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Defines critical academic skills that should be the hallmark of Kansas community college graduates, in anticipation of a legislative mandate for a common accountability measurement system. Presents five key critical competencies: oral and written communication skills, interpersonal and team skills, critical thinking and complex problem-solving skills, awareness of cultural and social diversity, and basic mathematical skills. (Contains 37 references.) (PGS)

Intends to sketch the research climate in Egypt in such a way that will have relevance to conducting research in the broader developing world. Explains that the problems encountered doing research in Egypt can be expected to occur in most developing countries, not only in Egypt. (CMK)

A literature review, focus groups (n=200), and questionnaire responses from 324 family physicians identified their learning needs related to osteoporosis. The three methods identified different learning issues, suggesting the importance of triangulation to ensure currency and relevance in continuing-education needs-assessment. (SK)

A heuristic study of the methodology used in a civic behavior study examined how data from literary and historical subjects were merged with live interviews, a triangulation that produced rich insights. Suggestions for incorporating nontraditional data sources include considering selection issues and process, media choice, depth, context, and voice. (SK)

Tests the ability of Bowenian family systems theory to explain career-decision problems in young adults. Young adults (N=1,006) completed self-report measures of fusion, triangulation, intimidation, trait anxiety, and career-decision problems. Analyses support the mediating role of anxiety for fusion and intimidation; triangulation was not related to career-decision problems. (Author/MKA)

Compares students with disabilities and students with no disabilities on the family systems measures of fusion and triangulation. Examines the relationships among fusion, triangulation, and college adjustment. Relationships between fusion and college adjustment and between triangulation and college adjustment were found. (Author/MKA)

Describes a method for assessing the effects of an undergraduate environmental history course on student environmental worldviews, the foundation of which is triangulation of method. A grounded survey instrument was used to supply quantitative and qualitative data which were supplemented by data from open-ended interviews. The method was effective in identifying degree and direction of changes in student worldviews. Contains 23 references. (Author/PVD)

Investigates attitudes toward e-mail and e-mail policies through a case study of e-mail users at a university library. Indicates those who use e-mail frequently have more favorable attitudes to it than less frequent users and are more opposed to policies regulating e-mail communication. Notes that employees prefer guidelines to restrictive policies. (PA)

Discusses the components of a new methodology--consensual qualitative research (CQR)--which uses words to describe phenomena and which recognizes the importance of context. Locates CQR within the qualitative research tradition and details ways to develop a focused topic area, choose a team, attend to group dynamics, and other important issues. (RJM)

Traffic network design is a pivotal aspect of urban planning, necessitating a harmonious blend of theoretical and practical approaches. In this paper, we propose a novel network design methodology utilizing Delaunay triangulation. We address the limitations of raw Delaunay networks, particularly their triangular configurations, by introducing edge-reduction techniques guided by a newly developed metric, detour redundancy. This metric is instrumental in assessing edge importance, facilitating the transformation of the network to better mirror real-world traffic scenarios. The efficacy and practical application of the designed networks are then evaluated through traffic simulations using the principles of cellular automata. Our findings underscore the potential of this approach in enriching traffic network design and pave the way for future investigations into diverse network characteristics and their implications in urban environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents our recent experience studying public perceptions, discourses, and social values in Park Beverin, a Regional Nature Park in Switzerland. We applied four social research methods (news media analysis, survey with micro‐narratives, go‐along interviews, and focus groups), and delved into the subject of wolf Canis lupus adapting a triangulation protocol and systematic process from the health sciences. We observed the recurring perceptions of 'wolf' throughout three of the four methods; however, depictions, values, prominence, and presence varied by method. Social values of the wolf were mostly silent when compared to other topics, and 'wolf amplification' and 'wolf fatigue' point to the need to rethink the social aspects in wolf management, conservation, and policy. The findings also show the need for diverse research methods for revealing social values and perceptions on sensitive topics that otherwise the use of one method may be masking or amplifying. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Web-based platforms for delivering physical activity (PA) to people with developmental disabilities have a great potential to improve the lives of many. However, their design, including the content design, lacks sufficient investigation. This study aims to evaluate three online platforms for delivering PA to people with developmental disabilities in terms of content quality and identify relevant barriers and facilitators of PA delivery. Methods: The study used a methodological triangulation approach which involved quantitative evaluations by experts using an evaluation rubric, on-site observations and in-depth interviews with recruited participants. The participants consisted of 15 pairs of individuals, each consisting of a person with developmental disabilities and their primary caregiver. They were instructed to watch and follow five PA video content from each of the three platforms. The on-site observations and interviews were conducted in a large computer-equipped meeting room setting. Results: The quantitative and qualitative analysis identified a set of barriers and facilitators of PA delivery related to content quality. Key barriers identified include a lack of content diversity, insufficient understanding of developmental disabilities among content creators, inappropriate language usage, and resistance to engaging in physical activities in home settings. Significant facilitators were pinpointed, such as incorporating engaging elements for individuals with developmental disabilities, utilising easy-read language, and ensuring sufficient repetition for effective learning. The results from the triangulation showed that the multiple methods were complementary and converged on the same outcome. Discussion: The study findings could contribute to the development of adequately adapted PA content to distribute knowledge to populations with developmental disabilities. IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION: Content delivered via online platforms has the potential to convey knowledge about physical activity to a significant number of individuals with developmental disabilities without the limitations of time and space. The absence of prescribed content guidelines to effectively impart physical activity to individuals with developmental disabilities impedes the process of online knowledge translation. There is a requirement for varied physical activity content encompassing various individuals with developmental disabilities, considering their diverse learning contexts. It is essential that content development is evaluated with input from experts in developmental disabilities in order to provide quality physical activity information for people with developmental disabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Handling geotechnical peculiarities in specialized ground models – an experience report Dr. Spang GmbH has developed numerous specialized ground models in recent years and has gained corresponding experience in ground modeling. Within the company, a standard procedure for creating these specialized models has been established. From a software perspective, automatic meshing (triangulated 3D surface mesh of the layer boundaries) already delivers useful results for many standard cases. However, in geotechnics, there are not only standard cases and features to assess. Geotechnical peculiarities (e. g. inhomogeneous layering) result in an increased manual modeling effort. This article aims to shed light on how to handle these peculiarities in modeling, present the additional modeling steps involved, and highlight the software limitations that arise in automatic meshing (interpolation or triangulation) in such special cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractIn spatial analysis, it is essential to understand and quantify spatial or temporal heterogeneity. This paper focuses on the generalized spatially varying coefficient model (GSVCM), a powerful framework to accommodate spatial heterogeneity by allowing regression coefficients to vary in a given spatial domain. We propose a penalized bivariate spline method for detecting local signals in GSVCM. The key idea is to use bivariate splines defined on triangulation to approximate nonparametric varying coefficient functions and impose a local penalty on L2 norms of spline coefficients for each triangle to identify null regions of zero effects. Moreover, we develop model confidence regions as the inference tool to quantify the uncertainty of the estimated null regions. Our method partitions the region of interest using triangulation and efficiently approximates irregular domains. In addition, we propose an efficient algorithm to obtain the proposed estimator using the local quadratic approximation. We also establish the consistency of estimated nonparametric coefficient functions and the estimated null regions. The numerical performance of the proposed method is evaluated in both simulation cases and real data analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When we ask people to tell us the story of their lives, it is not the full extent of their biographies that we have access to, but only a partial version of it. Biographical narratives are permeated by processes of selection that imply highlighting some things while omitting others. Most of the time, what is left unsaid cannot be fully acknowledged, precisely because it is not explicitly verbalised. In the scope of the research project Biographical echoes, we were able to identify significant events and relationships in a person's life that were not disclosed in autobiographical accounts but were unveiled in hetero-biographical ones by close people who were interviewed about that person's life. The triangulation of data allowed us to access elements of a biography that would otherwise have remained unseen. By taking omissions as units of analysis, we characterised their main features and identified three distinct profiles of omissions using a Multiple Correspondence Analysis: relational, light and taboo. We argue that the act of omitting something is a meaningful social action with implications at both the biographical and analytical levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Up to date, the systemic mechanisms that explain the intergenerational transmission of familial dysfunction remain theoretically and empirically unclear. Hence, this study examines the intergenerational transmission of relational and intrapersonal dysfunction and their collective effect on the psychological adjustment of third-generation children through the lens of Bowen family systems theory. Lithuanian parents (N = 348; M age = 40.66; range 26–59) of children aged six to ten years cross-sectionally reported on their differentiation of self (DoS), emotional and relational dynamics within their family-of-origin and nuclear family, and the psychological adjustment of their child of greatest concern. Structural equation modeling and mediation analyses findings offered empirical support to Bowen theory, highlighting that family-of-origin dysfunction is associated with nuclear family intrapersonal and relational dysfunction, and ultimately with third-generation's psychological maladjustment. Results demonstrated that a poor family-of-origin emotional system appears to contribute, via triangulation processes, to reduced DoS in adult children. The reduced DoS appears to perpetuate intergenerational triangulation, and to negatively impact couple relationship and co-parenting functioning within the nuclear family. In contrast to triangulation, couple dysfunction was found to predict poorer psychological adjustment in third-generation offspring. This study advances family systems theory by (i) examining the prominent role of triangulation and DoS within the intergenerational transmission process, (ii) highlighting the potential differential impact of a negative nuclear family emotional system on children through triangulation, and (iii) clarifying the potential role of spousal relationship satisfaction and co-parenting in mediating the relationship between parental DoS and offspring's psychological adjustment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concepts of 'reliability' and 'validity' are not only essential but also complex in quantitative research. They serve as crucial tools to assess the quality of the study. However, when it comes to qualitative research, these two concepts, although widely accepted, present a myriad of challenges. This article delves into the intricacies of these two concepts in the context of qualitative research, highlighting the difficulties researchers face in their application. Reliability and validity are important factors determining whether a research project stands or falls. These two concepts are widely discussed and accepted in quantitative research. However, they are often viewed differently in qualitative research. In qualitative research, reliability and validity are seen as competing factors. On one side, reliability and validity have no place in the qualitative research discourse. This discourse assumes that subjectivity and integrity are essential factors in research to understand human beings in real social contexts. On the other side, reliability and validity are helpful in qualitative research. However, they need to be redefined or replaced by other concepts to enhance the strength of the research design and its significance. For example, some researchers argue for the use of 'trustworthiness' as a replacement for reliability and validity in qualitative research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To address the issues of large anomalous triangulations, invalid interpolations, and uneven boundary interpolations in kriging interpolation, we propose research on a coal seam modeling construction method based on improved kriging interpolation. The work methodology assumes that by introducing kriging interpolation and analyzing its problems, we improve the interpolation method via a local interpolation algorithm for large anomalous triangulations, an optimization algorithm for locally redundant interpolation points, and a nonuniform boundary adaptive local interpolation algorithm. These improvements allow the interpolation method to better reflect the variability and realistic nature of coal seams. The research results indicate that applying this method to the construction of the Dananhu No. 2 open-pit mine coal seam model has improved the issue of coal seam transition stiffness, such as abnormal large-area triangulation in areas with significant elevation differences. This approach appropriately reduces the memory space usage without altering the coal seam morphology (which saves approximately 27,000 KB of memory, equivalent to the space occupied by 4 out of 21 coal seams). It has also prevented inaccuracies in boundary line positioning and transitions caused by too low a density of points on the coal seam reserve boundary line, resulting in smoother model transitions at the boundaries that better align with the actual coal seam change trends, the error rate in coal quality estimation decreased by 62.69%. This study provides data support for mining planning and reduces costs. This method can be extended to the construction of all mine models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Geofence is a virtual boundary that helps in location‐based services. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) fly without a pilot, and geofence helps in regulating these vehicles and constraints a UAV to enter the boundary of other UAV. However, these have to go through many safety and security features like avoiding collision, complying within the restricted area, and organizing airspaces with high traffic. The UAVs need to be within the boundaries to avoid various damages to property and loss of lives. Geofences help to detect boundary violation of UAVs to a great extent. This study uses various mathematical algorithms to create geofences and detect boundary violation of UAVs. The existing methods, Delaunay triangulation and triangle weight characterization with adjacency, are implemented. The existing methods have high execution time as well as high standard deviation and low accuracy. Further, a novel method for boundary violation detection is proposed using a convex hull to create geofences. The results show that the proposed method improves the execution time by 59.23% and accuracy by 1.35%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Mind‐wandering (MW) refers to the shift of attention away from an ongoing task and/or external environment towards mental contents (e.g., memories, prospective thoughts) unrelated to the task. Physiological measures (e.g., pupil size, EEG, and fMRI) have often been acquired as objective markers for MW states, which has greatly helped their study as well as triangulation with other measures. Pupillometry in particular has been used as a covert biomarker of MW because it is reliably modulated by several distinct processes spanning arousal, emotion, and attention, and it signals attentional lapses. Yet, coupling MW and the measurement of pupil size has led to seemingly contrasting results. We argue that, common to the studies reviewed here, one reason is resolving to the measurement of tonic pupil size, which reflects low‐frequency, slow changes in one's physiological state, and thus implicitly assumes that MW is a static, long‐lasting process. We then additionally focus on three major axes of variability in the reviewed studies: (i) the definition and measurement of MW; (ii) the impact of contextual aspects, such as task demands and individual arousal levels; (iii) the identification and tracking of MW in combination with pupillary measures. We provide an overview of these differences and put forward recommendations for using physiological measures—including, but not limited to, pupil size—in MW research effectively. In conclusion, pupillometry can be a very informative tool for MW research, provided that it is used with the due methodological caution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We show that there is a constant c$c$ such that any 3‐uniform hypergraph H${\mathcal {H}}$ with n$n$ vertices and at least cn5/2$cn^{5/2}$ edges contains a triangulation of the real projective plane as a subgraph. This resolves a conjecture of Kupavskii, Polyanskii, Tomon and Zakharov. Furthermore, our work, combined with prior results, asymptotically determines the Turán number of all surfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT This article examines the role of grassroots actors in regions of violent conflict where competing governance systems exists. Specifically, it focuses on those living in the borderlands of South America, where alternative forms of governance may be created in response to violence between state and criminal organizations. In this context, how can grassroots actors overcome protracted armed violence and establish new, legitimate forms of social governance? To explore this question, our methodology employs data triangulation, combining literature, news reports, and fieldwork data collected in two violence‐prone territories: the borderlands of Cúcuta (Colombia)/Táchira state (Venezuela) and Pedro Juan Caballero (Paraguay)/Ponta Porã (Brazil). We argue that grassroots actors can develop innovative and alternative governance structures that differ from those of the state and criminal groups. This research also contributes to the ongoing discussion about the agency of local actors in violent conflicts between nonstate actors and the state. The findings demonstrate that grassroots actors in violent border regions can actively transform conflicts and build peace, particularly in areas such as migration, security, health, and education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trajectory mapping techniques have widespread applications in diverse fields, including robotics, localization, smart environments, gaming, and tracking systems. However, existing free devices encounter challenges in representing trajectories, thereby limiting the effectiveness of applications such as robotics, localization, and tracking systems. The imprecise mappings generated by these methods lead to suboptimal performance and unreliable results. The proposed approach leverages WiFi sensing through channel state information (CSI), triangulation techniques, and a fine-tuning mechanism to enhance trajectory precision within indoor environment trajectory mapping. The proposed solution employs a domain adapter fine-tuning technique to enable location-independent tracking via CSI, minimizing errors. The use of CSI MIMO signals for trajectory mapping offers enhanced spatial resolution, robust multipath handling, and improved accuracy in tracking movement by leveraging multiple antenna channels and exploiting the rich information embedded in signal reflections and scattering, while triangulation aids in accurately determining the location of objects or targets. Furthermore, incorporating a fine-tuning mechanism refines the generated trajectories. The findings demonstrate substantial enhancements in mapping precision, with an accuracy of 95.5% in tracking 13 paths within the new domain. These results underscore the effectiveness of the proposed approach in overcoming the limitations of existing methods and achieving highly accurate trajectory mapping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In an error estimation of finite element solutions to the Poisson equation, we usually impose the shape regularity assumption on the meshes to be used. In this paper, we show that even if the shape regularity condition is violated, the standard error estimation can be obtained if "bad" elements that violate the shape regularity or maximum angle condition are covered virtually by simplices that satisfy the minimum angle condition. A numerical experiment illustrates the theoretical result. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is known that any infinite periodic frieze comes from a triangulation of an annulus by Theorem 4.6 of [K. Baur, M. J. Parsons and M. Tschabold, Infinite friezes, European J. Combin.54 (2016) 220–237]. In this paper, we show that each infinite periodic frieze determines a triangulation of an annulus in essentially a unique way. Since each triangulation of an annulus determines a pair of friezes, we study such pairs and show how they determine each other. We study associated module categories and determine the growth coefficient of the pair of friezes in terms of modules as well as their quiddity sequences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Approaches to integrating mixed methods into medical research are gaining popularity. To get a holistic understanding of the effects of behavioural interventions, we investigated religious fasting using a triangulation of quantitative, qualitative, and natural language analysis. We analysed an observational study of Bahá'í fasting in Germany using a between-method triangulation that is based on links between qualitative and quantitative analyses. Individual interviews show an increase in the mindfulness and well-being categories. Sentiment scores, extracted from the interviews through natural language processing, positively correlate with questionnaire outcomes on quality of life (WHO-5: Spearman correlation r = 0.486, p = 0.048). Five questionnaires contribute to the first principal component capturing the spectrum of mood states (50.1% explained variance). Integrating the findings of the between-method triangulation enabled us to converge on the underlying effects of this kind of intermittent fasting. Trial registration: NCT03443739 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Visual–Inertial SLAM (VI-SLAM) has a wide range of applications spanning robotics, autonomous driving, AR, and VR due to its low-cost and high-precision characteristics. VI-SLAM is divided into localization and mapping tasks. However, researchers focus more on the localization task while the robustness of the mapping task is often ignored. To address this, we propose a map-point convergence strategy which explicitly estimates the position, the uncertainty, and the stability of the map point (SoM). As a result, the proposed method can effectively improve the quality of the whole map while ensuring state-of-the-art localization accuracy. The convergence strategy mainly consists of a perpendicular-based triangulation and 3D Gaussian–uniform mixture filter, and we name it PGMF, perpendicular-based 3D Gaussian–uniform mixture filter. The algorithm is extensively tested on open-source datasets, which shows the RVM (Ratio of Valid Map points) of our algorithm exhibits an average increase of 0.1471 compared to VINS-mono, with a variance reduction of 68.8%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In collective harm cases, bad consequences follow if enough people act in a certain way even though no such individual act makes a difference for the worse. Global warming, overfishing and Derek Parfit's famous case of the harmless torturers are some examples of such harm. Shelly Kagan argues that there is a threshold such that one single act might trigger harm in all collective harm cases. Julia Nefsky points to serious shortcomings in Kagan's argument, but does not show that his conclusion is incorrect. I argue that our best theories of vagueness (the epistemic view of vagueness, three-valued logic, and supervaluationism) entail that there is a threshold in all collective harm cases. However, my analysis points to another problem with Kagan's argument: the thresholds are not necessarily perceptible. Given the assumption that only perceptible differences matter morally, passing such a threshold does not necessarily trigger morally relevant harm, pace Kagan. Last, I consider two variants of Kagan's argument and find both problematic. One controversially assumes that observational relations like 'cannot perceive the difference between' are transitive. The other problematically assumes that so called triangulation always is possible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a new justification for methodological triangulation (MT), the practice of using different methods to support the same scientific claim. Unlike existing accounts, our account captures cases in which the different methods in question are associated with, and rely on, incommensurable theories. Using a nonstandard Bayesian model, we show that even in such cases, a commitment to the minimal form of epistemic conservatism, captured by the rigidity condition that stands at the basis of Jeffrey's conditionalization, supports the practice of MT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The conventional triangulation of 2-spheres and subdivision of tetrahedrons in R 3 are difficult to generalize to higher dimensions. The challenge lies in finding a systematic way to characterize each of subcells after the division. This work discusses the dissection of high-dimensional hypercubes and presents a way where all subsequent subcells and their symmetries can be systematically enumerated. Of particular interest is a generic coordinate system that is employed to construct all cells through suitable homeomorphisms. By repeatedly applying this generic coordinate to all cells, multitasking in parallel is possible. On the other hand, the Borsuk-Ulam theorem asserts that every continuous function from an n-sphere into the Euclidian n-space maps at least one pair of antipodal points on the sphere with the same function value. The exquisiteness lies in that only the continuity is assumed in the theorem with yet such profound applications. As an application, this enumeration scheme can be employed to find the Borsuk-Ulam antipodal pair guaranteed without evoking any derivative information for the task. Numerical experiments manifest the effectiveness and potential of this enumeration scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let R be any real closed field expanded by some o-minimal structure. Let f : A → Rd be a definable and continuous mapping defined on a definable, closed, bounded subset A of Rn. Let E be a finite family of definable subsets of Rn contained in A. Let p be any positive integer. We prove that then there exists a finite simplicial complex T in Rn and a definable homeomorphism h :|T| → A, where |T| := υT, such that for each simplex Δ ∈ T, the restriction of h to its relative interior ... is a Cp-embedding of ... into Rn and moreover both h and f o h are of class Cp in the sense that they have definable Cp-extensions defined on an open definable neighborhood of |T| in Rn. We then call a pair (T, h) a strict Cp-triangulation of A. In addition, this triangulation can be made compatible with E in the sense that for each E ∈ E, h-1(E) is a union of some ... where Δ ∈ T. We also give an application to approximation theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]