Traffic research shares a fundamental dilemma with other areas of empirical research in which humans are potentially put at risk. Research is justified because it can improve safety in the long run. Nevertheless, people can be harmed in the research situation. Hence, we need to balance short-term risks against long-term safety improvements, much as in other areas of research with human subjects. In this paper we focus on ethical issues that arise when human beings (...) are directly affected in the performance of research by examining how the ethical requirements in biomedical research can inform traffic research. After introducing the basic ethical requirements on biomedical research, each of the major requirements is discussed in relation to traffic research. We identify the main areas where biomedical research and traffic research differ, and where the ethical requirements from the former cannot easily be transferred to the latter. Finally, we argue that there is a need for systematic studies of the ethics of traffic research and point to some of the issues that need to be addressed. (shrink)

The intelligent transportation system under the big data environment is the development direction of the future transportation system. It effectively integrates advanced information technology, data communication transmission technology, electronic sensing technology, control technology, and computer technology and applies them to the entire ground transportation management system to establish a real-time, accurate, and efficient comprehensive transportation management system that works on a large scale and in all directions. Intelligent video analysis is an important part of smart transportation. In order to improve (...) the accuracy and time efficiency of video retrieval schemes and recognition schemes, this article firstly proposes a segmentation and key frame extraction method for video behavior recognition, using a multi-time scale dual-stream network to extract video features, improving the efficiency and efficiency of video behavior detection. On this basis, an improved algorithm for vehicle detection based on Faster R-CNN is proposed, and the Faster R-CNN network feature extraction layer is improved by using the principle of residual network, and a hole convolution is added to the network to filter out the redundant features of high-resolution video images to improve the problem of vehicle missed detection in the original algorithm. The experimental results show that the key frame extraction technology combined with the optimized Faster R-CNN algorithm model greatly improves the accuracy of detection and reduces the leakage. The detection rate is satisfactory. (shrink)

At present, urban traffic congestion is a common problem of urban development in China. Therefore, China’s government issued the policy of opening the gated communities in 2016, hoping to alleviate traffic pressure to some extent. But, at present, the quantitative empirical research on the effect of the policy implementation is less and more idealistic. In order to complete the leap from research on local isolated traffic capacity of static gated communities to research on global (...) coupling traffic capacity of dynamic multilayer network and, to a certain extent, reflect the innovation of the research model and method, we make a quantitative analysis of the effect of the policy more consistent with the actual situation, which provides a quantitative management basis for the implementation of the policy. Based on literature review, this paper carried out two stages of research. Stage one consists of constructing traffic capacity assessment model—Road Capacity Assessment model based on BPR impedance function from a simple local static perspective. Considering the factors such as delay of signalized intersection and travel time, through modeling analysis and empirical test, it is found that about 12% of local traffic capacity can be improved after open community. Stage two consists of constructing a global capacity model based on multilayer complex network coupling from the perspective of complex global dynamics. Considering the various network nodes of pedestrians, nonmotor vehicles, and other factors, we construct a multilayer complex network and dynamic superposition coupling. The empirical data show that the overall traffic capacity of the open community is improved by at least 11.3%. Finally, it can be concluded that a significant increase in the global traffic capacity of complex urban road networks means that the losses caused by traffic congestion will be reduced. In some first-tier cities, the direct monthly income of the open-gated community is as high as 230 million yuan, not to mention its overall economic, social, and environmental benefits. (shrink)

Short-term traffic flow prediction is an effective means for intelligent transportation system to mitigate traffic congestion. However, traffic flow data with temporal features and periodic characteristics are vulnerable to weather effects, making short-term traffic flow prediction a challenging issue. However, the existing models do not consider the influence of weather changes on traffic flow, leading to poor performance under some extreme conditions. In view of the rich features of traffic data and the characteristic of (...) being vulnerable to external weather conditions, the prediction model based on traffic data has certain limitations, so it is necessary to conduct research studies on traffic flow prediction driven by both the traffic data and weather data. This paper proposes a combined framework of stacked autoencoder and radial basis function neural network to predict traffic flow, which can effectively capture the temporal correlation and periodicity of traffic flow data and disturbance of weather factors. Firstly, SAE is used to process the traffic flow data in multiple time slices to acquire a preliminary prediction. Then, RBF is used to capture the relation between weather disturbance and periodicity of traffic flow so as to gain another prediction. Finally, another RBF is used for the fusion of the above two predictions on decision level, obtaining a reconstructed prediction with higher accuracy. The effectiveness and robustness of the proposed model are verified by experiments. (shrink)

This study analyzes interview data from 37 science and engineering faculty involved in university-industry relations. Faculty are particularly concerned about how these relations affect their work with graduate students. Our analysis is guided by ritual exchange theory and network theory. First, we explore the ways faculty define and redefine what makes industrial or corporate research appropriate or inappropriate for training graduates. Second, we examine difficulties and tensions faculty face when they work with students on industrial or corporate projects. These (...) difficulties and tensions center on intellectual property and we look at how faculty negotiate with industry over restrictions on publication of graduate student and faculty research results, on faculty and graduate student involvement in start-up companies, and on faculty and graduate student ownership of intellectual property. (shrink)

Against the background of studies on redundancy in law that completely omit the visual element in law and of studies on traffic signs that are laconic about their redundancies, the present study proposes more focused investigation into the redundancies of traffic signs. After presentation of the broader context of existing studies on traffic signs and on redundancy in law, and following a discussion of the direct inspiration for embarking upon research into this topic, the article moves (...) to present and discuss six proposed types of redundancies of signs. Utilizing Franciszek Studnicki’s distinction between sign-types and sign-realizations, and given that traffic signs exist in various complicated relationships with each other, with written formulations in legal texts, and with the environments in which they are placed, the study comments on six types of redundancy: sign-type–basic task of road traffic law; of sign-type’s elements; sign-type–sign-type; sign-type–legal text; sign-realization–sign-realization; and sign-realization–environment. Analysis of each type is supported through examples, various subdivisions, and additional lines of inquiry. The study has value for both strictly theoretical and more practical enterprises related both to traffic signs themselves and to the wider realm of visualization of norms. (shrink)

A sector is a basic unit of airspace whose operation is managed by air traffic controllers. The operation complexity of a sector plays an important role in air traffic management system, such as airspace reconfiguration, air traffic flow management, and allocation of air traffic controller resources. Therefore, accurate evaluation of the sector operation complexity is crucial. Considering there are numerous factors that can influence SOC, researchers have proposed several machine learning methods recently to evaluate SOC by (...) mining the relationship between factors and complexity. However, existing studies rely on hand-crafted factors, which are computationally difficult, specialized background required, and may limit the evaluation performance of the model. To overcome these problems, this paper for the first time proposes an end-to-end SOC learning framework based on deep convolutional neural network specifically for free of hand-crafted factors environment. A new data representation, i.e., multichannel traffic scenario image, is proposed to represent the overall air traffic scenario. A MTSI is generated by splitting the airspace into a two-dimension grid map and filled with navigation information. Motivated by the applications of deep learning network, the specific CNN model is introduced to automatically extract high-level traffic features from MTSIs and learn the SOC pattern. Thus, the model input is determined by combining multiple image channels composed of air traffic information, which are used to describe the traffic scenario. The model output is SOC levels for the target sector. The experimental results using a real dataset from the Guangzhou airspace sector in China show that our model can effectively extract traffic complexity information from MTSIs and achieve promising performance than traditional machine learning methods. In practice, our work can be flexibly and conveniently applied to SOC evaluation without the additional calculation of hand-crafted factors. (shrink)

To meet the growing demands for yet more efficient and safer traffic, traffic control is deployed in all modes of transportation. In maritime transportation, traffic control is performed by Vessel Traffic Services (VTS). This paper describes research which is focused upon measurement of VTS operator performance. The concept of situation awareness is introduced as a means to describe and quantify VTS operator performance. Situation awareness is tested in a full scale interactive simulator. A scoring system (...) for VTS operator performance accounts for the specific characteristics of VTS operator work, such as accuracy and relevance of information. (shrink)

The application of machine learning touches all activities of human behavior such as computer network and routing packets in LAN. In the field of our research here, emphasis was placed on extracting weights that would affect the speed of the network's response and finding the best path, such as the number of nodes in the path and the congestion on each path, in addition to the cache used for each node. Therefore, the use of these elements in building the (...) neural network is worthy, as is the exploitation of the feed forwarding and the backpropagation in the neural network in order to reach the best prediction for the best path. The goal of the proposed neural network is to minimize the network time delay within the optimization of the packet paths being addressed in this study. The shortest path is considered as the key issue in routing algorithm that can be carried out with real time of path computations. Exploiting the gaps in previous studies, which are represented in the lack of training of the system and the inaccurate prediction as a result of not taking into consideration the hidden layers' feedback, leads to great performance. This study aims to suggest an efficient algorithm that could help in selecting the shortest path to improve the existing methods using weights derived from packet ID and to change neural network iteration simultaneously. In this study, the design of the efficient neural network of appropriate output is discussed in detail including the principles of the network. The findings of the study revealed that exploiting the power of computational system to demonstrate computer simulation is really effective. It is also shown that the system achieved good results when training the neural network system to get 2.4% time delay with 5 nodes in local LAN. Besides, the results showed that the major features of the proposed model will be able to run in real time and are also adaptive to change with path topology. (shrink)

The conclusions and recommendations resulting from a number of meetings held in Port Louis, Mauritius (1974); Colombo, Sri Lanka (December, 1978); and Perth, Australia (August, 1979) could serve as authority for the present work. Running through them was a continuity and logic that is stimulating for research, and from them emerged an appeal for the coordination of efforts. From all the evidence, the idea that inspired the meetings was that the countries of the Indian Ocean make up an entity. (...) The consideration of this entity, moreover, had been the guideline for the work of a number of international conferences, among which were the colloquies held in 1962, 1966 and 1972 by the International Commission of Maritime History of the Indian Ocean. The first studied the commercial societies and companies in the Orient and in the Ocean; the second, the joint role of the Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean in maritime relations; and the third, the movement of populations in the Indian Ocean. (shrink)

Traffic officers are faced with many stressful situations, yet each traffic officer might cope differently with these stressors. Spirituality is regarded as an essential defence in stressful situations. Therefore, this article provides a basic framework guiding traffic officers and practitioners, on how spirituality can be used as a coping mechanism when faced with various work-related stressors. An interpretative, qualitative study was conducted utilising purposive sampling in which 10 traffic officers participated in in-depth interviews. In line with (...) the interpretive paradigm, data were analysed using content analysis. The research findings indicate when utilising spirituality to various degrees in their workplace, traffic officers displayed adaptive coping capabilities. Traffic officers associated less spirituality or a lack thereof with weaker coping capability. Furthermore, spirituality in traffic officers is informed by their spiritual or religious foundation, their purpose in work and life, their connection to a spiritual source, and the fruits of spirituality. The coping ability of traffic officers is influenced by their upbringing and background, by stressors in their work environment and by their coping mechanisms. The role of spirituality in the coping of traffic officers culminated in their ability to interpret the meaning of spirituality, and then implementing spirituality as a coping mechanism. (shrink)

Car driving is considered a very complex activity, consisting of different concomitant tasks and subtasks, thus it is crucial to understand the impact of different factors, such as road complexity, traffic, dashboard devices, and external events on the driver’s behavior and performance. For this reason, in particular situations the cognitive demand experienced by the driver could be very high, inducing an excessive experienced mental workload and consequently an increasing of error commission probability. In this regard, it has been demonstrated (...) that human error is the main cause of the 57 % of road accidents and a contributing factor in most of them. In this study, 20 young subjects were involved in a real driving experiment, performed under different traffic conditions (rush hour and not) and along different road types (main and secondary streets). Moreover, during the driving tasks different specific events, in particular a pedestrian crossing the road and a car entering the traffic flow just ahead of the experimental subject, were acted. A Workload Index based on the Electroencephalographic (EEG), i.e. brain activity, of the drivers has been employed to investigate the impact of the different factors on the driver’s workload. Eye-Tracking technology and subjective measures were also employed in order to have a comprehensive overview of the driver’s perceived workload and to investigate the different insights obtainable from the employed methodologies. The employment of such EEG-based Workload index confirmed the significant impact of both traffic and road types on the drivers’ behavior (increasing their workload), with the advantage of being under real settings. Also, it allowed to highlight the increased workload related to external events while driving, in particular with a significant effect during those situations when the traffic was low. Finally, the comparison between methodologies revealed the higher sensitivity of neurophysiological measures with respect to Eye-Tracking and subjective ones. In conclusion, such an EEG-based Workload index would allow to assess objectively the mental workload experienced by the driver, standing out as a powerful tool for research aimed to investigate drivers’ behavior and providing additional and complementary insights with respect to traditional methodologies employed within road safety research. (shrink)

In the selection of job candidates who have the mental ability to become professional ATCOs, psychometric testing has been a ubiquitous activity in the ATM domain. To contribute to psychometric research in the ATM domain, we investigated the extent to which spatial orientation ability (SOA), as conceptualized in the spatial cognition and navigation literature, predicted air traffic conflict detection performance in a simulated free route airspace (FRA) environment. The implementation of free route airspace (FRA) over the past few (...) years, notably in Europe, have facilitated air traffic services by giving greater flexibility to aviation operators in planning and choosing preferred air routes that can lead to quicker arrivals. FRA offers enhanced system safety and efficiency, but these benefits can be outweighed by the introduction of air traffic conflicts that are geometrically more complex. Such conflicts can arise from increased number and distribution of conflict points, as well as from elevated uncertainty in aircraft maneuvering (for instance, during heading changes). Overall, these issues will make conflict detection more challenging for air traffic controllers (ATCOs). Consequently, there is a need to select ATCOs with suitably high levels of spatial orientation ability (SOA) to ensure flight safety under FRA implementation. In this study, we tested 20 participants who are eligible for ATCO job application, and found that response time-based performance on a newly developed, open access, computerized spatial orientation test (SOT) predicted time to loss of minimum separation (tLMS) performance on an air traffic conflict detection task (AT-CDT) we designed. We found this predictive relationship to be significant to a moderately large extent under scenarios with high air traffic density (raw regression coefficient = 0.58). Moreover, we demonstrated our AT-CDT as a valid test in terms of eliciting well-known mental workload and spatial learning effects. We explained these findings in light of similar or overlapping mental processes that were most likely activated optimally under task conditions featuring approximately equal numbers of outcome-relevant stimuli. We conclude by discussing the further application of the SOT to the selection of prospective ATCOs who can demonstrate high levels of conflict detection performance in FRA during training simulations. (shrink)

Previous research studies of traffic networks are mainly based on planar networks and less considered the influence of multilayer networks, which illustrate and represent different appropriate urban traffic modes. Development of rail and road networks is inseparable from the development of a prosperous urban area; thus, research on multilayer networks has scientific potential and fulfils a real need. In this paper, a framework of complex network based integrated multilayer urban growth and optimisation model is proposed, to (...) analyse the complex relationships between the traffic network structure, the population growth, and the urban land-use. The innovation of this paper is the combination of the traffic complex multilayer networks and the “Four Step Model”. With the multiobjective, multilayer network coevolution and optimisation model, a more efficient traffic network layout was generated based on different land-use, population density, and travel speed scenarios. Then, this paper has proved that the proposed CNIMUGOM can save the traffic network construction investment, reduce the travel cost, make the urban traffic network more efficient, and decrease the total traffic flow amount. This research has connected the recent complex multilayer network related study and traditional urban economic model based study. The findings of the study afford to improve the current land-use and traffic integrated models and can provide traffic network planning suggestions for urban agglomeration development. (shrink)

. The defects in macro traffic model research are pointed out firstly. In order to remedy these defects, traffic movements at the grid intersection were analyzed, and with the basic framework of the traffic transmission model, the new macro traffic model used in the paper for control simulation and evaluation has been proposed. Secondly, the bi-level optimization control model is proposed, using minimal delay and maximal throughput as its upper objectives, and optimal traffic coordination (...) on both sides as the lower objective. A corresponding heuristic ant algorithm is subsequently designed to solve the control model. Finally, the proposed method is tested at a suppositional road network, under three different demand scenarios, compared with Transyt-7F. The results show that the proposed method has better performance, especially under high demand scenarios. (shrink)

This article contributes to research on the regulation of technological risks in the form of a case study of the Baltic Sea ferry traffic. The analysis suggests that the social systemic features of an industry heavily influence the relationship between technological failures and risk regulation. The study augments recent work on how regulations affect the handling of technological risks and how failures influence regulatory arrangements. These issues have already been studied in the context of aviation, auto, chemical, nuclear (...) power, and railway industries, but not in shipping. As an extension to previous literature, the authors also explore how different regulatory organizations in this industry act in relation to risks and how they influence each other in risk regulation activities. The study highlights the indirect relationships between technological failures and risk regulation arrangements. It also underlines the influence of the involved actors on the regulatory responses to technological failures. (shrink)

Epidemiological studies have confirmed that long-term exposure to road traffic noise can cause cardiovascular diseases, and when noise exposure reaches a certain level, the risk of related CDs significantly increases. Currently, a large number of Chinese residents are exposed to high noise exposure, which could greatly increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. On the other hand, relevant studies have found that people with high noise sensitivity are more susceptible to noise. And it is necessary to pay more attention to (...) the high noise-sensitive people. This study investigated the acute physiological effect of different noise-sensitive groups by indoor-level noise stimulus experiments under laboratory conditions, by observing heart rate variability indicators, including standard deviation of NN intervals, low frequency/high frequency, and heart rate. The results showed that there was no significant difference in HRV between the high-sensitive group and the low-sensitive group at the physiological baseline and the different stimulating noise levels. Then, based on the theory of cumulative effect of noise proposed by WHO Regional Office for Europe, non-significant but observable differences between groups were further discussed. By analyzing differences of the variation trends and the within-group significant changes of SDNN and HR between the two groups, the results tended to show that the high-sensitive group is more affected by road traffic noise. In addition, the values of SDNN and HR showed observable between-group differences at 55 dB and 65 dB which corresponding to the SPL associated with a significantly increased risk of cardiovascular disease concerned by epidemiological studies. According to the cumulative effect theory, these differences in HRV caused by short-term noise stimulation may have the potential to produce physiological response and lead to between-groups differences in prevalence after long-term recurrent effect, and deserve attention and further research. (shrink)

In this paper, we discuss challenges associated with implementing a policy for Ancillary Care (AC) for related and unrelated (serious) adverse events during an Ebola vaccine trial conducted in a remote area of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Conducting clinical trials in resourceconstrained settings can raise context-related challenges that have implications for study participants’ health and wellbeing. During the Ebola vaccine study, three participants were injured in road traffic accidents, but there were unexpected difficulties when trying to apply (...) the AC policy. First, because of the nature of the adverse events, the insurer refused to cover the costs. Second, the AC policy did not address treatments by traditional medicine, even though traditional medicines are frequently used and highly trusted in the study community. This highlighted a contrast between the researchers’ well-intentioned AC approach and the participants’ legitimate preferences. The way in which researchers should address their responsibility to provide AC is not straightforward; it requires contextualization. Our experience highlights the importance of involving community representatives and the local ethics committee to ensure development of an AC policy that is culturally and ethically appropriate. Additionally, the insurance contract should clearly stipulate which adverse events are linked to the trial participation, and thus eligible for coverage, to avoid controversies when claims are made. (shrink)

This paper determines the acoustic properties of external wall building materials composition. Noise pollution is one of the main pollutants nowadays but it is not considered of great importance in the construction field, despite some studies showing that greater acoustic pollution is produced by buildings under construction. The study consists of analysing two different types of buildings equipped with a different type of external masonry composition in terms of building materials. The buildings are located at “21 Dhjetori” street, Tirana, Albania. (...) Furthermore, the case study area is treated as an area that consistently harvests noise. The impact of noise pollution on the existing building materials is going to be analyzed. Those milestones will provide information regarding the noise levels, a comparison of the actual level of noise production (outdoor and indoor areas), sound transmission, and sound diminution, as well as the implementation of acoustic materials in order to improve the quality of life of the inhabitants. The selected area has the highest norms of acoustic pollution in the city according to the studies implemented by Determination of acoustic properties of building materials is an important task gaining higher importance due to the demand for suitable construction materials, located in places with high levels of noise and places with heavy traffic, such as in urban areas. The aim of this paper is to display a comparative study of the actual noise levels generated by this area. It indicates the acoustic properties of the current building materials followed by a more suitable soundproof insulation. (shrink)

Procuramos mostrar neste breve artigo que o processo de secularização estudado por Max Weber, levou a religião a adaptar-se num ambiente de livre-escolha, conduzindo os sujeitos a uma escolha na qual o indivíduo, diante de inúmeras possibilidades e necessidades, é capaz de optar por aquela que melhor lhe servir. Apesar de a secularização ter perdido sua hegemonia, ela continua a suscitar calorosas discussões e inúmeros debates entre os pesquisadores do fenômeno religioso, particularmente sobre o pluralismo, as mudanças dos papéis sociais (...) das organizações religiosas, a competição entre agências produtoras de sentido, as novas possibilidades de escolhas. Diante desse quadro, procuramos mostrar que o movimento neopentecostal oferece ao indivíduo inúmeras opções de bens religiosos, provocando com isso o trânsito religioso . Esse trânsito tem feito com que os líderes das igrejas neopentecostais, na tentativa de atrair novos adeptos, produzam com maior intensidade “novos” bens religiosos, assim como busquem fidelizar esses novos membros à sua igreja. Como resultado, percebemos dentro do campo religioso brasileiro uma intensa movimentação de fiéis, bens e igrejas produzindo e consumindo religião para o seu próprio deleite e consumo. Palavras-chave: Neopentecostalismo; Secularização; Trânsito Religioso.The purpose of this paper is to show that the process of secularization studied by Max Weber, led religion to adapt itself in an environment of free choice, leading subjects to a personal choice, where the individual, confronted by innumerous possibilities and necessities, can opt for the one that bests suits him. Although secularization has lost its hegemony, it keeps on inspiring discussions and debates among researchers of religious phenomena, particularly on pluralism, the changes on social roles of religious organizations, the competition among agencies producing meaning, the new possibilities of choices.Given the situation, we demonstrate that the neo-pentecostal offers the individual, various options of religious goods, generating what can be called “religious transit”. This flow of people has caused the leaders of the neo-Pentecostal churches, in search of new followers, to produce with greater intensity “new” religious goods in order to attract more people and make them faithful to their churches. As a result of that, we can perceive in the brazilian religious field an intense flow of believers, religious symbols and churches producing and consuming religion for their own pleasure and consumption. Key words : Pentecostalism; Secularisation; Religious Traffic. (shrink)

The challenge is there: the social problems of technology--problems related to the environment, the energy crisis, traffic problems, social engineering--so discipline-spanning in their interactions with other realms of life... are, at bottom, problems of social and political values.... They cannot be solved, in any realistic and adequate way, without the collaboration of philosopher-generalists, broad humanists, and social science generalists working with engineers and technological experts.... The more multidisciplinary technological problems become, the more important such programs [in science, technology, and (...) society] will turn out to be. Hans Lenk, Research in Philosophy & Technology 7 (1984): 50, 52. (shrink)

Traffic research shares a fundamental dilemma with other areas of empirical research in which humans are potentially put at risk. Research is justified because it can improve safety in the long run. Nevertheless, people can be harmed in the research situation. Hence, we need to balance short-term risks against long-term safety improvements, much as in other areas of research with human subjects. In this paper we focus on ethical issues that arise when human beings (...) are directly affected in the performance of research by examining how the ethical requirements in biomedical research can inform traffic research. After introducing the basic ethical requirements on biomedical research, each of the major requirements is discussed in relation to traffic research. We identify the main areas where biomedical research and traffic research differ, and where the ethical requirements from the former cannot easily be transferred to the latter. Finally, we argue that there is a need for systematic studies of the ethics of traffic research and point to some of the issues that need to be addressed. (shrink)

In order to solve the problem of low accuracy of pedestrian detection of real traffic cameras and high missed detection rate of small target pedestrians, this paper combines autoencoding neural network and AdaBoost to construct a fast pedestrian detection algorithm. Aiming at the problem that a single high-level output feature map has insufficient ability to express pedestrian features and existing methods cannot effectively select appropriate multilevel features, this paper improves the traditional AdaBoost algorithm structure, that is, the sample weight (...) update formula and the strong classifier output formula are reset, and the two-input AdaBoost-DBN classification algorithm is proposed. Moreover, in view of the problem that the fusion video is not smoothly played, this paper considers the motion information of the video object, performs pixel interpolation by motion compensation, and restores the frame rate of the original video by reconstructing the dropped interframe image. Through experimental research, we can see that the algorithm constructed in this paper has a certain effect. (shrink)

Purpose: In the paper, I discuss how Ernst Glasersfeld worked as a scientist on the project, Interdisciplinary Research on Number (IRON), and explain how his scientific activity fueled his development of radical constructivism. I also present IRON as a progressive research program in radical constructivism and suggest the essential components of such programs. Findings: The basic problem of Glasersfeld's radical constructivism is to explore the operations by means of which we assemble our experiential reality. Conceptual analysis is Glasersfeld's (...) way of doing science and he used it in IRON to analyze the units that young children create and count in the activity of counting. In his work in IRON, Glasersfeld first conducted a first-order conceptual analysis of his own operations that produce units and number, and then participated in a second-order analysis of the language and actions of children and inferred the mental operations that they use to produce units and number. Further, Glasersfeld used Piaget's concept of equilibration in the context of scheme theory in a second-order analysis of children's construction of number sequences and of more advanced ways and means of operating in the traffic of numbers. Research Implications: The scientific method of first- and second-order conceptual analysis transcends our work in IRON and it is applicable in any radical constructivist research program whose problem is to explore the operations by means of which we construct our conceptions. Because of the difficulties involved with introspection, conducting second-order conceptual analyses is essential in exploring these operations and it involves analyzing the language and actions of the observed. But conceptual analysis is only a part of the research process because the researchers are by necessity already involved in creating occasions of observation. The "experimenter" and the "analyst" can be the same person or they can be different people. Either case involves intensive and sustained interdisciplinary thinking and ways of working if the research program is to be maintained over a substantial period of time as a progressive research program. (shrink)

This article mitigates the challenges of previously reported literature by reducing the operating cost and improving the performance of network. A genetic algorithm-based tabu search methodology is proposed to solve the link capacity and traffic allocation problem in a computer communication network. An efficient modern super-heuristic search method is used to influence the fixed cost, delay cost, and variable cost of a link on the total operating cost in the computer communication network are discussed. The article analyses a large (...) number of computer simulation results to verify the effectiveness of the tabu search algorithm for CFA problems and also improves the quality of solutions significantly compared with traditional Lagrange relaxation and subgradient optimization algorithms. The experimental results show that with the increase of the weighted coefficient of variable cost, the proportion of variable cost in the total cost increases from 10 to 35%. The growth is relatively slow, and the fixed cost is still the main component. In addition, due to the increase in the variable cost, the tabu search algorithm will also choose the link with large luxury to reduce the variable cost, which makes the fixed cost slightly increase, while the network delay cost and average delay slightly decrease. The proposed method, when compared with the genetic algorithm, has more advantages for large-scale or heavy-load networks. (shrink)

The automation of online social life is an urgent issue for researchers and the public alike. However, one of the most significant uses of such technologies seems to have gone largely unnoticed by the research community: religion. Focusing on Islamic Prayer Apps, which automatically post prayers from its users’ accounts, we show that even one such service is already responsible for millions of tweets daily, constituting a significant portion of Arabic-language Twitter traffic. We argue that the fact that (...) a phenomenon of these proportions has gone unnoticed by researchers reveals an opportunity to broaden the scope of the current research agenda on online automation. (shrink)

This study appeared in full in the last issue of Research Ethics Review : 68). MJ's research focuses on those patients with brain damage following trauma such as a road traffic accident. She wants to find out about their experiences of daily life once they have been discharged from hospital. She plans to use a phenomenological approach in which each participant will be asked to take part in a series of in-depth interviews, via email, over a period (...) of about two years. These interviews will allow her to compare participants' experiences in different parts of the UK. MJ has a research partner in Auckland; the two of them are planning a similar series of interviews in New Zealand to allow for comparison between participants' experiences in the two countries. (shrink)

Explorations of the boundaries between human culture and non-human nature have clear ethical dimensions. Developing both from philosophical arguments about the value of such boundaries and recent empirical work following the traffic across them, we seek to complement these discussions through a consideration of how these boundaries can be enacted by ourselves, as researchers, and the methods we employ. As part of an agenda seeking to reconsider organic agency within geographical narrative, we have been exploring different techniques for documenting (...) the ways in which such agencies are encountered. Specifically, we are interested in plants and the ways in which they might be researched in new ways by human geographers. Based on two particular pieces of research into human-plant dealings, our aim is one of exploring their lively presence as part of a performative environmental ethics enacted, in part, through the very practice of the research encounter. (shrink)

Biologists who work on the pig (_Sus scrofa_) take advantage of its similarity to humans by constructing the inferential and material means to traffic data, information and knowledge across the species barrier. Their research has been funded due to its perceived value for agriculture and medicine. Improving selective breeding practices, for instance, has been a driver of genomics research. The pig is also an animal model for biomedical research and practice, and is proposed as a source (...) of organs for cross-species transplantation: xenotransplantation. Genomics research has informed transplantation biology, which has itself motivated developments in genomics. Both have generated models of correspondences between the genomes of pigs and humans. Concerning genomics, I detail how researchers traverse species boundaries to develop representations of the pig genome, alongside ensuring that such representations are sufficiently porcine. In transplantation biology, the representations of the genomes of humans and pigs are used to detect and investigate immunologically-pertinent differences between the two species. These key differences can then be removed, to ‘humanise’ donor pigs so that they can become a safe and effective source of organs. In both of these endeavours, there is a tension between practices that ‘humanise’ the pig (or representations thereof) through using resources from human genomics, and the need to ‘dehumanise’ the pig to maintain distinctions for legal, ethical and scientific reasons. This paper assesses the ways in which this tension has been managed, observing the differences between its realisations across comparative pig genomics and transplantation biology, and considering the consequences of this. (shrink)

Simple Heuristics That Make Us Smart invites readers to embark on a new journey into a land of rationality that differs from the familiar territory of cognitive science and economics. Traditional views of rationality tend to see decision makers as possessing superhuman powers of reason, limitless knowledge, and all of eternity in which to ponder choices. To understand decisions in the real world, we need a different, more psychologically plausible notion of rationality, and this book provides it. It is about (...) fast and frugal heuristics--simple rules for making decisions when time is pressing and deep thought an unaffordable luxury. These heuristics can enable both living organisms and artificial systems to make smart choices, classifications, and predictions by employing bounded rationality. But when and how can such fast and frugal heuristics work? Can judgments based simply on one good reason be as accurate as those based on many reasons? Could less knowledge even lead to systematically better predictions than more knowledge? Simple Heuristics explores these questions, developing computational models of heuristics and testing them through experiments and analyses. It shows how fast and frugal heuristics can produce adaptive decisions in situations as varied as choosing a mate, dividing resources among offspring, predicting high school drop out rates, and playing the stock market. As an interdisciplinary work that is both useful and engaging, this book will appeal to a wide audience. It is ideal for researchers in cognitive psychology, evolutionary psychology, and cognitive science, as well as in economics and artificial intelligence. It will also inspire anyone interested in simply making good decisions. (shrink)

Doctoral programs at U.S. universities play a critical role in the development of human resources both in the United States and abroad. This volume reports the results of an extensive study of U.S. research-doctorate programs in five broad fields: physical sciences and mathematics, engineering, social and behavioral sciences, biological sciences, and the humanities. Research-Doctorate Programs in the United States documents changes that have taken place in the size, structure, and quality of doctoral education since the widely used 1982 (...) editions. This update provides selected information on nearly 4,000 doctoral programs in 41 subdisciplines at 274 doctorate-granting institutions. This volume also reports the results of the National Survey of Graduate Faculty, which polled a sample of faculty for their views on the scholarly quality of program faculty and the effectiveness of doctoral programs in preparing research scholars/scientists. This much-anticipated update of such an essential reference will be useful to education administrators, university faculty, and students seeking authoritative information on doctoral programs. (shrink)

One of the important determinants of development during the transition to adulthood is the undertaking of social roles characteristic of adults, also in the area of finishing formal education, which usually coincides with beginning fulltime employment. In the study discussed in this paper, it has been hypothesized that continuing full-time education above the age of 26, a phenomenon rarely observed in Poland, can be considered as an unpunctual event that may be connected with difficulties in the process of identity formation. (...) Relationships between identity dimensions and identity statuses, and age and educational context were analyzed. 693 individuals aged 19-35 took part in the study. The participants attended three types of educational institutions: full-time university studies, part-time university studies, and full-time post-secondary school. Among the students of full-time university studies predictable dependencies, also in respect of highlevels of indicators of identity crisis and a high frequency of diffused identity occurrence, were observed. Such dependencies were not found in the group of full-time post-secondary school students. (shrink)

The Russian philosopher and cultural theorist Mikhail Bakhtin has traditionally been seen as the leading figure in the group of intellectuals known as the Bakhtin Circle. The writings of other members of the Circle are considered much less important than his work, while Bakhtin's achievement has been exaggerated in proportion to the downgrading of the thinkers with whom he associated in the 1920s. This volume, which includes new translations and studies of the work of the most important members of the (...) Circle, sets out to correct the distortions in the established representations of its activity. The original contributions to literary and linguistic theory made by Valentin Voloshinov and Pavel Medvedev (but frequently credited to Bakhtin) are assessed, and the distinctiveness of their approaches is highlighted. (shrink)