Limiting Behavior of High Order Correlations for Simple Random Sampling

For N=1,2,..., let S_N be a simple random sample of size n=n_N from a population A_N of size N, where 0<=n<=N. Then with f_N=n/N, the sampling fraction, and 1_A the inclusion indicator that A is in S_N, for any H a subset of A_N of size k>= 0, the high order correlations Corr(k) = E (\prod_{A \in H} (1_A-f_N)) depend only on k, and if the sampling fraction f_N -> f as N -> infinity, then N^{k/2}Corr(k) -> [f(f-1)]^{k/2}EZ^k, k even and N^{(k+1)/2}Corr(k) -> [f(f-1)]^{(k-1)/2}(2f-1)(1/3)(k-1)EZ^{k+1}, k odd where Z is a standard normal random variable. This proves a conjecture given in [2].Comment: 32 page

THE EFFECT OF THE FOUR QUADRANTS OF THE COMPETING VALUES FRAMEWORK ON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ACHIEVEMENT

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationships between longitudinal assessments of student achievement at 1187 elementary schools and educators perceptions of the manner in which their school resolves the organizational tensions, trade-offs, and conflicts (Cameron, Quinn, DeGraff, & Thakor, 2006, p. 50) embodied in the Competing Values Framework (CVF). With this end in view, some 24 items were selected from the 2013 state-wide administration of the Teaching, Empowering, Leading, and Learning survey in Tennessee (TELL Tennessee) and used to represent the eight organizational functions residing in the four quadrants of the CVF. After aggregating person-level observations to that of the institution, the result was merged with information pertinent to student and faculty demographic characteristics and with archived Tennessee Department of Education student achievement data in reading and in mathematics, averaged over three years.In the five sets of multiple regression analyses subsequently conducted, student demographic characteristics proved to be the most important factors in explaining variation in student achievement, whether measured as three-year averages of students NCE scores in reading and mathematics or as three-year averages of the percent of students proficient in reading and mathematics. Although higher levels of faculty tenure regularly emerged as a statistically significant, if only slight, influence on student outcomes, no such influence was observed with respect to higher levels of faculty experience. Over and above these background variables, the Competing Values Framework (CVF) profiles concerning balance, stability, an external orientation, and a disposition towards rational goals were all associated with higher NCE scores, but only the CVF balance profile was statistically significantly linked to student proficiency scores. While the findings concerning balance were consistent with standard CVF expectations and prescriptions, those concerning a disposition towards higher NCE scores and rational goals were seen to resonate with the educational reformist literature on magnet schools, charter schools, and the adoption of comprehensive school reform models. Common to all of these strategies is the intent to leverage school improvement by endowing schools with a visible focus and lending their instructional programs a greater coherence

THE EFFECT OF THE FOUR QUADRANTS OF THE COMPETING VALUES FRAMEWORK ON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ACHIEVEMENT

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationships between longitudinal assessments of student achievement at 1187 elementary schools and educators\u27 perceptions of the manner in which their school resolves the organizational tensions, trade-offs, and conflicts (Cameron, Quinn, DeGraff, & Thakor, 2006, p.50) embodied in the Competing Values Framework (CVF). With this end in view, some 24 items were selected from the 2013 state-wide administration of the Teaching, Empowering, Leading, and Learning survey in Tennessee (Tell Tennessee) and used to represent the eight organizational functions residing in the four quadrants of the CVF. After aggregating person-level observations to that of the institution, the result was merged with information pertinent to student and faculty demographic characteristics and with archived Tennessee Department of Education student achievment data in reading and in mathematics, averaged over three years. In the five sets of multiple regression analyses subsequently conducted, student demograhpic characteristics proved to be the most important factors in explaining variation in student achievement, whether measured as three-year averages of students\u27 NCE scores in reading mathematics or as three-year averages of the percent of students proficient in reading and mathmatics. Although higher levels of faculty tenure regularly emerged as statistically significant, if only slight, influence on student outcomes, no such influence was observed with respect to higher levels of faculty experience. Over and above these background variables, the Competing Values Framework (CVF) profiles concerning \u27balance,\u27 \u27stability,\u27 an \u27external\u27 orientation, and a disposition towards \u27rational goals\u27 were all associated with higher NCE scores, but only the CVF \u27balance\u27 profile was statistically significantly linked to student proficiency scores. While the findings concerning \u27balance\u27 were consistent with standard CVF expectations and prescriptions, those concerning a disposition towards higher NCE scores and \u27rational goals\u27 were seen to resonate with the educational reformist literature on magnet schools, charter schools, and the adoption of comprehensive school reform models. Common to all these strategies is the intent to leverage school improvement by endowing schools with a visible focus and lending their instructional programs a greater coherence

ENGINEERING ELECTROCONDUCTIVE AND ADHESIVE HYRDOGELS FOR BIOMEDICAL APPLICATIONS

Bioadhesives, such as tissue sealants, hemostatic agents, and tissue sealants have gained increasing popularity for addressing wound management for traumatic and surgical injuries. This new generation of adhesive demonstrates significant advantages over traditional suturing and stapling techniques that can lead to infection, leakage of bodily fluid and gas, as well as secondary damage to tissues. Bioadhesives can be most broadly classified based on internal or external administration. While bioadhesives designed for external use are most widely used for topical application, such as wound closure, internal bioadhesives are surgically implanted and, therefore, require biocompatibility and strong adhesive ability to wet tissues. Further, hydrogel-based bioadhesives may be designed with nanoparticles or biopolymers that impart specific functionality, such as conductive or hemostatic properties. Scaffolds designed with conductive biomaterials have been extensively investigated in the field of tissue engineering based on their ability to support the function of excitable cell types, such as cardiomyocytes and neurons. Bioadhesives have also been designed to promote hemostasis for applications such as surgical sealants. In first two sections of this project, we aimed to develop conductive bioadhesives for cardiac tissue repair by combining highly biocompatible gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA), with an electrically conductive choline-based bio ionic liquid (Bio-IL). Here, we chemically modified gelatin to form photocrosslinkable hydrogels in the presence of visible or UV light, depending on the photoinitiator used. Conductive hydrogels were fabricated with varying concentrations of GelMA and Bio-IL, which resulted in scaffolds with high biocompatibility, as well as tunable electrical conductivity, and mechanical strength. We then demonstrated the ability of Bio-IL conjugated hydrogels to transduce physicochemical stimuli and modulate the growth of primary CMs in both 2D and 3D cultures in vitro. In addition, we demonstrated that the engineered hydrogels were highly biodegradable and biocompatible in vitro, and that they did not elicit inflammatory responses when implanted in vivo. Our following project investigated the development of cardiopatches using electrospun GelMA conjugated with Bio-IL. The resulting cardiopatches demonstrated tunable conductive and mechanical properties by optimizing the concentration of GelMA and Bio-IL used during synthesis. GelMA/Bio-IL cardiopatches exhibited excellent adhesiveness to cardiac tissues, and biocompatibility both in vitro and in vivo. CMs and CFs seeded on the surface of cardiopatches demonstrated excellent cell attachment and proliferation, and the scaffold supported the expression of gap junction proteins indicating the cells ability to function synchronously. Taken together, these conductive bioadhesives demonstrated excellent potential to be readily tailored to cardiac tissue regenerative therapies. Lastly, our group developed a hemostatic surgical sealant with robust mechanical properties based on the biopolymers GelMA and elastin-like polypeptide (ELP). These adhesive hydrogels were rendered hemostatic by the incorporation of the synthetic clay Laponite (LA) and were rapidly photocrosslinked in the presence of UV radiation using the photoinitiator Irgacure 2959. We demonstrated the highly tunable mechanical and adhesive properties of these nanocomposite hydrogels by varying the concentrations of GelMA and ELP. Likewise, we demonstrated the excellent hemostatic performance of these scaffolds both in vitro and in vivo by varying the concentration of LA. Our nanocomposite GelMA/ELP/LA hydrogels also showed remarkable biocompatibility both in vitro and in vivo and did not elicit an inflammatory response when implanted subcutaneously

Eleven Bullets: A Counter Assault on Subjectivity and the Creation of Meaning

Eleven Bullets: A Counter Assault on Subjectivity and the Creation of Visual Meaning explores the sources of visual meaning as a combination of shared personal experience among the mass audience and the perpetuation of this meaning via popular cultural applications. It proposes that the analysis of an artist’s personal experience with sensory perception is the foundation for his or her ability to instill meaning within a design. By understanding how we make associations with experiences that are pleasurable, painful, safe, dangerous, passive, aggressive etc., we organize our world according to visual stereotypes. These stereotypes help us navigate the world efficiently and safely. They also directly influence our instinctual responses to visual stimuli. The artworks in this thesis are designed to use the same inherent meanings within the visual elements to communicate with two polar audiences, liberal & conservative. This is accomplished not by changing the inherent meaning of the element, but by positioning it in different ratios and contexts to appeal to the unique sensibilities of the work’s targeted audience. It argues against the changing or denying the presence of meaning, a practice I believe to be detrimental to all aspects of communication, and instead advocates for teaching competency and responsibility in the manipulation of these elements to communicate. The works utilizes gun control propaganda for the purpose of content only. It is not the goal of this thesis to advocate for any particular stance or policy but rather to demonstrate that a singular visual lexicon can be effective in creating meaning across a variety of audiences, even those fundamentally opposed to one another

GATOR: Requirements capturing of telephony features

We are developing a natural language-based, requirements gathering system called GATOR (for the GATherer Of Requirements). GATOR assists in the development of more accurate and complete specifications of new telephony features. GATOR interacts with a feature designer who describes a new feature, set of features, or capability to be implemented. The system aids this individual in the specification process by asking for clarifications when potential ambiguities are present, by identifying potential conflicts with other existing features, and by presenting its understanding of the feature to the designer. Through user interaction with a model of the existing telephony feature set, GATOR constructs a formal representation of the new, 'to be implemented' feature. Ultimately GATOR will produce a requirements document and will maintain an internal representation of this feature to aid in future design and specification. This paper consists of three sections that describe (1) the structure of GATOR, (2) POND, GATOR's internal knowledge representation language, and (3) current research issues

David Wayne Walker and Max Fletcher in a Senior Voice Recital

This is the program for the senior voice recital of baritone David Wayne Walker and tenor Max Fletcher. Pianist Jenny Evans accompanied Walker, and pianist Janine Reeves accompanied Max Fletcher. The recital took place on March 26, 1981, in the Mabee Fine Arts Center Recital Hall