Brokering the Research–Practice Gap: A typology

Despite widespread recognition of a research–practice gap in multiple service sectors, less is known about how pre‐existing communication channels facilitate the flow of information between researchers and practitioners. In the current study, we applied an existing typology of brokerage developed by Gould and Fernandez (Sociol Methodol 19:89–126, 1989 ) to examine what types of brokerage facilitate information spread between researchers and educational practitioners. Specifically, we conducted semi‐structured interviews with 19 school administrators and staff in two public school districts regarding their experiences searching for information about instructional, health, and social skills programs. Using deductive content analysis, we found evidence of all five types of brokerage identified by Gould and Fernandez ( 1989 ). However, only three types of brokerage—gatekeepers, representatives, and liaisons—were involved in the flow of information between school administrators and researchers. Moreover, information transfer often occurred in longer chains that involved multiple, distinct types of brokerage. We conclude with the broad implications of our findings for narrowing the research–practice gap by improving researchers’ dissemination efforts and practitioners’ search for information.     

State of the aRt personality research: A tutorial on network analysis of personality data in R

Network analysis represents a novel theoretical approach to personality. Network approaches motivate alternative ways of analyzing data, and suggest new ways of modeling and simulating personality processes. In the present paper, we provide an overview of network analysis strategies as they apply to personality data. We discuss different ways to construct networks from typical personality data, show how to compute and interpret important measures of centrality and clustering, and illustrate how one can simulate on networks to mimic personality processes. All analyses are illustrated using a data set on the commonly used HEXACO questionnaire using elementary R-code that readers may easily adapt to apply to their own data.     

Managing personal networks: An examination of how high self-monitors achieve better job performance

Structural holes are important network structures that have positive implications for individuals' job performance. Although the emergence of structural holes is closely related to self-monitoring, little is known about how chameleon-like high self-monitors manage to occupy brokerage positions. We posited that leader–member exchange (LMX) quality and network diversity might serve as two important mediating paths through which self-monitoring links to structural holes and sequential job performance. Using structural equation modelling to analyse 10 department networks, we found that high self-monitors were more likely to build high-quality LMX relationships and diversified co-worker networks, which helped to enhance structural holes and job performance. Theoretical contributions and managerial implications are discussed.     

试论网络文化的心理代偿功能

e时代,网络文化的心理功能成为心理学研究的新领域,本文从网络文化的狂欢性角度,探讨了网络文化在心理代偿机制中的独特性和社会意义。     

Whole and Part in Mathematics

The centrality of the whole/part relation in mathematics is demonstrated through the presentation and analysis of examples from algebra, geometry, functional analysis,logic, topology and category theory.This revised version was published online in October 2005 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

为什么会出现“舌尖现象”?——TOT现象发生机制之争

舌尖现象(tip-of-the-tongue,TOT)是一种普遍发生的现象,但是发生TOT的对象、情景、机制等却是特殊和复杂的。因此,它引起了研究者的关注,尤其是在其产生机制上更是存在着很多争论。国外研究者提出了部分激活理论、传递缺陷理论、障碍物假说、神经网络模型、元认知理论等。但研究者大多都基于单一条件或情景来探讨TOT的产生,因此提出的理论的使用范围,解释广度等均有局限。关于TOT依然有许多疑惑,同时也存在值得探讨的课题。     

Embedding social networks: How guanxi ties reinforce Chinese employees’ retention

Going beyond traditional inquiry into social support from local organizational constituents, this project examined how diverse resources from mutually affiliated contacts within and beyond local work environs boost propensity to stay in firms. We deployed Burt’s (1992) name generator and network closure index to more fully assess guanxi networks in China, which comprise strong, dense, and multiplex ties. Specifically, we tested how closed guanxi networks promote job loyalty among Chinese nationals, while investigating how high-commitment human resource management (HRM) systems moderate network effects. We collected egonet data from 417 employees in four high tech firms in China. Hierarchical linear modeling revealed that guanxi network closure increases propensity to stay, whose effects high-commitment HRM reinforce.     

Convolutional neural network based Alzheimer’s disease classification from magnetic resonance brain images

Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia is a neurodegenerative brain order that has currently no cure for it. Hence, early diagnosis of such disease using computer-aided systems is a subject of great importance and extensive research amongst researchers. Nowadays, deep learning or particularly convolutional neural network (CNN) is getting more attention due to its state-of-the-art performances in variety of computer vision tasks such as visual object classification, detection and segmentation. Several recent studies, that have used brain MRI scans and deep learning have shown promising results for diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease. However, most common issue with deep learning architectures such as CNN is that they require large amount of data for training. In this paper, a mathematical model P_FS_EC_TL based on transfer learning is used in which a CNN architecture, VGG-16 trained on ImageNet dataset is used as a feature extractor for the classification task. Experimentation is performed on data collected from Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) database. The accuracy of the 3-way classification using the described method is 95.73% for the validation set.     

Evaluating three stuttering assessments through network analysis,random forests and cluster analysis

PurposeIn stuttering, cognitive and behavioural variables interact in nonlinear fashion. These variables can be assessed by instruments which evaluate perceived impact of stuttering and stuttering severity. We applied three statistical methods in combination to the analysis of three assessment protocols to discover relationships within and between the tests to better understand variations in behavioural and social aspects of stuttering.MethodsScores from Stuttering Severity Index (SSI-IV), Overall Assessment of the Speaker’s Experience of Stuttering scale (OASES), and Unhelpful Thoughts and Beliefs About Stuttering scale (UTBAS), collected from 26 participants were compared using three statistical methods: network analysis, random forests, and cluster analysis.ResultsNetwork analysis demonstrated that SSI-IV only weakly interacts with a quality of life index (OASES) and a self-perception and belief systems index (UTBAS). Random forest analyses revealed the last two measures relate strongly to each other. The results from cluster analysis suggest a) a possible regrouping of OASES items and b) a possible use of one UTBAS scale instead of the three.ConclusionA combination of three statistical methods allowed us to evaluate the three assessments in more depth. The lack of interaction between the SSI-IV on the one hand, and OASES and UTBAS on the other, suggests that the network of the three commonly used stuttering assessments may be fractured in a non-productive way. A potential gap may exist for an assessment tool that would link behavioural and social aspects of stuttering.     

Categorical Ontology of Levels and Emergent Complexity: An Introduction

An overview of the following three related papers in this issue presents the Emergence of Highly Complex Systems such as living organisms, man, society and the human mind from the viewpoint of the current Ontological Theory of Levels. The ontology of spacetime structures in the Universe is discussed beginning with the quantum level; then, the striking emergence of the higher levels of reality is examined from a categorical—relational and logical viewpoint. The ontological problems and methodology aspects discussed in the first two papers are followed by a rigorous paper based on Category Theory, Algebraic Topology and Logic that provides a conceptual and mathematical basis for a Categorical Ontology Theory of Levels. The essential links and relationships between the following three papers of this issue are pointed out, and further possible developments are being considered.