Distinct Criteria Research Articles

“Thinking, Judging, Noticing, Feeling”: John W. Tukey against the Mechanization of Inferential Knowledge

During the past half-century, a set of statistical techniques and ideas about inference have experienced a remarkable scientific success. Significance at the 5 percent level has come to mark a clear and distinct criterion for scientific knowledge in a wide range of fields. Recently, however, this convention has been embroiled in controversy, as the relentless pursuit of significance has produced a range of well-known scientific abuses. Instead of staking out a position in these debates, this article analyzes the history of epistemological values underlying them. It focuses on an earlier critic of the misuse of statistical tests: John W. Tukey. Speaking to behavioral scientists in the middle of the twentieth century, Tukey insisted that reducing inference to a set of universal rules or mechanical procedures to eliminate uncertainty was a pursuit doomed to failure. Scientists needed to accept the irreducibility of individual judgments and decisions in data analysis, even when they risked charges of subjectivism or arbitrariness. For Tukey, the enforcement of scientific consensus and even the value of objectivity must yield to empirical judgments and an ethic of individual conscience. These values were informed by his comparative understanding of the history of science, which reserved a special place for empiricism in younger sciences. Reconstructing Tukey’s work offers an alternative perspective on the quantitative, formal objectivity of the postwar sciences as well as the present, where big data and machine learning have raised thorny new problems for statistical inference and scientific expertise.

Use of multivariate statistical methods for classification of olive oil

Multivariate statistical methods can contribute significantly to classification studies of extra virgin and common olive oil groups. Therefore, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) was used to discriminate olive oil samples, multivariate statistical techniques Principal Component Analysis - PCA, Fuzzy Cluster, Silhouette Validation Method to describe and classify. The groups' distinction into organic and common was observed by applying the non-hierarchical Fuzzy grouping with a distinction between the two groups with a 65% confidence interval. The validation was performed by the silhouette index that presented S (i) of 0.73, which showed that the adopted grouping presented adequate strength and distinction criterion. However, PCA only analyzed the behaviors of data from extra virgin olive oil. Thus, the Fuzzy clustering method was the most suitable for classifying extra virgin olive oil.

Study on Health-related Physical Fitness Evaluation Criterion of Marine Specialty

The paper intends to establish the evaluation criterion of health-related physical fitness for male students of Dalian Maritime University (DMU). Based on the criterion, a comparative analysis of the health fitness of male students in marine and land-based majors is to be performed, discussing the necessity of establishing a distinct evaluation criterion for marine specialty. A total of 237 male students from marine and land-based majors, freshmen enrolled in 2015 and sophomores entered in 2016 (Age 19.41 ± 1.26; Height 175.84± 5.83; Weight 67.98±11.50), were randomly selected from DMU for a health-related physical fitness test. Based on the means and standard deviations of the test, the evaluation standard for male students of DMU was established. Student’s T test was also conducted for the students. According to the four contents of health-related physical fitness test, a 5 - grade criterion is established. The comparative analysis of physical fitness between marine and land-based students shows that they have no significant difference in body composition (P>0.05). As for upper body strength and endurance, flexibility and cardiorespiratory endurance, all items show obvious differences (P0.05). The 5-grade criterion for health-related physical fitness has worked for DMU. It is necessary to establish the evaluation criterion of health-related physical fitness of marine specialty, for their performance is better than land-based ones.

Implications of the Delphi method in the evaluation of sustainability open education resource repositories

To better understand the sustainable development of open educational resources (OER), this paper aimed to break through the original ‘fixed’, highly structured evaluation system and develop an open and flexible “1 + X” evaluation framework of OER by using the modified Delphi method. “1” refers to the mandatory basic criteria that the repository must reflect essential attributes and core functions, which are consist of four components: information content, learning process, system technology, and user experience. “X” refers to optional distinctive criteria that the repository shall focus on one or more developmental orientations, which may include: resource evolution, international collaboration, inclusiveness and equality, open educational practices, and value-added services. Optional “X” criteria, in line with the criteria’s diversity aims, can lead to the sustainable development of OER and globalized lifelong learning. The framework of this study provides a basis for the evaluation and optimization of existing OER repositories, and also serves as functional scaffolding for the construction of new repositories.

Nonlocal plasticity-based damage modeling in quasi-brittle materials using an isogeometric approach

PurposeThis paper aims to present a nonlocal gradient plasticity damage model to demonstrate the crack pattern of a body, in an elastic and plastic state, in terms of damage law. The main objective of this paper is to reconsider the nonlocal theory by including the material in-homogeneity caused by damage and plasticity. The nonlocal nature of the strain field provides a regularization to overcome the analytical and computational problems induced by softening constitutive laws. Such an approach requires C1 continuous approximation. This is achieved by using an isogeometric approximation (IGA). Numerical examples in one and two dimensions are presented.Design/methodology/approachIn this work, the authors propose a nonlocal elastic plastic damage model. The nonlocal nature of the strain field provides a regularization to overcome the analytical and computational problems induced by softening constitutive laws. An additive decomposition of strains in to elastic and inelastic or plastic part is considered. To obtain stable damage, a higher gradient order is considered for an integral equation, which is obtained by the Taylor series expansion of the local inelastic strain around the point under consideration. The higher-order continuity of nonuniform rational B-splines (NURBS) functions used in isogeometric analysis are adopted here to implement in a numerical scheme. To demonstrate the validity of the proposed model, numerical examples in one and two dimensions are presented.FindingsThe proposed nonlocal elastic plastic damage model is able to predict the damage in an accurate manner. The numerical results are mesh independent. The nonlocal terms add a regularization to the model especially for strain softening type of materials. The consideration of nonlocality in inelastic strains is more meaningful to the physics of damage. The use of IGA framework and NURBS basis functions add to the nonlocal nature in approximations of the field variables.Research limitations/implicationsThe method can be extended to 3D. The model does not consider the effect of temperature and the dissipation of energy due to temperature. The method needs to be implemented for more real practical problems and compare with experimental work. This is an ongoing work.Practical implicationsThe nonlocal models are suitable for predicting damage in quasi brittle materials. The use of elastic plastic theories allows to capture the inelastic deformations more accurately.Social implicationsThe nonlocal models are suitable for predicting damage in quasi brittle materials. The use of elastic plastic theories allows to capture the inelastic deformations more accurately.Originality/valueThe present work includes the formulation and implementation of a nonlocal damage plasticity model using an isogeometric discretization, which is the novel contribution of this paper. An implicit gradient enhancement is considered to the inelastic strain. During inelastic deformations, the proposed strain tensor partitioning allows the use of a distinct potential surface and distinct failure criterion for both damage and plasticity models. The use of NURBS basis functions adds to more nonlocality in the approximation.

Hypoxia and standing balance.

Standing balance control is important for everyday function and often goes unnoticed until impairments appear. Presently, more than 200 million people live at altitudes > 2500m above sea level, and many others work at or travel to these elevations. Thus, it is important to understand how hypoxia alters balance owing to implications for occupations and travelers. Herein, the influence of normobaric and hypobaric hypoxia on standing balance control is reviewed and summarized. As postural control relies on the integration of sensorimotor signals, the potential hypoxic-sensitive neurophysiological factors that contribute to balance impairments are also reviewed. Specifically, we examine how hypoxia impairs visual, vestibular, and proprioceptive cues, and their integration within subcortical or cortical areas. This systematic review included a literature search conducted via multiple databases with keywords related to postural balance, hypoxia, and altitude. Articles (n = 13) were included if they met distinct criteria. Compared to normoxia, normobaric hypoxia worsened parameters of standing balance by 2-10% and up to 83 and 240% in hypobaric hypoxia (high-altitude and lab-based, respectively). Although balance was onlydisrupted during normobaric hypoxia atFIO2 < ~ 0.15, impairments consistently occurred during hypobaric hypoxia at altitudes > 1524m (~ FIO2 < 0.18). Hypoxia, especially hypobaric, impairs standing balance. The mechanisms underpinning postural decrements likely involve alterations to processing and integration of sensorimotor signals within subcortical or cortical structures involving visual, vestibular, and proprioceptive pathways and subsequent motor commands that direct postural adjustments. Future studies are required to determine the sensorimotor factors that may influence balance control in hypoxia.

Universales indiscernibles

Universals have traditionally thought to obey the identity of indiscernibles, that is, it has traditionally been thought that there can be no perfectly similar universals. But at least in the conception of universals as immanent, there is nothing that rules out there being indiscernible universals. In this paper, I shall argue that there is useful work indiscernible universals can do, and so there might be reason to postulate indiscernible universals. In particular, I shall argue that postulating indiscernible universals can allow a theory of universals to identify particulars with bundles of universals, and that postulating indiscernible universals can allow a theory of universals to develop an account of the resemblance of quantitative universals that avoids the objections that Armstrong’s account faces. Finally, I shall respond to some objections and I shall undermine the criterion of distinction between particulars and universals that says that the distinction between particulars and universals lies in that while there can be indiscernible particulars, there cannot be indiscernible universals.

Severity of hyperechoic pancreas on ultrasonography as a risk factor for glycemic progression.

PurposeThe aim of this study was to evaluate the association between the severity of hyperechoic pancreas (HP) on ultrasonography (US) and glycemic progression.MethodsIn total, 1,386 participants who underwent abdominal US as part of health examinations between December 2008 and May 2014 were included in this retrospective study. We classified pancreatic echogenicity on a 4-point scale, and compared it using two distinct criteria: fatty pancreas (FP) 1 criterion (normal vs. ≥mild HP) and FP2 criterion (normal/mild HP vs. ≥moderate HP). According to the presence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), participants were subdivided into four groups: non-NAFLD and non-HP, isolated NAFLD, isolated HP, and HP with NAFLD. Glycemic progression was defined as progression from normoglycemia to prediabetes or diabetes or progression from prediabetes to diabetes.ResultsDuring the follow-up (median, 5.9 years), 262 of the 1,386 participants developed glycemic progression. Using FP2, the probability of glycemic progression across the four subgroups showed cumulative aggravation for NAFLD and HP (all P<0.05). Isolated HP showed a higher probability of glycemic progression than isolated NAFLD according to FP2 (P<0.001). The highest probability of glycemic progression was observed in patients with both NAFLD and HP (P<0.001). The hazard ratio for glycemic progression increased with the severity of HP.ConclusionIncreasing severity of HP on US was found to be significantly correlated with glycemic progression. Moreover, isolated HP of moderate or greater severity predicted glycemic progression independent of NAFLD.

Proton density fat fraction of the spinal column: an MRI cadaver study

BackgroundThe increased popularity of minimally invasive spinal surgery calls for a revision of guidance techniques to prevent injuries of nearby neural and vascular structures. Lipid content has previously been proposed as a distinguishing criterion for different bone tissues to provide guidance along the interface of cancellous and cortical bone. This study aims to investigate how fat is distributed throughout the spinal column to confirm or refute the suitability of lipid content for guidance purposes.ResultsProton density fat fraction (PDFF) was assessed over all vertebral levels for six human cadavers between 53 and 92 years of age, based on fat and water MR images. According to their distance to the vertebra contour, the data points were grouped in five regions of interest (ROIs): cortical bone (−1 mm to 0 mm), pre-cortical zone (PCZ) 1–3 (0–1 mm; 1–2 mm; 2–3 mm), and cancellous bone (ge 3 mm). For PCZ1 vs. PCZ2, a significant difference in mean PDFF of between −7.59 pp and −4.39 pp on average was found. For cortical bone vs. PCZ1, a significant difference in mean PDFF of between −27.09 pp and −18.96 pp on average was found.ConclusionA relationship between distance from the cortical bone boundary and lipid content could be established, paving the way for guidance techniques based on fat fraction detection for spinal surgery.

Sustainable supplier selection for the cold supply chain (CSC) in the context of a developing country

Cold supply chain (CSC) is a process that involves temperature-controlled activities ranging from the acquisition of raw materials and down to the end consumers. A sustainable cold chain supplier is the one that incorporates sustainable practices in its complete cycle of operations. This is to ensure keeping the products from going to waste, especially in the case of a developing country. To identify the driving factors towards the sustainable cold chain supplier, this study utilizes the interpretive structural modelling (ISM) approach in the first phase. Fifteen various sustainability factors were analyzed and the “utilization of renewable resources” factor concluded to be the most important driving factor. By implementing renewable resources, a supplier can be able to convert its manufacturing processes and services to sustainable assets. The second phase of this study conducts the selection of cold chain suppliers in the context of Pakistan. For this purpose, fuzzy VIKOR, a multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) technique is incorporated to analyze eight suppliers based on fifteen distinct criteria. The results concluded Mitchell foods to be the most economically, environmentally and socially sustainable suppliers in the context of Pakistan. This study recommends providing business-friendly incentives to suppliers like Mitchells and new investors who tend to keep their operations sustainable by adopting renewable resources. Furthermore, the relaxation of taxes and creating job employability by working with sustainable suppliers can contribute positively towards economic growth and the overall society. The study holds novelty in the area of cold chain supplier selection for Pakistan by utilizing a novel approach in the form of ISM and fuzzy VIKOR techniques, thus forming a major application of this research study.

Reflections on legal taxonomy: the example of iusiurandum

Background: This article presents a study on the relationship between taxonomy, used in law textbooks for easier assimilation, and the legal structure of the institutions, based on the particular case of the so-called necessary oath (iusiurandum necessarium) in Roman law, which is presented in sources in a particularly unsystematic and confusing way. The reason for these reflections is determined by the difficulties of understanding the necessary oath that one finds when beginning their studies according to the criteria of doctrinal distinction between the necessary and voluntary oaths.&#x0D; Research propose: The purpose of this article is to determine the relationship between law and taxonomy, and answer the question whether taxonomy serves the purposes of research and application of law or, on the contrary, it is cultivated by the mere scientific inertia coming from the natural sciences. It is a question of gaining a better understanding of the sensitivity of classical jurisprudence, as well as the order of Corpus Iuris Civilis.&#x0D; Methods: The starting point of the article constitute citing different doctrinal opinions concerning the criteria of distinction between the necessary and voluntary oaths in ancient Rome. They are analyzed in the light of the jurisprudential sources, in order to verify their validity. The method is based on the exegetical analysis of these sources.&#x0D; Conclusions: The classification of legal knowledge must be based on both social and legal realities reflected in written laws, regardless of whether they are fitted into easier-to-understand categories.

Differentiated outlook to portray secondary cities in South Africa

&lt;abstract&gt; &lt;p&gt;Cities are playing an increasingly important role in the development and growth of countries. A country's growth and prosperity is largely dependent on the efficient functioning of its cities. The reliance of countries on the ability of their cities to perform crucial central functions, for national growth, continues to rise. South Africa has a long-standing network of cities, towns and localities. These have developed and become hierarchised over the course of history during which population settlements and their distribution have been influenced by colonisation, segregation, industrialisation and globalisation. Since 1911, South Africa has undergone an extended phase of intense urban growth, with areas such as Johannesburg, Cape Town and eThekwini (Durban) agglomerating into dominating economic spaces. There are, however, no universally accepted, distinct criteria that constitute the general characteristics of secondary cities. The common assumption is that secondary cities are those cities that find themselves below the apex of what are considered primary cities. Furthermore, internationally, secondary cities appear to be considered as important catalysts for balanced and dispersed economic growth. In the South African context, the notion of what constitutes secondary cities is to a large extent underdeveloped. The aim of the paper is to appraise interconnected regional networks as a differentiated and novel outlook when determining secondary cities in South Africa. What is evident from the paper is that there are different potential alternatives with which to portray secondary cities.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;/abstract&gt;

Histopathological and Immunohistochemical Study of the Distinction between Oral Lichen Planus and Oral Lichenoid Lesions

Background: Oral potentially malignant disorders, which include oral lichen planus (OLP), are clinical presentations that carry a risk of development to cancer in the oral cavity. Oral lichenoid lesions (OLLs) are also termed interface/lichenoid mucositis. Malignant transformation of them remains controversial, but distinct clinical and histological criteria for how to differentiate OLP from OLLs have not been developed. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to elucidate findings that can allow histopathological differentiation of OLP and OLLs using histomorphological and immunohistochemical analyses. Materials and Methods: Analyses were performed in 10 cases diagnosed with OLP and 9 cases diagnosed with OLLs. Cytokeratin 19 (CK19), Ki-67 and CD3 were used as primary antibodies to detect basal cells, proliferative activity and T-cell distribution, respectively, and Perlecan and COX-2 to evaluate epithelial intracellular arrangements and interstitial distributions of proteoglycans and enzymes. Results: For CK19, positive cells were significantly found in OLLs at both the prominent area and site adjacent to the lesion comparison with those of OLP’s. The number of COX-2 positive cells was significantly higher in spinous and basal layers in OLLs of the prominent area. Additionally, OLLs showed mild to moderate expression for perlecan in the basal to spinous layers and in subepithelial tissue. Conclusion: Almost no basal cells were noted in the prominent area in OLP. COX-2 and perlecan were found in the basal to spinous layers in OLLs. Although there are restrictions, these suggested the possibility of helping to distinguish between OLP and OLLs.

Selecting an alternative to solve a problem from several available alternatives

When for a certain design problem many alternative solutions could be susceptible to be used, a selection activity should be developed. If in the case of simple problems, the identification of an applicable alternative could be made very fast, in the case of the complex problems, the identification of the most convenient alternative could constitute itself a difficult problem. Over the years, simpler or more complex methods were found and applied to help the problem solver in finding the most convenient applicable alternative. The selection of a certain alternative when many such alternatives seem to exist could be made using the double input matrix method and the method of the pairwise comparison matrix and distinct evaluation criteria. The results of a applying the two selection methods in the case of necessity to establish a machining scheme for an electrical discharge machining process were presented in the paper.

Automation of the control process by the shearer drum in terms of coal seam hypsometry

Purpose. To develop a method for synthesizing a fuzzy automatic control system for a shearer drum in terms of coal seam hypsometry basing on the information criterion of the beginning of rock cutting-off by the drum to reduce ash content of the extracted coal. Methodology. Taking into consideration peculiarities of determining a distinct information criterion of the beginning of rock cutting-off by the drum and regularities of its variations during the shearer operation, a fuzzy inference algorithm is developed for a system of fuzzy automatic drum control in terms of seam hypsometry. In this context, rules of fuzzy productions, parameters of the membership functions of terms of the output linguistic variable system, and fuzzy operations are substantiated according to the recommendations of a classic Mamdani fuzzy inference algorithm. Studies are carried out to analyze the efficiency of the proposed fuzzy inference algorithm basing on the introduced relative parameter of the number of effective control actions formed by the fuzzy control system. Simulation modeling makes it possible to perform comparative analysis of the efficiency of the drum control. Findings. In the course of research, an algorithm of fuzzy control of the shearers upper drum in terms of coal seam hypsometry has been developed basing on the determination of direct and inverse transfer from coal breaking near the seam roof by the shearer drum to rock breaking with the help of statistical analysis of the stator power of a cutting drive motor. Originality. For the first time, a method of synthesis of fuzzy automatic control of the drum in terms of seam hypsometry has been proposed. Practical value. The proposed method is the theoretical basis to solve important scientific and applied problem of the automation of the coal shearer drum in terms of seam hypsometry to reduce ash content of the produced coal.

Evaluation framework for selecting wearable activity monitors for research.

Wearable devices that support activity tracking and other measurements hold great potential to increase awareness of health behaviors and support the management of chronic health conditions. There is a scarcity of guidance for researchers of all disciplines when planning new studies to evaluate and select technologies appropriate for study purpose, population, and overall context. The aim of this study was to develop and test an evaluation framework to rapidly and systematically evaluate and select consumer-grade wearable devices that serve individual study needs in preparation for evaluations with target populations. The wearable evaluation framework was defined based on published literature and past research experiences of the research team. We tested the framework with example case studies to select devices for two different research projects focused on aging-in-place and gestational diabetes. We show how knowledge of target population and research goals help prioritize application of the criteria to inform device selection and how project requirements inform sequence of criteria application. The framework for wearable device evaluation includes 27 distinct evaluation criteria: 12 for everyday use by users, 6 on device functionality, and 9 on infrastructure for developing the research infrastructure required to obtain the data. We evaluated 10 devices from four vendors. After prioritizing the framework criteria based on the two example case studies, we selected the Withings Steele HR, Garmin Vivosmart HR+ and Garmin Forerunner 35 for further evaluation through user studies with the target populations. The aim of this paper was to develop and test a framework for researchers to rapidly evaluate suitability of consumer grade wearable devices for specific research projects. The use of this evaluation framework is not intended to identify a definitive single best device, but to systematically narrow the field of potential device candidates for testing with target study populations. Future work will include application of the framework within different research projects for further refinement.

СЕМАНТИЧЕСКАЯ СТРУКТУРА СЛОВА: МНОГОЗНАЧНОСТЬ VS ШИРОКОЗНАЧНОСТЬ

The paper deals with the modeling of the semantic structure of polysemantic and broad semantic words. The article suggests determining meanings of polysemantic words as lexical-semantic variants that potentially can be united by means of the invariant meaning though not obligatory for the semantic structure of such words – the invariant meaning of a polysemantic word is seen as something artificial. I argue that it is possible to construct the semantic structure of the broad semantic word on the basis of prototypical meanings which are interpreted as basic meanings. Such prototypical meanings are to be united by the use of a broad invariant meaning. This approach is applied while describing the semantics of the nuclear verbs in the action field (do and make in English, tun and machen in German, делать in Russian). Both types of meanings play a critical role in organizing the semantic structure of the broad semantic words: there is a single invariant while there can be more than one prototype, so that an invariant and definite prototype value is realised in speech. In addition the existence of interdependence of semantic derivation between prototypes and within the meaning itself is assumed. There can be a lot of semantic transfers, but they occur based on a regular cognitive model such as cognitive metaphor and cognitive metonymy. For example, the prototypical meanings of the verbs to do and to make remain the same while the nature of the object changes. Based on the conducted research, a new definition of a broad semantic phenomenon is offered along with distinctive criteria for the phenomena of poly- and broad semantics.

Software Engineering for IoT-Driven Data Analytics Applications

Internet of Things Driven Data Analytics (IoT-DA) has the potential to excel data-driven operationalisation of smart environments. However, limited research exists on how IoT-DA applications are designed, implemented, operationalised, and evolved in the context of software and system engineering life-cycle. This article empirically derives a framework that could be used to systematically investigate the role of software engineering (SE) processes and their underlying practices to engineer IoT-DA applications. First, using existing frameworks and taxonomies, we develop an evaluation framework to evaluate software processes, methods, and other artefacts of SE for IoT-DA. Secondly, we perform a systematic mapping study to qualitatively select 16 processes (from academic research and industrial solutions) of SE for IoT-DA. Thirdly, we apply our developed evaluation framework based on 17 distinct criterion (a.k.a. process activities) for fine-grained investigation of each of the 16 SE processes. Fourthly, we apply our proposed framework on a case study to demonstrate development of an IoT-DA healthcare application. Finally, we highlight key challenges, recommended practices, and the lessons learnt based on framework's support for process-centric software engineering of IoT-DA. The results of this research can facilitate researchers and practitioners to engineer emerging and next-generation of IoT-DA software applications.

Superpixels With Content-Adaptive Criteria.

Superpixels are widely used in computer vision applications. Most of the existing superpixel methods use established criteria to indiscriminately process all pixels, resulting in superpixel boundary adherence and regularity being unnecessarily inter-inhibitive. This study builds upon a previous work by proposing a new segmentation strategy that classifies image content into meaningful areas containing object boundaries and meaningless parts that include color-homogeneous and texture-rich regions. Based on this classification, we design two distinct criteria to process the pixels in different environments to achieve highly accurate superpixels in content-meaningful areas and keep the regularity of the superpixels in content-meaningless regions. Additionally, we add a group of weights when adopting the color feature, successfully reducing the undersegmentation error. The superior accuracy and the moderate compactness achieved by the proposed method in comparative experiments with several state-of-the-art methods indicate that the content-adaptive criteria efficiently reduce the compromise between boundary adherence and compactness.

Evaluating totipotency using criteria of increasing stringency.

Totipotency is the ability of a single cell to give rise to all of the differentiated cell types that build the conceptus, yet how to capture this property in vitro remains incompletely understood. Defining totipotency relies on a variety of assays of variable stringency. Here, we describe criteria to define totipotency. We explain how distinct criteria of increasing stringency can be used to judge totipotency by evaluating candidate totipotent cell types in mice, including early blastomeres and expanded or extended pluripotent stem cells. Our data challenge the notion that expanded or extended pluripotent states harbour increased totipotent potential relative to conventional embryonic stem cells under in vitro and in vivo conditions.