Optimized network structure and routing metric in wireless multihop ad hoc communication

Inspired by the Statistical Physics of complex networks, wireless multihop ad hoc communication networks are considered in abstracted form. Since such engineered networks are able to modify their structure via topology control, we search for optimized network structures, which maximize the end-to-end throughput performance. A modified version of betweenness centrality is introduced and shown to be very relevant for the respective modeling. The calculated optimized network structures lead to a significant increase of the end-to-end throughput. The discussion of the resulting structural properties reveals that it will be almost impossible to construct these optimized topologies in a technologically efficient distributive manner. However, the modified betweenness centrality also allows to propose a new routing metric for the end-to-end communication traffic. This approach leads to an even larger increase of throughput capacity and is easily implementable in a technologically relevant manner.Comment: 25 pages, v2: fixed one small typo in the 'authors' fiel

The Effects of Mathematical Game Play on the Cognitive and Affective Development of Pre-Secondary Students

Society has consistently sought means of improving extant effective tools and designing new effective tools for educational purposes. With the consistent progression of technology, mathematical games—especially mathematical educational video games—stand out as potentially powerful mediums for helping new mathematics learners make sense of formal mathematical ideas. The aim of this study was to understand the effects that the introduction and use of a specific mathematical video game had for the cognitive, affective, and content-retentive learning outcomes of eighth graders studying elementary algebra for the first time. The three research questions guiding the study were the following: 1) How does integrating mathematical game play into a traditional eighth grade algebra curriculum impact students' cognitive learning outcomes in elementary algebra?; 2) How does integrating mathematical game play into a traditional eighth grade algebra curriculum impact students' affective outcomes about both mathematics in general and algebra specifically?; 3) How does integrating mathematical game play into a traditional eighth grade algebra curriculum impact students' content retention in elementary algebra? In order to realistically implement mathematical educational games in typical mathematics classrooms, a holistic understanding of such games’ effects must be understood through research addressing several aspects of students’ learning experiences. This study utilized a mixed methodology, drawing both quantitative and qualitative data from instruments administered to a class of eighth graders split into control and treatment groups. Quantitative data primarily entailed a series of three short examinations that tested students on their algebraic equation-solving content knowledge. Some additional metrics from game play data were recorded and discussed as quantitative data by the principal researcher. Qualitative data primarily entailed two series of interviews—one in two parts and one in three parts—and one questionnaire. Some additional observations of student interactions were also recorded and discussed as qualitative data by the principal researcher. Data on student cognition and student affect were collected at the beginning, middle, and end of the treatment. Data on student content retention were collected following a one-month recess after the treatment. This research suggests nine attributes that typified the mathematical game play experience found in this study: three attributes regarded student cognition, four attributes regarded student affect, and two attributes regarded student content retention. Additionally, the principal researcher designed and discussed a framework for assessing the cognitive mappings formed by student game players between content featured in mathematical game play and content of formal mathematical ideas. In analyzing these mappings, the principal researcher highlighted types of interspatial cognitive connections that proved to be either fruitless or, in fact, detrimental to student game players, damaging proper development and/or understanding of formal mathematical ideas. The study’s results have implications for informing future considerations of educational game design and the practical implementation of educational games as pedagogical tools within classrooms

SOCIAL/ENVIRONMENTAL SYSTEMS FOR REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLANNING

In this paper, we focus upon information needs for implementing public programs of resource use and control. Economic models for producing the needed data are presented as activity components of an extensive computer modeling capability. The activity components are building blocks in the construction of a workable system for relating research findings to management and policy questions in regional development.Community/Rural/Urban Development,

Eliciting Motives for Trust and Reciprocity by Attitudinal and Behavioural Measures

Value Surveys may reveal well-behaved societies by the statistical treatment of the agents’ declarations of compliance with social values. Similarly, the results of experiments conducted on games with conflict of interest trace back to two important primitives of social capital – trust and reciprocity – which can be used to explain deviations from the Nash equilibrium and which lead to the optimal cooperative outcome. In this paper we attempt to elicit the true motive(s) underlying the behaviour of players in experimental trust and dictator games and suggest that the most informative utilization of surveys in this regard goes beyond the simple comparison of answers to a questionnaire with actual behaviour. Specifically the paper uses descriptive statistics and ordered probit models to analyse whether, and to what extent, answers to a questionnaire about attitudes to trusting and reciprocating predict subjects’ behaviour and, by comparing behaviour in Trust and Dictator Game, disentangles the strategic and altruistic motivations. We find no simple or direct correlation between behavioural trust or trustworthiness and attitudinal trust or disposition to reciprocate. However, dividing subjects according to attitudinal trust and trustworthiness, we observe that the link between the questionnaire and experimental sessions is more subtle than the mere correlation between average attitudes and average behaviours. The information conveyed by a survey appears to be much more powerful ex post – once the two motivational components have been separated out.trust, reciprocity, experimental economics, ordered probit

Player agency in interactive narrative: audience, actor & author

The question motivating this review paper is, how can computer-based interactive narrative be used as a constructivist learn- ing activity? The paper proposes that player agency can be used to link interactive narrative to learner agency in constructivist theory, and to classify approaches to interactive narrative. The traditional question driving research in interactive narrative is, ‘how can an in- teractive narrative deal with a high degree of player agency, while maintaining a coherent and well-formed narrative?’ This question derives from an Aristotelian approach to interactive narrative that, as the question shows, is inherently antagonistic to player agency. Within this approach, player agency must be restricted and manip- ulated to maintain the narrative. Two alternative approaches based on Brecht’s Epic Theatre and Boal’s Theatre of the Oppressed are reviewed. If a Boalian approach to interactive narrative is taken the conflict between narrative and player agency dissolves. The question that emerges from this approach is quite different from the traditional question above, and presents a more useful approach to applying in- teractive narrative as a constructivist learning activity

Political Institutions and Distributive Politics in Japan : Getting Along with the Opposition

This paper analyses distributive policy-making in Japan using a natural experimental situation from August 1993 to March 1995. During this period, the partisan makeup of the ruling coalition in the Lower House dramatically changed without dissolution of the House. By comparing FY1994 and FY1995 budgets compiled by two different coalition governments, we can control for incumbent-specific strength to influence pork-barreling and can focus on how each districts representation in the ruling coalition affects the geographical allocation of public expenditures. The result shows the negative effect of the ruling coalitions seat share on per capita transfers. We argue that this is a logically consistent consequence under incentive mechanisms produced by Japans political institutions. The ruling coalition had an incentive to buy the support or acquiescence of opposition members in order to assure smooth operation in the legislative process.

Proceedings, MSVSCC 2011

Proceedings of the 5th Annual Modeling, Simulation & Visualization Student Capstone Conference held on April 14, 2011 at VMASC in Suffolk, Virginia. 186 pp

Web Based Organizing and the Management of Human Resources

The paper focuses on the consequences of web-based business-to-business transactions in medium and large old economy companies in particular and discusses the implications for HRM and HR professionals. Medium and large old economy companies can be involved in transactions within the new economy in different ways. First of all the paper gives an overview of the striking characteristics that distinguish web-based transactions from more traditional transactions. The paper continues with an overview of the different ways in which old economy companies are attempting to integrate elements of web-based organizing into their current business and the implications of it for human resources management. Three different ways of integration are distinguished:-Seeing the Net as an extension of normal market channels for buying and selling.-Using the Net to expand and improve current co-makership relationships amongst key suppliers (section 4).-Totally re-thinking business models before deciding on e-commerce strategy and practice, which implies desegregation and organizational revolution. Each of these areas will be highlighted and possible implications for human resources management and HR managers considered.human resource management;business to business transactions;human resource managers;web-based organizing