119 research outputs found
Texture and Colour in Image Analysis
Research in colour and texture has experienced major changes in the last few years. This book presents some recent advances in the field, specifically in the theory and applications of colour texture analysis. This volume also features benchmarks, comparative evaluations and reviews
Markovian-based clustering of internet addiction trajectories
A hidden Markov clustering procedure is applied to a sample of n=185 longitudinal Internet Addiction Test trajectories collected in Switzerland. The best solution has 4 groups. This solution is related to the level of emotional wellbeing of the subjects, but no relation is observed with age, gender and BMI
Using dynamic microsimulation to understand professional trajectories of the active Swiss population
Within the social and economic sciences and of particular interest to demographers are life course events. Looking at life sequences we can better understand which states, or life events, precede or are precursors to vulnerability. A tool that has been used for policy evaluation and recently has been gaining ground in life course sequence simulation is dynamic microsimulation. Within this context dynamic microsimulation consists in generating entire life courses from the observation of portions of the trajectories of individuals of different ages.
In this work, we aim to use dynamic microsimulation in order to analyse individual professional trajectories with a focus on vulnerability. The primary goal of this analysis is to deepen upon current literature by providing insight from a longitudinal perspective on the signs of work instability and the process of precarity. The secondary goal of this work which is to show how, by using microsimulation, data collected for one purpose can be analysed under a different scope and used in a meaningful way.
The data to be used in this analysis are longitudinal and were collected by NCCR-LIVES IP207 under the supervision of Prof. Christian Maggiori and Dr. Gregoire Bollmann. Individuals aged 25 to 55 residing in the German-speaking and French-speaking regions of Switzerland were followed annually for four years. These individuals were questioned regarding, amongst their personal, professional and overall situations and well-being. At the end of the fourth wave, there were 1131 individuals who had participated in all waves. The sample remained representative of the Swiss population with women and the unemployed slightly over represented.
Using the information collected from these surveys, we use simulation to construct various longitudinal data modules where each data module represents a specific life domain. We postulate the relationship between these modules and layout a framework of estimation. Within certain data modules a set of equations are created to model the process therein. For every dynamic (time-variant) data module, such as the labour-market module, the transition probabilities between states (ex. labour market status) are estimated using a Markov model and then the possible outcomes are simulated.
The benefit of using dynamic microsimulation is that longitudinal sample observations instead of stylised profiles are used to model population dynamics. This is one of the main reasons large-scale dynamic microsimulation models are employed by many developed nations. There has been limited use, however, of such approaches with Swiss data. This work contributes to the analysis of professional trajectories of the active Swiss population by utilising dynamic microsimulation methods
A discussion on hidden Markov models for life course data
This is an introduction on discrete-time Hidden Markov models (HMM)
for longitudinal data analysis in population and life course studies. In the Markovian
perspective, life trajectories are considered as the result of a stochastic process
in which the probability of occurrence of a particular state or event depends on the
sequence of states observed so far. Markovian models are used to analyze the transition
process between successive states. Starting from the traditional formulation
of a first-order discrete-time Markov chain where each state is liked to the next
one, we present the hidden Markov models where the current response is driven
by a latent variable that follows a Markov process. The paper presents also a simple
way of handling categorical covariates to capture the effect of external factors
on the transition probabilities and existing software are briefly overviewed. Empirical
illustrations using data on self reported health demonstrate the relevance of the
different extensions for life course analysis
Institutional varieties and entrepreneurship: an empirical analysis
A growing body of literature on comparative international entrepreneurship has focussed
on exploring the factors that explain differences in entrepreneurial activity across
countries. In particular, the institutional environment is regarded as a crucial influence
on this activity, yet there is less agreement about which institutions matter, and more
importantly, in what ways do they matter. Much of the research focussed on explaining
the influence of institutions on entrepreneurship has taken a specific and narrow
approach to institutional theory. This views institutions as ‘converging’ creations which
posit a theoretical ‘one-best-way’, largely seen as liberal and non-interventionist. This
approach to institutional theory overlooks the nuanced diversity of the institutional
environment which defines the architecture of capitalist economies.
In order to develop a broader understanding of this phenomenon, this thesis utilises
perspectives from comparative institutionalism. The intent of this research is to
empirically understand institutional diversity across countries, and its potential impact
on comparative international entrepreneurship.
This study utilises a quantitative approach with two sequential steps. The first
step comprises of a principal components analysis with the attempt to develop robust
quantitative variables which proxy for a countries institutional context. A cluster analysis of these variables is further employed to provide an objective contextual taxonomy
of institutions and ‘diversities of institutional systems’. This objective contextual
taxonomy helps give legitimacy to such diversity approach. The variables here are
then transformed for the second step, which utilises multivariate panel modelling. The
overall aim of this step is to estimate various model specifications outlining potential
statistical relationships and directions between institutional diversities and aggregate
level of entrepreneurship.
The results of this analysis present three key contributions. Firstly, that there exists
rich institutional diversity between political economies, identified by nine taxonomies
of countries across an optimum clustering of four ‘modes of capitalism’, defined by
complementary variants across institutional sub-spheres. Secondly, the relationship
between the degree of institutional coordination within the institutional complementarity
format and the level of entrepreneurial activity is non-linear. Specifically, the
relationship is quadratic and ‘U’ shaped. Where the institutional structure of the
political economy allows for higher levels of market coordination or higher levels of
strategic coordination, estimated entrepreneurship rates are higher than they are when
there is more variation in the types of institutional complementarity present in the
political economy. Thirdly, aggregate performance of entrepreneurship is moderated
by the institutional configuration of the political economy. Institutional coherence
identified by this perspective appear to offer general efficiencies. Therefore, these
results suggest that institutional explanations of entrepreneurship can be explained by
‘equifinality’, in that a ‘perfect’ institutional setting does not exist
Trends in Statistical Codicology
The application of statistical techniques to the study of manuscript books, based on the analysis of large data sets acquired through the archaeological observation of manuscripts, remains to this day one of the most original trends in codicological research. This volume aims to present, in English translation, a series of recent and significant papers by means of which the statistical approach continues to demonstrate its vast potential
On the Mono- and Cross-Language Detection of Text Re-Use and Plagiarism
Barrón Cedeño, LA. (2012). On the Mono- and Cross-Language Detection of Text Re-Use and Plagiarism [Tesis doctoral no publicada]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/16012Palanci
A critical evaluation of conflict resolution techniques: from problem-solving workshops to theory
The object of this study is to present a comparative analysis of the system of problem-solving workshops and associated conflict resolution techniques exemplified in the work of John W Burton and Leonard Doob and their associates. The approach has been to structure the research as a methodological critique of the Burton and Doob models, with special consideration given to their respective domain assumptions, internal logic, methodology, process and prescriptive dimensions. Informed by the assumption of the universality of conflict, the study begins by examining the particular strengths and weaknesses associated with Burton and Doob's work. The approach is descriptive-analytical and sets out to isolate, identify and describe the salient features of the problem-solving approach followed by the two authors. Specific case studies used by them have been subjected to critical analysis. The basic notion of problem-solving and its relevance to conflict analysis and resolution is also explored in some detail. In arriving at a conclusion, the study suggests that problem-solving workshops have specific strengths, notably in the area of conflict analysis as well as in influencing individual perceptions and competing value positions. Certain shortcomings in the theoretical and practical utility of this approach, however, could be overcome, in the author's opinion, by giving attention to the area of third party intervention, notably in assessing the variables affecting the process, such as the time sequence, the structure of the discussion format, and the application of specific techniques. In the final analysis, it is agreed that these problem-solving workshops can serve as a useful analytical tool in contemplating the dynamic of conflict relationships and behaviour. Their theoretical and practical utility, but remain inherently limited unless they are integrated with a broader body of literature on bargaining and third party intervention. The study concludes with the observation that despite an extensive and growing body of literature on conflict, the practice of third party intervention - especially within the workshop setting - has only recently been studied in depth. It is in this respect that this study hopes to be of some practical value especially in the case of a deeply divided society such as South Africa
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