scholarly journals The Value of Abstraction

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark K Ho ◽  
David Abel ◽  
Tom Griffiths ◽  
Michael L. Littman
Keyword(s):  
Problem Solving ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
Scaling Up ◽  
Limited Resources ◽  
Abstract Representations ◽  
Learning Research ◽  
Crucial Ingredient ◽  
Insight Into ◽  
Shed Light

Agents that can make better use of computation, experience, time, and memory can solve a greater range of problems more effectively. A crucial ingredient for managing such finite resources is intelligently chosen abstract representations. But, how do abstractions facilitate problem solving under limited resources? What makes an abstraction useful? To answer such questions, we review several trends in recent reinforcement-learning research that provide insight into how abstractions interact with learning and decision making. During learning, abstraction can guide exploration and generalization as well as facilitate efficient tradeoffs---e.g., time spent learning versus the quality of a solution. During computation, good abstractions provide simplified models for computation while also preserving relevant information about decision-theoretic quantities. These features of abstraction are not only key for scaling up artificial problem solving, but can also shed light on what pressures shape the use of abstract representations in humans and other organisms.

Theoretical insight into the disordered structure of (Z)-2-[(E)-(4-methoxybenzylidene)hydrazinylidene]-1,2-diphenylethanone: the role of noncovalent interactions

2018 ◽  
Vol 74 (9) ◽  
pp. 1058-1067
Author(s):  
Xue-Jie Tan ◽  
Di Wang ◽  
Xu-Gang Lei ◽  
Jun-Peng Chen
Keyword(s):  
Room Temperature ◽  
Noncovalent Interactions ◽  
Poor Quality ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Disordered Structure ◽  
Theoretical Insight ◽  
Insight Into ◽  
Shed Light

A global glide disorder has been discovered during an X-ray investigation of the crystal structure of (Z)-2-[(E)-(4-methoxybenzylidene)hydrazinylidene]-1,2-diphenylethanone (MHDE, C22H18N2O2) at room temperature. In another crystal, however, such disorder disappears (still at room temperature). Even though the disorder may be partly due to the poor quality of the harvested crystal, the structure can shed light on the nature of disorder. With the help of quantum chemical calculations, it is found that the global disorder seems to be connected with the need for stabilization of the somewhat rigid but mobile and unstable molecular structure. The most relevant feature driving the packing of the disordered structure concerns the slight perturbations (such as glide) of two or more disorder components (fractional occupancies) distributed throughout the crystal.

scholarly journals The Use of Patterns as an Urban Design Approach

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hernan Casakin
Keyword(s):  
Problem Solving ◽  
Urban Design ◽  
Design Patterns ◽  
Design Education ◽  
Complex Problem ◽  
Final Design ◽  
Design Activities ◽  
Urban Problems ◽  
Insight Into

Urban design is a complex problem-solving activity that commonly requires the aid of a variety of methods to support the process and enhance the quality of the outcomes. How to help designers with adequate methods to deal with ill-defined urban problems constitutes a major challenge in the urban design domain. In this regard, the use of urban design patterns is considered as a method that can contribute to urban design problem-solving. However, this tool was never investigated to understand its role in the task-related activities that take place during the design process by designers working in team, and its effect on the creativity of the final design outcome as perceived by urban designers and students. Therefore, an empirical research based on a controlled experiment was carried out to explore the aid provided by design patterns during the conceptual stages of the process. The study contributed to gain a better insight into the main design activities derived from the use of patterns as problem-solving tools, and to unveil their contribution to urban design. Implications for design practice and design education are discussed.

scholarly journals Capturing the complexity of healthcare for people with Down syndrome in quality indicators - a Delphi study involving healthcare professionals and patient organisations

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francine A. van den Driessen Mareeuw ◽  
Antonia M.W. Coppus ◽  
Diana M.J. Delnoij ◽  
Esther de Vries
Keyword(s):  
Down Syndrome ◽  
Quality Indicators ◽  
Delphi Study ◽  
Healthcare Professionals ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
Quality Of Healthcare ◽  
Measurement Instruments ◽  
Patient Organisations ◽  
Insight Into

Abstract Background Insight into quality of healthcare for people with Down Syndrome (DS) is limited. Quality indicators (QIs) can provide this insight. This study aims to find consensus among participants regarding QIs for healthcare for people with DS.Methods We conducted a four-round Delphi study, in which 33 healthcare professionals involved in healthcare for people with DS and two patient organisations’ representatives in the Netherlands participated. Median and 75-percentiles were used to determine consensus among the answers on 5-point Likert-scales. In each round, participants received an overview of participants’ answers from the previous round.Results Participants agreed (consensus was achieved) that a QI-set should provide insight into available healthcare, enable healthcare improvements, and cover a large diversity of quality domains and healthcare disciplines. However, the number of QIs in the set should be limited in order to prevent registration burden. Participants were concerned that QIs would make quality information about individual healthcare professionals publicly available, which would induce judgement of healthcare professionals and harm quality, instead of improving it.Conclusions We unravelled the complexity of capturing healthcare for people with DS in a QI-set. Patients’ rights to relevant information have to be carefully balanced against providers’ entitlement to a safe environment in which they can learn and improve. A QI-set should be tailored to different healthcare disciplines and information systems, and measurement instruments should be suitable for collecting information from people with DS. Results from this study and two preceding studies, will form the basis for the further development of a QI-set.

Creating Contemporary Ritual: The Choreography of Lin Lee-Chen and Anna Halprin

2008 ◽  
Vol 40 (S1) ◽  
pp. 252-262
Author(s):  
Sheenru Yong
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Close Reading ◽  
Ritual Performance ◽  
Distinctive Features ◽  
Performance Quality ◽  
The Earth ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Insight Into ◽  
Shed Light

A study and comparison of works by two creators of ritual performance—Anna Halprin and Lin Lee-Chen—provide insight into Richard Schechner's efficacy-entertainment continuum as well as how ritual manifests in contemporary performance. Through a close reading of the structure and performance quality of Lin's Miroirs de Vie (Jiao) and Halprin's Circle the Earth “Dancing with Life on the Line,” I look at both artist's efforts and results in creating ritual performance and illustrate what I believe to be their distinctive features. Contextualization of the work and the artists' intentions shed light on the possibility or scope of change effected by their creations. While Lin's highly stylized large-scale dance-dramas in many senses cannot be compared to Halprin's nature-oriented participatory community rituals, commonalities in these two works show a strong emphasis on bodily experience, indicating embodiment as fundamental in creating transformative performance.

Sentence-Based Experience Logging in New Hearing Aid Users

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (3S) ◽  
pp. 631-637
Author(s):  
Katja Lund ◽  
Rodrigo Ordoñez ◽  
Jens Bo Nielsen ◽  
Dorte Hammershøi
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Aid ◽  
Patient Experiences ◽  
Online Tool ◽  
Rehabilitation Process ◽  
Hearing Rehabilitation ◽  
Clinical Observations ◽  
Hearing Aid Use ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Insight Into ◽  
Shed Light

Purpose The aim of this study was to develop a tool to gain insight into the daily experiences of new hearing aid users and to shed light on aspects of aided performance that may not be unveiled through standard questionnaires. Method The tool is developed based on clinical observations, patient experiences, expert involvement, and existing validated hearing rehabilitation questionnaires. Results An online tool for collecting data related to hearing aid use was developed. The tool is based on 453 prefabricated sentences representing experiences within 13 categories related to hearing aid use. Conclusions The tool has the potential to reflect a wide range of individual experiences with hearing aid use, including auditory and nonauditory aspects. These experiences may hold important knowledge for both the patient and the professional in the hearing rehabilitation process.

Unknown and Under-Researched: The Anatomy of Drinking Under Control Programs

2017 ◽  
Vol 63 (5) ◽  
pp. 277-288
Author(s):  
Harald Klingemann ◽  
Justyna Klingemann
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Harm Reduction ◽  
Evaluation Studies ◽  
Mission Statements ◽  
Community Response ◽  
Limited Resources ◽  
Admission Criteria ◽  
Control Programs ◽  
Institutional Order

Abstract. Introduction: While alcohol treatment predominantly focuses on abstinence, drug treatment objectives include a variety of outcomes related to consumption and quality of life. Consequently harm reduction programs tackling psychoactive substances are well documented and accepted by practitioners, whereas harm reduction programs tackling alcohol are under-researched and met with resistance. Method: The paper is mainly based on key-person interviews with eight program providers conducted in Switzerland in 2009 and up-dated in 2015, and the analysis of reports and mission statements to establish an inventory and description of drinking under control programs (DUCPs). A recent twin program in Amsterdam and Essen was included to exemplify conditions impeding their implementation. Firstly, a typology based on the type of alcohol management, the provided support and admission criteria is developed, complemented by a detailed description of their functioning in practice. Secondly, the case studies are analyzed in terms of factors promoting and impeding the implementation of DUCPs and efforts of legitimize them and assess their success. Results: Residential and non-residential DUCPs show high diversity and pursue individualized approaches as the detailed case descriptions exemplify. Different modalities of proactively providing and including alcohol consumption are conceptualized in a wider framework of program objectives, including among others, quality of life and harm reduction. Typically DUCPs represent an effort to achieve public or institutional order. Their implementation and success are contingent upon their location, media response, type of alcohol management and the response of other substance-oriented stake holders in the treatment system. The legitimization of DUCPs is hampered by the lack of evaluation studies. DUCPs rely mostly – also because of limited resources – on rudimentary self-evaluations and attribute little importance to data collection exercises. Conclusions: Challenges for participants are underestimated and standard evaluation methodologies tend to be incompatible with the rationale and operational objectives of DUCPs. Program-sensitive multimethod approaches enabled by sufficient financing for monitoring and accompanying research is needed to improve the practice-oriented implementation of DUCPs. Barriers for these programs include assumptions that ‘alcohol-assisted’ help abandons hope for recovery and community response to DUCPs as locally unwanted institutions (‘not in my backyard’) fuelled by stigmatization.

Neuroticism, problem-solving abilities, and family caregiver quality of life

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Neeta A. Ramkumar ◽  
Timothy R. Elliott ◽  
Carly E. McLaughlin ◽  
Dennis Zgaljardic ◽  
Norma Erosa
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Problem Solving ◽  
Family Caregiver ◽  
Caregiver Quality

Track 6.c Introduction: Entrepreneurship in Design Education

2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bryan Howell ◽  
Curt Anderson ◽  
Nile Hatch ◽  
Chia-Chi TENG; ◽  
Neal Bangerter ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Design Education ◽  
Management Strategy ◽  
Business Models ◽  
Scaling Up ◽  
Engineering Management ◽  
Significant Rise ◽  
Limited Resources ◽  
Multidisciplinary Teams ◽  
Interdisciplinary Relationships ◽  
Human Centred Design

Over that last few decades there has been a significant rise in interest for design-led entrepreneurship and innovation. This has brought about the need to expand on the principles and methods of human-centred design by incorporating knowledge from multiple disciplines, such as management, business, and entrepreneurship studies. This expansion aids designers, engineers, and marketing practitioners who strive to create innovative, meaningful and relevant services, business models and experiences. More often than not, ventures operate under very limited resources, and practitioners are often required to fulfil several roles. The concept of ‘multidisciplinary teams’ widely spread in this sphere often bears little resonance in these contexts. Designers possess valuable competencies that can have a significant impact on the venture, especially driving user and context-centred strategy and processes for the introduction, legitimization and scaling-up stages. However, engaging with these areas of practice requires skills and capacities that overlap traditional disciplinary roles. In doing so, the boundaries between design and engineering, branding and communications, cultural and behavioural insight, marketing and management strategy are blurred. As educators in design innovation, how do we explore, define and balance interdisciplinary relationships between design, engineering, management, business and entrepreneurship theories, methods, language and models of education? The purpose of the entrepreneurship in design education track is to discuss methods, models, case studies, research, insights and unexpected knowledge in benefits and limitations of design entrepreneurship education. In particular, the three papers presented in this track demonstrate different approaches to entrepreneurship and design education.

Investigating the Ease-of-Retrieval Effect in an Eyewitness Context

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roy Groncki ◽  
Jennifer L Beaudry ◽  
James D. Sauer
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Processes ◽  
Task Difficulty ◽  
Memory Studies ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
Perceived Quality ◽  
Expected Effect ◽  
Bayesian Testing ◽  
Finding Study ◽  
Identification Confidence

The way in which individuals think about their own cognitive processes plays an important role in various domains. When eyewitnesses assess their confidence in identification decisions, they could be influenced by how easily relevant information comes to mind. This ease-of-retrieval effect has a robust influence on people’s cognitions in a variety of contexts (e.g., attitudes), but it has not yet been applied to eyewitness decisions. In three studies, we explored whether the ease with which eyewitnesses recall certain memorial information influenced their identification confidence assessments and related testimony-relevant judgements (e.g., perceived quality of view). We manipulated the number of reasons participants gave to justify their identification (Study 1; N = 343), and also the number of instances they provided of a weak or strong memory (Studies 2a & 2b; Ns = 350 & 312, respectively). Across the three studies, ease-of-retrieval did not affect eyewitnesses’ confidence or other testimony-relevant judgements. We then tried—and failed—to replicate Schwarz et al.’s (1991) original ease-of-retrieval finding (Study 3; N = 661). In three of the four studies, ease-of-retrieval had the expected effect on participants’ perceived task difficulty; however, frequentist and Bayesian testing showed no evidence for an effect on confidence or assertiveness ratings.

The Implementation of Learning Materials Based on Local Wisdom of Agricultural in Binjai to Improve the Students Problem Solving Abilities

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nur Tsalits Fahman Mughni
Keyword(s):  
Problem Solving ◽  
Control Group ◽  
School Grade ◽  
Teaching Materials ◽  
Quasi Experimental ◽  
Equivalent Control ◽  
The Subject ◽  
And Control ◽  
Experimental Group

Teaching materials by integrating local culture makes easier for students to understand the subject matter in the learning process. The aims of the study is to measure the effectiveness of teaching materials based on local wisdom of agriculture in Binjai in improving the students problem solving abilities. The research method was a quasi experimental which use non equivalent control group in the pretest posttest design. The sample of study were students of Senior High School grade X in Binjai that consisted of experiment group which used teaching materials based on local wisdom of agriculture in Binjai and control group that used student handbooks. Teaching materials are tested by material experts and technology experts to ensure the quality of teaching materials. Data collection was conducted through test. The results showed that the teaching materials based on local wisdom of agriculture in Binjai effective in improving students problem solving abilities in the experimental group students based on the results of N gain value was 0.67 which has medium criteria. It means teaching materials based on agricultural local wisdom of agriculture in Binjai can be used as one of the teaching materials in learning activities.

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