The role of problem-based learning in developing communication conflict resolving skills among selected non-government organisations in Pakistan

Communication conflicts among employees of the developing organisations in Pakistan have been one of the major issues over the years. The causes are numerous but the efforts to reduce and resolve these conflicts effectively are found to be rare. The objectives of this case study were to examine the nature of communication conflicts predominant among employees at the workplace, explore the role of culture in communication conflicts, identify the perceptions of employees of in-house training using Problem Based Learning (PBL) approach and finally propose a PBL-based training module for developing conflict resolving skills among employees at the work place in Pakistan. This study adopted a Case Study approach. Using purposeful sampling, it involved forty Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) employees from different parts of Pakistan. The data emerged from three instruments involving semi-structured interviews, surveys and observations to examine the nature of communication conflicts among employees and see the impact of PBL training on the soft skills of respondents. Interview and observation data were transcribed and analysed through thematic analysis while the data from the survey was computed through descriptive statistics using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The findings from this study show the existence of different type of communication conflicts among employees in the developing organisations. The result shows the substantial role of PBL in developing conflict resolving skills and other essential soft skills among employees as a whole. The finding concludes that PBL plays an instrumental and effective role towards improving the various soft skills and traits including among employees of an NGO sector

The effect of distributed time-delays on the synchronization of neuronal networks

Here we investigate the synchronization of networks of FitzHugh-Nagumo neurons coupled in scale-free, small-world and random topologies, in the presence of distributed time delays in the coupling of neurons. We explore how the synchronization transition is affected when the time delays in the interactions between pairs of interacting neurons are non-uniform. We find that the presence of distributed time-delays does not change the behavior of the synchronization transition significantly, vis-a-vis networks with constant time-delay, where the value of the constant time-delay is the mean of the distributed delays. We also notice that a normal distribution of delays gives rise to a transition at marginally lower coupling strengths, vis-a-vis uniformly distributed delays. These trends hold across classes of networks and for varying standard deviations of the delay distribution, indicating the generality of these results. So we conclude that distributed delays, which may be typically expected in real-world situations, do not have a notable effect on synchronization. This allows results obtained with constant delays to remain relevant even in the case of randomly distributed delays.Comment: 10 pages, 9 figure

Situated and distributed cognition in artifact negotiation and trade-specific skills: A cognitive ethnography of Kashmiri carpet weaving practice

This article describes various ways actors in Kashmiri carpet weaving practice deploy a range of artifacts, from symbolic, to material, to hybrid, in order to achieve diverse cognitive accomplishments in their particular task domains: information representation, inter and intra-domain communication, distribution of cognitive labor across people and time, coordination of team activities, and carrying of cultural heritage. In this repertoire, some artifacts position themselves as naïve tools in the actors’ environment to the point of being ignored; however, their usage-in-context unfolds their cognitive involvement in the tasks. These usages-in-context are shown through artifact analysis of their routine, improvised, and opportunistic uses, where cognitive artifacts like talim—the central artifact of this practice—are shown to play not only multifunctional roles beyond representation, but are also complemented by trade-specific skills bearing strong cognitive implications in a task

Cognitive dimensions of talim: evaluating weaving notation through cognitive dimensions (CDs) framework

The design process in Kashmiri carpet weaving is distributed over a number of actors and artifacts and is mediated by a weaving notation called talim. The script encodes entire design in practice-specific symbols. This encoded script is decoded and interpreted via design-specific conventions by weavers to weave the design embedded in it. The cognitive properties of this notational system are described in the paper employing cognitive dimensions (CDs) framework of Green (People and computers, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1989) and Blackwell et al. (Cognitive technology: instruments of mind—CT 2001, LNAI 2117, Springer, Berlin, 2001). After introduction to the practice, the design process is described in ‘The design process’ section which includes coding and decoding of talim. In ‘Cognitive dimensions of talim’ section, after briefly discussing CDs framework, the specific cognitive dimensions possessed by talim are described in detail

Non-Gaussianity and direction dependent systematics in HST key project data

Two new statistics, namely $\Delta_\chi^2$ and $\Delta_\chi$, based on extreme value theory, were derived in \cite{gupta08,gupta10}. We use these statistics to study direction dependence in the HST key project data which provides the most precise measurement of the Hubble constant. We also study the non-Gaussianity in this data set using these statistics. Our results for $\Delta_\chi^2$ show that the significance of direction dependent systematics is restricted to well below one $\sigma$ confidence limit, however, presence of non-Gaussian features is subtle. On the other hand $\Delta_\chi$ statistic, which is more sensitive to direction dependence, shows direction dependence systematics to be at slightly higher confidence level, and the presence of non-Gaussian features at a level similar to the $\Delta_\chi^2$ statistic.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures; accepted for publication in MNRA

Multiplexing induced explosive synchronization in Kuramoto oscillators with inertia

Explosive synchronization (ES) of coupled oscillators on networks is shown to be originated from existence of correlation between natural frequencies of oscillators and degrees of corresponding nodes. Here, we demonstrate that ES is a generic feature of multiplex network of second-order Kuramoto oscillators and can exist in absence of a frequency-degree correlation. A monoplex network of second-order Kuramoto oscillators bearing homogeneous (heterogeneous) degree-distribution is known to display the first-order (second-order) transition to synchronization. We report that multiplexing of two such networks having homogeneous degree-distribution support the first-order transition in both the layers thereby facilitating ES. More interesting is the multiplexing of a layer bearing heterogeneous degree-distribution with another layer bearing homogeneous degree-distribution, which induces a first-order (ES) transition in the heterogeneous layer which was incapable of showing the same in the isolation. Further, we report that such induced ES transition in the heterogeneous layer of multiplex networks can be controlled by varying inter and intra-layer coupling strengths. Our findings emphasize on importance of multiplexing or impact of one layer on dynamical evolution of other layers of systems having inherent multiplex or multilevel architecture.Comment: 7 pages, 10 figure

Sexual harassment and eating disorders in female elite athletes - A controlled study

The aims were to examine the percentage of female elite athletes and controls reporting sexual harassment and abuse (SHAB), and whether a higher percentage of female athletes with eating disorders (ED) had experienced SHAB. A questionnaire was administered to the total population of female elite athletes (n=660) and controls (n=780) aged 15-39 years. SHAB were measured through 11 questions, ranging from light to severe SHAB. In addition, questions about dietary-, menstrual- and training history and the Eating Disorder Inventory were included. The response rate was 88% for athletes and 71% for controls. Athletes (n=121) and controls (n=81) classified as “at risk” for ED and non-ED controls participated in a clinical interview. A higher percentage of controls, compared with athletes reported experiences of SHAB in general (59% vs. 51%, p<0.001). A lower percentage of athletes had experienced SHAB in sports than outside sport (28% vs.39%, p<0.001). A higher percentage of ED athletes than non-ED athletes had experienced SHAB (66% vs.48%) (p<0.01), both inside sport and outside sport. In spite of the fact that a higher percentage of controls compared with athletes had experienced SHAB, it is necessary to formulate clear guidelines, set up educational workshops and implement intervention programs for both ED and SHAB in sport