Texas A&M International University: Research Information Online (RIO)
Not a member yet
951 research outputs found
Sort by
An ejection chain approach for the quadratic multiple knapsack problem
No full textIn an algorithm for a problem whose candidate solutions are selections of objects, an ejection chain is a sequence of moves from one solution to another that begins by removing an object from the current solution. The quadratic multiple knapsack problem extends the familiar 0-1 knapsack problem both with several knapsacks and with values associated with pairs of objects. A hybrid algorithm for this problem extends a local search algorithm through an ejection chain mechanism to create more powerful moves. In addition, adaptive perturbations enhance the diversity of the search process. The resulting algorithm produces results that are competitive with the best heuristics currently published for this problem. In particular, it improves the best known results on 34 out of 60 test problem instances and matches the best known results on all but 6 of the remaining instances
Advantages of nonlinear over segmentation analyses in path models
No full textThe recent availability of software tools for nonlinear path analyses, such as WarpPLS, enables e-collaboration researchers to take nonlinearity into consideration when estimating coefficients of association among linked variables. Nonlinear path analyses can be applied to models with or without latent variables, and provide advantages over data segmentation analyses, including those employing finite mixture segmentation techniques (a.k.a. FIMIX). The latter assume that data can be successfully segmented into subsamples, which are then analyzed with linear algorithms. Nonlinear analyses employing WarpPLS also allow for the identification of linear segments mirroring underlying nonlinear relationships, but without the need to generate subsamples. The author demonstrates the advantages of nonlinear over data segmentation analyses
Las audiencias de cine en Torreón, Coahuila, México, durante las décadas 1940 – 1960.
No full textEste trabajo muestra la experiencia social de asistir al cine en Torreón, Coahuila, México, durante las décadas de 1940 a 1960, con base en entrevistas a 20 informantes mayores de 60 años. Los resultados expresan la importancia que tenía la asistencia al cine, la influencia de películas y actores en la vida de las personas, así como la transformación que iban teniendo las salas de exhibición de cine, a la par de la que vivía la ciudad. La investigación forma parte del Proyecto Culturas cinematográficas en contexto: Estudio comparativo de programación cinematográfica y asistencia al cine en Bélgica y México, coordinado por José Carlos Lozano Rendón, Philippe Meers y Daniel Biltereyst.Palabras clave: Audiencias cinematográficas, Nueva Historia del Cine, Cine en México.AbstractThis work shows the social experience of cinemagoing in the city of Torreon Coahuila, Mexico during the decades from 1940 to 1960 based on interviews of 20 people 60 years old and up. The results show the importance that cinemagoing had in the people, the influence of the movies and actors in the life of the people, as well as the transformation that the movie theaters along with the transformation lived by the city.The investigation is part of the Cinematography Cultures Project in context: A comparative study of the movie programming and attendance to the movie theaters in Belgium and Mexico coordinated by Jose Carlos Rendon, Philippe Meers and Daniel Biltereyst.Key words: Film audiences, New Cinema History, Mexican cinema
Controversial Conversations in Science: Incorporating the Science “Sex Box”
No full textScience classrooms—and science textbooks—are proving to be challenging spaces for education that contradicts abstinence-only-until-marriage (AOUM) sex education. However, science educators can teach against this knowledge in a way that is critical of oppressive language. In fact, having explicit dialogue about gender identities and sexual orientation can help uncover oppressive cultural attitudes and help science educators challenge universal views of the human body. This article examines two narratives that use a pedagogic practice to help them teach in AOUM environments. The first narrative discusses personal experiences of the author as a science teacher and the dilemmas faced by including what I call a “sex box” in a life science class. The second narrative discusses an excerpt from a research study conducted with life science teachers in which a participant uses this same method. The purpose of this discussion is to help expose the science classroom as a place to have meaningful discussions, even with policies and cultures that do not support the discussion of safe sex for minority human sexualities.1 This article suggests future science teachers and present teachers alike can advocate for the incorporation of national standards that counteract overtly discriminatory policies
Mental health disparities, historical realities, and sociocultural barriers of american indians and alaska natives: A focus on suicide prevalence and prevention
No full textAmerican Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/AN) have experienced profound sociopolitical and economic hardship, characterized by a history of colonialism and racial oppression. These experiences have resulted in higher prevalence rates across a broad range of mental health difficulties, including depression, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, substance use disorders, and suicide, as compared to the general U.S. population (Beals et al., 2005; IHS, 2015). In this chapter, we provide a conceptual overview of the current state of the problem. We begin byproviding a framework for understanding these mental health disparities, including discussion regarding interpretations (material vs. psychosocial) designed to enhance our understanding of this phenomena, followed by a description of latent, pathway, cumulative and latent effects of disparities across the lifespan. We then review current research, including comparisons of lifetime prevalence rates for a variety of mental health consequences across AI/AN communities. In order to enhance our understanding of these disparities, we focus on suicidality, which represents one of the greatest discrepancies experienced among AI/AN individuals, and the leading cause of death due to mental health difficulties. Next, we critically examine risk and protective factors known to impact suicidality and other mental health disparities across AI/AN communities. This is followed by a discussion of the complex relationship between risk and protective factors, which provides a foundation for our recommendations. Finally, we conclude with an examination of indigenous epistemologies and cultural competence to prevention and early intervention that promote social justice within these communities
The Characterization of the Novel Gene CIA7 Using Pb Exposed Wild-Type and Mutant Strains of Chlamydomonas Reinhardtii
Get PDFIndustrialization has increased the risk of heavy metal contamination. This leads to contamination of the ecosystem surrounding microalga and other primary producers. Chlamydomonas reinhardtii is a unicellular alga that is of interest in toxicity studies due its detoxification pathways. This study aims to compare three common markers of cellular health and heavy metal homeostasis namely, levels of Pb bioaccumulation, chlorophyll fluorescence, and cell size between two strains of C. reinhardtii: a wild type (CC4425) and a mutant (CC5013). The mutant strain has a gene designated as Cia7 that has been disrupted by Ble insert. Cia7’s cysteine rich protein product (CIA7) is hypothesized to provide increased heavy metal tolerance to C. reinhardtii, due to its structural similarities to known thiol-peptides such as phytochelatins and metallothioneins. Levels of bioaccumulated lead were analyzed using inductively couple plasma optical emission spectrometry. Differences in chlorophyll fluorescence were determined using flow cytometry, while changes in cell size were determined under scanning electron microscopy. The results of this study show that CC5013 accumulated more lead than CC4425 and exhibited marked reductions in both chlorophyll fluorescence and cell size across increasing concentrations of lead. These results lend support to the hypothesis that Cia7’s cysteine rich protein product (CIA7) could provide increased heavy metal tolerance to C. reinhardtii
Responsividad, calidad informativa y la oferta política en la publicidad electoral. Una propuesta de análisis del spot televisivo
No full textDiversos estudios se han interesado en la publicidad electoral televisiva en México. En su mayoría estos han descrito las técnicas utilizadas por los partidos en los anuncios, pero no han ofrecido un análisis que permita evaluar su contenido (en particular, la presencia de propuestas) desde una perspectiva democrática. El objetivo de este estudio consiste en formular un modelo que permita evaluar la calidad informativa de la publicidad electoral televisiva desde una perspectiva procedimental de la democracia de calidad, en particular, se propone el concepto de responsividad como elemento central de análisis, pero no exclusivo. El estudio utiliza como técnica de investigación el análisis de contenido restringido al componente verbal
Scientific Ambidexterity and Doctoral Mentoring: Does Academics’ Involvement in Commercial Science Influence Mentoring in East-Asian Programs?
Get PDFThis thesis is in the area of sociology of science. It carries the legacy of Robert K. Merton by addressing two concepts -- scientific ambidexterity (SA) and doctoral science mentoring -- germane to the knowledge production process that are increasingly manifested in contemporary academic science. In regards to SA, I focus on two axes of activities that academics are increasingly expected to engage in and balance: the axis of research collaboration, and of techno-scientific productivity. Each axis represents the tension between the demands of academic science and that of commercial science as experienced by academics. To advance understanding of SA’s impact on the socialization of future scientists to scientific life, I examine the relationship between academics’ top journal publication and patent generation, and their involvement in academic and in commercial research collaborations on the one hand; and academics’ interactions, mentoring practices, and the research experience they provide their doctoral students, on the other hand. I test the hypothesis that ambidextrous academics differ from their non-ambidextrous counterparts in terms of mentor-mentee interaction, mentoring practices, and the research experience they provide their doctoral students. I used survey data collected in summer 2013 from 105 chemical scientists in Japan, Singapore, and Taiwan. I utilized principal component analysis for data reduction, and performed normal error regression analysis to examine relationships between my independent and dependent variables. My results indicated that SA is linked to doctoral mentoring, but not to the extent that every axis of SA shapes every aspect of doctoral mentoring. Between SA in research collaboration and SA in techno-scientific productivity, the former has more to do with mentor-mentee interaction, with mentoring practices, and with research experience than the latter. In other words, between the collaborative and the productivity axes of SA, it is axis of collaboration that has greater impact on doctoral mentoring. My results have important implications for international science training policy
El cine en Tampico y Ciudad Madero: exhibición, programación y contexto histórico-social en 1942
No full textEste trabajo presenta un análisis de los resultados correspondientes a la exhibición de películas del año 1942, como parte del proyecto de investigación en curso, vinculando aspectos como el impacto de la industria cultural cinematográfica en los municipios de Tampico y Ciudad Madero, Tamaulipas, México, inspirado en la perspectiva teórica de la Nueva Historia del Cine (New Cinema History), la oferta de películas en las salas de cine locales, así como su íntima relación con el contexto histórico y social. Los resultados muestran la oferta de películas en 12 cines, se identifican algunos patrones y cambios posteriores en los contenidos disponibles para la comunidad como parte de la dinámica en las condiciones socioeconómicas de la población. El proyecto replica un estudio similar realizado en Flandes, Bélgica por Daniel Biltereyst (Universidad de Gante) y Philippe Meers (Universidad de Amberes)
Performance metric optimization advocates CPFR in supply chains: A system dynamics model based study
No full textBackground: Supply Chain partners often find themselves in rather helpless positions, unable to improve their firm’s performance and profitability because their partners although willing to share production information do not fully collaborate in tackling customer order variations as they don’t seem to appreciate the benefits of such collaboration. Methods: We use a two-player (supplier-manufacturer) System Dynamics model to study the dynamics to assess the impact and usefulness of supply chain partner collaboration on the supply chain performance measures. Results: Simulation results of supply chain metrics under varied customer order patterns viz., basecase, random normal, random uniform, random upwardtrend, and random downwardtrend under (a) basecase, (b) independent optimization by manufacturer, and (c) collaborative optimization by manufacturer and supplier, are obtained to contrast them to develop useful insights. Conclusions: Focus on obtaining improved inventory turns with optimization techniques provides some viable options to managers and makes a strong case for increased collaborative planning forecasting and replenishment (CPFR) in supply chains. Despite the differences in the inventory management practices that it was contrasted with, CPFR has proven to be beneficial in a supply chain environment for all SC partners