Path homology and temporal networks

We present an algorithm to compute path homology for simple digraphs, and use it to topologically analyze various small digraphs en route to an analysis of complex temporal networks which exhibit such digraphs as underlying motifs. The digraphs analyzed include all digraphs, directed acyclic graphs, and undirected graphs up to certain numbers of vertices, as well as some specially constructed cases. Using information from this analysis, we identify small digraphs contributing to path homology in dimension $2$ for three temporal networks, and relate these digraphs to network behavior. We conclude that path homology can provide insight into temporal network structure and vice versa

Identifying Impact Factors of Question Quality in Online Health Q&A Communities: an Empirical Analysis on MedHelp

Online health Q&A communities help patients, doctors and other users conveniently search and share healthcare information online and have gained much popularity all over the world. Good-quality questions that raise massive discussions could trigger users’ engagement online, which is beneficial for platform operation. However, little attention has been paid to the antecedents of question quality in online health Q&A communities. To have a deep investigation of healthcare question quality, this research aims to investigate the impact factors from two special aspects that are neglected in previous research, i.e., user’s structural influence and questions’ sentiment. Using a dataset collected from MedHelp, one of the largest online health Q&A communities, we found that users with high structural influences and questions with negative sentiment have positive associations with the answer number of questions. Our research would offer meaningful suggestions to platform managers and users

"Digital Sanctums of Empowerment": Exploring Community and Everyday Resilience Building Tactics in Online Professional Communities for Women

Work and learning are essential facets of our existence, yet women have and may continue to face multiple restrictions that hinder and impede their professional outcomes. These restrictions are especially pronounced in the technical domains of Information technology and Computer science. This paper explores the power of informal online communities to act as collective shields of care in the context of professional development, especially for women. Using a mixed-methods comparative investigation of 400,268 conversational traces from three professional development communities on Reddit, we report resilience and communal empathy-building tactics, as well as calls for inclusivity and belongingness, which drive the collective identity of these online channels. The long-term goal of this work is to address the way in which such channels can be designed and curated to offer spaces for enrichment, empowerment, and advocacy with a focus on the professional development of women, especially those engaged in technical domains