904 research outputs found
Conversational Swarm Intelligence (CSI) Enables Rapid Group Insights
When generating insights from human groups, conversational deliberation is a
key method for exploring issues, surfacing ideas, debating options, and
converging on solutions. Unfortunately, real-time conversations are difficult
to scale, losing effectiveness in groups above 4 to 7 members. Conversational
Swarm Intelligence (CSI) is a new technology that enables large human groups to
hold real-time conversations using techniques modeled on the dynamics of
biological swarms. Through a novel use of Large Language Models (LLMs), CSI
enables real-time dialog among small groups while simultaneously fostering
content propagation across a much larger group. This combines the benefits of
small-scale deliberative reasoning and large-scale groupwise intelligence. In
this study, we engage a group of 81 American voters from one political party in
real-time deliberation using a CSI platform called Thinkscape. We then task the
group with (a) forecasting which candidate from a set of options will achieve
the most national support, and (b) indicating the specific reasons for this
result. After only six minutes of deliberation, the group of 81 individuals
converged on a selected candidate and surfaced over 400 reasons justifying
various candidates, including 206 justifications that supported the selected
candidate. We find that the selected candidate was significantly more supported
by group members than the other options (p<0.001) and that this effect held
even after six minutes of deliberation, demonstrating that CSI provides both
the qualitative benefits of conversational focus groups and the quantitative
benefits of largescale polling.Comment: Copyright 2023 IEEE. arXiv admin note: substantial text overlap with
arXiv:2309.1236
Value-added taxation in the EC after 1992: Some applied general equilibrium calculations
This paper examines the quantitative effects of the transitional system of value-added taxation for intra-EC trade after 1992, as recently adopted by the ECOFIN-Council. First, the administration of the current destination principle and the interim solution are described and a mathematical formalization is provided. A short representation of the empirical general equilibrium model featuring seven EC regions and 14 production sectors follows. Finally, the effects of a switch to the transitional system are examined theoretically and by using policy simulations. When decomposing welfare effects, international tax revenue shifts prove to dominate, while substitution effects have relatively little influence on economic welfare. A generous arrangement with regard to long distance shopping, opening tax arbitrage possibilities to final consumers, favours low tax countries at the cost of their EC partners.Dieser Beitrag untersucht die quantitativen Efgekte der jüngst vom ECOFIN-Rat beschlossenen Übergangsregelung für die umsatzsteuerliche Behandlung des Handels in der EG nach 1992. Zunächst werden die Funktionsweise des bisherigen Bestimmungslandprinzips und der neuen Regelung beschrieben und mathematisch formalisiert. Es folgt eine kurze Darstellung des sieben EG-Regionen und 14 Produktionssektoren pro Land umfassenden empirischen allgemeinen Gleichgewichtsmodells. Im letzten Teil wird zunächst theoretisch und dann anhand von Simulationsrechnungen auf die Wirkungen eines Wechsels zum Übergangssystems eingegangen. Bei einer Zerlegung der Wohlfahrtseffekte zeigt sich, dass internationale Steueraufkommensverschiebungen das Ergebnis quantitativ dominieren, während Substitionseffekte kaum Einfluss auf die ökonomische Wohlfahrt haben. Bei einer großzügigen Versandhandelsregelung, die den Endkonsumenten Möglichkeiten der Steuerarbitrage eröffnet, gewinnen Niedrigsteuerlander auf Kosten ihrer EG-Partner
Conversational Swarm Intelligence (CSI) Enhances Groupwise Deliberation
Real-time conversational deliberation is a critical groupwise method for
reaching decisions, solving problems, evaluating priorities, generating ideas,
and producing insights. Unfortunately, real-time conversations are difficult to
scale, losing effectiveness as groups grow above 5 to 7 members. Conversational
Swarm Intelligence (CSI) is a new technology modeled on the dynamics of
biological swarms. It aims to enable networked groups of any size to hold
productive real-time deliberations that converge on unified solutions. CSI
leverages the power of Large Language Models (LLMs) in a unique and powerful
way, allowing real-time dialog among small local groups while simultaneously
enabling efficient content propagation across much larger populations. In this
way, CSI combines the benefits of small-scale deliberative reasoning and
large-scale collective intelligence. In this study, we compare deliberative
groups of 48 people using standard online chat to the same sized groups using a
prototype chat-based CSI system called Thinkscape. Results show that
participants using CSI contributed 51% more content (p<0.001) than those using
standard chat, and the deliberations using CSI showed 37% less difference in
contribution quantity between the most active vs least active members,
indicating more balanced dialog. And finally, a large majority of participants
preferred deliberating using the CSI system over standard chat (p<0.05) and
re-ported feeling more impactful when doing so (p<0.01). These results suggest
that Conversational Swarm Intelligence is a promising technology for enabling
large-scale deliberation.Comment: Accepted for publication: 7th International Joint Conference on
Advances in Computational Intelligence (IJCACI 2023). Oct 14, 2023. New
Delhi, India. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:2309.0322
Towards Collective Superintelligence: Amplifying Group IQ using Conversational Swarms
Swarm Intelligence (SI) is a natural phenomenon that enables biological
groups to amplify their combined intellect by forming real-time systems.
Artificial Swarm Intelligence (or Swarm AI) is a technology that enables
networked human groups to amplify their combined intelligence by forming
similar systems. In the past, swarm-based methods were constrained to narrowly
defined tasks like probabilistic forecasting and multiple-choice decision
making. A new technology called Conversational Swarm Intelligence (CSI) was
developed in 2023 that amplifies the decision-making accuracy of networked
human groups through natural conversational deliberations. The current study
evaluated the ability of real-time groups using a CSI platform to take a common
IQ test known as Raven's Advanced Progressive Matrices (RAPM). First, a
baseline group of participants took the Raven's IQ test by traditional survey.
This group averaged 45.6% correct. Then, groups of approximately 35 individuals
answered IQ test questions together using a CSI platform called Thinkscape.
These groups averaged 80.5% correct. This places the CSI groups in the 97th
percentile of IQ test-takers and corresponds to an effective IQ increase of 28
points (p<0.001). This is an encouraging result and suggests that CSI is a
powerful method for enabling conversational collective intelligence in large,
networked groups. In addition, because CSI is scalable across groups of
potentially any size, this technology may provide a viable pathway to building
a Collective Superintelligence
The unique genomic properties of sex-biased genes: Insights from avian microarray data
In order to develop a framework for the analysis of sex-biased genes, we present a characterization of microarray data comparing male and female gene expression in 18 day chicken embryos for brain, gonad, and heart tissue
From genome to function: the Arabidopsis aquaporins
BACKGROUND: In the post-genomic era newly sequenced genomes can be used to deduce organismal functions from our knowledge of other systems. Here we apply this approach to analyzing the aquaporin gene family in Arabidopsis thaliana. The aquaporins are intrinsic membrane proteins that have been characterized as facilitators of water flux. Originally termed major intrinsic proteins (MIPs), they are now also known as water channels, glycerol facilitators and aqua-glyceroporins, yet recent data suggest that they facilitate the movement of other low-molecular-weight metabolites as well. RESULTS: The Arabidopsis genome contains 38 sequences with homology to aquaporin in four subfamilies, termed PIP, TIP, NIP and SIP. We have analyzed aquaporin family structure and expression using the A. thaliana genome sequence, and introduce a new NMR approach for the purpose of analyzing water movement in plant roots in vivo. CONCLUSIONS: Our preliminary data indicate a strongly transcellular component for the flux of water in roots
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Recent investigations of early Roman cameo glass : Part 2. X-ray fluorescence analyses induced by Synchrotron radiation
The elemental composition of 14 Roman cameo glass fragments was measured quantitatively b y X-ray fluorescence analysis induced by synchrotron radiation. The study was intended to learn more about the possible manufacturing techniques of these glasses. In the white cameo decor of nine fragments all belonging to vessels a higher lead oxide concentration was detected compared to the colored body. In contrast, lead oxide is not enhanced in the remaining five fragments from cameo disks or plates. The higher concentrations may be interpreted as flux added to lower the melting temperature of the white cameo layers of the vessels, thus supporting the recent hypothesis that these cameo vessels were manufactured with the help of a mold on a turning wheel, which had not to be used for the production of cameo plates
Comparative genomic hybridization of cancer of the gastroesophageal junction: deletion of 14Q31-32.1 discriminates between esophageal (Barrett's) and gastric cardia adenocarcinomas
Incidence rates have risen rapidly for esophageal and gastric cardia
adenocarcinomas. These cancers, arising at and around the gastroesophageal
junction (GEJ), share a poor prognosis. In contrast, there is no consensus
with respect to clinical staging resulting in possible adverse effects on
treatment and survival. The goal of this study was to provide more insight
into the genetic changes underlying esophageal and gastric cardia
adenocarcinomas. We have used comparative genomic hybridization for a
genetic analysis of 28 adenocarcinomas of the GEJ. Eleven tumors were
localized in the distal esophagus and related to Barrett's esophagus, and
10 tumors were situated in the gastric cardia. The remaining seven tumors
were located at the junction and could not be classified as either
Barrett-related, or gastric cardia. We found alterations in all 28
neoplasms. Gains and losses were distinguished in comparable numbers.
Frequent loss (> or = 25% of all tumors) was detected, in decreasing order
of frequency, on 4pq (54%), 14q (46%), 18q (43%), 5q (36%), 16q (36%), 9p
(29%), 17p (29%), and 21q (29%). Frequent gain (> or = 25% of all tumors)
was observed, in decreasing order of frequency, on 20pq (86%), 8q (79%),
7p (61%), 13q (46%), 12q (39%), 15q (39%), 1q (36%), 3q (32%), 5p (32%),
6p (32%), 19q (32%), Xpq (32%), 17q (29%), and 18p (25%). Nearly all
patients were male, and loss of chromosome Y was frequently noted (64%).
Recurrent high-level amplifications (> 10% of all tumors) were seen at
8q23-24.1, 15q25, 17q12-21, and 19q13.1. Minimal overlapping regions could
be determined at multiple locations (candidate genes are in parentheses):
minimal regions of overlap for deletions were assigned to 3p14 (FHIT,
RCA1), 5q14-21 (APC, MCC), 9p21 (MTS1/CDKN2), 14q31-32.1 (TSHR), 16q23,
18q21 (DCC, P15) and 21q21. Minimal overlapping amplified sites could be
seen at 5p14 (MLVI2), 6p12-21.1 (NRASL3), 7p12 (EGFR), 8q23-24.1 (MYC),
12q21.1, 15q25 (IGF1R), 17q12-21 (ERBB2/HER2-neu), 19q13.1 (TGFB1, BCL3,
AKT2), 20p12 (PCNA), 20q12-13 (MYBL2, PTPN1), and Xq25. The distribution
of the imbalances revealed similar genetic patterns in the three GEJ tumor
groups. However, loss of 14q31-32.1 occurred significantly more frequent
in Barrett-related adenocarcinomas of the distal esophagus, than in
gastric cardia cancers (P = 0.02). The unclassified, "pure junction" group
displayed an intermediate position, suggesting that these may be in part
gastric cardia tumors, whereas the others may be related to
(short-segment) Barrett's esophagus. In conclusion, this study has, fist,
provided a detailed comparative genomic hybridization-map of GEJ
adenocarcinomas documenting new genetic changes, as well as candidate
genes involved. Second, genetic divergence was revealed in this poorly
understood group of cancers
The CRCES Workshop on Decadal Climate Variability
Author Posting. © American Meteorological Society, 2006. This article is posted here by permission of American Meteorological Society for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society 87 (2006): 1223–1225, doi:10.1175/BAMS-87-9-1223.The importance of decadal climate variability
(DCV) research is being increasingly recognized,
including by international research programs
such as the World Climate Research Program
(WCRP) and the U.S. National Research Council.
This brief article (workshop presentations available
online at www.DecVar.org/auditorium.php) summarizes
a consensus view of a research community
workshop attended by approximately 45 scientists.
Gaps in our knowledge of DCV and its societal
impacts were identified, as were areas of needed
research and anticipated benefits of research. It is a
major challenge to implement recommendations of
this and other such workshops on climate research in
this era of declining earth science budgets. Therefore,
a phased implementation is recommended, with highest
priority recommendations outlined in a sidebar
to this summary
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