This paper introduces the Focused Stochastic Diffusion Network as a novel method of self-localisation for an autonomous wheelchair in a busy, complex environment. The space of possible positions is explored in parallel by a set of cells searching in a competitive co-operative manner for the most likely position of the wheelchair in its environment. Trials of the SENARIO autonomous wheelchair pr...

We explore how ideas from infectious disease and genetics can be used to uncover patterns of cultural inheritance and innovation in a corpus of 591 national constitutions spanning 1789–2008. Legal “ideas” are encoded as “topics”—words statistically linked in documents—derived from topic modeling the corpus of constitutions. Using these topics we derive a diffusion network for borrowing from anc...

1. Introduction Severe plastic deformation (SPD) is nowadays used to produce sizeable amounts of bulk nanocrystalline materials, which renders them suitable for different innovative applications, owing to favourable combinations of high mechanical strength and enhanced ductility they offer. Enhanced grain boundary diffusion is largely responsible for the resulting property combinations. SPD pro...

We introduce random directed acyclic graph and use it to model the information diffusion network. Subsequently, we analyze the cascade generation model (CGM) introduced by Leskovec et al. [19]. Until now only empirical studies of this model were done. In this paper, we present the first theoretical proof that the sizes of cascades generated by the CGM follow the power-law distribution, which is...

We examine the role of age, gender, and work experience on the propensity to buy, share, and use pirated software. These demographics are key properties of the cognitive-developmental, gender socialization, and occupational socialization theories. We find the overall level of reported buying is low, while the level of sharing and use is high. From the perspective of socialization, we find diffe...

In the framework of heavy mid-level processing for high speed imaging, a nonlinear bi-dimensional network is proposed, allowing the implementation of active curve algorithms. Usually this efficient type of algorithm is prohibitive for real-time image processing due to its calculus charge and the inadequate structure for the use of serial or parallel architectures. Another kind of implementation...

This paper presents the interpretations of sociological science fundamental categories conceptual and structural explanations of the sociological theory and sociological paradigm, as well as the examples of their classification. Ritzer's definition of sociological theory was approved. He considers it a form of scientific theory by which smaller or greater systems of scientific laws and hypothes...

From the middle of the 19 century until the last decade of the 20, the Marxist tradition provided the most systematic body of ideas and social theory for radical critics of capitalism as an economic system and social order. Even those critics of capitalism who did not directly identify with Marxism relied heavily on Marxist ideas about class, exploitation, commodification, the state, ideology. ...

We present a two-assignment series that developed students’ sociological imaginations and could be done in face-to-face or online course. The used the Sociological Images blog own visual images (e.g., photographs) to meet course learning goals: (1) link theories concepts social events/trends, (2) apply these ideas real life by identifying sociologically relevant daily life, (3) communicate anal...