Strict Monotonicity and Convergence Rate of Titterington's Algorithm for Computing D-optimal Designs

We study a class of multiplicative algorithms introduced by Silvey et al. (1978) for computing D-optimal designs. Strict monotonicity is established for a variant considered by Titterington (1978). A formula for the rate of convergence is also derived. This is used to explain why modifications considered by Titterington (1978) and Dette et al. (2008) usually converge faster

Network Films: a Global Genre?

Over the past three decades there has been a boom in films which present collections of strangers whose lives coincidentally intersect, in ways unbeknownst to them but revealed to the audience. Love Actually (Curtis 2003), Babel (Iñárritu 2006), Crash (Haggis 2005), and Magnolia (Anderson 1999) are among the most internationally well known examples of such films. While a fair amount of academic attention has been paid to such films, very little work has investigated whether these types of films constitute a genre in distinction to ensemble films. Furthermore, while some cross cultural comparison has been made of such films, few have considered how the films and the concept of a global genre might relate to discursive terms such as “world cinema” and “art cinema”. Drawing on the genre theory of Rick Altman (1984, 1999) and Paul Willemen's endorsement of comparative film studies (2005), I conduct a comparative genre study of seven network films: Babel, Crash, The Edge of Heaven (Akin 2007), Love for Share (Di Nata 2006), Code Unknown: Incomplete Tales of Several Journeys (Haneke 2000), Lantana (Lawrence 2001), and Mumbai My Life (Kamat 2008). I seek to identify whether these seven examples of network films, which show numerous similarities despite their international origins, share generic qualities. Simultaneously, I conduct analyses of their narrative politics in order to ultimately discuss how such a global group of films reframe notions of “world cinema” and “art cinema”

Not Just Ensemble Films: Six Degrees, Webs, Multiplexity and the Rise of Network Narratives

In a scene from Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's 2006 film Babel, one afternoon a deaf-mute Japanese girl, Chieko, gossips in sign language with a school friend via her mobile phone's web cam. The scene's linguistically estranged nature encapsulates how language in itself is a technology, a system which reaches across borders of silence to allow understanding. We are only able to interpret language through shared knowledge of its systems and, in many cases, through the aid of devices which collapse the barriers of proximity in time, space, and in this case, vision. It is indicative of the contemporary paradigm of network society that this scene occurs within a film which explores worldwide repercussions of (mis)communication, and that Babel belongs within a genre which in recent years has frequently thematised systems of interconnection, exploiting digital narrative technologies and in effect practicing Fredric Jameson's concept "cognitive mapping" (Jameson 54). However, while they may appear to value difference and diversity, in many cases these films use cognitive mapping as a tool for totalisation, divulging narratives of smoothed-out differences and equalised circumstances. Within this emergent paradigm of interconnectedness continues the problem of how to relay the postmodern promise of endless complexity, without subordinating difference to a simplified reduction of totality

The Intersection Between Recovery Capital and Authentic Leadership

Authentic Leadership shares characteristics and traits with individuals who are in recovery from a substance use disorder and works towards building Recovery Capital. Leadership roles have been new to the recovery field, in order to impact policies in the local, state, and federal space due to the ongoing public health crisis of opioid use disorders overdoses and deaths. We see many step out of their role of maintaining their anonymity into the public space to provide leadership related to decreasing the number of deaths related to opioid use in America. These new leadership roles align with Authentic Leadership traits and work to build Recovery Capital, based on Social Capital principles. The three topics intersect in this project but continue to be siloed in the literature. This study seeks to draw the three topics together for future study and review. Leadership is at the heart of sobriety and Recovery Capital

Paris, borders and the concept of Europe in Paris, je t’aime and Code Unknown

Michael Haneke’s Code Unknown and the multi-director Paris, je t’aime belong (the latter at least in part) to a recently emerged cinematic form described as the network form, which represents changing spaces and plural perspectives in multicultural societies. Reflecting Rosalind Galt’s concept of “anti-anti-Eurocentrism”, they represent discursive and referential spaces of Parisian society. Through a comparative analysis of how they frame space with regard to borders and transnational relationships, it becomes apparent that some of the approaches these films take to representing Europe are problematic. In contrast, others encapsulate key concerns surrounding the constantly changing relationships between Europe and its others. While Code Unknown challenges discourses of identity, home and belonging, Paris, je t'aime tends to reinstate and validate divisive social hierarchies despite its appearances of pluralism

Optimal designs for minimising covariances among parameter estimators in a linear model

We construct approximate optimal designs for minimising absolute covariances between least-squares estimators of the parameters (or linear functions of the parameters) of a linear model, thereby rendering relevant parameter estimators approximately uncorrelated with each other. In particular, we consider first the case of the covariance between two linear combinations. We also consider the case of two such covariances. For this we first set up a compound optimisation problem which we transform to one of maximising two functions of the design weights simultaneously. The approaches are formulated for a general regression model and are explored through some examples including one practical problem arising in chemistry

Risk of postoperative pulmonary complications in adult surgical patients with metabolic syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis protocol

Background: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is defined as an accumulation of risk factors that include chronic hypertension, dyslipidaemia, insulin resistance and obesity and leads to an increased risk for diabetes, cardiovascular disease and stroke. MetS is widespread and estimated to affect up to a quarter of the global population. Patients with MetS who undergo surgery are associated with an increased risk of postoperative complications when compared with patients with a non-MetS profile. An emerging body of literature points to MetS being associated with a greater risk of postoperative pulmonary complications (PPC) in the surgical patient. PPC are associated with increased postoperative morbidity and mortality, Intensive care unit (ICU) admission, length of stay (ICU and hospital), health care costs, resource usage, unplanned re-intubation and prolonged ventilatory time. Methods/design: We will search for relevant studies in the following electronic bibliographic databases: EMBASE, MEDLINE, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) and Scopus as well as scan the reference lists of included studies for potential additional literature. Two authors will independently screen titles and abstracts to identify potentially relevant studies for inclusion based on predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. The Cochrane Collaboration Review Manager (Review Manager 5) statistical software will be used to conduct this systematic review and meta-analysis and generate forest plots to demonstrate comparison of findings across studies included for meta analysis. Subgroup and sensitivity analysis will be performed to assess the heterogeneity of included studies. A descriptive synthesis of the statistical data will be provided to summarise the results and findings of the systematic review and meta-analysis. Discussion: This review will be the first to report and summarise the risk for and incidence of PPC in adult patients with MetS undergoing surgery across a range of surgical specialities. The results have the potential to inform the development of evidenced-based interventions to improve the management of PPC in the surgical patient with MetS. Findings from this systematic review and meta-analysis will inform a subsequent Delphi study on priorities and responses to PPC in patients with MetS. We will also disseminate our results through publication in scientific peerreviewed journals, conference presentations and promotion throughout our network of surgical safety champions in clinical settings

The utility of social behavior rating scales for children who are deaf and hard of hearing

This independent study provides an overview of the social-emotional and theory of mind development of children birth through high school and evaluates the utility of social-emotional rating scales in the classroom for children who are deaf and hard of hearing