Global Intermedia Agenda Setting: A Big Data Analysis of International News Flow

This study contributes to international news flow literature methodologically, by significantly expanding its scope, and theoretically, by incorporating intermedia agenda-setting theory, through which we reveal how news media in different countries influence each other in covering international news. With a big data analysis of 4,708 online news sources from 67 countries in 2015, the study shows that wealthier countries not only continue to attract most of the world news attention, they are also more likely to decide how other countries perceive the world. However, international news flow is not as hierarchical and U.S.-centric as found earlier. Online-only, emerging media in core countries are not necessarily more impactful in setting the world news agenda than those in (semi)peripheral countries.     

基于压缩感知的二维GTD模型参数估计方法

几何绕射理论(Geometrical Theory of Diffraction, GTD)模型能够精确描述高频区雷达目标的电磁散射机理。该文在分析雷达回波稀疏特性的基础上,将参数估计问题转化为压缩感知理论中的稀疏信号重构问题,据此提出了一种基于压缩感知的2维GTD模型参数估计方法。该方法首先利用2维傅里叶变换成像确定目标散射中心的支撑区域,然后在支撑区域内对散射中心的GTD参数进行估计,最后利用聚类方法和最小二乘方法对估计结果进行修正。仿真和暗室测量数据实验结果表明,与现有方法相比,所提方法能有效改善模型参数的估计性能,且对提高散射中心类型参数的估计精度更为明显。     

Explaining the Formation of Online News Startups in France and the United States: A Field Analysis

This article examines the differential formation of online news startups in Toulouse, France, and Seattle, United States. While Seattle is home to many startups, in Toulouse there have been just 4—and only 1 continues publishing. Drawing on Bourdieu's field theory, we argue that amount and types of capital held by journalists in the 2 cities varied as a result of differences in journalism's position in the field of power. These differences shaped the extent of startup formation in each city and structured journalists' capacities to convert their capital into the resources needed to form startups (e.g., funding, credentials, partnerships). These findings are positioned in relation to literatures on journalism innovation and comparative media.     

Development of correlation-based clustering method and its application to software sensing

The individuality of production devices should be taken into account when soft-sensors are designed for parallelized devices. Since it is expressed as differences of the correlation among measured variables, it is useful to cluster samples on the basis of the correlation among variables for adopting a multi-model approach. In addition, changes in process characteristics can be coped with in the same way. In the present work, a new clustering method, referred to as NC-spectral clustering, is proposed by integrating the nearest correlation (NC) method and spectral clustering. Spectral clustering is a graph partitioning method that can be used for sample classification when an affinity matrix of a weighted graph is given. The NC method can detect samples that are similar to the query from the viewpoint of the correlation without a teacher signal. In the proposed method, the NC method is used for constructing the weighted graph that expresses the correlation-based similarities between samples and the constructed graph is partitioned by using spectral clustering. In addition, a new soft-sensor design method is proposed on the basis of the proposed NC-spectral clustering. The usefulness of the proposed methods is demonstrated through a numerical example and a case study of parallelized batch processes. The performance of the proposed correlation-based method is better than that of the conventional distance-based methods.     

Safety climate and the Theory of Planned Behavior: Towards the prediction of unsafe behavior

The present study is concerned with the human factors that contribute to violations in aviation maintenance. Much of our previous research in this area has been based on safety climate surveys and the analysis of relations among core dimensions of climate. In this study, we tap into mainstream psychological theory to help clarify the mechanisms underlying the links between climate and behavior. Specifically, we demonstrate the usefulness of Ajzen's (1991, 2001) Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) to understanding violation behaviors in aircraft maintenance. A questionnaire was administered to 307 aircraft maintenance workers. Constructs measured by the survey included perceptions of management attitudes to safety, own attitudes to violations, intention to violate, group norms, workplace pressures, and violations. A model based on the TPB illustrated hypothetical connections among these variables. Path analyses using AMOS suggested some theoretically justifiable modifications to the model. Fit statistics of the revised model were excellent with intentions, group norms, and personal attitudes combining to explain 50% of the variance in self-reported violations. The model highlighted the importance of management attitudes and group norms as direct and indirect predictors of violation behavior. We conclude that the TPB is a useful tool for understanding the psychological background to the procedural violations so often associated with incidents and accidents.     

Prediction and validation of the profiles of the top and mixed loading surfaces during discharge from multiple-outlet silos

One of the problems for the efficient operation of large industrial silos is that it is difficult to check the volume of the materials that remain inside the silo at any given time. This problem is more pronounced when materials from two or more sources are stored in a multiple-outlet silo, so that the profile of the mixed loading surface, i.e., the interface between materials from different sources, is not visible. To date, no research addressing this problem has been conducted. Therefore, this study proposes a model to predict the profiles of the top and mixed loading surfaces using the simple kinematic theory and considering the effect of the angle of repose on the shape of the top surface. The accuracy of the proposed prediction model was verified by comparing actual profiles of the top and mixed loading surfaces with those predicted by the model when materials were discharged from a multiple-outlet hopper with discharge sequences varying from the left, central, and right outlets. The results showed that the proposed model adequately predicted the profiles with relatively negligible errors.     

A framework of critical resource chain for project schedule analysis

Analysing a schedule is beneficial to help stakeholders understand the scheduled project. Project schedules, which create time plans based on the critical path method (CPM) or on resource‐constrained project scheduling problem (RCPSP) optimization, are targets herein. The Theory of Constraints (TOC) treats a schedule as a system. Schedule elements are suspected constraints and a goal depends on the schedule creation policy. Resource information is further surveyed herein to identify true constraints. A framework is proposed to integrate identified constraints on a schedule, and the critical resource chain concept is introduced. Three scenarios illustrate the proposed framework under different scheduling considerations. Results explain schedule constraints, and several schedule analysis issues are discussed.     

An investigation of statistical software testing

Software validation embodies two notions: fault removal and fault forecasting. Statistical testing involves exercising a piece of software by supplying it with input values that are randomly selected according to a defined probability distribution on its input domain. It can be used as a practical tool for revealing faults in a fault removal phase, and for assessing software dependability in a fault forecasting phase. In both of these, its efficiency is linked to the adequacy of the input probability distribution with respect to the test experiment goal. In this paper a mixed validation strategy combining deterministic and random test data is defined, and the theoretical and experimental work performed to support the strategy is reported. The quoted results relate to the unit testing of four real programs from the nuclear field. They confirm the high fault revealing power of statistical structural testing. Two main directions for further investigation of statistical testing are indicated by the reported work. These are described and solutions to the associated problems are outlined.     

有关Flory—Huggins理论的教学点滴

根据高分子的特点,我们从Boltzmnn熵定理出发,来理解Flory-Huggins晶格模型理论中推导混合熵（△SM）的思路。教学过程中突出高分子溶液中由于高分子相对分子质量大（x个链段）,造成高分子的△SM比小分子大得多的结果Hory-Huggins理论与实际情况的偏差;让学生学会用Hory-Hug—gins参数X1,值判断高分子溶液中溶剂的优劣性。     

基于QFD和TRIZ的高龄辅助阅读产品设计策略研究

目的 消极的老化态度使高龄者产生生理、心理等多方面的负面感受。高龄辅助阅读产品能够帮助高龄者自主阅读,助力终身学习,维持新知获取。在学习中养老,来保持高龄者与社会链接。方法 在质量功能展开(QFD)的研究中,利用网络爬虫收集商品评价数据(京东商城/约30 000条,亚马逊商城/约15 000条),形成评价词汇库。再结合情景假设分析,确定高龄辅助阅读产品的顾客需求项目,并转换为设计要求项目。其次,经 KJ法分类顾客需求和设计要求,通过调查60岁以上高龄者的104份有效问卷,以计算顾客需求重要度;再由独立配点法将顾客需求重要度转换为设计要求重要度,构建产品质量屋。最后,引入创造性解决任务理论(TRIZ)的物理矛盾、技术矛盾,以及物-场模型对产品深入分析,经分离原理、发明原理、标准解系统对产品设计矛盾求解。结果 经QFD-TRIZ模型提出高龄辅助阅读产品的设计策略和实践方案。结论 整合QFD-TRIZ关联模型,围绕高龄辅助阅读产品研究分析,为未来的高龄辅助阅读产品设计提供了具体指标,拓展了QFD-TRIZ方法在高龄者产品设计研究范畴,并构建了逻辑性和系统性的设计研究模型。