The Semantic Web Revisited

The original Scientific American article on the Semantic Web appeared in 2001. It described the evolution of a Web that consisted largely of documents for humans to read to one that included data and information for computers to manipulate. The Semantic Web is a Web of actionable information--information derived from data through a semantic theory for interpreting the symbols.This simple idea, however, remains largely unrealized. Shopbots and auction bots abound on the Web, but these are essentially handcrafted for particular tasks; they have little ability to interact with heterogeneous data and information types. Because we haven't yet delivered large-scale, agent-based mediation, some commentators argue that the Semantic Web has failed to deliver. We argue that agents can only flourish when standards are well established and that the Web standards for expressing shared meaning have progressed steadily over the past five years. Furthermore, we see the use of ontologies in the e-science community presaging ultimate success for the Semantic Web--just as the use of HTTP within the CERN particle physics community led to the revolutionary success of the original Web. This article is part of a special issue on the Future of AI

Perspectives about adult sibling relationships: a dyadic analysis of siblings with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Most siblings of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) report positive sibling relationships. However, extant research often only examines the perspective of the nondisabled sibling; it is unclear whether siblings with IDD report close sibling relationships. Thus, the aim of this study was to understand adult sibling relationships from the perspectives of both siblings with and without IDD. Using dyadic interviews, we examined the perspectives of eight adult sibling dyads. The study was conducted in the United States. Data were analyzed using constant comparative analysis and cross-case analysis to identify themes within and across dyads. Overall, siblings with and without IDD reported enjoying spending time with one another. However, siblings with and without Down syndrome (versus autism spectrum disorder) reported more reciprocal sibling relationships, more frequent contact, and a greater range of shared activities. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.Accepted manuscrip

Global public health training in the UK: preparing for the future.

BACKGROUND: Many major public health issues today are not confined by national boundaries. However, the global public health workforce appears unprepared to confront the challenges posed by globalization. We therefore sought to investigate whether the current UK public health training programme adequately prepares its graduates to operate in a globalized world. METHODS: We used mixed methods involving an online cross-sectional survey of UK public health trainees on the international content of the Faculty of Public Health's written examination, a qualitative review of the Faculty's 2007 training curriculum and a questionnaire survey of all training deaneries in the UK. RESULTS: We found that global health issues are not addressed by the current training curriculum or in the written examination despite trainee interest for this. Many of the deaneries were also unreceptive to international placements. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the recognized educational legitimacy of global health placements and the favourable UK policy context, the opportunities and international content of public health training remain limited. In order to retain its position as a leader in the field of public health, the UK needs to adapt its training programme to better reflect today's challenges

Tie-respecting bootstrap methods for estimating distributions of sets and functions of eigenvalues

Bootstrap methods are widely used for distribution estimation, although in some problems they are applicable only with difficulty. A case in point is that of estimating the distributions of eigenvalue estimators, or of functions of those estimators, when one or more of the true eigenvalues are tied. The $m$-out-of-$n$ bootstrap can be used to deal with problems of this general type, but it is very sensitive to the choice of $m$. In this paper we propose a new approach, where a tie diagnostic is used to determine the locations of ties, and parameter estimates are adjusted accordingly. Our tie diagnostic is governed by a probability level, $\beta$, which in principle is an analogue of $m$ in the $m$-out-of-$n$ bootstrap. However, the tie-respecting bootstrap (TRB) is remarkably robust against the choice of $\beta$. This makes the TRB significantly more attractive than the $m$-out-of-$n$ bootstrap, where the value of $m$ has substantial influence on the final result. The TRB can be used very generally; for example, to test hypotheses about, or construct confidence regions for, the proportion of variability explained by a set of principal components. It is suitable for both finite-dimensional data and functional data.Comment: Published in at http://dx.doi.org/10.3150/08-BEJ154 the Bernoulli (http://isi.cbs.nl/bernoulli/) by the International Statistical Institute/Bernoulli Society (http://isi.cbs.nl/BS/bshome.htm

Understanding decision making among individuals With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) and their siblings

Many siblings anticipate fulfilling caregiving roles for their brothers and sisters with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Given these roles and the importance of supported decision-making, it is crucial to understand how individuals with IDD and their siblings make decisions. Using dyadic interviews, we examined the perspectives of nine sibling dyads (N = 18) about decision-making in relation to self-determination, independent living, and employment. The ages of participants ranged from 19 to 57. Data were analyzed using constant comparative analysis to identify themes. Decision-making was characterized by: parents and siblings primarily identifying courses of action; the probability of respective consequences based on the person-environment fit; and the role of the sibling in making the final decision. Characteristics related to the individual with IDD, the family, the sibling, and the environment impacted decision-making. Individuals with IDD were more likely to make their own decisions about leisure activities, however, siblings were more likely to make formal decisions for their brothers and sisters.Accepted manuscrip

Does Cash Flow Cause Investment and R&D: An Exploration Using Panel Data for French, Japanese, and United States Scientific Firms

The role of financial institutions and corporate governance in the conduct and performance of industrial firms, especially in the area of technological innovation and international competition has been hotly debated in the recent past. The results presented here are a contribution to the empirical evidence on the behavior of individual firms that exist in somewhat different institutional environments. Using a Panel Data version of the Vector Auto Regressive (VAR) methodology, we test for causal relationship among sales and cash flow on the one hand and investment and R&D on the other, using three large panels of firms in the scientific (high technology) sectors in the United States, France, and Japan. Our findings are that both investment and R&D are more highly sensitive to cash flow and sales in the United States than in France and Japan. Corresponding, both investment and R&D predict both cash flow and sales positively in the United States, while the impact is somewhat more mixed in the other countries.investment, R&D, panel data, international comparisons, cash flow, firm-level

The sidewalk less traveled: evaluating change in community and police perception.

For a police department to provide efficient and effective services to the community, they must obtain the support of the public, continuously cultivating and maintaining positive perceptions from the citizens being served. Various methods, such as walking patrols, have been implemented to increase public support and trust in police, which, in turn, contributes to a cooperative relationship between community and law enforcement. When opinions of law enforcement are precarious or police departments fall out of favor with the surrounding community, police officers can feel isolated if their work is unsupported. This often leads to the development of a strong bond or police culture between law enforcement officers based on shared experiences, attitudes, and interactions with others. The symbiotic relationship between police and the public is at the core of community policing, which has the aim of reforming cultural norms and decision-making practices within law enforcement. While a substantial amount of literature exists on both the relationship between public perception of law enforcement and community relations as well as police culture, there is limited research on the intersection of these areas. This case study examines the efficacy of the Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) walking patrol initiative in Louisville, Kentucky, which was piloted between April and September 2019. The LMPD walking patrol initiative focuses on the interconnectivity between public perception of law enforcement and the police perception of public opinion as well as how this affects community policing efforts. It sought to increase police visibility, informal contacts between police and community members, and overall communications with the public. The desired outcomes were to improve perception of crime, produce better trained officers, and grow citizen satisfaction with the overall goal of improved community relations. This research is important for assisting the LMPD in evaluating this initiative, determining whether or not the effort and manpower should be continued, and how it impacted community relationships. To adequately address the complexities of this topic, this research employed a mixed methods approach, utilizing both quantitative and qualitative methods to address several hypotheses. A survey was distributed, and the data were analyzed using ordinal logistic regression, multinomial linear regression, and negative binomial regression. Qualitative methods included participant observation, focus groups, and semi-structured interviews and the data were analyzed using Dedoose coding software. This research hypothesized the following: perceptions of the police, personal safety, and crime will improve for community members within the walking patrol area; foot patrol officers will have a more positive perception of community opinions of law enforcement than vehicle patrol officers; and police officers with more informal law enforcement interactions will have higher job satisfaction. As data were analyzed, unexpected yet important themes related to police culture emerged. Using a grounded theoretical approach, information related to this topic were incorporated into the results and contributions of this research. Although the LMPD walking patrol initiative did not have a significant change on crime rates in the area, it did have significant findings in relation to community members’ perception of crime and disorder, fear of crime, and police legitimacy. It was found to have positive effects on community members’ perception of police characteristics and activities. The walking patrol officers were found to have a more positive perception of public opinion and an increased level of community engagement. This research also found the walking patrol officers lacked a connection to the current police culture, which is critical information for departments seeking ways to redevelop social learning in law enforcement. Although a walking patrol is not the singular response to establish cooperative community relations between law enforcement and citizens or improve police cultural norms, this research shows it can influence community engagement, increase legitimacy, decrease the fear of crime, and impact police culture. This case study provided significant contributions to the literature, specifically on community policing and patrol techniques, and has provided valuable information regarding training, communication, and officer and community perceptions

Application of learning algorithms to traffic management in integrated services networks.

SIGLEAvailable from British Library Document Supply Centre-DSC:DXN027131 / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreGBUnited Kingdo

Capturing the History of California Polytechnic State University\u27s College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences

The objective of this senior project was to capture the history of California Polytechnic State University’s (Cal Poly) College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences (CAFES). The importance of this topic lies in both the legacy and future of CAFES. Many individuals at Cal Poly are not familiar with the agriculture program’s history. The makeup of this population ranges from current agriculture students to administration. In order to continue the CAFES legacy, history must be captured, recorded and documented. It is critical this history is preserved to educate and share with future generations, current students and faculty