Telemetry synchronizer

A telemetry data synchronizer is reported for achieving phase lock and synchronization of an input signal having a pseudorandom sequence

Bayesian measures of explained variance and pooling in multilevel (hierarchical) models

Explained variance (R^2) is a familiar summary of the fit of a linear regression and has been generalized in various ways to multilevel (hierarchical) models. The multilevel models we consider in this paper are characterized by hierarchical data structures in which individuals are grouped into units (which themselves might be further grouped into larger units), and there are variables measured on individuals and each grouping unit. The models are based on regression relationships at different levels, with the first level corresponding to the individual data, and subsequent levels corresponding to between-group regressions of individual predictor effects on grouping unit variables. We present an approach to defining R^2 at each level of the multilevel model, rather than attempting to create a single summary measure of fit. Our method is based on comparing variances in a single fitted model rather than comparing to a null model. In simple regression, our measure generalizes the classical adjusted R^2. We also discuss a related variance comparison to summarize the degree to which estimates at each level of the model are pooled together based on the level-specific regression relationship, rather than estimated separately. This pooling factor is related to the concept of shrinkage in simple hierarchical models. We illustrate the methods on a dataset of radon in houses within counties using a series of models ranging from a simple linear regression model to a multilevel varying-intercept, varying-slope model.adjusted R-squared, Bayesian inference, hierarchical model, multilevel regression, partial pooling, shrinkage

Accurate reassembly of small broken test specimens

Collets hold specimen in place while epoxy resin cements the broken ends, thereby eliminating relative rotation of the fracture faces. The cemented fracture can then be sectioned metallographically

PATHS: Teacher Adherence Regarding Type of Training and Years of Experience for Social Emotional Learning Programs

Social emotional learning (SEL) programs demonstrate that there may be significant benefits for children in early elementary education. Teachers’ adherence, or use of resources, may be influenced by the type of training teachers participate in and years of experience teaching SEL. In this study, I aimed to determine if years of experience and type of training influence adherence, or teachers’ use of SEL resources: the student assessment and the evaluation toolkit. This quantitative investigation used a binary logistic regression analysis to determine if type of training and years of experience influence adherence. Data was collected using a PATHS monthly newsletter and the PATHS Facebook page to recruit participants who are currently teaching, or who have taught, PATHS. The binary regression analysis showed no significant relationship between type of training and adherence and no significant relationship between years of experience and adherence. Because only a small sample size (N = 48) was obtained, these results need to be interpreted with caution. Teachers who did not have at least one year of SEL teaching experience were excluded from the sample. This study offers a solid foundation for researchers to investigate how type of training and years of experience predict adherence. This study contributes to positive social change by providing the framework necessary to confirm potential adherence patterns related to the type of training and years of experience teaching SEL with a larger sample to enable all SEL programs to address adherence effectively

Moving Beyond the Old Boys\u27 Club in Environmental Organizations: Investigating the Behaviors, Attitudes and Perspectives of Men and Women

This study interrogates the exclusionary culture of environmentalism with respect to gender, and in doing so, illuminates elements of function and dysfunction with respect to gender dynamics in environmental organizations. I utilize social science-based quantitative and qualitative methods as a foundation for my analysis. My research investigates the role of gender both at the micro level, with individuals, and the macro level, by evaluating the persistence of the “Old Boys’ Club” culture in environmental organizations. Thirteen people participated in interviews, and forty people responded to an online survey. Personal reflections gathered from the survey reveal gendered trends in environmental problem perception, attitudes, behaviors, values and engagement, while professional reflections collected during interviews provide insight into the operations of gender in an organizational context. In some ways, current gender dynamics in environmental organizations signify a departure from the “Old Boys’ Club” culture, as indicated by female leadership of environmental organizations and a burgeoning interest amongst females in environmental work. However, a deeper analysis reveals the residual effects of the masculine-privileging “Old Boys’ Club” culture, as women express sentiments of feeling dismissed as professionals, and report working harder than their male counterparts to achieve the same level of respect. I explicate the importance of considering gender in matters of organizational structure, management and participation through this perspective of analysis

Aura and Authenticity in the Presentation of UK Literary Figures through the Medium of the Home

This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Scrutiny2: issues in English Studies in Southern Africa on 16/10/2015, available online: doi:/10.1080/18125441.2015.1072839By exploring case studies from the UK, this paper investigates how the notions of aura and authenticity at literary homes are utilised to create an impact on the understanding of the lives and works of associated writers. The boundaries of this paper have been dictated by its place within twenty-first century manifestations of the survival, conservation and reproduction of literary homes associated with four writers active in the early nineteenth century: Lord Byron, John Keats, Sir Walter Scott and Percy Shelley. Many of the works within the literary house genre highlight the significance of the link between writers and their audiences. However, whereas commentators concentrate on the links being direct, this paper shows that the association is based on narratives validated through those who were subsequently responsible for the houses in conjunction with the expectations of visitors. Consequently, the interpretation prevalent in the houses in the twenty-first century are the result of a long history based on the writers, but influenced by what was, and is, considered their significance by others over approximately two hundred years

South African General Equity Unit Trust Funds:Fund Performance and Characteristics

We evaluate performance of general equity unit trust funds in South Africa during the period 2010 to 2017 and identify, if any, characteristics of these unit trust funds that are drivers of this performance. Performance is measured using Jensen’s Alpha with a sample that has not suffered from the full effects of survivorship bias as many other South African research studies have in past years. We used a Weighted Least Squares regression model, after weighting each funds Jensen’s alpha, to determine what characteristics impact the performance of unit trust funds. Our results showed that Beta, Fund Age, Percentage of Top 10 Holdings and Management Fees were all significant in explaining unit trust performance. We found that in the South African general equity unit trust space, funds which take higher risk relative to the market will experience higher levels of performance, younger funds tended to outperform their older counterparts and funds that charge lower management fees will outperform those with higher fees. Funds that on average throughout the period held less Top 10 JSE listed equity stocks tended to outperform those having a larger Top 10 holding exposure. We have thus been able to uncover material performance characteristics that differentiate South African unit trust performance. We have also provided meaningful parameters for investors and investment managers when structuring diversified portfolios, allowing them to improve their ability to provide outperformance consistently over time

Multiple and more frequent natural hazards : The vulnerability implications for rural West African communities

Rural, subsistence agriculture dependent communities in the West-Sudanian Savannah climate zone are dependent on a single rainy season to produce the crops that they need to sustain themselves for the following year. However, increasing variability in rainfall presents these communities with a considerable challenge, a challenge that is likely to worsen with climate change. Seasonal variability is manifest as local level floods and dry spell droughts. These events disrupt crop growth and impact on other aspects of life such as housing and access to water. Climate change is expected to not only increase the frequency of these events but to also increase the likelihood of floods and droughts occurring in succession, in the same rainy season. Responding to gaps in the application of social vulnerability concepts to multiple hazard scenarios, this research provides an approach to account for the differential impacts and responses towards multiple and more frequent hazard events. The research presents important insights for a future under climate change, particularly highlighting the potentially different outcomes of more frequent hazards compared to multiple (successional) hazard events where the impacts are deeper. Connecting with concepts relating to social-ecological systems and social vulnerability, the research demonstrates how thresholds of change vary based on the nature of hazard events. It finds that more frequent hazard events result in gradual erosions of assets and coping capacity that can lead to rigidity traps. In contrast, the deeper losses incurred by multiple (successional) hazard events is more likely to spark social change, however, these changes are limited by inadequate adaptation options. The findings from this research have been generated through predominantly qualitative analysis and the application of relatively innovative methods, including a participatory game and scenarios. The focus on three case study communities in different West African countries, provides a basis for generating broader conclusions that argue for a concerted effort to address barriers to adaptation and to enhance support for affected communities