Context-aware Distance Measures for Dynamic Networks

Dynamic networks are widely used in the social, physical, and biological sciences as a concise mathematical representation of the evolving interactions in dynamic complex systems. Measuring distances between network snapshots is important for analyzing and understanding evolution processes of dynamic systems. To the best of our knowledge, however, existing network distance measures are designed for static networks. Therefore, when measuring the distance between any two snapshots in dynamic networks, valuable context structure information existing in other snapshots is ignored. To guide the construction of context-aware distance measures, we propose a context-aware distance paradigm, which introduces context information to enrich the connotation of the general definition of network distance measures. A Context-aware Spectral Distance (CSD) is then given as an instance of the paradigm by constructing a context-aware spectral representation to replace the core component of traditional Spectral Distance (SD). In a node-aligned dynamic network, the context effectively helps CSD gain mainly advantages over SD as follows: (1) CSD is not affected by isospectral problems; (2) CSD satisfies all the requirements of a metric, while SD cannot; and (3) CSD is computationally efficient. In order to process large-scale networks, we develop a kCSD that computes top- k eigenvalues to further reduce the computational complexity of CSD. Although kCSD is a pseudo-metric, it retains most of the advantages of CSD. Experimental results in two practical applications, i.e., event detection and network clustering in dynamic networks, show that our context-aware spectral distance performs better than traditional spectral distance in terms of accuracy, stability, and computational efficiency. In addition, context-aware spectral distance outperforms other baseline methods.

Listening Effort Informed Quality of Experience Evaluation

Perceived quality of experience for speech listening is influenced by cognitive processing and can affect a listener's comprehension, engagement and responsiveness. Quality of Experience (QoE) is a paradigm used within the media technology community to assess media quality by linking quantifiable media parameters to perceived quality. The established QoE framework provides a general definition of QoE, categories of possible quality influencing factors, and an identified QoE formation pathway. These assist researchers to implement experiments and to evaluate perceived quality for any applications. The QoE formation pathways in the current framework do not attempt to capture cognitive effort effects and the standard experimental assessments of QoE minimize the influence from cognitive processes. The impact of cognitive processes and how they can be captured within the QoE framework have not been systematically studied by the QoE research community. This article reviews research from the fields of audiology and cognitive science regarding how cognitive processes influence the quality of listening experience. The cognitive listening mechanism theories are compared with the QoE formation mechanism in terms of the quality contributing factors, experience formation pathways, and measures for experience. The review prompts a proposal to integrate mechanisms from audiology and cognitive science into the existing QoE framework in order to properly account for cognitive load in speech listening. The article concludes with a discussion regarding how an extended framework could facilitate measurement of QoE in broader and more realistic application scenarios where cognitive effort is a material consideration.

Emic-etic analysis as a research method for theory of music

Emic and etic are the terms taken from linguistics, but they have become widespread in other fields of humanities, especially anthropology. According to the most general definition, emic approach implies studying behaviours in culture according to its internal categories, whereas etic approach uses external, objective points of reference for this purpose. From the time the concept was created in the 1950s, numerous researchers from different fields have tried to adapt and redefine these two terms so as to use them in their work. The present article attempts to apply both emic and etic approaches within one coherent analytical method. It presents its theoretical fundamentals and proposes a list of six elements that an emic-etic analysis should include. The article focuses on the use of the concept of emics and etics in the theory of music, but the suggested method may also be used for an analysis of other types of culture texts such as music pieces, literary texts, and even fine arts works. The example used in the article is the emic-etic analysis of Letters about music by Michał Kleofas Ogiński, which has shown that the method seems fruitful from the perspective of an analyser, yet it is flawed in terms of objectivity. Therefore, the author does not recommend it as a main method for academic research, but he suggests it could be an auxiliary method and a new tool for the education of school and university-level students. The present article is a shortened version of the BA thesis entitled Emic-Etic Analysis Exemplified On M. K. Ogiński’s “Lettres sur la musique”, defended at the Department of Composition and Theory of Music, The Fryderyk Chopin University of Music in Warsaw, in June 2021.

USAGE OF THE TERM "ADAPTATION" AND ITS DERIVATIVES IN RUSSIAN AND ENGLISH SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATIONS

The article presents the results of the study of the semantic-synonymous field of the concept of "adaptation". The frequency of occurrence of this term and its derivatives is compared in Russian and English scientific periodicals presented in open databases such as eLIBRARY.RU and Semantic Scholar. It has been found that both samples are characterized by the predominance of journal articles containing the broadest term “adaptation" / "adjustment". The results of the cognitive linguistic analysis of the content of Russian language concepts are presented: "adaptation" is the broadest term that describes both the process and the result of individual adaptation to environment while its three derivatives are narrower in meaning. The general definition of the concept "adaptation" for psychological texts in Russian is formulated, definitions of the concepts "adaptivity", "adaptability", "adaptedness" are analyzed. It is planned to conduct cognitive linguistic analysis of the considered categories based on English-language publications.

What is a “Good Life”: Protocol for a qualitative study to explore the viewpoint of older persons

Introduction Over the last fifteen years, Living Labs have been on the rise in Europe to bridge the gap between service providers, and the needs of end-users, and to speed up innovation, particularly in the field of healthcare and ageing. Ageing tends to be considered by institutions as a set of risks to be managed for older persons, illustrated in particular via the concepts of “ageing well” or “successful ageing”. In this context, this project aims to define the meaning and the conditions for a good life from the point of view of older persons themselves, thereby improving institutions’ recognition and support of older persons’ ways of living well, rather than imposing a general definition of “successful ageing” based on functional capacity. Methods and analysis This qualitative study is designed as an action research underpinned by a Living-Lab approach to co-creation. The aims are to: define the conditions for a good life as accurately as possible with older persons (Step 1); share these findings with different healthcare and service providers to adjust existing services or create new ones (Step 2); and disseminate them more broadly within the regions under study and across the scientific community (Step 3). During Step 1, the features of a “good life” will be analysed in a socio-anthropological study based on semi-directed interviews and observations made in the homes of 70 elderly people living in a wide range of accommodation types and regions. In accordance with French legislation, and as confirmed by our formal Ethics Committee, this study does not require approval. The dissemination stage is integrated into the design of this action research, and notably will provide for the appropriation of research findings by the partners of this study, by setting up creativity sessions (Step 2) and by sharing the general findings through panel discussions bringing together regional and national stakeholders (Step 3).

DISC HERNIA - DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSTICS, OPTION OF PSEUDOTUMOROUS FLOW

Грыжа диска (ГД) является распространенным заболеванием и наносит большой вред как физическому, так и психическому здоровью пациентов, страдающих этим заболеванием. Главным этиологическим фактором заболевания служит дегенерация диска. В настоящее время общее определение грыжи межпозвонкового диска в клинической медицине довольно запутанно. В настоящее время общее определение грыжи межпозвонкового диска в клинической медицине довольно запутанно. Окончательный диагноз ГД основывается на совокупности анамнеза, клинических симптомов и результатах визуализации. Herniated disc is a common disease and causes great harm to both the physical and mental health of patients suffering from this disease. The main etiological factor of the disease is disc degeneration. Currently, the general definition of a herniated disc in clinical medicine is quite confusing. Currently, the general definition of a herniated disc in clinical medicine is quite confusing. The final diagnosis of HD is based on a combination of anamnesis, clinical symptoms, and imaging results.

Dialectical and activity-based foundations for the modern original definition of science

The article is devoted to the actual problem of uncertainty in science. The work done not only contributes to the removal/solution of this modern problem, but also contributes to the theoretical understanding of the need for qualitative changes in the sphere of scientific activity, the most organic combination of theory with practice to form a new form of science, guaranteed to remove the global dangers and uncertainties of scientific and technological development. The author presents the basis for the formation of a modern, general definition of science, the absence of which indicates the presence of the above problem. The aim of the research is to give a modern general definition of science, making a serious step, if not to the final solution, then to a generally meaningful solution of this problem. In the authors opinion, all substantive elements necessary for forming a modern general definition of science have already been identified, but they are not structured. The methodological approach has a high importance in solving this problem, and the emphasis should be placed on dialectics, rather than formal logic. In dialectical methodology, it is necessary to refer to the theory of dialectical development from the abstract to the concrete, as well as the general theory of activity. The specificity of science is defined in the consistent disclosure of the content of science as knowledge, as individual-collective, internalist-externalist activity and as a sphere of social life. As a result of the analysis of these aspects the author comes to the initial, general and actual definition of science.

Una introducción a los estudios de atribución de autoría en el ámbito disciplinario de la Lingüística Forense y al programa de análisis de textos ALTXA

RESUMEN Este artículo presenta un caso de atribución de autoría en el ámbito de la lingüística forense a partir de la herramienta ALTXA. Primeramente, se aportará una definición general de la lingüística forense y una breve explicación de sus principales áreas de estudio con el propósito de acotar progresivamente el foco de la investigación hasta llegar a los estudios de atribución de autoría, los cuales serán abordados con mayor profundidad. En segundo lugar, el artículo evaluará las principales herramientas computacionales empleadas para determinar de forma cuantitativa la autoría de textos anónimos o disputados y presentará el software ALTXA, el cual ha sido creado por el presente grupo investigador. Dicha herramienta computacional pretende aunar las funcionalidades de distintos programas informáticos en una interfaz accesible que permita la implementación de los estudios de atribución de autoría en contextos educativos y facilite la labor del lingüista forense. El artículo concluirá con una demostración práctica de ALTXA en la que se realizará un estudio de atribución de autoría de un fragmento indubitado de William Shakespeare para demostrar la validez del programa, así como de los estudios de n-grams, una de las funcionalidades que ofrece dicha herramienta y que constituyen un procedimiento metodológico consolidado en el campo de la lingüística forense. PALABRAS CLAVE Lingüística forense, lingüística computacional, atribución de autoría, William Shakespeare, n-grams. ABSTRACT This article will present a case of authorship attribution within the framework of forensic linguistics with the computational tool ALTXA. For such end, a general definition of forensic linguistics and an explanation of its main areas of study will be offered with the aim of narrowing down progressively the scope of the article until authorship attribution studies are presented and discussed in more depth. Afterwards, a review of the main computational tools with which the authorship of disputed or anonymous texts are analysed will be provided, and ALTXA, a software that has been developed by the researcher, will be presented. Such tool combines many of the functionalities offered by other programs in an intuitive interface that allows for the implementation of authorship attribution studies in educational settings and facilitates the labour of the forensic linguist. Lastly, the article will provide a practical demonstration of ALTXA in which the authorship of an undisputed text written by William Shakespeare will be analysed to prove its reliability. Such analysis will consist of an n-gram study, which is one of the functionalities of ALTXA and constitutes a solid methodological procedure within the framework of forensic linguistics. KEYWORDS Forensic linguistics, computational linguistics, authorship attribution, William Shakespeare, n-grams.

DDS and OPC UA Protocol Coexistence Solution in Real-Time and Industry 4.0 Context Using Non-Ideal Infrastructure

Continuing the evolution towards Industry 4.0, the industrial communication protocols represent a significant topic of interest, as real-time data exchange between multiple devices constitute the pillar of Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) scenarios. Although the legacy protocols are still persistent in the industry, the transition was initiated by the key Industry 4.0 facilitating protocol, the Open Platform Communication Unified Architecture (OPC UA). OPC UA has to reach the envisioned applicability, and it therefore has to consider coexistence with other emerging real-time oriented protocols in the production lines. The Data Distribution Service (DDS) will certainly be present in future architectures in some areas as robots, co-bots, and compact units. The current paper proposes a solution to evaluate the real-time coexistence of OPC UA and DDS protocols, functioning in parallel and in a gateway context. The purpose is to confirm the compatibility and feasibility between the two protocols alongside a general definition of criteria and expectations from an architectural point of view, pointing out advantages and disadvantages in a neutral manner, shaping a comprehensive view of the possibilities. The researched architecture is meant to comply with both performance comparison scenarios and interaction scenarios over a gateway application. Considering the industrial tendencies, the developed solution is applied using non-ideal infrastructures to provide a more feasible and faster applicability in the production lines.

Systematic kinetic study of magnesium production using magnesium oxide and carbonic materials at different temperatures

The main goal of this study was to determine the industrially best reductant for reduction of magnesium oxide to magnesium with wood charcoal and petroleum coke (petcoke) each in molar ratio 1:1 and 1:2 (oxidant:reductant) at high temperatures. In this study, a new and reliable combination of mathematical modeling and discrete numerical optimization theory by presenting 18 “mathematical filters” not relying only on statistical quantities of fitting (contrary to many similar researches) was introduced. The purpose of these filters was the determination of correct kinetic equation and therefore, the corresponding rate coefficient from among 18 equations most used at present in the challenging field of solid state chemical kinetics. With assistance of a new and fundamental mathematical function and the obtained values of rate coefficients, the function of rate coefficient in temperature was attained. The activation energy was then calculated as a function of temperature using the general definition of activation energy and the determined function for rate coefficient. The comparison between different reducing agents in the different conditions and with relevant previous study was accomplished to determine the best reducing agent from industry standpoint. Also, the areas under experimental data were calculated numerically and utilized for method validation and comparison. It turned out finally that relying only on fitting quantities in the solid state chemical kinetics can readily lead to wrong conclusions about the correct kinetic equation and about the most suitable reducing agent. It is obvious that the erroneous calculations and wrong decisions in the laboratory scale become significant and paramount in industry and this reveals the significance of rigorous mathematical analysis. Graphical abstract