bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Gambling habits and Probability Judgements in a Bayesian Task Environment
Authors: Dickinson David L. , Reid Parker
Published: August 2024

Little is known about how gamblers form probability assessments. This paper reports on a preregistered study that administered an incentivized Bayesian choice task to n = 465 self-reported gamblers and non-gamblers. The task elicits subjective probability assessments and allows one to estimate the degree to which distinct information sources are weighted in forming probability assessments. Our data failed to support our main hypotheses that experienced online gamblers would be more accurate than non-gamblers in estimating probabilities, that gamblers experienced in games of skill (e.g., poker) would be more accurate than gamblers experienced only in non-skill games (e.g., slots), that accuracy would differ by sex, or that information sources would be weighted differently across different participant groups. Exploratory analysis, however, revealed that gambling frequency predicted lower Bayesian accuracy, while cognitive reflection predicted higher accuracy. The decline in accuracy linked to self-reported gambling frequency was stronger for female participants. Decision modeling estimated a decreased weight place on new evidence (over base rate odds) for those participant groups who showed decreased accuracy, which suggests that a proper incorporation of new information is important for probability assessments. Our results link online gambling frequency to worse performance in the critical probability assessment skills that should benefit gambling success (i.e., in skill-based games). Additional research is needed to better understand the mechanism linking reported gambling frequency to probability assessment accuracy.
Kinetic Inductance Detectors for the CADEx Experiment: Searching for Axions in the W-Band
Authors: Rodriguez David , de Ory Marina C. , Aja Beatriz , de la Fuente Luisa , Gallego Juan Daniel , Villa Enrique , Pascual Juan Pablo , Artal Eduardo , Granados Daniel , Martin-Pintado Jesus , Gomez Alicia
Published: August 2024

This paper presents the detector developments for the Canfrac Axion Detection Experiment (CADEx), aiming at detecting dark matter axions and dark photons within the W-band. A proof of concept of the detection system is based on an array of lumped-element kinetic inductance detectors (LEKIDs). Microstrip technology is used as read-out scheme, and the ground plane acts as backshort for optimizing optical absorption in the W-band. A titanium/aluminum bilayer is used for ensuring detection below 100 GHz. The detector array design includes an inner active section consisting of 36 detectors for direct detection of the axion signal and an additional outer rim of 28 blind pixels for calibration purposes. The nanofabrication process and a preliminary cryogenic characterization are presented, being the results in good agreement with the frequency design. Measured devices exhibit coupling quality factors of the order of 6 × 104, internal quality factors above 105 and an estimated kinetic inductance of 3.3 pH/□.
Faithfulness of Real-Space Renormalization Group Maps
Authors: Akamatsu Katsuya O. , Kawashima Naoki
Published: August 2024

The behavior of $$b=2$$

b
=
2

real-space renormalization group (RSRG) maps like the majority rule and the decimation map was examined by numerically applying RSRG steps to critical $$q=2,3,4$$

q
=
2
,
3
,
4

Potts spin configurations. While the majority rule is generally believed to work well, a more thorough investigation of the action of the map has yet to be considered in the literature. When fixing the size of the renormalized lattice $$L_g$$

L
g

and allowing the source configuration size $$L_0$$

L
0

to vary, we observed that the RG flow of the spin and energy correlation under the majority rule map appear to converge to a nontrivial model-dependent curve. We denote this property as “faithfulness”, because it implies that some information remains preserved by RSRG maps that fall under this class. Furthermore, we show that $$b=2$$

b
=
2

weighted majority-like RSRG maps acting on the $$q=2$$

q
=
2

Potts model can be divided into two categories, maps that behave like decimation and maps that behave like the majority rule.
Stereotactic radiosurgery for brain metastases from human epidermal receptor 2 positive breast Cancer: an international, multi-center study
Authors: Pikis Stylianos , Mantziaris Georgios , Protopapa Maria , Tos Salem M. , Kowalchuk Roman O. , Ross Richard Blake , Rusthoven Chad G. , Tripathi Manjul , Langlois Anne-Marie , Mathieu David , Lee Cheng-Chia , Yang Huai-che , Peker Selcuk , Samanci Yavuz , Zhang Michael Yu , Braunstein Steve E. , Wei Zhishuo , Niranjan Ajay , Lunsford Dade L. , Sheehan Jason
Published: August 2024

Purpose

To report patient outcomes and local tumor control rates in a cohort of patients with biopsy-proven HER-2 positive breast cancer treated with stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) for brain metastases (BM).

Methods

This international, retrospective, multicenter study, included 195 female patients with 1706 SRS-treated BM. Radiologic and clinical outcomes after SRS were determined and prognostic factors identified.

Results

At SRS, median patient age was 55 years [interquartile range (IQR) 47.6–62.0], and 156 (80%) patients had KPS ≥ 80. The median tumor volume was 0.1 cm3 (IQR 0.1–0.5) and the median prescription dose was 16 Gy (IQR 16–18). Local tumor control (LTC) rate was 98%, 94%, 93%, 90%, and 88% at six-, 12-, 24-, 36- and 60-months post-SRS, respectively. On multivariate analysis, tumor volume (p = < 0.001) and concurrent pertuzumab (p = 0.02) improved LTC. Overall survival (OS) rates at six-, 12-, 24-, 36-, 48-, and 60-months were 90%, 69%, 46%, 27%, 22%, and 18%, respectively. Concurrent pertuzumab improved OS (p = 0.032). In this patient subgroup, GPA scores ≥ 2.5 (p = 0.038 and p = 0.003) and rare primary tumor histologies (p = 0.01) were associated with increased and decreased OS, respectively. Asymptomatic adverse radiation events (ARE) occurred in 27 (14.0%) and symptomatic ARE in five (2.6%) patients. Invasive lobular carcinoma primary (p = 0.042) and concurrent pertuzumab (p < 0.001) conferred an increased risk for overall but not for symptomatic ARE.

Conclusion

SRS affords effective LTC for selected patients with BM from HER-2 positive breast cancer. Concurrent pertuzumab improved LTC and OS but at the same time increased the risk for overall, but not symptomatic, ARE.
Small business stories in the formation of enterprise policy: a narrative policy analysis of the UK Bolton Committee
Authors: Wapshott Robert , Mallett Oliver
Published: August 2024

Enterprise policy, which seeks to stimulate start-ups and support small businesses, attracts significant investment from government and shapes the context for entrepreneurs. Researchers have begun to study the processes underlying the formulation of enterprise policy. However, accounts of how competing interests seek to influence enterprise policymaking processes remain rare. Utilising a distinctive approach to narrative entrepreneurship, developed through a narrative policy analysis, we examine archival records of submissions from a range of stakeholders to a UK government inquiry. We develop a narrative entrepreneurship approach that allows us to analyse the stories and broader narratives told by entrepreneurs and others. Our analysis identifies different types of narrative strategy used to develop stories by two competing interest groups: a narrative from small businesses and their representatives and, contesting this, a counternarrative from other stakeholders, including the finance industry, consumer groups and large firms. We analyse how the inquiry engaged with these competing narratives and sought to make them amenable to policymaking through the creation of a simplifying, overarching metanarrative. We demonstrate that, while this metanarrative simplified the uncertain, complex and polarised issue of enterprise policy, it masked and did not resolve the underlying tensions between competing interests.
A non-causalist account of the explanatory autonomy in the psychological sciences
Authors: Díez José , Pineda David
Published: August 2024

It has been often claimed that physicalism challenges the explanatory autonomy of psychological sciences. Most who advocate for such explanatory autonomy and do not want to renounce to physicalism, presuppose a causalist account of explanatoriness and try to demonstrate that, adequately construed, (causal) psychological explanations are compatible with (some sufficient version of) physicalism. In Sect. 1 we summarize the different theses and assumptions involved in the seeming conflict between explanatory autonomy and physicalism. In Sect. 2 we review the main attempts to make them compatible assuming a causalist account of explanation and argue that none succeeds. In Sect. 3 we introduce a recent, non-causalist account of scientific explanation as ampliative, specialized embedding (ASE) that has been successfully applied to other fields. In Sect. 4 we apply ASE to elucidate two paradigmatic cognitive explanations of psychological phenomena: déjà vu and action production. We conclude that ASE elucidates well the autonomy of the cognitive explanations of these phenomena independently of what finally happens with the causal exclusion problem and that it may be generalized to other psychological explanations.
Small amendment arguments: how they work and what they do and do not show
Authors: van Hees Martin , Jitendranath Akshath , Luttens Roland Iwan
Published: August 2024

The small improvement argument has been said to establish that the standard weak preference or value relation can be incomplete. We first show that the argument is one of three possible ‘small amendment arguments’, each of which would yield the same conclusion. Generalizing the analysis thus, we subsequently present a strong and a weak version of small amendment arguments and derive the exact rationality conditions under which they reveal incompleteness. The results show that the arguments (in any of their variants) need not reveal a problem for the possibility of rational choice. In fact, it can be argued that they only reveal such a problem if the underlying relation is complete rather than incomplete.
Development of 52Mn Labeled Trastuzumab for Extended Time Point PET Imaging of HER2
Authors: Omweri James M. , Saini Shefali , Houson Hailey A. , Tekin Volkan , Pyles Jennifer M. , Parker Candace C. , Lapi Suzanne E.
Published: August 2024

Purpose

Due to their long circulation time in the blood, monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) such as trastuzumab, are usually radiolabeled with long-lived positron emitters for the development of agents for Positron Emission Tomography (PET) imaging. Manganese-52 (52Mn, t1/2 = 5.6 d, β+  = 29.6%, E(βave) = 242 keV) is suitable for imaging at longer time points providing a complementary technique to Zirconium-89 (89Zr, t1/2 = 3.3 d, β+  = 22.7%, E(βave) = 396 keV)) because of its long half-life and low positron energy. To exploit these properties, we aimed to investigate suitable bifunctional chelators that could be readily conjugated to antibodies and labeled with 52Mn under mild conditions using trastuzumab as a proof-of-concept.

Procedures

Trastuzumab was incubated with S-2-(4-isothiocyanatobenzyl)-1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane tetraacetic acid (p-SCN-Bn-DOTA), 1-Oxa-4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-5-S-(4-isothiocyantobenzyl)-4,7,10-triacetic acid (p-SCN-Bn-Oxo-DO3A), and 3,6,9,15-tetraazabicyclo[9.3.1] pentadeca-1(15),11,13-triene-4-S-(4-isothiocyanatobenzyl)-3,6,9-triacetic acid (p-SCN-Bn-PCTA) at a tenfold molar excess. The immunoconjugates were purified, combined with [52Mn]MnCl2 at different ratios, and the labeling efficiency was assessed by iTLC. The immunoreactive fraction of the radiocomplex was determined through a Lindmo assay. Cell studies were conducted in HER2 + (BT474) and HER2- (MDA-MB-468) cell lines followed by in vivo studies.

Results

Trastuzumab-Oxo-DO3A was labeled within 30 min at 37 °C with a radiochemical yield (RCY) of 90 ± 1.5% and with the highest specific activity of the chelators investigated of 16.64 MBq/nmol. The labeled compound was purified with a resulting radiochemical purity of > 98% and retained a 67 ± 1.2% immunoreactivity. DOTA and PCTA immunoconjugates resulted in < 50 ± 2.5% (RCY) with similar specific activity. Mouse serum stability studies of [52Mn]Mn-Oxo-DO3A-trastuzumab showed 95% intact complex for over 5 days. Cell uptake studies showed higher uptake in HER2 + (12.51 ± 0.83% /mg) cells compared to HER2- (0.85 ± 0.10%/mg) cells. PET images of mice bearing BT474 tumors showed high tumor uptake that was consistent with the biodistribution (42.02 ± 2.16%ID/g, 14 d) compared to MDA-MB-468 tumors (2.20 ± 0.80%ID/g, 14 d). Additionally, both models exhibited low bone uptake of < 1% ID/g.

Conclusion

The bifunctional chelator p-SCN-Bn-Oxo-DO3A is promising for the development of 52Mn radiopharmaceuticals as it was easily conjugated, radiolabeled at mild conditions, and illustrated stability for a prolonged duration both in vitro and in vivo. High-quality PET/CT images of [52Mn]Mn-Oxo-DO3A-trastuzumab were obtained 14 d post-injection. This study illustrates the potential of [52Mn]Mn-Oxo-DO3A for the evaluation of antibodies using PET imaging.
Die Selbsteinschätzung der sozialen Partizipation von Schüler*innen in der Sekundarstufe I – Welche Rolle spielen sonderpädagogische Förderbedarfe der Schüler*innen und Merkmale der Lehrkräfte?
Authors: Labsch Amelie , Külker Lena , Grosche Michael
Published: August 2024

Soziale Partizipation aller Schüler*innen ist ein wichtiges Ziel schulischer Inklusion. Laut Rahmenkonzept zu Heterogenität im Unterricht sind dafür einerseits individuelle Schüler*innenmerkmale und andererseits solche ihrer Lehrkräfte zentral. Allerdings zeigt sich mehrheitlich, dass Schüler*innen mit sonderpädagogischen Förderbedarfen (SPF) weniger sozial partizipieren als ihre Mitschüler*innen. Obwohl vereinzelt belegt wurde, dass dieser Unterschied bei positiver Einstellung von Lehrkräften gegenüber Inklusion geringer ausfällt, dienen Lehrkraftmerkmale nur selten zur Erklärung von sozialer Partizipation. Zudem wird das Konstrukt meist unterschiedlich operationalisiert und selten wird ein umfängliches Bild über verschiedene Dimensionen sozialer Partizipation erhoben. Der Beitrag betrachtet daher, wie Schüler*innen mit und ohne SPF in inklusiven Klassen ihre soziale Partizipation über die Dimensionen „Kontakte/Interaktionen“, „Akzeptanz/Unterstützung“, „Freundschaft/Beziehung“ und „Selbstwahrnehmung der Partizipation“ einschätzen und welche Rolle dabei Merkmale ihrer Lehrkräfte spielen. Erwartet wird, (1) dass Schüler*innen mit SPF weniger sozial partizipieren als diejenigen ohne SPF, (2) dass eine positive Einstellung der Lehrkräfte gegenüber Inklusion, ein hohes Verantwortungsgefühl gegenüber ihren Schüler*innen sowie eine hohe inklusionsbezogene Selbstwirksamkeit mit mehr sozialer Partizipation einhergehen und (3) diese zugleich den Unterschied zwischen Schüler*innen mit und ohne SPF verringern. Analysegrundlage sind u. a. Daten von Schüler*innen mit und ohne SPF der 7. Klasse des INSIDE-Projekts (n = 1506, davon n = 170 mit SPF aus 331 Klassen). Mehrebenenanalytisch betrachtet schätzen Schüler*innen mit SPF ihre soziale Partizipation auf beinahe allen Dimensionen geringer ein als diejenigen ohne SPF. Die Lehrkraftmerkmale erklären diese Effekte nicht. Zudem wirkt nur die Einstellung der Lehrkräfte differenziell: Hypothesenkonträr berichten Schüler*innen mit SPF bei höherer Einstellung gegenüber Inklusion von weniger Kontakten/Interaktionen zu Gleichaltrigen. Die Ergebnisse werden diskutiert und interpretiert.
Interplays between relational and instrumental values: insights from research experiences on human–nature relations
Authors: Riechers Maraja , Pearson Jasmine , Diaz-Cruz Nataly , Ortiz-Przychodzka Stefan , Topp Emmeline
Published: August 2024

Relational values have become increasingly recognised within the field of social–ecological systems as an innovative and in-depth approach to uncovering the value of human–nature relationships around the world. As an emerging concept within mainstream Western academia, there is still much to learn about the potential challenges of working with relational values and how to navigate them in applied research. Drawing on empirical research from Colombia, Fiji, Germany, Romania and South Africa, this paper explores the key themes which emerged when working with human–nature relationships. We reveal complex interconnections between relational and instrumental values, livelihood practices and power and politics. We conclude by highlighting the importance of acknowledging the fluidity of relational values and their potential to bridge different worldviews and knowledge systems between researchers and communities.
Colorectal Leiomyosarcoma: Demographics Patterns, Treatment Characteristics, and Survival Analysis in the U.S. Population
Authors: Yasinzai Abdul Qahar Khan , Lee Kue Tylor , Khan Imran , Tareen Bisma , Sohail Amir Humza , Iqbal Asif , Khan Israr , Waheed Abdul , Ramamoorthy Bhavishya U. , Ullah Asad , Blakely Andrew M.
Published: August 2024

Background

Colorectal leiomyosarcoma (CR-LMS) is a rare neoplasm arising from smooth muscle cells. It accounts for less than 0.1% of all colorectal malignancies. In this population-based study, we aim to understand the demographics, treatment characteristics, and pathologic factors associated with survival in CR-LMS.

Methods

Data from the SEER Program (2000–2018) were analyzed using SEER*Stat and SPSS. Statistical methods included descriptive analysis, Kaplan–Meier survival curves, log-rank tests, and Cox proportional hazards regression to assess the impact of various factors on disease-specific and overall survival.

Results

A total of 191 cases of CR-LMS were identified. Most patients were 60–69 years of age (median: 64 years) and Caucasian (78%). There was nearly the same distribution in sex (M:F ratio; 1:1.2). The overall 5-year observed survival was 50.3% (95% C.I., 46.3—54.2). The 5-year disease-specific survival (DSS) was 66.1% (95% C.I., 62.0—70.1). The 5-year overall survival after resection was 60.8% (95% C.I., 56.3—65.3). Multivariable analysis identified grades III and IV (p = 0.028) as negative predictors of overall survival. Regional spread and distant stage are negative predictors of overall survival (p < 0.01).

Conclusion

Our data reveals that colorectal leiomyosarcoma (CR-LMS) often presents in patients around 64 years old with advanced stages and poor differentiation. Key adverse prognostic factors include older age, high tumor grade, large tumor size, and distant metastases, with surgical resection showing the best survival outcomes. To improve outcomes, further research and consolidation of data are essential for developing targeted therapies and comprehensive guidelines.
Management and outcome of cutaneous diphtheria in adolescent refugees in Germany, June 2022 – October 2023
Authors: Zink Alicia , Hofer Juliana , Schneider Christian , Kessler Franziska , Klenze Hannes , Klauwer Dietrich , Maleki Klaudia , Müller Andreas , Goretzki Sarah , Wang Shubei , Kobbe Robin , Ramirez Andrea Vanegas , Bode Sebastian , Janda Ales , Fressle Roland , Remppis Jonathan , Henneke Philipp , Rieg Siegbert , Berger Anja , Sing Andreas , Hufnagel Markus , Spielberger Benedikt D.
Published: August 2024

Objectives

From September 2022 an increase in Corynebacterium diphtheriae (C. diphtheriae) infections was reported in Europe. Our study focuses on 31 adolescent and young adult refugees with cutaneous C. diphtheriae infections detected in Germany. We examined treatment regimens and outcomes to provide targeted insights into the management of this infection.

Methods

We distributed a standardized survey, focused on children and adolescents presenting to paediatric clinics through the German Paediatric Infectious Diseases Society (DGPI) and additional professional contacts in Germany. Data were extracted from routine medical documentation and reported anonymously.

Results

A total of 31 individuals with cutaneous C. diphtheriae infection were reported by 9 centres. Two of these showed diphtheria toxin (DT) related systemic symptoms and four exhibited systemic inflammation requiring complex management. The remaining 25 cases, with exclusively cutaneous manifestations, were afebrile. Treatment with topical antiseptics and systemic antibiotics, mainly aminopenicillin/beta-lactamase inhibitors (BLI) (35%) or clindamycin (25%), achieved eradication in all but two cases treated with aminopenicillin/BLI. Treatment duration varied between 5 and 17 days.

Conclusions

In refugees presenting with chronic skin wounds, C. diphtheriae should be included into the differential diagnosis. Fever seems to be a valuable marker to differentiate severe cases with potentially DT-mediated sequelae from exclusively cutaneous diphtheria (CD). For afebrile CD, topical antiseptics and oral antibiotic therapy with clindamycin for 7 days, followed by clinical surveillance appears to be a safe treatment regimen. Patients with CD who present with fever or pharyngitis should be thoroughly investigated including blood and pharyngeal swab cultures.
On the Democratisation and Professionalisation of Higher Education Teaching
Authors: Shephard Kerry
Published: August 2024

Universities in Aotearoa New Zealand are increasingly espousing a democratic ideology that has much in common with some social justice elements of the internationally agreed Sustainable Development Goals. This trend, however, also relates to the more international ‘universal’ characterisation proposed by Trow in 1973 in the context of university massification, that emphasised universities’ role in helping societies to adapt to social and technological change, and their development from elite institutions. In exploring our democratic turn this article suggests that remnants of elite characteristics persist in our universities in the projected identity of our academics, and in our limited willingness to adapt our teaching to our changing roles. The article argues that such elitism may limit the role of university teaching in achieving social justice, and goes on to explore if future democratisation depends on the professionalisation of university teaching.
Deutsche Außen- und Sicherheitspolitik gefangen in der Politikverpflichtungsfalle: Die Zeitenwende aus der Sicht der Politikwissenschaft
Authors: Bendiek Annegret
Published: August 2024

Das Literature Review analysiert die Debatte um die strukturellen Herausforderungen und die fehlende Anpassungsfähigkeit der deutschen Außen- und Sicherheitspolitik im Kontext der sogenannten Zeitenwende, ausgelöst durch den Ukraine-Krieg und veränderte globale Rahmenbedingungen. Bundeskanzler Olaf Scholz beschrieb den 24. Februar 2022 als Zeitenwende in der Geschichte Europas, was neue Sanktionen und Investitionen in die deutsche Verteidigungspolitik legitimieren sollte. Dennoch zeigt sich, dass Deutschland keine umfassende strategische Neuausrichtung realisiert hat und weiterhin stark an die USA gebunden bleibt. Die mangelnde Anpassungsfähigkeit deutscher Außen- und Sicherheitspolitik erklärt sich aus einer Kombination von institutioneller Politikverflechtungs- und idealistischer Politikverpflichtungsfalle. Ideenbasierte sowie institutionelle Ansätze bieten Erklärungen für diese Immobilität deutscher Außen- und Sicherheitspolitik.
Kinematics of mandibular advancement devices (MADs): Why do some MADs move the lower jaw backward during mouth opening?
Authors: Cabrera Juan A. , Bataller Alex , Postigo Sergio , García Marcos
Published: August 2024

下颌前伸矫治器（MADs）是广泛使用的治疗阻塞性睡眠呼吸暂停的方法。MADs通过前伸下颌来打开上气道。为了提高患者的舒适度，大多数患者可以张开嘴巴。然而，并非所有的装置在嘴巴张开时都能保持下颌向前的位置，这会导致产生有利于上气道塌陷的下颌后移。此外，下颌-装置组合构成的机制的运动行为取决于下颌形态。这意味着在嘴巴张开时，一些装置会导致部分患者下颌前突，而导致另一部分患者下颌后缩。本文报告了目前市场上已知装置的运动行为。为此，作者开发了一个下颌装置组合的运动学模型。该模型通过高分辨率摄像系统对所有分析的装置进行了验证。结果表明，本文分析的一些装置在患者嘴巴张开时并未产生正确的运动行为。
In the Wild Video Violence Detection: An Unsupervised Domain Adaptation Approach
Authors: Ciampi Luca , Santiago Carlos , Falchi Fabrizio , Gennaro Claudio , Amato Giuseppe
Published: August 2024

This work addresses the challenge of video violence detection in data-scarce scenarios, focusing on bridging the domain gap that often hinders the performance of deep learning models when applied to unseen domains. We present a novel unsupervised domain adaptation (UDA) scheme designed to effectively mitigate this gap by combining supervised learning in the train (source) domain with unlabeled test (target) data. We employ single-image classification and multiple instance learning (MIL) to select frames with the highest classification scores, and, upon this, we exploit UDA techniques to adapt the model to unlabeled target domains. We perform an extensive experimental evaluation, using general-context data as the source domain and target domain datasets collected in specific environments, such as violent/non-violent actions in hockey matches and public transport. The results demonstrate that our UDA pipeline substantially enhances model performances, improving their generalization capabilities in novel scenarios without requiring additional labeled data.
Discerning interrelationships among management accounting systems, organizational variables, and managerial performance
Authors: Pedroso Elsa , Gomes Carlos F.
Published: August 2024

In today’s global market, information plays a determinant role in the competitiveness of business organizations. Information systems have become essential resources in daily management, strategy development, and implementation. In this context, management accounting systems (MAS) have undergone substantial changes to adapt to new technological and environmental realities and have become an increasingly valuable instrument to support managers’ decision-making processes. Nevertheless, managers may not effectively leverage the information provided by MAS to enhance the quality of their decisions and, consequently, their overall performance. Discrepancies in research outcomes suggest a potential oversight in analyzing other organizational variables through which MAS might impact managerial performance. Based on an extensive literature review, we identified a scarcity of recent research focusing on three variables that could potentially mediate the relationship between MAS and managerial performance. These variables are intricately linked to people-oriented aspects and include the accountants’ involvement in strategy formulation, implementation, and monitoring, user satisfaction with the information supplied by MAS, and the decentralization of decision-making processes. To address this gap, we used the finite mixture - partial least squares (FIMIX-PLS) to discern the interrelationships among the variables in the research model. The results highlight how the interaction between firm characteristics can enhance the use of MAS in managers’ decision support and consequently improve their performance. This research provides relevant theoretical contributions to the debate about different organizational environments and their influence on MAS effectiveness. It also offers managerial implications for business organizations that need to design, implement, and use management accounting systems.
Influence of crossing fault position and site soil on the mechanical properties of bellows joint connected buried pipelines under direct shear
Authors: Li Fang-fang , Lu Guoxing , Lv Yang , Zhang Xue-jie , Wang Guo-bo , Zhong Bo
Published: August 2024

Buried pipeline systems are vulnerable to joint damage in earthquakes. Previous studies have shown that bellows joints are effective in increasing deformation capacity and reducing the axial force of the main pipeline. However, the effectiveness of bellows joints in enhancing the deformation capacity of the pipelines is affected by the location of the crossing fault and the soil at the site. This paper constructs and validates a finite element model of a buried steel pipeline connected by a bellows joint using ABAQUS to investigate this issue. The effects of fault location, soil properties, and internal pressure on the bellows joint connected pipelines were analyzed using a finite element model. The results indicate that the bellows joints exhibit the best energy dissipation and deformation enhancement when the fault passes directly through the joints. Bellows joints in soft soil are better at dissipating energy, reducing pipe deformation, and mitigating pipe damage compared to those in hard soils. The internal pressure is helpful to increase the mechanical properties of the pipelines. The findings can provide some guidance for pipeline design and mitigation strategies for ensuring the reliability and safety of buried pipeline systems in earthquake-prone areas.
The Fremont Frontier: Living at the Margins of Maize Farming
Authors: Vernon Kenneth B. , Yaworsky Peter M. , McCool Weston , Spangler Jerry D. , Brewer Simon , Codding Brian F.
Published: August 2024

The Fremont provide an important case study to examine the resilience of ancient farmers to climatic downturns, because they lived at the far northern margin of intensive maize agriculture in the American West, where the constraints on maize production are made abundantly clear. Using a tree-ring and simulation-based reconstruction of average annual precipitation and maize growing degree days, along with cost-distance to perennial streams, we model spatial variability in Fremont site density in the eastern Great Basin. The results of our analysis have implications for defining the ecological envelope in which farming is a viable strategy across this arid region and can be used to predict where and why maize farming strategies might evolve and eventually collapse as climate changes over time.
Convergence of the height process of supercritical Galton–Watson forests with an application to the configuration model in the critical window
Authors: Donderwinkel Serte
Published: August 2024

We show joint convergence of the Łukasiewicz path and height process for slightly supercritical Galton–Watson forests. This shows that the height processes for supercritical continuous-state branching processes as constructed by Lambert (2002) are the limit under rescaling of their discrete counterparts. Unlike for (sub-)critical Galton–Watson forests, the height process does not encode the entire metric structure of a supercritical Galton–Watson forest. We demonstrate that this result is nonetheless useful, by applying it to the configuration model with an independent and identically distributed power-law degree sequence in the critical window, of which we obtain the metric space scaling limit in the product Gromov–Hausdorff–Prokhorov topology, which is of independent interest.
Generic framework for a coherent integration of experience and exposure rating in reinsurance
Authors: Bernegger Stefan
Published: August 2024

This article introduces a comprehensive framework that effectively combines experience rating and exposure rating approaches in reinsurance for both short-tail and long-tail businesses. The generic framework applies to all nonlife lines of business and products emphasizing nonproportional treaty business. The approach is based on three pillars that enable a coherent usage of all available information. The first pillar comprises an exposure-based generative model that emulates the generative process leading to the observed claims experience. The second pillar encompasses a standardized reduction procedure that maps each high-dimensional claim object to a few weakly coupled reduced random variables. The third pillar comprises calibrating the generative model with retrospective Bayesian inference. The derived calibration parameters are fed back into the generative model, and the reinsurance contracts covering future cover periods are rated by projecting the calibrated generative model to the cover period and applying the future contract terms.
Kin selection as a modulator of human handedness: sex-specific, parental and parent-of-origin effects
Authors: Dong Bing , Paracchini Silvia , Gardner Andy
Published: August 2024

The frequency of left-handedness in humans is ~10% worldwide and slightly higher in males than females. Twin and family studies estimate the heritability of human handedness at around 25%. The low but substantial frequency of left-handedness has been suggested to imply negative frequency-dependent selection, e.g. owing to a ‘surprise’ advantage of left-handers in combat against opponents more used to fighting right-handers. Because such game-theoretic hypotheses involve social interaction, here we perform an analysis of the evolution of handedness based on kin-selection, which is understood to play a major role in the evolution of social behaviour generally. We show that: (1) relatedness modulates the balance of right-handedness vs. left-handedness, according to whether left-handedness is marginally selfish vs. marginally altruistic; (2) sex differences in relatedness to social partners may drive sex differences in handedness; (3) differential relatedness of parents and offspring may generate parent–offspring conflict and sexual conflict leading to the evolution of maternal and paternal genetic effects in relation to handedness; and (4) differential relatedness of maternal-origin vs. paternal-origin genes may generate intragenomic conflict leading to the evolution of parent-of-origin-specific gene effects – such as ‘genomic imprinting’ – and associated maladaptation.
Inequality and education in Australia
Authors: Morris Alan
Published: August 2024

Australia’s education system is one of the most developed globally and also one of the most privatised. Despite the substantial expenditure by state governments and the federal government, it is profoundly unequal with respect to access, funding, resources, and results from early childhood education to university. The inequality has class and spatial features, and Indigenous Australians are at the bottom of the rung. Drawing on Bourdieu’s concepts of cultural, social, and economic capital, I show that the education system, whilst certainly allowing for some mobility, facilitates the reproduction of the existing class structure. Children from low-income households are more likely to not attend childcare, to attend a school that lacks resources and where going on to university is viewed as exceptional rather than the rule. In contrast, the economic capital of wealthier households allows them to access childcare and elite private schools. The cultural and social capital of these schools reproduces a born to rule ethos, and progression to an elite university is an assumed path.
Efficient dual-stage all-solid-state post-compression for 100 W level ultrafast lasers
Authors: Gao Zichen , Guo Jie , Gao Yongxi , Huang Yuguang , Tu Zhihua , Liang Xiaoyan
Published: August 2024

We demonstrate efficient and economical all-solid-state post-compression based on dual-stage periodically placed thin fused silica plates driven by a more than 100 W ytterbium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet Innoslab amplifier seeded by a fiber frontend. Not only is a more than eight-fold pulse compression with 94% transmission achieved, but also the pulse quality and spatial mode are improved, which can be attributed to the compensation for the residual high-order dispersion and the spatial mode self-cleaning effect during the nonlinear process. It enables a high-power ultrafast laser source with 64 fs pulse duration, 96 W average power at 175 kHz repetition rates and good spatiotemporal quality. These results highlight that this all-solid-state post-compression can overcome the bandwidth limitation of Yb-based lasers with exceptional efficiency and mitigate the spatiotemporal degradation originating from the Innoslab amplifier and fiber frontend, which provides an efficient and economical complement for the Innoslab laser system and facilitates this robust and compact combination as a promising scheme for high-quality higher-power few-cycle laser generation.
CDC consultations related to ophthalmic practices and settings, January 2016–December 2023
Authors: Spicer Kevin B. , Perz Joseph F. , Perkins Kiran M.
Published: August 2024

Consultations with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion revealed patient harms associated with ophthalmic care. Adherence to core infection prevention and control principles, tailored guidance for ophthalmic settings, and compliance with manufacturing and compounding standards could decrease adverse events and patient exposures to contaminated products.
Situation in the Republic of the Philippines (Int'l Crim. Ct. App. Chamber)
Authors: Bradfield Paul
Published: August 2024

On July 18, 2023, the Appeals Chamber, by a 3–2 majority, rendered its “Judgment on the appeal of the Republic of the Philippines against Pre-Trial Chamber I's ‘Authorisation pursuant to article 18(2) of the Statute to resume the investigation.’” The decision upheld the Pre-Trial Chamber's decision of January 26, 2023, which authorized the Prosecutor to resume investigating crimes within the jurisdiction of the Court allegedly committed on the territory of the Philippines between November 1, 2011 and March 16, 2019, in the context of a government-led “war on drugs” campaign.
Building a Turkish UCCA dataset
Authors: Bölücü Necva , Can Burcu
Published: August 2024

Semantic representation is the task of conveying the meaning of a natural language utterance by converting it to a logical form that can be processed and understood by machines. It is utilised by many applications in natural language processing (NLP), particularly in tasks relevant to natural language understanding (NLU). Due to the widespread use of semantic parsing in NLP, many semantic representation schemes with different forms have been proposed; Universal Conceptual Cognitive Annotation (UCCA) is one of them. UCCA is a cross-lingual semantic annotation framework that allows easy annotation without requiring substantial linguistic knowledge. UCCA-annotated datasets have been released so far for English, French, German, Russian, and Hebrew. In this paper, we present a UCCA-annotated Turkish dataset of 400 sentences that are obtained from the METU-Sabanci Turkish Treebank. We provide the UCCA annotation specifications defined for the Turkish language so that it can be extended further. We followed a semi-automatic annotation approach, where an external semantic parser is utilised for the initial annotation of the dataset, which is manually revised by two annotators. We used the same semantic parser model to evaluate the dataset with zero-shot and few-shot learning, demonstrating that even a small sample set from the target language in the training data has a notable impact on the performance of the parser (15.6% and 2.5% gain over zero-shot for labelled and unlabelled results, respectively).
The Search for Legitimacy over Yugoslavia: Rudolf Bićanić and the Power of Gold
Authors: Albrecht Nicole
Published: August 2024

While historical narratives of the communist legitimation of power in Yugoslavia have often marginalized perspectives of lesser-known civil servants, this study highlights the crucial role of Dr. Rudolf Bićanić, a renowned Yugoslav economist. Departing from the diplomatic, foreign political, and military perspectives when investigating the Yugoslav émigré government actions, this article explores the ideas espoused, networks created, and actions performed by Bićanić across diverse transnational settings. Bićanić’s lens as a vice-governor of the Yugoslav National Bank demonstrates that the debates regarding the future social and economic policies shaped the transition process between the two Yugoslav states. Driven by a mission to enhance peasant living conditions in Yugoslavia, Bićanić embarked on a brief yet impactful governmental career from 1941 to 1945. The article posits that Bićanić’s anti-government propaganda disseminated through the United Committee of South Slavs and his financial malversations led to the transfer of economic and political legitimacy over Yugoslavia in April 1944 to the National Liberation Council. With this action, Bićanić accelerated the signing of the Tito-Šubašić agreement in June 1944, which empowered him to negotiate the post-war reconstruction aid and loans in Washington, DC, carving a unique path for Yugoslavia between socialism and capitalism.
ENUMERATION OF GROUPS IN SOME SPECIAL VARIETIES OF A-GROUPS
Authors: ARUSHI  , VENKATARAMAN GEETHA
Published: August 2024

We find an upper bound for the number of groups of order n up to isomorphism in the variety
${\mathfrak {S}}={\mathfrak {A}_p}{\mathfrak {A}_q}{\mathfrak {A}_r}$
, where p, q and r are distinct primes. We also find a bound on the orders and on the number of conjugacy classes of subgroups that are maximal amongst the subgroups of the general linear group that are also in the variety
$\mathfrak {A}_q\mathfrak {A}_r$
.
Partial Aggregation for Prioritarians
Authors: Nojoumian Makan
Published: August 2024

Prioritarianism is a family of views comparing distributions of well-being. What unites prioritarians is the thought that when deciding whether a distribution is overall better than another, the worse off have priority. There are different ways of making this idea more precise. However, some of these views have extreme aggregative implications and others have extreme anti-aggregative implications. This raises the question: can prioritarians accommodate partial aggregation (aggregating in some but not all cases) and avoid both extremes? In this paper, I explore and focus on a neglected anti-aggregation condition. I identify a family of views I call ‘bounded prioritarianism’ that meet this condition by placing an upper bound on the moral significance of benefits. I argue that anyone sympathetic to partial aggregation ought to opt for a version of bounded prioritarianism.
Developmental psychopathology turns 50: Applying core principles to longitudinal investigation of ADHD in girls and efforts to reduce stigma and discrimination
Authors: Hinshaw Stephen P. , Porter Patricia A. , Ahmad Shaikh I.
Published: August 2024

The seminal contributions of Dante Cicchetti to the field/paradigm/metaparadigm of developmental psychopathology (DP) – and its continuing ascendance as a guiding force for multidisciplinary investigation of normative and atypical development – are legion. Our aim is to illustrate a number of DP’s core principles in the context of (a) prospective longitudinal research on children (particularly girls) with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and (b) theoretical and empirical work dedicated to alleviating the stigma and discrimination toward those experiencing mental health, substance use, and neurodevelopmental challenges. We feature (i) the mutual interplay of perspectives on normative and non-normative development, (ii) reciprocal and transactional processes, and the constructs of equifinaliy and multifinality; (iii) continuities and discontinuities in developmental processes and outcomes, with particular focus on heterotypic continuity; (iv) the inseparability of heritable and environmental risk; (v) multiple levels of analysis, and (vi) the benefits of qualitative perspectives. We highlight that interventions promoting recovery, along with the multi-level facilitation of protective factors/strengths, lie at the heart of both DP and anti-stigma efforts. The ongoing youth mental-health crisis provides a sobering counterpoint to the gains of the DP enterprise over the past half century.
Additive value of invasive haemodynamic assessment for predicting post-operative outcomes after Fontan
Authors: Wood Kathleen P. , Bonello Kristin E. , Plummer Sarah T. , Chamberlain Reid C. , Fleming Greg A. , Camitta Michael G.W. , Hill Kevin D.
Published: August 2024

Routine pre-Fontan cardiac catheterization remains standard practice at most centres. However, with advances in non-invasive risk assessment, an invasive haemodynamic assessment may not be necessary for all patients.

Using retrospective data from patients undergoing Fontan palliation at our institution, we developed a multivariable model to predict the likelihood of a composite adverse post-operative outcome including prolonged length of stay ≥ 30 days, hospital readmission within 6 months, and death and/or transplant within 6 months. Our baseline model included non-invasive risk factors obtained from clinical history and echocardiogram. We then incrementally incorporated invasive haemodynamic data to determine if these variables improved risk prediction.

Our baseline model correctly predicted favourable versus adverse post-Fontan outcomes in 118/174 (68%) patients. Covariates associated with adverse outcomes included the presence of a systemic right ventricle (adjusted adds ratio [aOR] 2.9; 95% CI 1.4, 5.8; p = 0.004), earlier surgical era (aOR 3.1 for era 1 vs 2; 95% CI 1.5, 6.5; p = 0.002), and performance of concomitant surgical procedures at the time of Fontan surgery (aOR 2.5; 95% CI 1.1, 5.0; p = 0.026). Incremental addition of invasively acquired haemodynamic data did not improve model performance or percentage of outcomes predicted.

Invasively acquired haemodynamic data does not add substantially to non-invasive risk stratification in the majority of patients. Pre-Fontan catheterization may still be beneficial for angiographic evaluation of anatomy, for therapeutic intervention, and in select patients with equivocal risk stratification.
The Legal Objectives of the EU Emissions Trading System: An Evaluation Framework
Authors: Kotzampasakis Manolis , Woerdman Edwin
Published: August 2024

Climate policies are often evaluated using criteria that are heterogeneous and misaligned with the stated aims of these policies. By combining legal research methods with insights from economic theory, we systematically map and analyze the legal objectives of the European Union (EU) Emissions Trading System (ETS), a key climate policy instrument. We find that the EU ETS is shaped by a nuanced internal normative framework, the principal goal of which is emissions reduction, combined with three secondary goals of cost-effectiveness, economic efficiency and equity, and a meta-goal of coherence. Based on the contents and interrelations of these legal objectives, we formulate evaluation criteria that can be used to critically analyze and evaluate the EU ETS performance in a more comprehensive, transparent, and comparable manner. The resulting methodology is applicable to other environmental policies and jurisdictions.