MANCHESTER UNITED SOCCER CLUB

Journal of the American Statistical Association, 2009

Microsimulation models that describe disease processes synthesize information from multiple sources and can be used to estimate the effects of screening and treatment on cancer incidence and mortality at a population level. These models are characterized by simulation of individual event histories for an idealized population of interest. Microsimulation models are complex and invariably include parameters that are not well informed by existing data. Therefore, a key component of model development is the choice of parameter values. Microsimulation model parameter values are selected to reproduce expected or known results though the process of model calibration. Calibration may be done by perturbing model parameters one at a time or by using a search algorithm. As an alternative, we propose a Bayesian method to calibrate microsimulation models that uses Markov chain Monte Carlo. We show that this approach converges to the target distribution and use a simulation study to demonstrate its finite-sample performance. Although computationally intensive, this approach has several advantages over previously proposed methods, including the use of statistical criteria to select parameter values, simultaneous calibration of multiple parameters to multiple data sources, incorporation of information via prior distributions, description of parameter identifiability, and the ability to obtain interval estimates of model parameters. We develop a microsimulation model for colorectal cancer and use our proposed method to calibrate model parameters. The microsimulation model provides a good fit to the calibration data. We find evidence that some parameters are identified primarily through prior distributions. Our results underscore the need to incorporate multiple sources of variability (i.e., due to calibration data, unknown parameters, and estimated parameters and predicted values) when calibrating and applying microsimulation models.

El presente trabajo surge del análisis de la propia práctica docente en el primer año de la carrera de Sociología, más precisamente, en la asignatura ‘Fundamentos de Sociología’ perteneciente al Instituto de Cultura, Sociedad y Estado de la Universidad Nacional de Tierra de Fuego, entre 2015 y 2016. Nos proponemos indagar por un lado, el impacto que produce en la enseñanza de la Sociología la incorporación, en el programa analítico de la materia, de una perspectiva crítica, que respete la diversidad y, que por ende, incomode la mirada sobre las problemáticas sociales actuales; y por otra parte, el que produce la implementación de estrategias de construcción del conocimiento, en el proceso de enseñanza-aprendizaje, tendientes a evitar la reproducción del privilegio cultural / social. Nuestro trabajo está orientado por la hipótesis de que la formación sociológica y la práctica docente tradicionales conducen a la reproducción y consolidación de la desigualdad social y la exclusión educativa de lxs estudiantes de primer año. Para ello, nos proponemos realizar un estudio exploratorio de los resultados sobre el estudiantado, a partir de la incorporación de perspectivas críticas y de la implementación de nuevas estrategias educativas. Palabras Claves: Educación superior – Formación sociológica – Pensamiento crítico - Práctica docente - Inclusión educativa

This study explores how family therapy educators from privileged social locations understand issues of privilege and the process by which they integrate their personal and professional journeys to create and model equity in family therapy training and professional development. These educators developed awareness about issues of privilege and oppression and owned their privilege. Increased awareness involved personal struggles with guilt and managing internalized voices of prejudice that are constantly reinforced in society. These educators adopted a stance of action and accountability for equity. We hypothesize that the process leading to owning one’s privilege involves the ability to be compassionate for others’ suffering and one’s own limitations.

The Blackwell Brief Histories of Psychology offer concise, accessible, and lively accounts of key topics within psychology, such as emotion, intelligence, and stress, that have had a profound effect on psychological and cultural life. The books in this series provide a rich sense of historical context while remaining grounded in contemporary issues and research that will be of interest to both academic and general readers.

Vicro Communications (we use a pseudonym to mask the identity of the organization) sought to reengineer its basic business processes with the aid of data-centric enterprise software. Vicro management however made the mistake of relying completely on the software to improve the performance of its business processes. It was hoped that the software would increase information sharing, process efficiency, standardization of IT platforms, and data mining/warehousing capabilities. Management however made no attempt to rethink existing processes before embarking on a very expensive implementation of the software. Moreover, management made no attempt to obtain feedback or opinions from employees familiar with existing business or legacy systems prior to investing the software. Unfortunately for Vicro, the reengineering effort failed miserably even after investing hundreds of millions of dollars in software implementation. As a result, performance was not improved and the software is currently being phased out.

Networks and Spatial Economics, 2004

2014

A system of a finite number of linear vortices in self-similar motion and under suitable conditions that are related to the initial positions and circulations of the vortices can collapse to the point with finite time. It is shown how the initial positions that lead to the collapse can be found numerically. An explicit solution for the selfsimilar collapse of the trajectories is derived. Examples of a collapsing system of 3, 7, and 30 vortices are given. A description is given of how to obtain the curves of collapsing positions of vortices if one particular system of vortices has already been found. Examples of such curves are given.

The Skin I'm In by Sharon Flake

The Skin I'm In by Sharon Flake