An algorithm for the selection of route dependent orientation information

Landmarks are important features of spatial cognition and are naturally included in human route descriptions. In the past algorithms were developed to select the most salient landmarks at decision points and automatically incorporate them in route instructions. Moreover, it was shown that human route descriptions contain a significant amount of orientation information, which support the users to orient themselves regarding known environmental information, and it was shown that orientation information support the acquisition of survey knowledge. Thus, there is a need to extend the landmarks selection to automatically select orientation information. In this work, we present an algorithm for the computational selection of route dependent orientation information, which extends previous algorithms and includes a salience calculation of orientation information for any location along the route. We implemented the algorithm and demonstrate the functionality based on OpenStreetMap data

Self-selection of Asylum Seekers: Evidence From Germany

I examine the pattern of selection on education of asylum seekers recently arrived in Germany from five key source countries: Afghanistan, Albania, Iraq, Serbia, and Syria. The analysis relies on original individual-level data collected in Germany combined with surveys conducted at origin. The results reveal a positive pattern of selection on education for asylum seekers who were able to flee Iraq and Syria, and the selection is neutral for individuals seeking asylum from Afghanistan and negative for asylum seekers from Albania and Serbia. I provide an interpretation of these patterns based on differences in the expected length of stay at destination, the migration costs faced by asylum seekers to reach Germany, and the size of migration networks at destination

Barry Smith an sich

Festschrift in Honor of Barry Smith on the occasion of his 65th Birthday. Published as issue 4:4 of the journal Cosmos + Taxis: Studies in Emergent Order and Organization. Includes contributions by Wolfgang Grassl, Nicola Guarino, John T. Kearns, Rudolf Lüthe, Luc Schneider, Peter Simons, Wojciech Żełaniec, and Jan Woleński

Reproducible Research and GIScience: An Evaluation Using GIScience Conference Papers

Ponencia presentada en: 11th International Conference on Geographic Information Science (GIScience 2021)GIScience conference authors and researchers face the same computational reproducibility challenges as authors and researchers from other disciplines who use computers to analyse data. Here, to assess the reproducibility of GIScience research, we apply a rubric for assessing the reproducibility of 75 conference papers published at the GIScience conference series in the years 2012-2018. Since the rubric and process were previously applied to the publications of the AGILE conference series, this paper itself is an attempt to replicate that analysis, however going beyond the previous work by evaluating and discussing proposed measures to improve reproducibility in the specific context of the GIScience conference series. The results of the GIScience paper assessment are in line with previous findings: although descriptions of workflows and the inclusion of the data and software suffice to explain the presented work, in most published papers they do not allow a third party to reproduce the results and findings with a reasonable effort. We summarise and adapt previous recommendations for improving this situation and propose the GIScience community to start a broad discussion on the reusability, quality, and openness of its research. Further, we critically reflect on the process of assessing paper reproducibility, and provide suggestions for improving future assessments

Adult and lifelong learning: implications for sustainable development and employment creation

This study was carried out to ascertain the extent to which lifelong learning and continuing education enhanced workers’ professional competence; sustainable development; and employment creation. It adopted a descriptive design. A purposive, multistage, random sampling procedure was used to select 200 (116 males and 84 females) students of the Distance Learning Institute (DLI), University of Lagos. Data was collected using a questionnaire and an interview schedule. The results showed that majority of the respondents affirmed that lifelong learning and continuing education enhanced both the intellectual growth and industrial intelligence of employed workers. Some 96.5 percent of the respondents asserted that the possession of a university degree certificate is desirable for sub-degree holders or holders of associate degrees to gain competitive advantage in access to social and economic resource including employment creation. It is recommended that the National Universities Commission (NUC) urges institutions providing continuing education programmes to complete its accreditation processes in order to establish excellent academic standards.Keywords: Lifelong learning; ODL; Quality assuranc

Espacialitat i construcció d'identitats en la literatura

The article studies the new conception of space (spatiality) as a sociodiscur- sive construction and the application of this notion in literature. The meaning of place is distinguished from those of landscape, territory and abstract space. The concepts of geocriticism (Bertrand Westphal), heterotopia (Michel Foucault) and chronotope (Mik- hail Bakhtin) are used to explain the functions of spatiality (Robert Tally) in literature. After referring to various studies on the literary representation of places like the house, the sanatorium or the environment of death, this paper concludes with an analysis of the movie theaters in Catalan literature and, especially, in the poetry of Vicent Andrés Estellés (1924–1993)

Taxing Cross-Border Services: Two LATAM Experiences and a Couple of Conclusions for the (Developing) World

Many developing countries have been trying to expand in the last decades their taxing powers on cross-border services rendered by non-residents beyond the rigid framework of the current international tax regime. However, this expansion has been carried on unilaterally and sometimes in an unplanned manner. This contribution describes the Brazilian and Argentinian experiences and tries to extract some policy lessons therefrom