8,755 research outputs found

    International Academic Symposium of Social Science 2022

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    This conference proceedings gathers work and research presented at the International Academic Symposium of Social Science 2022 (IASSC2022) held on July 3, 2022, in Kota Bharu, Kelantan, Malaysia. The conference was jointly organized by the Faculty of Information Management of Universiti Teknologi MARA Kelantan Branch, Malaysia; University of Malaya, Malaysia; Universitas Pembangunan Nasional Veteran Jakarta, Indonesia; Universitas Ngudi Waluyo, Indonesia; Camarines Sur Polytechnic Colleges, Philippines; and UCSI University, Malaysia. Featuring experienced keynote speakers from Malaysia, Australia, and England, this proceeding provides an opportunity for researchers, postgraduate students, and industry practitioners to gain knowledge and understanding of advanced topics concerning digital transformations in the perspective of the social sciences and information systems, focusing on issues, challenges, impacts, and theoretical foundations. This conference proceedings will assist in shaping the future of the academy and industry by compiling state-of-the-art works and future trends in the digital transformation of the social sciences and the field of information systems. It is also considered an interactive platform that enables academicians, practitioners and students from various institutions and industries to collaborate

    BigDipper: A hyperscale BFT system with short term censorship resistance

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    Byzantine-fault-tolerant (BFT) protocols underlie a variety of decentralized applications including payments, auctions, data feed oracles, and decentralized social networks. In most leader-based BFT protocols, an important property that has been missing is the censorship resistance of transaction in the short term. The protocol should provide inclusion guarantees in the next block height even if the current and future leaders have the intent of censoring. In this paper, we present a BFT system, BigDipper, that achieves censorship resistance while providing fast confirmation for clients and hyperscale throughput. The core idea is to decentralize inclusion of transactions by allowing every BFT replica to create their own mini-block, and then enforcing the leader on their inclusions. To achieve this, BigDipper creates a modular system made of three components. First, we provide a transaction broadcast protocol used by clients as an interface to achieve a spectrum of probabilistic inclusion guarantees. Afterwards, a distribution of BFT replicas will receive the client's transactions and prepare mini-blocks to send to the data availability (DA) component. The DA component characterizes the censorship resistant properties of the whole system. We design three censorship resistant DA (DA-CR) protocols with distinct properties captured by three parameters and demonstrate their trade-offs. The third component interleaves the DA-CR protocols into the consensus path of leader based BFT protocols, it enforces the leader to include all the data from the DA-CR into the BFT block. We demonstrate an integration with a two-phase Hotstuff-2 BFT protocol with minimal changes. BigDipper is a modular system that can switch the consensus to other leader based BFT protocol including Tendermint

    Full Issue: Summer 2015

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    Food web-mediated interaction between marine mammals and fisheries in the Norwegian and Barents seas.

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    Ecological systems, such as marine ecosystems, are complex adaptive systems in which large scale system properties (e.g., trophic structure, energy flux patterns, etc.) emerge from interactions between ecosystem components or species. This makes them difficult to understand, predict, and model. The Norwegian and Barents Seas support multiple commercial fisheries, including those for herring, cod, and mackerel. Fisheries extract around 2.61 million tonnes of fish annually and marine mammals consume 11.7 million tonnes of fish and zooplankton annually in the region. The gradual change from conventional fisheries management towards ecosystem-based fisheries management (EBFM) requires that interactions and trade-offs between exploitation and conservation of fish and marine mammals be considered. Such trade-offs occurs when there is direct or food-web mediated competition for resources between fisheries and marine mammals. Recent diet studies suggest that there is limited direct competition between marine mammals and fisheries. Food-web mediated interactions may occur when mammals consume the prey of commercial fish species, or when fisheries target the prey of marine mammals, but evidence for such interactions is still lacking. Using Chance and Necessity modelling (CaN) we reconstruct possible dynamics of 12 trophospecies in the Norwegian and Barents Sea ecosystems during the period 1988-2021. The reconstructed dynamics are consistent with multiple observations of biomass, diet, consumption, and life-history characteristics of the species groups. We use these reconstructions to establish the level of empirical support for food-web mediated interactions between marine mammals and fisheries. The results of the model analysis indicate that there is limited evidence to support direct competitive interactions between marine mammals and fisheries in the Norwegian Sea, and mixed evidence for such interactions in the Barents Sea. The results showed that most direct interactions between the two groups were bottom-up driven, and that only demersal fish, aside from cod, demonstrated a direct competitive interaction. As for food-web mediated interactions, the model provided evidence in support of a competitive interaction between marine mammals and capelin, between marine mammals and Barents Sea fish, and between marine mammals and all fish included in the model domain. However, the analysis also revealed the presence of a bottom-up trophic control in the food-web mediated interactions, particularly involving capelin and juvenile herring as prey. Thus, our model results show the presence of both opportunistic feeding and food-web mediated competitive interactions in the Norwegian and Barents Sea ecosystem

    Analiza načel montessori z vidika šol, učiteljev in družin

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    Education, especially early childhood education, is a responsibility that both families and schools share, so much so that children find themselves in two differentiated learning environments. Educational and parenting styles may join forces, sharing values and behaviours that enhance children’s development, just as the Montessori Pedagogy has shown. It is for this reason that the present study will attempt to analyse the relations established between the opinions and the application of the principles of such pedagogy focusing on the first six years of life, both in educational and family environments, considering the degree of commitment the school has towards the Montessori Pedagogy. (DIPF/Orig.

    Bionic Lid Implant for Natural Closure (BLINC)

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    Facial nerve palsy (FNP) leads to an inability to blink. The exposed eye is at risk of developing corneal keratopathy and currently there is a lack of solution to active eye closure that is immediate and reliable. Bionic Lid Implant for Natural Closure (BLINC) proposes the use of an implantable actuator combined with the effects of an eyelid sling for dynamic eye closure. The aims of this thesis are to 1) explore the clinical need for BLINC, 2) describe the BLINC technology, and 3) present the results of its application in cadaveric and live models. Methods The aims of this project are addressed in three parts. In part one, the current therapies addressing key clinical end points in FNP from an ocular perspective and the setting where BLINC may first be used are explored. In part two the science behind BLINC is outlined. Finally in part three application of BLINC in cadaveric and live models are studied followed by a discussion on future steps preceding a pilot study in humans. Results Patients with FNP consistently identify issues related to the eye a primary concern. Current reanimation strategies offer the possibility of dynamic eye closure but the results are delayed and often unpredictable. BLINC reliably achieves active eye closure in cadaveric models by means of a wireless-powered, implantable electromagnetic actuator in conjunction with an eyelid sling. BLINC closes the eye in a similar fashion to natural closure for a symmetrical blink in FNP. Successful application of an inactive device in its complete form is achieved in a live animal without significant morbidity. Conclusion BLINC offers the possibility of restoring active eye closure with use of an implantable actuator. The concept has been successfully demonstrated in cadaveric models with successful device implantation in a live model. Future live trials are needed to address the remaining biocompatibility issues in preparation for human application

    Layered Cellular Automata

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    Layered Cellular Automata (LCA) extends the concept of traditional cellular automata (CA) to model complex systems and phenomena. In LCA, each cell's next state is determined by the interaction of two layers of computation, allowing for more dynamic and realistic simulations. This thesis explores the design, dynamics, and applications of LCA, with a focus on its potential in pattern recognition and classification. The research begins by introducing the limitations of traditional CA in capturing the complexity of real-world systems. It then presents the concept of LCA, where layer 0 corresponds to a predefined model, and layer 1 represents the proposed model with additional influence. The interlayer rules, denoted as f and g, enable interactions not only from adjacent neighboring cells but also from some far-away neighboring cells, capturing long-range dependencies. The thesis explores various LCA models, including those based on averaging, maximization, minimization, and modified ECA neighborhoods. Additionally, the implementation of LCA on the 2-D cellular automaton Game of Life is discussed, showcasing intriguing patterns and behaviors. Through extensive experiments, the dynamics of different LCA models are analyzed, revealing their sensitivity to rule changes and block size variations. Convergent LCAs, which converge to fixed points from any initial configuration, are identified and used to design a two-class pattern classifier. Comparative evaluations demonstrate the competitive performance of the LCA-based classifier against existing algorithms. Theoretical analysis of LCA properties contributes to a deeper understanding of its computational capabilities and behaviors. The research also suggests potential future directions, such as exploring advanced LCA models, higher-dimensional simulations, and hybrid approaches integrating LCA with other computational models.Comment: This thesis represents the culmination of my M.Tech research, conducted under the guidance of Dr. Sukanta Das, Associate Professor at the Department of Information Technology, Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology, Shibpur, West Bengal, India. arXiv admin note: substantial text overlap with arXiv:2210.13971 by other author

    Preferences, emotions, and visual attention in the first-person shooter game experience

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    First-person shooter (FPS) games are one of the most popular yet notorious genres of digital games. They contain visceral emotional content and require intense visual attention from players, leading some people to appreciate and others to resent these types of games. This thesis investigated individual differences in the game experience of FPS games by exploring how preferences for violent game dynamics (e.g., preferences for shooting, killing, and exploding) affect players’ emotions and perceptions of curiosity, vitality, and self-efficacy. In addition, the thesis explored how visual attention skills affect the viewing of FPS games as indexed by viewers’ eye movements. In Study I, the role of visual attention skills in viewing FPS gameplay videos was explored. The results showed that viewers’ eye movements tended to progress from a diffuse scanning mode towards a more focal and central viewing mode as time passed. Visual qualities and saliency of events also guided eye movements. Individual differences in visual attention skills (namely, the ability to track multiple objects, perform a visual search for targets, and to see rapidly appearing serial targets) were related to what was attended to in the screen. The role of visual attention skills on eye movements was more prominent during visually distinct events. In sum, the results showed that specific visual attention skills predicted eye movement patterns during FPS gameplay video viewing. Study II explored whether game dynamics preferences and emotion-related responses to an FPS game are connected. Participants’ heart rate, electrodermal activity, and electric activity of facial muscles were recorded as indexes of emotion-related responses both during playing (active participation) and gameplay video viewing (passive watching). The participants also rated their level of experienced arousal and valence. The results showed that there were individual differences in physiological emotion-related responses as a function of dynamics preferences, especially in measures of physiological arousal. Those who liked violent dynamics showed a rather stable level of physiological arousal state both when playing and when viewing the game. In contrast, participants who disliked violent dynamics showed an overall higher level of physiological arousal during playing than when viewing, and the level of arousal increased across time in both conditions. The results on facial muscle activity likewise showed that activity differed between people who liked versus disliked violent dynamics. However, the results were somewhat conflicting: those who liked violent game dynamics showed a steep increase in the activity of the corrugator supercilii muscle, an index of negative valence. Instead, those who disliked the dynamics showed less increase in corrugator supercilii activity. The dynamics preferences did not affect self-reported emotional valence or arousal. Thus, the results highlight that game dynamics preferences were associated with physiological signals, although they may not be a straightforward index of emotions in a gaming context. In Study III, associations between game dynamics preferences and self-reported experiences of vitality, self-efficacy, and curiosity were explored both in association with life in general and with playing an FPS video game. The results showed that players who were neutral or mildly positive towards violent content experienced stable levels of vitality, curiosity, and emotional valence both in life in general and when playing. They also experienced a slight decline in self-efficacy in the playing context. Conversely, those who disliked violent dynamics experienced a clear decline in all of these measures in the playing context. Thus, game dynamics preferences were connected with wider experiential reflections related to playing. Overall, the results of all three studies showed why there is individual variation in the playing experience: players and viewers have differing skills and preferences. These skills and preferences affect how players and viewers pay attention to the game, and what kind of emotional reactions and experiences they have. This is valuable for understanding the psychological outcomes of FPS games, as well as why people hold differing opinions about these types of games. Likewise, the results have importance for game design, as they show that players respond in different ways to game contents. Thus, it may be fruitful to personalize and tailor game contents based on players’ preferences and visual attention skills.Mieltymykset, tunteet ja näönvarainen tarkkaavuus ensimmäisen persoonan ammuntapelien pelikokemuksessa Ensimmäisen persoonan ammuntapelit (FPS-pelit) ovat sekä yksi suosituimmista että pahamaineisimmista digitaalisten pelien genreistä. Ne sisältävät voimakasta tunnepitoista sisältöä ja vaativat äärimmäistä näönvaraista tarkkaavuutta. Näiden seikkojen takia toiset arvostavat ja toiset paheksuvat kyseisiä pelejä. Tässä väitöskirjassa tutkittiin yksilöllisiä eroja FPS-pelien pelikokemuksessa selvittämällä, kuinka mieltymykset väkivaltaisiin pelidynamiikkoihin (esimerkiksi mieltymykset ampumiseen, tappamiseen ja räjäyttämiseen) vaikuttavat pelaajien tunnetiloihin ja kokemuksiin uteliaisuudesta, elinvoimaisuudesta ja minäpystyvyydestä. Tämän lisäksi väitöskirjassa tutkittiin silmänliikkeitä tarkastelemalla kuinka näönvaraisen tarkkaavuuden taidot ovat yhteydessä FPS-pelivideoiden katseluun. Tutkimuksessa I tarkasteltiin, miten näönvaraisen tarkkaavuuden taidot vaikuttavat FPS-pelivideoiden katseluun. Tutkimuksessa havaittiin, että silmänliikkeet etenivät laajemmasta ja hajaantuneemmasta silmäilystä kohti pinta-alaltaan pienempää ja lähempänä näytön keskustaa olevaa aluetta. Lisäksi erilaisten pelitapahtumien visuaaliset ominaisuudet ja huomiota herättävyys suuntasivat silmänliikkeitä. Yksilölliset erot näönvaraisen tarkkaavuuden taidoissa (tässä tutkimuksessa taidot seurata useita liikkuvia kohteita, etsiä kohteita ja nähdä nopeasti peräkkäin ilmestyviä kohteita) olivat yhteydessä siihen, miten katselija tarkasteli pelinäkymää. Näönvaraisen tarkkaavuuden taitojen yhteys silmänliikkeisiin tuli esiin etenkin visuaalisesti toisistaan erottuvien pelitapahtumien aikana. Yhteenvetona tutkimuksen tulokset osoittivat, että tietyt näönvaraisen tarkkaavuuden taidot ennustavat silmänliikkeitä FPS-pelivideon katselun aikana. Tutkimuksessa II selvitettiin, ovatko pelidynamiikkamieltymykset ja FPS-peliin liittyvät tunnereaktiot yhteydessä toisiinsa. Tutkimukseen osallistujien sykettä, ihon sähkönjohtavuutta ja kasvolihasten sähköistä aktiivisuutta mitattiin indikaatioina tunnereaktioista sekä pelaamisen (aktiivinen osallistuminen) että pelivideon katselun (passiivinen tarkkailu) aikana. Osallistujat myös arvioivat oman tunnetilansa koettua virittävyyttä ja valenssia. Tulokset osoittivat, että yksilöiden välillä oli eroja fysiologisissa tunteisiin liittyvissä reaktioissa riippuen siitä, millaiset pelidynamiikkamieltymykset heillä oli. Tämä näkyi erityisesti fysiologisissa autonomisen hermoston tilaa kuvaavissa mittareissa. Väkivaltaisista dynamiikoista pitävillä osallistujilla oli suhteellisen tasainen fysiologisen aktivaation taso sekä pelatessa että pelivideota katsellessa. Sen sijaan niillä osallistujilla jotka eivät pitäneet väkivaltaisista dynamiikoista oli kaiken kaikkiaan korkeampi fysiologisen aktivaation taso pelatessa kuin pelivideota katsellessa, ja aktivaation taso kasvoi ajan kuluessa molemmissa tilanteissa. Kasvojen lihasten sähköiseen toimintaan liittyvät tulokset niin ikään osoittivat, että väkivaltaisista dynamiikoista pitävien ja niitä vieroksuvien henkilöiden välillä oli eroja. Tulokset olivat kuitenkin jossain määrin ristiriitaisia: väkivaltaisista dynamiikoista pitävillä osallistujilla negatiivista valenssia indikoiva corrugator supercilii -lihaksen aktiivisuus lisääntyi ajan kuluessa huomattavasti. Sen sijaan osallistujilla jotka eivät pitäneet väkivaltaisista dynamiikoista corrugator supercilii -lihaksen aktiivisuuden lisääntyminen oli lievempää. Pelidynamiikkamieltymykset eivät olleet yhteydessä osallistujien omiin arvioihin tunnekokemuksen virittävyydestä ja valenssista. Täten tulokset osoittivat, että pelidynamiikkamieltymykset olivat yhteydessä fysiologisiin vasteisiin, mutta niitä ei voida käyttää täysin mutkattomina mittareina tunteista pelikontekstissa. Tutkimuksessa III tarkasteltiin pelidynamiikkamieltymysten yhteyttä uteliaisuuden, elinvoimaisuuden ja minäpystyvyyden kokemuksiin elämässä ylipäätään ja FPS-pelin pelaamiseen liittyen. Tutkimuksessa havaittiin, että uteliaisuus, elinvoimaisuus ja tunteen valenssi olivat samankaltaiset sekä elämässä ylipäätään että pelatessa mikäli pelaaja suhtautui väkivaltaisiin dynamiikkoihin neutraalisti tai jonkin verran positiivisesti. Tällaisilla pelaajilla minäpystyvyys oli kuitenkin jonkin verran alhaisempi pelitilanteessa verrattuna elämään ylipäätään. Sen sijaan pelaajat jotka eivät pitäneet väkivaltaisista dynamiikoista arvioivat kaikkien näiden kokemusten olevan selvästi huonompia pelatessa. Pelidynamiikkamieltymykset olivat siis yhteydessä laajempiin reflektiivisiin kokemuksiin pelaamisesta. Väitöstutkimuksen tulokset auttavat ymmärtämään, miksi pelikokemuksessa on yksilöllistä vaihtelua: pelaajat ja katsojat eroavat taidoiltaan ja mieltymyksiltään. Nämä taidot ja mieltymykset ovat yhteydessä siihen, millä tavoin pelaajat ja katselijat kiinnittävät huomiota peliin ja minkälaisia tunnereaktioita ja kokemuksia heillä on. Näiden seikkojen huomioiminen on tärkeää FPS-pelien psykologisten vaikutusten ja peleihin liittyvien eriävien mielipiteiden ymmärtämiseksi. Tuloksilla on lisäksi merkitystä pelisuunnittelulle, sillä ne osoittavat, että pelaajat reagoivat eri tavoin pelisisältöihin. Tämän vuoksi voisi olla hyödyllistä muovata pelisisältöjä yksilöllisesti pelaajien mieltymysten ja näönvaraisen tarkkaavuuden taitojen mukaan

    The Psychological Processes Underlying a Trauma-Informed Approach in Primary Schools:The Perspectives of Leaders

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    This thesis comprises a literature review, a research paper and a critical review of the research process. In the literature review, meta-ethnography was used to identify and synthesise 13 qualitative studies that explored teachers’ experiences of supporting student mental health. A conceptual model was developed, highlighting: (1) the pressures on teachers to adopt this role despite limited training, (2) a choice around whether to accept this responsibility, (3) the use of personal resources and judgement, (4) facilitators and barriers to this process and (5) the personal impact that this had on teachers. Teachers’ readiness to support students’ mental health is highlighted, however their ability to accomplish this is dependent on the support of the system around them. The study presented in the research paper utilised a grounded theory methodology. Fourteen participants, including external advisors in trauma-informed education and members of senior leadership teams were interviewed to explore their experiences of developing and implementing a trauma-informed approach in primary schools. The findings present a preliminary model outlining the relational processes at each level of the school system that underlie trauma-informed change. These processes were underpinned by the principles of safety, trust, collaboration, compassion, belonging, regulation, and attunement to needs. The findings suggest a need to shift attention within this field from program content to system- wide relational processes. The critical appraisal explores the psychological theory underlying the relational processes found within the research paper and draws the findings of the literature review and empirical papers together. Reflections on the research process are offered, followed by wider considerations of the importance of context, and of insuring credibility of the approach. Finally, a case for the role of clinical psychology within this work is proposed
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