Search results for "convergence"

A Dominance Variant Under the Multi-Unidimensional Pairwise-Preference Framework: Model Formulation and Markov Chain Monte Carlo Estimation.

2018

Forced-choice questionnaires have been proposed as a way to control some response biases associated with traditional questionnaire formats (e.g., Likert-type scales). Whereas classical scoring methods have issues of ipsativity, item response theory (IRT) methods have been claimed to accurately account for the latent trait structure of these instruments. In this article, the authors propose the multi-unidimensional pairwise preference two-parameter logistic (MUPP-2PL) model, a variant within Stark, Chernyshenko, and Drasgow’s MUPP framework for items that are assumed to fit a dominance model. They also introduce a Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) procedure for estimating the model’s paramete…

2018

Abstract. In situ cloud observations at mountain-top research stations regularly measure ice crystal number concentrations (ICNCs) orders of magnitudes higher than expected from measurements of ice nucleating particle (INP) concentrations. Thus, several studies suggest that mountain-top in situ cloud microphysical measurements are influenced by surface processes, e.g., blowing snow, hoar frost or riming on snow-covered trees, rocks and the snow surface. This limits the relevance of such measurements for the study of microphysical properties and processes in free-floating clouds. This study assesses the impact of surface processes on in situ cloud observations at the Sonnblick Observatory in…

Efficient Analysis of Arbitrarily Shaped Inductive Obstacles in Rectangular Waveguides Using a Surface Integral Equation Formulation

2007

In this paper we propose to use the Surface Integral Equation technique for the analysis of arbitrarily shaped Hplane obstacles in rectangular waveguides, which can contain both metallic and/or dielectric objects. The Green functions are formulated using both spectral and spatial images series, whose convergence behavior has been improved through several acceleration techniques. Proceeding in this way, the convergence of the series is not attached to the employment of any particular basis or test function, thus consequently increasing the flexibility of the implemented technique. In order to test the accuracy and numerical efficiency of the proposed method, results for practical microwave c…

A surface hopping algorithm for nonadiabatic minimum energy path calculations

2015

The article introduces a robust algorithm for the computation of minimum energy paths transiting along regions of near-to or degeneracy of adiabatic states. The method facilitates studies of excited state reactivity involving weakly avoided crossings and conical intersections. Based on the analysis of the change in the multiconfigurational wave function the algorithm takes the decision whether the optimization should continue following the same electronic state or switch to a different state. This algorithm helps to overcome convergence difficulties near degeneracies. The implementation in the MOLCAS quantum chemistry package is discussed. To demonstrate the utility of the proposed procedur…

The Differences in Values Between Managers of the European Founding Countries, the New Members and the Applicant Countries:

2007

Advocates for a social Europe are worried that the accession of ex-Eastern Bloc countries into the European Community would lead European corporations to emphasize a financial orientation rather than a societal orientation. We examined this question in a study of the values orientations of 3,836 managers in 16 countries representing established EU, new EU, and candidate EU country groups. Within-Europe managerial values convergence was found in a relatively high openness to change and low self-enhancement values. However, we found divergent values such that managers in established EU countries were more self-transcendent and less conservative than their counterparts in new EU and candidate …

Implementation of TICs for the Virtual Learning of Literary Subjects: From Aula Virtual to OCW and Universia

2016

Within the current European Convergence Process and the development of the new University degrees, a compromise has been reached to adapt the English Studies (before English Philology) curricula to the current needs of students in a highly competitive society. The final goal is to transform our education system into one of learning. This actually implies that the student must engage himself more closely with the university and that he may lead his coursework in a more autonomous way, backed up by more active educational strategies, such as the personalised tutoring guide, the use of the new technologies, and the team work.

Croissance et convergence des pays de la zone CFA : une étude par les données de panel non stationnaires

2011

During the recent years, african countries in the CFA zone have experienced many economic changes on the one hand through the measures initiated by bilateral and multilateral donors and on the other hand through the economic and monetary integration policies. Thus, relying on the assumption that because of these interventions, the economic systems incorporate various phenomena such as structural change and economic interdependencies, we studied their major implications on growth, convergence and growth predictability. Emphasis is first placed on the major features of integration policies in a monetary union, while stressing the possible implications of such policies on the economic dynamics…

Challenging aspects in Consensus protocols for networks

2008

Results on consensus protocols for networks are presented. The basic tools and the main contribution available in the literature are considered, together with some of the related challenging aspects: estimation in networks and how to deal with disturbances is considered. Motivated by applications to sensor, peer-to- peer, and ad hoc networks, many papers have considered the problem of estimation in a consensus fashion. Here, the unknown but bounded (UBB) noise affecting the network is addressed in details. Because of the presence of UBB disturbances convergence to equilibria with all equal components is, in general, not possible. The solution of the epsiv-consensus problem, where the states…

2020

While most of opinion formation models consider static networks, a dynamic opinion formation model is proposed in this work. The so-called Temporal Threshold Page Rank Opinion Formation model (TTPROF) integrates temporal evolution in two ways. First, the opinion of the agents evolve with time. Second, the network structure is also time varying. More precisely, the relations between agents evolve with time. In the TTPROF model, a node is affected by part of its neighbor's opinions weighted by their Page Rank values. A threshold is introduced in order to limit the neighbors that can share their opinion. In other words, a neighbor influences a node if the difference between their opinions is b…

Are Low Prices Compromises Collusion Guarantees? An Experimental Analysis of Price Matching Policies

2001

In this paper we experimentally test the ability of Price-Matching Guarantees (PMG) to rise prices above the competitive level. We implement three different treatments of symmetric duopolies to check the effect of PMG both as a market institution and as a business strategy. In the absence of any low-price guarantee, prices get close to the Bertrand-Nash equilibrium although in the 50 rounds of the experiment no full convergence is obtained. The existence of PMG as an institution in a market where firms decide only about prices results in a clear collusive outcome as all markets quickly and fully converge to the collusive prediction. If we allow subjects to decide whether they adopt price ma…