On minimal support solutions of underdetermined systems of linear equations

This paper explores the nature and application of minimal-support solutions of underdetermined systems of linear equations. First, methods for directly solving the problem are evaluated for effectiveness, and cases are shown to demonstrate that these direct methods are unreliable for finding minimal support solutions. The NP-Hardness of minimal-support solution recovery is then demonstrated over any field for the first time in the literature, and further NP-Hardness results are explored after this presentation. Following these expositions, a summary of current techniques in the practice of Compressive Sensing is given, and a novel method for comprehensively solving minimal-support solutions of underdetermined systems over any field is stated, discussed and proven. A summary of findings and avenues for future opportunities concludes the dissertation

The Effects of Reading Apprenticeship on Junior College Students\u27 Metacognitive Awareness and Comprehension of Academic Texts

This descriptive quantitative research study explored if a focus on Reading Apprenticeship strategies and routines in a college level composition class would affect students\u27 metacognitive awareness and comprehension of academic text. Participants included 141 students from one junior college in a southeastern state. The 141 participants were enrolled by choice in six sections of composition taught by three instructors who had all received extensive training in implementing the Reading Apprenticeship framework in their classes. The participants were administered the Revised-Curriculum Embedded Reading Assessment (CERA) twice (pre and post intervention) during the fall semester of the 2008-2009 school year. Participants read and annotated an instructor selected piece of text which was characteristic of the kind of text assigned in a junior college level composition class. The students then responded to six open-ended prompts about the reading and how they made sense of the reading. The instuctors used the CERA rubric to score metacognitive awareness and comprehension of academic text at 1 (Beginning), 2 (Noticing), 3 (Developing) or 4 (Internalizing) levels based on the student\u27s responses. After analyzing the data collected, the results of this study indicated that implementing Reading Apprenticeship strategies in a first year composition course does significantly impact CERA metacognitive awareness and comprehension scores. No students received a score of four for the pre-metacognitive awareness assignment or precomprehension assignments, but eleven students received a score of four on the postmetacognitive awareness assignment and thirteen students received a score of four on the post-comprehension assignment. The results indicated that of the 141 subjects who participated in the this study, 71 experienced improved metacognitive awareness scores and 102 experienced improved comprehension scores after the Reading Apprenticeship strategies were employed during the semester. Fifty-four students scored the same on the pre and post metacognitive awareness assignments, and thirty three students scored the same on the pre and post comprehension assignments. Sixteen students experienced a decrease in their metacognitive awareness scores while six students experienced a decrease in their comprehension scores

Can Headstart Programs Truly be Effective? Genetic Assessment of Cyclura Collei, The Headstarted Jamaican Iguana

Headstarting is one of the more recent practices being used to maintain endangered populations in the wild. A headstart program was developed for the Jamaican iguana, Cyclura collei, in 1991 after its rediscovery in 1990. This current study tests the hypothesis that this population is experiencing a reduction in effective population size in spite of an increasing census population size due to the small number of nests available in the early years of the headstart program. A total of 875 individuals collected from 1991 to 2011 were genotyped at twelve variable microsatellite loci. Results from this study indicate a slight but significant decline in genetic variation (3% loss), and a modest proportional reduction in effective population size (0.075), since the initiation of the program. However, it is important to note these data also suggests that effective population size of this population is stabilizing

Treatment of Psychiatric Inpatients with Relationship Dysfunction Using a Short Term Cognitive Interpersonal Intervention: A Pilot Study

Relationship conflict for the psychiatric patient can have significant detrimental effects. There are specific types of interactions that can increase conflict and predict the potential for relapse; these have been identified by research and designated as components of Expressed Emotion (EE). Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Interpersonal Therapy (IPT) have been very effective when targeting specific psychiatric diagnoses, but less effective when addressing relationship conflict. The majority of studies addressing relationship conflict have taken place in an outpatient, long-term setting. There is limited research that utilizes an inpatient short-term intensive therapy with relationship conflict as its sole focus, targeting areas known to contribute to relapse. This research was designed to address whether a short-term intensive inpatient Cognitive Interpersonal Therapy intervention, which specifically addresses these important components of relationship conflict, can impact relationship satisfaction, emotion regulation, destructive thought processes, and re-hospitalization at six weeks after discharge, when compared to a treatment as usual group

Queering Wikipedia

Wikipedia has become the ubiquitous, often maligned, free global online reference resource. In certain countries, it may be the only available LGBTIQ reference resource. To increase the diversity of voices, genders, and cultures among its contributors and editors, the Wikimedia Foundation has made it a strategic goal to recruit and foster more women, people of color, and other underrepresented individuals—including LGBTIQ populations (Wikimedia Foundation, 2011). While critics question the authority, accuracy, and objectivity of Wikipedia entries, “Wikipedians” (active contributors and editors) from a wide variety of subject specialization communities interact in the creation, maintenance, and expansion of each entry, thus making the content more comprehensive and robust. There are multiple types of LGBTIQ information available through Wikipedia, and the Wikimedia Foundation has different structures and strategies in place to recruit and foster LGBTIQ Wikipedians. One initiative—“Wikipedia Loves Libraries”—encourages all cultural heritage institutions to organize “Wikipedia editathons” (also known as “Wikipedia parties”) to bring people together to create and edit new entries. Ideally, libraries, archives, and museums will use these opportunities to leverage their own collections through Wikipedia and share links to their unique digitized content (if indeed this content has been digitized). The Tom of Finland Foundation has the distinction of being the first LGBT cultural heritage institution to participate in Wikipedia Loves Libraries; their brave step into Wikipedia should serve as an inspiration to others

An Analysis of the Friend Day Program, Written by Elmer Towns and Published by Church Growth Institute, Lynchburg, Virginia

The purpose of this project is to analyze the Friend Day evangelistic program, developed by Elmer Towns and published by Church Growth Institute, Lynchburg, Virginia. Through interviews, it traces the program\u27s development. Through analysis of the program and research of literature in the areas of church growth and evangelism, it examines the theological presuppositions of friendship evangelism and discovers the principles of outreach employed in Friend Day. Based on questionnaires mailed to purchasers of the program, the project studies the strengths and weaknesses of Friend Day, and establishes that it is an exceptionally effective tool for local church evangelism

The "Public Image" of George Wallace in the the 1968 Presidential Election

The intention of this study is to examine the public image of George Wallace in the 1968 presidential campaign from its earliest inception to its general acceptance and at the same time, to determine if this image contributed to his defeat at the polls. The study will seek to be an interpretative rather than exhaustive historical research summary and will attempt to view Wallace's image from as an objective posture as possible

The tipping point of transformation: analyzing school reform efforts in low-performing, high-poverty schools

In many reform efforts, schools develop strategies for changing discrete aspects of the environment in order to improve student learning. Unfortunately, these efforts often fail because they are attempted within a vacuum and do not account for the impact of the overall school culture. In one southern school district, administrators devised a turnaround plan for five of its neediest schools (i.e. two elementary and three middle schools). Their plan included multiple strategies for reform including teacher and principal recruitment and performance bonuses, staff development programs, additional curriculum resources, and extra personnel. The manner in which this plan was implemented varied greatly across the five schools, although the district provided the same protocol for all to follow. In this study, the reform activities of the five turnaround schools were analyzed through the lens of Futernick's Tipping Point framework to assess the extent to which the components were utilized. Once this initial level of analysis was complete, student achievement data were examined vis-à-vis the schools' utilization of the framework components. Overall, schools with above average improvement on the standardized tests demonstrated evidence of more Tipping Point elements than those with average and below average improvement. These findings support Futernick's assertion that a more robust reform plan is needed to turn around low-performing, high-poverty schools; however, they stop short of substantiating the notion that all nine elements are needed for success

Quantitative electron probe microanalysis in the system Fe-Sn-C using the Claisse-Quintin relation

Quantitative interpretation of EPMA measurements was required for the construction of the Fe-Sn-C phase diagram. This involved the conversion of measured x-ray intensities into concentrations, which is difficult for a light element (such as C) being present among heavier elements (Fe and Sn). To meet this problem, firstly the various intensity-concentration conversion methods from the literature have been studied and are briefly surveyed. The Claisse-Quintin relation with constant influence coefficients was selected as the algorithm for multiple regression purposes, which was applied to reference standard data. Calibration functions are obtained for Sn and C, which are used in a simple iteration procedure. This procedure has been used for the conversion of Sn and C x-ray intensities into concentrations. The method shows a relative accuracy of about 5%

A qualitative and quantitative exploration of secondary sexual abstinence among a sample of Texas A&M University undergraduates

This dissertation explored the prevalence of and predictors of secondary sexual abstinence (following sexual initiation) in a sample of Texas college students. A qualitative phase of research (N=20) was conducted through face-to-face interviews, and data provided the foundation for development of a web-based survey administered to a sample of 1,133 undergraduates during the quantitative phase of the research. Data produced several key findings. When explaining motivations for secondary abstinence, interview participants most commonly mentioned religion, but also cited fear of physical consequences, past negative experiences with sexual activity, wanting to â saveâ sex for the right person, desire to honor a partnerâ s wish to abstain, desire to maintain power in a relationship, and identification of dissonance between personal values and behavior. Participants described religious factors, friends, parents/family, avoidance of physical consequences, feelings about self, success in school, support from partner, and lack of current temptation as supportive of abstinence. Friends, alcohol consumption, perceptions of sex being widely accepted, and physical attraction and opportunity for sexual activity were considered non-supportive or hindering. Quantitative survey results revealed a 12.5% prevalence rate of secondary abstinence. Predictors of secondary abstinence (following sexual initiation) included positive attitude toward abstinence (OR=1.010; p=.002), subjective norm supporting abstinence (OR=1.010; p=.001), greater religious ties (OR=1.019; p=.046), and previous negative sexual experiences (OR=1.051; p=.020). Participation in an abstinence education program significantly reduced the likelihood of secondary abstinence (OR=.572; p=.049). Fewer perceived barriers (=-.331; p<.000), less environmental manipulation (=-.230; p=.035), and greater religious ties (=.301; p=.003) were significant predictors of self-efficacy for abstinence. Terminology for secondary abstinence was explored in both phases. Qualitative data revealed â virgin,â â secondary virgin,â â renewed virgin,â â born-again virgin,â and â abstinentâ were terms used for secondary abstinence. Quantitative data revealed â bornagain virginâ was the most familiar term, but secondary abstainers most often described themselves as â abstinentâ (49.3%). Findings provide an estimate of secondary abstinence prevalence in this sample, supply insight into motivations for the practice, and suggest focal points for future research (including impacts of abstinence education on sexually experienced youth)