Principal Dimensions Research Articles

A Systematic Review: criteria and dimensions of learning experience

There has been an increased interest in evaluating students’ learning experiences in various academic domains. Some authors consider it an important aspect of education to assess the effectiveness of instructional methods, while others aim to enhance the quality of teaching and learning. Various perspectives can be highlighted, as many articles refer to the learning experience and its evaluation differently. However, few studies provide an explicit dimension to characterize it. Therefore, this study investigates how the learning experience is described in scientific literature, and what criteria are used to characterise learners’ learning experiences. This work aims to answer the following questions: Are there any theories used to examine the learning experience? What are the principal dimensions of a learning experience? How did the studies evaluate the learning experience? This literature review aims to provide an overview of research related to the learning experience and its evaluation. The study includes journal articles published in ScienceDirect, Springer, Wiley, IEEE Xplore Digital Library, and Google Scholar from January 2012 to November 2022. The PRISMA method was used to conduct a systematic review for this work. After identifying, screening, and synthesising relevant literature (Moher et al., 2009), 68 articles were selected, of which 20 will be addressed in this research stage. The selected studies employ various methods to evaluate the learning experience, including questionnaires, surveys, and scales, and they are conducted in various educational contexts, such as medical education, biology, language teaching, etc. The review analysis shows three principal dimensions of learning experience: the learner's perception of the learning environment, their attitudes and behavior in learning, and the learning activities. The study’s findings also highlighted that “learning experience” is used as a broad concept to describe specific teaching and learning scenarios or activities. Furthermore, few references from educational sciences have been identified to characterise it. This article delineates the dimensions characterising the learning experience, which helps develop and design new teaching and learning solutions.

Reattribution to Mind-Brain Processes and Recovery From Chronic Back Pain

ImportanceIn primary chronic back pain (CBP), the belief that pain indicates tissue damage is both inaccurate and unhelpful. Reattributing pain to mind or brain processes may support recovery.ObjectivesTo test whether the reattribution of pain to mind or brain processes was associated with pain relief in pain reprocessing therapy (PRT) and to validate natural language–based tools for measuring patients’ symptom attributions.Design, Setting, and ParticipantsThis secondary analysis of clinical trial data analyzed natural language data from patients with primary CBP randomized to PRT, placebo injection control, or usual care control groups and treated in a US university research setting. Eligible participants were adults aged 21 to 70 years with CBP recruited from the community. Enrollment extended from 2017 to 2018, with the current analyses conducted from 2020 to 2022.InterventionsPRT included cognitive, behavioral, and somatic techniques to support reattributing pain to nondangerous, reversible mind or brain causes. Subcutaneous placebo injection and usual care were hypothesized not to affect pain attributions.Main Outcomes and MeasuresAt pretreatment and posttreatment, participants listed their top 3 perceived causes of pain in their own words (eg, football injury, bad posture, stress); pain intensity was measured as last-week average pain (0 to 10 rating, with 0 indicating no pain and 10 indicating greatest pain). The number of attributions categorized by masked coders as reflecting mind or brain processes were summed to yield mind-brain attribution scores (range, 0-3). An automated scoring algorithm was developed and benchmarked against human coder–derived scores. A data-driven natural language processing (NLP) algorithm identified the dimensional structure of pain attributions.ResultsWe enrolled 151 adults (81 female [54%], 134 White [89%], mean [SD] age, 41.1 [15.6] years) reporting moderate severity CBP (mean [SD] intensity, 4.10 [1.26]; mean [SD] duration, 10.0 [8.9] years). At pretreatment, 41 attributions (10%) were categorized as mind- or brain-related across intervention conditions. PRT led to significant increases in mind- or brain-related attributions, with 71 posttreatment attributions (51%) in the PRT condition categorized as mind- or brain-related, as compared with 22 (8%) in control conditions (mind-brain attribution scores: PRT vs placebo, g = 1.95 [95% CI, 1.45-2.47]; PRT vs usual care, g = 2.06 [95% CI, 1.57-2.60]). Consistent with hypothesized PRT mechanisms, increases in mind-brain attribution score were associated with reductions in pain intensity at posttreatment (standardized β = −0.25; t127 = −2.06; P = .04) and mediated the effects of PRT vs control on 1-year follow-up pain intensity (β = −0.35 [95% CI, −0.07 to −0.63]; P = .05). The automated word-counting algorithm and human coder-derived scores achieved moderate and substantial agreement at pretreatment and posttreatment (Cohen κ = 0.42 and 0.68, respectively). The data-driven NLP algorithm identified a principal dimension of mind and brain vs biomechanical attributions, converging with hypothesis-driven analyses.Conclusions and RelevanceIn this secondary analysis of a randomized trial, PRT increased attribution of primary CBP to mind- or brain-related causes. Increased mind-brain attribution was associated with reductions in pain intensity.

Application and Extension of the Alcohol Recovery Narratives Conceptual Framework.

Recovery narratives are personal stories of health problems and recovery. A systematic review proposed a conceptual framework characterising alcohol misuse recovery narratives, consisting of eight principal dimensions, each with types and subtypes. The current study aims to apply and extend this preliminary conceptual framework. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to collect alcohol misuse recovery narratives from adult participants. A two-stage inductive and deductive thematic analysis approach was used to assess the relevance of the dimensions and types included in the preliminary conceptual framework and identify new components. The sample consisted of 11 participants from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds who had previously displayed varying degrees of alcohol misuse. All conceptual framework dimensions (genre, identity, recovery setting, drinking trajectories, drinking behaviours and traits, stages, spirituality and religion, and recovery experience) were present in the collected narratives. Three dimensions were extended by adding types and subtypes. Whilst the existing conceptual framework fitted the collected narratives, a new dimension describing the alcohol environment was required to fully characterise narratives. Types included in the alcohol environment dimension were policy and practice and social dynamics. The extended framework could guide the production of resources enabling clinicians to engage with narratives shared by their clients.

A framework to integrate mobile manipulators as cyber–physical systems into existing production systems in the context of industry 4.0

With the emergence of the Cyber–Physical Systems (CPSs) along with the fourth industrial revolution, the discussion of distributed architecture and coordination and extensive communication between all components of a system was raised. On the other hand, Modern industrial manufacturing relies heavily on flexible production. Autonomous mobile manipulators (MMs) have the potential to improve the flexibility of existing manufacturing environments. With the advantages associated with this technology, there is an upsurge in the demand for MMs. Thus, adding a new MM as a new CPS into a system following industry 4.0 requires a framework to help taking all the advantages from it. In this article, we proposed a framework to integrating MMs as CPSs into an existing production system. This integration requires comprehensive knowledge of the existing production process and control, which is a view to improve the performance of the existing production systems via new functionalities due to MMs. The next step of the framework is to make new MM operations compatible with the existing production control system. For this purpose, we define different parametric blocks to perform new operations and thus contribute to making the production line more autonomous. Considering all of these issues simultaneously is necessary for an efficient integration in smart production context. For a successful integration, we presented four principal dimensions of integration: Physical integration, communicational integration, functional and operational integration, and digital integration. Furthermore, the framework has been applied to a research production line called Platform 4.0 at Arts et Métiers. An MM from OMRON Company (called MoMa) has been integrated into the existing production system. Results from this real-world demonstration show that MoMa is capable of successfully increasing flexibility, autonomy, and efficiency of a production system using command signals from Manufacturing Execution System (MES).

Conceptual design of floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) for Eastern Part Indonesia

Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) can be used as an alternative fuel with environmentally friendly solutions. In general, the domestic distribution of natural gas in LNG is more cost-effective than transporting gas through underwater pipelines considering Indonesia as archipelagic country. According to Indonesia’s Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Regulation Number 13 of 2020, the government supports converting 52 power plants to LNG. However, the current challenge in the LNG industry is the lack of supporting facilities. Storage and regasification facilities are among the infrastructure that requires optimization. Floating Storage and Regasification Unit (FSRU) are viable options for energy distribution that offer opportunities and competitiveness compared to onshore terminals. Small and medium-scale FSRU can serve as an alternative solution due to their relatively fast, flexible, and affordable development process. Therefore, this research will develop a small-medium FSRU design with a capacity of 60 MW − 70 MW in Eastern Indonesia. FSRU design should consist of four segments including location considerations and environmental conditions, powerplants gas requirements, LNG storage tank sizing and LNG regasification process. Calculations for various supporting FSRU components, seakeeping analysis, loading-offloading processes, 3D modelling and the integration of solar panels were discussed. The results obtained include the principal dimension, technical aspects of FSRU design, and the technology for LNG regasification processes used.

3D Computational Fluid Dynamic Investigation on Wave Transmission behind Low-Crested Submerged Geo-Bag Breakwater

Wave transmission characteristics behind low-crested submerged breakwaters involve complex-hydrodynamic interaction of water waves on the structures. To properly comprehend the induced-nonlinear wave transformation, the problem necessitates a trustworthy prediction using a computational fluid dynamic (CFD) technique. The goal of this study is to develop a three-dimensional (3-D) computational model of the hydrodynamic performance of a narrow crest behind a submerged breakwater in order to gain a thorough understanding of the wave transmission coefficient, K_t. The simulation took into account a number of wave parameters such as wave steepness (H_i⁄L), relative submergence depth (H_i⁄h), and crest width (c_w⁄L) of the structure. A numerical wave flume model is included, which is based on the full Navier-Stokes solver and includes a shallow water model to account for nonlinearity in the incident wave field. In addition, laboratory measurements were also conducted using a geo-bag dike model as the main breakwater structure. The result shows that the reduction in transmission coefficient correlates highly with the wave steepness and the relative submergence and crest parameters. This can be attributed to most breaking waves over the submerged breakwater. The steeper the incident wave, the greater the reduction in the transmitted wave. And, the greater the principal dimensions of the breakwater, the greater the drop in transmission coefficient. For validation, the CFD results corroborate satisfactorily with measurements

Multifunctional agriculture in a peri-urban fringe: Chinese farmers’ responses to shifts in policy and changing socio-economic conditions

Recent Five-Year Plans and No. 1 Central Documents have emphasised the need for Chinese agriculture to play multiple functions to enhance rural development, alleviate rural poverty and increase agricultural productivity. The concept of Chinese agriculture as multifunctional is explored, linking it to specific policy aims, with three key historical phases of the development of multifunctional agriculture (MFA) recognised. MFA has progressed rapidly in rural-urban fringes across China, and its recent evolution is investigated herewith within two case-study districts (Baqiao and Lintong) in the megacity of Xi’an, Shaanxi Province. Since the economic reforms of the late 1970s, farmers in the area have greatly increased horticultural production to supply the substantial local urban market, displacing traditional grain cultivation, although much high-quality farmland has been lost to urban development, especially in Baqiao. The city has also supplied tourists for farm-based tourism activities (nong jia le), including pick-your-own fruit. A questionnaire survey of sample farm households in 17 villages in the two districts generated detailed information on land management, including farm-based enterprises, participation in co-operatives, marketing, and both recent and future planned changes to farms. Factor analysis of mixed (qualitative and quantitative) data (FAMD) and hierarchical clustering of principal components (HCPC) were used to examine typical characteristics of MFA in the peri-urban fringe. This yielded five principal dimensions of farming, with on-farm environmental actions as a key characteristic. There were also three different clusters of farmers, differentiated between commercial horticultural production, contrasting less intensive part-time farmers with farmers in co-operatives and/or producing for ‘dragonhead’ enterprises. Renewed government support for grain cultivation to increase food availability has led to a minor reversion to cereal production, while multifunctionality has been impacted negatively by the Covid pandemic, with reduced tourist numbers. Loss of revenue from tourism is prompting farmers to search for other income streams via increased agricultural outputs, new marketing outlets, and contributions to a more diversified rural economy involving value-adding to agricultural products.

Sensitivity of TOPSIS ranks to data normalization and objective weights on the example of digital development

The European Commission's Digital Economy and Social Index (DESI) is a composite index that aims to measure the state of digital transformation in the European Union (EU) and its member states based on five principal dimensions. For each dimension, the Commission assigns predefined weights to determine the ranking of countries. The following paper ranks the member states using the Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) method. TOPSIS is based on two data transformations. First, it normalizes the data according to a chosen procedure and second, it assigns weights to the criteria. The aim of the study is to evaluate how the countries of the European Union can be ranked according to the five principal dimensions of the DESI but using objective weights instead of the arbitrary predefined weights of the European Commission, testing the robustness of the ranking and its sensitivity to the methods of normalization and weighting.

Individually tailored spatial-spectral pulsed CEST MRI for ratiometric mapping of myocardial energetic species at 3T.

CEST MRI has been used to probe changes in cardiac metabolism via assessment of CEST contrast from Cr. However, B1 variation across the myocardium leads to spatially variable Cr CEST contrast in healthy myocardium. We developed a spatial-spectral (SPSP) saturation pulsed CEST protocol to compensate for B1 variation. Flip angle maps were used to individually tailor SPSP pulses comprised of a train of one-dimensional spatially selective subpulses selective along the principal B1 gradient dimension. Complete Z-spectra in the hearts of (n = 10) healthy individuals were acquired using conventional Gaussian saturation and SPSP schemes and supported by phantom studies. In simulations, the use of SPSP pulses reduced the average SD of the effective saturation B1 values within the myocardium (n = 10) from 0.12 ± 0.02 μT to 0.05 ± 0.01 μT (p < 0.01) and reduced the average SD of Cr CEST contrast in vivo from 10.0 ± 4.3% to 6.1 ± 3.5% (p < 0.05). Results from the hearts of human subjects showed a significant reduction of CEST contrast distribution at 2 ppm, as well as amplitude, when using SPSP saturation. Corresponding phantom experiments revealed PCr-specific contrast generation at body temperature when SPSP saturation was used but combined PCr and Cr contrast generation when Gaussian saturation was used. The use of SPSP saturation pulsed CEST resulted in PCr-specific contrast generation and enabled ratiometric mapping of PCr to total Cr CEST contrast in the human heart at 3T.

Are paranoid ideation and hallucination spectrum experiences differently associated with affect dynamics? A continuous-time modeling approach.

Psychotic experiences have been associated with distortions in affective functioning, including aberrancies in affect dynamics. However, it remains unclear whether the two principal symptom dimensions of psychosis, namely paranoid ideation and hallucination spectrum experiences, are differently associated with affect dynamics, and whether associations hold after statistically controlling for depressive symptoms. We investigate this by using a novel statistical approach, the hierarchical Ornstein-Uhlenbeck (OU) process model. This is a continuous-time stochastic differential equations model in a Bayesian framework that describes dynamics in affective valence and arousal via three core parameters: attractor point, variability, and attractor strength. In a community sample with varying levels of psychotic experiences (n = 116), we measured affective valence and arousal 10 times per day for 7 days, using the experience-sampling method. We found-while statistically controlling for depressive symptoms-credible between-subjects associations between paranoid ideation and attractor points of negative valence and high arousal. We also found a credible positive association between hallucination spectrum experiences and arousal variability. Limited evidence emerged for small associations between paranoid ideation and high valence variability as well as between paranoid ideation and high attractor strengths of valence and arousal. Hallucination spectrum experiences showed some evidence for a small association with high arousal attractor points. The detailed picture of affect dynamics provided by the OU model reveals different cross-sectional affective profiles associated with paranoid ideation versus hallucination spectrum experiences that suggest different affective mechanisms of their formation and maintenance. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Yielding and post-yielding behavior of FDM parts under compression stress at different strain rates

AbstractThe present study investigates the compression behavior of components made by material extrusion, also known as fused filament fabrication (FFF) or fused deposition modeling (FDM). An experimental plan was conducted by adopting a high-density fulfillment and varying the material flow. Additional tests were performed by thermomechanical compaction to produce full-density samples. Compression tests were performed at various strain rates ranging between 5 × 10−4 and 5 × 10−1 s−1. Yielding and post-yielding behaviors were analyzed. Morphological analysis was carried out to determine the mesostructural features (interlayer neck and void sizes) and how they behave during the compression test. The results indicated that the principal dimension of the voids ranged between 65 mm and 170 mm depending on the adopted value of the extrusion multiplier. On the other hand, thermomechanical compaction enabled the restriction of the voids of printed samples to 10 mm. The cross-sectioning of samples at different strains indicated the formation of shear banding strain localization. In addition, printed samples behaved like porous media during the compression tests and showed different characteristic regions with different void dimensions. The samples printed at the higher material extrusion showed similar behavior to compacted samples. Post-yielding analysis indicated that strain softening observed on compacted samples was more severe as compared to that observed on printed samples. This behavior is dramatically reduced by decreasing the extrusion multiplier.

A comparison of two wave energy converters’ power performance and mooring fatigue characteristics – One WEC vs many WECs in a wave park with interaction effects

The production of renewable energy is key to satisfying the increasing demand for energy without further increasing pollution. Harnessing ocean energy from waves has attracted attention due to its high energy density. This study compares two generations of floating heaving point absorber WEC, WaveEL 3.0 and WaveEL 4.0, regarding their power performance and mooring line fatigue characteristics, which are essential in, e.g., LCoE calculations. The main differences between the two WECs are the principal dimensions and minor differences in their geometries. The DNV software SESAM was used for simulations and analyses of these WECs in terms of buoy heave motion resonances for maximising energy harvesting, motion characteristics, mooring line forces, fatigue of mooring lines, and hydrodynamic power production. The first part of the study presents results from simulations of unit WEC in the frequency domain and in the time domain for regular wave and irregular sea state conditions. A verification of the two WECs’ motion responses and axial mooring line forces is made against measurement data from a full-scale installation. In the second part of the study, the influence of interaction effects is investigated when the WECs are installed in wave parks. The wave park simulations used a fully-coupled non-linear method in SESAM that calculates the motions of the WECs and the mooring line forces simultaneously in the time domain. The amount of fatigue damage accumulated in the mooring lines was calculated using a relative tension-based fatigue analysis method and the rainflow counting method. Several factors that influence the power performance of the wave park and the accumulated fatigue damage of the mooring lines, for example, the WEC distance of the wave park, the sea state conditions, and the direction of incoming waves, are simulated and discussed. The study's main conclusion is that WaveEL 4.0, which has a longer tube than WaveEL 3.0, absorbs more hydrodynamic energy due to larger heave motions and more efficient power production. At the same time, the accumulated fatigue damage in the moorings is lower compared to WaveEL 3.0 if the distance between the WECs in the wave park is not too short. Its motions in the horizontal plane are larger, which may require a larger distance between the WEC units in a wave park to avoid losing efficiency due to hydrodynamic interaction effects.

The reverse prediction of the ship principal dimensions based on the Kelvin ship waves

This study examines the impact of the ship’s principal dimensions on the steady waves generated by the ship, and practical approaches are subsequently proposed to reverse-predict the ship’s length, width, draught, and related parameters. The ship length Ls and the related Froude number Fr=Vs/gLs are found to relate with the quasi-period of the divergent wave amplitude function. The ship length can be predicted within an accuracy of ±5% overall based on the two-point wake model considered here. The effects of the ship width and the ship draught are different, and a practical method is proposed here to predict the ship width and the ship draught based on the simplification of the Hogner theory. A noteworthy discovery of this research is that the hull form details have a more pronounced impact on the trough of the divergent waves compared to the transverse waves and the peaks of the divergent waves.

Weight Assessment of Marine Diesel Main and Auxiliary Engines

During the conceptual and preliminary ship design stages, designers must ensure that the selected principal dimensions and parameters are good enough to deliver a stable ship (statically and dynamically), besides deadweight and speed. To support this, the initial intact stability of the proposed ship must be calculated, and for that, the lightship weight and its detailed breakdown are necessary to be known. After hull (steel) weight, machinery weight, mainly marine diesel propulsion and power generation machinery, plays a vital role in the lightship weight estimate of a ship directly. It also affects the deadweight, displacement, draft, and trim, which finally influence stability. The correct estimation of respective weights improves calculating a ship’s initial stability, typically designed and built. Hence, it would be advantageous for the ship designer to convince the shipowner. Weight control is not easy, especially since its consequences in terms of deadweight and stability could be disastrous. It should start right at the beginning and control throughout the design and construction phases. Marine diesel main engines (MEs) and auxiliary engines (AEs) of various power output (generators output for AEs), engine speed, and cylinder number of different engine manufacturers are collected. These are analyzed and presented in tabular and graphical forms to demonstrate the possible relationship between propulsion engine weight and power generation engine weight, and their respective power, speed, and power–speed ratio. In this article, the authors have attempted to investigate the appraisal behavior of ME weight and AE weight regarding engine power, generator power, engine speed, and power–speed ratio (independent variables). Further attempts have been made to identify those independent variables that influence the weight of the propulsion engine and power generation engine (dependent variables) and their interrelationships. A mathematical model has thus been developed and proposed, as a guiding tool, for the designer to estimate the weight of main and AEs more accurately during the conceptual and preliminary design stages.

Rehabilitating Iraqi Schools According to the Requirements of Social Sustainability

Recently, Social Sustainability has gained significant value as it was considered by the late studies as a principal dimension along with the environmental and economic sustainability. And because of, on the other hand, the significant social role of the school for forming the student’s personality, this research is an appeal for rehabilitating and promoting Iraqi Schools according the issue of social sustainability.As there is no evaluation for the Iraqi Schools, the research is dedicated to this problem, aiming to carry out the stated evaluation and define the design treatments needed for the rehabilitation process. To achieve this goal, a theoretical background for the concept of social sustainability, its criteria, the school and its social functions was introduced. From reviewing previous architectural practices and theoretical studies, different design treatments were extracted and structured within the level of the building itself and the outside landscape. The design treatments were, then, applied to rehabilitate a selected standard school model used by the Directorate of Education in Nineveh Governorate. Evaluating the proposed model, the conclusions demonstrated the possibility of rehabilitating the existing Iraqi Schools to hold most indicators of social sustainability

Psychometric Properties of the Chinese Version of the Comprehensive Autistic Trait Inventory.

The Comprehensive Autistic Trait Inventory (CATI) was an appropriate assessment tool that included all the principal dimensions related to autism defined in DSM-5 for the general population. However, its validity and reliability in the general Chinese population still need to be examined. We revised the inventory and estimated the validity and reliability of the Chinese version of the CATI among 2232 general undergraduates. The Chinese version of the CATI (CATI-C) was administered to 2259 undergraduates using the online Questionnaires Star electronic system. Internal consistency, convergent validity, discriminant validity, test-retest reliability, and measurement invariance across gender were calculated. In order to determine the diagnostic accuracy and optimal cut-off score of the CATI-C, an analysis using the Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) was performed. The CATI-C includes 35 items of two factors and six dimensions. CFA demonstrated that the fit index of the structure of the scale was good (Satorra-Bentler chi-square/degrees of freedom [S-Bχ2 /df] = 2.406, Standardized Root Mean Square Residual [SRMR] = 0.038, Root Mean Square Error of Approximation [RMSEA] = 0.037, Comparative Fit Index [CFI] = 0.929, Tucker-Lewis Index [TLI] = 0.917). The convergent validity examined based on the Autism Spectrum Quotient total score was satisfactory (r = 0.54). The internal consistency reliability of social factor, non-social factor, and total scores were 0.87, 0.85, and 0.90. The test-retest reliability was 0.80. A cut-off score of 115 provided optimal sensitivity and specificity for the CATI-C (sensitivity = 0.926, specificity = 0.781, and Youden's index = 0.707). The CATI-C has satisfactory reliability and validity in measuring autistic traits. It showed a good model fit for social and non-social second-order bifactors and measurement invariance across gender.

Using the interest theory of rights and Hohfeldian taxonomy to address a gap in machine learning methods for legal document analysis

Rights and duties are essential features of legal documents. Machine learning algorithms have been increasingly applied to extract information from such texts. Currently, their main focus is on named entity recognition, sentiment analysis, and the classification of court cases to predict court outcome. In this paper it is argued that until the essential features of such texts are captured, their analysis can remain bottle-necked by the very technology being used to assess them. As such, the use of legal theory to identify the most pertinent dimensions of such texts is proposed. Specifically, the interest theory of rights, and the first-order Hohfeldian taxonomy of legal relations. These principal legal dimensions allow for a stratified representation of knowledge, making them ideal for the abstractions needed for machine learning. This study considers how such dimensions may be identified. To do so it implements a novel heuristic based in philosophy coupled with language models. Hohfeldian relations of ‘rights-duties’ vs. ‘privileges-no-rights’ are determined to be identifiable. Classification of each type of relation to accuracies of 92.5% is found using Sentence Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers. Testing is carried out on religious discrimination policy texts in the United Kingdom.

Representational Geometries Reveal Differential Effects of Response Correlations on Population Codes in Neurophysiology and Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

Two sensory neurons usually display trial-by-trial spike-count correlations given the repeated representations of a stimulus. The effects of such response correlations on population-level sensory coding have been the focal contention in computational neuroscience over the past few years. In the meantime, multivariate pattern analysis (MVPA) has become the leading analysis approach in functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), but the effects of response correlations among voxel populations remain underexplored. Here, instead of conventional MVPA analysis, we calculate linear Fisher information of population responses in human visual cortex (five males, one female) and hypothetically remove response correlations between voxels. We found that voxelwise response correlations generally enhance stimulus information, a result standing in stark contrast to the detrimental effects of response correlations reported in empirical neurophysiological studies. By voxel-encoding modeling, we further show that these two seemingly opposite effects actually can coexist within the primate visual system. Furthermore, we use principal component analysis to decompose stimulus information in population responses onto different principal dimensions in a high-dimensional representational space. Interestingly, response correlations simultaneously reduce and enhance information on higher- and lower-variance principal dimensions, respectively. The relative strength of the two antagonistic effects within the same computational framework produces the apparent discrepancy in the effects of response correlations in neuronal and voxel populations. Our results suggest that multivariate fMRI data contain rich statistical structures that are directly related to sensory information representation, and the general computational framework to analyze neuronal and voxel population responses can be applied in many types of neural measurements.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Despite the vast research interest in the effect of spike-count noise correlations on population codes in neurophysiology, it remains unclear how the response correlations between voxels influence MVPA in human imaging. We used an information-theoretic approach and showed that unlike the detrimental effects of response correlations reported in neurophysiology, voxelwise response correlations generally improve sensory coding. We conducted a series of in-depth analyses and demonstrated that neuronal and voxel response correlations can coexist within the visual system and share some common computational mechanisms. These results shed new light on how the population codes of sensory information can be evaluated via different neural measurements.

Independency of Coding for Affective Similarities and for Word Co-occurrences in Temporal Perisylvian Neocortex.

Word valence is one of the principal dimensions in the organization of word meaning. Co-occurrence-based similarities calculated by predictive natural language processing models are relatively poor at representing affective content, but very powerful in their own way. Here, we determined how these two canonical but distinct ways of representing word meaning relate to each other in the human brain both functionally and neuroanatomically. We re-analysed an fMRI study of word valence. A co-occurrence-based model was used and the correlation with the similarity of brain activity patterns was compared to that of affective similarities. The correlation between affective and co-occurrence-based similarities was low (r = 0.065), confirming that affect was captured poorly by co-occurrence modelling. In a whole-brain representational similarity analysis, word embedding similarities correlated significantly with the similarity between activity patterns in a region confined to the superior temporal sulcus to the left, and to a lesser degree to the right. Affective word similarities correlated with the similarity in activity patterns in this same region, confirming previous findings. The affective similarity effect extended more widely beyond the superior temporal cortex than the effect of co-occurrence-based similarities did. The effect of co-occurrence-based similarities remained unaltered after partialling out the effect of affective similarities (and vice versa). To conclude, different aspects of word meaning, derived from affective judgements or from word co-occurrences, are represented in superior temporal language cortex in a neuroanatomically overlapping but functionally independent manner.

Benchmarking meta-analytical conceptualizations of B2B seller skills against empirical evidence in services firms

PurposeThe purpose of the study was to benchmark meta-analytical conceptualizations of business-to-business (B2B) seller skills against empirical evidence in services firms.Design/methodology/approachThe study is based on a deductive approach and questionnaire survey focusing on a range of services firms from different industries and corporate sizes. A total of 389 questionnaires out of 732 were returned, generating a response rate of 53.1%.FindingsThe study aims to provide empirical evidence and structures relating to B2B sellers' capabilities in a seven-dimensional conceptualization, all of which can be used in services firms to improve their seller efficiency. Each seller skill dimension performs a different function in the sales services process.Research limitations/implicationsThe authors conclude that the verified meta-analytical conceptualizations of B2B seller skills seem valid and reliable in services firms. Nevertheless, further research needs to be carried out, based on other company characteristics as well as industries.Practical implicationsIt reduces the risk perceived by customers in B2B services settings through cultivating the sellers' capabilities, based on the seven-dimensional evidence of seller skills to enhance sales performance.Originality/valueThe study contributes to existing theory and previous studies by offering a foundation on which to structure sales performance indicators in services firms. Specifically, it contributes to structuring B2B seller skills across a selection of principal dimensions in B2B services settings.