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Computer-based interactive items have become prevalent in recent educational assessments. In such items, detailed human–computer interactive process, known as response process, is recorded in a log file. The recorded response processes provide great opportunities to understand individuals’ problem solving processes. However, difficulties exist in analyzing these data as they are high-dimensional sequences in a nonstandard format. This paper aims at extracting useful information from response processes. In particular, we consider an exploratory analysis that extracts latent variables from process data through a multidimensional scaling framework. A dissimilarity measure is described to quantify the discrepancy between two response processes. The proposed method is applied to both simulated data and real process data from 14 PSTRE items in PIAAC 2012. A prediction procedure is used to examine the information contained in the extracted latent variables. We find that the extracted latent variables preserve a substantial amount of information in the process and have reasonable interpretability. We also empirically prove that process data contains more information than classic binary item responses in terms of out-of-sample prediction of many variables.

1. In forests of eastern North America, white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) can directly affect, via herbivory, the presence, abundance and reproductive success of many plant species. In addition, deer indirectly influence understorey communities by altering environmental conditions. 2. To examine how deer indirectly influence understorey plants via environmental modification, we sampled vegetation and environmental variables in- and outside deer exclosures (10-20 years old) located in temperate forests in northern Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, USA. We assessed how excluding deer affected understorey community composition and structure, the soil and light environment, and relationships between direct and indirect effects, using non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS), mixed linear models and nonparametric multiplicative regression (NPMR). 3. Excluding deer altered sapling communities and several aspects of the understorey environment. Excluding deer from plots with lower overstory basal area increased sapling abundance, decreasing the amount of light available to groundlayer plants. Exclusion also reduced soil compaction and the thickness of the soil E horizon. 4. The composition of understorey communities covaried in apparent response to the environmental factors affected by exclusion. In several common species and groups, E horizon thickness, compaction, openness, and/or total (sapling and overstory) basal area were significant predictors of plant frequency. 5. Complementary analyses revealed that deer exclusion also altered the frequency distributions of several species and groups across environmental space. 6. Synthesis. Deer alter many facets of the understorey environment, such as light availability, soil compaction and thickness of the soil E horizon, which, in turn, appear to mediate variation in plant communities. Those environmental modifications likely compound direct impacts of herbivory as drivers of understorey community change. Our results provide evidence that deer effects on the environment have important implications for forest composition. Thus, we suggest a re-examination of the common assumption that understorey community shifts stem primarily from tissue removal.

The purpose of this study is to examine the diversity of lichens in different communities of Kunashir Island and to identify factors influencing their distribution on the island. In total, we identified 172 species of lichens and related fungi. Ochrolechia lijiangensis and Pertusaria plittiana are new to Russia. Amandinea pelidna, Bacidina brandii, and Lecanora caesiosora are new for the Russian Far East. Thirteen species are reported for the first time for the Sakhalin Region. Six species are new for the Kuril Islands and 37 are new for Kunashir Island. Most of the identified lichens are corticolous species. The richest in the number of lichen species are Abies sachalinensis, Betula ermanii, Quercus crispula, Picea ajanensis, Acer mayrii, Alnus hirsuta, and Salix udensis (25–40 species). It is shown that at the landscape level the only significant factor for the species composition of lichens is the community type, while at the substrate level, the coniferous or deciduous nature of the substrate and the acidity of the bark have an impact.

•Patterns of (un-)touchings of hands, objects and ground can code action categories.•Robots can effectively use these patterns to recognize and respond to human actions.•Patterns relate to perceived action similarity in Inverse Multidimensional Scaling.•Left parietal area codes patterns as shown by Representational Similarity Analyses.•Touching-Untouching sequences organize parietal action representation. At an abstract temporospatial level, object-directed actions can be described as sequences of touchings and untouchings of objects, hands, and the ground. These sparse action codes can effectively guide automated systems like robots in recognizing and responding to human actions without the need for object identification. The aim of the current study was to investigate whether the neural processing of actions and their behavioral classification relies on the action categorization derived from the touching-untouching structure. Here we show, using a representational similarity analysis of functional MRI data from two experiments, that action representations in left anterior intraparietal sulcus (aIPS) are particularly associated with this categorization of touching-untouching structures. Within the examined action observation network, only the touching-untouching category model selectively correlated with the representational profile of the left aIPS. The behavioral results showed a significant relation between the touching-untouching structure and the observers’ judgments on the similarity of actions with weakly-informative objects. Extending prior research on touchings and untouchings as meaningful anchor points for explicit action segmentation, our findings suggest that touching-untouching sequences serve as an organizing principle in inferior parietal action representation.

This paper develops an inventory and conceptual map of espoused organizational values. We suggest that espoused values are fundamentally different to other value forms as they are collective value statements that need to coexist as a basis for organizational activity and performance. The inventory is built from an analysis of 3112 value items espoused by 554 organizations in the UK and USA in both profit and not-for-profit sectors. We distil these value items into 85 espoused value labels, and these are assessed in terms of their similarity and difference through judgements made by 53 experienced individuals. The resulting conceptual map facilitates the evaluation of values which are espoused at the organizational level, as opposed to aggregations of personal values, an important distinction that is often ignored in the literature. This analysis identifies a number of distinct areas of emphasis occupied by espoused values. In particular, the richness of value labels that relates to broader ethical issues may be aimed at external stakeholder management, but also may have an increasing influence on organizational behaviour as they are embedded into organizational practices. By advancing our understanding of espoused values, through an analysis of those being used in practice, we provide a means by which future research into organizational values and ethical issues can progress.

This paper proposes multidimensional scaling (MDS) applied to high-throughput chromosome conformation capture (Hi-C) data on genomic interactions to visualize DNA loops. Currently, the mechanisms underlying the regulation of gene expression are poorly understood, and where and when DNA loops are formed remains undetermined. Previous studies have focused on reproducing the entire three-dimensional structure of chromatin; however, identifying DNA loops using these data is time-consuming and difficult. MDS is an unsupervised method for reconstructing the original coordinates from a distance matrix. Here, MDS was applied to high-throughput chromosome conformation capture (Hi-C) data on genomic interactions to visualize DNA loops. Hi-C data were converted to distances by taking the inverse to reproduce loops via MDS, and the missing values were set to zero. Using the converted data, MDS was applied to the log-transformed genomic coordinate distances and this process successfully reproduced the DNA loops in the given structure. Consequently, the reconstructed DNA loops revealed significantly more DNA-transcription factor interactions involved in DNA loop formation than those obtained from previously applied methods. Furthermore, the reconstructed DNA loops were significantly consistent with chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by sequencing (ChIP-seq) peak positions. In conclusion, the proposed method is an improvement over previous methods for identifying DNA loops.

To determine the optimal soil sample size for microbial community structure analysis, DNA extraction, microbial composition analysis, and diversity assessments were performed using soil sample sizes of 0.2, 1, and 5 g. This study focused on the relationship between soil amount and DNA extraction container volume and the alteration in microbial composition at different taxonomic ranks (order, class, and phylum). Horizontal (0.2 and 1 g) and vertical (5 g) shaking were applied during DNA extraction for practical use in a small laboratory. In the case of the 5 g soil sample, DNA extraction efficiency and the value of α-diversity index fluctuated severely, possibly because of vertical shaking. Regarding the 0.2 and 1 g soil samples, the number of taxa, Shannon–Wiener index, and Bray–Curtis dissimilarity were stable and had approximately the same values at each taxonomic rank. However, non-metric multidimensional scaling showed that the microbial compositions of these two sample sizes were different. The higher relative abundance of taxa in the case of the 0.2 g soil sample might indicate that cell wall compositions differentiated the microbial community structures in these two sample sizes due to high shear stress tolerance. The soil sample size and tube volume affected the estimated microbial community structure. A soil sample size of 0.2 g would be preferable to the other sample sizes because of the possible higher shearing force for DNA extraction and lower experimental costs due to smaller amounts of consumables. When the taxonomic rank was changed from order to phylum, some minor taxa identified at the order rank were integrated into major taxa at the phylum rank. The integration affected the value of the β-diversity index; therefore, the microbial community structure analysis, reproducibility of structures, diversity assessment, and detection of minor taxa would be influenced by the taxonomic rank applied.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Broiler farming partnerships are increasingly adopted to enhance production efficiency and farmer livelihoods; however, their environmental sustainability remains inadequately addressed. Prior studies have mainly highlighted performance, while the integration of environmental, technological, social, and institutional factors has been somewhat lacking. The objectives of the study were to evaluate the sustainability status of partnership-based broiler farming systems and to identify the structural causal relationships among dominant leverage variables using an integrated Rapid appraisal for fisheries – multidimensional scaling and matrix of cross-impact multiplications applied to classification framework.METHODS: A multidimensional sustainability assessment was conducted using a structured framework comprising ecological, economic, social, technological, and partnership dimensions. A comprehensive total of 32 sustainability attributes were recognized and integrated into a survey tool. Data were obtained from 17 expert respondents selected through purposive sampling based on their experience and involvement in broiler partnership systems. Sustainability indices and leverage factors were created utilizing multidimensional scaling, subsequently employing cross-impact matrix multiplication applied in classification structural analysis to categorize dominant variables according to their their driving power and dependence.FINDINGS: The findings reveal a moderate sustainability status, with environmental performance achieving the highest index (70.57) percent, followed by technological (62.62) percent, economic (56.52) percent, and social (52.65). In contrast, the partnership dimension exhibited a lower sustainability level (47.00) percent. Matrix of cross impact multiplications applied to classification analysis revealed that mortality causes, chicken mortality rate, sanitation practices, feeding equipment, housing type, and manure waste utilization function as critical linkage variables, indicating strong cross-dimensional interdependencies. The study demonstrates robust interrelations among different dimensions, showing that advancements in technological efficiency and management practices foster economic improvements and lower environmental repercussions. However, weak partnership arrangements and governance limitations significantly hinder overall system performance. CONCLUSION: The study highlights that the integration of both methods demonstrates that sustainability in broiler partnerships emerges from dynamic interactions among biosecurity, housing technology, labor capability, waste valorization, and institutional trust. This systems-based framework provides a stronger basis for designing phased sustainability interventions and adaptive governance strategies in emerging poultry industries. Recent agrifood systems studies similarly emphasize causal structural mapping as an effective instrument for planning sustainability transitions.

The growth and development of phytoplankton are influenced by physico-chemical parameters, which can also affect the spatial distribution of phytoplankton community structure. However, it is unclear whether environmental heterogeneity caused by multiple physico-chemical factors can affect the spatial distribution of phytoplankton and its functional groups. In this study, we investigated the seasonal variation and spatial distribution of phytoplankton community structure and its relationships with environmental factors in Lake Chaohu from August 2020 to July 2021. We recorded a total of 190 species from 8 phyla, which were divided into 30 functional groups, including 13 dominating functional groups. The average annual phytoplankton density and biomass were (5.46 ± 7.17) × 10 7 cells/L and 4.80 ± 4.61 mg/L, respectively. The density and biomass of phytoplankton were higher in summer ((14.64 ± 20.34) × 10 7 cells/L, 10.61 ± 13.16 mg/L) and autumn ((6.79 ± 3.97) × 10 7 cells/L, 5.57 ± 2.40 mg/L), with the M and H2 of dominant functional groups. The dominant functional groups were N, C, D, J, MP, H2, and M in spring, whereas functional groups C, N, T, and Y dominated in winter. The distribution of phytoplankton community structure and dominant functional groups exhibited significant spatial heterogeneity in the lake, which was consistent with the environmental heterogeneity of the lake and could be classified into four locations. Location I had higher phytoplankton density and biomass than the other three locations. Additionally, dominant functional groups M, C, and H2 were present throughout the lake, and all 13 dominant functional groups were observed in Location II. Our findings suggest that environmental heterogeneity is a key factor influencing the spatial distribution of phytoplankton functional groups in Lake Chaohu.