bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Dilemma of Responsibility: The Role of Kin-States and Nation-States in Implementing Non-Territorial Autonomy Models to Realise Minorities’ Linguistic, Cultural and Educational Rights
Authors: Klatt Martin
Published: December 2022

In this paper, I scrutinise a perceived best-practice example of national conflict resolution and minority accommodation (the Danish–German borderland of Schleswig) on the dilemma of responsibility to implement minorities’ linguistic, cultural and educational rights. The respective German minority in Denmark and the Danish minority in Germany operate high-quality educational systems and other cultural institutions in an informal non-territorial autonomy (NTA) settlement dating back to the division of the region in 1920. This system depends financially on kin-state support, especially for the Danish minority. A budget conflict in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein in 2010 demonstrated the viability of the minority settlement and issues about fairness and recognition when narratives of a privileged minority dominated political discourse. This raises issues regarding how NTA arrangements should be implemented, refocusing on the responsibility of kin-states and states of residence.
The Evanescence of Autonomy for Minority Groups: The Hungarian Minority in Romania and the Complex Nexus of Dependence
Authors: Udrea Andreea
Published: December 2022

This paper examines the nature and extent of autonomy for minority groups in the context of the Hungarian minority in Romania. It shows that, rather than being a mechanism through which states fulfil their obligation to protect a people’s fair access to opportunities for self-determination, autonomy is merely a vehicle through which minority rights are administered. While the accommodation of national minorities in Romania is considered to be a positive example, a focus on the Hungarian minority highlights the extent to which the group’s autonomy has become entrenched in a nexus of dependence, involving both the home-state and the kin-state. I argue that the exercise of autonomy in cases such as the one discussed here is at odds with legal and political developments concerning the concept of autonomy for minority groups in Europe. This has not only weakened autonomy’s normative foundations but also, more worryingly, caused it to become evanescent.
Illiberal Forms of Non-Territorial Autonomy: The Sudeten German Party Case
Authors: Mulej Oskar
Published: December 2022

The paper aims to present an illiberal variant of non-territorial autonomy (NTA) by focusing on the historical example of the autonomist proposals developed during the 1930s in Czechoslovakia by the far-right Sudeten German Party (Sudetendeutsche Partei, SdP). Known under the joint titleVolksschutzgesetze(Laws for the Protection of Nationality), the six draft laws that the SdP presented to the Czechoslovak Parliament in 1937 foresaw a far-reaching re-organisation of the state along national lines and on a purely non-territorial basis. As such, the SdP’s legal demands can be treated as a clear example of NTA. At the same time, they may also be viewed as an instance of a radical nationalist and openly illiberal adaptation of the concept. Informed by contemporaryvölkischsociological, legal and political thought, the bills aimed at transforming Czechoslovakia into a federation of largely autarchic ethno-national communities. This was to be done on the basis of an involuntary, binding and essentialising definition of nationality and a fundamentally illiberal conception of collective rights, in which the rights of the national group came before those of their individual members. The envisaged scope of national self-rule was furthermore meant to extend far beyond the confines of culture and education, encompassing a wide array of other spheres of life also considered to be essentially ‘national’. Lastly, theVolksschutzgesetzealso effectively negated Czechoslovakia’s self-understanding as a nation-state by transposing the notion of sovereignty from the whole of its citizenry to the individual ethnic groups inhabiting it. In clear contrast to the 1925 Estonian Law on Cultural Autonomy as the model interwar example of NTA, they were thus effectively at odds with both liberal democracy and the nation-state.
The Implications of Administrative Decentralisation on the Development of Non-Territorial Autonomy Practices: The Case of Romania
Authors: Cornea Valentina , Costache Mirela Paula , Matic Andreea Elena
Published: December 2022

This study analyses non-territorial autonomy as a practical category in the conditions of administrative decentralisation. The aim is to elucidate the way in which a decentralised administrative system creates the premises and a favourable context for the development of entities with responsibilities in the ethno-cultural field. The paper argues first that Romania’s decentralisation model allows the development of the practices associated with non-territorial autonomy. Organisations of national minorities are the best-defined element in this regard. Second, it argues that both decentralisation and non-territorial autonomy are effective, all other factors and variables being equal. The factors and variables which influence the decentralisation and non-territorial autonomy are: ethnic activism, the typology of responsibilities assumed by entities with ethno-cultural responsibilities and administrative responses to issues related to the protection of national minorities. We conclude that under the conditions of decentralisation, minority groups benefit from support for the development and maintenance of cultural particularities, while non-territorial autonomy creates a favourable framework for empowering minority groups to self-administer. Decentralisation reinforces and legitimises non-territorial autonomy processes when carried out correctly and responsibly.
Impacts of Transboundary Crop Diseases on Sustainable Crop Production: The Case of Maize Lethal Necrosis (MLN) in Africa
Authors: Mottaleb Khondoker Abdul
Published: December 2022

More than half of the world’s population relies on wheat, maize, and rice for their daily dietary energy. In 2019, the daily per person average calorie intake was 2,963 kilocalories (kcal), in which the share was more than 18.2% (538 kcal) for wheat, 5.4% (159 kcal) for maize, and 18.3% (542 kcal) for rice. It is projected that by 2050, the total global population is expected to reach between 8.9 and 10.6 billion from 7.8 billion in 2020. Thus, it will be imperative to produce more wheat, maize, and rice to ensure the food security of the world’s burgeoning population. While it is imperative to produce more food, the emergence and re-emergence of lethal crop diseases and their spread from the epicenters to new regions continuously threaten crop yield, farmers’ income, and the world’s food security. For example, the emergence of maize lethal necrosis (MLN) in Africa has generated a credible threat to global and African food security. This study quantified MLN-induced maize production loss in Kenya, DR Congo, and Tanzania. Applying the time-series projection method, this study estimates that the loss in maize production due to MLN was 442 thousand tons in Kenya, nearly 12 thousand tons in DR Congo, and 663 thousand tons in Tanzania. As more pest- and disease-related crop losses are expected due to the changes in global climate, this study concludes by suggesting that it is imperative to invest more in research and development of disease-resistant crop varieties globally to ensure food and nutrition security, particularly in the global south.
Janus and Hades in M-theory
Authors: Anabalón Andrés , Chamorro-Burgos Miguel , Guarino Adolfo
Published: December 2022

Abstract

Multi-parametric and analytic families of four-dimensional AdS3 × ℝ (Janus) and AdS3 × ℝ+ (Hades) solutions are constructed in the SO(8) gauged supergravity that arises from the consistent reduction of eleven-dimensional supergravity on S7 . The solutions are generically non-supersymmetric, involve non-trivial running scalars and preserve a U(1)4 symmetry. Different patterns of (super) symmetry enhancement occur upon suitable adjustment of the free parameters which further control the boundary conditions of the running scalars. We concentrate on the non-supersymmetric Janus and Hades solutions with SU(3) × U(1)2 symmetry and provide their higher-dimensional description in terms of M-theory fluxes and membranes. Special attention is paid to a class of such Hades solutions dubbed “ridge flows” which resemble dielectric rotations of Coulomb branch flows previously investigated in the literature.
Gravitational waves-tomography of Low-Scale-Leptogenesis
Authors: Datta Satyabrata , Samanta Rome
Published: December 2022

Abstract

A long-lived scalar field (Φ) which couples weakly to the right-handed (RH) neutrinos (NRi), generates small RH neutrino masses (Mi) in Low-Scale-Leptogenesis (LSL) mechanisms, despite having a large vacuum expectation value vΦ. In this case, the correlation shared by the Mis and the duration of the non-standard cosmic history driven by the Φ provides an excellent opportunity to study LSL signatures on primordial gravitational waves (GWs). We find it engaging, specifically for the gravitational waves that originate due to the inflationary blue-tilted tensor power spectrum and propagate through the non-standard cosmic epoch. Depending on Mi, broadly, the scenario has two significant consequences. First, if LSL is at play, GWs with a sizeable blue tilt do not contradict the Big-Bang-Nucleosynthesis (BBN) bound even for the post-inflationary models with very high-scale reheating. Second, it opens up a possibility to probe LSLs via a low-frequency and a complementary high-frequency measurement of GW-spectral shapes which are typically double-peaked. For a case study, we consider the recent results on GWs from the Pulsar-Timing-Arrays (PTAs) as a ‘measurement’ at the low frequencies and forecast the signatures of LSL mechanisms at the higher frequencies.
Loop-level gluon OPEs in celestial holography
Authors: Bhardwaj Rishabh , Lippstreu Luke , Ren Lecheng , Spradlin Marcus , Srikant Akshay Yelleshpur , Volovich Anastasia
Published: December 2022

Abstract

We compute one-loop corrections to the OPE of gluons in the celestial conformal field theory corresponding to Yang-Mills coupled to arbitrary matter. We exploit universal hard/soft factorization to derive an IR finite OPE for the hard gluon operators. This OPE involves logarithms and operators that resemble logarithmic partners of primary operators. We derive an exact all-loop OPE in a limit of the Higgs-regulated planar $$ \mathcal{N} $$
N
= 4 super Yang-Mills theory.
Cellular interactions in the pituitary stem cell niche
Authors: Willis Thea L. , Lodge Emily J. , Andoniadou Cynthia L. , Yianni Val
Published: December 2022

Stem cells in the anterior pituitary gland can give rise to all resident endocrine cells and are integral components for the appropriate development and subsequent maintenance of the organ. Located in discreet niches within the gland, stem cells are involved in bi-directional signalling with their surrounding neighbours, interactions which underpin pituitary gland homeostasis and response to organ challenge or physiological demand. In this review we highlight core signalling pathways that steer pituitary progenitors towards specific endocrine fate decisions throughout development. We further elaborate on those which are conserved in the stem cell niche postnatally, including WNT, YAP/TAZ and Notch signalling. Furthermore, we have collated a directory of single cell RNA sequencing studies carried out on pituitaries across multiple organisms, which have the potential to provide a vast database to study stem cell niche components in an unbiased manner. Reviewing published data, we highlight that stem cells are one of the main signalling hubs within the anterior pituitary. In future, coupling single cell sequencing approaches with genetic manipulation tools in vivo, will enable elucidation of how previously understudied signalling pathways function within the anterior pituitary stem cell niche.
Parabolic differential equations with bounded delay
Authors: Kryspin Marek , Mierczyński Janusz
Published: December 2022

We show the continuous dependence of solutions of linear nonautonomous second-order parabolic partial differential equations (PDEs) with bounded delay on coefficients and delay. The assumptions are very weak: only convergence in the weak-* topology of delay coefficients is required. The results are important in the applications of the theory of Lyapunov exponents to the investigation of PDEs with delay.
Musik und Bewegung als therapeutische Ressourcen bei Demenz
Authors: Kressig Reto W.
Published: December 2022

In der Betreuung von Menschen mit Demenz spielen Musik und Bewegung seit Jahrzenten eine wichtige Rolle. Die dazu bestehende wissenschaftliche Evidenz ist immer noch relativ klein, wächst aber. Der erst seit knapp zehn Jahren bekannte Umstand, dass das musikalische Gedächtnis bis in fortgeschrittene Demenzstadien intakt bleibt, hat Musik bei Hirnleistungsabbau zunehmend zur therapeutisch genutzten Ressource werden lassen. So können gesungene Texte viel besser erinnert werden als gesprochene. Die gezielte musikalische Stimulierung der frontalen Hirnregionen hat zudem häufig positive Wirkungen auf demenzassoziierte Verhaltensauffälligkeiten. Bewegung kombiniert mit Musik in Form von Tanz oder Rhythmik scheint neben positiven kognitiven Effekten auch mit Verbesserungen des Gleichgewichts und der Gangsicherheit einherzugehen.
Target-the-Two: a lab-in-the-field experiment on routinization
Authors: Attanasi Giuseppe , Egidi Massimo , Manzoni Elena
Published: December 2022

The paper investigates the cognitive determinants of routinization and creativity by means of a lab-in-the-field experiment run at the 20th edition of a mass gathering festival in Italy (“La Notte della Taranta”). Subjects play repeatedly the puzzle version of the Target-The-Two game (32 hands). In hands 1-16, the strategy that is optimal given the card distribution is always the same and it is the easiest to be discovered. Conversely, in hands 17-32, subjects are exposed to games where the optimal contextual strategy may differ from the one with which they have been made familiar. We investigate whether and how, in hands 17-32, subjects remain routinized on the familiar strategy, or creatively choose a different one. We define as “experts” those subjects who played the optimal contextual strategy in the overwhelming majority of hands 1-16. In hands 17-32, we find several subjects playing the familiar strategy even when it is not the optimal one, regardless of whether they are experts or not. This shows that routinization is deep-rooted in the cognitive individual process. Furthermore, routinization pays off only for inexpert subjects: creative inexpert subjects are slower and they fail to find the optimal contextual strategy in several hands. Among expert subjects instead, creative subjects, although still slower, need less moves than routinized ones to find the optimal contextual strategy.
Moderate temperature reduction is sufficient for prevention of 5-fluorouracil-induced oral mucositis: an experimental in vivo study in rats
Authors: Walladbegi J. , Dankis M. , Aydogdu Ö. , Jontell M. , Winder M.
Published: December 2022

Purpose

The current idea of how oral mucositis (OM) develops is primarily based on hypotheses and the early events which precede clinically established OM remain to be demonstrated. Cryotherapy (CT) continues to have considerable promise in clinical settings to reduce chemotherapy-induced OM. Although being effective, the knowledge is scarce regarding the ideal temperature for prevention of OM. Thus, the present study had two main objectives: (i) to develop an animal model to investigate the early events of OM; (ii) to study at what cooling temperature these early events could be abolished.

Methods

Male Sprague–Dawley rats were anaesthetized and given an intravenous bolus dose with the cytostatic drug fluorouracil (5-FU). During the first hour following injection with 5-FU, the oral cavity of the rats was cooled to a mucosal temperature at the range of 15–30 ○C, or left uncooled (35 ○C), serving as control. After 3–5 days, the rats were euthanized, and the buccal mucosa was excised. Subsequently, mucosal thickness and expression of IL-6 and TNF-α were analyzed with immunohistochemistry and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

Results

Five days following treatment with 5-FU, a statistically significant thickening of the oral mucosa occurred, and a distinct expression of both IL-6 and TNF-α were observed. The cryo-treated groups (15–30 °C) displayed statistically significantly thinner mucosa as compared to the control group (35 °C). The ELISA showed an increase in expression of the proinflammatory cytokines IL-6 and TNF-α in tissues exposed to 5-FU that were treated with increasing temperatures (15–30 °C).

Conclusion

Bolus i.v. injection with 5-FU in rats can be used to create a functional animal model for chemotherapy-induced OM. Further, moderate temperature reduction is sufficient to reduce the early events which may precede clinically established OM.
The incorporation of polypyrrole (PPy) in CS/PVA composite films to enhance the structural, optical, and the electrical conductivity
Authors: Elashmawi I. S. , Ismail A. M. , Abdelghany A. M.
Published: December 2022

Using the solution casting method, a blend of polyvinyl alcohol/chitosan (PVA/Cs) blend was prepared with different amounts of polypyrrole (PPy) to enhance the structural and electrical conductivity of the films. The miscibility and interaction between PVA/Cs were confirmed by FT-IR measurements by shifting and disappearing some bands suggesting that the PVA functional group interacted with every other functional group on the Cs side chain. For PVA/Cs/PPy, some band intensities varied, indicating the interaction between PPy and PVA/Cs. XRD showed that the addition of PPy to the blend leads to a noticeable decrease in the intensity of the diffraction peak at 2θ = 20.0° confirming the interactions have occurred between the PVA/Cs mixture and PPy. The UV–visible spectra indicate that increasing the amounts of PPy leads to a dramatic decrease in the energy band gap and an increase in the Urbach energy due to the creation of new energy levels that emerged between conduction and valance bands. After PPy was introduced, the polaron and bipolaron transition peaks at 416, 465, and 560 nm become apparent in the PL spectrum. The dielectric and the electrical properties were reported. The values of ε′ and ε′′ were stronger at low frequencies confirming the possibilities of interface polarization processes. The tan δ behavior diagrams have exhibited one peak trend in all samples shift toward higher frequencies as the temperature and PPy rise. The presence of the peaks was explained based on the electrical conductivity mechanism and dielectric behavior. The Cole–Cole plot displays a half one semicircle shape that explains the absence of contact effects. This semicircle expands as both temperature and PPy increase.
Importance of urodynamic evaluation of bladder function after secondary untethering in spina bifida patients: single center experience of 30 years
Authors: Ciesla Luise , Schneider Joanna , Marco Beatriz Bañuelos , Schulz Matthias , Thomale Ulrich-Wilhelm , Geppert Tamara , Trojan Katharina C. , Kaindl Angela M. , Lingnau Anja
Published: December 2022

Introduction

A TCS after primary closure of meningomyeloceles is a known complication of the spina bifida disease. Data on the outcome after SSCU surgery is heterogeneous and lacking standardization. Thus we aimed to find a reliable system for assessment of the bladder function before and after SSCU surgery and document postoperative outcome.

Methods

A retrospective study was performed on a cohort of patients with spina bifida diagnosis. In total, 130 patients underwent 182 SSCU surgeries, 56 of those met our inclusion criteria. A classification system, including two different methods, was used. The AC system used baseline pressure and detrusor over activity to define three levels of bladder dysfunction, the second method ranked the severity of bladder dysfunction by awarding points from 0 to 2 for bladder capacity, maximal detrusor pressure during autonomous contractions, leak point pressure and vesicoureteral reflux A high score is correlated with a severe bladder dysfunction.

Results

Gender distribution was equally (male: n = 29; 51.8%; female: n = 27; 48.2%). The median age at SSCU was 902 years (range 0.5–22.8 years). After SSCU, the stage improved in 11 patients (19.6%), worsened in 11 (19.6%) patients and remained the same in 34 patients (60.7%) after intervention (AC score). Non-worsening was observed in a total of 45 cases (80.4%) (p < 0.001). MHS score (n = 27, 48.2%) improved, remained unchanged (n = 12, 21.4%), 17 patients worsened (30.4%). Non-worsening in postoperative bladder functional outcome was demonstrated in 39 cases (69.6%) over all (p < 0.005). Regardless of whether bladder function is categorized by AC or MHS, postoperative outcome worsened significantly when SSCU was performed due to increasing deterioration in motor function alone (p < 0.05). Of the 24 cases with NOD as indication, 22 (91.7%) had an unchanged (n = 10; 41.7%) or improved (n = 12; 50.0%), meaning positive neuro-orthopedic outcome, only 2 (8.3%) deteriorated (p < 0.001).

Conclusion

Our study presents reliable evaluation systems for bladder function in spina bifida patients. Since indications for SSCU surgery differ, it is important to know the possible effects on bladder function after this surgical procedure. Even a mild impairment of bladder function has a risk to deteriorate after SSCU surgery. Particularly interesting becomes this with regard to the fact that the prevalence of TCS might become more frequent with the rising numbers of prenatal closures of meningomyeloceles.
Parameters for estimating the feasibility of implantation of a semi-implantable bone conduction device (SIBCD) in children and adolescents
Authors: Spiegel Jennifer L. , de Buhr Janna , Freytag Saskia , Bertlich Mattis , Sommerlath Sohns Jan M. , Canis Martin , Ihler Friedrich , Weiss Bernhard G.
Published: December 2022

Purpose

In children and adolescents, preoperative planning for a semi-implantable bone conduction device (SIBCD) is crucial. The geometric changes of the new version of a common SIBCD should enable a higher rate of successful implantation due to its flatter actuator. Thus, this radioanatomic study compared the rate of successful implantation of both device versions at the traditional mastoidal localization and two alternative sites, retrosigmoidal, and parietal, and investigated parameters helping to estimate the feasibility.

Methods

A retrospective analysis of 136 CT scans of 0 to 20-year-old patients, evaluation of demographic parameters, radioanatomy, and assessment of head diameter was conducted. The feasibility was investigated for certain age groups at three implantation sites. Prediction of feasible implantation by means of different parameters was calculated.

Results

A significant higher implantation rate was observed with the new device for all three sites and age groups. The age group of 6–8 years (n = 19) had most striking differences with a 58.1% rate of successful implantation with the new device without spacer (80% with spacer) at the mastoidal localization, whereas none with the old implant. Head diameter was identified as the most predictive parameter regarding all implantation sites (mastoidal: p = 0.030; retrosigmoidal: p = 0.006; parietal: p < 0.0001), age for the mastoidal (p < 0.0001) and retrosigmoidal (p < 0.0001), and gender for the parietal site (p = 0.001).

Conclusion

The geometric changes of the actuator lead to a higher rate of successful implantation in all age-groups and all three localizations with reducing the requirement for spacers. Parameters age and head diameter might aid in estimating the rate of successful implantation in young patients and may be a novel tool to assist in the decision-making process for a SIBCD.
Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma and mantle cell lymphoma: from early lesions to transformation
Authors: Sander Birgitta , Campo Elias , Hsi Eric D.
Published: December 2022

The International Clinical Advisory Committee reviewed advances in our understanding of the clinicopathologic and biologic features of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma, B-cell prolymphocytic leukaemia, and mantle cell lymphoma since the revised 4th edition of the WHO Classification of Tumours of the Haematopoietic and Lymphoid Tissues. Discussions amongst pathologists, clinicians, and molecular geneticists around these diseases focussed on incorporating new knowledge into the next classification system. In this manuscript, we review these disease entities and incorporate results of these deliberations, including advances in our understanding of early lesions and transformation.
Detecting flood-type-specific flood-rich and flood-poor periods in peaks-over-threshold series with application to Bavaria (Germany)
Authors: Fischer S. , Lun D. , Schumann A. H. , Blöschl G.
Published: December 2022

Previous studies suggest that flood-rich and flood-poor periods are present in many flood peak discharge series around the globe. Understanding the occurrence of these periods and their driving mechanisms is important for reliably estimating future flood probabilities. We propose a method for detecting flood-rich and flood-poor periods in peak-over-threshold series based on scan-statistics and combine it with a flood typology in order to attribute the periods to their flood-generating mechanisms. The method is applied to 164 observed flood series in southern Germany from 1930 to 2018. The results reveal significant flood-rich periods of heavy-rainfall floods, especially in the Danube river basin in the most recent decades. These are consistent with trend analyses from the literature. Additionally, significant flood-poor periods of snowmelt-floods in the immediate past were detected, especially for low-elevation catchments in the alpine foreland and the uplands. The occurrence of flood-rich and flood-poor periods is interpreted in terms of increases in the frequency of heavy rainfall in the alpine foreland and decreases of both soil moisture and snow cover in the midlands.
Nachtökonomie als Themenfeld der kommunalen Wirtschaftsförderung – Status quo, Herausforderungen und Förderansätze
Authors: Konermann Jens
Published: December 2022

Die kommunale Wirtschaftsförderung ist als städtische Akteurin mit einer Vielzahl an Aufgaben betraut, um die Rahmenbedingungen für erfolgreiches Wirtschaften zu gestalten. Hierzu werden die Vorzüge des Standorts kommuniziert und die für die Entwicklung des Standorts wichtigen Faktoren gestaltet. Einer dieser Standortfaktoren ist das lokale Nachtleben. Mit seinen vielfältigen Facetten spricht es eine breite Zielgruppe an und spiegelt die Lebendigkeit und Lebensqualität einer Stadt wider. Clubs, Venues und die Musikindustrie leisten hierzu einen wichtigen Beitrag.

Dieser Artikel untersucht, welche Bedeutung kommunale Wirtschaftsförderungen der Nachtökonomie beimessen und inwieweit sie sich mit dem Thema bereits befassen. Zudem werden die Herausforderungen und Möglichkeiten für eine Förderung des Nachtlebens im Rahmen der kommunalen Wirtschaftsförderung erörtert. Dafür greift der Artikel auf Ergebnisse einer Online-Befragung der kommunalen Wirtschaftsförderungen in Deutschland zurück.
Optimal execution with stochastic delay
Authors: Cartea Álvaro , Sánchez-Betancourt Leandro
Published: December 2022

We show how traders use marketable limit orders (MLOs) to liquidate a position over a trading window when there is latency in the marketplace. MLOs are liquidity-taking orders that specify a price limit and are for immediate execution only; however, if the price limit of the MLO precludes it from being filled, the exchange cancels the order. We frame our model as an impulse control problem with stochastic latency where the trader controls the times and the price limits of the MLOs sent to the exchange. We show that impatient liquidity takers submit MLOs that may walk the book (capped by the limit price) to increase the probability of filling the trades. On the other hand, patient liquidity takers use speculative MLOs that are only filled if there has been an advantageous move in prices over the latency period. Patient traders who are fast do not use their speed to hit the quotes they observe, or to finish the execution programme early; they use speed to complete the execution programme with as many speculative MLOs as possible. We use foreign exchange data to implement the random-latency-optimal strategy and to compare it with four benchmarks. For patient traders, the random-latency-optimal strategy outperforms the benchmarks by an amount that is greater than the transaction costs paid by liquidity takers in foreign exchange markets. Around news announcements, the value of the outperformance is between two and ten times the value of the transaction costs. The superiority of the strategy is due to both the speculative MLOs that are filled and the price protection of the MLOs.
Locally efficient and strategy-proof allocation mechanisms in exchange economies
Authors: Momi Takeshi
Published: December 2022

In this paper, we investigate whether efficiency and strategy-proofness of allocation mechanisms defined on a “local” preference set imply dictatorship. Although there is an extensive literature on the characterization of efficient and strategy-proof allocation mechanisms defined on the whole preference set, little attention has been given to a local characterization even in two-agent economies. This paper presents three results. First, we point out that locally efficient, strategy-proof, and nondictatorial allocation mechanisms exists even in two-agent economies, when boundary allocations can be efficient. Second, excluding such exceptional cases, we show that in economies where the number of goods equals or exceeds the number of agents, any efficient and strategy-proof allocation mechanism defined on any local preference domain is alternately dictatorial, that is, it always allocates the total amount of goods to some single agent, even if the receivers vary. Third, we clarify that the local characterization is generally an open question even with allocation conditions such as the minimum consumption guarantee, and show that efficiency and strategy-proofness are incompatible with allocation conditions when all agents have the same local preference set.
The CAFTA-DR Free Trade Agreement — Analyzing its effects in a modern gravity framework
Authors: Rojas Rodríguez Juan René , Matschke Xenia
Published: December 2022

We study the effects of the Dominican Republic–Central America–United States Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR), signed in 2004, on the trade flows of its member states. Relying on the structural gravity model of trade framework, we find evidence of both increases and decreases in members’ bilateral trade, but also of significant differences in these effects depending on the direction of trade and the trading members. Using a counterfactual analysis, we are also able to measure the general equilibrium effects of CAFTA-DR, finding that it has, in general, increased both total exports and income levels for El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. However, we also find evidence of sizable trade diversion and welfare losses for Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic.
A Simple Quantum Model Linked to Decisions
Authors: Helland Inge S.
Published: December 2022

This article may be seen as a summary and a final discussion of the work that the author has done in recent years on the foundation of quantum theory. It is shown that quantum mechanics as a model follows under certain specific conditions from a quite different, much simpler model. This model is connected to the mind of an observer, or to the joint minds of a group of communicating observers. The model is based upon conceptual variables, and an important aspect is that an observer (a group of observers) must decide on which variable to measure. The model is then linked more generally to a theory of decisions. The results are discussed from several angles.
A Short Measure of Childbearing Motivations: Development and Psychometric Evaluation in Polish Samples of Adults and Adolescents
Authors: Huczewska Izabela , Leśniak Joanna , Mynarska Monika , Miller Warren B.
Published: December 2022

Childbearing motivations are trait-like dispositions to feel, think, and act in a certain way in response to various aspects of parenthood. They shape human desire to have a child and underpin the decision about becoming a parent. A self-report tool to measure positive and negative childbearing motivations with their specific dimensions—the Childbearing Questionnaire (CBQ)—was developed in the US and has gained popularity over the past few decades as an increasing number of individuals choose not to have children. In the current article we present two studies, in which we developed and psychometrically validated a short version of the CBQ (The Childbearing Questionnaire-Short Form; CBQ-SF). In Study 1, we developed the CBQ-SF and verified its psychometric properties using a sample of 939 childless adults (25–44 years old). In Study 2, we cross-validated the CBQ-SF on a sample of 1803 childless adolescents aged from 18 to 20. Overall, our findings demonstrated that the CBQ-SF is a psychometrically sound instrument for comprehensively assessing childbearing motivations across different developmental periods (from late adolescence to middle adulthood). Most notably, our short measure preserves the multidimensionality of childbearing motivations and allows individuals’ motivational profiles for parenthood to be identified. Future research directions and practical implications are discussed.
Faster algorithms for k-subset sum and variations
Authors: Antonopoulos Antonis , Pagourtzis Aris , Petsalakis Stavros , Vasilakis Manolis
Published: December 2022

We present new, faster pseudopolynomial time algorithms for the k-Subset Sum problem, defined as follows: given a set Z of n positive integers and k targets $$t_1, \ldots , t_k$$

t
1

,
…
,

t
k

, determine whether there exist k disjoint subsets $$Z_1,\dots ,Z_k \subseteq Z$$

Z
1

,
⋯
,

Z
k

⊆
Z

, such that $$\Sigma (Z_i) = t_i$$

Σ

(

Z
i

)

=

t
i

, for $$i = 1, \ldots , k$$

i
=
1
,
…
,
k

. Assuming $$t = \max \{ t_1, \ldots , t_k \}$$

t
=
max
{

t
1

,
…
,

t
k

}

is the maximum among the given targets, a standard dynamic programming approach based on Bellman’s algorithm can solve the problem in $$O(n t^k)$$

O
(
n

t
k

)

time. We build upon recent advances on Subset Sum due to Koiliaris and Xu, as well as Bringmann, in order to provide faster algorithms for k-Subset Sum. We devise two algorithms: a deterministic one of time complexity $${\tilde{O}}(n^{k / (k+1)} t^k)$$

O
~

(

n

k
/
(
k
+
1
)

t
k

)

and a randomised one of $${\tilde{O}}(n + t^k)$$

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~

(
n
+

t
k

)

complexity. Additionally, we show how these algorithms can be modified in order to incorporate cardinality constraints enforced on the solution subsets. We further demonstrate how these algorithms can be used in order to cope with variations of k-Subset Sum, namely Subset Sum Ratio, k-Subset Sum Ratio and Multiple Subset Sum.
Not Only Coping: Resilience and Its Sources from a Thomistic Perspective
Authors: Roszak Piotr
Published: December 2022

In describing the Christian moral ethos, Thomas Aquinas draws attention to the way in which adversities, trials or afflictions are overcome. This paper analyzes two types of resilience present in Aquinas’s thought as well as their sources and manifestations. The first type, moral resilience, is based on the virtue of fortitude, which governs human behavior in the face of great fear. With regard to the second type of resilience, the focus is on showing how grace contributes to increasing power through weakness. In the concluding section, there are also certain suggestions as to how resilience education could be developed.
Model-free inverse reinforcement learning with multi-intention, unlabeled, and overlapping demonstrations
Authors: Bighashdel Ariyan , Jancura Pavol , Dubbelman Gijs
Published: December 2022

In this paper, we define a novel inverse reinforcement learning (IRL) problem where the demonstrations are multi-intention, i.e., collected from multi-intention experts, unlabeled, i.e., without intention labels, and partially overlapping, i.e., shared between multiple intentions. In the presence of overlapping demonstrations, current IRL methods, developed to handle multi-intention and unlabeled demonstrations, cannot successfully learn the underlying reward functions. To solve this limitation, we propose a novel clustering-based approach to disentangle the observed demonstrations and experimentally validate its advantages. Traditional clustering-based approaches to multi-intention IRL, which are developed on the basis of model-based Reinforcement Learning (RL), formulate the problem using parametric density estimation. However, in high-dimensional environments and unknown system dynamics, i.e., model-free RL, the solution of parametric density estimation is only tractable up to the density normalization constant. To solve this, we formulate the problem as a mixture of logistic regressions to directly handle the unnormalized density. To research the challenges faced by overlapping demonstrations, we introduce the concepts of shared pair, which is a state-action pair that is shared in more than one intention, and separability, which resembles how well the multiple intentions can be separated in the joint state-action space. We provide theoretical analyses under the global optimality condition and the existence of shared pairs. Furthermore, we conduct extensive experiments on four simulated robotics tasks, extended to accept different intentions with specific levels of separability, and a synthetic driver task developed to directly control the separability. We evaluate the existing baselines on our defined problem and demonstrate, theoretically and experimentally, the advantages of our clustering-based solution, especially when the separability of the demonstrations decreases.
Revisiting the Faure report: Contemporary legacy and challenged legitimacy
Authors: Lee Moosung
Published: December 2022

Since its publication in 1972, the Faure report has been regarded as a foundational text on the subject of lifelong learning, offering a plethora of ideas and repertoires. This article contemplates why and how the notions of self-fulfilment and self-learning are interrelated and profoundly important in understanding contemporary lifelong learning discourses, and how both have been appropriated by subsequent policy texts embedded in neoliberal thinking. The author argues that pursuing lifelong learning for self-fulfilment becomes voluntary self-exploitation as the individual’s desire to learn unwittingly becomes driven by the instinct to survive and thrive in neoliberal socio-political environments. He also demonstrates that the ideas and repertoires provided in the Faure report function as a fertile ground for lifelong learning discourses, even though the abundant mix of ideas and propositions make it difficult to view the report as an ideologically coherent and conceptually tight-knit blueprint for the future of education. Nonetheless, the author argues that the legacy of the Faure report is still valid beyond its historical specificity. He points out that when read within the context of the unprecedented worldwide experience of COVID-19, the Faure report’s proposition and reservations regarding mass media and cybernetics can shed light on the potential for contemporary technologies to strengthen emancipatory experiences of lifelong learning. Reflecting on this, he suggests that it is necessary to think collectively about how we can appreciate and harness technological innovation as an emancipatory tool to liberate ourselves from ignorance and prejudice through borderless and limitless connections to others, and to learn how to live with them.
Development of an Expert System for Prediction of Deposition Efficiency in Plasma Spraying
Authors: Bobzin K. , Heinemann H. , Dokhanchi S. R.
Published: December 2022

Deposition efficiency (DE) serves as a key performance indicator in plasma spraying, which is tailored by dozens of intrinsic and extrinsic influencing factors. Due to the nonlinear and complex interdependencies of the influencing factors, increasing DE has always been a challenging undertaking in the process development of plasma spraying. Hence, employing modern computer-aided algorithms is inevitable to overcome these complexities. In this study, an expert system is developed to predict DE from process parameters using adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) and support-vector machine (SVM). The developed expert system consists of two subsystems: (1) SVM-models from a previous work of the authors are used to predict the in-flight particle properties from different process parameters based on simulation data sets and (2) an ANFIS is developed to predict DE from in-flight particle properties based on experimental data sets. The results show that the developed expert system is able to estimate DE precisely with root-mean-square error (RMSE) of about 1.1%. The proposed system enables sustainable and cost-effective coatings through the prediction of DE for each set of process parameters.
Challenges of fabricating catalyst layers for PEM fuel cells using flatbed screen printing
Authors: Ney Linda , Hog Jakob , Singh Rajveer , Göttlicher Nathalie , Schneider Patrick , Tepner Sebastian , Klingele Matthias , Keding Roman , Clement Florian , Groos Ulf
Published: December 2022

In this work, flatbed screen printing is evaluated regarding its capability to produce catalyst layers of PEM fuel cells. In the field of printed electronics, screen printing is regarded as robust and high-throughput coating technology. The possibility of in-plane structuring could be an additional degree of freedom, enabling more complex designs of catalyst layers in the future. In this study, process parameters are varied to investigate their effect on resulting layer thickness, homogeneity, and Pt-loading. With the usage of different screens, the Pt-loading can be adjusted. Additionally, two different pastes with and without water content are investigated. The catalyst paste without water showed a better process stability during printing and performed best under dry conditions (RH = 40%) and worst under wet conditions (RH = 100%) during electrochemical in-situ testing. Overall, the reproducibility of the CCM production process was verified. The viscosity of the catalyst paste with 19.55 wt% water in solvent was higher compared to the paste without water. Furthermore, a carbon paste (Pt-free) is developed in a similar viscosity range as the catalyst pastes. The main challenge of screen printing process development lies in the paste optimization to prevent evaporation effects over time, ensuring sufficient wetting of the paste on the substrate and sufficient fuel cell performance.
Brave Clarice—healthcare serial killers, patterns, motives, and solutions
Authors: Menshawey Rahma , Menshawey Esraa
Published: December 2022

Healthcare serial killing involves the intentional killing of multiple patients by a healthcare professional. It is a formidable challenge to identify in the medical context, and a daunting legal task to prove beyond reasonable doubt. What can be done or remains to be done to intercept these serial killing events and help serve justice, while at the same time not risk dismantling public trust in the healthcare system? In light of several recent modern charges of murder against healthcare practitioners across the world, this review aims to report the themes, patterns, and motives of medical serial killers as well as highlight areas of work on both medical and legal fronts to help identify these events, and to most importantly protect the vulnerable patient community.
Autophagic reprogramming of bone marrow–derived macrophages
Authors: Mazher Mayada , Moqidem Yomna Adel , Zidan Mona , Sayed Ahmed A. , Abdellatif Ahmed
Published: December 2022

Macro-autophagy is a highly conserved catabolic process among eukaryotes affecting macrophages. This work studies the genetic regulatory network involving the interplay between autophagy and macrophage polarization (activation). Autophagy-related genes (Atgs) and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) of macrophage polarization (M1–M2) were predicted, and their regulatory networks constructed. Naïve (M0) mouse bone marrow–derived monocytes were differentiated into M1 and M2a. Validation of the targets of Smad1, LC3A and LC3B, Atg16L1, Atg7, IL-6, CD68, Arg-1, and Vamp7 was performed in vitro. Immunophenotyping by flow cytometry revealed three macrophage phenotypes: M0 (IL-6 + /CD68 +), M1 (IL-6 + /CD68 + /Arg-1 +), and M2a (CD68 + /Arg-1). Confocal microscopy revealed increased autophagy in both M1 and M2a and a significant increase in the pre-autophagosomes size and number. Bafilomycin A increased the expression of CD68 and Arg-1 in all cell lineages. In conclusion, our approach predicted the protein targets mediating the interplay between autophagy and macrophage polarization. We suggest that autophagy reprograms macrophage polarization via CD68, arginase 1, Atg16L1-1, and Atg16L1-3. The current findings provide a foundation for the future use of macrophages in immunotherapy of different autoimmune disorders.
Een gezonde toekomst voor iedereen
Authors: van Berkel Jantien , Bulten Anneke , Zink Elles , Blijlevens Petra , van der Hooft Tineke , de Vet Emely
Published: December 2022

Samenvatting

Ervaringskennis is nodig om tot passende oplossingen te komen voor het verkleinen van gezondheidsverschillen. De inwonersadviesraad, betrokken bij de leerstoelgroep Consumptie en Gezonde Leefstijl van de Wageningen Universiteit, presenteren belangrijke onderwerpen voor onderzoek op dit gebied: (1) de complexiteit van het systeem; (2) de wisselwerking tussen mentale gezondheid en gezond leven; (3) de leefomgeving. Ook komen relevante overeenkomsten en verschillen naar voren met de Kennisagenda Samen Gezond Leven, die is opgesteld door wetenschappelijke experts, beleidsmakers en professionals.
Influence of maximal strength performance in front squat and deadlift on linear sprint and jump performance in male youth elite basketball players
Authors: Warneke Konstantin , Keiner Michael , Schiemann Stephan , Lohmann Lars , Wirth Klaus
Published: December 2022

Background

Strength and speed are two major factors that determine performance in basketball players especially sprinting, jumping and change of direction. This study examined relationships of maximal strength in the front squat and the deadlift with basketball-specific sprint and jump performance tests that are commonly used in test batteries of athletic diagnostics.

Materials and methods

In all, 42 youth male elite basketball players (age: 14.7 ± 2.4 years, age range: 13–18 years, height: 179.1 ± 15.3 cm, weight: 69.8 ± 19.2 kg) volunteered to take part in the present study. The one repetition maximum (1 RM) in the front squat and deadlift were used to determine maximum strength. Countermovement jump (CMJ) and standing long jump were evaluated to determine jump performance and 5, 10, and 20 m linear sprint as well as agility T‑test were performed to determine sprint performance. Pearson correlation analysis was used to assess the relationships between strength and jump and sprint performance.

Results

Strong positive correlations were found between maximal strength and jump heights (r = 0.85–0.91, p < 0.001) and strong negative correlations were determined between maximal strength and measured sprint times r = (−0.71 to −0.85, p < 0.001).

Conclusion

The measured maximal strength in the front squat and deadlift seem to be good predictors for basketball-specific jump and sprint performance. From this, it seems to be beneficial to include training of maximal strength via front squat and deadlift into training routines as well as performance diagnostics.