bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Collective preference learning in the best-of-n problem
Authors: Crosscombe Michael , Lawry Jonathan 
Published: June 2021

AbstractDecentralised autonomous systems rely on distributed learning to make decisions and to collaborate in pursuit of a shared objective. For example, in swarm robotics the best-of-n problem is a well-known collective decision-making problem in which agents attempt to learn the best option out of n possible alternatives based on local feedback from the environment. This typically involves gathering information about all n alternatives while then systematically discarding information about all but the best option. However, for applications such as search and rescue in which learning the ranking of options is useful or crucial, best-of-n decision-making can be wasteful and costly. Instead, we investigate a more general distributed learning process in which agents learn a preference ordering over all of the n options. More specifically, we introduce a distributed rank learning algorithm based on three-valued logic. We then use agent-based simulation experiments to demonstrate the effectiveness of this model. In this context, we show that a population of agents are able to learn a total ordering over the n options and furthermore the learning process is robust to evidential noise. To demonstrate the practicality of our model, we restrict the communication bandwidth between the agents and show that this model is also robust to limited communications whilst outperforming a comparable probabilistic model under the same communication conditions.
Positive Solutions for Singular Anisotropic (p, q)-Equations
Authors: Papageorgiou Nikolaos S. , Winkert Patrick 
Published: June 2021

AbstractIn this paper, we consider a Dirichlet problem driven by an anisotropic (p, q)-differential operator and a parametric reaction having the competing effects of a singular term and of a superlinear perturbation. We prove a bifurcation-type theorem describing the changes in the set of positive solutions as the parameter moves. Moreover, we prove the existence of a minimal positive solution and determine the monotonicity and continuity properties of the minimal solution map.
The Supreme Court as an electoral issue: evidence from three studies
Authors: Badas Alex , Simas Elizabeth 
Published: June 2021

AbstractJudicial nominations, particularly those to the Supreme Court, have been a salient topic in recent presidential and senate elections. However, there has been little research to determine whether judicial nominations motivate political behavior. Across three studies we demonstrate the important role judicial nominations play in influencing political behavior. In Study 1, we analyze the extent to which voters perceive judicial nominations as an important electoral issue. We find that Republicans—and especially strong Republicans—are more likely to perceive judicial nominations as important. In Study 2, we analyze how congruence with an incumbent Senator's judicial confirmation votes influences voters’ decision to vote for the incumbent. We find that congruence with a Senator's judicial confirmation votes is a strong predictor of vote choice. Finally, in Study 3, we analyze data from an original conjoint experiment aimed at simulating a Senate primary election where voters must select among co-partisans. We find that Republican subjects are more likely to select a primary candidate who prioritizes confirming conservative Supreme Court nominees. Among Democratic subjects, however, we find that Democratic candidates who prioritize the Court might actually suffer negative electoral consequences. Overall, our results demonstrate the importance of judicial nominations as an electoral issue.
Making Do: How a Somali Refugee Woman Experiences Social Mobility Amidst Precarity in Transit in Indonesia
Authors: Missbach Antje , Cameron Trish 
Published: June 2021

AbstractThis article presents an account of Faduma, a Somali woman currently living in Jakarta, Indonesia, in order to illustrate the creativity, resilience and adaptability required to make do as a refugee with little to no formal support in a rather hostile environment. For Faduma, Indonesia presents such an environment. As it offers no formal protection for asylum seekers and refugees and only tolerates their temporary presence without guaranteeing them any fundamental rights, such as the right to work, it can be characterised as a ‘deviant destination’ for refugees in search of durable and effective solutions. This article analyses Faduma's strategies, embedded in the macro-political context of forced migration, the Global North's externalised border policies, the absence of safe pathways, and the lack of proper refugee protection in Southeast Asia, for finding informal employment, attaining new skills and education, and forming strategic friendships with Indonesians and expatriates as a means of dealing with racism, exploitation and multifaceted precarity. We selected Faduma's case from amongst a number of encounters that we had with Somali refugees in Indonesia because of her extraordinary involvement with the Somali community. While the current toleration of refugee activities by Indonesian authorities enables refugees to survive in transit, we argue that such unintentional and informal protection is not a durable approach for larger groups of refugees enduring prolonged periods of waiting.
The Application of Electromagnetic Induction Methods to Reveal the Hydrogeological Structure of a Riparian Wetland
Authors: McLachlan Paul , Blanchy Guillaume , Chambers Jonathan , Sorensen James , Uhlemann Sebastian , Wilkinson Paul , Binley Andrew 
Published: June 2021

AbstractUnderstanding ecologically sensitive wetlands often requires non‐invasive methods to characterize their complex structure (e.g., deposit heterogeneity) and hydrogeological parameters (e.g., porosity and hydraulic conductivity). Here, electrical conductivities of a riparian wetland were obtained using frequency domain electromagnetic induction (EMI) methods. The wetland was previously characterized by extensive intrusive measurements and 3D electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) surveys and hence offers an ideal opportunity to objectively assess EMI methods. Firstly, approaches to obtain structural information (e.g., elevation and thickness of alluvium) from EMI data and inverted models were assessed. Regularized and sharp inversion algorithms were investigated for ERT calibrated EMI data. Moreover, the importance of EMI errors in inversion was investigated. The hydrological information content was assessed using correlations with piezometric data and petrophysical models. It was found that EMI data were dominated by the thickness of peaty alluvial soils and relatively insensitive to topography and total alluvial thickness. Furthermore, although error weighting in the inversion improved the accuracy of alluvial soil thickness predictions, the multi‐linear regression method performed the best. For instance, an iso‐conductivity method to estimate the alluvial soil thickness in the regularized models had a normalized mean absolute difference (NMAD) of 21.4%, and although this performed better than the sharp inversion algorithm (NMAD = 65.3%), the multi‐linear regression approach (using 100 intrusive observations) achieved a NMAD = 18.0%. In terms of hydrological information content, correlations between EMI results and piezometric data were poor, however robust relationships between petrophysically derived porosity and hydraulic conductivity were observed for the alluvial soils and gravels.
The GEOHealth Hub for Eastern Africa: Contributions and Lessons Learned
Authors: Wipfli Heather , Kumie Abera , Atuyambe Lynn , Oguge Otienoh , Rugigana Etienne , Zacharias Kristin , Simane Belay , Samet Jonathan , Berhane Kiros 
Published: June 2021

AbstractExternalities, such as air pollution and increased occupational hazards, resulting from global trends in climate change, rapid industrialization, and rapidly increasing populations are raising global concerns about the associated health risks. The Global Environmental and Occupational Health Hub for Eastern Africa was established to address some of these problems at national and regional levels through focused training and applied research that would yield evidence supporting policies and investments to mitigate risks of increasing environmental threats throughout the Eastern African region. Emphasis has been placed on air pollution, a leading risk factor for global mortality, accounting for over 7 million premature deaths or 8.7% of the 2017 global mortality burden. Despite the enormous disease burden that air pollution causes, global investment in air pollution monitoring and research capacity building in low‐middle and middle‐income countries have been inadequate. This study outlines the activities the Hub has undertaken in planning for and carrying out its initial capacity building and building its primary research programs and identifies central lessons that can inform other large global research partnerships.
Key considerations for assessing soil ingestion exposures among agricultural workers
Authors: Lupolt Sara N. , Agnew Jacqueline , Burke Thomas A. , Kennedy Ryan David , Nachman Keeve E. 
Published: June 2021

Abstract
Background
Soil ingestion is a critical, yet poorly characterized route of exposure to contaminants, particularly for agricultural workers who have frequent, direct contact with soil.

Objective
This qualitative investigation aims to identify and characterize key considerations for translating agricultural workers’ soil ingestion experiences into recommendations to improve traditional exposure science tools for estimating soil ingestion.

Methods
We conducted qualitative in-depth interviews with 16 fruit and vegetable growers in Maryland to characterize their behaviors and concerns regarding soil contact in order to characterize the nature of soil ingestion in the agricultural context.

Results
We identified and discussed four emergent themes: (1) variability in growers’ descriptions of soil and dust, (2) variability in growers’ soil contact, (3) growers’ concerns regarding soil contact, (4) growers’ practices to modify soil contact. We also identified environmental and behavioral factors and six specific agricultural tasks that may impact soil ingestion rates.

Significance
Our investigation fills an important gap in occupational exposure science methodology by providing four key considerations that should be integrated into indirect measurement tools for estimating soil ingestion rates in the agricultural context. Specifically, a task-based framework may provide a structure for future investigations of soil contact that may be useful in other populations.
Altered levels of interleukins and neurotrophic growth factors in mood disorders and suicidality: an analysis from periphery to central nervous system
Authors: Gadad Bharathi S. , Vargas-Medrano Javier , Ramos Enrique Ivan , Najera Katherine , Fagan Matthew , Forero Angelica , Thompson Peter M. 
Published: June 2021

AbstractInterleukins and neurotrophins levels are altered in the periphery of patients with major depression and suicidal behavior, however it is not clear if similar abnormalities occur in the central nervous system. Our objective was to examine the association of IL-6, IL-1β, BDNF, and GDNF levels between postmortem plasma, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), and brain tissue in a heterogeneous diagnostic subject groups including normal controls, mood disorders only, mood disorders with AUD/SUD (alcohol abuse disorder, substance abuse disorder), and AUD/SUD without mood disorders. To address these questions we collected postmortem plasma (n = 29), CSF (n = 28), and brain (BA10) (n = 57) samples from individuals with mood disorder, mood disorder with AUD/SUD, AUD/SUD and normal controls. These samples were analyzed using a multiplex based luminex assay with a customized 4-plex cytokine/interleukins- IL-6, IL-1β, BDNF, and GDNF human acute phase based on xMAP technology platform. Protein levels were determined using a Luminex 200 instrument equipped with Xponent-analyzing software. We observed IL-6 (p = 2.1e-07), and GDNF (p = 0.046) were significantly correlated between brain and CSF. In addition, IL-6 (p = 0.031), were significantly correlated between brain and plasma. Overall diagnostic group analysis showed a significant difference with brain GDNF, p = 0.0106. Pairwise comparisons showed that GDNF level is—39.9 ± 12 pg/ml, p = 0.0106, was significantly higher than in the brains derived from mood disorders compared to normal controls, —23.8 ± 5.5 pg/ml, p = 0.034. Brain BDNF was higher in suicide (p = 0.0023), males compared to females (p = 0.017), and psychiatric medication treated vs. non-treated (p = 0.005) individuals. Overall, we demonstrate that blood IL-6, GDNF and BDNF could be informative peripheral biomarkers of brain biology associated with mood disorders, substance disorders, and suicide.
Melatonin’s neuroprotective role in mitochondria and its potential as a biomarker in aging, cognition and psychiatric disorders
Authors: Melhuish Beaupre Lindsay M. , Brown Gregory M. , Gonçalves Vanessa F. , Kennedy James L. 
Published: June 2021

AbstractMelatonin is an ancient molecule that is evident in high concentrations in various tissues throughout the body. It can be separated into two pools; one of which is synthesized by the pineal and can be found in blood, and the second by various tissues and is present in these tissues. Pineal melatonin levels display a circadian rhythm while tissue melatonin does not. For decades now, melatonin has been implicated in promoting and maintaining sleep. More recently, evidence indicates that it also plays an important role in neuroprotection. The beginning of our review will summarize this literature. As an amphiphilic, pleiotropic indoleamine, melatonin has both direct actions and receptor-mediated effects. For example, melatonin has established effects as an antioxidant and free radical scavenger both in vitro and in animal models. This is also evident in melatonin’s prominent role in mitochondria, which is reviewed in the next section. Melatonin is synthesized in, taken up by, and concentrated in mitochondria, the powerhouse of the cell. Mitochondria are also the major source of reactive oxygen species as a byproduct of mitochondrial oxidative metabolism. The final section of our review summarizes melatonin’s potential role in aging and psychiatric disorders. Pineal and tissue melatonin levels both decline with age. Pineal melatonin declines in individuals suffering from psychiatric disorders. Melatonin’s ability to act as a neuroprotectant opens new avenues of exploration for the molecule as it may be a potential treatment for cases with neurodegenerative disease.
Giant electrocaloric materials energy efficiency in highly ordered lead scandium tantalate
Authors: Nouchokgwe Youri , Lheritier Pierre , Hong Chang-Hyo , Torelló Alvar , Faye Romain , Jo Wook , Bahl Christian R. H. , Defay Emmanuel 
Published: June 2021

AbstractElectrocaloric materials are promising working bodies for caloric-based technologies, suggested as an efficient alternative to the vapor compression systems. However, their materials efficiency defined as the ratio of the exchangeable electrocaloric heat to the work needed to trigger this heat remains unknown. Here, we show by direct measurements of heat and electrical work that a highly ordered bulk lead scandium tantalate can exchange more than a hundred times more electrocaloric heat than the work needed to trigger it. Besides, our material exhibits a maximum adiabatic temperature change of 3.7 K at an electric field of 40 kV cm−1. These features are strong assets in favor of electrocaloric materials for future cooling devices.
Dielectric nanohole array metasurface for high-resolution near-field sensing and imaging
Authors: Conteduca Donato , Barth Isabel , Pitruzzello Giampaolo , Reardon Christopher P. , Martins Emiliano R. , Krauss Thomas F. 
Published: June 2021

AbstractDielectric metasurfaces support resonances that are widely explored both for far-field wavefront shaping and for near-field sensing and imaging. Their design explores the interplay between localised and extended resonances, with a typical trade-off between Q-factor and light localisation; high Q-factors are desirable for refractive index sensing while localisation is desirable for imaging resolution. Here, we show that a dielectric metasurface consisting of a nanohole array in amorphous silicon provides a favourable trade-off between these requirements. We have designed and realised the metasurface to support two optical modes both with sharp Fano resonances that exhibit relatively high Q-factors and strong spatial confinement, thereby concurrently optimizing the device for both imaging and biochemical sensing. For the sensing application, we demonstrate a limit of detection (LOD) as low as 1 pg/ml for Immunoglobulin G (IgG); for resonant imaging, we demonstrate a spatial resolution below 1 µm and clearly resolve individual E. coli bacteria. The combined low LOD and high spatial resolution opens new opportunities for extending cellular studies into the realm of microbiology, e.g. for studying antimicrobial susceptibility.
Large intrinsic anomalous Hall effect in SrIrO3 induced by magnetic proximity effect
Authors: Yoo Myoung-Woo , Tornos J. , Sander A. , Lin Ling-Fang , Mohanta Narayan , Peralta A. , Sanchez-Manzano D. , Gallego F. , Haskel D. , Freeland J. W. , Keavney D. J. , Choi Y. , Strempfer J. , Wang X. , Cabero M. , Vasili Hari Babu , Valvidares Manuel , Sanchez-Santolino G. , Gonzalez-Calbet J. M. , Rivera A. , Leon C. , Rosenkranz S. , Bibes M. , Barthelemy A. , Anane A. , Dagotto Elbio , Okamoto S. , te Velthuis S. G. E. , Santamaria J. , Villegas Javier E. 
Published: June 2021

AbstractThe anomalous Hall effect (AHE) is an intriguing transport phenomenon occurring typically in ferromagnets as a consequence of broken time reversal symmetry and spin-orbit interaction. It can be caused by two microscopically distinct mechanisms, namely, by skew or side-jump scattering due to chiral features of the disorder scattering, or by an intrinsic contribution directly linked to the topological properties of the Bloch states. Here we show that the AHE can be artificially engineered in materials in which it is originally absent by combining the effects of symmetry breaking, spin orbit interaction and proximity-induced magnetism. In particular, we find a strikingly large AHE that emerges at the interface between a ferromagnetic manganite (La0.7Sr0.3MnO3) and a semimetallic iridate (SrIrO3). It is intrinsic and originates in the proximity-induced magnetism present in the narrow bands of strong spin-orbit coupling material SrIrO3, which yields values of anomalous Hall conductivity and Hall angle as high as those observed in bulk transition-metal ferromagnets. These results demonstrate the interplay between correlated electron physics and topological phenomena at interfaces between 3d ferromagnets and strong spin-orbit coupling 5d oxides and trace an exciting path towards future topological spintronics at oxide interfaces.
Numerical approximation to the effects of the atmospheric stability conditions on the dispersion of pollutants over flat areas
Authors: Huertas J. I. , Martinez D. S. , Prato D. F. 
Published: June 2021

AbstractUsing the Computational Fluid Dynamics technique (CFD), we explored the effects of the atmospheric stability conditions on the dispersion of solid and gas-phase pollutants emitted from an area source located on a flat region. As an application, the dispersion of pollutants emitted from roads located on flat terrains was considered. Toward that end, we set up a model that describes the dispersion of air pollutants in a small region (< 1 km long) near the ground surface (< 250 m high). It consists of a neutrally stratified model modified to account for the atmospheric stability effects by imposing the near-ground stratification through the Monin–Obukhov similarity theory and the k–ε turbulence model adjusted for each atmospheric stability condition. Using this model, we simulated the dispersion of pollutants emitted from the road and plotted the resulting downwind concentrations in terms of dimensionless numbers. Results from our CFD-based model were highly correlated (R2 > 0.95) with the SF6 concentrations measured downwind a line source of this trace gas by the U.S. National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration in 2008 under different conditions of atmospheric stability. Numerical and experimental results showed that, under any of the stability conditions explored, the near-road pollutant concentrations are highly correlated (R2 > 0.87) to the concentrations observed under neutral conditions. When the atmosphere is extremely stable, those concentrations were up to 12 times higher than those observed under neutral conditions. We report the constant of proportionality obtained for every stability condition.
Radius-optimized efficient template matching for lesion detection from brain images
Authors: Koley Subhranil , Dutta Pranab K. , Aganj Iman 
Published: June 2021

AbstractComputer-aided detection of brain lesions from volumetric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is in demand for fast and automatic diagnosis of neural diseases. The template-matching technique can provide satisfactory outcome for automatic localization of brain lesions; however, finding the optimal template size that maximizes similarity of the template and the lesion remains challenging. This increases the complexity of the algorithm and the requirement for computational resources, while processing large MRI volumes with three-dimensional (3D) templates. Hence, reducing the computational complexity of template matching is needed. In this paper, we first propose a mathematical framework for computing the normalized cross-correlation coefficient (NCCC) as the similarity measure between the MRI volume and approximated 3D Gaussian template with linear time complexity, $${\mathbf{\mathcal{O}}}\left( {{\varvec{a}}_{{{\varvec{max}}}} {\varvec{N}}} \right)$$

O

a

max

N

, as opposed to the conventional fast Fourier transform (FFT) based approach with the complexity $${\mathbf{\mathcal{O}}}\left( {{\varvec{a}}_{{{\varvec{max}}}} {\varvec{N}}\log {\varvec{N}}} \right)$$

O

a

max

N

log

N

, where $${\varvec{N}}$$

N

is the number of voxels in the image and $${\varvec{a}}_{{{\varvec{max}}}}$$

a

max

is the number of tried template radii. We then propose a mathematical formulation to analytically estimate the optimal template radius for each voxel in the image and compute the NCCC with the location-dependent optimal radius, reducing the complexity to $${\mathbf{\mathcal{O}}}\left( {\varvec{N}} \right)$$

O

N

. We test our methods on one synthetic and two real multiple-sclerosis databases, and compare their performances in lesion detection with FFT and a state-of-the-art lesion prediction algorithm. We demonstrate through our experiments the efficiency of the proposed methods for brain lesion detection and their comparable performance with existing techniques.