Conceptual Process Research Articles

When Unstructured Big Text Corpus Meets Text Network Analysis: Social Reality Conceptualization and Visualization Graph of Big Interview Data of Heavy Drug Addicts of Skid Row.

Relying on user-generated content narrating individual experiences and personalized contextualization of location-specific realities, this study introduced a novel methodological approach and analysis tool that can aid health informatics in understanding the social reality of people with a substance-use disorder in Skid Row, Los Angeles. The study also highlighted analysis possibilities for big unstructured interview text corpus using InfraNodus, a text network analysis tool. InfraNodus, which is a text graph analysis tool, identifies pathways for meaning circulation within unstructured interview data and has the potential to classify topical clusters and generate contextualized analysis results for big narrative textual datasets. Using InfraNodus, we analyzed a 1,103,528-word unstructured interview transcript from 315 interview sessions with people with a substance-use disorder, who narrated their respective social realities. Challenging the overgeneralization of onlookers, the conceptualization process identified topical clusters and pathways for meaning circulation within the narrative data, generating unbiased contextualized meaning for the collective social reality. Our endeavors in this research, along with our methodological setting and selection, might contribute to the methodological efforts of health informatics or the conceptualization and visualization needs of any big text corpus.

Assessing Learning Outcomes in Higher Education: From Practice to Systematization

Accountability systems in higher education ensure that academic programs meet learning outcomes and address student cognitive and affective development. The learning outcome assessment is one of the most important elements to enhance and assure the quality of programs. In this paper, we present a “tour” of how an assessment cycle is performed in a national/public university in Qatar. The study draws on “good” practices and how a higher education institution systemizes the process of assessing learning. The approach demonstrates how learning is connected to program objectives and the curriculum through a rational, logical, conceptual, consensual, and interpretable process. Employing specification tables known as curriculum and assessment plan matrices, with tools being assessments and rubrics, learning outcomes measures can be reached. The approach as well as system calls for an institutional structure and organization which place responsibilities on all stakeholders involved in academic programs delivery. The futuristic approach and practice posit a reconceptualization of how students will be assessed, more likely a paradigm shift necessitating a change in practice and trend in which students’ success (achievement) can be based on the learning outcomes attained.

Climate labels and the restaurant industry: a qualitative study

As the food industry accounts for more than one-third of global anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, it is one of the largest contributors to climate change. Strategies for reducing CO2e (equivalent) emissions must be implemented to regulate the impact the food systems have on the climate. Environmental communication using climate labels and sharing information on carbon footprints can help reduce GHGs emissions from restaurant purchases on a systemic scale. The aim is to gain insights and study how a carbon label influences the concept of a climate-friendly restaurant and its capacity to bridge the gap between knowledge, awareness, and action. What are the motivations for restaurant employees to adopt climate-friendly behavior? How does the label’s use influence restaurants’ decision to track their carbon footprint over time, communicate the carbon footprint of dishes, and adapt menus to be more climate-friendly? The data were collected with semi-structured interviews with video communication with three restaurant chains, all using labels. The data collected via the interviews were examined using an inductive thematic analysis to identify key themes. The transcending transmission approach to communication was used to gain insights into instrumental and constitutive communication dynamics. As the theoretical framework, ‘symbolic interactionism’ helps untangle constitutive aspects of environmental communication surrounding climate labels to analyze the process of conceptualization through usage, co-creation, and interpretation. The analysis brought forward three main themes: the interactions between the scientific data accessible in the tool and the restaurants. Second, the diverse implications of sustainability marketing for motivating climate actions and what they look like. And finally, climate actions and how they are being apprehended and implemented by the restaurants. The promise of climate labels was discussed by elaborating on socio-cultural dynamics, sustainability marketing, and activism forces and impulses influencing the motivations for restaurants. We then discussed the capacity to transcend information into action through collaboration and inclusiveness to avoid greenwashing. Restaurants have a commercial interest in implementing climate labels in their business and an intrinsic desire to be a company that takes action for the planet because of the restaurants ‘employees’ convictions. However, restaurants find themselves in a tricky situation where they can be criticized if they take ‘wrong’ actions that can be considered greenwashing and criticized if they do nothing. The software enables restaurants to legitimize their actions and communicate them, making them resilient and evolving.

Natural Language–Based Conceptual Modelling Frameworks: State of the Art and Future Opportunities

Identifying requirements for an information system is an important task and conceptual modelling is the first step in this process. Conceptual modelling plays a critical role in the information system design process and usually involves domain experts and knowledge engineers who brainstorm together to identify the required knowledge to build an information system. The conceptual modelling process starts with the collection of necessary information from the domain experts by the knowledge engineers. Afterwards, the knowledge engineers use traditional model driven engineering techniques to design the system based on the collected information. Natural language–based conceptual modelling frameworks or systems are used to help domain experts and knowledge engineers in eliciting requirements and building conceptual models from a natural language text. In this article, we discuss the state of the art of some recent conceptual modelling frameworks that are based on natural language. We take a closer look at how these frameworks are built, in particular at the underlying motivation, architecture, types of natural language used (e.g., restricted vs. unrestricted), types of the conceptual model generated, verification support of the requirements specifications as well as the conceptual models, and underlying knowledge representation formalism. We also discuss some future research opportunities that these frameworks offer.

Algorithmic management on digital labour platforms: A systematic literature review

This study aims to understand algorithmic management in digital work platforms. To this end, a systematic literature review was conducted in the main databases of the Administration field. Initially, 912 studies were surveyed that went through inclusion and exclusion criteria, resulting in a corpus of 39 articles. The results produced demonstrated the existing research perspectives, definitions and conceptualizations, their similarities and discrepancies, assisting the development of future research and leading researchers in the area. The contribution of this study consists in making the conceptualization process of algorithmic management more understandable and systematic, guiding towards a uniform direction instead of scattered perspectives.

Conceptual design of long-endurance small solar-powered unmanned aerial vehicle with multiple tilts and hovers

This paper presents an overall scheme of a long-endurance small solar-powered convertible unmanned aerial vehicle (CUAV) that operates tilt-rotor for multiple hover tasks. First, a solar/battery hybrid energy strategy was proposed to comprehensively meet the requirements of CUAVs with long endurance and multiple hovers. The particular ability of the solar-powered fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), pure battery-powered CUAV, and the proposed long-endurance solar-powered CUAV with multiple cruises and hovers were comparatively analyzed from an energy standpoint. Second, a suitable conceptual design method and process for small solar-powered CUAV was given, and the robustness of the designed CUAV was using three performance metrics under nominal conditions. The approach was then applied to design a 6.5 kg CUAV, which was initially tested in flight. Finally, the performance and application potential of the designed CUAV was evaluated with operating conditions, mission requirements, energy input, and perpetual flight capability.

Multi-agent collaborative conceptual design method for robotic manufacturing systems in small- and mid-sized enterprises

Robotic manufacturing systems are essential in the post-pandemic world owing to their high level of flexibility and automation during a labor crisis. However, designing a suitable robotic manufacturing system for small- and mid-sized enterprises (SMEs) is challenging, considering both their financial burdens and the current supply chain disruptions of component suppliers. To address these challenges, this study proposes a distributed multi-agent collaborative conceptual design method involving designers and suppliers to assist SMEs in implementing robotic manufacturing systems. First, we propose a common data model that enables knowledge interaction between different agents during collaborative conceptual design. Subsequently, based on the proposed data model, the agent-based collaborative conceptual design process is developed, which enables different agents to communicate, interact, and negotiate with each other according to their experiences and knowledge. Third, an integrative algorithm based on 2-additive fuzzy measures, Choquet integral, and stochastic multi-criteria acceptability analysis is implemented to support the multi-agent decision-making process to robustly select architecture alternatives. As a case study, a real industrial design project of a robotic manufacturing system required by our industrial partner, is adopted to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.

Conceptual representations in the default, control and attention networks are task-dependent and cross-modal

Conceptual knowledge is central to human cognition. Neuroimaging studies suggest that conceptual processing involves modality-specific and multimodal brain regions in a task-dependent fashion. However, it remains unclear (1) to what extent conceptual feature representations are also modulated by the task, (2) whether conceptual representations in multimodal regions are indeed cross-modal, and (3) how the conceptual system relates to the large-scale functional brain networks. To address these issues, we conducted multivariate pattern analyses on fMRI data. 40 participants performed three tasks—lexical decision, sound judgment, and action judgment—on written words. We found that (1) conceptual feature representations are strongly modulated by the task, (2) conceptual representations in several multimodal regions are cross-modal, and (3) conceptual feature retrieval involves the default, frontoparietal control, and dorsal attention networks. Conceptual representations in these large-scale networks are task-dependent and cross-modal. Our findings support theories that assume conceptual processing to rely on a flexible, multi-level architecture.

Conceptual process and surrogate optimization of acrylonitrile production from glycerol via green propylene

Conceptual process and surrogate optimization of acrylonitrile production from glycerol via green propylene

Iterative business model innovation: A conceptual process model and tools for incumbents

Business model innovation (BMI) is challenging for incumbents because they must leverage existing capabilities, market knowledge, and stakeholder relationships in the BMI process. As BMI is an ongoing process, incumbents that can continuously innovate their BMs in response to changing market conditions and customer needs may be successful in the long term. However, an integrated and detailed process model of incumbents’ highly challenging BMI process is lacking. By structurally reviewing 47publications and integrating their process model elements, we propose an incremental, iterative, recursive, and reflective conceptual process model for incumbents’ BMI that comprises six phases and summarizes 23activities and 38tools. Our work contributes to the ongoing evolution of the process perspective of BMI by presenting a process model for incumbents that complements the established phases of initiation, ideation, and integration with the new phases of lifecycle analysis, competitor analysis, and roadmap.

Integration of Geological, Geochemical Modelling and Hydrodynamic Condition for Understanding the Geometry and Flow Pattern of the Aquifer System, Southern Nyírség–Hajdúság, Hungary

Geological heterogeneity impacts groundwater flow patterns, necessitating a detailed hydrogeological framework for conceptualization process of aquifer systems. This research developed a new conceptual model of detailed geologic geometry by integrating 133 well-logs, 366 hydrodynamic data and 118 water samples. As new results, systematic 3D log correlation detected four distinct hydrostratigraphic units in the Southern Nyírség–Hajdúság Groundwater Body (East Hungary). The primary aquifer was identified as an incised valley 10–13 km wide and a NE–SW strike. Logan’s approach estimated the average hydraulic conductivity of the Incised Valley Unit (IVU) at 11 m/d, higher than the other three aquifers (3.2 m/d to 4.6 m/d). The average specific capacity of wells screening the IVU is 315.6 m3/d/m, in contrast with the remaining aquifers ranging from 31.6 m3/d/m to 92 m3/d/m. Pressure–depth profiles, dynamic pressure increment and hydraulic head maps revealed recharge–discharge zones and hydraulic windows between hydrostratigraphic units. The elongated pattern on the hydraulic head map at the depth of the IVU showed the existence of a preferential path along its axis within the mapped borders of the IVU. Hydrochemical analysis revealed Ca-Mg-HCO3 water type within the primary aquifer and Na-HCO3 water type in the laterally connected aquifer. The saturation index values indicated a transition from undersaturated to supersaturated state inside the main aquifer for calcite and dolomite minerals. The correlation matrix and PCA results demonstrated that the carbonate weathering process is the main factor controlling the groundwater chemistry. This integrated approach holds significance for future applications of the regional conceptual model in water management planning, sustainable aquifer development and contaminant transport modelling. It provides essential contributions to informed decision-making and the formulation of effective strategies, ensuring the long-term availability and utilization of groundwater resources.

Novel participant-level meta-analytic evidence for AbSANT efficacy.

The current study employed interrupted time series (ITS) models to analyze all available (published and unpublished) Abstract Semantic Associative Network Training (AbSANT) data. AbSANT is a semantically focused anomia treatment that targets not only concrete but abstract words, unique among existing anomia treatments. However, evidence to date for the positive effects of AbSANT comes only from small-sample, single-subject design studies, limiting the strength of this evidence and the inferences that can be drawn from it. The statistical power and greater representativeness afforded by this larger aggregated sample enabled us to look for group-level efficacy evidence for AbSANT, examine specific questions about AbSANT's direct training and generalization effects, and identify potential predictors and mechanisms of AbSANT treatment response. We found that across 33 participants from four different data sources, AbSANT appears to be a robust word retrieval therapy protocol, with overall direct training and generalization effects that were more meaningful than exposure effects. Similar to previous smaller-sample study conclusions, we found that in this large sample, training abstract words results not only in larger direct training effects than training concrete words, but also larger generalization effects, suggesting that while AbSANT successfully improves both abstract and concrete word retrieval, it may be better suited for training abstract words. In general, direct training effects were more persistent after treatment ended than generalization effects and effects for concrete words were more persistent than for abstract words. Additionally, the effects of generalization appear to be distinct from the effects of simple exposure to words, and generalization effects are consistent with AbSANT's hypothesized mechanism of action: spreading activation from directly trained concepts to related concepts. Also consistent with this mechanism, we found that milder aphasia and both conceptual and lexical semantic processing ability predicted both direct training and generalization gains, and that executive function was predictive of generalization effects. These factors are thus important to consider when evaluating the appropriateness of AbSANT for individual clients.

Monochromatic design in a polychrome world. Why our cities have become increasingly gray: A dichotomy between production and reception in architectural color design

AbstractColor is a central component of human experience, yet when we narrow our focus to the practice of city planning and architecture, color only plays a marginal role in the initial phases of the design process. This paper reviews various approaches to using color on buildings: for example, the evolution of regional styles due to the availability of pigments and materials, the use of color as a form of decorative drapery, and the emphasis of a building's pure form without any additional color. Central to the paper is the analysis of the dichotomy between the reality of the process of actually experiencing a city and its buildings on the one hand and the design process on the other—a dichotomy between reception and production, thus, a contradiction between an “atmospheric world” of human perception and cognition and a professional world of imaginative design, in which the spatial atmosphere created by color, material, and light often emerges only as a by‐product at the end of a conceptual and diagrammatic planning process. The paper proposes a different way of going about the architectural design process that encompasses holistic thinking in color, material, and light right from the start.

A Multi-Level Grid Database for Protecting and Sharing Historical Geographic Urban Data: A Case Study of Shanghai

Historical geographic data play an important supporting role in the study of long-term geographic studies, such as climate change, urban expansion and land-use and land-cover change. These data vary in source, format and accuracy and are widely found in historical documents, old maps, produced vector data, aerial photographs, old photographs, etc. The complex nature of data makes it difficult for researchers to organize, store and manage in a unified manner. Thus, GIS practitioners and social scientists will collectively face the challenge of integrating historical data into spatial databases. Herein, we introduced the concept of a multi-level spatial grid, selecting Shanghai as the study area, to construct the Shanghai historical geographic database and give the conceptual model and processing method. The experiment was performed using the China Historical Geographic Information System (CHGIS), which showed the historical evolution of Shanghai more conveniently. Meanwhile, we simulated one million rows of historical geographic data in Shanghai and compared the retrieval efficiency of the encoding method with the latitude–longitude and geometric object indexing methods, which demonstrated that our method was very effective. This research is important for the construction of a historical urban database, which can better preserve historical resources and promote urban culture with information science and technology.

Hot deformation behavior of 309L stainless steel

Hot compression tests were carried out on 309 L austenitic stainless steel at different deformation temperatures (900–1100 ℃) and different strain rates (0.01–10 s−1). Based on the stress-strain curve, three constitutive models, Modified Johnson-Cook, Modified Zerilli–Armstrong and Strain Compensation Arrhenius, are constructed, and it is found that the Strain Compensation Arrhenius model has the highest accuracy. Besides, the Arrhenius model and the dynamic material model were adopted to construct the activation energy map and power dissipation map of 309 L stainless steel with different strains. In the region with high temperatures and high strain rates, low activation energy Q value and high power dissipation η value were shown. According to the microstructure, the deformation of ferrite and austenite phases was uniform at 1050 and 1100 ℃/10 s−1, the level of recrystallization fraction was high, and the grains were fine and uniform. However, at 900 ℃/10 s−1, the microstructure suffered serious distortion, the ferrite was significantly elongated, and cracking occurred at the phase boundaries. A conceptual processing map was built through the prediction of activation energy map, power dissipation map and analysis of microstructure in combination. The optimal hot working range was 1025–1100 ℃/2.7–10 s−1, and the instability region was 900–958 ℃/0.28–10 s−1.

Moving thoughts: emotion concepts from the perspective of context dependent embodied simulation

ABSTRACT This review article presents our perspective on psychological and physiological mechanisms underlying concepts from the domain of affect, emotion, and motivation. We suggest that these concepts are linked to sensorimotor and interoceptive systems, and as such represent a paradigmatic example of embodied conceptual processing. In view of recent debates about the scope of embodiment, however, we argue that the use of grounded resources in emotion concepts is flexible and context dependent. The degree to which embodied resources are engaged during conceptual processing depends upon multiple factors, including an individual's task, goals, resources, as well as constraints both temporal and situational. In addition, we highlight the extent to which conceptual understanding of emotion, and its specific embodiment, is shaped by social and cultural influences. Accordingly, we call for research that more fully incorporates higher-order psychological factors into the study of the physiological and neural mechanisms that underpin emotion concepts.

Терминологические номинации как результат интерпретации экспертного знания на уровне сознания и языка (на материале англоязычных терминов информационной безопасности) Часть I

The article is devoted to the analysis of the interpretative role of mind and language in creating some terminological nominations to represent expert knowledge in the field of information security. In this part of the article it is argued that the processes of conceptualization and interpretation of acquired information take place while comprehending situations which occur in the real world. The formation of cognitive structures of knew knowledge representation follow these processes.

La « sécularisation » des discours et des pratiques en contexte islamique : le cas du Parti pour la justice et le développement au Maroc

By putting in the Moroccan context the concept of ‘multiple secularities’, this paper digs the process of conceptualization of ‘secularization’ at the initiative of the Islamist leader, Saadeddine al-Othmani. The latter supported the acceptability of a secular principle adequate to religion, its symbols and their presence in the political and public space. Through the analysis of his writings as well as of other leaders’ discourses, this article follows the compromises between religious and secular revendications during the process of conceptualization inside the PJD-MUR. Using the theories of ‘secularization’ and ‘de-théologisation’, this study highlights the strategy of ‘rejection’ and ‘adaptation’ developed by the PJD. Rejecting the hypothesis of a linear secularization of Islamist ideology, it also examines the ongoing or incomplete structural mutations resulted from the ‘distinction’ ( tamiyyîz) between the party and the movement, as well as between the socio-political spheres.

Valorización hidrometalúrgica de pilas Ni-Cd gastadas, utilizando ácidos orgánicos como agentes lixiviantes selectivos

In this paper, we propose a hydrometallur-gical procedure to treat spent Ni-Cd batte-ries using organic acids as leaching agents. The electrode materials of the batteries were extracted and leached using a combi-nation of acetic, citric, and sulfuric acids and their mixtures in a two-stage selective scheme. This procedure aimed to recover metal-bearing solid products. The leachates were treated by evaporation/crystallization or chemical precipitation to obtain the so-lid products. These products were charac-terized using scanning electron microsco-py, chemical analysis by atomic absorption spectroscopy, mineralogical phases by x-ray diffraction, and infrared spectroscopy. In the first leaching step, 15 % m/m citric acid was used to recover 85±5 wt.% of the cad-mium present as a carboxylate salt. In the second leaching stage (5 % m/m acetic acid mixed with 3 % m/m sulfuric acid), 50±3 wt.% of nickel was recovered, in the form of a product consisting of a mixture of hy-droxides and salts. The remaining solid from the second leaching stage was a valua-ble metal product containing nickel (96±4 wt.%). The analysis of the results allowed us to depict a conceptual process flow diagram for the selective leaching of the spent Ni-Cd batteries, and the possible industrial use of the solid products obtained.

Cultural Identity and Historical Nostalgia in Animated Film

This article examines the aspects and implications of nostalgia and historical nostalgia in animated films, based on the case study of the 2001 Hong Kong animation My Life As McDull, directed by Toe Yuen. The investigation includes three components: a discussion around the notion of historical nostalgia, a survey of professional animators with the audience’s expectations and its perception of animated films, and an analysis of the mechanisms the movie utilizes to address the concepts of shared memory, local culture and sense of identity. The paper establishes connections between the animation’s visual elements, the notion of positive memory, and their socio-cultural implications. The results present data findings, as well as an analysis of the cinematic effects of conceptual and aesthetical processes to induce nostalgia through storytelling, concluding with their cultural and social resonance.