Complexity Reduction in Lattice-Based Information Retrieval

Though lattice-based information representation has the advantage of providing efficient visual interface over textual display, the complexity of a lattice may grow rapidly with the size of the database. In this paper we formally draw the analogy between Vector Space Model and Concept Lattice, from which we introduce the notion of Term-Document Lattice as a model for information retrieval. We then propose to use the idea of quotient lattice to reduce the complexity of a Term-Document Lattice. The equivalence relation required to construct the quotient lattice is obtained by performing a Singular Value Decomposition on the original term-document matrix.     

The Social Stratification of Cultural Consumption: Some Policy Implications of a Research Project

The paper briefly describes a recently completed research project on the social stratification of cultural consumption, presents some major findings from this project, and considers their implications for public policy in relation to the arts. A central theme is the inadequacy of the ‘homology’ argument, claiming that social hierarchies and cultural hierarchies map closely onto each other. This argument is shown to be empirically unsound and to underestimate the complexity of the relationship between social stratification and cultural consumption, as this is determined by the combined effects of income, education and social status. One question that then arises is what policy response, if any, is required by the fact that many individuals do not participate extensively in the arts even though they have the economic and cultural resources required to do so (self-exclusion rather than social exclusion). And a second is that of how far, in attempts at increasing participation, status-linked motivations might be exploited.     

Parents’ perfectionistic tendencies and children’s early numeracy competence: the mediating roles of children’s executive functions and numeracy interest

European Journal of Psychology of Education - Parents’ high academic expectations have often been found to benefit children’s academic outcomes. Nonetheless, little is known whether...     

Effects of motion control footwear on running: a systematic review

Excessive foot pronation is a risk factor of running injuries and motion control footwear is designed to control foot pronation. With the movement transfer between foot pronation and tibial rotation, motion control footwear may not only be confined to controlling foot pronation. In view of the controversies in the literature on effectiveness of motion control footwear, this paper reviewed the efficacy of motion control footwear functions as reported in the literature. Eligible studies were identified from seven electronic databases. Two independent authors extracted the data and assessed the methodological qualities using the Jadad Scale. A total of 14 quasi randomised controlled trials were included. Even though the included studies were rated as "low quality" according to the Jadad Scale, the data were pooled and analysed. Results revealed that motion control footwear was effective in reducing the amount of foot pronation and the peak vertical impact during landing. There is no evidence that suggests motion control footwear for controlling kinematics of the proximal segments.     

Ecological Influences on Chinese Migrant Mothers’ Integration with Hong Kong

The present study uses an ecological model to understand how personal, interpersonal, and environmental factors contribute to migrant mothers’ employment readiness and their perceived integration with the host society. In the literature, successful employment, especially for recent arrivals, has proven to be important in the acculturation process. Little work has taken into account how various personal characteristics, relational factors (e.g., social capital), and neighborhood features make their contributions simultaneously. To enrich the work, this study employs survey data on 433 Chinese migrant mothers living in three low-income neighborhoods of Hong Kong. Results are supportive of the ecological model. They are favorable to the strengthening of social capital and workplace accessibility as a way to champion migrant women's integration with the host society.     

Successful knowledge management requires a knowledge culture: a case study

Culture is widely acknowledged to be a critical success factor in knowledge management (KM). This paper presents the case of KM implementation at MKS, an IT consulting firm based in India. Although the KM initiative at MKS had many of the hallmarks associated with successful KM projects, the initiative failed to get off the ground due to the absence of a ‘knowledge culture’ within the organisation. Subsequent interviews with MKS staff uncovered a range of cultural themes that appeared to impede the institutionalisation of KM at MKS. These cultural themes included:

• internal competitiveness among MKS staff resulting in ‘knowledge hoarding’,
• a lack of personal reward and incentive to engage in knowledge sharing,
• concerns over job security and the ‘devaluation’ of employees,
• stigma associated with the reliance on someone else's ideas,
• preference for a face-to-face mode of knowledge sharing over a tool-supported approach and
• doubts over the quality of knowledge shared by more junior staff.

     

Understanding residents’ environmental knowledge in a metropolitan city of Hong Kong,China

This study aimed to understand the environmental knowledge (EK) of the residents of Hong Kong. A territory-wide survey was administered to investigate the subjective and objective EK of the respondents as well as their means of receiving information about the environment. The results indicated that Hong Kong’s residents have a comparatively low level of EK, with a mean environmental knowledge score of 3.35 out of 8. The youngster (15–24?years old), students, and employed individuals reported more extensive EK than the older and unemployed respondents, thus suggesting that the younger generation and employed individuals have increased opportunities to receive EK through various channels. A weak positive correlation was identified between subjective and objective EK, thus implying that the residents of Hong Kong could not accurately evaluate their own level of EK. The results indicate that traditional media plays a significant role in disseminating EK. Digital media, such as websites and digital social networks, were also determined to be influencing factors in disseminating environmental messages to the younger generation.     

Teachers’ perceptions of Incorporated Management Committees as a form of school-based management in Hong Kong

The policy of the registration of School Management Committees (SMCs) as Incorporated Management Committees (IMCs) has led to a dispute between the School Sponsoring Bodies (SSBs) and the Education and Manpower Bureau (EMB, renamed Education Bureau, EDB in July 2007) and has caused great tension between the two parties. However, in this heated debate, little has been heard about teachers’ opinions on this important issue. Therefore, this study aims at finding out teachers’ perceptions of the newly proposed school management system and whether they are willing to participate in IMCs. In this study, 585 questionnaires were collected from a total of 652 which had been distributed to 25 schools (19 secondary schools and 9 primary schools), and five teacher representatives from five schools were involved in post-survey interviews. Findings from this study show that while the teachers were generally in favour of working hand in hand with the public (e.g. parents, alumni and members of the local community) for the betterment of schools, they had reservations about the registration of SMCs as IMCs because there would be legal implications of the Committees. Second, the teachers saw the IMCs as an administrative tool to improve school management, rather than as a means of enhancing students’ learning outcomes. Third, teachers were hesitant about taking up the posts of teacher managers due to the unpredictable workload and legal liability involved. Finally, teachers from Christian schools were generally much less in favour of including representatives from the public and the registration of the SMCs as IMCs. The findings imply that the EMB has a responsibility to clarify the legal implications of IMCs and the ways in which school representatives’ interests can be safeguarded. At the same time, SSBs need to regulate their management pattern and allow more transparency and accountability in managing their schools.