• Title/Summary/Keyword: information theory

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The Chinese Black Box - A Scientific Model of Traditional Chinese Medicine

  • Theodorou, Matthias;Fleckenstein, Johannes
    • Journal of Acupuncture Research
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    • v.36 no.1
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    • pp.1-11
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    • 2019
  • Models of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) are still difficult to grasp from the view of a Western-cultural background. For proper integration into science and clinical research, it is vital to think "out of the box" of classical sciences. Modern sciences, such as quantum physics, system theory, and information theory offer new models, that reveal TCM as a method to process information. For this purpose, we apply concepts of information theory to propose a "Chinese black box model," that allows for a non-deterministic, bottom-up approach. Considering a patient as an undeterminable complex system, the process of getting information about an individual in Chinese diagnostics is compared to the input-process-output principle of information theory and quantum physics, which is further illustrated by Wheeler's "surprise 20 questions." In TCM, an observer uses a decision-making algorithm to qualify diagnostic information by the binary polarities of "yang" (latin activity) and "yin" (latin structivity) according to the so called "8 principles" (latin 8 guiding criteria). A systematic reconstruction of ancient Chinese terms and concepts illuminates a scattered scientific method, which is specified in a medical context by Latin terminology of the sinologist Porkert [definitions of the Latin terms are presented in Porkert's appendix [1] (cf. Limitations)].

Transformation of Mass Function and Joint Mass Function for Evidence Theory

  • Suh, Doug. Y.;Esogbue, Augustine O.
    • Journal of the Korean Institute of Intelligent Systems
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    • v.1 no.2
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    • pp.16-34
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    • 1991
  • It has been widely accepted that expert systems must reason from multiple sources of information that is to some degree evidential - uncertain, imprecise, and occasionally inaccurate - called evidential information. Evidence theory (Dempster/Shafet theory) provides one of the most general framework for representing evidential information compared to its alternatives such as Bayesian theory or fuzzy set theory. Many expert system applications require evidence to be specified in the continuous domain - such as time, distance, or sensor measurements. However, the existing evidence theory does not provide an effective approach for dealing with evidence about continuous variables. As an extension to Strat's pioneeiring work, this paper provides a new combination rule, a new method for mass function transffrmation, and a new method for rendering joint mass fuctions which are of great utility in evidence theory in the continuous domain.

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Purchase Prediction by Analyzing Users' Online Behaviors Using Machine Learning and Information Theory Approaches

  • Kim, Minsung;Im, Il;Han, Sangman
    • Asia pacific journal of information systems
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    • v.26 no.1
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    • pp.66-79
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    • 2016
  • The availability of detailed data on customers' online behaviors and advances in big data analysis techniques enable us to predict consumer behaviors. In the past, researchers have built purchase prediction models by analyzing clickstream data; however, these clickstream-based prediction models have had several limitations. In this study, we propose a new method for purchase prediction that combines information theory with machine learning techniques. Clickstreams from 5,000 panel members and data on their purchases of electronics, fashion, and cosmetics products were analyzed. Clickstreams were summarized using the 'entropy' concept from information theory, while 'random forests' method was applied to build prediction models. The results show that prediction accuracy of this new method ranges from 0.56 to 0.83, which is a significant improvement over values for clickstream-based prediction models presented in the past. The results indicate further that consumers' information search behaviors differ significantly across product categories.

A Theory of Public Knowledge

  • Miksa, Shawne D.;McLain, Chinami
    • Journal of Information Science Theory and Practice
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    • v.7 no.2
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    • pp.54-64
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    • 2019
  • A theory of public knowledge is offered for the purposes of defining more clearly its role in information systems and classification schemas. Public knowledge is knowledge intended to be available for use in a public system. It is knowledge accessible to the public or knowledge in the public arena as opposed to the other seemingly multitudinous ways to describe knowledge. Furthermore, there are many different public arenas or small worlds. Public knowledge, irrespective of these different arenas, has four important overlying characteristics: It is consensual, it does not imply complete truth or certainty, it is autonomous, and it has a constant renewal of old knowledge with new knowledge. Each of these attributes has been culled from a study of the works of Patrick Wilson, Karl Popper, and John Ziman.

Potential Implications and Applications of Terror Management Theory for Library and Information Science

  • Hollister, Jonathan M.;Lee, Jisue;Elkins, Aaron J.;Latham, Don
    • Journal of the Korean Society for Library and Information Science
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    • v.54 no.4
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    • pp.317-349
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    • 2020
  • Mental health experts warn the combination of overwhelming amounts of information, economic instability, political discontent, social injustice, and the high infection and death rates of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic are negatively impacting mental health in ways that may worsen the pandemic and intensify our primal fear of death. Terror Management Theory (TMT) argues that self-esteem and cultural worldviews serve as defenses against the terror of our own mortality. This theory anchor paper introduces TMT to Library and Information Science (LIS) via a selected literature review on TMT's use in the field of Psychology and an extensive discussion on the conceptual connections to LIS supported with empirical research from related disciplines and contexts. The implications, applications, and usefulness of TMT for LIS research, education, and practice are discussed in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic and other contexts, and a research agenda is proposed.

A study on theory of cataloging (목록법이론에 대한 연구)

  • 남태우
    • Journal of the Korean Society for information Management
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    • v.14 no.1
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    • pp.223-254
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    • 1997
  • The goal of this paper is mainly to review and summarize the theory of cataloging. This artical reviews the theortical background of cataloging. First, the objectives and function of the library catalog was analyzed. Second, According to this methodology was researched the Cutter's theory of 'convenience of the public' on the cataloging, Osborn's 'the Crisis of Cataloging' (legalist theory of cataloging, perfectionism theory bibliographic theory and pragmatic theory) and Lubetzky's the theory of 'Cataloging Rules and Principles' and the last Houten' s 'In the Iron Age of Cataloging' theory.

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Increasing Sense of Self-Control over Pregnancy: Information Seeking Patterns of Pregnant Women's (임신에 대한 자아통제감 향상하기: 임신부의 정보추구 경험 유형)

  • Kim, Kapseon
    • Journal of Korean Library and Information Science Society
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    • v.44 no.3
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    • pp.125-152
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    • 2013
  • The purpose of this study is to construct a substantive theory that described and explained how pregnant women are seeking information in context of pregnancy. A qualitative design based on the method of grounded theory was utilized. In-depth interviews were conducted with 16 pregnant women, selected by theoretical sampling who receiving antenatal care 3 different university hospitals. The interview data were transcribed and systematically analyzed according to the open coding, axial coding and selective coding. 'Increasing Sense of Self-Control over Pregnancy' was the core category for describing and guiding the process of seeking information during the pregnancy. To construct a theory of 'Increasing Sense of Self-Control over Pregnancy' in this study, eight hypothetical statement were generated from the relationships among the core category and the other categories, thus four patterns were derived as follows: 'Desperately Seeking', 'Actively Seeking', 'Unconcernedly Seeking', 'Resignedly Seeking'. The implications of the findings are discussed in terms of development of LIS theory in Korea, theory development of information behavior, education for LIS, and information service practice. The suggestions for further research are provided.

Semantics for Default Rules

  • Yeom, Jae-Il
    • Language and Information
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    • v.4 no.2
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    • pp.69-92
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    • 2000
  • It is well-known that default rules require a nonmonotonic logic. Veltman proposed one dynamic theory which interprets default rules in such a way that correct inferences can be made at each information state. But his theory has some problems. First, this theory excludes the possibility that a default rule can be true of false. Second, his representation of an information state makes it difficult to interpret a default rule embedded in another sentence. Third, the notion of a frame which is introduced in the interpretation of a default rule and the adjustment of inferential expectation has a more complex structure than is necessary, In this paper, I propose a truth-conditional theory of default rules in which the meaning of a default rule is defined as a truth-condition in a possible world and which assumes a simpler structure of a frame. This makes it possible to interpret a default rule embedded in a sentence. A dynamic theory for default rules is also proposed for correct inferences based on default rules.

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