Hasil untuk "Information theory"

R. Lord, Roseanne J. Foti, C. D. Vader

Russell Golman, D. Hagmann, G. Loewenstein

Cristian Busu, Mihail Busu, Stelian Grasu et al.

Examining the energy consumer behavioral model is critical for national governments and academia. This endeavor seeks to uncover effective solutions amid the energy crisis and climate change challenges. This article delves into legislative developments within the energy sector, European Commission recommendations for reducing energy consumption, and existing constraints impacting individual consumers. By scrutinizing the relevant literature, we aimed to identify and analyze factors that can enhance individual benefits derived from energy savings. Then, a comprehensive set of variables was formulated to model the final consumers’ behavior. Data collection involved administering questionnaires to individual consumers, consumer associations, and energy micro-enterprises in Romania. The gathered data were meticulously analyzed using the Smart-Pls 4 statistical software. Building upon insights from specialized literature, this paper pinpoints the behavioral determinants influencing the reduction in energy consumption. These determinants serve as independent variables shaping the voluntary adoption of measures in lifestyle and behavior among various types of energy users. This study’s findings validate the assumptions presented in this article, highlighting that a reduction in energy consumption is a direct and intrinsic outcome achieved by cumulatively addressing several factors. These factors encompass investments in the energy sector, budget allocation for energy consumption expenditure, adherence to social behavior norms, access to pertinent information about the consequences of the energy crisis, and individual responsibility. Notably, the perception of energy-saving opportunities emerges as a mediator between the independent variables and energy savings with a significant effect. This aspect, developed for the first time in this article, draws inspiration from the prospect theory introduced by Kahneman and Tversky.

Greet Cardon, Sofie Compernolle, Geert Crombez et al.

Objectives Reducing sedentary behaviour (SB) in older adults is a promising strategy to promote healthy ageing. However, to develop more effective interventions, more in-depth information is needed on how existing interventions work. The present realist review aims to identify the working mechanisms and contextual preconditions to guide the development of future interventions.Design A realist review was conducted following the iterative process of Pawson and Tilley and reported following the RAMESES publication standards.Data sources Evidence was searched in four databases: EMBASE, PubMed, Web of Science and Scopus, and in the grey literature.Eligibility criteria All study types and designs were included. Studies conducted in older adults with a mean age of 60 years or older, providing information on the context, mechanisms and/or outcomes of interventions aimed at the reduction of SB were eligible for inclusion and appraised for relevance and rigour.Data extraction and synthesis All data were coded by two independent reviewers. Sections that contained relevant information to refine, refute or confirm the initial programme theory were given a code. Based on these codes, context-mechanism-outcome configurations were made, and a final programme theory was developed.Results In total, 58 studies, from 61 articles, were eligible. The review revealed three important contexts for changes in SB: the (1) motivation, (2) opportunities and (3) capabilities of older adults. Depending on the context, other behaviour change techniques should be used to trigger specific mechanisms and, in turn, reduce SB. Especially, the impact of the underlying automatic processes of SB on the effectiveness of SB interventions became clear. Existing interventions primarily focus on the reflective processes guiding SB, without taking into account that SB is often an automatic response that occurs unconsciously, with little reasoning.Conclusions The effectiveness of SB interventions in older adults highly depends on the context in which the interventions occur. In particular, the context of automatic motivation should receive more attention to break the ingrained habit of SB in older adults.

V.V. Kotlyar, E.G. Abramochkin, A.A. Kovalev et al.

The optical vortices with the complex amplitude which is presented by the product of the Gaussian function and two Bessel functions with a complex root dependence of the arguments on the cylindrical coordinates and a constant parameter that determines the type of intensity distribution. These beams can be named Bessel-Bessel-Gaussian beams (BBG beams). An explicit expression for the complex amplitude of such beams at any distance from the waist is presented. We have demonstrated that BBG beams have an anomalously high rotation speed: the intensity rotates by almost 45 degrees at a distance much smaller than the Rayleigh length. It is shown that the parameter allow to control the topological charge of the BBG beam. The topological charge increases in jumps by an even number with an increase in the positive value of the parameter.

Ziyu Liu, Yacheng Song

Urban plots are pivotal links between individual buildings and the city fabric, yet conventional plot classification methods often overlook how buildings interact within each plot. This oversight is particularly problematic in the irregular fabrics typical of many Global South cities. This study aims to create a plot classification method that jointly captures metric and configurational characteristics. Our approach converts each cadastral plot into a graph whose nodes are building centroids and whose edges reflect Delaunay-based proximity. The model then learns unsupervised graph embeddings with a two-layer Graph Attention Network guided by a triple loss that couples building morphology with spatial topology. We then cluster the embeddings together with normalized plot metrics. Applying the model to 8973 plots in Nanjing’s historic walled city yields seven distinct plot morphological types. The framework separates plots that share identical FAR–GSI values but differ in internal organization. The baseline and ablation experiments confirm the indispensability of both configurational and metric information. Each type aligns with specific renewal strategies, from incremental upgrades of courtyard slabs to skyline management of high-rise complexes. By integrating quantitative graph learning with classical typo-morphology theory, this study not only advances urban form research but also offers planners a tool for context-sensitive urban regeneration and land-use management.

Salomé A. Sepúlveda-Fontaine, José M. Amigó

Since its origin in the thermodynamics of the 19th century, the concept of entropy has also permeated other fields of physics and mathematics, such as Classical and Quantum Statistical Mechanics, Information Theory, Probability Theory, Ergodic Theory and the Theory of Dynamical Systems. Specifically, we are referring to the classical entropies: the Boltzmann–Gibbs, von Neumann, Shannon, Kolmogorov–Sinai and topological entropies. In addition to their common name, which is historically justified (as we briefly describe in this review), another commonality of the classical entropies is the important role that they have played and are still playing in the theory and applications of their respective fields and beyond. Therefore, it is not surprising that, in the course of time, many other instances of the overarching concept of entropy have been proposed, most of them tailored to specific purposes. Following the current usage, we will refer to all of them, whether classical or new, simply as entropies. In particular, the subject of this review is their applications in data analysis and machine learning. The reason for these particular applications is that entropies are very well suited to characterize probability mass distributions, typically generated by finite-state processes or symbolized signals. Therefore, we will focus on entropies defined as positive functionals on probability mass distributions and provide an axiomatic characterization that goes back to Shannon and Khinchin. Given the plethora of entropies in the literature, we have selected a representative group, including the classical ones. The applications summarized in this review nicely illustrate the power and versatility of entropy in data analysis and machine learning.

Kelemu Zelalem Berhanu

Although building social capital improves student learning and the effectiveness of schools in educating students, it still needs to be explored in the area of primary schools. Thus, this case study was undertaken to explore the practices of primary school principals to develop students' social capital by taking social capital theory as a theoretical lens. Five school principals were selected purposefully from primary schools in Ethiopia. Thematic analysis was used to narrate data gathered through semi-structured interviews. Five focus group discussions were held with teachers and students separately. Findings revealed that the principal formed various social groups, facilitated family and community engagement, created a caring school culture, worked with parent-student-teacher associations and other social networks, and created common school goals for developing the social capital of students. Lack of interest and commitment from parents, lack of willingness and trust from teachers, and giving poor value for information were challenges constraining principals from developing the social capital of students in primary schools. In a nutshell, this study is important because it provides educators, administrators, the Ministry of Education, and other pertinent school stakeholders with more knowledge and information on methods for helping students build their social capital. This also makes the principals transform their leadership behavior to be more ethical, focused, caring, democratic, and pedagogical in leading teaching and learning and enhances their ability to exercise empowering, effective social behaviors towards their students in their daily practices.

Yuan Zhang

In the contemporary era, university education, developed post-Industrial Revolution, displays excessive mechanization. This is evident in the lack of personalized learning, unidirectional teaching processes, and treating students as ‘products’, focusing on standardized testing and assessments. As society shifts from an industrial to a knowledge-based economy, university education faces significant changes, with challenges posed by advancements in information technology, globalization trends, and evolving government education policies. This paper introduces the theory of self-organizing synergism and explores the problems of organization and management in teaching, employing new perspectives and methods tailored to the characteristics of Chinese universities. The study proposes a self-organized model of learning and management, demonstrating the ecological, dynamic, and adaptive nature of this model in the context of digital media arts education. The aim of this study is to offer fresh ideas and insights for facilitating the ecological transformation of educational concepts and models.

Erin Coughlan de Perez, Weston Anderson, Eunjin Han et al.

People have known that El Niño events are associated with low rainfall in Southern Africa for a century, and seasonal rainfall forecasts are now available in agricultural advisories for farmers. While there is abundant theory as to how farmers might (or should) use seasonal rainfall information on their farms, little is known about whether this information has been widely used or has had widespread benefit. In this study, we use subnational data on cropping area and yield to see if we can detect any macro-level patterns in agricultural choices or outcomes that are related to knowledge of the El Niño Southern Oscillation or seasonal forecast information in Southern Africa. We find that in Lesotho and parts of South Africa, planted area of maize and sorghum is reduced when there is a dry start to the season and an El Niño event is apparent at the time of planting. Similarly, we find that in both Lesotho and most provinces of South Africa, drought years associated with El Niño have worse yields than drought years that are not associated with El Niño (controlling for rainfall). This association could indicate that people are discouraged during El Niño years by the potential for drought, and they might be reducing cropping area, reducing agricultural investments, or turning to other income-generating activities. We are unable to detect a relationship between yields and the accuracy of seasonal rainfall forecasts, therefore we are unable to observe any additional yield benefit when more accurate seasonal forecast information is available.

Fatemeh Sepahvand, Fatemeh Valizadeh, Kimia Karami et al.

Abstract Background Cancer is a considerable health problem worldwide and the second leading cause of death in children. It has many physical, psychological, and social consequences for children and their families. The ability to adapt to cancer plays a vital role in the recovery and quality of life of affected children. This study aimed to explain the adaptation of children with cancer to their disease. Methods This qualitative study adopted the directed content analysis approach based on the Roy nursing model. The participants were nine children with cancer aged 6–18 years old, five family members, four nurses, one doctor, one teacher, and two charity association members, recruited by purposive sampling method. The information was collected via individual semi-structured interviews, a focus group discussion, and field notes. The data were analyzed simultaneously with data collection using the Elo and Kyngäs method. The study rigor was ensured based on the Guba and Lincoln criteria. Findings Of the four categories of physical challenges, fragile self-concept, the difficulty of role transition, and disruption of the path to independence, the theme of Falling and rising in the cancer vortex was abstracted. Conclusion Based on the Roy model, the children in the present study were at the compensatory level of adaptation. This research demonstrates that the adaptation of children being treated for cancer is fragile and not constant. With each hospitalization and exacerbation of the disease, they made efforts to adapt to their disease using regulatory and cognitive subsystems. Paying attention to different stimulants and the effects of support systems on physical challenges, fragile self-concept, difficult role transition, and disruption of the path to independence for each child, as well as providing individualized care for these children, can help their adaptation to and healthy transition from the vortex of cancer. The Roy adaptation model was helpful and efficient for elucidating the adaptation of children with cancer. Providing care for children by healthcare specialists, especially nurses, should be theory-based and individualized.

A. Kolmogorov

G. Klir, M. Wierman, J. Kacprzyk

Yusaku Horiuchi, Yoshikuni Ono

Previous studies have shown that people oppose refugee resettlement more strongly after being exposed to frames that depict refugees as threatening. However, all people may not perceive such threats the same way. Based on contact theory, we hypothesize that the treatment effects of threatening frames on people’s opposition to refugee resettlement are conditional on their contact experience with foreign-national residents. The results of our pre-registered experiment in Japan indicate that exposure to threatening information does not change attitudes toward refugee resettlement among those living in municipalities where the number of foreign-national residents is rapidly increasing . Combined with the analyses of other subjective measures of contact with foreigners, some suggestive patterns emerge that natives with conscious and positive interactions with outgroup members may be unaffected by anti-refugee rhetoric and threatening frames.

Behnoush Jovari

This study aimed to identify and validate the organizational vigor creation model in the universities. In order to identify factors affecting the organizational vigor, after a focused literature review the consensus of the experts' opinion was explored. This information was placed in the form of a set of causal, intervening, axial, underlying, facilitating, strategic conditions and their outcomes by multiple codings based on granded theory model. These data were collected from 169 experts by snowball sampling method and the hypotheses were tested. For checking validity and reliability of the designed model SmartPLS and Spss softwares were used. Finally the relationships of these variables were presented based on the path analysis model. Based on the obtained results, Organizational vigor creation model, university growth has a significant effect on the strategic management of human resources; also, strategic management of human resources, intervening conditions and organizational support in resolving work-family conflict have a significant effect on university branding, and the latter also has a positive and significant effect on the vigorous state of human resources of the universities. The results of fitting showed that the model proposed in this study has good validity and fit. The significance, implications and limitations of results have also been deliberated for further research.

J. Gibrat, J. Garnier, B. Robson

Peter Dohmen, Peter Dohmen, Teresa De Sanctis et al.

Maternal and neonatal mortality rates in many low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are still far above the targets of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 3. Value-based healthcare (VBHC) has the potential to outperform traditional supply-driven approaches in changing this dismal situation, and significantly improve maternal, neonatal and child health (MNCH) outcomes. We developed a theory of change and used a cohort-based implementation approach to create short and long learning cycles along which different components of the VBHC framework were introduced and evaluated in Kenya. At the core of the approach was a value-based care bundle for maternity care, with predefined cost and quality of care using WHO guidelines and adjusted to the risk profile of the pregnancy. The care bundle was implemented using a digital exchange platform that connects pregnant women, clinics and payers. The platform manages financial transactions, enables bi-directional communication with pregnant women via SMS, collects data from clinics and shares enriched information via dashboards with payers and clinics. While the evaluation of health outcomes is ongoing, first results show improved adherence to evidence-based care pathways at a predictable cost per enrolled person. This community case study shows that implementation of the VBHC framework in an LMIC setting is possible for MNCH. The incremental, cohort-based approach enabled iterative learning processes. This can support the restructuring of health systems in low resource settings from an output-driven model to a value based financing-driven model.

D. Bonchev, N. Trinajstic

R. Dewar

Jaynes' information theory formalism of statistical mechanics is applied to the stationary states of open, non-equilibrium systems. First, it is shown that the probability distribution pΓ of the underlying microscopic phase space trajectories Γ over a time interval of length τ satisfies pΓ ∝ exp(τσΓ/2kB) where σΓ is the time-averaged rate of entropy production of Γ. Three consequences of this result are then derived: (1) the fluctuation theorem, which describes the exponentially declining probability of deviations from the second law of thermodynamics as τ → ∞; (2) the selection principle of maximum entropy production for non-equilibrium stationary states, empirical support for which has been found in studies of phenomena as diverse as the Earth's climate and crystal growth morphology; and (3) the emergence of self-organized criticality for flux-driven systems in the slowly-driven limit. The explanation of these results on general information theoretic grounds underlines their relevance to a broad class of stationary, non-equilibrium systems. In turn, the accumulating empirical evidence for these results lends support to Jaynes' formalism as a common predictive framework for equilibrium and non-equilibrium statistical mechanics.

Vittoria Zaccari, Vittoria Zaccari, Marianna Aceto et al.

Background: Guilt feelings have received considerable attention in past psychological theory and research. Several studies have been conducted that represent a range of views and propose various implications of guilt in children and adolescents. Variations in theoretical definitions of guilt, emphasizing a lack of measurement convergence, make it difficult to derive a comprehensive definition of the construct in childhood and adolescence. Research shows substantial variability in instruments used to measure guilt in children and adolescents.Purpose: The aim is to discuss existing contributions, illustrating the empirical validity of the available instruments used to measure guilt and identifying the nature of their theoretical backgrounds among children and adolescents.Methods: A systematic search was conducted using the following databases: PsycINFO, PsycARTICLES, MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, and PubMed (all years up to February 19, 2020). Search terms were compiled into three concepts for all databases: “measure,” “guilt,” and “childhood/adolescence.” In addition, a search was conducted to detect the gray literature.Results: After removing the duplicates, a total of 1,408 records were screened, resulting in the identification of 166 full-text articles to be further scrutinized. Upon closer examination, there was consensus that 148 of those studies met the study inclusion criteria or were not retrieved. Twenty-five studies were included in the quality assessment. The data were organized on three main categories: (1) interpersonal or prosocial guilt; (2) intrapunitive guilt or that referring to an excessive sense of responsibility; (3) not specifying a theoretical construct. A great heterogeneity in psychometric evaluations and substantial variability in guilt construct emerged. The construct most represented and supported by valid instruments was interpersonal or prosocial guilt. Analysis of the gray literature showed that some instruments were not immediately available to the clinical and scientific communities.Conclusions: The studies analyzed and selected for qualitative review employed various instruments to measure guilt. Results confirmed what is widely documented in the literature about substantial variability in instruments used to measure guilt. We argue the need to develop measures that assess currently overlooked dimensions of guilt and to provide further additional information about the psychometric proprieties of the available developed instruments.