The Relationship Between Social Phobia, Peer Attachment, And Identity Within Different Cultural Contexts

This study investigated the relationship between social phobia, peer attachment, and identity development, within three different countries: China, India, and the USA. It was hypothesized that social phobia interferes with peer attachment, and that poor peer attachment interferes with identity development among late adolescents and emerging adults, thus peer attachment mediates the relationship between social phobia and identity. It was further hypothesized that this relationship between variables is moderated by culture such that in collectivistic cultures, where identity is more dependent upon group affiliation and identification, the interference of social phobia (through peer attachment) on identity would be much greater than in individualistic cultures where identity may be based more on unique characteristics. Participants were 422 undergraduate students from three locations: China (n = 180), India (n = 96), and the USA (n = 146). Results varied by country. For the combined sample collectivism, social phobia, and peer attachment each independently predicted identity. Collectivism also negatively predicted social phobia and positively predicted peer attachment. None of the variables served as a mediator or moderator between the other variables. In the USA sample, collectivism predicted identity but was mediated by peer attachment. Social phobia negatively predicted peer attachment and identity, but was not related to collectivism. In the Chinese sample, peer attachment predicted identity, but was mediated by social phobia. Collectivism predicted identity, but was not related to the other two variables. Among the Indian sample none of the variables predicted identity. A number of possible reasons for these complex results are explored

Packaging Design of IGBT Power Module Using Novel Switching Cells

Parasitic inductance in power modules generates voltage spikes and current ringing during switching which cause extra stress in power electronic devices, increase electromagnetic interference (EMI), and degrade the performance of the power converter system. As newer power devices have faster switching speeds and higher power ratings, the effect of the parasitic inductance of the power module is more pronounced. This dissertation proposes a novel packaging method for power electronics modules based on the concepts of novel switching cells: P-cell and N-cell. It can reduce the stray inductance in the current commutation path in a phase-leg module and hence improve the switching behavior. Taking an insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) as an example, two phase-leg modules, specifically a conventional module and a P-cell and N-cell based module were designed. Using Ansoft Q3D Extractor, electromagnetic simulation was carried out to extract the stray inductance from the two modules. An ABB 1200 V / 75 A IGBT model and a diode model were built for simulation study. Circuit parasitics were extracted and modeled. Switching behavior with different package parasitics was studied based on the Saber simulation. Two prototype phase-leg modules were fabricated. The parasitics were measured using a precision impedance analyzer. The measurement results agree with the simulation very well. A double pulse tester was built in laboratory. Several approaches were used to reduce the circuit and measuring parasitics. From the switching characteristics of the two modules, it was verified that the larger stray inductance in the layout causes higher voltage overshoot during turn off, which in turn increases the turn off losses. Multichip (two in parallel) IGBT modules applying novel switching cells was also designed. The parasitics were extracted and compared to a conventional design. The overall loop inductance was reduced in the proposed module. However, the mismatch of the paralleled branches was larger

OBJECTIVE BAYESIAN ANALYSIS OF A GENERALIZED LOGNORMAL DISTRIBUTION

The generalized lognormal distribution plays an important role in various aspects of life testing experiments. We examine Bayesian analysis of this distribution using objective priors (in the general sense of priors constructed using some formal rules) for the model parameters in this paper. Specifically, the derivation of explicit expressions for multiple types of the Jeffreys priors, the reference priors with different group ordering of the parameters, and the first-order matching priors. We investigate the important issue of proper posterior distributions. It is shown that only two of them lead to proper posterior distributions. Monte Carlo simulations are conducted to compare the performances of the Bayesian approaches under the various priors. Last, a real-world data case will be shown to illustrate the theoretical analysis

The Tax Cut and Jobs Act (2017) as a driver of pension derisking: a comprehensive examination

Corporate defined-benefit (DB) pension sponsors in the US are increasingly on a path of “derisking” – by moving pension assets away from equities and towards fixed-income securities that better match the obligations, or by transferring obligations off their balance sheets entirely, via settlements with insurance companies or lump-sum payouts to beneficiaries. In this study, we examine whether the Tax Cut and Jobs Act of 2017 (“TCJA”) served as a driver of pension derisking. Examining behavior in the window between the TCJA’s announcement and its lower tax rate going into effect, we document that sponsors with stronger incentives to derisk their pensions tend to contribute more into their plans in that window, while deductions can still be taken at the higher tax rate – specifically, sponsors expecting large and uncertain contribution requirements for pensions in the future, facing high regulatory costs to maintaining plans, and with competing demands on cash flows. Examining behavior after the TCJA goes into effect, we document that the firms with the largest TCJA-triggered contributions also engage in more derisking subsequently, both by shifting asset allocations and by transferring obligations to other parties. In sum, our findings point to the TCJA having acted as a trigger for what could be a fundamental reorganization of the DB pension landscape in the US

Language Attitudes toward Varieties of EnglishAmong University Students in China

In an era where English serves as a lingua franca, it is essential to investigate the attitudes ofChinese English learners towards English varieties to shed light on whether non-nativeEnglish varieties should be taught in educational institutions. This study investigates Chineseuniversity students’ implicit and explicit attitudes toward British RP-accented English(BRE), General American English (GAE), Hong Kong English (HKE), and China Mandarinaccent English (CME) from a sociolinguistic perspective using Verbal-guise technique(VGT) and questionnaires. The theoretical framework of this study is based on Ryan’s(1973) model of implicit language attitudes which encompasses the dimensions of statusand solidarity, Baker’s (1992) categorization of explicit language attitudes, and Cargile etal.’s (1994) social process model of language attitudes. The objectives of this research were:1) To investigate Chinese university students’ implicit attitudes towards four varieties ofEnglish; 2) To examine Chinese university students’ explicit attitudes towards Englishlanguage and four varieties of English; 3) To compare their implicit and explicit attitudes toidentify dimensions of language attitudes that differ in the participants’ evaluativejudgements; and 4) To analyse the influence of different demographic variables on theirlanguage attitudes. Five hundred university students from four universities in Beijing,Shanghai, Guangzhou and Fuzhou, China listened to audio recordings of BRE, GAE, HKEand CME recorded by eight male and female speakers, scored them on a bipolar semanticscale. Then, they completed a questionnaire comprising 123 items that investigatedevaluative reactions towards BRE, GAE, HKE and CME speakers, attitudes toward Englishattitudes, attitudes towards four English varieties, attitudes towards learning English, andattitudes towards the use of English. The results showed that for implicit attitudes, CMEreceived the highest rating, followed by GAE, BRE, and HKE. For explicit attitudes, CME received the highest rating, followed by BRE, GAE, and HKE. The instrumental value ofEnglish is valued, but BRE, GAE and HKE are not considered to have a high status.Participants were mildly eager to learn and use English, but not to learn CME. The statusand solidarity dimensions in the VGT showed positive correlation, as did the questionnaire.The status dimension of the VGT and the questionnaire showed weak positive correlation,as did the solidarity dimension. Their implicit attitudes were affected by gender, age, grade,university, dialect area, and major. The explicit attitudes were influenced by gender,mother’s education level, and self-perceived English proficiency. The participants haveambivalent explicit attitudes towards CME in that while they give explicit positiveevaluations to CME, they refuse to learn it. Participants do not perceive Inner Circle English(BRE, GAE) as having a prominent status, which implies an awakening of Chineseuniversity students’ awareness of World Englishes or English as a Lingua Franca (ELF)

Regulation of Nucleocytoplasmic Shuttling of the Transcriptional Regulator Human Mesoderm Induction Early Response 1 α in Breast Carcinoma Cells

Temporal and spatial regulation of the subcellular distribution of transcriptional regulators is important to ensure their proper functioning in a cell. Mesoderm induction early response 1 α (MIER1α) has been implicated as a tumour suppressor in breast cancer. Analysis of MIER1α subcellular localization in breast samples revealed a stepwise translocation from the nucleus to the cytoplasm during progression to invasive carcinoma (McCarthy et al., 2008). Therefore, an investigation of MIER1α nucleocytoplasmic shuttling is critical to unraveling its role in breast cancer progression. Structurally, MIER1α has conserved domains found in a number of other transcriptional regulators, including N-terminal acidic stretches, ELM2 and SANT domains. However, none of these domains contain the predicted nuclear import or export signals. In this thesis, I show that MIER1α localizes in the nucleus in breast carcinoma MCF7 cells without an intrinsic nuclear localization signal (NLS). Although MIER1α has been shown to bind to ERα, active nuclear import of MIER1α is not through interaction with ERα; instead, it depends on interaction and co-transport with HDAC1/2 through a “piggyback” mechanism. Deletion analysis demonstrated that the entire ELM2 (aa164-283) is required and sufficient for nuclear targetting of MIER1α and that a simple mutation, 214W→A in the ELM2 domain abolishes both the interaction between MIER1α and HDAC1/2 and its nuclear localization. Further investigation revealed that MIER1α is exported out of the nucleus when cells are treated with insulin, IGF-1, EGF or FGF, but not with 17β-estradiol, and this export out of the nucleus is mediated by CRM1. HDAC1 & 2 nuclear localization were not affected by MIER1α export, suggesting they are only involved in MIER1α nuclear import. Both Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and phosphoinositide 3-kinase B/Akt (PI3’K/AKT) pathways are activated upon treatment with growth factors, and it was further confirmed MIER1α nuclear export is triggered by the MAPK pathway, but not the PI3’K/AKT pathway. However, the mutation of predicted ERK1/2 consensus phosphorylation sites S10-P and/or S377-P motifs in the MIER1α sequence had no effect on its localization. MIER1α returns to the nucleus when activation of MAPK pathway diminishes, suggesting this process is transient and reversible. Deletion analysis narrowed the required sequence for export to the N-terminal region, aa1-163, containing acidic stretches. Overall, these results provide details of the mechanism responsible for MIER1α nucleocytoplasmic shuttling in a breast cancer carcinoma cell line; a similar mechanism may be operating during breast cancer progression

Searching for Head and Shoulders Bottom Patterns under Directional Changes

Head and Shoulder pattern is a well-known technical trading strategy. However, what exactly constitutes a Head and Shoulder pattern under time series is sometimes ambiguous. In this thesis, we show how this pattern can be rigorously defined by using Directional Change. Directional Change is a new way to summarise price changes in the market. It records a transaction price only when the market has moved in to an opposing direction by a significant degree , and where that margin of significant movement is defined by the observer. Unlike time series, Directional Change records data at irregular points. This thesis also shows how Head and Shoulder Bottom Patterns can be recognised by using Directional Change. Presenting a precise definition of Head and Shoulder pattern, therefore allows us to rigorously examine the effectiveness of a Head and Shoulder based trading strategy

Understanding Spirituality among Chinese College Students: Xin-Yang (信仰) and its Assessment

In spite of the effort researchers have made, there still seems to be a lack of cultural appropriateness when it comes to the concept of spirituality. Therefore, the current author considers the cultural appropriateness in the process of developing a scale that measures Chinese college students’ level of spirituality. Three focus groups and face-to-face interviews were conducted to help understand the concept of spirituality among Chinese college students. Xin-Yang 信仰 is the Chinese word the current author decided to use and study among Chinese college students. After the pool of items is developed, a fourth focus group was held among the current researcher and a panel of experts in the field of psychology that enabled the researcher to establish face validity for the current scale. A pilot study was conducted to modify the pool of items. A sample of 2,307 college student participants were recruited online from five different provinces, autonomous regions, and direct-controlled municipality in China. Confirmatory factor analysis, item factor analysis, and structural equation modeling were performed with the data. The final Xin-Yang scale has three factors: characteristics, mental guidance, and relationship to others. Xin-Yang scale is a sound and helpful measurement. Xin-Yang seems to be an important construct to these Chinese college students in relationship to their psychological well-being. Specifically, Xin-Yang is significantly and positively related to hope, self-esteem, and self- efficacy. Xin-Yang is significantly and negatively related to psychological symptoms. In addition, Xin-Yang is significantly and positively related to spirituality. Relationships among these constructs were discussed. Limitations and implications were also discussed