A Prior Information Enhanced Extraction Framework for Document-level Financial Event Extraction

Document-level financial event extraction (DFEE) is the task of detecting event and extracting the corresponding event arguments in financial documents, which plays an important role in information extraction in the financial domain. This task is challenging as the financial documents are generally long text and event arguments of one event may be scattered in different sentences. To address this issue, we propose a novel Prior Information Enhanced Extraction framework (PIEE) for DFEE, leveraging prior information from both event types and pre-trained language models. Specifically, PIEE consists of three components: event detection, event argument extraction, and event table filling. In event detection, we identify the event type. Then, the event type is explicitly used for event argument extraction. Meanwhile, the implicit information within language models also provides considerable cues for event arguments localization. Finally, all the event arguments are filled in an event table by a set of predefined heuristic rules. To demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed framework, we participate the share task of CCKS2020 Task5-2: Document-level Event Arguments Extraction. On both Leaderboard A and Leaderboard B, PIEE takes the first place and significantly outperforms the other systems.

Humans share task load with a computer partner if (they believe that) it acts human-like

In the near future humans will increasingly be required to cooperate and share task load with artificial agents in joint tasks as they will be able to greatly assist humans in various types of tasks and contexts. In the present study, we investigated humans’ willingness to share task load with a computer partner in a joint visuospatial task. The partner was described as either behaving in a human-like or machine-like way and followed a pre-defined behaviour that was either human-like or non-human-like. We found that participants successfully shared task load when the partner behaved in a human-like way. Critically, the successful collaboration was sustained throughout the experiment only when the partner was also described as behaving in a human-like way beforehand. These findings suggest that not only the behaviour of a computer partner but also the prior description of the partner is a critical factor influencing humans’ willingness to share task load.

Attentional Access to Multiple Target Objects in Visual Search

Most investigations of visual search have focused on the discrimination between a search target and other task-irrelevant distractor objects (selection). The attentional limitations that arise when multiple target objects in the same display have to be processed simultaneously (access) remain poorly understood. Here, we employed behavioral and electrophysiological measures to investigate the factors that determine whether multiple target objects can be accessed in parallel. Performance and N2pc components were measured for search displays that contained either a single target or two target objects. When two target objects were present, they either had the same or different target-defining features. Participants reported whether search displays contained a single target, two targets with shared features, or two targets with different features. There were performance costs as well as reduced N2pc amplitudes for two-target/different relative to two-target/same displays, suggesting that access to multiple target objects defined by different features was impaired. These behavioral and electrophysiological costs were also observed in a task where all search display objects were physically different, but not during color or shape singleton search, confirming that they do not reflect a low-level perceptual grouping of physically identical targets. These results demonstrate strong feature-specific limitations of visual access, as proposed by the Boolean map theory of visual attention. They suggest that multiple target objects can be accessed in parallel only when they share task-relevant features and demonstrate that mechanisms of visual access can be studied with electrophysiological markers.

Relational Maintenance Strategies and Satisfaction in the Stepmother–Stepdaughter Dyad

Existing research demonstrates the unique communication challenges faced within stepfamilies—particularly within the stepmother–stepdaughter dyad. This study examined the stepmother–stepdaughter relationship using Canary and Stafford’s relational maintenance strategy measure (RMSM). Specifically, researchers identified which relational maintenance strategies (RMS) are utilized by stepmothers and stepdaughters and the relationship between RMS and relational satisfaction. A sample of stepmothers ( n = 20) and stepdaughters ( n = 61) completed the RMSM and a relational satisfaction measure. Results indicate that stepmothers and stepdaughters most frequently use positivity and share task strategies, and that the openness strategy is strongly and positively related to relational satisfaction. Theoretical implications for scholars and practical implications for counselors and stepfamilies, along with areas for future research, are discussed.

A Task-Oriented Knowledge Base for Geospatial Problem-Solving

In recent years, the rapid development of cloud computing and web technologies has led to a significant advancement to chain geospatial information services (GI services) in order to solve complex geospatial problems. However, the construction of a problem-solving workflow requires considerable expertise for end-users. Currently, few studies design a knowledge base to capture and share geospatial problem-solving knowledge. This paper abstracts a geospatial problem as a task that can be further decomposed into multiple subtasks. The task distinguishes three distinct granularities: Geooperator, Atomic Task, and Composite Task. A task model is presented to define the outline of problem solution at a conceptual level that closely reflects the processes for problem-solving. A task-oriented knowledge base that leverages an ontology-based approach is built to capture and share task knowledge. This knowledge base provides the potential for reusing task knowledge when faced with a similar problem. Conclusively, the details of implementation are described through using a meteorological early-warning analysis as an example.

Gaining access to another participant’s writing in the classroom

Prior conversation analytic studies have shown that writing is a multifaceted activity, one that is accomplished in different participation configurations and through different practices of text production. A key factor that organises writing is whether participants jointly produce one text or write their own texts individually. While this choice is sometimes institutionally regulated (e.g. when counsellors take notes only for themselves), in some settings participants can manage the ‘jointness’ of writing. This article explores such management by examining how students seek and gain access to another student’s writing during individual writing tasks. The multimodal analysis focuses on sequences where students consult or share task answer formulations with each other, showing some routine ways — verbal and embodied — of negotiating such access. The focal sequences are a site of moral negotiation about where the borderline between individual and social lies, which manifests itself through different ways of seeking and granting (or blocking) access.

What happens when “younger” helpers meet “older” recipients? A theoretical analysis of interpersonal helping behaviour in Chinese organizations

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to develop a theoretical model describing psychological states and behavioral outcomes experienced and exhibited by older generation interpersonal helping behavior (IHB) recipients in Chinese organizations. Design/methodology/approach – The paper draws upon relevant literature and develops a theoretical model. Findings – The analysis suggests that the extent of IHB that older generation Chinese employees receive from younger generation employees will lead to loss of mianzi, which will then result in reduced perceived generational guanxi, increased intended social isolation, and reduced intention to share task-related knowledge with the younger generation employees. The paper also proposes that perceived generational guanxi and intended social isolation will mediate the relationship between loss of mianzi and intention to share task-related knowledge with younger generation employees. Practical implications – Because mianzi is an important cultural feature in Chinese societies, this paper provides four implications. First, younger generation employees could preserve and/or enhance older generation employees’ mianzi using less powerful messages. Second, younger generation employees should initiate task behaviors involving seeking opinions and expertise from older generation employees before exhibiting IHB. Third, mangers could reduce the negative impact of generational differences by establishing generational mentoring relationships between younger and older generation employees. Finally, younger generation employees could preserve and/or enhance older generation employees’ mianzi by playing the role of an informal subordinate rather than a problem solver when exhibiting IHB. Originality/value – This paper is the first study exploring consequences of IHB from the perceptive of older generation IHB recipients in the Chinese context.