Boise State University

About: Boise State University is a education organization based out in Boise, Idaho, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Computer science. The organization has 3698 authors who have published 8664 publications receiving 210163 citations. The organization is also known as: BSU & Boise State.

On maximum, typical and generic ranks

Abstract: We show that for several notions of rank including tensor rank, Waring rank, and generalized rank with respect to a projective variety, the maximum value of rank is at most twice the generic rank. We show that over the real numbers, the maximum value of the real rank is at most twice the smallest typical rank, which is equal to the (complex) generic rank.

Perfectionism Differences in Gifted Middle School Students.

Abstract: Perfectionism has been cited as a major characteristic associated with children and adolescents who have been identified as gifted and talented. This study explored grade level, birth order, and gender differences among 391 students in three gifted and talented programs. The students completed an adaptation of the Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale. A2 × 3 × 3 between subject multivariate analysis revealed that females expressed more concern than males about organization, while males reported stronger parental expectations. First born adolescents reported higher parental criticism and expectations than youngest children. Females' concerns about making mistakes increases from grade 6 to grade 8 while the pattern for males fluctuated insignificantly. Patterns of parental criticism varied between males and females from grade 6 through grade 8.

Communication During a Merger: The Experience of Two Banks

Abstract: This paper examines the communication used during a merger between two banks in the Pacific Northwest, U.S.A. The study drew on the framework of Ivancevich, Schweiger and Power (1987) to examine the communication process used during different phases of the merger. The study used several sources of data at each bank: interviews with current and former employees, a survey of current employees, newspaper articles and other external information sources, and internal documents such as memos and newsletters. The findings suggest that individuals took charge of controlling their stress during the merger and that the two banks played somewhat lesser roles in the process, except for the period immediately after the announcement of the intent to merge.

Test expectancy affects metacomprehension accuracy.

Abstract: Background. Theory suggests that the accuracy of metacognitive monitoring is affected by the cues used to judge learning. Researchers have improved monitoring accuracy by directing attention to more appropriate cues; however, this is the first study to more directly point students to more appropriate cues using instructions regarding tests and practice tests. Aims. The purpose of the present study was to examine whether the accuracy metacognitive monitoring was affected by the nature of the test expected. Sample and method. Students (N= 59) were randomly assigned to one of two test expectancy groups (memory vs. inference). Then after reading texts, judging learning, completed both memory and inference tests. Results. Test performance and monitoring accuracy were superior when students received the kind of test they had been led to expect rather than the unexpected test. Conclusion. Tests influence students' perceptions of what constitutes learning. Our findings suggest that this could affect how students prepare for tests and how they monitoring their own learning.

A High-Order Kernel Method for Diffusion and Reaction-Diffusion Equations on Surfaces

Abstract: In this paper we present a high-order kernel method for numerically solving diffusion and reaction-diffusion partial differential equations (PDEs) on smooth, closed surfaces embedded in $\mathbb{R}^d$. For two-dimensional surfaces embedded in $\mathbb{R}^3$, these types of problems have received growing interest in biology, chemistry, and computer graphics to model such things as diffusion of chemicals on biological cells or membranes, pattern formations in biology, nonlinear chemical oscillators in excitable media, and texture mappings. Our kernel method is based on radial basis functions (RBFs) and uses a semi-discrete approach (or the method-of-lines) in which the surface derivative operators that appear in the PDEs are approximated using collocation. The method only requires nodes at "scattered" locations on the surface and the corresponding normal vectors to the surface. Additionally, it does not rely on any surface-based metrics and avoids any intrinsic coordinate systems, and thus does not suffer from any coordinate distortions or singularities. We provide error estimates for the kernel-based approximate surface derivative operators and numerically study the accuracy and stability of the method. Applications to different non-linear systems of PDEs that arise in biology and chemistry are also presented.