1,463 research outputs found
Samuel Richardson and the "Jew Bill" of 1753: A new political context for Sir Charles Grandison
Analysis of the religious politics of Samuel Richardson’s The History of Sir Charles Grandison (1753-4) focuses on the text’s Catholic and post-Jacobite aspects. This essay argues that there is a more immediate political context for understanding religious tolerance in the novel: the Jewish Naturalisation Act of 1753. Grandison was printed during 1753, when this controversial legislation was passed and repealed. The novel contains Richardson’s only Jewish character, Solomon Merceda, and an exploration of debate over the Act reveals similarities between the assumptions and language of the pamphlet literature, and those found in the novel. Although he began printing his text during 1753, Richardson still had opportunities during this year to revise and even to write parts of it. There is also evidence that friends who read and discussed drafts for him during this period were amongst the Act’s promoters. The essay concludes that the Act is an unacknowledged political context for this important novel that would have been part of original readers’ experience of it, and suggests that the idea of tolerance which emerges from this reading may inflect our understanding of Grandison’s representation of religious difference more generally
Calculating error bars for neutrino mixing parameters
One goal of contemporary particle physics is to determine the mixing angles
and mass-squared differences that constitute the phenomenological constants
that describe neutrino oscillations. Of great interest are not only the best
fit values of these constants but also their errors. Some of the neutrino
oscillation data is statistically poor and cannot be treated by normal
(Gaussian) statistics. To extract confidence intervals when the statistics are
not normal, one should not utilize the value for chisquare versus confidence
level taken from normal statistics. Instead, we propose that one should use the
normalized likelihood function as a probability distribution; the relationship
between the correct chisquare and a given confidence level can be computed by
integrating over the likelihood function. This allows for a definition of
confidence level independent of the functional form of the !2 function; it is
particularly useful for cases in which the minimum of the !2 function is near a
boundary. We present two pedagogic examples and find that the proposed method
yields confidence intervals that can differ significantly from those obtained
by using the value of chisquare from normal statistics. For example, we find
that for the first data release of the T2K experiment the probability that
chisquare is not zero, as defined by the maximum confidence level at which the
value of zero is not allowed, is 92%. Using the value of chisquare at zero and
assigning a confidence level from normal statistics, a common practice, gives
the over estimation of 99.5%.Comment: 9 pages, 6 figure
Local demands on sterile neutrinos
In a model independent manner, we explore the local implications of a single
neutrino oscillation measurement which cannot be reconciled within a
three-neutrino theory. We examine this inconsistency for a single region of
baseline to neutrino energy . Assuming that sterile neutrinos account for
the anomaly, we find that the {\it local} demands of this datum can require the
addition to the theory of one to three sterile neutrinos. We examine the
constraints which can be used to determine when more than one neutrino would be
required. The results apply only to a given region of . The question of
the adequacy of the sterile neutrinos to satisfy a global analysis is not
addressed here. Finally, using the results of a 3+2 analysis, we indicate
values for unknown mixing matrix elements which would require two sterile
neutrinos due to local demands only.Comment: 11 pages, 1 figure, discussion adde
Dentition and feeding niche of Endothiodon (Synapsida; Anomodontia).
Main articleThe cranial morphology and extensive dentition of the dicynodont therapsid Endothiodon are
different from those of any other dicynodont and it clearly had a different feeding niche. Recently
prepared material from Mozambique which has relatively well preserved dentition has revealed
that the mode of tooth replacement of Endothiodon differs in the upper and lower jaws. The very
high and narrow vaulted palate with a close fitting, pointed lower jaw indicates that Endothiodon
had a small mouth with muscular cheeks and extensive cheek pouches, suggesting a browsing
feeding niche.Non
Developing a health state classification system from NEWQOL for epilepsy using classical psychometric techniques and Rasch analysis: a technical report
Aims: Resource allocation amongst competing health care interventions is informed by evidence of both clinical- and cost-effectiveness. Cost-utility analysis is increasingly used to assess cost effectiveness through the use of Quality Adjusted Life Years (QALYs). This requires health state values. Generic measures of health related quality of life (HRQL) are usually used to produce these values, but there are concerns about their relevance and sensitivity in epilepsy. This study develops a health state classification system for epilepsy from the NEWQOL battery, a validated questionnaire measuring QoL in epilepsy. The classification system will be amenable to valuation for calculating QALYs. Methods: Factor and other psychometric analyses were undertaken to investigate the factor structure of the battery, and assess the validity and responsiveness of the items. These analyses were used alongside Rasch analysis to select the dimensions included in the classification system, and the items used to represent each domain. Analysis was carried out on a trial dataset of patients with epilepsy (n=1611). Rasch and factor analysis were performed on one half of the sample and validated on the remaining half. Dimensions and items were selected that performed well across all analyses. Results: The battery was found to demonstrate reliability and validity but responsiveness across time periods for many of the items was low. A six dimension classification system was developed: worry about seizures, depression, memory, cognition, stigmatism and control, each with four response levels. Conclusions: It is feasible to develop a health state classification system from a battery of instruments using a combination of classical psychometric, factor and Rasch analysis. This is the first condition-specific health state classification developed for epilepsy and the next stage will produce preference weights to enable the measure to be used in cost-utility analysis.quality adjusted life years; health related quality of life; Rasch analysis; preference-based measures of health; health states; epilepsy
Developing a health state classification system from NEWQOL for epilepsy using classical psychometric techniques and Rasch analysis: A technical report
Aims: Resource allocation amongst competing health care interventions is informed by evidence of both clinical- and cost-effectiveness. Cost-utility analysis is increasingly used to assess cost effectiveness through the use of Quality Adjusted Life Years (QALYs). This requires health state values. Generic measures of health related quality of life (HRQL) are usually used to produce these values, but there are concerns about their relevance and sensitivity in epilepsy. This study develops a health state classification system for epilepsy from the NEWQOL battery, a validated questionnaire measuring QoL in epilepsy. The classification system will be amenable to valuation for calculating QALYs.
Methods: Factor and other psychometric analyses were undertaken to investigate the factor structure of the battery, and assess the validity and responsiveness of the items. These analyses were used alongside Rasch analysis to select the dimensions included in the classification system, and the items used to represent each domain. Analysis was carried out on a trial dataset of patients with epilepsy (n=1611). Rasch and factor analysis were performed on one half of the sample and validated on the remaining half. Dimensions and items were selected that performed well across all analyses.
Results: The battery was found to demonstrate reliability and validity but responsiveness across time periods for many of the items was low. A six dimension classification system was developed: worry about seizures, depression, memory, cognition, stigmatism and control, each with four response levels.
Conclusions: It is feasible to develop a health state classification system from a battery of instruments using a combination of classical psychometric, factor and Rasch analysis. This is the first condition-specific health state classification developed for epilepsy and the next stage will produce preference weights to enable the measure to be used in cost-utility analysis
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