Diagnosis of the current state of dynamic objects and systems with complex structures by fuzzy logic using simulation models

A technique for constructing two- and three-level diagnostic systems of the current state of a dynamic object with a complex parallel-serial structure based on fuzzy-logic inference using additional features in the form of the parameters of the adaptive dynamic model is described.     

The Experience of Time at Work: Relationship to Communication Load,Job Satisfaction,and Interdepartmental Communication

This study examined 393 organizational members' reported communication load, job satisfaction, and interdepartmental communication satisfaction in relation to their experience of time along eleven dimensions—flexibility, linearity, pace, punctuality, delay, scheduling, separation, urgency, scarcity, and future and present time foci. Results indicate that organizational members who experienced their time as more delayed, more flexible, and more oriented toward the future tended to report higher levels of communication load. Additionally, members who characterized their work as more punctual and oriented toward the future were more satisfied with their jobs, while those who experienced work as faster paced were less satisfied. Finally, the organizational members most satisfied with communication among departments reported their work patterns as more linear and more strongly oriented toward the future, while members who reported their work as more delayed were least satisfied with such interdepartmental interactions.     

(11) Proposals for the Development of the Colombo Public Library System

The author has attempted to emphasize the point that education is a dynamic process. The acquisition and acceptance of models and systems of education involves an exchange of ideas which must be beneficial to all who are concerned. The receptability to new ideas is influenced by the attitudes of those who teach and those who learn. Harvey noted that students in Iran objected to additional examinations. If more than one examination per course or practical assignments as requirements happens to be contrary to local academic traditions in teaching, the students will object. If the importance of libraries and librarians is not recognized by local authorities, the teaching of a tedious course will be made more difficult. For the student, prospects for the future would not appear to justify the effort.

Every culture has its own unique and rich qualities and these should never be ignored. Yet the literature indicates a similarity in many basic problems and needs which must be mastered if libraries in developing countries will continue to progress. Those of us who are privileged to serve as guest and contract professors and librarians should never cease to be critical of our accomplishments while making certain that we do not fail to recognize legitimate areas of investigation.     

Children’s and school libraries in the USSR

Abstract

Changes in the state structure since 1989 and their effect on the development of culture are discussed, as is the liquidation of censorship. The transition of publishing from a monopoly state enterprise to a part of the market economy is described, along with the development of the new mass electronic media. A final section deals with the situation in public libraries after 1989 and the difficulties experienced by librarians in dealing with the threatened disappearance of traditional culture under the tidal wave of mass media for entertainment.     

Research literature clustering using diffusion maps

We apply the knowledge discovery process to the mapping of current topics in a particular field of science. We are interested in how articles form clusters and what are the contents of the found clusters. A framework involving web scraping, keyword extraction, dimensionality reduction and clustering using the diffusion map algorithm is presented. We use publicly available information about articles in high-impact journals. The method should be of use to practitioners or scientists who want to overview recent research in a field of science. As a case study, we map the topics in data mining literature in the year 2011.     

Examining the Performance of the Modified ADF Goodness-of-fit Test Statistic in Structural Equation Models

The asymptotically distribution-free (ADF) test statistic depends on very mild distributional assumptions and is theoretically superior to many other so-called robust tests available in structural equation modeling. The ADF test, however, often leads to model overrejection even at modest sample sizes. To overcome its poor small-sample performance, a family of robust test statistics obtained by modifying the ADF statistics was recently proposed. This study investigates by simulation the performance of the new modified test statistics. The results revealed that although a few of the test statistics adequately controlled Type I error rates in each of the examined conditions, most performed quite poorly. This result underscores the importance of choosing a modified test statistic that performs well for specific examined conditions. A parametric bootstrap method is proposed for identifying such a best-performing modified test statistic. Through further simulation it is shown that the proposed bootstrap approach performs well.     

OPINIONS OF COMMUNITY COLLEGE DEANS REGARDING PRINCIPLES OF CONTINUOUS QUALITY IMPROVEMENT

The ways in which the Education Pilot Criteria for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award were adapted for use in institutional self-assessment are summarized. Research results are based on self-reported perceptions of academic deans in the North Carolina Community College System regarding current and future applications of continuous quality improvement principles in the academic setting.     

Community Colleges and Job Training

Students who graduated from a teacher education program at a large public university were contacted to determine if they were teaching. Those who were teaching were also asked if they were teaching in the communities where they lived prior to attending college. A comparison of the graduates who were community college transfer students and graduates who were university native students was conducted. The results indicated that community college transfer students were less likely to be teaching following graduation, but that those transfer students who were teaching were as likely as native students to be teaching in their communities.     

Systems of Classification and the Cognitive Properties of Grant Proposal Formal Documents

Despite the prominent role of application forms in the process of composing grant proposals, little attention has been given to the rhetorical and ethical implications of their prompts and instructions. This article analyzes classification systems reified within the cognitive properties of online forms that faculty members use to submit grant proposals. Results suggest that the historicity of proposal forms adds to the complexity of developing models that accurately represent proposal writing in multiple contexts.