Developments in the theory of randomized shortest paths with a comparison of graph node distances

There have lately been several suggestions for parametrized distances on a graph that generalize the shortest path distance and the commute time or resistance distance. The need for developing such distances has risen from the observation that the above-mentioned common distances in many situations fail to take into account the global structure of the graph. In this article, we develop the theory of one family of graph node distances, known as the randomized shortest path dissimilarity, which has its foundation in statistical physics. We show that the randomized shortest path dissimilarity can be easily computed in closed form for all pairs of nodes of a graph. Moreover, we come up with a new definition of a distance measure that we call the free energy distance. The free energy distance can be seen as an upgrade of the randomized shortest path dissimilarity as it defines a metric, in addition to which it satisfies the graph-geodetic property. The derivation and computation of the free energy distance are also straightforward. We then make a comparison between a set of generalized distances that interpolate between the shortest path distance and the commute time, or resistance distance. This comparison focuses on the applicability of the distances in graph node clustering and classification. The comparison, in general, shows that the parametrized distances perform well in the tasks. In particular, we see that the results obtained with the free energy distance are among the best in all the experiments.Comment: 30 pages, 4 figures, 3 table

Two betweenness centrality measures based on Randomized Shortest Paths

This paper introduces two new closely related betweenness centrality measures based on the Randomized Shortest Paths (RSP) framework, which fill a gap between traditional network centrality measures based on shortest paths and more recent methods considering random walks or current flows. The framework defines Boltzmann probability distributions over paths of the network which focus on the shortest paths, but also take into account longer paths depending on an inverse temperature parameter. RSP's have previously proven to be useful in defining distance measures on networks. In this work we study their utility in quantifying the importance of the nodes of a network. The proposed RSP betweenness centralities combine, in an optimal way, the ideas of using the shortest and purely random paths for analysing the roles of network nodes, avoiding issues involving these two paradigms. We present the derivations of these measures and how they can be computed in an efficient way. In addition, we show with real world examples the potential of the RSP betweenness centralities in identifying interesting nodes of a network that more traditional methods might fail to notice.Comment: Minor updates; published in Scientific Report

Organisational downsizing and musculoskeletal problems in employees: a prospective study

Objectives: To study the association between organisational downsizing and subsequent musculoskeletal problems in employees and to determine the association with changes in psychosocial and behavioural risk factors. Methods: Participants were 764 municipal employees working in Raisio, Finland before and after an organisational downsizing carried out between 1991 and 1993. The outcome measures were self reports of severity and sites of musculoskeletal pain at the end of 1993 and medically certified musculoskeletal sickness absence for 1993-5. The contribution of changes in psychosocial work characteristics and health related behaviour between the 1990 and 1993 surveys was assessed by adjustment. Results: After adjustment for age, sex, and income, the odds ratio (OR) for severe musculoskeletal pain between major and minor downsizing and the corresponding rate ratios for musculoskeletal sickness absence were 2.59 (95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.5 to 4.5) and 5.50 (3.6 to 7.6), respectively. Differences between the mean number of sites of pain after major and minor downsizing was 0.99 (0.4 to 1.6). The largest contribution from changes in work characteristics and health related behaviour to the association between downsizing and musculoskeletal problems was from increases in physical demands, particularly in women and low income employees. Additional contributory factors were reduction of skill discretion (relative to musculoskeletal pain) and job insecurity. The results were little different when analyses were confined to initially healthy participants. Conclusions: Downsizing is a risk factor for musculoskeletal problems among those who remain in employment. Much of this risk is attributable to increased physical demands, but adverse changes in other psychosocial factors may also play a part

Can the Pragmatic East Asian Approach to Human Security Offer a Way for the Deepening of the Long Peace of East Asia?

East Asia (including Southeast and Northeast Asia) has witnessed the most spectacular pacification in the world during the past 30 years. Certain dimensions related to human security have been perceived as weak points in the long peace of East Asia. Despite progress, authoritarian violence is still a reality in East Asia. At the same time, certain other dimensions of human security - most distinctively those elements related to "freedom from want" - have developed very well during the long peace of East Asia. This article will study whether the concept of human security constructs realities that are useful for peace in East Asia. For this, the article will look at how the way in which "human" and "security" are linked, serve and deepen the existing social realities of peace in the region. Furthermore, the article will look inside the concepts of "human" and "security" to see how human security is constructed and whether the construction serves to deepen the long peace of East Asia. The article will argue that the East Asian human security debate could be an intellectual adaptation strategy useful for the promotion of the long peace of East Asia in a deeper sense

I see me – a narrative research on doing management consulting with theatre

The objective of the research is to explore the practice of business theatre as a particular way of doing management consulting. My aim is to make sense how business theatre is done at the intersection of management consulting and participatory theatre. The point of the study is to build insight of business theatre by combining theories from management consulting and theatre through the doing perspective and the concepts of practice, practitioner and praxis. The data for the study is constructed by conducting interviews and by observing. Following the narrative research tradition, I have constructed an analysis in the form of a narrative inspired by ethnographical drama. The narrative is a way to tell the story of how business theatre is done and who are the practitioners involved, in this way describing and interpreting the practice of business theatre. Based on the findings, management consulting is done with theatre by creating a space where the participants can actively take part in jointly constructing solutions to the organizational challenges. Also, dramatizing everyday organizational life with professional actors the routinized way of doing can be made visible. Moreover, theatre creates a space where alternative ways of doing can be tried out then and there within the safety of playfulness. From the practice-based doing perspective, when mirroring organizational life the organization is not only being described, yet it is constructed in the interaction

The United States and the Arab Spring

This article reveals, by studying correlative relationships between US regime support and regime properties, that the US foreign policy in the Middle East has traditionally helped governments to limit the political participation of Islamists, communists, enemies of Israel and populations that could be hostile to the US oil interests. This way the US economic and strategic security interests have contributed to human insecurity in the region. With the exception of the last interest, the US has relaxed its support for repression of the above-mentioned groups. This seems to be one of the international factors that made the Arab Spring possible