Improved Transferability of Data‐Driven Damage Models Through Sample Selection Bias Correction

Damage models for natural hazards are used for decision making on reducing and transferring risk. The damage estimates from these models depend on many variables and their complex sometimes nonlinear relationships with the damage. In recent years, data‐driven modeling techniques have been used to capture those relationships. The available data to build such models are often limited. Therefore, in practice it is usually necessary to transfer models to a different context. In this article, we show that this implies the samples used to build the model are often not fully representative for the situation where they need to be applied on, which leads to a “sample selection bias.” In this article, we enhance data‐driven damage models by applying methods, not previously applied to damage modeling, to correct for this bias before the machine learning (ML) models are trained. We demonstrate this with case studies on flooding in Europe, and typhoon wind damage in the Philippines. Two sample selection bias correction methods from the ML literature are applied and one of these methods is also adjusted to our problem. These three methods are combined with stochastic generation of synthetic damage data. We demonstrate that for both case studies, the sample selection bias correction techniques reduce model errors, especially for the mean bias error this reduction can be larger than 30%. The novel combination with stochastic data generation seems to enhance these techniques. This shows that sample selection bias correction methods are beneficial for damage model transfer.     

Decision‐making under uncertainty in child protection: Creating a just and learning culture

The argument is made for having a positive error culture in child protection to improve decision‐making and risk management. This requires organizations to accept that mistakes are likely and to treat them as opportunities for learning and improving. In contrast, in many organizations, a punitive reaction to errors leads to workers hiding them and developing a defensive approach to their practice with children and families. The safety management literature has shown how human error is generally not simply due to a “bad apple” but made more or less likely by the work context that helps or hinders good performance. Improving safety requires learning about the weaknesses in the organization that contribute to poor performance. To create a learning culture, people need to feel that when they talk about mistakes or weak practice, there will be a constructive response from their organization. One aspect of reducing the blame culture is to develop a shared understanding of how practice will be judged and how those appraising practice will avoid the hindsight bias. To facilitate a positive error culture, a set of risk principles are presented that offer a set of criteria by which practice should be appraised.     

《墨子》的修辞特点及其英译

《墨子》是先秦时期重要的思想典籍。在文学史上，《墨子》以其突出的逻辑性和语言质朴著称。拟对《墨子》的修辞特点及其英译进行初步比较分析，以期丰富《墨子》的翻译研究。     

源自文学典故的英语词汇

单词在英语学习中起着建筑材料的作用。很多人在阅读英美书刊或文章时常常被一些寓意深刻的词汇难住,即使查过字典后往往也只知其然而不知其所以然。本文旨在探讨一部分出自文学典故的英语词汇的来龙去脉及其用法,从而使学习者加深印象,记得牢固,用得恰当。除此之外,本文希望有助于提高学习者的兴趣,开阔视野,了解英美文化,进而领略英语原文的真谛。     

The University: An Agent of Social Change?

Can universities be agents of progressive social change? How would we know if a university was acting as an agent of social change? Drawing on four case studies, I raise a number of questions to problematize our understanding of the university as an agent of social change. I outline a number of contributing factors that appear to explain successful cases. I conclude by arguing the relevancy of these cases for larger, and more traditional, sociological projects.     

Challenges to Connecting Sociology and Service Learning

Service-learning programs are not free from challenges brought about by lack of financial support, lack of widespread commitment from professors, community agencies, and recipients of service, and lack of knowledge and insight in students directly involved in such programs. While service-learning initiatives and programs serve positive functions for organizations and individuals, rhetorical accolades for service learning can distort or omit the realities of program implementation and sustained delivery. This paper specifically explores the following challenges connected to service-learning programs: (1) pedagogical difficulties; (2) student limitations; (3) time constraints; and (4) community cooperation.     

运用心理学移情原理消除师生的情感障碍

英语教学的成败是诸多因素相互作用的结果 ,但无论这些因素多么错综复杂 ,主要还是来自教和学两方面。教师和学生能否在教学中相互理解从而形成互动是教学成败的关键。文章将着重讨论师生间营造互动关系中的两个重要环节———情感与移情     

计算机与学术写作(英文)

深大外语系把若干计算机软件应用于英语专业本科学生的写作课教材系列。这不仅有助于学生自修写作技巧,且能为教师节省大量时间,使教师有可能对学生作更多的个别辅导。同时,学生在上写作课的过程中还能掌握一种使用计算机的实际技能。近十年来,中国的飞速发展是史无前例的。西方的技术发展史对中国虽然有启迪作用,但其实际要求与中国相去甚远。在这个意义上,深大的尝试对全中国均具有示范意义。     

英语口语教学刍议

英语口语技能是听、说、读、写四项基本语言技能中很重要的一种技能。要通过课堂教学提高学生口语能力 ,必须从教师、教学方法和学生三方面入手 ,即教师应组织和动员学生积极参与学习 ,采取循序渐进的教学方法 ,发挥学生的主观能动性。学生应有明确的学习目标和计划 ,积极配合老师 ,多说勤炼     

JOURNAL OF UNIVERSITY OF SHANGHAI FOR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 2002 Vol.24 No.1～4 Total Contents

在学习英语时,中西文化背景的差异,往往会给我们的阅读带来很大的困难。本文拟从词汇的文化内涵、历史典故和西方现代历史文化等三个方面来论述中西文化差异对篇章阅读的影响。