Classical Theory Research Articles

Socioeconomic status, cosmopolitanism, and educational aspirations: A study of China’s middle-class students pursuing higher education in the U.S. amidst geopolitical tensions

As the demand for American education has been growing in China in the last two decades, it is important to understand the desire of Chinese students for pursuing their higher education in the U.S. Based on a recent survey of Chinese students in the U.S., this study intersects the desire for education abroad with social class theories, particularly on how China’s middle class view studying in the U.S. as a way of pursuing their global mobility as well as social mobility, and how their desires intersect with the interests of state, market, society as well as interests of family and self. The study employs both qualitative and quantitative research design in order to understand how Chinese middle-class students see studying in the U.S. as a means to seek cosmopolitan capital and self-development. It examines which socio-economic factors have significant impacts on the motivations of China’s middle-class students pursuing their higher education in the U.S. The findings reveal that middle-class families view studying abroad in the U.S. as a way of pursuing their global mobility, social mobility as well as cosmopolitan capital.

The translation of animation titles: A case study on English, Japanese, and Chinese titles

Though the translation of film titles has not been firmly established within translation studies, the existing studies mainly focus on the translation strategies and process analysis from classic theories including Skopos theory and semantic equivalence. Meanwhile, there has been limited research to examine the translation of animation titles. This paper delves into the intricate world of animation titles and their translation dynamics across languages, especially focusing on English, Japanese, and Chinese, employing a methodology that combines data from IMDb.com and chineseanime.org with Weiciyun and Python analysis. The study investigates titles' characteristics and features in each source language and the translation strategies used among them. The findings highlight that English, Japanese, and Chinese animation titles possess distinct structural and semantic attributes. These traits reflect the inherent linguistic norms and cultural preferences of each language. Furthermore, the study uncovers multifaceted translation strategies used to bridge the linguistic gaps among languages, including transliteration, literal translation, and adaptation. As for creative adaptation which has a large percentage of every translation process, it is conspicuous that the characteristics of those translated titles largely remain consistent with the features of the source texts. Also, this study exposes discernible patterns of cultural power dynamics influencing translation strategies, particularly evident in the prevalence of English loanwords and transliterations.

From the History of Leśniewski’s Mereology

Abstract In this paper, we want to present the genesis of Stanisław Leśniewski’s mereology. Although ‘mereology’ comes from theword ‘part’, mereology arose as a theory of collective classes. That is why we present the differences between the concepts of being a distributive class and being a collective class. Next, we present Leśniewski’s original mereology from 1927, but with a modern approach. Leśniewski was inspired to create his concept of classes and their elements by Russell’s antinomy. To face it, Leśniewski had to define the concept of being an element of based on the concept of being part of. Leśniewski showed that in his theory, there is no equivalent to Russell’s antinomy. We will show that his solution has nothing to do with the original approach because, in both cases, we are talking about objects of a different kind. Russell’s original antinomy concerned distributive classes, and Leśsniewski’s considerations concerned collective classes.

Redefining Classical Theory of Humours (Akhlat) with Emphasis on Khilt-e-Sauda (Black Bile) Through its Physiological Role

Background: According to Hippocrates, Akhlat is of four types, i.e., Dam (Blood), Balgham (Phlegm), Safra (Yellow Bile), and Sauda (Black Bile). The correct proportion of these fluids in the body, in terms of quality and quantity, leads to health, while their irregular distribution leads to diseases. The argument presented in this paper will encompass both Tabayi and Ghair Tabayi Sauda. Objective: However, in light of recent advances in the area of molecular biology and biochemistry of the human body, we aim to discuss Sauda as a Khilt in the context of human physiology. We propose that the chemico-biological / physiological role of the molecule rather than its structure will define its placement in Khilt-e-Sauda. Conclusion: Chemico/biological role of the molecule may change with the physiological context, and hence the placement of the molecule previously included in the Khilt-e-Sauda, may or may not remain in that categorization at that point in time in that physiological state.

Neural Network Approximation for Pessimistic Offline Reinforcement Learning

Deep reinforcement learning (RL) has shown remarkable success in specific offline decision-making scenarios, yet its theoretical guarantees are still under development. Existing works on offline RL theory primarily emphasize a few trivial settings, such as linear MDP or general function approximation with strong assumptions and independent data, which lack guidance for practical use. The coupling of deep learning and Bellman residuals makes this problem challenging, in addition to the difficulty of data dependence. In this paper, we establish a non-asymptotic estimation error of pessimistic offline RL using general neural network approximation with C-mixing data regarding the structure of networks, the dimension of datasets, and the concentrability of data coverage, under mild assumptions. Our result shows that the estimation error consists of two parts: the first converges to zero at a desired rate on the sample size with partially controllable concentrability, and the second becomes negligible if the residual constraint is tight. This result demonstrates the explicit efficiency of deep adversarial offline RL frameworks. We utilize the empirical process tool for C-mixing sequences and the neural network approximation theory for the Holder class to achieve this. We also develop methods to bound the Bellman estimation error caused by function approximation with empirical Bellman constraint perturbations. Additionally, we present a result that lessens the curse of dimensionality using data with low intrinsic dimensionality and function classes with low complexity. Our estimation provides valuable insights into the development of deep offline RL and guidance for algorithm model design.

Отношение советской интеллигенции к реформам Н.С. Хрущева

The present article scrutinizes the attitude of the Soviet intelligentsia to the reform activities of N.S. Khrushchev. Conceptually, the study is based on the main provisions of the theory of elites and the theory of the new class, developed by V. Pareto, J. Burnham, A. Gouldner, A.G. Avtorkhanov, M.S. Voslensky and other scientists. Ac-cording to the author, the composition of the Soviet intelligentsia was broadened to include, in addition to rep-resentatives of creative professions, the emerging technocracy, as well as the Party-Soviet and economic no-menklatura. Thus, the present study has shown that Khrushchev's reformist policy was largely anti-intellectual in nature, which by the mid-1960s began to be felt by virtually all strata of the Soviet intelligentsia and eventual-ly led to the reformer’s resignation.

A quantitative genetic model of background selection in humans.

Across the human genome, there are large-scale fluctuations in genetic diversity caused by the indirect effects of selection. This "linked selection signal" reflects the impact of selection according to the physical placement of functional regions and recombination rates along chromosomes. Previous work has shown that purifying selection acting against the steady influx of new deleterious mutations at functional portions of the genome shapes patterns of genomic variation. To date, statistical efforts to estimate purifying selection parameters from linked selection models have relied on classic Background Selection theory, which is only applicable when new mutations are so deleterious that they cannot fix in the population. Here, we develop a statistical method based on a quantitative genetics view of linked selection, that models how polygenic additive fitness variance distributed along the genome increases the rate of stochastic allele frequency change. By jointly predicting the equilibrium fitness variance and substitution rate due to both strong and weakly deleterious mutations, we estimate the distribution of fitness effects (DFE) and mutation rate across three geographically distinct human samples. While our model can accommodate weaker selection, we find evidence of strong selection operating similarly across all human samples. Although our quantitative genetic model of linked selection fits better than previous models, substitution rates of the most constrained sites disagree with observed divergence levels. We find that a model incorporating selective interference better predicts observed divergence in conserved regions, but overall our results suggest uncertainty remains about the processes generating fitness variation in humans.

Ostwald ripening for designing time-dependent crystal hydrogels.

Ostwald ripening (OR), a classic solution theory describing molecular transfer from metastable crystal to stable one, is applied to design time-dependent crystal hydrogels that can automatically change their mechanical properties. Using a system made from crosslinked polyacrylamide (PAM) and sodium acetate (NaAc), we demonstrate that metastable fibrous crystal networks of NaAc preferably form in PAM hydrogels via a polymer-involving mismatch nucleation. These fibrous crystals would undergo OR and evolve into isolated bulk crystals, leading to a significant reduction in material rigidity (179 folds) and interfacial adhesion (20 folds). This transformation can be applied to program time-dependent self-recovery in shape and self-delamination. Since OR is a ubiquitous, robust feature of various crystals, the approach reported here represents a new direction for designing advanced transient soft materials.

Ostwald ripening for designing time‐dependent crystal hydrogels

AbstractOstwald ripening (OR), a classic solution theory describing molecular transfer from metastable crystal to stable one, is applied to design time‐dependent crystal hydrogels that can automatically change their mechanical properties. Using a system made from crosslinked polyacrylamide (PAM) and sodium acetate (NaAc), we demonstrate that metastable fibrous crystal networks of NaAc preferably form in PAM hydrogels via a polymer‐involving mismatch nucleation. These fibrous crystals would undergo OR and evolve into isolated bulk crystals, leading to a significant reduction in material rigidity (179 folds) and interfacial adhesion (20 folds). This transformation can be applied to program time‐dependent self‐recovery in shape and self‐delamination. Since OR is a ubiquitous, robust feature of various crystals, the approach reported here represents a new direction for designing advanced transient soft materials.

Revisiting loop quantum gravity with selfdual variables: classical theory

We review the classical formulation of general relativity as an SL(2,C) gauge theory in terms of Ashtekar’s self-dual variables and reality conditions for the spatial metric (first reality condition) and its evolution (second reality condition), and we add some new observations and results. We first explain in detail how a connection taking values in the Lie algebra of the complex Lorentz group yields two spin(3,1) connections, one self-dual and one anti-self-dual, without the need for a spin structure. We then demonstrate that the self-dual part of the complexified Palatini action in Ashtekar variables requires a holomorphic phase space description in order to obtain a non-degenerate symplectic structure. The holomorphic phase space does not allow for the implementation of the reality conditions as additional constraints, so they have to be taken care of ‘by hand’ during the quantisation. We also observe that, due to the action being complex, there is an overall complex phase that can be chosen at will. We then review the canonical formulation and the consequences of the implementation of the reality conditions. We pay close attention to the transformation behaviour of the various fields under (complex) basis changes, as well as to complex analytic properties of the relevant functions on phase space.

Neuro-Linguistic Programming: The Application in Offline and Online Classes

Neuro-Liguistic Programming (NLP), proposed by Richard Bandler and John Grinder in the 1970s, is one of the most effective and useful methodologies to help us communicate effectively in various areas of life such as corporate environment, college life, education, marketing, health, and various other areas. This method is indispensable in the teaching and learning process and can accommodate the very fast and sudden changes that occurred due to the pandemic situation. In this study, the NLP effective techniques: of creating rapport, mirroring, creating positive states and anchoring, maintaining flow, pacing and leading, perceptual positioning, and modeling good practice were used in online and offline lecturing. These techniques were applied to strengthen the three learning styles visual, auditory, and kinesthetic. The data were collected through observation and field research methods. Forty (40) students from two (2) online classes and two (2) offline classes, namely Debating on Recent Issues and Theory of Literature and Literary Criticism Class participated in this study. A survey has been given by the end of each lecture to measure the success of the NLP techniques applied by the lecturer. Results showed differences between online and offline classes. Its success decreased in online classes. Therefore, the development of material delivery techniques is needed to be more developed in online classes, especially in visual presentation models to patch up the missing kinesthetic models in online classes.

CLASS AND CLASS CONSCIOUSNESS ACCORDING TO E. P. THOMPSON

ABSTRACTIn this article, I extract a theory of class from E. P. Thompson's historical works of the 1960s and 1970s, focusing especially on his 1963 magnum opus The Making of the English Working Class, the articles later collected in the 1991 volume Customs in Common: Studies in Traditional Popular Culture, and the essays “The Peculiarities of the English” and “Eighteenth‐Century English Society: Class Struggle without Class?” In the first section, I argue, following Ellen Meiksins Wood, that Thompson developed a genuinely historical materialist theory of class formation as a “structured process” that moves from class struggle to class consciousness, a theory that complicates the frequent description of Thompson as a “voluntarist.” In the second section, I take a more critical position toward Thompson's understanding of class, discussing a tension between this notion of class as structured process and his numerous invocations of class as a form of “lived experience” whose diversity and unpredictability exceed theorization. This tension aside, Thompson claims that, in the case of the nineteenth‐century English working class, to which he dedicated so much research, lived experience coincided with the more general structured process he posits. In the third section, therefore, I more fully elaborate on this specific process of class formation as Thompson portrays it, identifying and discussing three intertwined threads: (1) a movement from a past‐oriented defense of traditional institutions to a future‐oriented demand for reforms, (2) the development of oppositional, class‐specific pedagogical institutions and practices, and (3) the creation of a distinct class culture (which Thompson closely aligns with the achievement of class consciousness) that is aware both of itself and of its antagonism with other classes.

Beyond Role Conflict and Ambiguity: A Global Measure of Role Stress among South African School Teachers

Background. Role stress is linked to reduced work performance, diminished organizational commitment, increased intention to leave a job, and negative physical and mental health effects. Given the significant implications of role stress, researchers have sought to understand and quantify the concept. The Role Conflict and Ambiguity (RCA) scales are widely utilized in job stress research as the predominant measurement tools. They were originally conceptualized as consisting of two independent dimensions: role conflict and role ambiguity. Objective. This study advances the validation research of the RCA scales by exploring its dimensionality through Mokken Scale Analysis (MSA) and Classical Test Theory (CTT). Method. South African school teachers responded to the RCA scales, Maslach Burnout Inventory, and Teaching Satisfaction Scale. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and MSA were employed for data analysis. Results. The research determined that a second-order model provided the optimal fit, indicating that role ambiguity and role conflict are subordinate dimensions within the overarching construct of role stress. Conclusion. The findings from the CFA and supplementary bifactor indices reinforce the view that the instrument comprises 13 items, which assess a general dimension of role stress along with two sub-dimensions: role conflict and role ambiguity. Such specificity may lead to more effective strategies to mitigate role-related stress, thereby enhancing overall employee well-being, job satisfaction, and organizational productivity.

A novel conceptual design approach for autonomous underwater helicopter based on multidisciplinary collaborative optimization

Autonomous underwater helicopters (AUHs) are complex electromechanical systems consisting of multiple interconnected sub-disciplines, posing a significant challenge for traditional sequential design strategies in managing their interactions. To address this challenge, a multidisciplinary collaborative optimization (MCO) strategy is proposed, integrating structural, hydrodynamic, and energy disciplines to enhance AUH cruising range. Additionally, a novel approximation model is introduced, combining the Logistic-Tent chaos sparrow search algorithm (LTC-SSA) with the backpropagation neural network (BPNN) algorithm. This method aims to replace costly computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and structural mechanics calculations, thus reducing AUH optimization costs. The laminate design of the composite pressure hull follows classic lamination theory (CLT) and the Tsai-Wu failure criterion. Results demonstrate that the multidisciplinary co-design strategy significantly reduces optimization time costs of AUH, from several months to several days. Furthermore, the proposed LTC-SSA-BPNN algorithm accurately evaluates sailing resistance and Tsai-Wu failure index, with maximum errors of 1.64% and 9.32% respectively. Additionally, the composite pressure shell achieves a 30.4% weight reduction and a 4.1% reduction in sailing resistance while maintaining structural stability. Moreover, the maximum cruising range increases by 34.4%. This strategy offers theoretical support for AUH conceptual design and promises performance enhancement in practical engineering applications.

On the existence and properties of left invariant k-symplectic structures on Lie groups with bi-invariant peudo-Riemannian metric

k-symplectic manifolds are a convenient framework to study classical field theories and they are a generalization of polarized symplectic manifolds. This paper focus on the existence and the properties of left invariant k-symplectic structures on Lie groups having a bi-invariant pseudo-Riemannian metric. We show that compact semi-simple Lie groups and a large class of Lie groups having a bi-invariant pseudo-Riemannian metric does not carry any left invariant k-symplectic structure. This class contains the oscillator Lie groups which are the only solvable non abelian Lie groups having a bi-invariant Lorentzian metric. However, we built a natural left invariant n-symplectic structure on SL ( n , R ) . Moreover, up to dimension 6, only three connected and simply connected Lie groups have a bi-invariant indecomposable pseudo-Riemannian metric and a left invariant k-symplectic structure, namely, the universal covering of SL ( 2 , R ) with a 2-symplectic structure, the universal covering of the Lorentz group SO ( 3 , 1 ) with a 2-symplectic structure, and a 2-step nilpotent 6-dimensional connected and simply connected Lie group with both a 1-symplectic structure and a 2-symplectic structure.

In-plane surface waves propagating in a coated half-space based on the strain-gradient elasticity theory

By employing the strain gradient elasticity theory, we investigate the propagation of in-plane surface waves in a coated half-space with microstructures. We first investigate the general case of the present problem, that is, both the surface layer and the half-space are described by the strain-gradient elasticity theory. We formulate the boundary and continuity conditions of the general case and derive the dispersion relations of the surface waves. Then we investigate two special cases: (1) the surface layer is described by the strain-gradient elasticity theory, while the half-space by the classical elasticity theory; (2) the surface layer is described by the classical elasticity theory while the half-space by the strain-gradient elasticity theory. We examine the effects of strain-gradient characteristic lengths on the dispersion curves of surface waves in all cases. This study helps to further understand the propagation characteristics of elastic waves in materials with microstructures.

Comparison of classical beam theory and finite element modelling of timber from fibre orientation data according to knot position and loading type

Comparison of classical beam theory and finite element modelling of timber from fibre orientation data according to knot position and loading type

Comparison of statistical models for individual’s ability index and ranking

ABSTRACT Economic efficiency demands accurate assessment of individual ability for selection purposes. This study investigates Classical Test Theory (CTT) and Item Response Theory (IRT) for estimating true ability and ranking individuals. Two Monte Carlo simulations and real data analyses were conducted. Results suggest a slight advantage for IRT, but ability estimates from both methods were highly correlated (r=0.95), indicating similar outcomes. The Logistic two-parameter IRT model emerged as the most reliable and rigorous approach.

The Role of Knowledge in Creative Thinking

ABSTRACT In this invited paper, I briefly review my past, current, and future lines of research. The associative theory of creativity argues that higher creative individuals have a richer semantic memory structure that facilitates broader associative search processes, that leads to the combination of remote concepts into novel and appropriate ideas. Based on this theory, in my research I investigate the role of knowledge – or semantic memory – in high-level cognition, focusing on creativity, associative thinking, and memory search, in typical and clinical populations. To do so, I apply computational tools from network science, natural language processing, and machine learning, coupled with empirical cognitive and neural research. Such computational tools are enabling the representation and operationalization of the structure of semantic memory and the processes that operate over it. This is critical as it allows us to start quantifying issues that for a very long time were studied very subjectively in creativity research – remoteness of ideas, associative thinking, flexible/richer semantic memory structure, etc. Such work is offering unique, quantitative, ways to directly study classic theories of creativity, propelling forward our understanding of its complexity.

A Note on Homelessness and the Moral Economy: How Thompson's Moral Economy Presents in Modern Day Homelessness

In this research note, I propose a theoretical framework that centers class struggle in order to better understand the micro‐level interactions that take place within homeless communities and the systems that structure them. I suggest that researchers can gain clearer insights into marginalized communities by taking a radical interactionist approach, as described by Athens. To start, I propose revisiting classic theories emphasizing the impact of power and dominance in the development of social systems as ways to understand interpersonal social interactions. Specifically, in this note I propose revisiting E.P. Thompson's original theory of the moral economy as an analytical basis and grounding point in the effort to explore homelessness and the communities it creates. Thompson's moral economy suggests that in communities facing oppression and class struggle, an economic and social system develops in which the central tenant is fairness and morality. By revisiting this theory, I suggest that researchers may better understand the ways in which homeless communities structure themselves, not only in relation to one another, but also in relation to the broader social world around them.