159,383 research outputs found
Information dynamics shape the networks of Internet-mediated prostitution
Like many other social phenomena, prostitution is increasingly coordinated
over the Internet. The online behavior affects the offline activity; the
reverse is also true. We investigated the reported sexual contacts between
6,624 anonymous escorts and 10,106 sex-buyers extracted from an online
community from its beginning and six years on. These sexual encounters were
also graded and categorized (in terms of the type of sexual activities
performed) by the buyers. From the temporal, bipartite network of posts, we
found a full feedback loop in which high grades on previous posts affect the
future commercial success of the sex-worker, and vice versa. We also found a
peculiar growth pattern in which the turnover of community members and sex
workers causes a sublinear preferential attachment. There is, moreover, a
strong geographic influence on network structure-the network is geographically
clustered but still close to connected, the contacts consistent with the
inverse-square law observed in trading patterns. We also found that the number
of sellers scales sublinearly with city size, so this type of prostitution does
not, comparatively speaking, benefit much from an increasing concentration of
people
Use of Craigslist.org to Hook Up: Age Differences in Sex Requests, HIV Disclosure and Negotiated Safety among Men-Seeking-Men
Data from 984 “men-seeking-men” Craigslist.org postings in five cities were analyzed to assess differences in sexual requests, HIV status disclosure, and negotiated safety between young (18-24 years) and older (25 years and older) men who have sex with men (MSM). Young MSM were less likely than older MSM to post their HIV status or the preferred status of a partner (p=0.04), disclose and/or request a partner who was disease and drug free (p=.01), and request use of a condom in their posting (p=0.01). Interventions aimed at changing the culture and content of postings on Craigslist.org by encouraging HIV status disclosure and condom use preference are warranted, particularly for young MSM
Online Networks, Social Interaction and Segregation: An Evolutionary Approach
We have developed an evolutionary game model, where agents can choose between
two forms of social participation: interaction via online social networks and
interaction by exclusive means of face-to-face encounters. We illustrate the
societal dynamics that the model predicts, in light of the empirical evidence
provided by previous literature. We then assess their welfare implications. We
show that dynamics, starting from a world in which online social interaction is
less gratifying than offline encounters, will lead to the extinction of the
sub-population of online networks users, thereby making Facebook and alike
disappear in the long run. Furthermore, we show that the higher the propensity
for discrimination between the two sub-populations of socially active
individuals, the greater the probability that individuals will ultimately
segregate themselves, making society fall into a social poverty trap
Probabilistic Routing Protocol for Intermittently Connected Networks
This document is a product of the Delay Tolerant Networking Research Group and has been reviewed by that group. No objections to its publication as an RFC were raised.
This document defines PRoPHET, a Probabilistic Routing Protocol using History of Encounters and Transitivity. PRoPHET is a variant of the epidemic routing protocol for intermittently connected networks that operates by pruning the epidemic distribution tree to minimize resource usage while still attempting to achieve the best-case routing capabilities of epidemic routing. It is intended for use in sparse mesh networks where there is no guarantee that a fully connected path between the source and destination exists at any time, rendering traditional routing protocols unable to deliver messages between hosts. These networks are examples of networks where there is a disparity between the latency requirements of applications and the capabilities of the underlying network (networks often referred to as delay and disruption tolerant). The document presents an architectural overview followed by the protocol specification
The memory space: Exploring future uses of Web 2.0 and mobile internet through design interventions.
The QuVis Quantum Mechanics Visualization project aims to address challenges
of quantum mechanics instruction through the development of interactive
simulations for the learning and teaching of quantum mechanics. In this
article, we describe evaluation of simulations focusing on two-level systems
developed as part of the Institute of Physics Quantum Physics resources.
Simulations are research-based and have been iteratively refined using student
feedback in individual observation sessions and in-class trials. We give
evidence that these simulations are helping students learn quantum mechanics
concepts at both the introductory and advanced undergraduate level, and that
students perceive simulations to be beneficial to their learning.Comment: 15 pages, 5 figures, 1 table; accepted for publication in the
American Journal of Physic
The memory space: Exploring future uses of Web 2.0 and mobile internet through design interventions.
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