University of New Brunswick

About: University of New Brunswick is a(n) education organization based out in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada. It is known for research contribution in the topic(s): Population & Adsorption. The organization has 10498 authors who have published 20654 publication(s) receiving 474448 citation(s).

Reproduction numbers and sub-threshold endemic equilibria for compartmental models of disease transmission

Abstract: A precise definition of the basic reproduction number, Ro, is presented for a general compartmental disease transmission model based on a system of ordinary dierential equations. It is shown that, if Ro 1, then it is unstable. Thus,Ro is a threshold parameter for the model. An analysis of the local centre manifold yields a simple criterion for the existence and stability of super- and sub-threshold endemic equilibria for Ro near one. This criterion, together with the definition of Ro, is illustrated by treatment, multigroup, staged progression, multistrain and vectorhost models and can be applied to more complex models. The results are significant for disease control.

Estimation of latent ability using a response pattern of graded scores

Abstract: Estimation of latent ability using the entire response pattern of free-response items is discussed, first in the general case and then in the case where the items are scored in a graded way, especially when the thinking process required for solving each item is assumed to be homogeneous. The maximum likelihood estimator, the Bayes modal estimator, and the Bayes estimator obtained by using the mean-square error multiplied by the density function of the latent variate as the loss function are taken as our estimators. Sufficient conditions for the existence of a unique maximum likelihood estimator and a unique Bayes modal estimator are formulated with respect to an individual item rather than with respect to a whole set of items, which are useful especially in the situation where we are free to choose optimal items for a particular examinee out of the item library in which a sufficient number of items are stored with reliable quality controls. Advantages of the present methods are investigated by comparing them with those which make use of conventional dichotomous items or test scores, theoretically as well as empirically, in terms of the amounts of information, the standard errors of estimators, and the mean-square errors of estimators. The utility of the Bayes modal estimator as a computational compromise for the Bayes estimator is also discussed and observed. The relationship between the formula for the item characteristic function and the philosophy of scoring is observed with respect to dichotomous items.

A detailed analysis of the KDD CUP 99 data set

Abstract: During the last decade, anomaly detection has attracted the attention of many researchers to overcome the weakness of signature-based IDSs in detecting novel attacks, and KDDCUP'99 is the mostly widely used data set for the evaluation of these systems. Having conducted a statistical analysis on this data set, we found two important issues which highly affects the performance of evaluated systems, and results in a very poor evaluation of anomaly detection approaches. To solve these issues, we have proposed a new data set, NSL-KDD, which consists of selected records of the complete KDD data set and does not suffer from any of mentioned shortcomings.

The Chlamydomonas Genome Reveals the Evolution of Key Animal and Plant Functions

Abstract: Chlamydomonas reinhardtii is a unicellular green alga whose lineage diverged from land plants over 1 billion years ago. It is a model system for studying chloroplast-based photosynthesis, as well as the structure, assembly, and function of eukaryotic flagella (cilia), which were inherited from the common ancestor of plants and animals, but lost in land plants. We sequenced the approximately 120-megabase nuclear genome of Chlamydomonas and performed comparative phylogenomic analyses, identifying genes encoding uncharacterized proteins that are likely associated with the function and biogenesis of chloroplasts or eukaryotic flagella. Analyses of the Chlamydomonas genome advance our understanding of the ancestral eukaryotic cell, reveal previously unknown genes associated with photosynthetic and flagellar functions, and establish links between ciliopathy and the composition and function of flagella.

A meta‐analysis of the predictors of adult offender recidivism: what works!*

Abstract: Meta-analytic techniques were used to determine which predictor domains and actuarial assessment instruments were the best predictors of adult offender recidivism. One hundred and thirty-one studies produced 1,141 correlations with recidivism. The strongest predictor domains were criminogenic needs, criminal history/history of antisocial behavior, social achievement, age/gender/race, and family factors. Less robust predictors included intellectual functioning, personal distress factors, and socioeconomic status in the family of origin. Dynamic predictor domains performed at least as well as the static domains. The LSI-R was identified as the most useful actuarial measure. Recommendations for developing sound assessment practices in corrections are provided.