Stop the Spread, Please

As I walked down the sidewalk of East Lincoln Ave, I saw several students coming towards me. They were guys strolling three across. They clearly saw me approaching, but as the gap closed between us I found the situation similar to a game of chicken. I was unsure how close I would get before one of them moved. It sure as hell wasn’t going to be me. No, I stood my ground and was subsequently body-checked. As he collided with my shoulder I looked at him with disgust, but he kept walking like nothing happened. [excerpt

Judgy Eyes

I can feel them watching me, examining me. I try not to look directly at them for fear that they might see right through me. For so long I’ve walked amongst them and have tried to somewhat assimilate into their culture. But even then, I’m certain they feel something off about me, something that just doesn’t fit. And they’d be right to assume that, because I am different from so many of them. [excerpt

Faculty Attitudes toward Technology-Driven Instruction in Developmental Mathematics

Innovation in instructional technology has contributed to the rapid implementation of technology-driven instructional platforms, particularly in developmental math coursework (Bickerstaff et al., 2016). In this phenomenological study, we investigate how faculty perceive and respond to a mandated, technology-driven instructional model for developmental math coursework at public colleges in Tennessee. Through interviews with faculty members across four colleges, we find that many faculty agreed that technology helped them to better track student performance, provide more targeted assistance, and communicate directly with students. Faculty also expressed concerns that technology provides the opportunity or temptation to game the system, interfering with true learning, and that students with the greatest needs may not be well served by the instructional model. We draw policy implications related to the role of educators in the development and implementation of curricular policy, provision and requirements for ongoing professional development, and postsecondary learning accountability

"Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES): Analysis of the factorial structure and proposal of a new version of only positive items"

"Introduction. The objective was to evaluate the factor structure and propose a new version of the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale with only positive items to overcome the method effect associated with negative items. Method. A version A (positive and negative items) and a version B (only positive items) were considered. A sample of 350 university students was collected for each version. Results. The CFA shows that version A's one-dimensional model (A1) does not present adequate fit indices. It was also found that adding a specific factor for negative items (model A2) and another factor for positive items (model A3) does not improve the fit indices. A twodimensional model (A4 model) does not improve the fit indices either. Regarding the onedimensional model of version B, it presents a superior fit compared to the original model (model A1) Discussion and Conclusions. It is concluded that version B, a proposal of only positive items, adequately measures self-esteem since it does not have negative items and agrees with Rosenberg's original approach.

"Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES): Analysis of the factorial structure and proposal of a new version of only positive items"

"Introduction. The objective was to evaluate the factor structure and propose a new version of the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale with only positive items to overcome the method effect associated with negative items. Method. A version A (positive and negative items) and a version B (only positive items) were considered. A sample of 350 university students was collected for each version. Results. The CFA shows that version A's one-dimensional model (A1) does not present adequate fit indices. It was also found that adding a specific factor for negative items (model A2) and another factor for positive items (model A3) does not improve the fit indices. A twodimensional model (A4 model) does not improve the fit indices either. Regarding the onedimensional model of version B, it presents a superior fit compared to the original model (model A1) Discussion and Conclusions. It is concluded that version B, a proposal of only positive items, adequately measures self-esteem since it does not have negative items and agrees with Rosenberg's original approach.

On the Squeezed Number States and their Phase Space Representations

We compute the photon number distribution, the Q distribution function and the wave functions in the momentum and position representation for a single mode squeezed number state using generating functions which allow to obtain any matrix element in the squeezed number state representation from the matrix elements in the squeezed coherent state representation. For highly squeezed number states we discuss the previously unnoted oscillations which appear in the Q function. We also note that these oscillations can be related to the photon-number distribution oscillations and to the momentum representation of the wave function.Comment: 16 pages, 9 figure

Husimi's Q(α)Q(\alpha) function and quantum interference in phase space

We discuss a phase space description of the photon number distribution of non classical states which is based on Husimi's $Q(\alpha)$ function and does not rely in the WKB approximation. We illustrate this approach using the examples of displaced number states and two photon coherent states and show it to provide an efficient method for computing and interpreting the photon number distribution . This result is interesting in particular for the two photon coherent states which, for high squeezing, have the probabilities of even and odd photon numbers oscillating independently.Comment: 15 pages, 12 figures, typos correcte

Rindler Particles and Classical Radiation

We describe the quantum and classical radiation by a uniformly accelerating point source in terms of the elementary processes of absorption and emission of Rindler scalar photons of the Fulling-Davies-Unruh bath observed by a co-accelerating observer.To this end we compute the emission rate by a DeWitt detector of a Minkowski scalar particle with defined transverse momentum per unit of proper time of the source and we show that it corresponds to the induced absorption or spontaneous and induced emission of Rindler photons from the thermal bath. We then take what could be called the inert limit of the DeWitt detector by considering the limit of zero gap energy. As suggested by DeWitt, we identify in this limit the detector with a classical point source and verify the consistency of our computation with the classical result. Finally, we study the behavior of the emission rate in D space-time dimensions in connection with the so called apparent statistics inversion.Comment: 8 pages, 2 figure

Testing for Network and Spatial Autocorrelation

Testing for dependence has been a well-established component of spatial statistical analyses for decades. In particular, several popular test statistics have desirable properties for testing for the presence of spatial autocorrelation in continuous variables. In this paper we propose two contributions to the literature on tests for autocorrelation. First, we propose a new test for autocorrelation in categorical variables. While some methods currently exist for assessing spatial autocorrelation in categorical variables, the most popular method is unwieldy, somewhat ad hoc, and fails to provide grounds for a single omnibus test. Second, we discuss the importance of testing for autocorrelation in network, rather than spatial, data, motivated by applications in social network data. We demonstrate that existing tests for autocorrelation in spatial data for continuous variables and our new test for categorical variables can both be used in the network setting

Non Abelian BF theories with sources and 2-D gravity

We study the interaction of non-Abelian topological $BF$ theories defined on two dimensional manifolds with point sources carrying non-Abelian charges. We identify the most general solution for the field equations on simply and multiply connected two-manifolds. Taking the particular choice of the so-called extended Poincar\'e group as the gauge group we discuss how recent discussions of two dimensional gravity models do fit in this formalism.Comment: 20 pages, Latex, To appear in Phys Rev D5