University of Victoria

About: University of Victoria is a education organization based out in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Galaxy. The organization has 14994 authors who have published 41051 publications receiving 1447972 citations. The organization is also known as: Victoria College.

Stochastic stability and robust stabilization of semi-Markov jump linear systems

Abstract: SUMMARY The semi-Markov jump linear system (S-MJLS) is more general than the Markov jump linear system (MJLS) in modeling some practical systems. Unlike the constant transition rates in the MJLS, the transition rates of the S-MJLS are time varying. This paper focuses on the robust stochastic stability condition and the robust control design problem for the S-MJLS with norm-bounded uncertainties. The infinitesimal generator for the constructed Lyapunov function is first derived. Numerically solvable sufficient conditions for the stochastic stability of S-MJLSs are then established in terms of linear matrix inequalities. To reduce the conservativeness of the stability conditions, we propose to incorporate the upper and lower bounds of the transition rate and meanwhile apply a new partition scheme. The robust state feedback controller is accordingly developed. Simulation studies and comparisons demonstrate the effectiveness and advantages of the proposed methods. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Rapid Rise of Sea Level 19,000 Years Ago and Its Global Implications

Abstract: Evidence from the Irish Sea basin supports the existence of an abrupt rise in sea level (meltwater pulse) at 19,000 years before the present (B.P.). Climate records indicate a large reduction in the strength of North Atlantic Deep Water formation and attendant cooling of the North Atlantic at this time, indicating a source of the meltwater pulse from one or more Northern Hemisphere ice sheets. Warming of the tropical Atlantic and Pacific oceans and the Southern Hemisphere also began at 19,000 years B.P. These responses identify mechanisms responsible for the propagation of deglacial climate signals to the Southern Hemisphere and tropics while maintaining a cold climate in the Northern Hemisphere.

A Quantitative Study of the Effects of Chaotropic Agents, Surfactants, and Solvents on the Digestion Efficiency of Human Plasma Proteins by Trypsin

Abstract: Plasma biomarkers studies are based on the differential expression of proteins between different treatment groups or between diseased and control populations. Most mass spectrometry-based methods of protein quantitation, however, are based on the detection and quantitation of peptides, not intact proteins. For peptide-based protein quantitation to be accurate, the digestion protocols used in proteomic analyses must be both efficient and reproducible. There have been very few studies, however, where plasma denaturation/digestion protocols have been compared using absolute quantitation methods. In this paper, 14 combinations of heat, solvent [acetonitrile, methanol, trifluoroethanol], chaotropic agents [guanidine hydrochloride, urea], and surfactants [sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and sodium deoxycholate (DOC)] were compared with respect to their effectiveness in improving subsequent tryptic digestion. These digestion protocols were evaluated by quantitating the production of proteotypic tryptic peptides fro...

What Good Is Polarizing Research Into Qualitative and Quantitative

Abstract: In education research, a polar distinction is frequently made to describe and produce different kinds of research: quantitative versus qualitative. In this article, the authors argue against that polarization and the associated polarization of the “subjective” and the “objective,” and they question the attribution of generalizability to only one of the poles. The purpose of the article is twofold: (a) to demonstrate that this polarization is not meaningful or productive for education research, and (b) to propose an integrated approach to education research inquiry. The authors sketch how such integration might occur by adopting a continuum instead of a dichotomy of generalizability. They then consider how that continuum might be related to the types of research questions asked, and they argue that the questions asked should determine the modes of inquiry that are used to answer them.

Using computerized games to teach face recognition skills to children with autism spectrum disorder: the Let's Face It! program.

Abstract: Background: An emerging body of evidence indicates that relative to typically developing children, children with autism are selectively impaired in their ability to recognize facial identity. A critical question is whether face recognition skills can be enhanced through a direct training intervention. Methods: In a randomized clinical trial, children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder were pre-screened with a battery of subtests (the Let’s Face It! Skills battery) examining face and object processing abilities. Participants who were significantly impaired in their face processing abilities were assigned to either a treatment or a waitlist group. Children in the treatment group (N = 42) received 20 hours of face training with the Let’s Face It! (LFI!) computer-based intervention. The LFI! program is comprised of seven interactive computer games that target the specific face impairments associated with autism, including the recognition of identity across image changes in expression, viewpoint and features, analytic and holistic face processing strategies and attention to information in the eye region. Time 1 and Time 2 performance for the treatment and waitlist groups was assessed with the Let’s Face It! Skills battery. Results: The main finding was that relative to the control group (N = 37), children in the face training group demonstrated reliable improvements in their analytic recognition of mouth features and holistic recognition of a face based on its eyes features. Conclusion: These results indicate that a relatively short-term intervention program can produce measurable improvements in the face recognition skills of children with autism. As a treatment for face processing deficits, the Let’s Face It! program has advantages of being cost-free, adaptable to the specific learning needs of the individual child and suitable for home and school applications. Keywords: Face recognition, autism, computerbased intervention, training, perceptual expertise. Abbreviations: LFI!: Let’s Face It!; ASD: autism spectrum disorder; RCT: randomized clinical trial; PDD-NOS: pervasive developmental disorder, not otherwise specified; ADI-R: Autism Diagnostic Interview ‐ Revised; ADOS-G: Diagnostic Observation