3,500 research outputs found
Meaning-focused and Quantum-inspired Information Retrieval
In recent years, quantum-based methods have promisingly integrated the
traditional procedures in information retrieval (IR) and natural language
processing (NLP). Inspired by our research on the identification and
application of quantum structures in cognition, more specifically our work on
the representation of concepts and their combinations, we put forward a
'quantum meaning based' framework for structured query retrieval in text
corpora and standardized testing corpora. This scheme for IR rests on
considering as basic notions, (i) 'entities of meaning', e.g., concepts and
their combinations and (ii) traces of such entities of meaning, which is how
documents are considered in this approach. The meaning content of these
'entities of meaning' is reconstructed by solving an 'inverse problem' in the
quantum formalism, consisting of reconstructing the full states of the entities
of meaning from their collapsed states identified as traces in relevant
documents. The advantages with respect to traditional approaches, such as
Latent Semantic Analysis (LSA), are discussed by means of concrete examples.Comment: 11 page
Interpreting Quantum Particles as Conceptual Entities
We elaborate an interpretation of quantum physics founded on the hypothesis
that quantum particles are conceptual entities playing the role of
communication vehicles between material entities composed of ordinary matter
which function as memory structures for these quantum particles. We show in
which way this new interpretation gives rise to a natural explanation for the
quantum effects of interference and entanglement by analyzing how interference
and entanglement emerge for the case of human concepts. We put forward a scheme
to derive a metric based on similarity as a predecessor for the structure of
'space, time, momentum, energy' and 'quantum particles interacting with
ordinary matter' underlying standard quantum physics, within the new
interpretation, and making use of aspects of traditional quantum axiomatics.
More specifically, we analyze how the effect of non-locality arises as a
consequence of the confrontation of such an emerging metric type of structure
and the remaining presence of the basic conceptual structure on the fundamental
level, with the potential of being revealed in specific situations.Comment: 19 pages, 1 figur
Critical role and screening practices of European business incubators.
Business incubators guide starting enterprises through their growth process and as such constitute a strong instrument to promote innovation and entrepreneurship. In this article we sketch the European business incubator landscape. Then we describe screening practices by European business incubators in 2003 and compare these results with the American incubators in the eighties. In the last phase a cautious link between screening practices and performance, measured in terms of tenant failure, is established. Most incubators do not screen potential tenants on a balanced set of factors, but concentrate either on the characteristics of the tenant's market or on the characteristics of the tenant's management team. However, we found that the tenant survival rate is positively related to a more balanced screening profile. Based on our study results, we propose some recommendations for the main stakeholders in the field: authorities, incubators and innovative entrepreneurs.Characteristics; Entrepreneurs; Factors; Field; Growth; Innovation; Management; Market; Performance; Processes; Recommendations; Research; Stakeholders; Studies;
What is Quantum? Unifying Its Micro-Physical and Structural Appearance
We can recognize two modes in which 'quantum appears' in macro domains: (i) a
'micro-physical appearance', where quantum laws are assumed to be universal and
they are transferred from the micro to the macro level if suitable 'quantum
coherence' conditions (e.g., very low temperatures) are realized, (ii) a
'structural appearance', where no hypothesis is made on the validity of quantum
laws at a micro level, while genuine quantum aspects are detected at a
structural-modeling level. In this paper, we inquire into the connections
between the two appearances. We put forward the explanatory hypothesis that,
'the appearance of quantum in both cases' is due to 'the existence of a
specific form of organisation, which has the capacity to cope with random
perturbations that would destroy this organisation when not coped with'. We
analyse how 'organisation of matter', 'organisation of life', and 'organisation
of culture', play this role each in their specific domain of application, point
out the importance of evolution in this respect, and put forward how our
analysis sheds new light on 'what quantum is'.Comment: 10 page
Environment-dependent prey capture in the Atlantic mudskipper (Periophthalmus barbarus)
Few vertebrates capture prey in both the aquatic and the terrestrial environment due to the conflicting biophysical demands of feeding in water versus air. The Atlantic mudskipper (Periophthalmus barbarus) is known to be proficient at feeding in the terrestrial environment and feeds predominately in this environment. Given the considerable forward flow of water observed during the mouth-opening phase to assist with feeding on land, the mudskipper must alter the function of its feeding system to feed successfully in water. Here, we quantify the aquatic prey-capture kinematics of the mudskipper and compare this with the previously described pattern of terrestrial feeding. Prior to feeding in the aquatic environment, the gill slits open, allowing water to be expelled through the gill slits. The opposite happens in terrestrial feeding during which the gill slits remain closed at this point. In water, the expansive movements of the head are larger, amounting to a larger volume increase and are initiated slightly later than in the terrestrial environment. This implies the generation of strong suction flows when feeding in water. Consequently, the kinematic patterns of the hydrodynamic tongue during terrestrial feeding and aquatic suction feeding are similar, except for the amplitude of the volume increase and the active closing of the gill slits early during the terrestrial feeding strike. The mudskipper thus exhibits the capacity to change the kinematics of its feeding apparatus to enable successful prey capture in two disparate environments
Estimating stellar oscillation-related parameters and their uncertainties with the moment method
The moment method is a well known mode identification technique in
asteroseismology (where `mode' is to be understood in an astronomical rather
than in a statistical sense), which uses a time series of the first 3 moments
of a spectral line to estimate the discrete oscillation mode parameters l and
m. The method, contrary to many other mode identification techniques, also
provides estimates of other important continuous parameters such as the
inclination angle alpha, and the rotational velocity v_e. We developed a
statistical formalism for the moment method based on so-called generalized
estimating equations (GEE). This formalism allows the estimation of the
uncertainty of the continuous parameters taking into account that the different
moments of a line profile are correlated and that the uncertainty of the
observed moments also depends on the model parameters. Furthermore, we set up a
procedure to take into account the mode uncertainty, i.e., the fact that often
several modes (l,m) can adequately describe the data. We also introduce a new
lack of fit function which works at least as well as a previous discriminant
function, and which in addition allows us to identify the sign of the azimuthal
order m. We applied our method to the star HD181558, using several numerical
methods, from which we learned that numerically solving the estimating
equations is an intensive task. We report on the numerical results, from which
we gain insight in the statistical uncertainties of the physical parameters
involved in the moment method.Comment: The electronic online version from the publisher can be found at
http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1467-9876.2005.00487.
The orbit of the close spectroscopic binary epsilon Lupi and the intrinsic variability of its early B-type components
We subjected 106 new high-resolution spectra of the double-lined
spectroscopic close binary epsilon Lupi, obtained in a time-span of 17 days
from two different observatories, to a detailed study of orbital and intrinsic
variations. We derived accurate values of the orbital parameters. We refined
the sidereal orbital period to 4.55970 days and the eccentricity to e=0.277. By
adding old radial velocities, we discovered the presence of apsidal motion with
a period of the rotation of apses of about 430 years. Such a value agrees with
theoretical expectations. Additional data is needed to confirm and refine this
value. Our dataset did not allow us to derive the orbit of the third body,
which is known to orbit the close system in approximately 64 years. We present
the secondary of epsilon Lupi as a new beta Cephei variable, while the primary
is a beta Cephei suspect. A first detailed analysis of line-profile variations
of both primary and secondary led to detection of one pulsation frequency near
10.36 c/d in the variability of the secondary, while no clear periodicity was
found in the primary, although low-amplitude periodicities are still suspected.
The limited accuracy and extent of our dataset did not allow any further
analysis, such as mode-identification.Comment: 13+3 pages, 20 figures. Astronomy and Astrophysics, accepte
Quantum Particles as Conceptual Entities: A Possible Explanatory Framework for Quantum Theory
We put forward a possible new interpretation and explanatory framework for
quantum theory. The basic hypothesis underlying this new framework is that
quantum particles are conceptual entities. More concretely, we propose that
quantum particles interact with ordinary matter, nuclei, atoms, molecules,
macroscopic material entities, measuring apparatuses, ..., in a similar way to
how human concepts interact with memory structures, human minds or artificial
memories. We analyze the most characteristic aspects of quantum theory, i.e.
entanglement and non-locality, interference and superposition, identity and
individuality in the light of this new interpretation, and we put forward a
specific explanation and understanding of these aspects. The basic hypothesis
of our framework gives rise in a natural way to a Heisenberg uncertainty
principle which introduces an understanding of the general situation of 'the
one and the many' in quantum physics. A specific view on macro and micro
different from the common one follows from the basic hypothesis and leads to an
analysis of Schrodinger's Cat paradox and the measurement problem different
from the existing ones. We reflect about the influence of this new quantum
interpretation and explanatory framework on the global nature and evolutionary
aspects of the world and human worldviews, and point out potential explanations
for specific situations, such as the generation problem in particle physics,
the confinement of quarks and the existence of dark matter.Comment: 45 pages, 10 figure
High-precision elements of double-lined spectroscopic binaries from combined interferometry and spectroscopy. Application to the beta Cephei star beta Centauri
We present methodology to derive high-precision estimates of the fundamental
parameters of double-lined spectroscopic binaries. We apply the methods to the
case study of the double-lined beta Cephei star beta Centauri. We also present
a detailed analysis of beta Centauri's line-profile variations caused by its
oscillations. We point out that a systematic error in the orbital amplitudes,
and any quantities derived from them, occurs if the radial velocities of
blended component lines are computed without spectral disentangling. This
technique is an essential ingredient in the derivation of the physical
parameters if the goal is to obtain a precision of only a few percent. We have
devised iteration schemes to obtain the orbital elements for systems whose
lines are blended throughout the orbital cycle. We find the following
parameters for beta Cen: and , an age of years. We deduce two oscillation
frequencies for the broad-lined primary of beta Centauri with degrees higher
than 2. We propose that our iteration schemes be used in any future derivations
of the spectroscopic orbital parameters of double-lined binaries with blended
component lines to which disentangling can be successfully applied.Comment: 12 pages, 13 figures, accepted for publication in A&
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