174 research outputs found
Animating the development of Social Networks over time using a dynamic extension of multidimensional scaling
The animation of network visualizations poses technical and theoretical
challenges. Rather stable patterns are required before the mental map enables a
user to make inferences over time. In order to enhance stability, we developed
an extension of stress-minimization with developments over time. This dynamic
layouter is no longer based on linear interpolation between independent static
visualizations, but change over time is used as a parameter in the
optimization. Because of our focus on structural change versus stability the
attention is shifted from the relational graph to the latent eigenvectors of
matrices. The approach is illustrated with animations for the journal citation
environments of Social Networks, the (co-)author networks in the carrying
community of this journal, and the topical development using relations among
its title words. Our results are also compared with animations based on
PajekToSVGAnim and SoNIA
Procedure Weak or Strong Understanding the Limits of Political Inquiries
The authors contrast two political inquiries in light of Luhmannâs system theory of procedure. The article asks whether and to what extent these inquiries can be considered as procedural systems, meaning as distinct frames of action that generate specific meanings and relevancies. Starting from the micro-sociological analysis of interactions in the British âHutton Inquiryâ and the European Unionâs âCIA Inquiryâ the authors reconstruct the specific functionalities of each with regard to their different ways of engaging and enabling self-referential processes of communication, knowledge production, and decision-making. As a system, each merges these three processes into a consistent, relatively strong or weak procedure, but they do so to different degrees. Overall, the article encourages a sociological understanding of the procedural mechanism as well as an empirical qualification and variation of system-theoretical assertions.Die Autoren nehmen zwei groÎČe politische Umfragen zum AnlaĂ, um zu erkennen, ob sie als prozedurale Systeme im Sinne der Luthmannschen Theorie begriffen werden können, d.h. als Handlungsrahmen verschiedener InterpretationsansĂ€tze und mit besonderen Konsequenzen. Der erste Fall ist die englische Umfrage â Hutton â, der zweite die CIA Umfrage der europĂ€ischen Union. Eine microsoziale Arbeit fördert die Handlungsweise der einen und anderen zu Tage : Aufbau interner Kommunikationprozesse, Wissenserarbeitung und Entscheidungsfindung. Am Kreuzpunkt der drei Prozesse entsteht in jedem der beiden FĂ€lle ein kohĂ€renter, mehr oder wenig starker Wirkungsmechanismus, mit unterschiedlichen AusmaĂen. Letzterer sollte sowohl soziologisch als auch auf seine empirische BefĂ€higung und als Variante systemtheoretischer Aussagen begriffen werden.Prenant deux grandes enquĂȘtes politiques, les auteurs se posent la question de savoir si elles peuvent ĂȘtre considĂ©rĂ©es comme des systĂšmes procĂ©duraux au sens de la thĂ©orie de Luhmann, câest-Ă -dire des cadres dâaction bien distincts porteurs dâinterprĂ©tations et de consĂ©quences spĂ©cifiques. Lâun des cas se situe en Angleterre « lâenquĂȘte Hutton », lâautre « lâenquĂȘte CIA » dans lâUnion europĂ©enne. Un travail microsociologique rapporte les maniĂšres de fonctionner de lâune et de lâautre aux modalitĂ©s de construction des processus internes de communication, de la production de connaissances et de la prise de dĂ©cision. Il ressort que chacune produit bien, au carrefour de ces trois processus, une procĂ©dure cohĂ©rente, plus ou moins forte et qui fait Ă quelque degrĂ© systĂšme.Peer Reviewe
Performance Assessment Links in Science
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Metaphoric coherence: Distinguishing verbal metaphor from `anomaly\u27
Theories and computational models of metaphor comprehension generally circumvent the question of metaphor versus âanomalyâ in favor of a treatment of metaphor versus literal language. Making the distinction between metaphoric and âanomalousâ expressions is subject to wide variation in judgment, yet humans agree that some potentially metaphoric expressions are much more comprehensible than others. In the context of a program which interprets simple isolated sentences that are potential instances of crossâmodal and other verbal metaphor, I consider some possible coherence criteria which must be satisfied for an expression to be âconceivableâ metaphorically. Metaphoric constraints on object nominals are represented as abstracted or extended along with the invariant structural components of the verb meaning in a metaphor. This approach distinguishes what is preserved in metaphoric extension from that which is âviolatedâ, thus referring to both âsimilarityâ and âdissimilarityâ views of metaphor. The role and potential limits of represented abstracted properties and constraints is discussed as they relate to the recognition of incoherent semantic combinations and the rejection or adjustment of metaphoric interpretations
Modern customers and open universities: can open universities develop a course model in which students become the co-creators of value?
Marketing specialists have recently redefined the roles customers and enterprises play in the economy. Modern customers are connected, informed, mobile, educated and internationally oriented. They seek enterprises that empower them to co-construct personalised experiences. This view of the customerâenterprise relationship has a great impact on the ways markets function. Open universities can apply developed principles in marketing to optimise the value of their degree programmes. A capita selecta course within the Open University of the Netherlands has given students the opportunity to personalise learning. Within the limits of the formal Master programme, students were encouraged to define personal learning goals, study tasks and work to be delivered and formally assessed. In this paper, the course is analysed according to the principles of customerâenterprise relations, and I explore the question: can open universities develop a course model in which students become the co-creators of value
Analyzing Problem Solving Using Math in Physics: Epistemological Framing via Warrants
Developing expertise in physics entails learning to use mathematics
effectively and efficiently as applied to the context of physical situations.
Doing so involves coordinating a variety of concepts and skills including
mathematical processing, computation, blending ancillary information with the
math, and reading out physical implications from the math and vice versa. From
videotaped observations of intermediate level students solving problems in
groups, we note that students often "get stuck" using a limited group of skills
or reasoning and fail to notice that a different set of tools (which they
possess and know how to use effectively) could quickly and easily solve their
problem. We refer to a student's perception/judgment of the kind of knowledge
that is appropriate to bring to bear in a particular situation as
epistemological framing. Although epistemological framing is often unstated
(and even unconscious), in group problem solving situations students sometimes
get into disagreements about how to progress. During these disagreements, they
bring forth explicit reasons or warrants in support of their point of view. For
the context of mathematics use in physics problem solving, we present a system
for classifying physics students' warrants. This warrant analysis offers
tangible evidence of their epistemological framing.Comment: 23 page
Whole-Genome Positive Selection and Habitat-Driven Evolution in a Shallow and a Deep-Sea Urchin
Comparisons of genomic sequence between divergent species can provide insight into the action of natural selection across many distinct classes of proteins. Here, we examine the extent of positive selection as a function of tissue-specific and stage-specific gene expression in two closely-related sea urchins, the shallow-water Strongylocentrotus purpuratus and the deep-sea Allocentrotus fragilis, which have diverged greatly in their adult but not larval habitats. Genes that are expressed specifically in adult somatic tissue have significantly higher dN/dS ratios than the genome-wide average, whereas those in larvae are indistinguishable from the genome-wide average. Testis-specific genes have the highest dN/dS values, whereas ovary-specific have the lowest. Branch-site models involving the outgroup S. franciscanus indicate greater selection (ÏFG) along the A. fragilis branch than along the S. purpuratus branch. The A. fragilis branch also shows a higher proportion of genes under positive selection, including those involved in skeletal development, endocytosis, and sulfur metabolism. Both lineages are approximately equal in enrichment for positive selection of genes involved in immunity, development, and cellâcell communication. The branch-site models further suggest that adult-specific genes have experienced greater positive selection than those expressed in larvae and that ovary-specific genes are more conserved (i.e., experienced greater negative selection) than those expressed specifically in adult somatic tissues and testis. Our results chart the patterns of protein change that have occurred after habitat divergence in these two species and show that the developmental or functional context in which a gene acts can play an important role in how divergent species adapt to new environments
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