Orthogonal simple component analysis: A new, exploratory approach

Combining principles with pragmatism, a new approach and accompanying algorithm are presented to a longstanding problem in applied statistics: the interpretation of principal components. Following Rousson and Gasser [53 (2004) 539--555] @p250pt@ the ultimate goal is not to propose a method that leads automatically to a unique solution, but rather to develop tools for assisting the user in his or her choice of an interpretable solution. Accordingly, our approach is essentially exploratory. Calling a vector 'simple' if it has small integer elements, it poses the open question: @p250pt@ What sets of simply interpretable orthogonal axes---if any---are angle-close to the principal components of interest? its answer being presented in summary form as an automated visual display of the solutions found, ordered in terms of overall measures of simplicity, accuracy and star quality, from which the user may choose. Here, 'star quality' refers to striking overall patterns in the sets of axes found, deserving to be especially drawn to the user's attention precisely because they have emerged from the data, rather than being imposed on it by (implicitly) adopting a model. Indeed, other things being equal, explicit models can be checked by seeing if their fits occur in our exploratory analysis, as we illustrate. Requiring orthogonality, attractive visualization and dimension reduction features of principal component analysis are retained.Comment: Published in at http://dx.doi.org/10.1214/10-AOAS374 the Annals of Applied Statistics (http://www.imstat.org/aoas/) by the Institute of Mathematical Statistics (http://www.imstat.org

The Role of Co-Active Spiritual Coaching in Supporting Responsibility and Accountability in Formation and Supervision

The author describes the of the role of co-active spiritual coaching. Personal spiritual renewal is the heart of the program, offering students the chance to reconnect with their deepest spiritual longings and wrestle with challenging questions in a safe, supportice, and resource-filled environment

I’m not a tree hugger, I’m just like you’: changing perceptions of sustainable lifestyles

For many in the Western world there is increasing recognition of the fundamentally unsustainable nature of the everyday actions and modes of consumption that form part of normal life. Some individuals attempt to challenge current ways of consuming and living in order to address these underlying issues. However, these efforts often continue to be positioned as unusual or unconventional, meaning that adopting sustainable lifestyles may be subject to wider negative perceptions. At the same time, some forms of action toward sustainable ways of living are becoming increasingly normalised as more people make moves toward sustainable consumption. Drawing on data from the qualitative longitudinal Energy Biographies project, we consider the experiences of those who describe their efforts to live sustainably, the relationship between sustainability and normality, and what the implications of this might be in a context of fundamental trends toward unsustainable social systems

The Rise and Fall of Sovereign Immunity in Ohio

The doctrine of sovereign immunity for municipal corporations has long reigned in Ohio. Although the judiciary and the General Assembly have imposed limitations, the doctrine has survived as a principle of Ohio law for over 140 years. However, the Supreme Court of Ohio reversed the trend and abrogated the doctrine in a series of cases in December 1982 and in the spring of the 1983 term. This comment examines the historical development of sovereign immunity for tort claims in Ohio, the limitations subsequently imposed on the immunity and its abrogation in those recent supreme court cases

Mice deficient in ubiquitous mitochondrial creatine kinase are viable and fertile

AbstractCreatine kinase isoenzymes (CK; EC 2.7.3.2) play a pivotal role in high-energy phosphoryl metabolism through subcellular compartmentation of the creatine-phosphate < = > ATP conversion reaction. In mouse, protein subunits constituting the ubiquitous mitochondrial CK (UbCKmit) and cytosolic B-CK isoforms are co-expressed in various cells and tissues with high and fluctuating energy demands such as brain, retina, smooth muscle, uterus, placenta and spermatozoa. Using targeted mutagenesis via homologous recombination in embryonic stem cells, we have generated mice that are deficient in UbCKmit subunits. These mice are viable and show no overt physical or behavioural abnormalities. Matings between UbCKmit-deficient mice produced normal numbers of offspring, showing that both females and males are completely fertile. Motility patterns of isolated spermatozoa were analyzed and found not to be impaired by absence of UbCKmit. From these results we conclude that UbCKmit is not essential for mouse viability, fertility, maintenance of pregnancy, or delivery

Detailed Analysis of the Travel Patterns of Rail Users in Sydney

Rail is a critical transport mode for travel in large cities, especially for journeys to and from the CBD. Analysis of travel surveys commonly report aggregate statistics such as mode shares by purpose. These aggregate statistics provide an overview of the level of rail usage, however much more detailed analysis is needed to answer questions such as: • Do the access mode shares to rail vary by distance from the CBD? • What proportion of the total journey distance is by rail? • What proportion of people travel to their nearest station? • How far are people travelling to access their rail station? • What proportion of people who use rail for their outward journeys from home also use rail for their return journey? • Do people use the same mode for access for their outward journey as their egress mode for the return journey? This paper analyses data from the Sydney Household Travel Survey to answer the above questions for rail users in Sydney. Rather than just looking at single estimates the analysis will look at distributions recognising that people have a variety of travel patterns

The Rise and Fall of Sovereign Immunity in Ohio

The doctrine of sovereign immunity for municipal corporations has long reigned in Ohio. Although the judiciary and the General Assembly have imposed limitations, the doctrine has survived as a principle of Ohio law for over 140 years. However, the Supreme Court of Ohio reversed the trend and abrogated the doctrine in a series of cases in December 1982 and in the spring of the 1983 term. This comment examines the historical development of sovereign immunity for tort claims in Ohio, the limitations subsequently imposed on the immunity and its abrogation in those recent supreme court cases