Word co-occurrence graphs for design and manufacture knowledge mapping

Design & Manufacture Knowledge Mapping is a critical activity in medium-to-large organisations supporting many organisational activities. However, techniques for effective mapping of knowledge often employ interviews, consultations and appraisals. Although invaluable in providing expert insight, the application of such methods is inherently intrusive and resource intensive. This paper presents word co-occurrence graphs as a means to automatically generate knowledge maps from technical documents and validates against expert generated knowledge maps

Structural and dynamical interdependencies in complex networks at meso- and macroscale: nestedness, modularity, and in-block nestedness

Many real systems like the brain are considered to be complex, i.e. they are made of several interacting components and display a collective behaviour that cannot be inferred from how the individual parts behave. They are usually described as networks, with the components represented as nodes and the interactions between them as links. Research into networks mainly focuses on exploring how a network's dynamic behaviour is constrained by the nature and topology of the interactions between its elements. Analyses of this sort are performed on three scales: the microscale, based on single nodes; the macroscale, which explores the whole network; and the mesoscale, which studies groups of nodes. Nonetheless, most studies so far have focused on only one scale, despite increasing evidence suggesting that networks exhibit structure on several scales. In our thesis, we apply structural analysis to a variety of synthetic and empirical networks on multiple scales. We focus on the examination of nested, modular, and in-block nested patterns, and the effects that they impose on each other. Finally, we introduce a theoretical model to help us to better understand some of the mechanisms that enable such patterns to emerge.Molts sistemes, com el cervell o internet, són considerats complexos: sistemes formats per una gran quantitat d'elements que interactuen entre si, que exhibeixen un comportament col·lectiu que no es pot inferir des de les propietats dels seus elements aïllats. Aquests sistemes s'estudien mitjançant xarxes, en les quals els elements constituents són els nodes, i les interaccions entre ells, els enllaços. La recerca en xarxes s'enfoca principalment a explorar com el comportament dinàmic d'una xarxa està definit per la naturalesa i la topologia de les interaccions entre els seus elements. Aquesta anàlisi sovint es fa en tres escales: la microescala, que estudia les propietats dels nodes individuals; la macroescala, que explora les propietats de tota la xarxa, i la mesoescala, basada en les propietats de grups de nodes. No obstant, la majoria dels estudis se centren només en una escala, tot i la creixent evidència que suggereix que les xarxes sovint exhibeixen estructura a múltiples escales. En aquesta tesi estudiarem les propietats estructurals de les xarxes a escala múltiple. Analitzarem les propietats estructurals dels patrons in-block nested i la seva relació amb els patrons niats i modulars. Finalment, introduirem un model teòric per explorar alguns dels mecanismes que permeten l'emergència d'aquests patrons.Muchos sistemas, como el cerebro o internet, son considerados complejos: sistemas formados por una gran cantidad de elementos que interactúan entre sí, que exhiben un comportamiento colectivo que no puede inferirse desde las propiedades de sus elementos aislados. Estos sistemas se estudian mediante redes, en las que los elementos constituyentes son los nodos, y las interacciones entre ellos, los enlaces. La investigación en redes se enfoca principalmente a explorar cómo el comportamiento dinámico de una red está definido por la naturaleza y la topología de las interacciones entre sus elementos. Este análisis a menudo se hace en tres escalas: la microescala, que estudia las propiedades de los nodos individuales; la macroescala, que explora las propiedades de toda la red, y la mesoescala, basada en las propiedades de grupos de nodos. No obstante, la mayoría de los estudios se centran solo en una escala, a pesar de la creciente evidencia que sugiere que las redes a menudo exhiben estructura a múltiples escalas. En esta tesis estudiaremos las propiedades estructurales de las redes a escala múltiple. Analizaremos las propiedades estructurales de los patrones in-block nested y su relación con los patrones anidados y modulares. Finalmente, introduciremos un modelo teórico para explorar algunos de los mecanismos que permiten la emergencia de estos patrones.Tecnologías de la información y de rede

A Model of the Network Architecture of the Brain that Supports Natural Language Processing

For centuries, neuroscience has proposed models of the neurobiology of language processing that are static and localised to few temporal and inferior frontal regions. Although existing models have offered some insight into the processes underlying lower-level language features, they have largely overlooked how language operates in the real world. Here, we aimed at investigating the network organisation of the brain and how it supports language processing in a naturalistic setting. We hypothesised that the brain is organised in a multiple core-periphery and dynamic modular architecture, with canonical language regions forming high-connectivity hubs. Moreover, we predicted that language processing would be distributed to much of the rest of the brain, allowing it to perform more complex tasks and to share information with other cognitive domains. To test these hypotheses, we collected the Naturalistic Neuroimaging Database of people watching full length movies during functional magnetic resonance imaging. We computed network algorithms to capture the voxel-wise architecture of the brain in individual participants and inspected variations in activity distribution over different stimuli and over more complex language features. Our results confirmed the hypothesis that the brain is organised in a flexible multiple core-periphery architecture with large dynamic communities. Here, language processing was distributed to much of the rest of the brain, together forming multiple communities. Canonical language regions constituted hubs, explaining why they consistently appear in various other neurobiology of language models. Moreover, language processing was supported by other regions such as visual cortex and episodic memory regions, when processing more complex context-specific language features. Overall, our flexible and distributed model of language comprehension and the brain points to additional brain regions and pathways that could be exploited for novel and more individualised therapies for patients suffering from speech impairments

Geopolitik des Stroms: Netz, Raum und Macht

Die geopolitische Bedeutung von Strom wird unterschätzt, obwohl Stromnetze Räume konstituieren. Sie etablieren neue Einflusskanäle und Macht­sphären in politischen Gemeinwesen und über sie hinaus. Im Kontinentalraum Europa-Asien treffen Verbundnetze und Interkonnektoren, also grenzüberschreitende Übertragungsnetzverbindungen, aufeinander. Interkonnektoren markieren neue, teilweise konkurrierende Integrationsvektoren, die Verbundnetze transzendieren. Dabei ist die Zugehörigkeit zum europäischen Netzverbund attraktiv, denn synchrone Netze sind Schicksalsgemeinschaften, in denen Sicherheit und Wohlfahrt geteilt werden. Deutschland und die EU müssen eine Strom-Außenpolitik entwickeln, um das europäische Stromnetz zu optimieren und modernisieren, zu verstärken und zu erweitern. Vor allem aber sind Deutschland und die EU gefordert, Interkonnektivität über das eigene Verbundnetz hinaus mitzugestalten. Chinas Strategie, mit seiner Belt and Road Initiative Infrastrukturen auf das Reich der Mitte auszurichten, wird auch beim Strom immer offensichtlicher. Dabei setzt Peking Standards und Normen und baut seine strategische Reichweite auch zum Vorteil der eigenen Wirtschaft aus. In der östlichen EU-Nachbarschaft dominiert die Geopolitik seit dem Ende des Ost-West-Konflikts die Konfiguration der Stromnetze. Eine Integrationskonkurrenz zwischen der EU und Russland ist unübersehbar. Das östliche Mittelmeer, der Kaspische Raum und Zentralasien wandeln sich von Peripherien in neue Verbindungsräume. Dort konkurrieren die EU, China, Russland und jenseits des Schwarzen Meeres auch Iran und die Türkei um Einfluss bei der Neukonfiguration der Stromnetze. (Autorenreferat