Showing papers on "Context (language use) published in 2003"

Evaluating the Fit of Structural Equation Models: Tests of Significance and Descriptive Goodness-of-Fit Measures.

Abstract: For structural equation models, a huge variety of fit indices has been developed. These indices, however, can point to conflicting conclusions about the extent to which a model actually matches the observed data. The present article provides some guidelines that should help applied researchers to evaluate the adequacy of a given structural equation model. First, as goodness-of-fit measures depend on the method used for parameter estimation, maximum likelihood (ML) and weighted least squares (WLS) methods are introduced in the context of structural equation modeling. Then, the most common goodness-of-fit indices are discussed and some recommendations for practitioners given. Finally, we generated an artificial data set according to a "true" model and analyzed two misspecified and two correctly specified models as examples of poor model fit, adequate fit, and good fit.

Mindfulness-Based Interventions in Context: Past, Present, and Future

Abstract: studies from the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society not reviewed by Baer but which raise a number of key questions about clinical applicability, study design, and mechanism of action, and (7) current opportunities for professional training and development in mindfulness and its clinical applications.

Global analysis of protein localization in budding yeast

Abstract: A fundamental goal of cell biology is to define the functions of proteins in the context of compartments that organize them in the cellular environment. Here we describe the construction and analysis of a collection of yeast strains expressing full-length, chromosomally tagged green fluorescent protein fusion proteins. We classify these proteins, representing 75% of the yeast proteome, into 22 distinct subcellular localization categories, and provide localization information for 70% of previously unlocalized proteins. Analysis of this high-resolution, high-coverage localization data set in the context of transcriptional, genetic, and protein-protein interaction data helps reveal the logic of transcriptional co-regulation, and provides a comprehensive view of interactions within and between organelles in eukaryotic cells.

Men, masculinity, and the contexts of help seeking.

Abstract: Research on men's help seeking yields strategies for enhancing men's use of mental and physical health resources. Analysis of the assumptions underlying existing theory and research also provides a context for evaluating the psychology of men and masculinity as an evolving area of social scientific inquiry. The authors identify several theoretical and methodological obstacles that limit understanding of the variable ways that men do or do not seek help from mental and physical health care professionals. A contextual framework is developed by exploring how the socialization and social construction of masculinities transact with social psychological processes common to a variety of potential help-seeking contexts. This approach begins to integrate the psychology of men and masculinity with theory and methodology from other disciplines and suggests innovative ways to facilitate adaptive help seeking.

E-Learning in the 21st Century: A Framework for Research and Practice

Abstract: From the Publisher: There is a technological revolution taking place in higher education The growth of 'e-learning' is being described as explosive, unprecedented and disruptive E-Learning in the 21st Century provides a framework for understanding the application and characteristics of e-learning in higher education The authors discuss their extensive research from technological, pedagogical and organizational perspectives in order to create practical models and release the full potential of e-learning This in-depth understanding will give direction and guidance to educators who wish to facilitate critical discourse and higher-order learning through the use of electronic technologies in a networked learning context

Eternal black holes in anti-de Sitter

Abstract: We propose a dual non-perturbative description for maximally extended Schwarzschild Anti-de-Sitter spacetimes. The description involves two copies of the conformal field theory associated to the AdS spacetime and an initial entangled state. In this context we also discuss a version of the information loss paradox and its resolution.

Oxford dictionary of English

Abstract: The Oxford Dictionary of English is at the forefront of language research, focusing on English as it is used today, informed by the most up-to-date evidence from the largest language research programme in the world, including the 800-million-word Oxford English Corpus. This revised edition includes hundreds of brand-new words and senses, as well as up-to-date encyclopedic information, and extensive appendices covering topics such as countries, heads of state, and chemical elements. The dictionary includes 12 months' access* to Oxford's premium online dictionary and thesaurus service, Oxford Dictionaries Online, updated regularly with the latest developments to words and meanings, so you will have the most accurate picture of English available. Find out more about our living language using Oxford Dictionaries Online. Hear how words are spoken with thousands of audio pronunciations, and access over 1.9 million real English example sentences to see how words are used in context. Improve your confidence in writing with helpful grammar and punctuation guides, full thesaurus information, style and usage help, and much more. *Available in selected markets (UK, Europe, Australia, Canada, and South Africa). Terms and conditions apply; please see www.oxforddictionaries.com/access for information.

Using GPS to learn significant locations and predict movement across multiple users

Abstract: Wearable computers have the potential to act as intelligent agents in everyday life and to assist the user in a variety of tasks, using context to determine how to act. Location is the most common form of context used by these agents to determine the user's task. However, another potential use of location context is the creation of a predictive model of the user's future movements. We present a system that automatically clusters GPS data taken over an extended period of time into meaningful locations at multiple scales. These locations are then incorporated into a Markov model that can be consulted for use with a variety of applications in both single-user and collaborative scenarios.

Topic-sensitive PageRank: a context-sensitive ranking algorithm for Web search

Abstract: The original PageRank algorithm for improving the ranking of search-query results computes a single vector, using the link structure of the Web, to capture the relative "importance" of Web pages, independent of any particular search query. To yield more accurate search results, we propose computing a set of PageRank vectors, biased using a set of representative topics, to capture more accurately the notion of importance with respect to a particular topic. For ordinary keyword search queries, we compute the topic-sensitive PageRank scores for pages satisfying the query using the topic of the query keywords. For searches done in context (e.g., when the search query is performed by highlighting words in a Web page), we compute the topic-sensitive PageRank scores using the topic of the context in which the query appeared. By using linear combinations of these (precomputed) biased PageRank vectors to generate context-specific importance scores for pages at query time, we show that we can generate more accurate rankings than with a single, generic PageRank vector. We describe techniques for efficiently implementing a large-scale search system based on the topic-sensitive PageRank scheme.

Context-based vision system for place and object recognition

Abstract: While navigating in an environment, a vision system has to be able to recognize where it is and what the main objects in the scene are. We present a context-based vision system for place and object recognition. The goal is to identify familiar locations (e.g., office 610, conference room 941, main street), to categorize new environments (office, corridor, street) and to use that information to provide contextual priors for object recognition (e.g., tables are more likely in an office than a street). We present a low-dimensional global image representation that provides relevant information for place recognition and categorization, and show how such contextual information introduces strong priors that simplify object recognition. We have trained the system to recognize over 60 locations (indoors and outdoors) and to suggest the presence and locations of more than 20 different object types. The algorithm has been integrated into a mobile system that provides realtime feedback to the user.

Mathematics in Population Biology

Abstract: The formulation, analysis, and re-evaluation of mathematical models in population biology has become a valuable source of insight to mathematicians and biologists alike This book presents an overview and selected sample of these results and ideas, organized by biological theme rather than mathematical concept, with an emphasis on helping the reader develop appropriate modeling skills through use of well-chosen and varied examples Part I starts with unstructured single species population models, particularly in the framework of continuous time models, then adding the most rudimentary stage structure with variable stage duration The theme of stage structure in an age-dependent context is developed in Part II, covering demographic concepts, such as life expectation and variance of life length, and their dynamic consequences In Part III, the author considers the dynamic interplay of host and parasite populations, ie, the epidemics and endemics of infectious diseases The theme of stage structure continues here in the analysis of different stages of infection and of age-structure that is instrumental in optimizing vaccination strategies Each section concludes with exercises, some with solutions, and suggestions for further study The level of mathematics is relatively modest; a "toolbox" provides a summary of required results in differential equations, integration, and integral equations In addition, a selection of Maple worksheets is provided The book provides an authoritative tour through a dazzling ensemble of topics and is both an ideal introduction to the subject and reference for researchers

Tailored and targeted health communication: strategies for enhancing information relevance.

Abstract: Objective To discuss tailored messages in the broader context of communication strategies designed to enhance the relevance of health information to a given audience. Methods Describe specific mechanisms through which tailored health communication can enhance message relevance and identify situations in which the use of tailoring is most appropriate. Results Overall, tailored messages appear to stimulate greater cognitive activity than do messages that are not tailored. However, non-tailored messages that happen to be a good fit for a given individual also have similar effects. Conclusion Health communication programs and materials that succeed in making information relevant to their intended audience will be more effective than those that do not. Tailoring is a proven approach to enhancing message relevance, but not the only approach to do so, and under many circumstances may not be the preferred choice.

Contextual Priming for Object Detection

Abstract: There is general consensus that context can be a rich source of information about an object's identity, location and scale. In fact, the structure of many real-world scenes is governed by strong configurational rules akin to those that apply to a single object. Here we introduce a simple framework for modeling the relationship between context and object properties based on the correlation between the statistics of low-level features across the entire scene and the objects that it contains. The resulting scheme serves as an effective procedure for object priming, context driven focus of attention and automatic scale-selection on real-world scenes.

Designing Virtual Worlds

Abstract: Designing Virtual Worlds is the most comprehensive treatment of virtual world design to-date from one of the true pioneers and most sought-after design consultants. It's a tour de force of VW design, stunning in intellectual scope, spanning the literary, economic, sociological, psychological, physical, technological, and ethical underpinnings of design, while providing the reader with a deep, well-grounded understanding of VW design principles. It covers everything from MUDs to MOOs to MMORPGs, from text-based to graphical VWs.Designing Virtual Worlds brings a rich, well-developed approach to the design concepts behind virtual worlds. It is grounded in the earliest approaches to such designs, but the examples discussed in the book run the gamut from the earliest MUDs to the present-day MMORPG games mentioned above. It teaches the reader the actual, underlying design principles that many designers do not understand when they borrow or build from previous games. There is no other design book on the market in the area of online games and virtual worlds that provides the rich detail, historical context, and conceptual depth of Designing Virtual Worlds.

Anti-Immigrant Prejudice in Europe: Contact, Threat Perception, and Preferences for the Exclusion of Migrants

Abstract: This article introduces the theoretical approaches of contact, group conflict, and symbolic prejudice to explain levels of exclusionary feelings toward a relatively new minority in the West European context, the immigrant. The findings indicate that even after controls for perceived threat are included in the model, intimate contact with members of minority groups in the form of friendships can reduce levels of willingness to expel legal immigrants from the country. A contextual variable, level of immigration to the country, is also introduced into the model because it is likely that this variable affects both threat perception and exclusionary feelings. While context does not seem to directly affect levels of willingness to expel or include immigrants in the society, it does have a rather powerful impact on perceived threat. Perhaps even more importantly, the findings suggest that contact mediates the effect of the environment, helping to produce lower levels of threat perception in contexts of high immigration.

Pretest-posttest designs and measurement of change

Abstract: The article examines issues involved in comparing groups and measuring change with pretest and posttest data. Different pretest-posttest designs are presented in a manner that can help rehabilitation professionals to better understand and determine effects resulting from selected interventions. The reliability of gain scores in pretest-posttest measurement is also discussed in the context of rehabilitation research and practice.

Weighted low-rank approximations

Abstract: We study the common problem of approximating a target matrix with a matrix of lower rank. We provide a simple and efficient (EM) algorithm for solving weighted low-rank approximation problems, which, unlike their unweighted version, do not admit a closed-form solution in general. We analyze, in addition, the nature of locally optimal solutions that arise in this context, demonstrate the utility of accommodating the weights in reconstructing the underlying low-rank representation, and extend the formulation to non-Gaussian noise models such as logistic models. Finally, we apply the methods developed to a collaborative filtering task.

Bringing the corporation into corporate branding

Abstract: This paper describes corporate branding as an organisational tool whose successful application depends on attending to the strategic, organisational and communicational context in which it is used A model to help managers analyse context in terms of the alignment between strategic vision, organisational culture and corporate image is presented The model is based on a gap analysis, which enables managers to assess the coherence of their corporate brand Use of the model is illustrated by examining the stages of development that British Airways passed through in the creation of its corporate brand The paper concludes that corporate brand management is a dynamic process that involves keeping up with continuous adjustments of vision, culture and image The model suggests an approach to corporate branding that is organisationally integrated and cross‐functional, hence the thesis that it is important to bring the (whole) corporation into corporate branding

Research strategies for capturing transactional models of development: The limits of the possible

Abstract: Transactional models have informed research design and interpretation in studies relevant to developmental psychopathology. Bidirectional effects between individuals and social contexts have been found in many behavioral and cognitive domains. This review will highlight representative studies where the transactional model has been explicitly or implicitly tested. These studies include experimental, quasiexperimental, and naturalistic designs. Extensions of the transactional model have been made to interventions designed to target different aspects of a bidirectional system in efforts to improve developmental outcomes. Problems remain in the need to theoretically specify structural models and to combine analyses of transactions in the parent-child relationship with transactions in the broader social contexts. Longitudinal studies with sufficient time points to assess reciprocal processes continue to be important. Such longitudinal investigations will permit identifying developmental periods where the child or the context may be most influential or most open to change.

The 'making' of an entrepreneur: testing a model of entrepreneurial intent among engineering students at MIT

Abstract: In the present study a covariance structure model is tested to identify the causes of entrepreneurial intent among engineering students. Specifically, we explore whether steady personal dispositions or whether perceptions of contextual founding conditions have an impact on the intention to found one's own business. The survey of 512 students at the MIT School of Engineering broadly confirms the model. Personality traits have a strong impact on the attitude towards self-employment. The entrepreneurial attitude is strongly linked with the intention to start a new venture. The students' personality therefore shows an indirect effect on intentions. Furthermore, the entrepreneurial intent is directly affected by perceived barriers and support factors in the entrepreneurship-related context. The findings have important implications for policy makers inside and outside universities. (authors' abstract)

Policy without polity? Policy analysis and the institutional void

Abstract: How should policy analysis respond to the changing context of policy making? This article examines three aspects of policy analysis in this changing context: polity, knowledge and intervention. It argues that policy making now often takes place in an ‘institutional void’ where there are no generally accepted rules and norms according to which politics is to be conducted and policy measures are to be agreed upon. More than before, solutions for pressing problems transgress the sovereignty of specific polities. Furthermore, the role of knowledge changes as the relationship between science and society has changed: scientific expertise is now negotiated rather than simply accepted. And, with the weakening of the state, it is far less obvious that the government is the sole actor to intervene in policy making. This article calls for a reconsideration of the analysis of policy making in the light of this changing context. Based on a contextual perspective it calls for a revitalization of the commitments of Harold Lasswell toward a policy science of democracy by proposing a new ‘deliberative’ policy analysis.

A Review of Cross-Cultural Methodologies for Organizational Research: A Best- Practices Approach:

Abstract: Cross-cultural studies that use self-report instruments can present researchers with a variety of challenges. This article reviews the organizational research literature between the years of 1995 and 2001 to identify common practices prevalent in this type of research. Key methodological issues are examined within the context of a three-stage framework: (a) the development of the research question, (b) the alignment of the research contexts, and (c) the validation of the research instruments. This examination serves as a basis for the identification of best-practice recommendations for cross-cultural researchers.

Use of the zero norm with linear models and kernel methods

Abstract: We explore the use of the so-called zero-norm of the parameters of linear models in learning. Minimization of such a quantity has many uses in a machine learning context: for variable or feature selection, minimizing training error and ensuring sparsity in solutions. We derive a simple but practical method for achieving these goals and discuss its relationship to existing techniques of minimizing the zero-norm. The method boils down to implementing a simple modification of vanilla SVM, namely via an iterative multiplicative rescaling of the training data. Applications we investigate which aid our discussion include variable and feature selection on biological microarray data, and multicategory classification.

Very Slow Activity Fluctuations in Monkey Visual Cortex: Implications for Functional Brain Imaging

Abstract: We examined fluctuations in band-limited power (BLP) of local field potential (LFP) signals recorded from multiple electrodes in visual cortex of the monkey during different behavioral states. We asked whether such signals demonstrated coherent fluctuations over time-scales of seconds and minutes, and would thus serve as good candidates for direct comparison with data obtained from functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). We obtained the following results. (i) The BLP of the local field displayed fluctuations at many time-scales, with particularly large amplitude at very low frequencies (<0.1 Hz). (ii) These fluctuations exhibited high coherence between electrode pairs, particularly for BLP signals derived from the gamma frequency range. (iii) Coherence in the BLP, unlike that in the raw LFP, did not fall off sharply as a function of cortical distance. (iv) The structure and coherence of BLP changes were highly similar under distinctly different behavioral states. These results demonstrate the existence of widespread coherent activity fluctuations in the brain of the awake monkey over very long time-scales. We propose that such signals may make a significant contribution to the high variability observed in the time course of physiological signals, including those measured with functional imaging techniques. The results are discussed in the context of combined fMRI/electrophysiological recordings.

Wild meat: the bigger picture

Abstract: Massive overhunting of wildlife for meat across the humid tropics is now causing local extinctions of numerous species. Rural people often rely heavily on wild meat, but, in many areas, this important source of food and income is either already lost or is being rapidly depleted. The problem can only be tackled by looking at the wider economic and institutional context within which such hunting occurs, from household economics to global terms of trade. Conservation efforts must be placed within a landscape context; a mosaic of hunted and no-take areas might balance conservation with continued subsistence use. Successful conservation of hunted wildlife requires collaboration at all scales, involving local people, resource extraction companies, governments and scientists.

Culture and point of view.

Abstract: East Asians and Westerners perceive the world and think about it in very different ways. Westerners are inclined to attend to some focal object, analyzing its attributes and categorizing it in an effort to find out what rules govern its behavior. Rules used include formal logic. Causal attributions tend to focus exclusively on the object and are therefore often mistaken. East Asians are more likely to attend to a broad perceptual and conceptual field, noticing relationships and changes and grouping objects based on family resemblance rather than category membership. Causal attributions emphasize the context. Social factors are likely to be important in directing attention. East Asians live in complex social networks with prescribed role relations. Attention to context is important to effective functioning. More independent Westerners live in less constraining social worlds and have the luxury of attending to the object and their goals with respect to it. The physical “affordances” of the environment may also influence perception. The built environments of the East are more complex and contain more objects than do those of the West. In addition, artistic products of the East emphasize the field and deemphasize individual objects, including people. Western art renders less of the field and emphasizes individual objects and people.