Search

Complex networks offer flexible representations of complex heterogeneous real-world systems. They are often weighted, attributed, directed and/or dynamic. As such, gaining an overall understanding of information flow through these systems remains a challenging problem in the machine learning community. This thesis provides a comprehensive examination of the hierarchy inherent to many complex networks, with the following contributions: • The first algorithm to learn low dimensional non-Euclidean representations of attributed nodes in a weighted complex network. • The first algorithm to learn low dimensional non-Euclidean representations of attributed nodes in a directed complex network. • A framework to explore the multi-scale organization of meso-scopic architectures in signalling networks, allowing for the identification of statistically significant drug-able targets. Through these contributions, the work proposed in this thesis contributes towards a greater understanding of the hierarchy in the organization and dynamics of complex real-world systems.

Aim The programme of research within this thesis was developed to evaluate the current literature base for Enhanced Recovery Programmes (ERP) in orthopaedics and to specifically compare two methods of peri-operative analgesia, epidural or local infiltration analgesia, as the primary analgesic technique as part of an established ERP program and their impact on rehabilitation outcomes at discharge from hospital, six weeks and one year post-surgery . Methods Fundamental to enabling rehabilitation is good pain control whilst ensuring adequate muscle power to facilitate early ambulation and functional recovery. Local Infiltration Analgesia (LIA) has become synonymous with enhanced recovery programmes. A structured literature review and meta› analysis was developed to review the current literature and specifically whether local infiltration analgesia improved rehabilitation outcomes following total knee arthroplasty compared to other forms of regional analgesia. Six studies met the criteria for inclusion within the review which demonstrated low quality evidence in favour of infiltration, however of concern was the significant increase in adverse events recorded within the included trials. Therefore, following ethical approval a randomised controlled parallel group trial was carried out within an elective orthopaedic unit from April2010-August 2012. A total of242 patients undergoing primary TKA for osteoarthritis were recruited and received standardised pre-operative education, multimodal analgesia, accelerated rehabilitation and were randomised using a simple unrestricted randomisation method to receive either Patient Controlled Epidural Analgesia (PCEA) or LIA. Primary outcome measure was the proportion of patients discharged from rehabilitation by day four. Statistical significance was set at p

This thesis, which is divided into five papers, explores biased decision making in naturalistic environments and its implications for the efficiency of financial markets and forecasts of competitive event outcomes. Betting markets offer a valuable real world decision making context, allowing analysis that is not possible using regular financial market data. The first paper surveys studies that have employed betting markets to investigate biased decision making and discusses why the extent of these biases is significantly less than in the laboratory. The second paper addresses unresolved issues relating to noise trading and herding in financial markets, by showing that noise trading is associated with increased market efficiency, that the extent of herding differs depending on the direction and timing of changes in market prices, and that this results in an economically significant inefficiency. The findings of this paper have important policy implications for wider financial markets: regulatory measures to protect investors from the destabilizing effects of noise appear to be self-defeating and herding is particularly prevalent when uninformed traders perceive that informed traders are participating in the market. The third and fourth papers address the favourite-longshot bias (FLB), where market prices under-/over-estimate high/low probability outcomes. These papers demonstrate that previous explanations of the bias are inconsistent with evidence of trading in UK betting markets by developing and testing the predictions of models that explain the bias in terms of competition between market makers and the demand preferences of bettors. Moreover, it is definitively shown that, when no market maker is involved, the bias is due to cognitive errors of traders rather than their preference for risk, because only prospect theory, and not risk-love, can explain a reduced FLB in events with strong favourites. The final chapter explores methodological concerns relating to estimates of forecast accuracy in models of discrete choice, and arrives at a much more rigorous understanding of the value of these estimates.

Prayground.tv is an online experiential prayer exercise. It is designed to facilitate personal expression and creativity, high user interactivity, and conversation among peers in order to help postmoderns engage spirituality that is both individual and communal. The Internet has quickly become the voice for virtual community and personal expression and prayground.tv is a helpful tool in exploring the tension between the communityoriented teachings of Jesus while helping each user internalize those teachings. Section Two will show that, based on external data and outside sources, this dichotomy is especially real in a postmodern context and needs to be addressed. Here I will demonstrate the validity of the Internet as a medium for navigating the tension between community and individuality. In Section Three I will explore other websites that offer potential responses to this tension of individuality and community. I will evaluate other websites providing online spiritual experiences, as well as social networking sites purporting to produce community on the web. In Section Four I will substantiate my claims by presenting materials from computing sciences and multiple-intelligence theory, along with thoughts on Christian spirituality in a postmodern world. There are legitimate forms of community occurring online, many of which have not been recognized by the church, and I will show that an online experience of faith simultaneously values individual preferences while drawing people together in prayer and conversation. In Section Five I will present testimonials and some observations from a working prototype of prayground.tv. These will show how prayground.tv provides a practical solution to the ministry problem and facilitates a sense of community and personal encounter. The Church must find a way to avoid deteriorating into a completely isolationist experience of faith. Too often, I hear Christians express their belief that faith is primarily-if not exclusively-individual, and we must bring that sense of individuality back into harmony with biblical community in order to be healthy, in order to be whole. Likewise, we cannot simply assign community as a remedy to personal crisis and faith. There must remain a tension, wherein the community and the individuality of every believer hold us together as ourselves. In the new world, Church can string us together without becoming a noose.

This document is organized into two sections. The first section, chapters 1 through 4, is theorizing about art in general and issues I have thought important to my art over the last three years.The second section, chapters 5 through 9, is about specific works I have made over the past four years. Each of these chapters begins by listing the objective facts of the works: what they look like, what they do, and how I made them. Then each part gives at least two descriptions of the work, one as the work might be understood after cursory examination or examination by someone without much knowledge of art, and one bringing as much knowledge to bear as I possess. The works present themselves differently to these different audiences.