Controlling for individual heterogeneity in longitudinal models, with applications to student achievement

Longitudinal data tracking repeated measurements on individuals are highly valued for research because they offer controls for unmeasured individual heterogeneity that might otherwise bias results. Random effects or mixed models approaches, which treat individual heterogeneity as part of the model error term and use generalized least squares to estimate model parameters, are often criticized because correlation between unobserved individual effects and other model variables can lead to biased and inconsistent parameter estimates. Starting with an examination of the relationship between random effects and fixed effects estimators in the standard unobserved effects model, this article demonstrates through analysis and simulation that the mixed model approach has a ``bias compression'' property under a general model for individual heterogeneity that can mitigate bias due to uncontrolled differences among individuals. The general model is motivated by the complexities of longitudinal student achievement measures, but the results have broad applicability to longitudinal modeling.Comment: Published at http://dx.doi.org/10.1214/07-EJS057 in the Electronic Journal of Statistics (http://www.i-journals.org/ejs/) by the Institute of Mathematical Statistics (http://www.imstat.org

Cost methods in a woodworking plant

In the development of the science of cost accounting in this country greater attention has been paid to the metal working trades than to other lines of industry. In fact, there are many important lines of manufacture in which no material on cost accounting of any real value is available. Very little has been written on cost accounting in the various woodworking trades although there are few lines of business in which there is greater necessity for sound cost methods. While this article is based upon a cost system in operation in a plant manufacturing office supplies, including other items in addition to fabricated wood products, it is devoted chiefly to the woodworking side of the business. While it does not by any means constitute a complete system, nor even the outline of such a system, it describes how some of the problems in this field have been solved in one plant and it is hoped may present suggestions which will be found worth while for men who are called upon to deal with similar situations. Most of the principles set forth, while they are based on the particular practices of one plant, are applicable to almost any woodworking shop

The Scottish mind: Glaswegian social structure and its relationship to the Scottish character

This thesis is an attempt to describe Scottish National Character in Structuralist terms, working at that level of abstraction concerning the Social. It commences by taking a synchronic view of one Scottish city, Glasgow, which would at first sight appear to be atypical, and analysing it as a Dual Organisation. The flaws and inadequacies of the model in dealing with the Glasgow data give a firm directional bane from which to extend the boundaries of analysis both spatially and historically. Scottish History is examined for signs of Dualism out with the modern Glasgow era. It is found that a propensity for dualism can be observed in several periods of history, especially at times of societal stress, but is not quite so marked at other times. However, underlying the thread of Scottish History, there is found a constant factor, a certain "style" of which dualism is an extreme manifestation. The style is termed "defensiveness". The specificity of Scottish history and character is found to lie in the fact that when society perceives things going wrong; blame is laid on outsiders or anomalous insiders. When life is perceived as proceeding well, the Scots are more tolerant, but a propensity towards xenophobia is always dormant, awaiting activation when bad times arrive. An attempt is made to elucidate the generator of this style, and the concept of "template" is used. A Scottish Template is discerned which satisfactorily explains the above characteristics, and which also allows one a rethink of the Glasgow data, showing Glaswegian behaviour to be one particular manifestation of the general pattern, thus securely anchoring Glasgow in the total Scottish context

The Irish Question: Two Centuries of Conflict

From 1800 to 1922 the Irish Question was the most emotional and divisive issue in British politics. It pitted Westminster politicians, anti-Catholic British public opinion, and Irish Protestant and Presbyterian champions of the Union against the determination of Ireland’s large Catholic majority to obtain civil rights, economic justice, and cultural and political independence. In this completely revised and updated edition of The Irish Question, Lawrence J. McCaffrey extends his classic analysis of Irish nationalism to the present day. He makes clear the tortured history of British-Irish relations and offers insight into the difficulties now facing those who hope to create a permanent peace in Northern Ireland. Lawrence J. McCaffrey is professor emeritus of history at Loyola University. He is the cofounder of the American Conference for Irish Studies and the author of numerous books, including Textures of Irish America and The Irish Catholic Diaspora in America. An excellent and well-written survey of Irish history over the last two hundred years. -- Emmet Larkin, University of Chicago A shrewd, balanced, and richly informed history of Ireland from the 1800 Act of Union to the day before yesterday—and with an informed glance into tomorrow. . . . Written with clarity, grace, and a concern for the lived experience of the Irish people, all of them. . . . Beyond question the one essential overview of the last two centuries. -- Thomas Flanagan, author of Tenants of Time An insightful and generally dispassionate essay that captures, condenses, and clarifies the ambiguities and contradictions that have made \u27the Troubles\u27 in post-1922 Ireland so incomprehensible to so many people. . . . A \u27must acquisition\u27 for readers interested in the Anglo-Irish relationship since the Act of Union. -- Thomas E. Hachey, author of Britain and Irish Separatismhttps://uknowledge.uky.edu/upk_european_history/1002/thumbnail.jp

Trisomy 13 and 18: Selecting the road previously not taken

The care of patients with trisomy 13 and 18 is a source of significant controversy. While these conditions are life limiting, indisputable data refutes the notion that these conditions are lethal or incompatible with life. Despite such evidence, arguments of beneficence, quality of life and limited resources are invoked to make the case to limit care to trisomy children. Lessons learned in our ignominious history with Down syndrome should guide us as we explore care for patients with trisomy 13 and 18. As clinicians we should strive with equipoise to carefully examine available data, the current status of practices related to care from palliation to intensive interventions, rise above our personal prejudices and listen to the voices of families imploring us to consider their opinions regarding the value of the life of a child with trisomy 13 or 18. We should recall and learn from our Down syndrome odyssey and select the road previously not taken as we chart a course to the best possible care for our trisomy 13 and 18 sisters and brothers. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc

Multisystem langerhans cell histiocytosis with advanced orbital involvement: Case report

Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) is a rare disease occurring most frequently in infancy or early childhood. The aetiology is still not completely understood, although some form of immunologic dysfunction has been implicated. Clinically, the disease may either be localised or present with multisystem involvement. Here we discuss the case of a seven year old boy presenting with advanced proptosis. To the best of our knowledge, proptosis of this extent has not been reported previously in association with LCH

Ligand exchange reactions of [Re₂(μ-OR)₃(CO)₆]⁻(R = H, Me) with sulfur, selenium, phosphorus and nitrogen donor ligands, investigated by electrospray mass spectrometry

Negative-ion electrospray mass spectrometry has been used to investigate the reactions of the dinuclear rhenium aggregates [Re₂(μ-OH)₃(CO)₆]⁻ 1 and [Re₂(μ-OMe)₃(CO)₆]⁻ 2 with a range of thiols, benzeneselenol, and some other sulfur-, phosphorus- and nitrogen-based ligands. Typically up to three of the hydroxo ligands are replaced by simple thiolates, giving the series of species [Re₂(OH)₂(SR)(CO)₆]⁻, [Re₂(OH)(SR)₂(CO)₆]⁻, and [Re₂(SR)₃(CO)₆]⁻. Similarly, reaction of 1 with H₂S gives the species [Re₂(μ-SH)₃(CO)₆]⁻, which undergoes an analogous fragmentation process to [Re₂(μ-OH)₃(CO)₆]⁻, at high cone voltages, by loss of H₂S and formation of [Re₂(S)(SH)(CO)₆]⁻. With ligands which are good chelating agents (such as dithiocarbamates R₂NCS₂⁻, and thiosalicylic acid, HSC₆H₄CO₂H) initial substitution of one or two OH groups readily occurs, but on standing the dimer is cleaved giving [Re(S₂CNR₂)₂(CO)₃]⁻ and [Re(SC₆H₄CO₂)(CO)₃]⁻. The different reactivities of the dithiol reagents benzene-1,2- and benzene-1,4-dimethanethiol towards 1 are also described. Complex 1 also reacts with aniline, and with primary (but not secondary) amides RC(O)NH₂, giving monosubstituted species [Re₂(OH)₂(NHPh)(CO)₆]⁻ and [Re₂(OH)₂{NHC(O)R}(CO)₆]⁻ respectively. The reactions with adenine and thymine, and with the inorganic anions thiocyanate and thiosulfate, are also described

Editorial: Catching Hermeneutics in the Act

http://hdl.handle.net/10515/sy53n20w

Encountering the Great Problems in the Street: Enacting Hermeneutic Philosophy as Research in Practice Disciplines

In this paper, we speak to tenets of Gadamerian hermeneutic philosophy that “guide” our hermeneutic inquiry in research that seeks to understand the complexity of human experiences. In our conduct of hermeneutic research, we grapple with “great problems” and encounter the human difficulty of topics such as childhood cancer, grief, mental illness, education and schools, arts and humanities, and other topics that show up in practice professions of nursing, teaching, social work, or psychology.