit state probabilities, (2) structural fragility curves, (3) floor response spectra with probabilistic content, and (4) correlation coefficients for total acceleration response at specified structural locations, are examined in detail. 25 refs., 21 figs., 12 tabs

From the Stereotypification of the Non-European Other to the Prototypification of the European Self: A Case Study of Turkey’s Membership to the European Union from the French Perspective.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ariane Bogain

2007-12-01

Full Text Available In an era of increased globalisation, the need for a sense of belonging and an identity is becoming more pressing. The way nations form images of others and, conversely, conscious or unconscious images of themselves is becoming increasingly important as these images impact on public opinion and on political and decision-making discourse. With the development of supranationalism in Europe, the age-old notion of European identity has come more and more to the fore. Conflicting interpretations and a general disinclination to consider the matter leave the notion of European identity as polysemic as ever. Furthermore, the expansion of the EU has contributed to blurring this notion, so much so that in the collective psyche, it has become closely linked to the membership of the European Union and it is proving sometimes difficult to dissociate one from the other. In this context, the debate surrounding Turkey’s membership of the EU gives an insight into prototypical and stereotypical representations of Europe. As the controversy has been particularly salient in France, the aim of this study is to explore the European self-conceptions and images of the other through the example of France’s opposition to Turkey’s membership of the EU. For this purpose, opinion polls and the Press will be used as forms of narrative in order to highlight these representations and how they have evolved in time. The first part of the study will concentrate on the arguments put forward to justify the opposition to Turkey joining the EU. The second part will then evaluate how the image of the other contributes to the prototypical representation French citizens have of Europe.

NASN membership survey: Developing and providing leadership to advance the school nursing practice.

Science.gov (United States)

Monsalve, Lina

2010-07-01

The NASN membership is fairly consistent. The majority of NASN members are female; NASN members share a common interest in the specialty of school nursing. The majority of members are involved in one of the following areas: school nurse services, school nurse administration or supervision, and regional or state nurse consultant within the educational system. School nursing practice varies among survey participants; there are school nurses who have spent as little as one year specifically practicing school nursing and those who have spent as much as 36 years or more. Eighty-three percent (83%) of NASN members are employed by public school districts, salaries among members vary between $19,000 or less per year and $129,999 or more per year. NASN members serve students in different geographical areas; school nurses may care for students in urban, suburban, rural, reservations, and overseas (DOD, military) areas. Nonetheless, some school nurses may care for students in more than one geographical area. Twenty-eight percent (28%) of NASN members provide school nursing services to students in elementary school. Student-to-school nurse ratios vary among members; in some areas school nurses may care for 125 students or fewer to as many as 5,100 students or more. NASN members spend most of their time caring for episodic minor illness and injury (headache, pain, hay fever, pm medication, etc.), acute injury and illness, health screenings (vision, hearing, body mass index), and chronic health (case management, care plans, emergency plans, and 504). In addition, there is a consensus on the resources that would most allow school nurses to deliver safer care to their students to include assistance with administrative tasks, lowering student-to-school nurse ratios, and funding for projects. NASN members place a high priority in continuing education programs, especially in topics pertaining to direct student services, such as mental health, chronic health care, and acute illness

The Open Access Association? EAHIL's new model for sustainability.

Science.gov (United States)

McSean, Tony; Jakobsson, Arne

2009-12-01

To discover a governance structure and a business model for the European Association for Health Information and Libraries (EAHIL) which will be economically sustainable in the medium term, arresting a long-term gradual decline in membership numbers and implementing new revenue streams to sustain association activity. Reviewed survival strategies of other professional associations, investigated potential of emerging interactive web technologies, investigated alternative revenue streams based around the 'franchise' of the annual EAHIL conferences and workshops. A fully worked-through and costed alternative structure was produced, based on abolition of the subscription, web-based procedures and functions, increased income from advertising and sponsorship and a large measure of member participation and engagement. Statutes and Rules of Procedure were rewritten to reflect the changes. This plan was put through the Association's approval cycle and implemented in 2005. The new financial model has proved itself sustainable on the basis of the first 2 years' operations. The long-term gradual decline in membership was reversed, with membership numbers trebling across the EAHIL region. The software worked with minimal problems, including the online electoral process. With no identified precedent from other professional associations, the changes represented a considerable risk, which was justifiable because long-term projections made it clear that continuing the traditional model was not viable. The result is a larger, healthier association with a stronger link to its membership. Long-term risks include the high level of member commitment and expertise. There are also important questions about scalability-diseconomies of scale probably limit the applicability of the overall open access model to larger associations.

ALT Strategy, February 2017 - January 2020

OpenAIRE

Deepwell, Maren

2017-01-01

The Association for Learning Technology (ALT) represents individual and organisational Members from all sectors and parts of the UK. Our Membership includes practitioners, researchers and policy makers with an interest in Learning Technology. Our community grows more diverse as Learning Technology has become recognised as a fundamental part of learning, teaching and assessment. Our charitable objective is "to advance education through increasing, exploring and disseminating knowledge in t...

INIS: Repozitář šedé literatury z oblasti jaderné energie

OpenAIRE

Savić, Dobrica

2015-01-01

As one of the world's largest collections of published information on the peaceful uses of nuclear science and technology, INIS represents an extraordinary example of world cooperation. Current membership includes 130 countries and 24 international organizations. 154 INIS members share and allow access to their valuable nuclear information resources, preserving them for future generations and offering a freely available nuclear knowledge repository. The presentation will give an overview of I...

Additional file 5: Figure S1. of Uncovering co-expression gene network modules regulating fruit acidity in diverse apples

OpenAIRE

Bai, Yang; Dougherty, Laura; Cheng, Lailiang; Zhong, Gan-Yuan; Xu, Kenong

2015-01-01

Analysis of modules Black, Brown, Blue and Yellow. (A) Module eigengene values across the 29 samples, including 17 in Ma_ on left and 12 in mama on right. Samples are represented by the combination of a letter (abbreviated cultivar name) and a number (replicate) (see legends in Fig. 1, 4 for keys). (B) Correlation between module membership (MM) and gene significance (GS) for malate. (PPTX 75 kb)

Attributes Heeded When Representing an Osmosis Problem.

Science.gov (United States)

Zuckerman, June Trop

Eighteen high school science students were involved in a study to determine what attributes in the problem statement they need when representing a typical osmosis problem. In order to realize this goal students were asked to solve problems aloud and to explain their answers. Included as a part of the results are the attributes that the students…

48 CFR 1852.227-72 - Designation of new technology representative and patent representative.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... CONTRACT CLAUSES Texts of Provisions and Clauses 1852.227-72 Designation of new technology representative... of New Technology Representative and Patent Representative (JUL 1997) (a) For purposes of administration of the clause of this contract entitled “New Technology” or “Patent Rights—Retention by the...

Multidimensional profiles of health status: an application of the grade of membership model to the world health survey.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alessandra Andreotti

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: The World Health Organization (WHO conducted the World Health Survey (WHS between 2002 and 2004 in 70 countries to provide cross-population comparable data on health, health-related outcomes and risk factors. The aim of this study was to apply Grade of Membership (GoM modelling as a means to condense extensive health information from the WHS into a set of easily understandable health profiles and to assign the degree to which an individual belongs to each profile. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: This paper described the application of the GoM models to summarize population health status using World Health Survey data. Grade of Membership analysis is a flexible, non-parametric, multivariate method, used to calculate health profiles from WHS self-reported health state and health conditions. The WHS dataset was divided into four country economic categories based on the World Bank economic groupings (high, upper-middle, lower-middle and low income economies for separate GoM analysis. Three main health profiles were produced for each of the four areas: I. Robust; II. Intermediate; III. Frail; moreover population health, wealth and inequalities are defined for countries in each economic area as a means to put the health results into perspective. CONCLUSIONS: These analyses have provided a robust method to better understand health profiles and the components which can help to identify healthy and non-healthy individuals. The obtained profiles have described concrete levels of health and have clearly delineated characteristics of healthy and non-healthy respondents. The GoM results provided both a useable way of summarising complex individual health information and a selection of intermediate determinants which can be targeted for interventions to improve health. As populations' age, and with limited budgets for additional costs for health care and social services, applying the GoM methods may assist with identifying higher risk profiles for decision

ACHP | Advisory Council on Historic Preservation Membership

Science.gov (United States)

Suquamish Museum. Forsman is a graduate of the University of Washington (B.A. Anthropology) and Goucher with a number of national conservation organizations and initiatives, having co-founded the African Robert Wilkie) Ex-officio representatives of national preservation organizations round out ACHP's

7 CFR 932.25 - Establishment and membership.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... representation of the producer members shall be two from District 1, four from District 2, and two from District 3. Allocation of the handler members shall be four members to represent cooperative marketing... Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Marketing...

Social capital and self-rated health in Colombia: the good, the bad and the ugly.

Science.gov (United States)

Hurtado, David; Kawachi, Ichiro; Sudarsky, John

2011-02-01

Although there is increasing evidence supporting the associations between social capital and health, less is known of potential effects in Latin American countries. Our objective was to examine associations of different components of social capital with self-rated health in Colombia. The study had a cross-sectional design, using data of a survey applied to a nationally representative sample of 3025 respondents, conducted in 2004-2005. Stratified random sampling was performed, based on town size, urban/rural origin, age, and sex. Examined indicators of social capital were interpersonal trust, reciprocity, associational membership, non-electoral political participation, civic activities and volunteering. Principal components analysis including different indicators of social capital distinguished three components: structural-formal (associational membership and non-electoral political participation), structural-informal (civic activities and volunteering) and cognitive (interpersonal trust and reciprocity). Multilevel analyses showed no significant variations of self-rated health at the regional level. After adjusting for sociodemographic covariates, interpersonal trust was statistically significantly associated with lower odds of poor/fair health, as well as the cognitive social capital component. Members of farmers/agricultural or gender-related groups had higher odds of poor/fair health, respectively. Excluding these groups, however, associational membership was associated with lower odds of poor/fair health. Likewise, in Colombians with educational attainment higher than high school, reciprocity was associated with lower odds of fair/poor health. Nevertheless, among rural respondents non-electoral political participation was associated with worse health. In conclusion, cognitive social capital and associational membership were related to better health, and could represent important notions for health promotion. Human rights violations related to political violence

Patient representatives' views on patient information in clinical cancer trials.

Science.gov (United States)

Dellson, Pia; Nilbert, Mef; Carlsson, Christina

2016-02-01

Patient enrolment into clinical trials is based on oral information and informed consent, which includes an information sheet and a consent certificate. The written information should be complete, but at the same time risks being so complex that it may be questioned if a fully informed consent is possible to provide. We explored patient representatives' views and perceptions on the written trial information used in clinical cancer trials. Written patient information leaflets used in four clinical trials for colorectal cancer were used for the study. The trials included phase I-III trials, randomized and non-randomized trials that evaluated chemotherapy/targeted therapy in the neoadjuvant, adjuvant and palliative settings. Data were collected through focus groups and were analysed using inductive content analysis. Two major themes emerged: emotional responses and cognitive responses. Subthemes related to the former included individual preferences and perceptions of effect, while subthemes related to the latter were comprehensibility and layout. Based on these observations the patient representatives provided suggestions for improvement, which largely included development of future simplified and more attractive informed consent forms. The emotional and cognitive responses to written patient information reported by patient representatives provides a basis for revised formats in future trials and add to the body of information that support use of plain language, structured text and illustrations to improve the informed consent process and thereby patient enrolment into clinical trials.

Representing time

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luca Poncellini

2010-06-01

Full Text Available The analysis of natural phenomena applied to architectural planning and design is facing the most fascinating and elusive of the four dimensions through which man attempts to define life within the universe: time. We all know what time is, said St. Augustine, but nobody knows how to describe it. Within architectural projects and representations, time rarely appears in explicit form. This paper presents the results of a research conducted by students of NABA and of the Polytechnic of Milan with the purpose of representing time considered as a key element within architectural projects. Student investigated new approaches and methodologies to represent time using the two-dimensional support of a sheet of paper.

Disposal Notifications and Quarterly Membership Updates for the Utility Solid Waste Group Members’ Risk-Based Approvals to Dispose of PCB Remediation Waste Under Title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations Section 761.61(c)

Science.gov (United States)

Disposal Notifications and Quarterly Membership Updates for the Utility Solid Waste Group Members’ Risk-Based Approvals to Dispose of Polychlorinated Biphenyl (PCB) Remediation Waste Under Title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations Section 761.61(c)

How Are Feedbacks Represented in Land Models?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yang Chen

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Land systems are characterised by many feedbacks that can result in complex system behaviour. We defined feedbacks as the two-way influences between the land use system and a related system (e.g., climate, soils and markets, both of which are encompassed by the land system. Land models that include feedbacks thus probably more accurately mimic how land systems respond to, e.g., policy or climate change. However, representing feedbacks in land models is a challenge. We reviewed articles incorporating feedbacks into land models and analysed each with predefined indicators. We found that (1 most modelled feedbacks couple land use systems with transport, soil and market systems, while only a few include feedbacks between land use and social systems or climate systems; (2 equation-based land use models that follow a top-down approach prevail; and (3 feedbacks’ effects on system behaviour remain relatively unexplored. We recommend that land system modellers (1 consider feedbacks between land use systems and social systems; (2 adopt (bottom-up approaches suited to incorporating spatial heterogeneity and better representing land use decision-making; and (3 pay more attention to nonlinear system behaviour and its implications for land system management and policy.

Using semantics for representing experimental protocols.

Science.gov (United States)

Giraldo, Olga; García, Alexander; López, Federico; Corcho, Oscar

2017-11-13

An experimental protocol is a sequence of tasks and operations executed to perform experimental research in biological and biomedical areas, e.g. biology, genetics, immunology, neurosciences, virology. Protocols often include references to equipment, reagents, descriptions of critical steps, troubleshooting and tips, as well as any other information that researchers deem important for facilitating the reusability of the protocol. Although experimental protocols are central to reproducibility, the descriptions are often cursory. There is the need for a unified framework with respect to the syntactic structure and the semantics for representing experimental protocols. In this paper we present "SMART Protocols ontology", an ontology for representing experimental protocols. Our ontology represents the protocol as a workflow with domain specific knowledge embedded within a document. We also present the S ample I nstrument R eagent O bjective (SIRO) model, which represents the minimal common information shared across experimental protocols. SIRO was conceived in the same realm as the Patient Intervention Comparison Outcome (PICO) model that supports search, retrieval and classification purposes in evidence based medicine. We evaluate our approach against a set of competency questions modeled as SPARQL queries and processed against a set of published and unpublished protocols modeled with the SP Ontology and the SIRO model. Our approach makes it possible to answer queries such as Which protocols use tumor tissue as a sample. Improving reporting structures for experimental protocols requires collective efforts from authors, peer reviewers, editors and funding bodies. The SP Ontology is a contribution towards this goal. We build upon previous experiences and bringing together the view of researchers managing protocols in their laboratory work. Website: https://smartprotocols.github.io/ .

Burnout in Customer Service Representatives

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tariq Jalees

2008-09-01

Full Text Available The purpose and aim of this research was to (1 identify the factors that contributes towards job burnout in sales service representative (2 What are the relationships of these factors (3 To empirically test the relationships of the determinants relating to burnout in customer service representatives. Based on literature survey six different variables related to burnout were identified. The variables were (1 Emotional exhaustion.(2 Reduced personal accomplishment.(3 Job induced tension.(4 Job satisfaction.(5 Workload (6 Job satisfaction.Each of the variables contained 3 sub-variables. Five different hypotheses were developed and tested through techniques such as Z-test, F-test and regression analysis. The questionnaire administered for the study contained 15 questions including personal data. The subject was Moblink company customers sales service representative in Karachi.The valid sample size was 98 drawn through multi-cluster technique. Techniques such as measure of dispersion and measure of central tendencies were used for analyzing the data. Regression, Z-test, and F-test were used for testing the developed hypothesis.According to the respondents’ opinions, the reduced personal accomplishment had a high rating with a mean of 3.75 and job induced tension has the lowest mean of 3.58. The standard deviation of respondents’ opinions was highest for dimension depersonalization and least for dimension work load. This indicates that there is a high polarization of the respondents’ opinions on the dimension depersonalization moral and least on the dimension work load.The Skew nesses for all the dimensions were in negative except the determinants emotional exhaustion and workload. This indicates that the majority of respondents’ opinions on all the dimensions were below the mean except in the case of emotional exhaustion and workload.Five hypotheses were developed and tested:a The hypothesis relating to low level of burnout in customers

Mentalizing regions represent distributed, continuous, and abstract dimensions of others' beliefs.

Science.gov (United States)

Koster-Hale, Jorie; Richardson, Hilary; Velez, Natalia; Asaba, Mika; Young, Liane; Saxe, Rebecca

2017-11-01

The human capacity to reason about others' minds includes making causal inferences about intentions, beliefs, values, and goals. Previous fMRI research has suggested that a network of brain regions, including bilateral temporo-parietal junction (TPJ), superior temporal sulcus (STS), and medial prefrontal-cortex (MPFC), are reliably recruited for mental state reasoning. Here, in two fMRI experiments, we investigate the representational content of these regions. Building on existing computational and neural evidence, we hypothesized that social brain regions contain at least two functionally and spatially distinct components: one that represents information related to others' motivations and values, and another that represents information about others' beliefs and knowledge. Using multi-voxel pattern analysis, we find evidence that motivational versus epistemic features are independently represented by theory of mind (ToM) regions: RTPJ contains information about the justification of the belief, bilateral TPJ represents the modality of the source of knowledge, and VMPFC represents the valence of the resulting emotion. These representations are found only in regions implicated in social cognition and predict behavioral responses at the level of single items. We argue that cortical regions implicated in mental state inference contain complementary, but distinct, representations of epistemic and motivational features of others' beliefs, and that, mirroring the processes observed in sensory systems, social stimuli are represented in distinct and distributed formats across the human brain. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Properties of Fuzzy Entropy Based on the Shape Change of Membership Function

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

无

2007-01-01

Modification of a fuzzy partition often leads to the change of fuzziness of a fuzzy system. Researches on the change of fuzzy entropy of a fuzzy set, responding to shape alteration of membership function, therefore, play a significant role in analysis of the change of fuzziness of a fuzzy system because a fuzzy partition consists of a set of fuzzy sets which satisfy some special constraints. This paper has shown several results about entropy changes of a fuzzy set. First, the entropies of two same type of fuzzy sets have a constant proportional relationship which depends on the ratio of the sizes of their support intervals. Second, as for Triangular Fuzzy Numbers (TFNs), the entropies of any two TFNs which can not be always the same type, also,have a constant proportional relationship which depends on the ratio of the sizes of their support intervals. Hence, any two TFNs with the same sizes of support intervals have the same entropies. Third, concerning two Triangular Fuzzy Sets (TFSs) with same sizes of support intervals and different heights, the relationship of their entropies lies on their height.Finally, we point it out a mistake that Chen's assertion that the entropy of resultant fuzzy set of elevation operation is directly proportional to that of the original one while elevation factor just acts as a proportional factor. These results should contribute to the analysis and design of a fuzzy system.

Implementing Role-Changing Versus Time-Changing Innovations in Health Care: Differences in Helpfulness of Staff Improvement Teams, Management, and Network for Learning.

Science.gov (United States)

Nembhard, Ingrid M; Morrow, Christopher T; Bradley, Elizabeth H

2015-12-01

Health care organizations often fail in their effort to implement care-improving innovations. This article differentiates role-changing innovations, altering what workers do, from time-changing innovations, altering when tasks are performed or for how long. We examine our hypothesis that the degree to which access to groups that can alter organizational learning--staff, management, and external network--facilitates implementation depends on innovation type. Our longitudinal study using ordinal logistic regression and survey data on 517 hospitals' implementation of evidence-based practices for treating heart attack confirmed our thesis for factors granting access to each group: improvement team's representativeness (of affected staff), senior management engagement, and network membership. Although team representativeness and network membership were positively associated with implementing role-changing practices, senior management engagement was not. In contrast, senior management engagement was positively associated with implementing time-changing practices, whereas team representativeness was not, and network membership was not unless there was limited management engagement. These findings advance implementation science by explaining mixed results across past studies: Nature of change for workers alters potential facilitators' effects on implementation. © The Author(s) 2015.

Quantitative radiomic profiling of glioblastoma represents transcriptomic expression.

Science.gov (United States)

Kong, Doo-Sik; Kim, Junhyung; Ryu, Gyuha; You, Hye-Jin; Sung, Joon Kyung; Han, Yong Hee; Shin, Hye-Mi; Lee, In-Hee; Kim, Sung-Tae; Park, Chul-Kee; Choi, Seung Hong; Choi, Jeong Won; Seol, Ho Jun; Lee, Jung-Il; Nam, Do-Hyun

2018-01-19

Quantitative imaging biomarkers have increasingly emerged in the field of research utilizing available imaging modalities. We aimed to identify good surrogate radiomic features that can represent genetic changes of tumors, thereby establishing noninvasive means for predicting treatment outcome. From May 2012 to June 2014, we retrospectively identified 65 patients with treatment-naïve glioblastoma with available clinical information from the Samsung Medical Center data registry. Preoperative MR imaging data were obtained for all 65 patients with primary glioblastoma. A total of 82 imaging features including first-order statistics, volume, and size features, were semi-automatically extracted from structural and physiologic images such as apparent diffusion coefficient and perfusion images. Using commercially available software, NordicICE, we performed quantitative imaging analysis and collected the dataset composed of radiophenotypic parameters. Unsupervised clustering methods revealed that the radiophenotypic dataset was composed of three clusters. Each cluster represented a distinct molecular classification of glioblastoma; classical type, proneural and neural types, and mesenchymal type. These clusters also reflected differential clinical outcomes. We found that extracted imaging signatures does not represent copy number variation and somatic mutation. Quantitative radiomic features provide a potential evidence to predict molecular phenotype and treatment outcome. Radiomic profiles represents transcriptomic phenotypes more well.

Marketing of radurised food in South Africa: review of a steering committee

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Basson, J.K.; Basson, R.A.; Brodrick, H.T.; Du Plessis, T.A.

1993-01-01

The marketing of radurised food has been developed by a Steering Committee appointed by the Minister of Agriculture in 1981. Membership included representatives from relevant government departments, scientific institutions, organised agriculture, commerce, consumer organisations and the food industry. Its investigations concentrated on the application of the radurisation process to the commercial treatment of food in South Africa and included marketing trials, public perception, safety aspects and possible international trade. Results of a recent status report are presented, which could serve as an example to other countries developing commercial radurisation. (Author)

Selection of Representative Models for Decision Analysis Under Uncertainty

Science.gov (United States)

Meira, Luis A. A.; Coelho, Guilherme P.; Santos, Antonio Alberto S.; Schiozer, Denis J.

2016-03-01

The decision-making process in oil fields includes a step of risk analysis associated with the uncertainties present in the variables of the problem. Such uncertainties lead to hundreds, even thousands, of possible scenarios that are supposed to be analyzed so an effective production strategy can be selected. Given this high number of scenarios, a technique to reduce this set to a smaller, feasible subset of representative scenarios is imperative. The selected scenarios must be representative of the original set and also free of optimistic and pessimistic bias. This paper is devoted to propose an assisted methodology to identify representative models in oil fields. To do so, first a mathematical function was developed to model the representativeness of a subset of models with respect to the full set that characterizes the problem. Then, an optimization tool was implemented to identify the representative models of any problem, considering not only the cross-plots of the main output variables, but also the risk curves and the probability distribution of the attribute-levels of the problem. The proposed technique was applied to two benchmark cases and the results, evaluated by experts in the field, indicate that the obtained solutions are richer than those identified by previously adopted manual approaches. The program bytecode is available under request.

The Modulation of Mimicry by Ethnic Group-Membership and Emotional Expressions.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Birgit Rauchbauer

Full Text Available Mimicry has been ascribed affiliative functions. In three experiments, we used a newly developed social-affective mimicry task (SAMT to investigate mimicry´s modulation by emotional facial expressions (happy, angry and ethnic group-membership (White in-group, Black out-group. Experiment 1 established the main consistent effect across experiments, which was enhanced mimicry to angry out-group faces compared to angry in-group faces. Hence the SAMT was useful for experimentally investigating the modulation of mimicry. Experiment 2 demonstrated that these effects were not confounded by general aspects of response conflict, as a Simon task resulted in different response patterns than the SAMT. Experiment 2 and pooled analysis of Experiments 1 and 2 also corroborated the finding of enhanced mimicry to angry out-group faces. Experiment 3 tested whether this effect was related to perceptions of threat, by framing angry persons as physically threatening, or not. Selective enhancement of mimicry to out-group persons framed as physically threatening confirmed this hypothesis. Further support for the role of threat was derived from implicit measures showing, in all experiments, that black persons were more strongly associated with threat. Furthermore, enhanced mimicry was consistently related to response facilitation in the execution of congruent movements. This suggests that mimicry acted as a social congruency signal. Our findings suggest that mimicry may serve as an appeasement signal in response to negative affiliative intent. This extends previous models of mimicry, which have predominantly focused on its role in reciprocating affiliation. It suggests that mimicry might not only be used to maintain and establish affiliative bonds, but also to ameliorate a negative social situation.

Representing Development

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Representing Development presents the different social representations that have formed the idea of development in Western thinking over the past three centuries. Offering an acute perspective on the current state of developmental science and providing constructive insights into future pathways, ...

77 FR 46112 - Call for Nominations for Advisory Groups, Oregon/Washington

Science.gov (United States)

2012-08-02

... reference from the stakeholder interest area to be represented; (2) A completed background information...). As required by FACA, council membership must be balanced and representative of the various interests... interest in wild horse management on Steens Mountain. Individuals may nominate themselves or others...

76 FR 2410 - Call for Nominations for Advisory Groups

Science.gov (United States)

2011-01-13

... of reference from the stakeholder interest area to be represented; (2) a completed background... by FACA, council membership must be balanced and representative of the various interests concerned... or off-highway vehicle users; energy and mineral development interests or commercial or recreational...

Intelligent PV Power Smoothing Control Using Probabilistic Fuzzy Neural Network with Asymmetric Membership Function

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Faa-Jeng Lin

2017-01-01

Full Text Available An intelligent PV power smoothing control using probabilistic fuzzy neural network with asymmetric membership function (PFNN-AMF is proposed in this study. First, a photovoltaic (PV power plant with a battery energy storage system (BESS is introduced. The BESS consisted of a bidirectional DC/AC 3-phase inverter and LiFePO4 batteries. Then, the difference of the actual PV power and smoothed power is supplied by the BESS. Moreover, the network structure of the PFNN-AMF and its online learning algorithms are described in detail. Furthermore, the three-phase output currents of the PV power plant are converted to the dq-axis current components. The resulted q-axis current is the input of the PFNN-AMF power smoothing control, and the output is a smoothing PV power curve to achieve the effect of PV power smoothing. Comparing to the other smoothing methods, a minimum energy capacity of the BESS with a small fluctuation of the grid power can be achieved by the PV power smoothing control using PFNN-AMF. In addition, a personal computer- (PC- based PV power plant emulator and BESS are built for the experimentation. From the experimental results of various irradiance variation conditions, the effectiveness of the proposed intelligent PV power smoothing control can be verified.

Administrative circulars No. 22A (rev. 1) – Award of additional periods of membership in the Pensions Fund for long-term shift work and No. 22B (rev. 1) – Compensation for long-term shift work hours

CERN Multimedia

HR Department

2011-01-01

Administrative Circulars No. 22A (Rev. 1) entitled "Award of additional periods of membership in the Pension Fund for long-term shift work" and No. 22B (Rev.1) entitled “Compensation for long-term shift work hours”, adopted following discussion in the Standing Concertation Committee meeting of 21 September 2010 and entering into force on 1 March 2011, are available on the intranet site of the Human Resources Department: http://cern.ch/hr-docs/admincirc/admincirc.asp They cancel and replace Administrative Circulars No. 22A and 22B entitled "Award of additional periods of membership in the Pension Fund to shift workers (Early Departure)” and “Duration and special compensation for shift work” of January 2000. This new version clarifies, in particular, the compensation of effective long-term shift work hours. Department Head Office  

The impacts of racial group membership on people's distributive justice: an event-related potential study.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Yan; Tang, Yi-Yuan; Deng, Yuqin

2014-04-16

How individuals and societies distribute benefits has long been studied by psychologists and sociologists. Previous work has highlighted the importance of social identity on people's justice concerns. However, it is not entirely clear how racial in-group/out-group relationship affects the brain activity in distributive justice. In this study, event-related potentials were recorded while participants made their decisions about donation allocation. Behavioral results showed that racial in-group factor affected participants' decisions on justice consideration. Participants were more likely to make relatively equity decisions when racial in-group factor was congruent with equity compared with the corresponding incongruent condition. Moreover, this incongruent condition took longer response times than congruent condition. Meanwhile, less equity decisions were made when efficiency was larger in the opposite side to equity than it was equal between the two options. Scalp event-related potential analyses revealed that greater P300 and late positive potential amplitudes were elicited by the incongruent condition compared with the congruent condition. These findings suggest that the decision-making of distributive justice could be modulated by racial group membership, and greater attentional resources or cognitive efforts are required when racial in-group factor and equity conflict with each other.

Representing dispositions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Röhl Johannes

2011-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Dispositions and tendencies feature significantly in the biomedical domain and therefore in representations of knowledge of that domain. They are not only important for specific applications like an infectious disease ontology, but also as part of a general strategy for modelling knowledge about molecular interactions. But the task of representing dispositions in some formal ontological systems is fraught with several problems, which are partly due to the fact that Description Logics can only deal well with binary relations. The paper will discuss some of the results of the philosophical debate about dispositions, in order to see whether the formal relations needed to represent dispositions can be broken down to binary relations. Finally, we will discuss problems arising from the possibility of the absence of realizations, of multi-track or multi-trigger dispositions and offer suggestions on how to deal with them.

Is Conformity a Mediating Variable on Increased Risk-Taking Behavior Across Years of Membership in the Greek System?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

CHLOË ELIZABETH LEE-ZORN

2012-07-01

Full Text Available In the college subculture of Greek Life, members adhere to specific rules and norms in order to remain accepted, which could beindicative of conformity. This notion raises the question: what is the role of conformity on the risk taking behaviors of alcoholusage and sexual promiscuity as well as on the academic performance across years of membership? The article examines conformityin 31 fraternity members, cross-sectionally, using a compressed longitudinal design and hypothesizes members develop lower levelsof conformity after initiation, making them less susceptible to risk taking behaviors such as binge drinking, sexual promiscuityand decreased academic performance. Surveys were administered in paper format, and results were evaluated using a series ofanalysis of variance equations. The results indicated an interaction effect between peer conformity (high, low and alcoholicbeverages consumed as well as a main effects for between peer involvement (high, low and time on college GPA.

40 CFR 60.4112 - Changing Hg designated representative and alternate Hg designated representative; changes in...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 6 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Changing Hg designated representative and alternate Hg designated representative; changes in owners and operators. 60.4112 Section 60.4112... Generating Units Hg Designated Representative for Hg Budget Sources § 60.4112 Changing Hg designated...

The Global Governance of Bioethics: Negotiating UNESCO's Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights (2005).

Science.gov (United States)

Langlois, Adèle

2011-01-01

UNESCO's Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights (2005) was drawn up by an independent panel of experts (the International Bioethics Committee) and negotiated by member states. UNESCO aimed for a participatory and transparent drafting process, holding national and regional consultations and seeking the views of various interest groups, including religious and spiritual ones. Furthermore, reflecting UNESCO's broad interpretation of bioethics, the IBC included medics, scientists, lawyers and philosophers among its membership. Nevertheless, several potential stakeholders-academic scientists and ethicists, government policy-makers and NGO representatives-felt they had not been sufficiently consulted or even represented during the Declaration's development. Better communications and understanding within and between national, regional and international layers of governance would help to avoid a recurrence of this problem in future negotiations.

Different continuous cropping spans significantly affect microbial community membership and structure in a vanilla-grown soil as revealed by deep pyrosequencing.

Science.gov (United States)

Xiong, Wu; Zhao, Qingyun; Zhao, Jun; Xun, Weibing; Li, Rong; Zhang, Ruifu; Wu, Huasong; Shen, Qirong

2015-07-01

In the present study, soil bacterial and fungal communities across vanilla continuous cropping time-series fields were assessed through deep pyrosequencing of 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions. The results demonstrated that the long-term monoculture of vanilla significantly altered soil microbial communities. Soil fungal diversity index increased with consecutive cropping years, whereas soil bacterial diversity was relatively stable. Bray-Curtis dissimilarity cluster and UniFrac-weighted principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) revealed that monoculture time was the major determinant for fungal community structure, but not for bacterial community structure. The relative abundances (RAs) of the Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Basidiomycota phyla were depleted along the years of vanilla monoculture. Pearson correlations at the phyla level demonstrated that Actinobacteria, Armatimonadetes, Bacteroidetes, Verrucomicrobia, and Firmicutes had significant negative correlations with vanilla disease index (DI), while no significant correlation for fungal phyla was observed. In addition, the amount of the pathogen Fusarium oxysporum accumulated with increasing years and was significantly positively correlated with vanilla DI. By contrast, the abundance of beneficial bacteria, including Bradyrhizobium and Bacillus, significantly decreased over time. In sum, soil weakness and vanilla stem wilt disease after long-term continuous cropping can be attributed to the alteration of the soil microbial community membership and structure, i.e., the reduction of the beneficial microbes and the accumulation of the fungal pathogen.

7 CFR 1260.141 - Membership of Board.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

.... Iowa 3,783 4 11. Kansas 6,550 7 12. Kentucky 2,363 2 13. Louisiana 847 1 14. Michigan 1,030 1 15. Minnesota 2,390 2 16. Mississippi 1,013 1 17. Missouri 4,450 4 18. Montana 2,383 2 19. Nebraska 6,500 7 20... to the Act and regulations of this Part. A producer may only be nominated to represent the unit in...

What happens when you want to talk to the animals: lessons of a career in animal bioacoustics

Science.gov (United States)

Bowles, Ann E.

2004-05-01

Animal bioacoustics (AB) is the study of sound in nonhuman animal biology. I entered the field because I was interested in the evolution of language, and I wanted to study the acoustic communication of whales and dolphins. Topics like this within the scope of AB make the discipline accessible to students and laypeople. Although career opportunities are limited (professionals declaring AB as their primary area represent only 3% of ASA membership [http://www.acoustics.org/WIA, statistics for 2000]), an interest in AB can foster entry into more marketable disciplines. It has been a particularly important avenue for bringing women into careers in traditionally male-dominated subject areas. For example, women represent 14% of the ASA membership and 12% or fewer of those declaring Underwater Acoustics, Engineering Acoustics, and Noise as their primary interest. However, 25% of those declaring AB as their primary interest are women, and AB includes all three topic areas within its scope. Unfortunately, AB is still fairly inaccessible to interested lay professionals such as educators, science writers, and environmental planners. By helping them to develop a deeper understanding of topics in AB, ASA can help them foster careers in acoustics.

Analytical fuzzy approach to biological data analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Weiping Zhang

2017-03-01

Full Text Available The assessment of the physiological state of an individual requires an objective evaluation of biological data while taking into account both measurement noise and uncertainties arising from individual factors. We suggest to represent multi-dimensional medical data by means of an optimal fuzzy membership function. A carefully designed data model is introduced in a completely deterministic framework where uncertain variables are characterized by fuzzy membership functions. The study derives the analytical expressions of fuzzy membership functions on variables of the multivariate data model by maximizing the over-uncertainties-averaged-log-membership values of data samples around an initial guess. The analytical solution lends itself to a practical modeling algorithm facilitating the data classification. The experiments performed on the heartbeat interval data of 20 subjects verified that the proposed method is competing alternative to typically used pattern recognition and machine learning algorithms.

May 2013 Council of Chapter Representatives Notes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Robbins RA

2013-05-01

Full Text Available No abstract available. Article truncated at 150 words. The Council of Chapter Representatives met in conjunction with the ATS meeting in Philadelphia on May 18, 2012.Roll Call. The meeting was called to order at 11 AM. Representatives from Arizona, California, DC Metro, Louisiana, Michigan, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, and Rhode Island were in attendance, and by telephone from Washington.Chapter Updates. Information on chapter activities and a chapter brochure. There are currently 19 active chapters. Most are having annual meetings. Advocacy. Gary Ewart from ATS Government Relations gave a presentation on Washington activities. Highlights included activities on the SGR, a number of air pollution regulations and a letter campaign advocating regulation of cigars. ATS President 2013-14-vision for the coming year. Patrician Finn gave a summary of what she hopes to accomplish over the next year. The theme of her presidency will be health equality. ATS Executive Director-update. Steve Crane gave a positive presentation on the …

Patient representatives' views on patient information in clinical cancer trials

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dellson, Pia; Nilbert, Mef; Carlsson, Christina

2016-01-01

of future simplified and more attractive informed consent forms. CONCLUSIONS: The emotional and cognitive responses to written patient information reported by patient representatives provides a basis for revised formats in future trials and add to the body of information that support use of plain language......BACKGROUND: Patient enrolment into clinical trials is based on oral information and informed consent, which includes an information sheet and a consent certificate. The written information should be complete, but at the same time risks being so complex that it may be questioned if a fully informed...... consent is possible to provide. We explored patient representatives' views and perceptions on the written trial information used in clinical cancer trials. METHODS: Written patient information leaflets used in four clinical trials for colorectal cancer were used for the study. The trials included phase I...

Representing metarepresentations: is there theory of mind-specific cognition?

Science.gov (United States)

Egeth, Marc; Kurzban, Robert

2009-03-01

What cognitive mechanisms underlie Theory of Mind? Some infer domain-specific Theory of Mind cognition based the pattern of children diagnosed with autism failing the False Belief test but passing the False Photograph test. However, we argue that the False Belief test entails various task demands the False Photograph task does not, including the necessity to represent a higher-order representation (a metarepresentation), thus confounding the inference of domain-specificity. Instead, a general difficulty that affects representations of metarepresentations might account for the seeming domain-specific failure. Here we find that False-Belief failing False-Photograph passing children fail the Meta Photograph test, a new photograph-domain test that requires subjects to represent a metarepresentation. We conclude that people who fail the False Belief test but pass the False Photograph test do not necessarily have a content-specific Theory of Mind deficit. Instead, the general ability to represent representations and metarepresentations might underlie Theory of Mind.

Platform Routing and Data Fusion Technologies for Cooperative ISR - fmCortex (Trademark)

Science.gov (United States)

2008-06-13

first “fuzzify” the “ crisp ” or real-values of pertinent parameters and, using membership functions, represent a degree to which the effects of that...IAVO Research and Scientific STTR Final Report: FA9550-07-C-0085 Scenario Range Aspect TTLE ! R ! T ! A Input: Crisp Data Membership...for vulnerable resource rv!V. 0 Dm 2 Number of time slices for which continuous task m must be performed. 0 nmmin 3 Minimum number of resources

Understanding and Representing Changing Work Structures and Practices through Art

Science.gov (United States)

Wieland, Stacey M. B.

2018-01-01

Courses: Organizational Communication, Advanced Organizational Communication, Organizing Work, Management/Organizational History. Objectives: This activity will help students to understand major shifts in the organization of work and creatively represent changing work structures and practices. An optional follow-up assignment is included. A…

Set-Pi: Set Membership pi-Calculus

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bruni, Alessandro; Mödersheim, Sebastian Alexander; Nielson, Flemming

2015-01-01

Communication protocols often rely on stateful mechanisms to ensure certain security properties. For example, counters and timestamps can be used to ensure authentication, or the security of communication can depend on whether a particular key is registered to a server or it has been revoked. Pro......Verif, like other state of the art tools for protocol analysis, achieves good performance by converting a formal protocol specification into a set of Horn clauses, that represent a monotonically growing set of facts that a Dolev-Yao attacker can derive from the system. Since this set of facts is not state...... method with three examples, a simple authentication protocol based on counters, a key registration protocol, and a model of the Yubikey security device....

Representing vision and blindness.

Science.gov (United States)

Ray, Patrick L; Cox, Alexander P; Jensen, Mark; Allen, Travis; Duncan, William; Diehl, Alexander D

2016-01-01

There have been relatively few attempts to represent vision or blindness ontologically. This is unsurprising as the related phenomena of sight and blindness are difficult to represent ontologically for a variety of reasons. Blindness has escaped ontological capture at least in part because: blindness or the employment of the term 'blindness' seems to vary from context to context, blindness can present in a myriad of types and degrees, and there is no precedent for representing complex phenomena such as blindness. We explore current attempts to represent vision or blindness, and show how these attempts fail at representing subtypes of blindness (viz., color blindness, flash blindness, and inattentional blindness). We examine the results found through a review of current attempts and identify where they have failed. By analyzing our test cases of different types of blindness along with the strengths and weaknesses of previous attempts, we have identified the general features of blindness and vision. We propose an ontological solution to represent vision and blindness, which capitalizes on resources afforded to one who utilizes the Basic Formal Ontology as an upper-level ontology. The solution we propose here involves specifying the trigger conditions of a disposition as well as the processes that realize that disposition. Once these are specified we can characterize vision as a function that is realized by certain (in this case) biological processes under a range of triggering conditions. When the range of conditions under which the processes can be realized are reduced beyond a certain threshold, we are able to say that blindness is present. We characterize vision as a function that is realized as a seeing process and blindness as a reduction in the conditions under which the sight function is realized. This solution is desirable because it leverages current features of a major upper-level ontology, accurately captures the phenomenon of blindness, and can be

Representing cognitive activities and errors in HRA trees

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gertman, D.I.

1992-01-01

A graphic representation method is presented herein for adapting an existing technology--human reliability analysis (HRA) event trees, used to support event sequence logic structures and calculations--to include a representation of the underlying cognitive activity and corresponding errors associated with human performance. The analyst is presented with three potential means of representing human activity: the NUREG/CR-1278 HRA event tree approach; the skill-, rule- and knowledge-based paradigm; and the slips, lapses, and mistakes paradigm. The above approaches for representing human activity are integrated in order to produce an enriched HRA event tree -- the cognitive event tree system (COGENT)-- which, in turn, can be used to increase the analyst's understanding of the basic behavioral mechanisms underlying human error and the representation of that error in probabilistic risk assessment. Issues pertaining to the implementation of COGENT are also discussed

Represented Speech in Qualitative Health Research

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Musaeus, Peter

2017-01-01

Represented speech refers to speech where we reference somebody. Represented speech is an important phenomenon in everyday conversation, health care communication, and qualitative research. This case will draw first from a case study on physicians’ workplace learning and second from a case study...... on nurses’ apprenticeship learning. The aim of the case is to guide the qualitative researcher to use own and others’ voices in the interview and to be sensitive to represented speech in everyday conversation. Moreover, reported speech matters to health professionals who aim to represent the voice...... of their patients. Qualitative researchers and students might learn to encourage interviewees to elaborate different voices or perspectives. Qualitative researchers working with natural speech might pay attention to how people talk and use represented speech. Finally, represented speech might be relevant...

20 CFR 661.330 - Under what circumstances may the State use an alternative entity as the Local Workforce...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

..., at a minimum, two or more representatives of business in the local area and two or more representatives of labor organizations nominated by local labor federations or employees in the local area. (b)(1...) If the membership structure of an alternative entity is significantly changed after December 31, 1997...

National Calendar-2008

Science.gov (United States)

Ghedrovici, Vera; Svet, Maria; Matvei, Valeria; Madan, Ion; Perju, Elena; Sargun, Maria; Netida, Maria

The calendar represents a few hundreds of biographies of scientists, artists and writers from everywhere, printed in chronological order and adjusted to their birthdays. A number of international and national holydays, including some refering to science are included in the Calendar. A great defect of the calendar is the introduction of the "International day of astrology" in the list of holydays. Another defect is the absence of the indication on the membership to the Communist Party for persons cited from the former Soviet Union. The following Physicists, mathematicians, chemists and astronomers had biographies in this issue: Ilie I. Lupu (math),Lev D. Landau,

Variability in perceived satisfaction of reservoir management objectives

Science.gov (United States)

Owen, W.J.; Gates, T.K.; Flug, M.

1997-01-01

Fuzzy set theory provides a useful model to address imprecision in interpreting linguistically described objectives for reservoir management. Fuzzy membership functions can be used to represent degrees of objective satisfaction for different values of management variables. However, lack of background information, differing experiences and qualifications, and complex interactions of influencing factors can contribute to significant variability among membership functions derived from surveys of multiple experts. In the present study, probabilistic membership functions are used to model variability in experts' perceptions of satisfaction of objectives for hydropower generation, fish habitat, kayaking, rafting, and scenery preservation on the Green River through operations of Flaming Gorge Dam. Degree of variability in experts' perceptions differed among objectives but resulted in substantial uncertainty in estimation of optimal reservoir releases.

Interactions between microfinance programmes and non-economic empowerment of women associated with intimate partner violence in Bangladesh: a cross-sectional study

Science.gov (United States)

Dalal, Koustuv; Dahlström, Örjan; Timpka, Toomas

2013-01-01

Objective This study aims to examine the associations between microfinance programme membership and intimate partner violence (IPV) in different socioeconomic strata of a nationally representative sample of women in Bangladesh. Methods The cross-sectional study was based on a nationally representative interview survey of 11 178 ever-married women of reproductive age (15–49 years). A total of 4465 women who answered the IPV-related questions were analysed separately using χ2 tests and Cramer's V as a measure of effect size to identify the differences in proportions of exposure to IPV with regard to microfinance programme membership, and demographic variables and interactions between microfinance programme membership and factors related to non-economic empowerment were considered. Results Only 39% of women were members of microfinance programmes. The prevalence of a history of IPV was 48% for moderate physical violence, 16% for severe physical violence and 16% for sexual violence. For women with secondary or higher education, and women at the two wealthiest levels of the wealth index, microfinance programme membership increased the exposure to IPV two and three times, respectively. The least educated and poorest groups showed no change in exposure to IPV associated with microfinance programmes. The educated women who were more equal with their spouses in their family relationships by participating in decision-making increased their exposure to IPV by membership in microfinance programmes. Conclusions Microfinance plans are associated with an increased exposure to IPV among educated and empowered women in Bangladesh. Microfinance firms should consider providing information about the associations between microfinance and IPV to the women belonging to the risk groups. PMID:24319278

78 FR 35349 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; Miami International Securities Exchange LLC; Notice of Filing and...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-06-12

... by adopting an innovative pricing strategy. The Exchange notes that if the fee waiver resulted in a... apply to Market Makers including marketing fees, Options Regulatory Fees, market data, and membership... Market Makers including marketing fees, Options Regulatory Fees, market data, and membership application...

22 CFR 214.31 - A.I.D. Advisory Committee Representative.

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2010-04-01

.... Advisory Committee Representative. (b) The designated A.I.D. employee performs functions required by section 10 of the Act and assigned herein. Such functions include: (1) Calling, or giving advance approval... Administrator; (4) Assuring that advance notices of each meeting (whether open or closed) are published in the...

INVESTIGATION OF REPRESENTATIVE CHARACTERISTICS OF LUKIŠKIŲ SQUARE IN VILNIUS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gintautas TIŠKUS

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Representative squares are sites where ideological monuments or monuments are built, or squares to important state or municipal buildings. Representation square is a mark or sign system that is intended to provide some relevant information. This information may include events or actors that are important and desirable to commemorate, ideological - political motives that want to be given exclusive importance. In determining the structure of the area’s representative area, causal relationships with the represented object are identified. The original key information is the name. Subsequently, the type of object represented – an event or personality, a connection to the square, the importance of the mark on the square (dominant, noticeable or invisible, and the interaction between the label and the environment are determined. After examining the structure of the square of the square and writing the values in the matrix, we can determine the representation level of the square. In the representation square we can name the square, for which the context of the environment and the level of representational marks for the purpose of the square have a decisive or significant influence.

ANALYSIS OF FUZZY QUEUES: PARAMETRIC PROGRAMMING APPROACH BASED ON RANDOMNESS - FUZZINESS CONSISTENCY PRINCIPLE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dhruba Das

2015-04-01

Full Text Available In this article, based on Zadeh’s extension principle we have apply the parametric programming approach to construct the membership functions of the performance measures when the interarrival time and the service time are fuzzy numbers based on the Baruah’s Randomness- Fuzziness Consistency Principle. The Randomness-Fuzziness Consistency Principle leads to defining a normal law of fuzziness using two different laws of randomness. In this article, two fuzzy queues FM/M/1 and M/FM/1 has been studied and constructed their membership functions of the system characteristics based on the aforesaid principle. The former represents a queue with fuzzy exponential arrivals and exponential service rate while the latter represents a queue with exponential arrival rate and fuzzy exponential service rate.

“Trade Liberalization with Chinese Characteristics”: Few Notes on PRC’s WTO Membership

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexandru Butiseacă

2014-06-01

Full Text Available There is a significant amount of published empirical studies that describe the relation of the People’s Republic of China with the World Trade Organization as the vehicle through which this country has reached the goal of opening further its domestic economy by freeing its foreign trade. If those ruling the Chinese people’s destiny saw in the WTO accession, along with the acceptance of its basic rules, a path that will lead them to the benefits and opportunities offered by some sectors’ liberalization, this judgment raises several concerns. An obvious one could be: Why not doing this unilaterally? Benefits might have been consistent. Not only that this would have been much easier, if the will of the Party, but the effects of opening market to other nations, within or outside the WTO, could have spurred earlier and stronger. Noteworthy is that many much economically freer countries are not yet members of the WTO. Then, if it is considered that the accession to this organization, by the values, rules and principles that it promotes, will allow any domestic economy to thrive, why do we assist to China’s failure in fulfilling all the WTO membership criteria and in complying with all the rules? In our opinion, Chinese authorities tried to accommodate pragmatically some liberalization to inspire trustworthiness for FDI with a boost for national companies still benefiting from public support and newly opened markets, thus seeking not pure freedom, but wise access to the workings of managed world trade.

Being Included and Excluded

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Korzenevica, Marina

2016-01-01

Following the civil war of 1996–2006, there was a dramatic increase in the labor mobility of young men and the inclusion of young women in formal education, which led to the transformation of the political landscape of rural Nepal. Mobility and schooling represent a level of prestige that rural...... politics. It analyzes how formal education and mobility either challenge or reinforce traditional gendered norms which dictate a lowly position for young married women in the household and their absence from community politics. The article concludes that women are simultaneously excluded and included from...... community politics. On the one hand, their mobility and decision-making powers decrease with the increase in the labor mobility of men and their newly gained education is politically devalued when compared to the informal education that men gain through mobility, but on the other hand, schooling strengthens...

European downstream oil industry safety performance. Statistical summary of reported incidents 2009

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Burton, A.; Den Haan, K.H.

2010-10-01

The sixteenth such report by CONCAWE, this issue includes statistics on workrelated personal injuries for the European downstream oil industry's own employees as well as contractors for the year 2009. Data were received from 33 companies representing more than 97% of the European refining capacity. Trends over the last sixteen years are highlighted and the data are also compared to similar statistics from related industries. In addition, this report presents the results of the first Process Safety Performance Indicator data gathering exercise amongst the CONCAWE membership.

Representing Color Ensembles.

Science.gov (United States)

Chetverikov, Andrey; Campana, Gianluca; Kristjánsson, Árni

2017-10-01

Colors are rarely uniform, yet little is known about how people represent color distributions. We introduce a new method for studying color ensembles based on intertrial learning in visual search. Participants looked for an oddly colored diamond among diamonds with colors taken from either uniform or Gaussian color distributions. On test trials, the targets had various distances in feature space from the mean of the preceding distractor color distribution. Targets on test trials therefore served as probes into probabilistic representations of distractor colors. Test-trial response times revealed a striking similarity between the physical distribution of colors and their internal representations. The results demonstrate that the visual system represents color ensembles in a more detailed way than previously thought, coding not only mean and variance but, most surprisingly, the actual shape (uniform or Gaussian) of the distribution of colors in the environment.

Distributed Event-Based Set-Membership Filtering for a Class of Nonlinear Systems With Sensor Saturations Over Sensor Networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Lifeng; Wang, Zidong; Lam, Hak-Keung; Kyriakoulis, Nikos

2017-11-01

In this paper, the distributed set-membership filtering problem is investigated for a class of discrete time-varying system with an event-based communication mechanism over sensor networks. The system under consideration is subject to sector-bounded nonlinearity, unknown but bounded noises and sensor saturations. Each intelligent sensing node transmits the data to its neighbors only when certain triggering condition is violated. By means of a set of recursive matrix inequalities, sufficient conditions are derived for the existence of the desired distributed event-based filter which is capable of confining the system state in certain ellipsoidal regions centered at the estimates. Within the established theoretical framework, two additional optimization problems are formulated: one is to seek the minimal ellipsoids (in the sense of matrix trace) for the best filtering performance, and the other is to maximize the triggering threshold so as to reduce the triggering frequency with satisfactory filtering performance. A numerically attractive chaos algorithm is employed to solve the optimization problems. Finally, an illustrative example is presented to demonstrate the effectiveness and applicability of the proposed algorithm.

Using SNOMED CT to represent two interface terminologies.

Science.gov (United States)

Rosenbloom, S Trent; Brown, Steven H; Froehling, David; Bauer, Brent A; Wahner-Roedler, Dietlind L; Gregg, William M; Elkin, Peter L

2009-01-01

Interface terminologies are designed to support interactions between humans and structured medical information. In particular, many interface terminologies have been developed for structured computer based documentation systems. Experts and policy-makers have recommended that interface terminologies be mapped to reference terminologies. The goal of the current study was to evaluate how well the reference terminology SNOMED CT could map to and represent two interface terminologies, MEDCIN and the Categorical Health Information Structured Lexicon (CHISL). Automated mappings between SNOMED CT and 500 terms from each of the two interface terminologies were evaluated by human reviewers, who also searched SNOMED CT to identify better mappings when this was judged to be necessary. Reviewers judged whether they believed the interface terms to be clinically appropriate, whether the terms were covered by SNOMED CT concepts and whether the terms' implied semantic structure could be represented by SNOMED CT. Outcomes included concept coverage by SNOMED CT for study terms and their implied semantics. Agreement statistics and compositionality measures were calculated. The SNOMED CT terminology contained concepts to represent 92.4% of MEDCIN and 95.9% of CHISL terms. Semantic structures implied by study terms were less well covered, with some complex compositional expressions requiring semantics not present in SNOMED CT. Among sampled terms, those from MEDCIN were more complex than those from CHISL, containing an average 3.8 versus 1.8 atomic concepts respectively, pterms.

a fuzzy homomorphic algori omomorphic algorithm for image

African Journals Online (AJOL)

eobe

Homomorphic method in Section III. Section .... Homomorphic filter, which controls the level of enhancement of the ... The vertical axis represents the degree of membership while the .... Image Processing Using MATLAB: Prentice Hall,. 2004.

An Innovation Framework Applied to a Military Cyber Professionals Association

Science.gov (United States)

2013-09-01

meaningful innovation research. 6 Concerning Digital Warrior: Improving Military Capabilities in...attractive enough where members would conceivably purchase merchandise featuring the logo, in support of a business plan intent on keeping membership...including membership application, merchandise ordering, and basic discussion forum. GAB includes a Forms app, which works well for capturing

Non-Relative Value Unit-Generating Activities Represent One-Fifth of Academic Neuroradiologist Productivity.

Science.gov (United States)

Wintermark, M; Zeineh, M; Zaharchuk, G; Srivastava, A; Fischbein, N

2016-07-01

A neuroradiologist's activity includes many tasks beyond interpreting relative value unit-generating imaging studies. Our aim was to test a simple method to record and quantify the non-relative value unit-generating clinical activity represented by consults and clinical conferences, including tumor boards. Four full-time neuroradiologists, working an average of 50% clinical and 50% academic activity, systematically recorded all the non-relative value unit-generating consults and conferences in which they were involved during 3 months by using a simple, Web-based, computer-based application accessible from smartphones, tablets, or computers. The number and type of imaging studies they interpreted during the same period and the associated relative value units were extracted from our billing system. During 3 months, the 4 neuroradiologists working an average of 50% clinical activity interpreted 4241 relative value unit-generating imaging studies, representing 8152 work relative value units. During the same period, they recorded 792 non-relative value unit-generating study reviews as part of consults and conferences (not including reading room consults), representing 19% of the interpreted relative value unit-generating imaging studies. We propose a simple Web-based smartphone app to record and quantify non-relative value unit-generating activities including consults, clinical conferences, and tumor boards. The quantification of non-relative value unit-generating activities is paramount in this time of a paradigm shift from volume to value. It also represents an important tool for determining staffing levels, which cannot be performed on the basis of relative value unit only, considering the importance of time spent by radiologists on non-relative value unit-generating activities. It may also influence payment models from medical centers to radiology departments or practices. © 2016 by American Journal of Neuroradiology.

7 CFR 1205.402 - Determination of Cotton Board membership.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... MARKETING SERVICE (MARKETING AGREEMENTS AND ORDERS; MISCELLANEOUS COMMODITIES), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE... of 480-pound net weight bales for the five most recent marketing years will be used as the criteria... shall consist of four importer representatives. (c) All members appointed from a state will be entitled...

A Statistical and Spectral Model for Representing Noisy Sounds with Short-Time Sinusoids

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Myriam Desainte-Catherine

2005-07-01

Full Text Available We propose an original model for noise analysis, transformation, and synthesis: the CNSS model. Noisy sounds are represented with short-time sinusoids whose frequencies and phases are random variables. This spectral and statistical model represents information about the spectral density of frequencies. This perceptually relevant property is modeled by three mathematical parameters that define the distribution of the frequencies. This model also represents the spectral envelope. The mathematical parameters are defined and the analysis algorithms to extract these parameters from sounds are introduced. Then algorithms for generating sounds from the parameters of the model are presented. Applications of this model include tools for composers, psychoacoustic experiments, and pedagogy.

Object-Relational Management of Multiply Represented Geographic Entities

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Friis-Christensen, Anders; Jensen, Christian Søndergaard

2003-01-01

Multiple representation occurs when information about the same geographic entity is represented electronically more than once. This occurs frequently in practice, and it invariably results in the occurrence of inconsistencies among the different representations. We propose to resolve this situation...... by introducing a multiple representation management system (MRMS), the schema of which includes rules that specify how to identify representations of the same entity, rules that specify consistency requirements, and rules used to restore consistency when necessary. In this paper, we demonstrate by means...

Research on Integrated Navigation System by Fuzzy Kalman Filter with Interval-value Membership Function%具有区间隶属函数的模糊卡尔曼滤波在组合导航系统中的应用

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

乐洋; 何秀凤

2011-01-01

As an important optimal estimation theory, Kalman filter has been used in many fields.There are some truths in a practical system which cause filtering divergence, such as model uncertainties and statistical characteristics of interference signal known incompletely.This paper takes interval parameters that have interval membership function to Kalman filter, and let interval set denote membership function, whick provides a new way to slove system optimization problem with uncertain parameters.The results from the actual GPS/IMU integrated system indicate that the filtering method proposed is effective.%将具有区间值隶属函数的区间参数引入卡尔曼滤波,用区间值的集合来表示隶属函数,为解决具有不确定参数的系统优化问题提供了一种新的思路.最后通过实验验证了方法的有效性.

20 CFR 266.4 - Information considered in selecting a representative payee.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

..., including the type of relationship, e.g., family or legal guardianship; degree of relationship, if the... 20 Employees' Benefits 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Information considered in selecting a representative payee. 266.4 Section 266.4 Employees' Benefits RAILROAD RETIREMENT BOARD REGULATIONS UNDER THE...

Understanding IPTV churning behaviors: focus on users in South Korea

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Myung-Joong Kim

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Purpose - This study aims to investigate customers’ churning out of Internet Protocol Television (IPTV service, one of the most prevalent forms of IT convergence. Design/methodology/approach - Based on the review of current literature, a research model is introduced to depict the effects of select independent variables on customer churning behavior. First of all, the two groups are compared in terms of predictor variables, including switching barriers, voice of customer (VOC, membership period and degree of contents usage. Then, a curvilinear regression was applied to understand the association relationship between the level of IPTV contents usage and variables of switching barriers, VOC and membership period. Third, a logit regression was performed to predict customer churning through the variables of switching barriers, VOC, membership period and level of IPTV contents usage. Findings - Through the empirical analysis, this study analyzed the factors affecting customer churning behavior of IPTV service providers based on switching barriers, VOC and contents usage. Originality/value - Although several studies on IPTV have been undertaken globally, they have largely depended on self-reporting surveys to examine dynamics between antecedent variables and IPTV performance in terms of customer satisfaction, usage intension and customer retention. This empirical study is performed to understand influential factors of IPTV service defection through the weblog analysis of 3,906 service users, who represented both service defectors and non-defectors during a specific month.

OSMOSE experiment representativity studies.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aliberti, G.; Klann, R.; Nuclear Engineering Division

2007-10-10

The OSMOSE program aims at improving the neutronic predictions of advanced nuclear fuels through measurements in the MINERVE facility at the CEA-Cadarache (France) on samples containing the following separated actinides: Th-232, U-233, U-234, U-235, U-236, U-238, Np-237, Pu-238, Pu-239, Pu-240, Pu-241, Pu-242, Am-241, Am-243, Cm-244 and Cm-245. The goal of the experimental measurements is to produce a database of reactivity-worth measurements in different neutron spectra for the separated heavy nuclides. This database can then be used as a benchmark for integral reactivity-worth measurements to verify and validate reactor analysis codes and integral cross-section values for the isotopes tested. In particular, the OSMOSE experimental program will produce very accurate sample reactivity-worth measurements for a series of actinides in various spectra, from very thermalized to very fast. The objective of the analytical program is to make use of the experimental data to establish deficiencies in the basic nuclear data libraries, identify their origins, and provide guidelines for nuclear data improvements in coordination with international programs. To achieve the proposed goals, seven different neutron spectra can be created in the MINERVE facility: UO2 dissolved in water (representative of over-moderated LWR systems), UO2 matrix in water (representative of LWRs), a mixed oxide fuel matrix, two thermal spectra containing large epithermal components (representative of under-moderated reactors), a moderated fast spectrum (representative of fast reactors which have some slowing down in moderators such as lead-bismuth or sodium), and a very hard spectrum (representative of fast reactors with little moderation from reactor coolant). The different spectra are achieved by changing the experimental lattice within the MINERVE reactor. The experimental lattice is the replaceable central part of MINERVE, which establishes the spectrum at the sample location. This configuration

Using SNOMED CT to Represent Two Interface Terminologies

Science.gov (United States)

Rosenbloom, S. Trent; Brown, Steven H.; Froehling, David; Bauer, Brent A.; Wahner-Roedler, Dietlind L.; Gregg, William M.; Elkin, Peter L.

2009-01-01

Objective Interface terminologies are designed to support interactions between humans and structured medical information. In particular, many interface terminologies have been developed for structured computer based documentation systems. Experts and policy-makers have recommended that interface terminologies be mapped to reference terminologies. The goal of the current study was to evaluate how well the reference terminology SNOMED CT could map to and represent two interface terminologies, MEDCIN and the Categorical Health Information Structured Lexicon (CHISL). Design Automated mappings between SNOMED CT and 500 terms from each of the two interface terminologies were evaluated by human reviewers, who also searched SNOMED CT to identify better mappings when this was judged to be necessary. Reviewers judged whether they believed the interface terms to be clinically appropriate, whether the terms were covered by SNOMED CT concepts and whether the terms' implied semantic structure could be represented by SNOMED CT. Measurements Outcomes included concept coverage by SNOMED CT for study terms and their implied semantics. Agreement statistics and compositionality measures were calculated. Results The SNOMED CT terminology contained concepts to represent 92.4% of MEDCIN and 95.9% of CHISL terms. Semantic structures implied by study terms were less well covered, with some complex compositional expressions requiring semantics not present in SNOMED CT. Among sampled terms, those from MEDCIN were more complex than those from CHISL, containing an average 3.8 versus 1.8 atomic concepts respectively, pterms. PMID:18952944

Reference materials and representative test materials: the nanotechnology case

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roebben, G.; Rasmussen, K.; Kestens, V.; Linsinger, T. P. J.; Rauscher, H.; Emons, H.; Stamm, H.

2013-01-01

An increasing number of chemical, physical and biological tests are performed on manufactured nanomaterials for scientific and regulatory purposes. Existing test guidelines and measurement methods are not always directly applicable to or relevant for nanomaterials. Therefore, it is necessary to verify the use of the existing methods with nanomaterials, thereby identifying where modifications are needed, and where new methods need to be developed and validated. Efforts for verification, development and validation of methods as well as quality assurance of (routine) test results significantly benefit from the availability of suitable test and reference materials. This paper provides an overview of the existing types of reference materials and introduces a new class of test materials for which the term ‘representative test material’ is proposed. The three generic concepts of certified reference material, reference material(non-certified) and representative test material constitute a comprehensive system of benchmarks that can be used by all measurement and testing communities, regardless of their specific discipline. This paper illustrates this system with examples from the field of nanomaterials, including reference materials and representative test materials developed at the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre, in particular at the Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements (IRMM), and at the Institute for Health and Consumer Protection (IHCP).

Request by the Resident Representative of Iraq to the International Atomic Energy Agency

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1984-09-01

The document includes three attachments: the letter of 3 May 1984 from the Director General of the IAEA to the Resident Representative of Iraq, the letter of 10 May 1984 to the Director General of the IAEA from the Resident Representative of Iraq and the summary record of discussion in the Board of Governors on 5 June 1984 at its 619th meeting concerning item 20 of the provisional agenda ''Military attack on Iran's Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant''

Manikin families representing obese airline passengers in the US.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Hanjun; Park, Woojin; Kim, Yongkang

2014-01-01

Aircraft passenger spaces designed without proper anthropometric analyses can create serious problems for obese passengers, including: possible denial of boarding, excessive body pressures and contact stresses, postural fixity and related health hazards, and increased risks of emergency evacuation failure. In order to help address the obese passenger's accommodation issues, this study developed male and female manikin families that represent obese US airline passengers. Anthropometric data of obese individuals obtained from the CAESAR anthropometric database were analyzed through PCA-based factor analyses. For each gender, a 99% enclosure cuboid was constructed, and a small set of manikins was defined on the basis of each enclosure cuboid. Digital human models (articulated human figures) representing the manikins were created using a human CAD software program. The manikin families were utilized to develop design recommendations for selected aircraft seat dimensions. The manikin families presented in this study would greatly facilitate anthropometrically accommodating large airline passengers.

Why and how selection patterns in classroom networks differ between students.The potential influence of networks size preferences, level of information, and group membership.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Baerveldt, Chris

2010-12-01

Full Text Available High school students can select class mates for new friendships using a repertoire of patterns. They can actively pursue new friendships, make use of the existing network structure, and/ or use the scarce and often erroneous information about candidates. In this theoretical paper, we argue that such selection patterns should not be studied as the result of general rules, as is usually done in social network studies. Specifically, we state that network size preferences, the level of information about individual attributes of fellow classmates, and group membership are likely to differ among high school students, and that as a result, also their selection patterns are likely to be different. In this paper we sketch the theoretical articulations between these.

Representing Uncertainty by Probability and Possibility

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

of uncertain parameters. Monte Carlo simulation is readily used for practical calculations. However, an alternative approach is offered by possibility theory making use of possibility distributions such as intervals and fuzzy intervals. This approach is well suited to represent lack of knowledge or imprecision......Uncertain parameters in modeling are usually represented by probability distributions reflecting either the objective uncertainty of the parameters or the subjective belief held by the model builder. This approach is particularly suited for representing the statistical nature or variance...

American Academy of Oral Medicine

Science.gov (United States)

... Statements Newsletters AAOM: Representing the Discipline of Oral Medicine Oral Medicine is the discipline of dentistry concerned with the ... offers credentialing, resources and professional community for oral medicine practitioners. Our membership provides care to thousands. We ...

Including everyone: A peer learning program that works for under-represented minorities?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jacques van der Meer

2013-04-01

Full Text Available Peer learning has long been recognised as an effective way to induct first-year students into the academic skills required to succeed at university. One recognised successful model that has been extensively researched is the Supplemental Instruction (SI model; it has operated in the US since the mid-1970s. This model is commonly known in Australasia as the Peer Assisted Study Sessions (PASS program. Although there is a considerable amount of research into SI and PASS, very little has been published about the impact of peer learning on different student groups, for example indigenous and other ethnic groups. This article reports on the results from one New Zealand university of the effectiveness of PASS for Māori and Pasifika students. The questions this article seeks to address are whether attendance of the PASS program results in better final marks for these two groups of students, and whether the number of sessions attended has an impact on the final marks.

Participation of the Neighborhood Representatives (Mukhtars into Managerial Activities in Local Level: Burdur Case

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mustafa LAMBA

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Neighborhood representatives (mukhtars are the nearest administrative units to citizens in local level. It is required to take advantage of that the neighborhood representatives know their districts and residents better than central and local government authorities. In addition, it will be appropriate to the principles of subsidiarity and the European Charter of Local Self Government to determine problems and demands of neighborhoods by their representatives. It is necessary to maintain communication channels and keep close relations with neighborhood representatives by local governments to use that advantage efficiently. It is aimed in this study to determine the participation level of neighborhood representatives into managerial activities in local level. For that purpose, the neighborhood representatives in the center of Burdur province are included in the research. According to the findings, it has been determined that the neighborhood representatives have participated into various activities without experiencing any difficulty, and they have been informed about the services regarding to their neighborhoods, and they have kept close relationship with central and local administrations, and most of them could communicate with local authorities directly. Therefore, it has been concluded that the neighborhood representatives have been influential enough in decision-making mechanisms in local level in Burdur.

Representative Sampling for reliable data analysis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Petersen, Lars; Esbensen, Kim Harry

2005-01-01

regime in order to secure the necessary reliability of: samples (which must be representative, from the primary sampling onwards), analysis (which will not mean anything outside the miniscule analytical volume without representativity ruling all mass reductions involved, also in the laboratory) and data...

OAS :: Authorities : Permanent Representatives to the OAS

Science.gov (United States)

Rights Actions against Corruption C Children Civil Registry Civil Society Contact Us Culture Cyber Representative of Belize Diego Pary Rodríguez Bolivia Diego Pary Rodríguez Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Bolivia José Luiz Machado Brazil José Luiz Machado e Costa Ambassador, Permanent Representative

List of Accredited Representatives

Data.gov (United States)

Department of Veterans Affairs — VA accreditation is for the sole purpose of providing representation services to claimants before VA and does not imply that a representative is qualified to provide...

Cost-effectiveness analysis of offering free leisure centre memberships to physically inactive members of the public receiving state benefits: a case study.

Science.gov (United States)

Verhoef, Talitha I; Trend, Verena; Kelly, Barry; Robinson, Nigel; Fox, Paul; Morris, Stephen

2016-07-22

We evaluated the cost-effectiveness of the Give-it-a-Go programme, which offers free leisure centre memberships to physically inactive members of the public in a single London Borough receiving state benefits. A decision analytic Markov model was developed to analyse lifetime costs and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) of 1025 people recruited to the intervention versus no intervention. In the intervention group, people were offered 4 months of free membership at a leisure centre. Physical activity levels were assessed at 0 and 4 months using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). Higher levels of physical activity were assumed to decrease the risk of coronary heart disease, stroke and diabetes mellitus type II, as well as improve mental health. Costs were assessed from a National Health Service (NHS) perspective. Uncertainty was assessed using one-way and probabilistic sensitivity analyses. One-hundred fifty nine participants (15.5 %) completed the programme by attending the leisure centre for 4 months. Compared with no intervention, Give it a Go increased costs by £67.25 and QALYs by 0.0033 (equivalent to 1.21 days in full health) per recruited person. The incremental costs per QALY gained were £20,347. The results were highly sensitive to the magnitude of mental health gain due to physical activity and the duration of the effect of the programme (1 year in the base case analysis). When the mental health gain was omitted from the analysis, the incremental cost per QALY gained increased to almost £1.5 million. In the probabilistic sensitivity analysis, the incremental costs per QALY gained were below £20,000 in 39 % of the 5000 simulations. Give it a Go did not significantly increase life-expectancy, but had a positive influence on quality of life due to the mental health gain of physical activity. If the increase in physical activity caused by Give it a Go lasts for more than 1 year, the programme would be cost-effective given a

Slovenia joins IPPOG as member

CERN Multimedia

'marcelloni, claudia

2018-01-01

Slovenia became an official member of IPPOG on 19 April 2018. The MOU was signed by the head of Particle Physics Department at Jozef Stefan Institute representing Slovenia participation at IPPOG. Andrej Gorišek, country representative for Slovenia in IPPOG, brought the document to the meeting in Italy where IPPOG chairs signed it, confirming Slovenia membership to the collaboration.

Psychosocial workload and stress in the workers’ representative

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rabe Martin

2012-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Using a data set of works councils of trade union IG Metal, this paper investigates psychosocial stress and strain on this specific group in comparison to employees working in administration in general (leadership and non-leadership-role and a national reference value. Methods For assessing psychosocial work factors on works councils within the sector represented by the trade union IG Metal in Germany, a research by using the German standard version of COPSOQ (Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire was performed. The instrument includes 87 single items forming 25 aspects of strain and stress. Results from the study group of works councils were compared to those from employees working in administration and to the general population mean (COPSOQ database. Statistical analysis included t-tests, analysis of variance and multiple comparisons of means. To be significant in terms of statistics, p Results All in all, 309 works councils from a national survey of the German chemical and metalworking industries took part in the study. 113 were full-time works council members (exempted from the duty to perform their regular work, 196 were voluntary members (acting as employee representatives on an honorary basis alongside their normal duties. Comparison between works councils and employees working in administration (leadership roles (N=1810 and non-leadership roles (N=2970 and for employees in general (N=35.000 showed unfavourable values for works councils for most scales. Significantly higher values indicating higher strain and stress were found for the scales: emotional demands, work-privacy conflict, role conflicts, mobbing, cognitive stress symptoms and burnout. Unfavourable results were obtained for the aspects: quality of leadership, social support, sense of community and general health. Favourable findings were found on the scales: influence at work, quantity of social relations and the partly positive values for quantitative

Building Representative-Based Data Aggregation Tree in Wireless Sensor Networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yanfei Zheng

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Data aggregation is an essential operation to reduce energy consumption in large-scale wireless sensor networks (WSNs. A compromised node may forge an aggregation result and mislead base station into trusting a false reading. Efficient and secure aggregation scheme is critical in WSN applications due to the stringent resource constraints. In this paper, we propose a method to build up the representative-based aggregation tree in the WSNs such that the sensing data are aggregated along the route from the leaf cell to the root of the tree. In the cinema of large-scale and high-density sensor nodes, representative-based aggregation tree can reduce the data transmission overhead greatly by directed aggregation and cell-by-cell communications. It also provides security services including the integrity, freshness, and authentication, via detection mechanism in the cells.

The Representatives of Amelanchier Medik. Genus in Ukraine

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Opalko Anatoliy Ivanovich

2015-04-01

Full Text Available The information on fruit and decorative value, honey and medicinal properties of the genus Amelanchier Medik. is generalized. Their biological characteristics, chemical composition and palatability traits of the fruit, the ways of consumption and processing, including drying, preparing juices, syrups, jams, candied fruit jellies, confiture, and fruit wine are specified. The environmental adaptability and effectiveness of using juneberry for phytomelioration are mentioned. Several versions of the origin of the genus Amelanchier name and interpretation of its specific epithets are described. The controversial issues of the genus Amelanchier system were discussed from the classical and molecular genetic approaches. The attention is focused on two main aspects of views on the place of the genus Amelanchier representatives of the family Rosaceae Juss. within the particular subfamily, namely the subfamily Pyroideae Burnett (Maloideae S. Weber or the subfamily Amygdaloideae Arn., which indicates the necessity for further comparative morphological and molecular genetic studies of the family Rosaceae. The directions of evolution, habitat and invasive ability of some species of the genus Amelanchier are characterised. The list of the genus Amelanchier representatives cultivated in Ukraine is given.

Sleepiness and Motor Vehicle Crashes in a Representative Sample of Portuguese Drivers: The Importance of Epidemiological Representative Surveys.

Science.gov (United States)

Gonçalves, M; Peralta, A R; Monteiro Ferreira, J; Guilleminault, Christian

2015-01-01

Sleepiness is considered to be a leading cause of crashes. Despite the huge amount of information collected in questionnaire studies, only some are based on representative samples of the population. Specifics of the populations studied hinder the generalization of these previous findings. For the Portuguese population, data from sleep-related car crashes/near misses and sleepiness while driving are missing. The objective of this study is to determine the prevalence of near-miss and nonfatal motor vehicle crashes related to sleepiness in a representative sample of Portuguese drivers. Structured phone interviews regarding sleepiness and sleep-related crashes and near misses, driving habits, demographic data, and sleep quality were conducted using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and sleep apnea risk using the Berlin questionnaire. A multivariate regression analysis was used to determine the associations with sleepy driving (feeling sleepy or falling asleep while driving) and sleep-related near misses and crashes. Nine hundred subjects, representing the Portuguese population of drivers, were included; 3.1% acknowledged falling asleep while driving during the previous year and 0.67% recalled sleepiness-related crashes. Higher education, driving more than 15,000 km/year, driving more frequently between 12:00 a.m. and 6 a.m., fewer years of having a driver's license, less total sleep time per night, and higher scores on the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) were all independently associated with sleepy driving. Sleepiness-related crashes and near misses were associated only with falling asleep at the wheel in the previous year. Sleep-related crashes occurred more frequently in drivers who had also had sleep-related near misses. Portugal has lower self-reported sleepiness at the wheel and sleep-related near misses than most other countries where epidemiological data are available. Different population characteristics and cultural, social, and road safety specificities may

Verification of Representative Sampling in RI waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahn, Hong Joo; Song, Byung Cheul; Sohn, Se Cheul; Song, Kyu Seok; Jee, Kwang Yong; Choi, Kwang Seop

2009-01-01

For evaluating the radionuclide inventories for RI wastes, representative sampling is one of the most important parts in the process of radiochemical assay. Sampling to characterized RI waste conditions typically has been based on judgment or convenience sampling of individual or groups. However, it is difficult to get a sample representatively among the numerous drums. In addition, RI waste drums might be classified into heterogeneous wastes because they have a content of cotton, glass, vinyl, gloves, etc. In order to get the representative samples, the sample to be analyzed must be collected from selected every drum. Considering the expense and time of analysis, however, the number of sample has to be minimized. In this study, RI waste drums were classified by the various conditions of the half-life, surface dose, acceptance date, waste form, generator, etc. A sample for radiochemical assay was obtained through mixing samples of each drum. The sample has to be prepared for radiochemical assay and although the sample should be reasonably uniform, it is rare that a completely homogeneous material is received. Every sample is shredded by a 1 ∼ 2 cm 2 diameter and a representative aliquot taken for the required analysis. For verification of representative sampling, classified every group is tested for evaluation of 'selection of representative drum in a group' and 'representative sampling in a drum'

Representative process sampling - in practice

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Esbensen, Kim; Friis-Pedersen, Hans Henrik; Julius, Lars Petersen

2007-01-01

Didactic data sets representing a range of real-world processes are used to illustrate "how to do" representative process sampling and process characterisation. The selected process data lead to diverse variogram expressions with different systematics (no range vs. important ranges; trends and....../or periodicity; different nugget effects and process variations ranging from less than one lag to full variogram lag). Variogram data analysis leads to a fundamental decomposition into 0-D sampling vs. 1-D process variances, based on the three principal variogram parameters: range, sill and nugget effect...

75 FR 64994 - Atlantic Highly Migratory Species; Advisory Panel

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-21

... private, non-governmental, regional, national, or international organization representing marine fisheries..., environmental community, academia, and non-governmental organizations will be considered for membership in the... nominations and requests for the Advisory Panel Statement of Organization, Practices, and Procedures by any of...

Performance differentials of agglomeration and strategic groups: a test of incubation and new venture strategy

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Amezcua, A.S.; Ratinho, Tiago; Jayamohan, P.

2013-01-01

Our paper investigates how nascent firms ‘performance is affected by strategic group membership and industrial agglomeration. Agglomeration is defined using geographical concentration while strategic groups are measured as incubated firms that belong to the industry most highly represented within an

Patient representatives? views on patient information in clinical cancer trials

OpenAIRE

Dellson, Pia; Nilbert, Mef; Carlsson, Christina

2016-01-01

Background Patient enrolment into clinical trials is based on oral information and informed consent, which includes an information sheet and a consent certificate. The written information should be complete, but at the same time risks being so complex that it may be questioned if a fully informed consent is possible to provide. We explored patient representatives? views and perceptions on the written trial information used in clinical cancer trials. Methods Written patient information leaflet...

77 FR 50457 - Secretary's Advisory Committee on Animal Health; Intent To Renew and Request for Nominations

Science.gov (United States)

2012-08-21

...: Mrs. R.J. Cabrera, Designated Federal Official, VS, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 35, Riverdale, MD... organizations and individuals. An organization may nominate individuals from within or outside its membership... needs of the diverse groups served by the Department, membership should include, to the extent...

Calculating a Continuous Metabolic Syndrome Score Using Nationally Representative Reference Values.

Science.gov (United States)

Guseman, Emily Hill; Eisenmann, Joey C; Laurson, Kelly R; Cook, Stephen R; Stratbucker, William

2018-02-26

The prevalence of metabolic syndrome in youth varies on the basis of the classification system used, prompting implementation of continuous scores; however, the use of these scores is limited to the sample from which they were derived. We sought to describe the derivation of the continuous metabolic syndrome score using nationally representative reference values in a sample of obese adolescents and a national sample obtained from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2011-2012. Clinical data were collected from 50 adolescents seeking obesity treatment at a stage 3 weight management center. A second analysis relied on data from adolescents included in NHANES 2011-2012, performed for illustrative purposes. The continuous metabolic syndrome score was calculated by regressing individual values onto nationally representative age- and sex-specific standards (NHANES III). Resultant z scores were summed to create a total score. The final sample included 42 obese adolescents (15 male and 35 female subjects; mean age, 14.8 ± 1.9 years) and an additional 445 participants from NHANES 2011-2012. Among the clinical sample, the mean continuous metabolic syndrome score was 4.16 ± 4.30, while the NHANES sample mean was quite a bit lower, at -0.24 ± 2.8. We provide a method to calculate the continuous metabolic syndrome by comparing individual risk factor values to age- and sex-specific percentiles from a nationally representative sample. Copyright © 2018 Academic Pediatric Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Photoconversion of Phytochrome Includes an Unproductive Shunt Reaction Pathway.

Science.gov (United States)

Buhrke, David; Kuhlmann, Uwe; Michael, Norbert; Hildebrandt, Peter

2018-03-05

Phytochromes are modular bimodal photoswitches that control gene expression for morphogenetic processes in plants. These functions are triggered by photoinduced conversions between the inactive and active states of the photosensory module, denoted as Pr and Pfr, respectively. In the present time-resolved resonance Raman spectroscopic study of bacterial representatives of this photoreceptor family, we demonstrate that these phototransformations do not represent linear processes but include a branching reaction back to the initial state, prior to (de)activation of the output module. Thus, only a fraction of the photoreceptors undergoing the phototransformations can initiate the downstream signaling process, consistent with phytochrome's function as a sensor for more durable changes of light conditions. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Crystallochemical particularities of complexes with lower representatives of dicarboiylic acids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dmitrova, G.I.; Kiosse, G.A.

1982-01-01

A review is given of crystallochemical particularities of nonsubstituted dicarboxylic acids, HOOC-(CHsub(2))sub(n)-COOH, complexes with lower representatives of the given series (n=0.1). Besides published data, the studies on the structures obtained by the authors are included herein. From the structure data of salts and complexes with the lower representatives of dicarboxylic acids and oxyacids (among which there are complexes of rare earths and niobium) one can distinguish the formation of two-and polynuclear chelate complexes. Configuration of molecules of oxalic and malonic (and its derivatives) acids does not depend on the type of the compounds formed. The turn of carboxylic groups with respect to the plane of central carbon atoms in oxalate- and malonate-ions depends on their structural environment. The structures of complexes with malonic acid derivatives are not studied well although they are of great theoretical and practical interest

An Ontology as a Tool for Representing Fuzzy Data in Relational Databases

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carmen Martinez-Cruz

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Several applications to represent classical or fuzzy data in databases have been developed in the last two decades. However, these representations present some limitations specially related with the system portability and complexity. Ontologies provides a mechanism to represent data in an implementation-independent and web-accessible way. To get advantage of this, in this paper, an ontology, that represents fuzzy relational database model, has been redefined to communicate users or applications with fuzzy data stored in fuzzy databases. The communication channel established between the ontology and any Relational Database Management System (RDBMS is analysed in depth throughout the text to justify some of the advantages of the system: expressiveness, portability and platform heterogeneity. Moreover, some tools have been developed to define and manage fuzzy and classical data in relational databases using this ontology. Even an application that performs fuzzy queries using the same technology is included in this proposal together with some examples using real databases.

CERN welcomes new members

Science.gov (United States)

2017-08-01

Lithuania is on course to become an associate member of CERN, pending final approval by the Lithuanian parliament. Associate membership will allow representatives of the Baltic nation to take part in meetings of the CERN Council, which oversees the Geneva-based physics lab.

Empirical Bayes Approaches to Multivariate Fuzzy Partitions.

Science.gov (United States)

Woodbury, Max A.; Manton, Kenneth G.

1991-01-01

An empirical Bayes-maximum likelihood estimation procedure is presented for the application of fuzzy partition models in describing high dimensional discrete response data. The model describes individuals in terms of partial membership in multiple latent categories that represent bounded discrete spaces. (SLD)

A constitutive model for representing coupled creep, fracture, and healing in rock salt

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chan, K.S.; Bodner, S.R.; Munson, D.E.; Fossum, A.F.

1996-01-01

The development of a constitutive model for representing inelastic flow due to coupled creep, damage, and healing in rock salt is present in this paper. This model, referred to as Multimechanism Deformation Coupled Fracture model, has been formulated by considering individual mechanisms that include dislocation creep, shear damage, tensile damage, and damage healing. Applications of the model to representing the inelastic flow and fracture behavior of WIPP salt subjected to creep, quasi-static loading, and damage healing conditions are illustrated with comparisons of model calculations against experimental creep curves, stress-strain curves, strain recovery curves, time-to-rupture data, and fracture mechanism maps

Nuclear-fuel-cycle risk assessment: descriptions of representative non-reactor facilities. Sections 1-14

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schneider, K.J.

1982-09-01

The Fuel Cycle Risk Assessment Program was initiated to provide risk assessment methods for assistance in the regulatory process for nuclear fuel cycle facilities other than reactors. This report, the first from the program, defines and describes fuel cycle elements that are being considered in the program. One type of facility (and in some cases two) is described that is representative of each element of the fuel cycle. The descriptions are based on real industrial-scale facilities that are current state-of-the-art, or on conceptual facilities where none now exist. Each representative fuel cycle facility is assumed to be located on the appropriate one of four hypothetical but representative sites described. The fuel cycles considered are for Light Water Reactors with once-through flow of spent fuel, and with plutonium and uranium recycle. Representative facilities for the following fuel cycle elements are described for uranium (or uranium plus plutonium where appropriate): mining, milling, conversion, enrichment, fuel fabrication, mixed-oxide fuel refabrication, fuel reprocessing, spent fuel storage, high-level waste storage, transuranic waste storage, spent fuel and high-level and transuranic waste disposal, low-level and intermediate-level waste disposal, and transportation. For each representative facility the description includes: mainline process, effluent processing and waste management, facility and hardware description, safety-related information and potential alternative concepts for that fuel cycle element. The emphasis of the descriptive material is on safety-related information. This includes: operating and maintenance requirements, input/output of major materials, identification and inventories of hazardous materials (particularly radioactive materials), unit operations involved, potential accident driving forces, containment and shielding, and degree of hands-on operation.

Nuclear-fuel-cycle risk assessment: descriptions of representative non-reactor facilities. Sections 1-14

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schneider, K.J.

1982-09-01

The Fuel Cycle Risk Assessment Program was initiated to provide risk assessment methods for assistance in the regulatory process for nuclear fuel cycle facilities other than reactors. This report, the first from the program, defines and describes fuel cycle elements that are being considered in the program. One type of facility (and in some cases two) is described that is representative of each element of the fuel cycle. The descriptions are based on real industrial-scale facilities that are current state-of-the-art, or on conceptual facilities where none now exist. Each representative fuel cycle facility is assumed to be located on the appropriate one of four hypothetical but representative sites described. The fuel cycles considered are for Light Water Reactors with once-through flow of spent fuel, and with plutonium and uranium recycle. Representative facilities for the following fuel cycle elements are described for uranium (or uranium plus plutonium where appropriate): mining, milling, conversion, enrichment, fuel fabrication, mixed-oxide fuel refabrication, fuel reprocessing, spent fuel storage, high-level waste storage, transuranic waste storage, spent fuel and high-level and transuranic waste disposal, low-level and intermediate-level waste disposal, and transportation. For each representative facility the description includes: mainline process, effluent processing and waste management, facility and hardware description, safety-related information and potential alternative concepts for that fuel cycle element. The emphasis of the descriptive material is on safety-related information. This includes: operating and maintenance requirements, input/output of major materials, identification and inventories of hazardous materials (particularly radioactive materials), unit operations involved, potential accident driving forces, containment and shielding, and degree of hands-on operation

Assessing terpene content variability of whitebark pine in order to estimate representative sample size

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stefanović Milena

2013-01-01

Full Text Available In studies of population variability, particular attention has to be paid to the selection of a representative sample. The aim of this study was to assess the size of the new representative sample on the basis of the variability of chemical content of the initial sample on the example of a whitebark pine population. Statistical analysis included the content of 19 characteristics (terpene hydrocarbons and their derivates of the initial sample of 10 elements (trees. It was determined that the new sample should contain 20 trees so that the mean value calculated from it represents a basic set with a probability higher than 95 %. Determination of the lower limit of the representative sample size that guarantees a satisfactory reliability of generalization proved to be very important in order to achieve cost efficiency of the research. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. OI-173011, br. TR-37002 i br. III-43007

48 CFR 1052.201-70 - Contracting Officer's Technical Representative (COTR) Designation and Authority.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... in writing. The term “technical direction” includes, without limitation, direction to the contractor... the actions of the contractor's employees. (d) Technical direction may be oral or in writing. The COTR... Technical Representative (COTR) Designation and Authority. 1052.201-70 Section 1052.201-70 Federal...

Application to Representative Structures. Other Representative Structures: Mutsu-Ogawara, Niigata East and West

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sørensen, John Dalsgaard; Burcharth, Hans F.

1999-01-01

Reliability analyses are performed for three Japanese vertical wall breakwaters in this chapter. Only the geotechnical failure modes described in chapter 3 are investigated. For none of the breakwaters detailed data are available for the wave climate and for the soil conditions. Therefore represe...

Semantic Data Integration and Knowledge Management to Represent Biological Network Associations.

Science.gov (United States)

Losko, Sascha; Heumann, Klaus

2017-01-01

The vast quantities of information generated by academic and industrial research groups are reflected in a rapidly growing body of scientific literature and exponentially expanding resources of formalized data, including experimental data, originating from a multitude of "-omics" platforms, phenotype information, and clinical data. For bioinformatics, the challenge remains to structure this information so that scientists can identify relevant information, to integrate this information as specific "knowledge bases," and to formalize this knowledge across multiple scientific domains to facilitate hypothesis generation and validation. Here we report on progress made in building a generic knowledge management environment capable of representing and mining both explicit and implicit knowledge and, thus, generating new knowledge. Risk management in drug discovery and clinical research is used as a typical example to illustrate this approach. In this chapter we introduce techniques and concepts (such as ontologies, semantic objects, typed relationships, contexts, graphs, and information layers) that are used to represent complex biomedical networks. The BioXM™ Knowledge Management Environment is used as an example to demonstrate how a domain such as oncology is represented and how this representation is utilized for research.

Model parameters for representative wetland plant functional groups

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, Amber S.; Kiniry, James R.; Mushet, David M.; Smith, Loren M.; McMurry, Scott T.; Attebury, Kelly; Lang, Megan; McCarty, Gregory W.; Shaffer, Jill A.; Effland, William R.; Johnson, Mari-Vaughn V.

2017-01-01

Wetlands provide a wide variety of ecosystem services including water quality remediation, biodiversity refugia, groundwater recharge, and floodwater storage. Realistic estimation of ecosystem service benefits associated with wetlands requires reasonable simulation of the hydrology of each site and realistic simulation of the upland and wetland plant growth cycles. Objectives of this study were to quantify leaf area index (LAI), light extinction coefficient (k), and plant nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) concentrations in natural stands of representative plant species for some major plant functional groups in the United States. Functional groups in this study were based on these parameters and plant growth types to enable process-based modeling. We collected data at four locations representing some of the main wetland regions of the United States. At each site, we collected on-the-ground measurements of fraction of light intercepted, LAI, and dry matter within the 2013–2015 growing seasons. Maximum LAI and k variables showed noticeable variations among sites and years, while overall averages and functional group averages give useful estimates for multisite simulation modeling. Variation within each species gives an indication of what can be expected in such natural ecosystems. For P and K, the concentrations from highest to lowest were spikerush (Eleocharis macrostachya), reed canary grass (Phalaris arundinacea), smartweed (Polygonum spp.), cattail (Typha spp.), and hardstem bulrush (Schoenoplectus acutus). Spikerush had the highest N concentration, followed by smartweed, bulrush, reed canary grass, and then cattail. These parameters will be useful for the actual wetland species measured and for the wetland plant functional groups they represent. These parameters and the associated process-based models offer promise as valuable tools for evaluating environmental benefits of wetlands and for evaluating impacts of various agronomic practices in

Out-of-Autoclave Manufacturing of Aerospace Representative Parts

Science.gov (United States)

Cauberghs, Julien

The use of carbon fibre reinforced composites for aerospace structures has seen a high increase in recent years, and is still growing. The high stiffness-to-weight ratio of these materials makes them ideal for primary structures on airplanes, satellites, and spacecrafts. Nevertheless, the manufacturing of composites remains very costly since it requires equipment investment such as an autoclave, and very qualified workers. Out-of-autoclave manufacturing technology is very promising since it only requires a traditional oven, while still aiming at similar part quality. However, the absence of positive pressure compared with an autoclave makes it more difficult to achieve low porosity parts. This research investigates the manufacturing of complex features with out-of autoclave prepreg technology. The features studied are tight-radius corners with a curvature change, and ply drop-offs. Ply drop-offs tests were conducted to identify if porosity is higher at ply terminations. In corners, the bagging arrangement was modified to achieve the most uniform thickness in areas of curvature change, even with small radii. The conclusions from these studies provided us with guidelines to manufacture larger representative parts, which included these features. The representative parts were tested for porosity, thickness uniformity, mechanical performance, and glass transition temperature (Tg). A total of four representative parts were manufactured with out-of-autoclave technology, and one more was manufactured with an autoclave to allow for a proper comparison between the two processes. The materials used were MTM45-1 5 harness satin and CYCOM5320 plain weave for the out-of-autoclave parts, and CYCOM5276-1 plain weave for the autoclave part. The effect of ply drop-offs on porosity was found to be negligible. Thickness deviation in corners was attributed to a combination of consumable bridging, prepreg's bulk factor and inter-ply shear. Overall, out-of-autoclave prepregs showed

Reaching a consensus. "Global issues, including environmental ones, are things to be solved with the cooperation of developed and developing countries".

Science.gov (United States)

Hiraiwa, G

1998-01-01

This article is an excerpt of a speech given by the Honorary Chairman of the Japan Federation of Economic Organizations at the Common Agenda Roundtable meeting in February 1996. The Common Agenda is a bilateral cooperative effort between the US and Japan, which was established in July 1993, to address common concerns through a public-private partnership. The roundtable membership includes about 50 persons who have a range of expertise and professions including scholars, journalists, civil society organizations, and businesses. There have been about 10 Roundtable meetings over the past 2 years. Each meeting includes a report by the deputy minister of foreign affairs on progress made under the Common Agenda. Members exchange views in lively debate and meet with senior government officials. The US-Japan Partnerships on Environmental Awareness and Education were held in April 1997, in Tokyo. The February 1998 meeting with 60 participants was held in Washington, DC, on the Global Context of Civil Society. The workshops focused on the ways that cooperation with civil society organizations, businesses, and governments can be reinforced in the areas of population, health, and the environment. The workshop resulted in effective proposals. This speaker urges that the US and Japan reach as many agreements as possible; that some of the agreements result quickly in Common Agenda projects; and that each country will produce a private sector organization to support the Common Agenda. This effort is moving in new directions and offers a consensus of concerns for the environment.

AIP Member Societies Entering the 1980's. AIP Report.

Science.gov (United States)

Porter, Beverly Fearn

Information is presented on the composition of the 1979 membership of the American Institute of Physics (AIP). Questionnaires were administered to members of the nine independent societies of the AIP to determine demographic and employment information. Background characteristics of the membership include the following: more than half identify…

32 CFR 643.116 - Credit unions.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... buildings, without charge for rent or services, to any credit union organized under State law or to any... that, in either case, that 95 percent of the membership is composed of Federal employees, including former Federal employees who acquire membership while employed by the Federal Government and retained...

Intergenerational Relationships Between the Smoking Patterns of a Population-Representative Sample of US Mothers and the Smoking Trajectories of Their Children

Science.gov (United States)

Miles, Jeremy N. V.

2012-01-01

Objectives. We assessed intergenerational transmission of smoking in mother-child dyads. Methods. We identified classes of youth smoking trajectories using mixture latent trajectory analyses with data from the Children and Young Adults of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (n = 6349). We regressed class membership on prenatal and postnatal exposure to maternal smoking, including social and behavioral variables, to control for selection. Results. Youth smoking trajectories entailed early-onset persistent smoking, early-onset experimental discontinued smoking, late-onset persistent smoking, and nonsmoking. The likelihood of early onset versus late onset and early onset versus nonsmoking were significantly higher among youths exposed prenatally and postnatally versus either postnatally alone or unexposed. Controlling for selection, the increased likelihood of early onset versus nonsmoking remained significant for each exposure group versus unexposed, as did early onset versus late onset and late onset versus nonsmoking for youths exposed prenatally and postnatally versus unexposed. Experimental smoking was notable among youths whose mothers smoked but quit before the child's birth. Conclusions. Both physiological and social role-modeling mechanisms of intergenerational transmission are evident. Prioritization of tobacco control for pregnant women, mothers, and youths remains a critical, interrelated objective. PMID:21852646

40 CFR 60.4111 - Alternate Hg designated representative.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 6 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Alternate Hg designated representative... Times for Coal-Fired Electric Steam Generating Units Hg Designated Representative for Hg Budget Sources § 60.4111 Alternate Hg designated representative. (a) A certificate of representation under § 60.4113...

2007 - Opvoeder-tot-leerder seksuele teistering in sekondere skole

OpenAIRE

De Wet, Anna-Magrieta; Oosthuizen, Izak

2009-01-01

The Promotion of Equality and Prevention of Unfair Discrimination Act (SA 2000) describes sexual harassment as unwelcome behaviour relating to sex, gender or sexual orientation, or which is related to a person's membership or perceived membership of a specific group, for example women or homosexual persons. Sexual harassment can be divided into 5 categories including gender harassment, seductive behaviour, sexual bribery, sexual coercion and sexual assault, which includes rape (Lewis & Hastin...

Fuzzy Neuron: Method and Hardware Realization

Science.gov (United States)

Krasowski, Michael J.; Prokop, Norman F.

2014-01-01

This innovation represents a method by which single-to-multi-input, single-to-many-output system transfer functions can be estimated from input/output data sets. This innovation can be run in the background while a system is operating under other means (e.g., through human operator effort), or may be utilized offline using data sets created from observations of the estimated system. It utilizes a set of fuzzy membership functions spanning the input space for each input variable. Linear combiners associated with combinations of input membership functions are used to create the output(s) of the estimator. Coefficients are adjusted online through the use of learning algorithms.

75 FR 14609 - Commercial Fishing Industry Vessel Safety Advisory Committee; Vacancies

Science.gov (United States)

2010-03-26

... which Chapter 45 of Title 46, U.S.C. applies and persons representing the marine insurance industry... Industry Vessel Safety Advisory Committee; Vacancies AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Request for applications. SUMMARY: The Coast Guard seeks applications for membership on the Commercial Fishing Industry...

34 CFR 403.12 - What are the additional responsibilities of the State board?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... (Continued) OFFICE OF VOCATIONAL AND ADULT EDUCATION, DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION STATE VOCATIONAL AND APPLIED... each private industry council established within the State under section 102 of the JTPA a current.... Their membership must be composed of representatives of— (i) Employers from any relevant industry or...

36 CFR 242.11 - Regional advisory councils.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... SUBSISTENCE MANAGEMENT REGULATIONS FOR PUBLIC LANDS IN ALASKA Program Structure § 242.11 Regional advisory... participate in the Federal subsistence management program. The Regional Councils shall be established, and... the members represent commercial and sport interests within a region. The portion of membership that...

75 FR 8982 - Medicare Program; Request for Nominations for Members for the Medicare Evidence Development...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-02-26

... and men, members of all racial and ethnic groups, and physically challenged individuals are adequately..., members of all racial and ethnic groups, and physically challenged individuals are adequately represented... appears to have no conflict of interest that would preclude membership. We are requesting that all...

A Discrete Model for Color Naming

Science.gov (United States)

Menegaz, G.; Le Troter, A.; Sequeira, J.; Boi, J. M.

2006-12-01

The ability to associate labels to colors is very natural for human beings. Though, this apparently simple task hides very complex and still unsolved problems, spreading over many different disciplines ranging from neurophysiology to psychology and imaging. In this paper, we propose a discrete model for computational color categorization and naming. Starting from the 424 color specimens of the OSA-UCS set, we propose a fuzzy partitioning of the color space. Each of the 11 basic color categories identified by Berlin and Kay is modeled as a fuzzy set whose membership function is implicitly defined by fitting the model to the results of an ad hoc psychophysical experiment (Experiment 1). Each OSA-UCS sample is represented by a feature vector whose components are the memberships to the different categories. The discrete model consists of a three-dimensional Delaunay triangulation of the CIELAB color space which associates each OSA-UCS sample to a vertex of a 3D tetrahedron. Linear interpolation is used to estimate the membership values of any other point in the color space. Model validation is performed both directly, through the comparison of the predicted membership values to the subjective counterparts, as evaluated via another psychophysical test (Experiment 2), and indirectly, through the investigation of its exploitability for image segmentation. The model has proved to be successful in both cases, providing an estimation of the membership values in good agreement with the subjective measures as well as a semantically meaningful color-based segmentation map.

22 CFR 23.4 - Representative value in exchange.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 22 Foreign Relations 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Representative value in exchange. 23.4 Section 23.4 Foreign Relations DEPARTMENT OF STATE FEES AND FUNDS FINANCE AND ACCOUNTING § 23.4 Representative value in exchange. Representative value in exchange for the collection of a fee means foreign...

Video Games Exposure and Sexism in a Representative Sample of Adolescents.

Science.gov (United States)

Bègue, Laurent; Sarda, Elisa; Gentile, Douglas A; Bry, Clementine; Roché, Sebastian

2017-01-01

Research has indicated that many video games are saturated with stereotypes of women and that these contents may cultivate sexism. The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between video game exposure and sexism for the first time in a large and representative sample. Our aim was also to measure the strength of this association when two other significant and well-studied sources of sexism, television exposure and religiosity, were also included in a multivariate model. A representative sample of 13520 French youth aged 11-19 years completed a survey measuring weekly video game and television exposure, religiosity, and sexist attitudes toward women. Controlling for gender and socioeconomic level, results showed that video game exposure and religiosity were both related to sexism. Implications of these results for future research on sexism in video games are discussed.

20 CFR 266.7 - Accountability of a representative payee.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 20 Employees' Benefits 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Accountability of a representative payee. 266.7 Section 266.7 Employees' Benefits RAILROAD RETIREMENT BOARD REGULATIONS UNDER THE RAILROAD RETIREMENT ACT REPRESENTATIVE PAYMENT § 266.7 Accountability of a representative payee. (a) A representative...

Leadership Competencies: Do They Differ for Women and Under-Represented Minority Faculty Members?

Science.gov (United States)

Skarupski, Kimberly A.; Levine, Rachel B.; Yang, Wan Rou; González-Fernández, Marlís; Bodurtha, Joann; Barone, Michael A.; Fivush, Barbara

2017-01-01

The literature on leadership competencies does not include an understanding of how stakeholders perceive competencies for women and under-represented minority faculty members. We surveyed three groups of leaders (N = 113) to determine their perceptions of the importance of 23 leadership competencies. All three groups endorsed the same five…

Development of a Representative Mouse Model with Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis.

Science.gov (United States)

Verbeek, Jef; Jacobs, Ans; Spincemaille, Pieter; Cassiman, David

2016-06-01

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most prevalent liver disease in the Western world. It represents a disease spectrum ranging from isolated steatosis to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). In particular, NASH can evolve to fibrosis, cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma, and liver failure. The development of novel treatment strategies is hampered by the lack of representative NASH mouse models. Here, we describe a NASH mouse model, which is based on feeding non-genetically manipulated C57BL6/J mice a 'Western style' high-fat/high-sucrose diet (HF-HSD). HF-HSD leads to early obesity, insulin resistance, and hypercholesterolemia. After 12 weeks of HF-HSD, all mice exhibit the complete spectrum of features of NASH, including steatosis, hepatocyte ballooning, and lobular inflammation, together with fibrosis in the majority of mice. Hence, this model closely mimics the human disease. Implementation of this mouse model will lead to a standardized setup for the evaluation of (i) underlying mechanisms that contribute to the progression of NAFLD to NASH, and (ii) therapeutic interventions for NASH. © 2016 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

The Swiss Society of Microbiology: Small Bugs, Big Questions and Cool Answers.

Science.gov (United States)

Greub, Gilbert; Holliger, Christof; Sanglard, Dominique; Schrenzel, Jacques; Thiel, Volker; Viollier, Patrick

2016-12-21

The Swiss Society for Microbiology (SSM) represents around 700 scientists working in the fields of medical (human and veterinary), microbial biotechnology as well as fundamental, environmental, and food microbiology. Five sections: Clinical Microbiology, Environmental Microbiology, Mycology, Prokaryotic Biology, and Virology reflects the main interests of the membership.

Unions on the edge: Between Inertia and Agility

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Koch, Christian; Dawson, Patrick

1999-01-01

The paper compare experiences of trade unions in Australia and Denmark. While there is a significant decline in membership in Australia, many of the issues facing these two countries are similar. IT, virtualisation, BPR and TQM represent global challenges. On this background the room for manouver...

Want change? Call your representative

Science.gov (United States)

Fischhoff, Ilya R.

2011-07-01

During my tenure as an AGU Congressional Science Fellow, which began in September 2010 and continues until November 2011, my time has been shared between working with the U.S. House of Representatives Natural Resource Committee Democratic staff and in the office of Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass., ranking Democrat on the committee). I appreciate getting to work with staff, fellows, and interns who inspire me, make me laugh, and know their issues cold. Much of my work on the committee is related to fish, wildlife, oceans, lands, and water issues and is directly related to my background in ecology and evolutionary biology (I studied zebra ecology and behavior in Kenya). My assignments have included asking the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) about why it has not changed the allowed usage of certain pesticides that the National Marine Fisheries Service has found to jeopardize the recovery of endangered Pacific salmon; helping to identify research needs and management options to combat the swiftly spreading and catastrophic white nose syndrome in North American bats; and inquiring as to whether a captive-ape welfare bill, if passed without amendment, could thwart development of a vaccine to stop the Ebola virus from continuing to cause mass mortality in endangered wild apes.

Modification of SKYSHINE-III to include cask array shadowing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hertel, N.E. [Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA (United States); Pfeifer, H.J. [NAC International, Norcross, GA (United States); Napolitano, D.G. [NISYS Corporation, Duluth, GA (United States)

2000-03-01

The NAC International version of SKYSHINE-III has been expanded to represent the radiation emissions from ISFSI (Interim Spent Fuel Storage Installations) dry storage casks using surface source descriptions. In addition, this modification includes a shadow shielding algorithm of the casks in the array. The resultant code is a flexible design tool which can be used to rapidly assess the impact of various cask loadings and arrangements. An example of its use in calculating dose rates for a 10x8 cask array is presented. (author)

APPLICATION OF FUZZY C-MEANS CLUSTERING TECHNIQUE IN VEHICULAR POLLUTION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Samarjit Das

2013-07-01

Full Text Available Presently in most of the urban areas all over the world, due to the exponential increase in traffic, vehicular pollution has become one of the key contributors to air pollution. As uncertainty prevails in the process of designating the level of pollution of a particular region, a fuzzy method can be applied to see the membership values of that region to a number of predefined clusters. Also, due to the existence of different pollutants in vehicular pollution, the data used to represent it are in the form of numerical vectors. In our work, we shall apply the fuzzy c-means technique of Bezdek on a dataset representing vehicular pollution to obtain the membership values of pollution due to vehicular emission of a city to one or more of some predefined clusters. We shall try also to see the benefits of adopting a fuzzy approach over the traditional way of determining the level of pollution of the particular region