Detecting Sockpuppets in Deceptive Opinion Spam

This paper explores the problem of sockpuppet detection in deceptive opinion spam using authorship attribution and verification approaches. Two methods are explored. The first is a feature subsampling scheme that uses the KL-Divergence on stylistic language models of an author to find discriminative features. The second is a transduction scheme, spy induction that leverages the diversity of authors in the unlabeled test set by sending a set of spies (positive samples) from the training set to retrieve hidden samples in the unlabeled test set using nearest and farthest neighbors. Experiments using ground truth sockpuppet data show the effectiveness of the proposed schemes.Comment: 18 pages, Accepted at CICLing 2017, 18th International Conference on Intelligent Text Processing and Computational Linguistic

On the primordial scenario for abundance variations within globular clusters. The isochrone test

Self-enrichment processes occurring in the early stages of a globular cluster lifetime are generally invoked to explain the observed CNONaMgAl abundance anticorrelations within individual Galactic globulars.We have tested, with fully consistent stellar evolution calculations, if theoretical isochrones for stars born with the observed abundance anticorrelations satisfy the observational evidence that objects with different degrees of these anomalies lie on essentially identical sequences in the Color-Magnitude-Diagram (CMD). To this purpose, we have computed for the first time low-mass stellar models and isochrones with an initial metal mixture that includes the extreme values of the observed abundance anticorrelations, and varying initial He mass fractions. Comparisons with 'normal' alpha-enhanced isochrones and suitable Monte Carlo simulations that include photometric errors show that a significant broadening of the CMD sequences occurs only if the helium enhancement is extremely large (in this study, when Y=0.35) in the stars showing anomalous abundances. Stellar luminosity functions up to the Red Giant Branch tip are also very weakly affected, apart from - depending on the He content of the polluting material - the Red Giant Branch bump region. We also study the distribution of stars along the Zero Age Horizontal Branch, and derive general constraints on the relative location of objects with and without abundance anomalies along the observed horizontal branches of globular clusters.Comment: Accepted for publication in Ap

Work factors and psychological distress in nurses' aides: a prospective cohort study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Nurses' aides (assistant nurses), the main providers of practical patient care in many countries, are doing both emotional and heavy physical work, and are exposed to frequent social encounters in their job. There is scarce knowledge, though, of how working conditions are related to psychological distress in this occupational group. The aim of this study was to identify work factors that predict the level of psychological distress in nurses' aides.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The sample of this prospective study comprised 5076 Norwegian nurses' aides, not on leave when they completed a mailed questionnaire in 1999. Of these, 4076 (80.3 %) completed a second questionnaire 15 months later. A wide spectrum of physical, psychological, social, and organisational work factors were measured at baseline. Psychological distress (anxiety and depression) was assessed at baseline and follow-up by the SCL-5, a short version of Hopkins Symptom Checklist-25.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In a linear regression model of the level of psychological distress at follow-up, with baseline level of psychological distress, work factors, and background factors as independent variables, work factors explained 2 % and baseline psychological distress explained 34 % of the variance. Exposures to role conflicts, exposures to threats and violence, working in apartment units for the aged, and changes in the work situation between baseline and follow-up that were reported to result in less support and encouragement were positively associated with the level of psychological distress. Working in psychiatric departments, and changes in the work situation between baseline and follow-up that gave lower work pace were negatively associated with psychological distress.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The study suggests that work factors explain only a modest part of the psychological distress in nurses' aides. Exposures to role conflicts and threats and violence at work may contribute to psychological distress in nurses' aides. It is important that protective measures against violent patients are implemented, and that occupational health officers offer victims of violence appropriate support or therapy. It is also important that health service organisations focus on reducing role conflicts, and that leaders listen to and consider the views of the staff.</p

Factors influencing students’ intention to use internet for academic purposes

This study aimed to investigate the factors influencing students’ intention to use the Internet for academic purposes amongst 204 final year business students in public universities in Malaysia.This study integrated theory of planned behavior (TPB) and theory of acceptance model (TAM) as the base model toward that purpose.The research model employs the variables from both theories namely attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, intention, and behavior.A multiple regression analysis provides empirical support for the applicability of integration of TPB and TAM in predicting students’ intention to use the Internet for academic purposes.Results of the study show that attitudes, perceived behavioral control, and perceived usefulness are statistically significant in influencing intention to use the Internet for academic purposes.Based on the results, it can be concluded that students’ intention to use the Internet for academic purposes could be predicted from their attitudes, perceived behavioral control, and perceived usefulness at 49% level.In view of the results, several implications and recommendations are discussed

Bridges and Barriers in Behavioral Consultation

Over the last decade, consultation has been increasingly recognized as an important role psychologists play in the schools. Although barriers to consultation have been investigated in the past, the changing tenor of the field of school psychology and changes in federal law may have modified the extent to which psychologists face barriers to indirect service delivery. The current study attempt ed to identify sources of support for consultation and barriers to this service delivery model. Responses to a consultation survey were analyzed for 339 members of the National Association of School Psychologist (NASP) using descriptive and nonparamenic statistics. The majority of respondents reported that they were qualified to provide consultation services and that they received support from administrators and teachers. However, a lack of time and number of traditional assessments respondents were expected to complete continued to represent a major barrier to consultation. Interestingly, doctoral level psychologists were more likely to report a lack of support for consultation, both in terms of time and support from school personnel. The relevance of these findings in relation to changes in IDEA were discussed. (C) 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc

Intelligent Control Based on Usage Habits in a Domestic Refrigerator with Variable Speed Compressor for Energy-Saving

Maintaining adequate temperatures for preserving food in a domestic refrigerator is a task that is affected by several factors, including the daily use of the appliance. In this sense, this work presents the development of a novel control system based on fuzzy logic that considers usage habits such as the amount of food entering the refrigerator and the frequency of opening doors. Thus, the control comprises input variables corresponding to the internal temperatures of both compartments, the thermal load entered, and the refrigerator door-opening signal. By simulating the usage habits of a refrigerator with a variable-speed compressor, the control performance was evaluated. The results showed that implementing fuzzy control using usage habits was robust enough to maintain adequate thermal conditions within the compartments and a lower thermal fluctuation concerning the reference control of the refrigerator (factory control). In terms of energy, the fuzzy control resulted in an energy saving of 3.20% with the refrigerator empty (without thermal load) compared to the reference control. On the other hand, the individual integration of the thermal load in the fuzzy control resulted in 2.08% energy savings and 5.45% for the integration of the thermal load compared to the reference control. Finally, considering the combination of usage habits, the fuzzy control presented a higher energy consumption than the reference control, around 9.7%. In this case, the fuzzy control maintained more favorable thermal conditions in both compartments, whereas the reference control presented a warmer thermal condition in the freezer

A preliminary analysis of interactive effects between common classroom contingencies and methylphenidate.

To assess the drug-behavior interaction effects with an 8-year-old boy wih attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, common classroom antecedent (e.g., seating arrangement) and consequent (e.g., peer prompts) stimuli were alternated within a school day while drug conditions (methylphenidate vs. placebo) were alternated across days. The results suggested that peer attention maintained disruptive behavior when methylphenidate was absent but not when it was present

Antecedent manipulations in a tangible condition: effects of stimulus preference on aggression.

After a functional analysis indicated that aggression of an 8-year-old boy with autism was maintained by access to preferred items, antecedent manipulations involving the relative preference of restricted and noncontingently available stimuli were conducted. Restricting highly preferred items evoked the highest rates of aggression regardless of the preference level of the noncontingently available alternative items. Restricting less preferred stimuli was associated with moderate rates of aggression even when the alternative items were more preferred