THE PROPOSITION VALUE OF CORPORATE RATINGS - A RELIABILITY TESTING OF CORPORATE RATINGS BY APPLYING ROC AND CAP TECHNIQUES

We analyze the Altman model, a Logit model as well as the KMV model in order to evaluate their performance. Therefore, we use a random sample of 132 US firms. We create a yearly and a quarterly sample set to construct a portfolio of defaulting and a counter portfolio of non-defaulting companies. As we stay close to the recommendations of the Basel Capital Accord framework in order to evaluate the models, we use Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) and Cumulative Accuracy Profile (CAP) techniques. We find that the Logit model outperforms the Altman as well as the KMV model. Furthermore, we find that the Altman model outperforms the KMV model, which is nearly as accurate as a random model.Altman Model, Cumulative Accuracy Profile (CAP), Distance to Default, Logit Model, Moody’s KMV, Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC), Z-score.

Magnus expansion method for two-level atom interacting with few-cycle pulse

Using the Magnus expansion to the fourth order, we obtain analytic expressions for the atomic state of a two-level system driven by a laser pulse of arbitrary shape with small pulse area. We also determine the limitation of our obtained formulas due to limited range of convergence of the Magnus series. We compare our method to the recently developed method of Rostovtsev et al. (PRA 2009, 79, 063833) for several detunings. Our analysis shows that our technique based on the Magnus expansion can be used as a complementary method to the one in PRA 2009.Comment: 12 pages, 4 figure

Effects of Response Elaboration Training on Increased Length and Complexity of Utterances with Two Participants with Fluent Aphasia

A single subject, multiple baseline design across behaviors and subjects was implemented to examine the effect of Response Elaboration Training (RET) with two persons with fluent aphasia. Treatment was applied to picture descriptions and to personal recounts and its effects were evaluated in terms of production of correct information units (CIUs). For both participants, treatment effects were evident for only one treatment condition, with increases in efficiency observed in picture descriptions. Positive changes were noted on functional measures and post-treatment assessment

Application of Melodic Intonation Therapy Using Linguistic Principles: Acquisition and Generalization Effects

This investigation was designed to examine the acquisition and response generalization effects of Melodic Intonation Therapy (MIT).  Linguistic principles were applied to the selection of items used for treatment and measurement of generalization effects. Treatment was applied to “Wh- Questions” in the context of a multiple baseline design across behaviors with one participant with chronic Broca’s aphasia and acquired apraxia of speech. Generalization was measured to untrained exemplars of trained items as well as to untrained items with similar and different underlying linguistic representations. Preliminary findings indicated positive acquisition effects and possible generalization effects

Effects of Repetition and Rate/Rhythm Treatments for Acquired Apraxia of Speech

This investigation was designed to elucidate the effects of repeated practice treatment on sound production in AOS and to determine if the addition of rate/rhythm control to treatment provided further benefits. A combined multiple baseline and ABCA design was employed with five speakers with chronic AOS and aphasia. Accuracy of articulation of target items in probes served as the dependent measure. Substantial improvements in articulation were associated with repeated practice treatment for three of the participants, with minimal gains observed for the remaining two participants. Rate/rhythm control resulted in additional gains for two of the participants

Semantic Feature Analysis: Further Examination of Outcomes

Semantic Feature Analysis (SFA) has received considerable study over the past two decades as a word-retrieval treatment for aphasia (Boyle & Coelho, 1995; Lowell, Beeson, & Holland, 1995; Boyle, 2010; Wambaugh, Mauszycki, Cameron, Wright, & Nessler, 2013). SFA has been shown to have consistently positive acquisition effects (i.e., improvement of trained items), with generally positive but less predictable generalization effects (i.e., improvement in untrained items). SFA was originally designed as a cognitive treatment for children and adolescents sustaining traumatic brain injury (TBI) (Haarbauer-Krupa, Moser, Smith, Sullivan & Szekeres, 1985). The therapy was designed as an “organizing process for thinking and verbal expression” (p.303). Massaro and Tompkins (1994) operationalized SFA in a study with two participants with TBI. In keeping with the intentions of the original developers, Massaro and Tompkins measured SFA’s treatment effects in terms of increased production of semantically relevant content. In the treatment of aphasia, the focus of SFA relative to outcomes has been naming accuracy. That is, SFA has been used as a means of systematically stimulating semantic networks to facilitate naming. Additionally, SFA has been considered to potentially serve as a mediating strategy for self-cuing accurate naming and/or a compensatory strategy for circumventing word-retrieval difficulties. The current study was designed to elucidate the effects of SFA in aphasia treatment beyond naming accuracy. Given SFA was designed to improve verbal expression in general and may serve as a compensatory strategy, increased production of relevant content was of interest (after Tompkins & Massaro, 1994). In light of inconsistent generalization effects associated with SFA, the study was designed to explore its generalization effects relative to aspects of untreated items. Specifically, untreated items were controlled in terms of semantic relatedness, exposure in probing, and knowledge of phonological form