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Structured radial basis function network: modelling diversity for multiple hypotheses prediction
No full textMulti-modal problems can be effectively addressed using multiple hypothesis frameworks, but integrating these frameworks into learning
models poses significant challenges. This paper introduces a Structured Radial Basis Function Network (s-RBFN) as an ensemble of multiple hypothesis predictors for regression. During the training of the predictors, first the centroidal Voronoi tessellations are formed based on their losses and the true labels, representing geometrically the set of multiple hypotheses. Then, the trained predictors are used to compute a structured dataset with their predictions, including centers and scales for the basis functions. A radial basis function network, with each basis function focused on a particular hypothesis, is subsequently trained using this structured dataset for multiple hypotheses prediction. The s-RBFN is designed to train efficiently while controlling diversity in ensemble learning parametrically. The least-squares approach for training the structured ensemble model provides a closed-form solution for multiple hypotheses and structured predictions. During the formation of the structured dataset, a parameter is employed to avoid mode collapse by controlling tessellation shapes. This parameter provides a mechanism to balance diversity and generalization performance for the s-RBFN. The empirical validation on two multivariate prediction datasets—air quality and energy appliance predictions—demonstrates the superior generalization performance and computational efficiency of the structured ensemble model compared to other models and their single-hypothesis counterparts
Parental time investments and instantaneous wellbeing in the United States
Get PDFThis study investigates the relationship between maternal education, child-care time, and wellbeing in the US, with a particular focus on the role of societal norms. Highly educated mothers spend more time on childcare compared to their less educated counterparts. Drawing on data from the American Time Use Survey's Well-Being Modules (2012, 2013, 2021), this research provides a comprehensive examination of maternal activities and wellbeing. Notably, educated mothers consistently experience reduced instantaneous happiness during childcare, across various caregiving tasks, despite investing greater time in them. To better understand this pattern, we introduce an identity economics model whose predictions are consonant with the empirical findings. Our model illustrates how societal gender roles differentially influence patterns of time allocation by mothers' education and impact their instantaneous and overall wellbeing
Biological mistake theory and the question of function
Get PDFThe making of mistakes by organisms and other living systems is a theoretically and empirically unifying feature of biological investigation. Mistake theory is a rigorous and experimentally productive way of understanding this widespread phenomenon. It does, however, run up against the long-standing “functions” debate in philosophy of biology. Against the objection that mistakes are just a kind of malfunction, and that without a position on functions there can be no theory of mistakes, we reply that this is to misunderstand the theory. In this paper we set out the basic concepts of mistake theory and then argue that mistakes are a distinctive phenomenon in their own right, not just a kind of malfunction. Moreover, the functions debate is, to a large degree, independent of the concept of biological mistakes we outline. In particular, although the popular selected effects theory may retain its place within a more pluralistic conception of biological function, there is also need for a more forward-looking approach, where a robust concept of normativity can be an important driver of future experimental work
Talking about strategy: the role of epic plot structures in international contracting
Get PDFEmerging international markets are frequently characterized by high levels of economic and political uncertainty. Such inherent uncertainties render established ideas of competitive positioning problematic. An alternative perspective is developed which focuses on the day-to-day enactment of strategy through the medium of narrative. Narrative interviews with senior managers from Turkish international contracting firms provide insights into the contested storylines of strategy making. The plot structures mobilized are seen to comprise strategy making “in flight”. Senior managers are further held continuously to test emergent narratives against different audiences for the purposes of enhancing their persuasiveness. The aim is to instil an overall sense of coherence and direction among those with whom they interact. The temporal narratives mobilize epic plot structures from the past for the purposes of ascribing Turkish contractors with heroic identities in their quest for a desirable future. Yet the shared narratives also serve as a means of identity work through which the narrators strive to position themselves within their networks as acknowledged strategy makers. The espoused plot structures are further seen to coalesce to form a narrative infrastructure with direct implications for the future enactment of strategy. The research focus on the essential temporality of strategy narratives has important implications beyond the specific context of enquiry
“The illuminating quiet”: a metaphor analysis of autobiographical descriptions of inner speech in aphasia
Get PDFBackground: Inner speech in aphasia is a rapidly expanding research area, but can be defined in numerous ways. Unlike behaviourally observable language processes such as overt word-production, inner speech is only directly available to introspection. Subjective experience thus grounds our understanding of inner speech and is a necessary starting point for investigating its definition. Descriptions of inner speech written by people with aphasia can make an important contribution to conceptual clarity in the literature. This important data source has not been systematically analysed. Our research addresses this gap.
Aims: This research aims to understand the subjective experience of impaired and preserved inner speech in aphasia, through analysis of the metaphors used in autobiographical acco-unts, and to interpret the findings in relation to the inner speech literature.
Methods & Procedures: This study carries out a metaphor-led discourse analysis of descriptions of inner speech in four autobiographical accounts of aphasia. Metaphorical expressions describing language processing were identified and coded, then systematic metaphors (i.e., the related concepts which are used consistently to describe a particular topic) were described. The metaphors used to describe inner speech were then analysed, with attention to patterns of use and contextual information.
Results & Discussion: 338 expressions made use of the main systematic metaphors which were used to describe inner speech. Two types of inner speech- Phonological Inner Speech and Dialogic Inner Speech - were described as distinct and dissociable experiences, and were described using different metaphors. Phonological Inner Speech, the internal activation of phonological representations, as used in mental repetition of a word or phrase, was described by two authors using the metaphors WORDS AS OBJECTS, MIND AS CONTAINER and INNER SPEECH AS HEARING WORDS. Dialogic Inner Speech, the use or awareness of linguistic inner reasoning or dialogue, was described by two different authors using the metaphors INNER SPEECH AS INNER VOICES/PERSONS/MONOLOGUE/DIALOGUE and APHASIA AS SILENCE/ FLUID/ SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE. A double dissociation of these different definitions of inner speech is seen across two of the accounts. Different impacts on language processing and cognition were also described.
Conclusions: This research demonstrates that subjective accounts of inner speech can help clarify theoretical discussions and clinical implications. Although, recent research within aphasiology has focused mainly on Phonological Inner Speech, we show that in these accounts the impairment of Dialogic Inner Speech was described as more salient and more explicitly as a ‘lack of inner voices’
Multidimensional individualized stuttering therapy outcomes at 24 months post clinic: an embodiment and awareness perspective
Get PDFPurpose: Multidimensional Individualized Stuttering Therapy (MIST) is based on proactive collaborative work and shared decision making between client and clinician with the goal of identifying individual case-appropriate procedures and therapy elements in a manner that is meaningful and context-sensitive for each person. MIST combines value- and awareness-based elements from acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) with stuttering and speech modification interventions. In keeping with the principles of ACT, we locate mindfulness as part of an embodied practice facilitated through a collaboration between the person who stutters and the speech-language therapist. Method: The aim of this study was to see whether the positive results of MIST recorded at 12 months post-therapy remained stable at 24 months post-therapy and to consider the role of embodiment and awareness within MIST. Fifteen of 18 adults already enrolled in a treatment study (2015/FO12451) took part in a single-group repeated-measures design. They completed measures of stuttering severity, impact of stuttering, unhelpful thoughts and beliefs about stuttering, general anxiety symptoms, and fear of negative evaluation. Results: There was a significant reduction of stuttering severity and negative impact of stuttering from pre-therapy to 24 months post-therapy. Unhelpful thoughts and beliefs about stuttering, symptoms of general anxiety, and fear of negative evaluation were reduced at 12 months post-therapy, and these values remained stable at 24 months post-therapy. Conclusions: MIST was associated with positive outcomes at 24 months post-therapy, suggesting a possible connection between the person-centered approach and longer-term benefit. Findings are discussed within the context of mindfulness and embodied adjustment, and shared client–clinician decision making. The absence of a control group is a limiting factor regarding certainty of interpretation. Future research is therefore needed on collaborative and individualized approaches to stuttering therapy that include embodiment and awareness perspectives
The money multiplier and competing theories of money creation: empirical validation for Russia
No full textFor decades, the monetary economics literature has considered multiple deposit expansion via the money multiplier as theoretically and empirically corroborated. However, the developments witnessed in advanced economies since the Global Fi- nancial Crisis challenged this settled view. We revisit it empirically in the context of the banking system of a big emerging market economy, Russia, from 2005 through 2019, also comparing our results to findings for the United States. In doing so, we review the theoretical underpinnings of money creation and propose an economet- ric test that is applied to the Russian case. Our contribution is to show that the credit theory of money (CTM) – and not the fractional reserve theory (FRT) or the financial intermediation theory (FIT) – is the most supported by the Russian monthly data. We reach this conclusion employing a vector autoregression model and finding robust evidence that nowadays bank lending in Russia is constrained mainly by credit demand, as in the United States
A benchmark of industrial polymerization process for thermal runaway process monitoring
Get PDFPolymer production is of paramount importance in the chemical manufacturing industry. However, safety concerns are prevalent due to the exothermic nature of polymerization reactions, which can cause thermal runaway. The limitations of the current industry-standard monitoring methods underscore the need for novel techniques to detect faults early. To facilitate the development and evaluation of such algorithms, benchmarks that enable direct comparisons of performance are required. Addressing this gap, the present work first introduces an open-source polymerization benchmark model and associated datasets. Derived from reaction kinetics, mass balance, and energy balance analysis, the differential equation forms the basis of our model. By manipulating relative parameters, we intentionally induce five typical faults that can lead to thermal runaway. As a result, our benchmark model serves as an invaluable tool for advancing and validating algorithms for thermal runaway process monitoring, significantly enhancing the safety of the polymerization process. The effectiveness of the model and dataset is demonstrated by testing multivariate statistical process monitoring algorithms and deep learning algorithms
