Anthropic Fluctuations vs. Weak Anthropic Principle

A modern assessment of the classical Boltzmann-Schuetz argument for large-scale entropy fluctuations as the origin of our observable cosmological domain is given.The emphasis is put on the central implication of this picture which flatly contradicts the weak anthropic principle as an epistemological statement about the universe. Therefore, to associate this picture with the anthropic principle as it is usually done is unwarranted. In particular, Feynman's criticism of theanthropic principle based on the entropy-fluctuation picture is a product of this semantic confusion.     

关于生命信息学研究的进展--以不违背热力学第二定律的方式理解生命

本文介绍生命信息学研究的若干成果，包括信息二重性理论、生命信息进化论以及宇宙信息四雏模型等；并以此作为基础，提出一种在不违背热力学第二定律的条件下理解生命的方式。作者把“熵增原理”移植到信息学，把薛定谔说的“吃进负熵”推广到“学进负熵”。于是，两类“熵增”指向生命的死亡和毁灭，而两类“熵减”则指向有机体繁殖和生命进化；两种倾向的竞争演绎出丰富多彩的生命现象。     

Classification Based on Depth Transvariations

Suppose y, a d-dimensional (d ≥ 1) vector, is drawn from a mixture of k (k ≥ 2) populations, given by ∏₁, ∏₂,…,∏ _k . We wish to identify the population that is the most likely source of the point y. To solve this classification problem many classification rules have been proposed in the literature. In this study, a new nonparametric classifier based on the transvariation probabilities of data depth is proposed. We compare the performance of the newly proposed nonparametric classifier with classical and maximum depth classifiers using some benchmark and simulated data sets. The authors thank the editor and referees for comments that led to an improvement of this paper. This work is partially supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. DMS-0604726. Published online xx, xx, xxxx.     

论网络空间人际交往的伦理困境

网络空间为人际交往提供了不同于物理空间的虚拟场所.网络数字化、符号化、虚拟化特质遮蔽了人们的真实面目,使人际交往陷入伦理困境.呈现为:网络身心分裂导致自我同一性的丧失;网络人我疏离加剧了群体认同危机;自我与群体的认同危机带来多元价值观的泛滥,这也是"去中心性"的后现代主义文化在网络空间施展的结果.缺乏普遍性道德原则的规导,交往行为势必会走向无序.     

Classification of Multivariate Objects Using Interval Quantile Classes

The paper contains a proposal of interval data clustering related to given social and economic objects characterized by many interval variables. This multivariate approach is based on an original conception of interval quantiles constructed using a special definition derived from the notion of the Hausdorff distance. In order to improve the quality of classification, the obtained interval quantile classes can be next aggregated into larger merged classes. The efficiency of our method can be assessed using especially defined indices of entropy and volume coefficients. The second notion replaces the classical concept of area, which is not applicable in this case.     

Clustering criteria for discrete data and latent class models

We show that a well-known clustering criterion for discrete data, the information criterion, is closely related to the classification maximum likelihood criterion for the latent class model. This relation can be derived from the Bryant-Windham construction. Emphasis is placed on binary clustering criteria which are analyzed under the maximum likelihood approach for different multivariate Bernoulli mixtures. This alternative form of criterion reveals non-apparent aspects of clustering techniques. All the criteria discussed can be optimized with the alternating optimization algorithm. Some illustrative applications are included.

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Résumé Nous montrons que le critère de classification de l'information, souvent utilisé pour les données discrètes, est très lié au critère du maximum de vraisemblance classifiante appliqué au modèle des classes latentes. Ce lien peut être analysé sous l'approche de la paramétrisation de Bryant-Windham. L'accent est mis sur le cas des données binaires qui sont analysées sous l'approche du maximum de vraisemblance pour les mélanges de distributions multivariées de Bernoulli. Cette forme de critère permet de mettre en évidence des aspects cachés des méthodes de classification de données binaires. Tous les critères envisagés ici peuvent être optimisés avec l'algorithme d'optimisation alternée. Des exemples concluent cet article.

     

美国国家科学基金会成立背景述评

简析美国国家科学基金会成立的历史背景,讨论美国政府在资助和管理基础科学方面所进行的探索,着重论述科学界的代表人物之一万尼瓦尔·布什和新政派参议员哈利·基尔戈之间的争论及其对美国国家科学基金会成立的影响,阐明美国国家科学基金会的成立是现代科学发展及科学团体与联邦政府间相互作用的必然结果。     

Error rates in quadratic discrimination with constraints on the covariance matrices

In multivariate discrimination of several normal populations, the optimal classification procedure is based on quadratic discriminant functions. We compare expected error rates of the quadratic classification procedure if the covariance matrices are estimated under the following four models: (i) arbitrary covariance matrices, (ii) common principal components, (iii) proportional covariance matrices, and (iv) identical covariance matrices. Using Monte Carlo simulation to estimate expected error rates, we study the performance of the four discrimination procedures for five different parameter setups corresponding to standard situations that have been used in the literature. The procedures are examined for sample sizes ranging from 10 to 60, and for two to four groups. Our results quantify the extent to which a parsimonious method reduces error rates, and demonstrate that choosing a simple method of discrimination is often beneficial even if the underlying model assumptions are wrong.The authors wish to thank the editor and three referees for their helpful comments on the first draft of this article. M. J. Schmid supported by grants no. 2.724-0.85 and 2.038-0.86 of the Swiss National Science Foundation.     

论作为新型现代化诉求的"低熵化发展模式"

“熵”理论揭示了污染产生的作用机理,有助于打破“器物至上”和“技术乐观主义”的窠臼。中国新型现代化的本土性和修茸性特征,决定了其对低熵化发展模式的诉求。“熵”定律在科学层面揭示了发展的认识原理,可持续发展在政策层面给出了发展的战略原则,低熵化发展模式在实践层面提供了发展的操作方式与演进路径。培育低熵观念、选择低熵技术、营造低熵社会环境,是低熵化发展模式付诸实践的应有之念。在弱“熵”的进程中构建节约型社会与和谐型社会,并由此实现社会的可持续发展,是新型现代化的终极关怀。     

基于工业技术观批判的生态技术观

技术观的神化、西化和简单化,是工业技术观的主要偏颇,也是种种技术悖论产生的主要原因.在批判工业技术观的基础上构建生态技术观,是中国新型现代化的现实需要.生态技术观具有绿色化、低熵化、整体化和理性化等特点,也具有自省性、修正性和自救性等功能,体现立体远距离伦理,适中的生态中心主义以及对工具理性和价值理性彼此平衡的诉求.生态技术观取代工业技术观,有赖于"社会技术"及内涵生态意蕴和弱熵功能的高新技术.     

A comparison between two distance-based discriminant principles

A distance-based classification procedure suggested by Matusita (1956) has long been available as an alternative to the usual Bayes decision rule. Unsatisfactory features of both approaches when applied to multinomial data led Goldstein and Dillon (1978) to propose a new distance-based principle for classification. We subject the Goldstein/Dillon principle to some theoretical scrutiny by deriving the population classification rules appropriate not only to multinomial data but also to multivariate normal and mixed multinomial/multinormal data. These rules demonstrate equivalence of the Goldstein/Dillon and Matusita approaches for the first two data types, and similar equivalence is conjectured (but not explicitly obtained) for the mixed data case. Implications for sample-based rules are noted.     

A Probability for Classification Based on the Dirichlet Process Mixture Model

In this paper we provide an explicit probability distribution for classification purposes when observations are viewed on the real line and classifications are to be based on numerical orderings. The classification model is derived from a Bayesian nonparametric mixture of Dirichlet process model; with some modifications. The resulting approach then more closely resembles a classical hierarchical grouping rule in that it depends on sums of squares of neighboring values. The proposed probability model for classification relies on a numerical procedure based on a reversible Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) algorithm for determining the probabilities. Some numerical illustrations comparing with alternative ideas for classification are provided.     

20世纪一次成功的中瑞合作科学考察——西北科学考查团

上个世纪中瑞合作的西北科学考查团是一个富有成效的科考团体。从合作一开始就展现了双方较高的智慧，他们围绕西北考察这一共同目标达成共识。最终瑞方达到为“开辟航线”收集气象、地理、地磁等各种资料的目的，中方达到维护主权，考察西部边陲和培养人才的目的。在中国科技史和中外科技交流史上书写了非常有意义的一页。     

A reduction algorithm for approximating a (nonmetric) dissimilarity by a tree distance

We propose a development stemming from Roux (1988). The principle is progressively to modify the dissimilarities so that every quadruple satisfies not only the additive inequality, as in Roux's method, but also all triangle inequalities. Our method thus ensures that the results are tree distances even when the observed dissimilarities are nonmetric. The method relies on the analytic solution of the least-squares projection onto a tree distance of the dissimilarities attached to a single quadruple. This goal is achieved by using geometric reasoning which also enables an easy proof of algorithm's convergence. This proof is simpler and more complete than that of Roux (1988) and applies to other similar reduction methods based on local least-squares projection. The method is illustrated using Case's (1978) data. Finally, we provide a comparative study with simulated data and show that our method compares favorably with that of Studier and Keppler (1988) which follows in the ADDTREE tradition (Sattath and Tversky 1977). Moreover, this study seems to indicate that our method's results are generally close to the global optimum according to variance accounted for.We offer sincere thanks to Gilles Caraux, Bernard Fichet, Alain Guénoche, and Maurice Roux for helpful discussions, advice, and for reading the preliminary versions of this paper. We are grateful to three anonymous referees and to the editor for many insightful comments. This research was supported in part by the GREG and the IA² network.     

试析李时珍与林奈在动植物分类学上的异同

本文介绍了李时珍、林奈各自分类学传统及其突破,重点比较两者分类体系的异同,从中浅析异同的原因及其对后世的影响,并以此作为对李约瑟难题的一个小小的回应。     

从现代科学技术体系分类看术语学学科体系构建

现代科学技术体系是一个层级联系的复杂系统,基础科学、技术科学和应用科学三者在这一体系中既有区别,又相互联系.各学科门类都可根据其研究对象、目的和对社会所起的作用,以及他们各自所处的地位在这一体系中为自身定位.文章梳理了现代科学技术体系分类的几种经典方法,其中着重介绍了钱学森先生的科学技术体系“梳型结构”的分类原则和大体框架,同时也为未来的术语学学科定位及其体系构建提出了初步的构想.     

The coefficient of variation biplot

This note introduces the coefficient of variation biplot, and suggests that it will provide a useful graphical display of data matrices in which the relative variability of the columns is of interest.The author acknowledges support from the University of Cape Town and the Foundation for Research Development of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research. J. C. Gower and the referees provided helpful comments.     

海峡两岸土木工程科技名词对照基础研究

海峡两岸土木工程科技名词对照工作是十分必要的。提出了两岸土木工程科技名词对照工作方法与原则,分析了基础对照研究阶段两岸土木工程二级学科分类及名词对应上存在的问题,给出了处理分歧的建议,并对成果的应用和对照的前景做了展望。     

垃圾分类术语英译现状探析

垃圾分类关乎国家与城市的生态素养与文明程度,是世界各国共同关切的重要问题。文章阐述了国内垃圾分类术语及现存问题,归纳了目前国内垃圾分类术语的英译现状,并针对术语不统一、译名混乱、译名错误等问题,从当地政府部门与城市市民群体两方面提出了应对之策,以期促进垃圾分类术语及其英译名的规范化与标准化建设,为垃圾分类及其他行业领域的术语及其翻译问题提供参考与借鉴。