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Implementing free-listing: possessive classifiers in Oceanic
Get PDFWe evaluate the design and implementation of the free-list experiment, which is a relatively easy method for exploring the membership of semantic categories (Weller & Romney 1988). Different factors that could affect the replicability and validity of the experiment are explored, and these are balanced with the need to work sensitively with speakers of endangered and minority language communities. By including aspects of a Participatory Research approach (van der Riet & Boettiger 2009), such as building rapport and respecting participants' knowledge, the experimenter can extend the free-list experiment to include wider discussions around the linguistic categories under study. We include a case study from our research on Oceanic possessive classifiers to show that a free-list experiment results in a wealth of data, and offers up opportunities for discussing and valorising different speakers' understanding of linguistic categories
Over 65% Sunlight Absorption in a 1 μm Si Slab with Hyperuniform Texture
Get PDFThin, flexible, and invisible solar cells will be a ubiquitous technology in the near future. Ultrathin crystalline silicon (c-Si) cells capitalize on the success of bulk silicon cells while being lightweight and mechanically flexible, but suffer from poor absorption and efficiency. Here we present a new family of surface texturing, based on correlated disordered hyperuniform patterns, capable of efficiently coupling the incident spectrum into the silicon slab optical modes. We experimentally demonstrate 66.5% solar light absorption in free-standing 1 μm c-Si layers by hyperuniform nanostructuring for the spectral range of 400 to 1050 nm. The absorption equivalent photocurrent derived from our measurements is 26.3 mA/cm2, which is far above the highest found in literature for Si of similar thickness. Considering state-of-the-art Si PV technologies, we estimate that the enhanced light trapping can result in a cell efficiency above 15%. The light absorption can potentially be increased up to 33.8 mA/cm2 by incorporating a back-reflector and improved antireflection, for which we estimate a photovoltaic efficiency above 21% for 1 μm thick Si cells
Nutritional assessment and dietetic resource for children and young people with cancer in the United Kingdom
No full textBackgroundBoth under- and overnutrition may have adverse impact on outcome of cancer in children and teenagers/young adults (CTYA). Previous studies confirm that screening for nutritional risk and detection of nutritional abnormality is inconsistently undertaken in practice.MethodsWe undertook a survey of dietetic resource and nutritional assessment in CTYA principal treatment centres (PTC) in the United Kingdom. Responses were received from 95% children's and 69% TYA PTC.ResultsOnly 13/18 (72%) children's PTC, and one of 11 (9%) TYA PTC, met national standards for dietetic resource; one of 18 (6%) paediatric and six of 11(54%) TYA PTC had no such resource. While resources were greater in larger paediatric PTC, who were also most likely to undertake stem cell transplantation, resources in TYA PTC were too low to assess relationship to centre size. Most centres focused resources on inpatient care and <50% considered staffing adequate; 82% used nutritional screening tools but without consistency in the tool used. Weight and height were the principal method for assessment, but with inconsistency in the frequency of measurement and use in different clinical settings. Measures derived from weight and height, including body mass index (BMI), were inconsistently utilised. The use of arm anthropometry was rare despite evidence that use increases recognition of undernutrition. Detailed nutritional assessment was infrequently attempted.ConclusionBarriers to adequate nutritional assessment and treatment for all patients include resource limitations (particularly TYA), training for staff, and uncertainty about detailed assessment of nutritional status. There is a need to harmonise screening and assessment of nutritional status in CTYA with cancer
Role of Perceived Events in University Graduates' Job Search Self-efficacy and Success
Get PDFThis study aims to enrich job search literature by examining the unique role of perceived job search events in predicting job search self-efficacy (JSSE) and two job search outcomes (i.e., perceived job search progress, the number of job offers) during the school-to-work transition. Two hundred and fourteen Chinese university graduates were asked to describe two representative job search events (one positive and one negative) and rate them on multiple dimensions (i.e., frequency, novelty, disruptiveness, criticality, and controllability). Content analysis reveals five categories of positive events (i.e., good preparation, social support, positive feedback, fair treatment, good luck) and five categories of negative events (i.e., inadequate preparation, fierce competition, negative feedback, unfair treatment, bad luck). Results from a two-wave study show that after individual differences in self-regulation strengths (i.e., proactive personality, approach-avoidance traits, core self-evaluation, career adaptability), baseline levels of JSSE and job search success are controlled (measured at Time 1), event content and dimensions account for 13% of the variance in JSSE at Time 2, which partially mediates the effects of criticality and novelty of positive events on perceived progress and number of job offers at Time 2. Additionally, negative events controllability and positive events frequency are directly related to perceived progress and number of offers, respectively, which JSSE cannot explain. This study advances the current understanding of the conceptualization and effects of job search events
Reflective and non-reflective influences on cannabis use among undergraduate students: A qualitative study
No full textAround 40% of US university students use cannabis, 25% of whom present with cannabis use disorder, which endangers health. We investigated the concurrent contribution of reflective processes, which generate action via conscious deliberation, and non-reflective processes, which prompt behavior automatically, to undergraduates' cannabis consumption.Eighteen UK undergraduates who regularly consume cannabis (11 female, 7 male; mean age 20 y).Semi-structured interviews explored cannabis motives, routines, cues, and decision points. Thematic analysis identified themes, in each of which reflective and non-reflective dimensions were coded.Four themes were identified: cannabis use for relaxation, social bonding, and symbolic-affective significance, and contexts and triggers. Some influences guided cannabis use reflectively in some settings, and non-reflectively in others. Even when cannabis use was consciously driven, non-reflective processes were deployed to execute subservient acts, such as rolling joints.Findings highlight specific processes and pathways that might be targeted to reduce cannabis-related harm
An OECD TG 428 study ring trial with 14C-Caffeine demonstrating repeatability and robustness of the dermal absorption in vitro method
No full textThe dermal absorption potential of 14C-Caffeine applied as a 4 mg/mL concentration (10 μL/cm2 finite dose) was investigated in six laboratories under Good Laboratory Practice conditions using an OECD TG 428-compliant in vitro assay with flow-through cells and split-thickness human skin. Potential sources of variation were reduced by a standardized protocol, test item and skin source. Particularly, skin samples from same donors were distributed over two repeats and between labs in a non-random, stratified design. Very similar recovery was achieved in the various assay compartments between laboratories, repeats and donors, demonstrating that the assay can be robustly and reliably performed. The absorption in one laboratory was 5-fold higher than in the others. This did not clearly correlate with skin integrity parameters but might be associated with an accidental COVID-19 pandemic-related interruption in sample shipment. It is possible that other factors may affect dermal absorption variation not routinely assessed or considered in the current method. The mean receptor fluid recovery, potential absorption (recovery in receptor fluid and skin except tape strips 1 and 2) and mass balance of caffeine was 6.99%, 7.14% and 99.13%, respectively, across all and 3.87%, 3.96% and 99.00% in the subset of five laboratories
Nonparametric Analysis of Time-Inconsistent Preferences
Get PDFThis paper provides a revealed preference characterisation of quasi-hyperbolic discounting which is designed to be applied to readily-available expenditure surveys. We describe necessary and sufficient conditions for the leading forms of the model and also study the consequences of the restrictions on preferences popularly used in empirical lifecycle consumption models. Using data from a household consumption panel dataset we explore the prevalence of time-inconsistent behaviour. The quasi-hyperbolic model provides a significantly more successful account of behaviour than the alternatives considered. We estimate the joint distribution of time preferences and the distribution of discount functions at various time horizons
A Common Weight Credibility Data Envelopment Analysis Model for Evaluating Decision Making Units with an application in Airline A Common Weight Credibility Data Envelopment Analysis Model for Evaluating Decision Making Units with an application in Airline Performance
Get PDFPerformance. RAIRO Operations Research, 56 (2): 911-930. https://doi. Abstract Data envelopment analysis (DEA) model has been widely applied for estimating efficiency scores of decision making units (DMUs) and is especially used in many applications in transportation. In this paper, a novel common weight credibility DEA (CWCDEA) model is proposed to evaluate DMUs considering uncertain inputs and outputs. To develop a credibility DEA model, a credibility counterpart constraint is suggested for each constraint of DEA model. Then, the weights generated by the credibility DEA (CDEA) model are considered as ideal solution in a multi-objective DEA model. To solve the multi-objective DEA model, a goal programming model is proposed. The goal programming model minimized deviations from the ideal solutions and found the common weights of inputs and outputs. Using the common weights generated by goal programming model, the final efficiency scores for decision making are calculated. The usefulness and applicability of the proposed approach have been shown using a data set in the airline industry
Engineering a machine learning pipeline for automating metadata extraction from longitudinal survey questionnaires
Get PDFData Documentation Initiative-Lifecycle (DDI-L) introduced a robust metadata model to support the capture of questionnaire content and flow, and encouraged through support for versioning and provenancing, objects such as BasedOn for the reuse of existing question items. However, the dearth of questionnaire banks including both question text and response domains has meant that an ecosystem to support the development of DDI ready Computer Assisted Interviewing (CAI) tools has been limited. Archives hold the information in PDFs associated with surveys but extracting that in an efficient manner into DDI-Lifecycle is a significant challenge. While CLOSER Discovery has been championing the provision of high-quality questionnaire metadata in DDI-Lifecycle, this has primarily been done manually. More automated methods need to be explored to ensure scalable metadata annotation and uplift. This paper presents initial results in engineering a machine learning (ML) pipeline to automate the extraction of questions from survey questionnaires as PDFs. Using CLOSER Discovery as a 'training and test dataset', a number of machine learning approaches have been explored to classify parsed text from questionnaires to be output as valid DDI items for inclusion in a DDI-L compliant repository. The developed ML pipeline adopts a continuous build and integrate approach, with processes in place to keep track of various combinations of the structured DDI-L input metadata, ML models and model parameters against the defined evaluation metrics, thus enabling reproducibility and comparative analysis of the experiments. Tangible outputs include a map of the various metadata and model parameters with the corresponding evaluation metrics' values, which enable model tuning as well as transparent management of data and experiments
Quality of Survey Responses at Older Ages Predicts Cognitive Decline and Mortality Risk
No full textIt is widely recognized that survey satisficing, inattentive, or careless responding in questionnaires reduce the quality of self-report data. In this study, we propose that such low-quality responding (LQR) can carry substantive meaning at older ages. Completing questionnaires is a cognitively demanding task and LQR among older adults may reflect early signals of cognitive deficits and pathological aging. We hypothesized that older people displaying greater LQR would show faster cognitive decline and greater mortality risk.We analyzed data from 9, 288 adults 65 years or older in the Health and Retirement Study. Indicators of LQR were derived from participants' response patterns in 102 psychosocial questionnaire items administered in 2006-2008. Latent growth models examined whether LQR predicted initial status and change in cognitive functioning, assessed with the modified Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status, over the subsequent 10 years. Discrete-time survival models examined whether LQR was associated with mortality risk over the 10 years. We also examined evidence for indirect (mediated) effects in which LQR predicts mortality via cognitive trajectories.After adjusting for age, gender, race, marital status, education, health conditions, smoking status, physical activity, and depressive symptoms, greater LQR was cross-sectionally associated with poorer cognitive functioning, and prospectively associated with faster cognitive decline over the follow-up period. Furthermore, greater LQR was associated with increased mortality risk during follow-up, and this effect was partially accounted for by the associations between LQR and cognitive functioning.Self-report questionnaires are not formally designed as cognitive tasks, but this study shows that LQR indicators derived from self-report measures provide objective, performance-based information about individuals' cognitive functioning and survival. Self-report surveys are ubiquitous in social science, and indicators of LQR may be of broad relevance as predictors of cognitive and health trajectories in older people
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