bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Upper bound of the charge diffusion constant in holography
Authors: Huh Kyoung-Bum , Jeong Hyun-Sik , Kim Keun-Young , Sun Ya-Wen
Published: July 2022

Abstract

We investigate the upper bound of charge diffusion constant in holography. For this purpose, we apply the conjectured upper bound proposal related to the equilibration scales (ωeq, keq) to the Einstein-Maxwell-Axion model. (ωeq, keq) is defined as the collision point between the diffusive hydrodynamic mode and the first non-hydrodynamic mode, giving rise to the upper bound of the diffusion constant D at low temperature T as $$ D={\omega}_{\mathrm{eq}}/{k}_{\mathrm{eq}}^2 $$
D
=

ω
eq

/

k
eq
2

. We show that the upper bound proposal also works for the charge diffusion and (ωeq, keq), at low T, is determined by D and the scaling dimension ∆(0) of an infra-red operator as $$ \left({\omega}_{\mathrm{eq}},{k}_{\mathrm{eq}}^2\right)=\left(2\pi T\Delta (0),{\omega}_{\mathrm{eq}}/D\right) $$

ω
eq

k
eq
2

=

2
πT
Δ

0

ω
eq

/
D

, as for other diffusion constants. However, for the charge diffusion, we find that the collision occurs at real keq, while it is complex for other diffusions. In order to examine the universality of the conjectured upper bound, we also introduce a higher derivative coupling to the Einstein-Maxwell-Axion model. This coupling is particularly interesting since it leads to the violation of the lower bound of the charge diffusion constant so the correction may also have effects on the upper bound of the charge diffusion. We find that the higher derivative coupling does not affect the upper bound so that the conjectured upper bound would not be easily violated.
Reconciling the contour-improved and fixed-order approaches for τ hadronic spectral moments. Part I. Renormalon-free gluon condensate scheme
Authors: Benitez-Rathgeb Miguel A. , Boito Diogo , Hoang André H. , Jamin Matthias
Published: July 2022

Abstract

We propose a simple and easy-to-implement scheme for a renormalon-free gluon condensate (GC) matrix element, which is analogous to implementations of short-distance heavy-quark mass renormalization schemes existing in the literature already for a long time. Because the scheme is based on a perturbative subtraction at the level of the matrix element, with a freely adaptable infrared factorization scale, it can be implemented with little effort for any observable where the GC is relevant. The scheme depends on the renormalon norm of the GC which has to be supplemented independently. We apply the scheme to the fixed-order (FOPT) and contour-improved (CIPT) perturbative expansions of τ hadronic spectral function moments. These expansions exhibit a long-standing discrepancy for moments used in high-precision determinations of the strong coupling in the commonly used GC scheme that is not renormalon-free. We show that the scheme is capable of resolving the FOPT-CIPT discrepancy problem. At the same time, the perturbative behaviour of the moments that previously showed bad convergence properties and for which the non-perturbative corrections from the GC are sizeable, is substantially improved. The new GC scheme may provide a powerful theoretical tool for future phenomenological applications.
Fermions in AdS and Gross-Neveu BCFT
Authors: Giombi Simone , Helfenberger Elizabeth , Khanchandani Himanshu
Published: July 2022

Abstract

We study the boundary critical behavior of conformal field theories of interacting fermions in the Gross-Neveu universality class. By a Weyl transformation, the problem can be studied by placing the CFT in an anti de Sitter space background. After reviewing some aspects of free fermion theories in AdS, we use both large N methods and the epsilon expansion near 2 and 4 dimensions to study the conformal boundary conditions in the Gross-Neveu CFT. At large N and general dimension d, we find three distinct boundary conformal phases. Near four dimensions, where the CFT is described by the Wilson-Fisher fixed point of the Gross-Neveu-Yukawa model, two of these phases correspond respectively to the choice of Neumann or Dirichlet boundary condition on the scalar field, while the third one corresponds to the case where the bulk scalar field acquires a classical expectation value. One may flow between these boundary critical points by suitable relevant boundary deformations. We compute the AdS free energy on each of them, and verify that its value is consistent with the boundary version of the F-theorem. We also compute some of the BCFT observables in these theories, including bulk two-point functions of scalar and fermions, and four-point functions of boundary fermions.
Breeding for disease resistance in soybean: a global perspective
Authors: Lin Feng , Chhapekar Sushil Satish , Vieira Caio Canella , Da Silva Marcos Paulo , Rojas Alejandro , Lee Dongho , Liu Nianxi , Pardo Esteban Mariano , Lee Yi-Chen , Dong Zhimin , Pinheiro Jose Baldin , Ploper Leonardo Daniel , Rupe John , Chen Pengyin , Wang Dechun , Nguyen Henry T.
Published: July 2022

Key message

This review provides a comprehensive atlas of QTLs, genes, and alleles conferring resistance to 28 important diseases in all major soybean production regions in the world.

Breeding disease-resistant soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] varieties is a common goal for soybean breeding programs to ensure the sustainability and growth of soybean production worldwide. However, due to global climate change, soybean breeders are facing strong challenges to defeat diseases. Marker-assisted selection and genomic selection have been demonstrated to be successful methods in quickly integrating vertical resistance or horizontal resistance into improved soybean varieties, where vertical resistance refers to R genes and major effect QTLs, and horizontal resistance is a combination of major and minor effect genes or QTLs. This review summarized more than 800 resistant loci/alleles and their tightly linked markers for 28 soybean diseases worldwide, caused by nematodes, oomycetes, fungi, bacteria, and viruses. The major breakthroughs in the discovery of disease resistance gene atlas of soybean were also emphasized which include: (1) identification and characterization of vertical resistance genes reside rhg1 and Rhg4 for soybean cyst nematode, and exploration of the underlying regulation mechanisms through copy number variation and (2) map-based cloning and characterization of Rps11 conferring resistance to 80% isolates of Phytophthora sojae across the USA. In this review, we also highlight the validated QTLs in overlapping genomic regions from at least two studies and applied a consistent naming nomenclature for these QTLs. Our review provides a comprehensive summary of important resistant genes/QTLs and can be used as a toolbox for soybean improvement. Finally, the summarized genetic knowledge sheds light on future directions of accelerated soybean breeding and translational genomics studies.
On the eigenvalues associated with the limit null distribution of the Epps-Pulley test of normality
Authors: Ebner Bruno , Henze Norbert
Published: July 2022

The Shapiro–Wilk test (SW) and the Anderson–Darling test (AD) turned out to be strong procedures for testing for normality. They are joined by a class of tests for normality proposed by Epps and Pulley that, in contrast to SW and AD, have been extended by Baringhaus and Henze to yield easy-to-use affine invariant and universally consistent tests for normality in any dimension. The limit null distribution of the Epps–Pulley test involves a sequences of eigenvalues of a certain integral operator induced by the covariance kernel of a Gaussian process. We solve the associated integral equation and present the corresponding eigenvalues.
Olfactory imagery as a retrieval method for autobiographical memories
Authors: Schlintl Carina , Zorjan Saša , Schienle Anne
Published: July 2022

Introduction

The retrieval of autobiographical memories is influenced by several factors, such as sensory modality and the emotional salience of memory cues. This study aimed at investigating the interaction between sensory modalities (olfaction, vision) and emotional dimensions (valence, arousal) of imagery cues, on the frequency, quality, and age distribution of the autobiographical memories (AMs) elicited.

Method

A total of 296 females (aged between 18 and 35 years) received one out of eight brief instructions for olfactory or visual imagery. The participants were asked to create a mental image with either high arousal/positive valence, high arousal/negative valence, low arousal/positive valence, or low arousal/negative valence (e.g., ‘imagine an unpleasant and arousing odor/scene’); no specific stimulus was mentioned in the instruction.

Results

The approach used elicited imagery with autobiographical content in the majority of participants (78%). In terms of frequency, odor imagery, compared to visual imagery, turned out to be more effective at retrieving either unpleasant memories associated with experiences in adulthood, or pleasant childhood memories. In terms of quality, the imagery was rated as less vivid in the olfactory compared to the visual condition (irrespective of valence and arousal of the imagery instruction). Visual imagery was associated with the experience of more diverse emotions (happiness, sadness, anxiety, anger) than odor imagery, which was related primarily with disgust and happiness.

Conclusion

Our findings indicate that nonspecific imagery induction is a useful approach in accessing AM.

Implication

This approach presents promising clinical applications, such as in working with autobiographical memory narratives in psychotherapy.
Stollenspeicher für Ausleitungskraftwerke
Authors: Richter Wolfgang , Zenz Gerald
Published: July 2022

Eine hydraulische Optimierung von Ausleitungskraftwerken mit Triebwasserstollen bietet sowohl wirtschaftliche, als auch ökologische Vorteile hinsichtlich Schwall-Sunk-Ausgleich, durch Auslegung als Speicherstollen mit differentiellen Wasserschlössern. Dies erhöht die Flexibilität und ermöglicht die Speicherbewirtschaftung des Triebwasserstollens.
Die Kosten der Niedrigzinspolitik am Wohnungsmarkt. Immobilienpreisblasen in B-Lagen am Beispiel Salzburg
Authors: Van-Hametner Andreas
Published: July 2022

In großen Teilen Europas, so auch in Deutschland und Österreich, boomt die Immobiliennachfrage. Immer häufiger wird Wohnraum aber nicht zum Wohnen, sondern als Anlage erworben. Neben institutionellen InvestorInnen kaufen zunehmend auch private AnlegerInnen, vor allem auf exponierten Märkten, die bislang schon einen Nachfrageüberhang aufwiesen. Wesentlich dazu beigetragen hat die Nullzinspolitik der EZB. Der Boom führt in vielen Städten zu Immobilienpreisblasen. Um das gestiegene Blasenrisiko abseits der Metropolen aufzeigen zu können, verwende ich am Beispiel der Stadt Salzburg ein Set aus vier Indikatoren: Die Leistbarkeit von Wohneigentum, die Rentabilität von Vermietungen, die Entwicklung der Fertigstellungen von Wohneinheiten sowie die Entwicklung der Wohnungsbaukredite. Mit diesen Indikatoren können regionale PlanerInnen und Politik Marktentwicklungen einschätzen und Preisblasen identifizieren. Sie zeigen für das Beispiel Salzburg eine deutliche regionale Überhitzung, welche auch durch die COVID-19-Pandemie nicht gestoppt wurde. Im Gegenteil haben die davon beeinflussten Nachfragemuster den aktuellen Boom sogar noch beflügelt. Beton ist mehr denn je „Gold“!
Conductive printable electrodes tuned by boron-doped nanodiamond foil additives for nitroexplosive detection
Authors: Dettlaff Anna , Rycewicz Michał , Ficek Mateusz , Wieloszyńska Aleksandra , Szala Mateusz , Ryl Jacek , Bogdanowicz Robert
Published: July 2022

An efficient additive manufacturing-based composite material fabrication for electrochemical applications is reported. The composite is composed of commercially available graphene-doped polylactide acid (G-PLA) 3D printouts and surface-functionalized with nanocrystalline boron-doped diamond foil (NDF) additives. The NDFs were synthesized on a tantalum substrate and transferred to the 3D-printout surface at 200 °C. No other electrode activation treatment was necessary. Different configurations of low- and heavy-boron doping NDFs were evaluated. The electrode kinetics was analyzed using electrochemical procedures: cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The quasi-reversible electrochemical process was reported in each studied case. The studies allowed confirmation of the CV peak-to-peak separation of 63 mV and remarkably high heterogeneous electron transfer rate constant reaching 6.1 × 10−2 cm s−1 for 10 k ppm [B]/[C] thin NDF fitted topside at the G-PLA electrode. Differential pulse voltammetry was used for effective 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) detection at the studied electrodes with a 87 ppb limit of detection, and wide linearity range between peak current density and the analyte concentration (0.064 to 64 ppm of TNT). The reported electrode kinetic differences originate primarily from the boron-dopant concentration in the diamond and the various contents of the non-diamond carbon phase.

Graphical abstract
Einfluss verschiedener automatisierter externer Defibrillatoren auf die Hands-off-Intervalle von Ersthelfern
Authors: Schäfer Volker , Witwer Patrick , Schwingshackl Lisa , Salchner Hannah , Gasteiger Lukas , Schabauer Wilfried , Lederer Wolfgang
Published: July 2022

Hintergrund

Die Überlebenschancen nach prähospitalen Herz-Kreislauf-Stillständen mit hyperdynamen elektrischen Herzrhythmen können durch frühzeitige Defibrillation mit einem automatisierten externen Defibrillator signifikant verbessert werden. Entsprechend den internationalen Leitlinien dürfen die daraus resultierenden Hands-off-Intervalle nicht mehr als 10 s betragen.

Ziel der Arbeit

Wir untersuchten die Verzögerung des Beginns der Herzdruckmassage und die Dauer der Hands-off-Intervalle während der Reanimation, die mit der Anwendung von automatisierten externen Defibrillatoren in Zusammenhang stehen.

Material und Methoden

In einer prospektiven, randomisierten, einfach verblindeten Beobachtungsstudie wurden Reanimationsmaßnahmen von Medizinstudent*Innen im ersten Semester in verschiedenen Notfallszenarien am Phantom getestet. Verglichen wurden die Verzögerung des Beginns der Herzdruckmassage und die Dauer der Hands-off-Intervalle durch Sprachanweisungen von vier konventionellen Geräten bei defibrillierbaren und nichtdefibrillierbaren Rhythmen. Zufriedenheit mit dem Gerät, Schwierigkeiten bei der Anwendung und Verbesserungsvorschläge wurden über Fragebogen erfasst.

Ergebnisse

In insgesamt 70 Anwendungen wurde der Beginn der Herzdruckmassage durch die Sprachanweisungen um durchschnittlich 115 s verzögert. Bei defibrillierbaren Rhythmen wurde der erste Schock im Mittel erst nach 125 s ausgelöst. Unterbrechungen nach Schockabgabe von unter 10 s wurden mit keinem der getesteten Geräte erreicht. Die Hands-off-Intervalle während der Defibrillationen unterschieden sich signifikant zwischen den Geräten (p < 0,001). Verbesserungsvorschläge wurden für die Bereiche Gerätemarkierungen, Sprachanweisungen und Elektroden gemacht.

Diskussion

Perischockpausen von unter 10 s konnten mit keinem der getesteten Geräte erreicht werden. Kürzere und konkretere Sprachanweisungen sowie übersichtlichere Beschriftung und Anordnung der Elektroden sind nötig, um die Anwendung zu vereinfachen, den Beginn der Herzdruckmassage weniger zu verzögern und die Hands-off-Intervalle zu verkürzen.
Developing and Validating Multi-Modal Models for Mortality Prediction in COVID-19 Patients: a Multi-center Retrospective Study
Authors: Wu Joy Tzung-yu , de la Hoz Miguel Ángel Armengol , Kuo Po-Chih , Paguio Joseph Alexander , Yao Jasper Seth , Dee Edward Christopher , Yeung Wesley , Jurado Jerry , Moulick Achintya , Milazzo Carmelo , Peinado Paloma , Villares Paula , Cubillo Antonio , Varona José Felipe , Lee Hyung-Chul , Estirado Alberto , Castellano José Maria , Celi Leo Anthony
Published: July 2022

The unprecedented global crisis brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic has sparked numerous efforts to create predictive models for the detection and prognostication of SARS-CoV-2 infections with the goal of helping health systems allocate resources. Machine learning models, in particular, hold promise for their ability to leverage patient clinical information and medical images for prediction. However, most of the published COVID-19 prediction models thus far have little clinical utility due to methodological flaws and lack of appropriate validation. In this paper, we describe our methodology to develop and validate multi-modal models for COVID-19 mortality prediction using multi-center patient data. The models for COVID-19 mortality prediction were developed using retrospective data from Madrid, Spain (N = 2547) and were externally validated in patient cohorts from a community hospital in New Jersey, USA (N = 242) and an academic center in Seoul, Republic of Korea (N = 336). The models we developed performed differently across various clinical settings, underscoring the need for a guided strategy when employing machine learning for clinical decision-making. We demonstrated that using features from both the structured electronic health records and chest X-ray imaging data resulted in better 30-day mortality prediction performance across all three datasets (areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves: 0.85 (95% confidence interval: 0.83–0.87), 0.76 (0.70–0.82), and 0.95 (0.92–0.98)). We discuss the rationale for the decisions made at every step in developing the models and have made our code available to the research community. We employed the best machine learning practices for clinical model development. Our goal is to create a toolkit that would assist investigators and organizations in building multi-modal models for prediction, classification, and/or optimization.
A Seemingly Paradoxical Relationship Between Masturbation Frequency and Sexual Satisfaction
Authors: Fischer Nantje , Træen Bente
Published: July 2022

Despite many benefits related to masturbation, we know surprisingly little about how solo sex is associated with sexual satisfaction. Using questionnaire data from a probability-based sample of 4,160 Norwegians aged 18–89 years, we explored subgroups of women and men that differed in their masturbation–sexual satisfaction typology and examined whether sociodemographic, psychological, and sexual behavioral characteristics were associated with distinct masturbation–satisfaction patterns. A cluster analysis revealed four similar groupings for women and men, reflecting sex lives characterized by high masturbation/sexual satisfaction, low masturbation/sexual satisfaction, high masturbation/sexual dissatisfaction, or low masturbation/sexual dissatisfaction. While being younger, higher pornography consumption, and sexual variety were primarily associated with increased masturbation frequency, sexual distress and a negative body and genital self-image were more clearly associated with sexual dissatisfaction. Predicting different masturbation–satisfaction groupings also revealed some gender-specific findings in the use of pornography, and in the association between masturbation and intercourse frequency, which suggested a complementary pattern for women and a compensatory pattern for men. Our findings emphasize that the linkage between masturbation and sexual satisfaction warrants closer focus.
The Great Porn Experiment V2.0: Sexual Arousal Reduces the Salience of Familiar Women When Heterosexual Men Judge Their Attractiveness
Authors: Sculley Jordan , Watkins Christopher D.
Published: July 2022

Pornography has become widely accessible in recent years due to its integration with the Internet, generating social scientific and moralistic debate on potential “media effects,” given correlations between consumption and various sexual traits and behaviors. One popular public debate (Wilson, 2012) claimed that exposure to Internet pornography has addictive qualities that could impact men’s sexual relationships, underpinned by the “Coolidge effect,” where males are sexually motivated by the presence of novel mates. As claims about Internet and sexual addictions are scientifically controversial, we provide a direct experimental test of his proposal. Adapting a paradigm used to examine “Coolidge-like” effects in men, we examined the extent to which exposure to images of pornographic actresses altered men’s attractiveness ratings of (1) familiar faces/bodies on second viewing and (2) familiar versus novel women’s faces/bodies. Independent of slideshow content (pornographic versus clothed versions of same actress), heterosexual men were less attracted to familiar bodies, and homosexual men were less attracted to familiar women (faces and bodies), suggesting that mere visual exposure to attractive women moderated men’s preferences. However, consistent with one of our preregistered predictions, heterosexual but not homosexual men’s preferences for familiar versus novel women were moderated by slideshow content such that familiar women were less salient on the attractiveness dimension compared to novel women when sexual arousal was greater (pornographic versus clothed slideshows). In sum, our findings demonstrate that visual exposure/sexual arousal moderates attractiveness perceptions, albeit that much greater nuance is required considering earlier claims.
The implementation of a noninvasive lymph node staging (NILS) preoperative prediction model is cost effective in primary breast cancer
Authors: Skarping Ida , Nilsson Kristoffer , Dihge Looket , Fridhammar Adam , Ohlsson Mattias , Huss Linnea , Bendahl Pär-Ola , Steen Carlsson Katarina , Rydén Lisa
Published: July 2022

Purpose

The need for sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) in clinically node-negative (cN0) patients is currently questioned. Our objective was to investigate the cost-effectiveness of a preoperative noninvasive lymph node staging (NILS) model (an artificial neural network model) for predicting pathological nodal status in patients with cN0 breast cancer (BC).

Methods

A health-economic decision-analytic model was developed to evaluate the utility of the NILS model in reducing the proportion of cN0 patients with low predicted risk undergoing SLNB. The model used information from a national registry and published studies, and three sensitivity/specificity scenarios of the NILS model were evaluated. Subgroup analysis explored the outcomes of breast-conserving surgery (BCS) or mastectomy. The results are presented as cost (€) and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) per 1000 patients.

Results

All three scenarios of the NILS model reduced total costs (–€93,244 to –€398,941 per 1000 patients). The overall health benefit allowing for the impact of SLNB complications was a net health gain (7.0–26.9 QALYs per 1000 patients). Sensitivity analyses disregarding reduced quality of life from lymphedema showed a small loss in total health benefits (0.4–4.0 QALYs per 1000 patients) because of the reduction in total life years (0.6–6.5 life years per 1000 patients) after reduced adjuvant treatment. Subgroup analyses showed greater cost reductions and QALY gains in patients undergoing BCS.

Conclusion

Implementing the NILS model to identify patients with low risk for nodal metastases was associated with substantial cost reductions and likely overall health gains, especially in patients undergoing BCS.
The Efficacy of Parent Management Training With or Without Involving the Child in the Treatment Among Children with Clinical Levels of Disruptive Behavior: A Meta-analysis
Authors: Helander Maria , Asperholm Martin , Wetterborg Dan , Öst Lars-Göran , Hellner Clara , Herlitz Agneta , Enebrink Pia
Published: July 2022

A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted where we evaluated the effects of Parent Management Training (PMT), Parent–Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) and PMT combined with child cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) using data from 25 RCTs on children with clinical levels of disruptive behavior (age range 2–13 years). Results showed that PMT (g = 0.64 [95% CI 0.42, 0.86]) and PCIT (g = 1.22 [95% CI 0.75, 1.69]) were more effective than waiting-list (WL) in reducing parent-rated disruptive behavior, and PMT also in improving parental skills (g = 0.83 [95% CI 0.67, 0.98]) and child social skills (g = 0.49 [95% CI 0.30, 0.68]). PCIT versus WL had larger effects in reducing disruptive behavior than PMT versus WL. In the few studies found, the addition of child CBT to PMT did not yield larger effects than PMT or WL. These results support offering PMT to children with clinical levels of disruptive behavior and highlight the additional benefits of PCIT for younger ages.
A systematic approach to parameter optimization and its application to flight schedule simulation software
Authors: Brownlee Alexander E. I. , Epitropakis Michael G. , Mulder Jeroen , Paelinck Marc , Burke Edmund K.
Published: July 2022

Industrial software often has many parameters that critically impact performance. Frequently, these are left in a sub-optimal configuration for a given application because searching over possible configurations is costly and, except for developer instinct, the relationships between parameters and performance are often unclear and complex. While there have been significant advances in automated parameter tuning approaches recently, they are typically black-box. The high-quality solutions produced are returned to the user without explanation. The nature of optimisation means that, often, these solutions are far outside the well-established settings for the software, making it difficult to accept and use them. To address the above issue, a systematic approach to software parameter optimization is presented. Several well-established techniques are followed in sequence, each underpinning the next, with rigorous analysis of the search space. This allows the results to be explainable to both end users and developers, improving confidence in the optimal solutions, particularly where they are counter-intuitive. The process comprises statistical analysis of the parameters; single-objective optimization for each target objective; functional ANOVA to explain trends and inter-parameter interactions; and a multi-objective optimization seeded with the results from the single-objective stage. A case study demonstrates application to business-critical software developed by the international airline Air France-KLM for measuring flight schedule robustness. A configuration is found with a run-time of 80% that of the tried-and-tested configuration, with no loss in predictive accuracy. The configuration is supplemented with detailed analysis explaining the importance of each parameter, how they interact with each other, how they influence run-time and accuracy, and how the final configuration was reached. In particular, this explains why the configuration included some parameter settings that were outwith the usually recommended range, greatly increasing developer confidence and encouraging adoption of the new configuration.
Vocational values scale: initial development and testing of the student form (VVS–S)
Authors: Atitsogbe Kokou A. , Bernaud Jean-Luc
Published: July 2022

This manuscript aimed to develop an instrument assessing vocational values among students (VVS–S). The scale was developed in French using three different samples of Togolese participants for item development (N = 140), exploratory (N = 308) and confirmatory analyses (N = 300). It consists of 17 items divided into the five subscales of Power, Family, Helping, Salary, and Creativity. The correlational, higher-order, and bifactor models showed that these values could be considered independently. Moreover, four of the values correlated positively but weakly with life satisfaction. The VVS–S’s usefulness for research and practice in counseling, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, is discussed.
ADMM-Based Residual Whiteness Principle for Automatic Parameter Selection in Single Image Super-Resolution Problems
Authors: Pragliola Monica , Calatroni Luca , Lanza Alessandro , Sgallari Fiorella
Published: July 2022

We propose an automatic parameter selection strategy for the single image super-resolution problem for images corrupted by blur and additive white Gaussian noise with unknown standard deviation. The proposed approach exploits the structure of both the down-sampling and the blur operators in the frequency domain and computes the optimal regularisation parameter as the one optimising a suitably defined residual whiteness measure. Computationally, the proposed strategy relies on the fast solution of generalised Tikhonov $$\ell _2$$

ℓ
2

–$$\ell _2$$

ℓ
2

problems as proposed in Zhao et al. (IEEE Trans Image Process 25:3683–3697, 2016). These problems naturally appear as substeps of the Alternating Direction Method of Multipliers used to solve single image super-resolution problems with non-quadratic, non-smooth, sparsity-promoting regularisers both in convex and in non-convex regimes. After detailing the theoretical properties allowing to express the whiteness functional in a compact way, we report an exhaustive list of numerical experiments proving the effectiveness of the proposed approach for different type of problems, in comparison with well-known parameter selection strategies such as, e.g., the discrepancy principle.
Exploring Inductive Linearization for simulation and estimation with an application to the Michaelis–Menten model
Authors: Sharif Sepideh , Hasegawa Chihiro , Duffull Stephen B.
Published: July 2022

Nonlinear ordinary differential equations (ODEs) are common in pharmacokinetic–pharmacodynamic systems. Although their exact solutions cannot generally be determined via algebraic methods, their rapid and accurate solutions are desirable. Thus, numerical methods have a critical role. Inductive Linearization was proposed as a method to solve systems of nonlinear ODEs. It is an iterative approach that converts a nonlinear ODE into a linear time-varying (LTV) ODE, for which a range of standard integration techniques can then be used to solve (e.g., eigenvalue decomposition [EVD]). This study explores the properties of Inductive Linearization when coupled with EVD for integration of the LTV ODE and illustrates how the efficiency of the method can be improved. Improvements were based on three approaches, (1) incorporation of a convergence criterion for the iterative linearization process (for simulation and estimation), (2) creating more efficient step sizes for EVD (for simulation and estimation), and (3) updating the initial conditions of the Inductive Linearization (for estimation). The performance of these improvements were evaluated using single subject stochastic simulation-estimation with an application to a simple pharmacokinetic model with Michaelis–Menten elimination. The reference comparison was a standard non-stiff Runge–Kutta method with variable step size (ode45, MATLAB). Each of the approaches improved the speed of the Inductive Linearization technique without diminishing accuracy which, in this simple case, was faster than ode45 with comparable accuracy in the parameter estimates. The methods described here can easily be implemented in standard software programme such as R or MATLAB. Further work is needed to explore this technique for estimation in a population approach setting.
A unified framework for online trip destination prediction
Authors: Eberstein Victor , Sjöblom Jonas , Murgovski Nikolce , Haghir Chehreghani Morteza
Published: July 2022

Trip destination prediction is an area of increasing importance in many applications such as trip planning, autonomous driving and electric vehicles. Even though this problem could be naturally addressed in an online learning paradigm where data is arriving in a sequential fashion, the majority of research has rather considered the offline setting. In this paper, we present a unified framework for trip destination prediction in an online setting, which is suitable for both online training and online prediction. For this purpose, we develop two clustering algorithms and integrate them within two online prediction models for this problem. We investigate the different configurations of clustering algorithms and prediction models on a real-world dataset. We demonstrate that both the clustering and the entire framework yield consistent results compared to the offline setting. Finally, we propose a novel regret metric for evaluating the entire online framework in comparison to its offline counterpart. This metric makes it possible to relate the source of erroneous predictions to either the clustering or the prediction model. Using this metric, we show that the proposed methods converge to a probability distribution resembling the true underlying distribution with a lower regret than all of the baselines.
Paradox and context shift
Authors: Mankowitz Poppy
Published: July 2022

The Liar sentenceL, which reads ‘Lis not true’, can be used to produce an apparently valid argument proving thatLis not true and thatLis true. There has been increasing recognition of the appeal of contextualist solutions to the Liar paradox. Contextualist accounts hold that some step in the reasoning induces a context shift that causes the apparently contradictory claims to occur at different contexts. Attempts at identifying the most promising contextualist account often rely ontiming arguments, which seek to isolate a step at which the context cannot be claimed to have shifted or must have shifted. The literature contains a number of timing arguments that draw incompatible conclusions about the location of the context shift. I argue that no existing timing arguments succeed. An alternative strategy for assessing contextualist accounts evaluates the plausibility of their explanations of why the context shifts. However, even this strategy yields no clear verdict about which contextualist account is the most promising. I conclude that there are some grounds for optimism and for pessimism about the potential to adequately motivate contextualism.
Wholesale funding and liquidity creation
Authors: Kladakis George , Chen Lei , Bellos Sotirios K.
Published: July 2022

We examine the relationship between wholesale funding and liquidity creation using a sample of 825 banks in 84 countries during the post-crisis period of 2010–2020. We find that asset-side liquidity creation is consistently negatively associated with short-term wholesale funding, but not with long-term wholesale funding. Our results suggest that the relationship of short-term wholesale funding with asset-side liquidity creation is significantly driven by a negative relationship with illiquid lending. Moreover, our results show that the negative relationship between wholesale funding and liquidity creation is positively moderated by asset risk, suggesting the presence of moral hazard incentives. Our results are robust to a series of tests and have important implications for bank liquidity regulation.
A Justification of Legitimate Teleological Explanations in Physics Education
Authors: Brock Richard , Kampourakis Kostas
Published: July 2022

Scientific teleological explanations cite end states as causes to account for physical phenomena. Researchers in science education have noted that students can use teleological explanations in ways that are illegitimate, for example, by implying that inanimate objects are acting intentionally. Despite such cases, several examples of legitimate teleological explanation have been described, and the use of the explanatory form in several contexts in biological education has been encouraged. We argue that, in addition to those biological cases, teleological accounts that meet two criteria can be a legitimate and valuable tool in physics education. We propose that teleological accounts are legitimate when, first, the account reflects the cause-and-effect relationships that exist in reality and, second, when the end state has a degree of necessity. Our account is based on Lange’s model of constraint-based causality, in which he argues that phenomena can be explained by reference to constraints, necessary restrictions, for example, physical laws, that limit the behaviour of phenomena. We introduce seven examples of constraint-based teleology in the context of physics education and consider to what extent the two criteria are met in each case and hence their legitimacy. Five potential criticisms of the approach are introduced, discussed, and dismissed. Strategies for using legitimate teleological explanations in the physics classroom are proposed.
Estimating the Open Solar Flux from In-Situ Measurements
Authors: Frost Anna Marie , Owens Mathew , Macneil Allan , Lockwood Mike
Published: July 2022

A fraction of the magnetic flux threading the solar photosphere extends to sufficient heliocentric distances that it is dragged out by the solar wind. Understanding this open solar flux (OSF) is central to space weather, as the OSF forms the heliosphere, magnetically connects the Sun to the planets, and dominates the motion of energetic particles. Quantification of OSF is also a key means of verifying global coronal models. However, OSF estimates derived from extrapolating the magnetic field from photospheric observations are consistently smaller than those based on heliospheric magnetic field (HMF) measurements, by around a factor two. It is therefore important to understand the uncertainties in estimating OSF from in-situ HMF measurements. This requires both an assumption of latitudinal invariance in the radial component of the HMF in the heliosphere, and that structures without an immediate connection to the Sun, such as local magnetic field inversions (or ‘switchbacks’), can be correctly accounted for. In this study, we investigate the second assumption. Following an established methodology, we use in-situ electron and magnetic data to determine the global topology of the HMF and correct for inversions that would otherwise lead to an overestimation of the OSF. The OSF estimation is applied to the interval 1994 – 2021 and combines measurements from the Wind and ACE spacecraft. This extends the time range over which this methodology has previously been applied from 13 years (1998 – 2011) to 27 years. We find that inversions cannot fully explain the discrepancy between heliospheric and photospheric OSF estimations, with the best heliospheric estimate of OSF still, on average, a factor 1.6 higher than the values extrapolated from photospheric observations.
Meaning in time: on temporal externalism and Kripkenstein’s skeptical challenge
Authors: Reinikainen Jaakko
Published: July 2022

The main question of metasemantics, or foundational semantics, is why an expression token has the meaning (semantic value) that it in fact has. In his reading of Ludwig Wittgenstein’s later work, Saul Kripke presented a skeptical challenge that threatened to make the foundational question unanswerable. My first contention in this paper is that the skeptical challenge indeed poses an insoluble paradox, but only for a certain kind of metasemantic theory, against which the challenge effectively works as a reductio ad absurdum argument. My second contention is that as a result of rejecting the theory which entails a paradoxical outcome, we will see that the foundational question essentially involves a temporal dimension. After arguing that the skeptical challenge gives us a strong reason to adopt a historical view of meaning, I shall further argue against certain authors who claim that meanings not only have histories but futures as well, or that the meaning of a word may change retroactively in time as a consequence of counterfactual change in its future use. The major aim of the paper is thus to bring together the arguably interrelated debates about the skeptical challenge and temporal externalism in philosophy of language.
An Overview of the Common Elements of Learning Management System Policies in Higher Education Institutions
Authors: Turnbull Darren , Chugh Ritesh , Luck Jo
Published: July 2022

Learning management systems form an integral part of the learning environments of most universities and support a wide range of diverse activities and operations. However, learning management systems are often regulated by institutional policies that address the general use of Information Technology and Communication services rather than specific learning management system policies. Hence, we propose that learning management system environments are complex techno-social systems that require dedicated standalone policies to regulate their operation. This preliminary study examined a selection of learning management system policies from twenty universities in four countries to identify some of the elements that are considered necessary for inclusion in policy documents. Seventeen individual elements of learning management system policy documents were identified from a synthesis of the policies. These were classified into six policy categories: Accounts, Courses, Ownership, Support, Usage, and Protection. The study also identified three additional qualities of learning management system policy documents: standalone comprehensibility, platform-neutral statements, and contemporary relevance. The findings of this study will serve as a useful template for developing dedicated standalone policies for the governance of university learning management systems.
Präventionsdilemma auf kommunaler Ebene?
Authors: Herbert-Maul Annika , Abu-Omar Karim , Till Maike , Fleuren Tobias , Wolff Andrea R. , Reimers Anne K.
Published: July 2022

Hintergrund

Von Gesundheitsförderung profitieren häufig vorwiegend sozial privilegierte Personen während sozial Benachteiligte seltener erreicht werden. Ob dieses Präventionsdilemma auch auf kommunaler Ebene besteht, wurde bislang kaum erforscht.

Ziel der Arbeit

Die Studie untersucht anhand von zwei bayernweiten Projektausschreibungen zur kommunalen Bewegungsförderung, ob sozioökonomisch deprivierte Kommunen, die geringe Angebotsstrukturen der Gesundheitsförderung aufweisen, durch solche Ausschreibungen erreicht werden und welche Faktoren die Bereitschaft zur Beteiligung beeinflussen.

Methoden

Es werden Bevölkerungsdaten und sozioökonomische Deprivationsdaten von (n = 171) Kommunen aus drei Gruppen (teilnehmende/interessierte Kommunen und deprivierte Vergleichskommunen) verglichen. Durch eine systematische Internetrecherche werden die Gesundheitsförderungsaktivitäten ausgewählter Kommunen erhoben. Barrieren und Förderfaktoren für die Umsetzung der Projekte werden mittels einer Dokumentenanalyse erfasst.

Ergebnisse

Die teilnehmenden und interessierten Kommunen weisen höhere Einwohnerzahlen und geringere Deprivationswerte als der Durchschnitt der Kommunen in Bayern auf und stellen mehr Angebote der Gesundheitsförderung bereit als deprivierte Vergleichskommunen. Großen Einfluss auf die Teilnahme an den Projekten haben finanzielle Faktoren, politische Unterstützung und engagierte Personen.

Diskussion

Die Ergebnisse dieser Studie deuten auf ein Präventionsdilemma auf kommunaler Ebene hin. Um gesundheitlichen Ungleichheiten zwischen Kommunen vorzubeugen, sollten benachteiligte Kommunen in die Gestaltung von Förderprogrammen einbezogen werden, um diese Programme an deren Bedürfnisse anzupassen.
Spatiotemporal Dynamics of the Molecular Expression Pattern and Intercellular Interactions in the Glial Scar Response to Spinal Cord Injury
Authors: Gong Leilei , Gu Yun , Han Xiaoxiao , Luan Chengcheng , Liu Chang , Wang Xinghui , Sun Yufeng , Zheng Mengru , Fang Mengya , Yang Shuhai , Xu Lai , Sun Hualin , Yu Bin , Gu Xiaosong , Zhou Songlin
Published: July 2022

Nerve regeneration in adult mammalian spinal cord is poor because of the lack of intrinsic regeneration of neurons and extrinsic factors – the glial scar is triggered by injury and inhibits or promotes regeneration. Recent technological advances in spatial transcriptomics (ST) provide a unique opportunity to decipher most genes systematically throughout scar formation, which remains poorly understood. Here, we first constructed the tissue-wide gene expression patterns of mouse spinal cords over the course of scar formation using ST after spinal cord injury from 32 samples. Locally, we profiled gene expression gradients from the leading edge to the core of the scar areas to further understand the scar microenvironment, such as neurotransmitter disorders, activation of the pro-inflammatory response, neurotoxic saturated lipids, angiogenesis, obstructed axon extension, and extracellular structure re-organization. In addition, we described 21 cell transcriptional states during scar formation and delineated the origins, functional diversity, and possible trajectories of subpopulations of fibroblasts, glia, and immune cells. Specifically, we found some regulators in special cell types, such as Thbs1 and Col1a2 in macrophages, CD36 and Postn in fibroblasts, Plxnb2 and Nxpe3 in microglia, Clu in astrocytes, and CD74 in oligodendrocytes. Furthermore, salvianolic acid B, a blood–brain barrier permeation and CD36 inhibitor, was administered after surgery and found to remedy fibrosis. Subsequently, we described the extent of the scar boundary and profiled the bidirectional ligand-receptor interactions at the neighboring cluster boundary, contributing to maintain scar architecture during gliosis and fibrosis, and found that GPR37L1_PSAP, and GPR37_PSAP were the most significant gene-pairs among microglia, fibroblasts, and astrocytes. Last, we quantified the fraction of scar-resident cells and proposed four possible phases of scar formation: macrophage infiltration, proliferation and differentiation of scar-resident cells, scar emergence, and scar stationary. Together, these profiles delineated the spatial heterogeneity of the scar, confirmed the previous concepts about scar architecture, provided some new clues for scar formation, and served as a valuable resource for the treatment of central nervous system injury.
Improving customer satisfaction in proactive service design
Authors: Wenninger Annette , Rau Daniel , Röglinger Maximilian
Published: July 2022

As an emergent variant of digital and smart services, proactive services (PAS) do not wait for customers to make the first move, but proactively participate in customers’ lives and make decisions on their behalf. Due to their novelty, the literature on PAS is in its infancy. Specifically, there is a lack of guidance on designing PAS to meet customer needs. Hence, we examined how customers assess specific features of PAS and whether their assessments differ according to personality traits. To this end, we conducted an online survey via the crowdsourcing platform Prolific, which yielded 259 valid responses. We used a methodological combination of the Kano model, self-stated importance method, and the Five Factor model. Our results reveal that, at the moment, customers do not value features of PAS related to autonomy and that customers engage in paradoxical behavior when assessing the use of personal data. These results allow for a more precise classification and prioritization of the features of PAS tuned to a customer’s most prevalent personality trait.
Research highlights of clinical oncology early 2022
Authors: Wu Kaichun
Published: July 2022

Advance in clinical oncology is highly relied on development of cancer research and clinical trials. There has been ample evidence regarding the new therapeutic drugs, agents or techniques for the treatment of cancer. We did a broad literature search to catch the latest progress in the cancer therapy. Here is a brief review of the newly released results of clinical trials including surgical modalities, immune checkpoint blockade, chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR T) therapy, antibody–drug conjugates and tumor vaccines, etc. Biomarkers or patient assessment of cancer therapy were also discussed.