cometadata/datacite-rtg-text-other-reclassification-records huggingface dataset:
title: Migrating monolithic applications to function as a service
Creators: name: Würz, Hendrik M.
name: Krämer, Michel
name: Kaster, Marvin
name: Kuijper, Arjan
Publisher: name: John Wiley & Sons
Year: 2024

description: Function as a service (FaaS) promises low operating costs, reduced complexity, and good application performance. However, it is still an open question how to migrate monolithic applications to FaaS. In this paper, we present a guideline for software designers to split monolithic applications into smaller functions that can be executed in a FaaS environment. This enables independent scaling of individual parts of the application. Our approach consists of three steps: We first identify the main tasks (and their subtasks) of the application to split. Then, we define the program flow to be able to tell which application tasks can be converted to functions and how they interact with each other. In the final step, we specify actual functions and possibly merge those that are too small and which would produce too much communication overhead or maintenance effort. Compared to existing work, our approach applies to applications of any size and results in functions that are small enough — but not too small — for efficient execution in a FaaS environment. We evaluate the usefulness of our approach by applying it to a real‐world application for the storage of geospatial data. We describe the experiences made and finish the paper with a discussion, conclusions, and ideas for future work.
Learning Hand Anatomy with Sense of Embodiment
Creators: name: Saalfeld, Patrick
name: Albrecht, Aylin
name: D'Hanis, Wolfgang
name: Rothkötter, Hermann-Josef
name: Preim, Bernhard
Publisher: name: The Eurographics Association
Year: 2020
Subjects: Human centered computing
Interaction devices
Visualization
Computing methodologies
Virtual reality

description: We present a VR-based prototype for learning the hand anatomy. The prototype is designed to support embodied cognition, i.e., a learning process based on movements. The learner employs the prototype in VR by moving their own hand and fingers and observing how the virtual anatomical hand model mirrors this movement. The display of anatomical systems and their names can be adjusted. The prototype is deployed on the Oculus Quest and uses its native hand tracking capabilities to obtain the hand posture of the user. The potential of the prototype is shown with a small user study.
description: Eurographics Workshop on Visual Computing for Biology and Medicine
description: VR Applications
description: 43
description: 47
description: Patrick Saalfeld, Aylin Albrecht, Wolfgang D'Hanis, Hermann-Josef Rothkötter, and Bernhard Preim
description: CCS Concepts: Human-centered computing --> Interaction devices; Visualization; Computing methodologies --> Virtual reality
Determining the Neutrino Mass Eigenstates and the effective Majorana Mass
Creators: name: Todorovic, Z. B.
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2021
Subjects: subject: High Energy Physics - Phenomenology (hep-ph)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences
subject: J.2
subject: 85-08

description: This paper aims at solving several open questions in current neutrino physics: the neutrino mass hierarchy, the Dirac CP-violating phase, the absolute mass of neutrinos, the nature of neutrinos (Dirac or Majorana), the Majorana matrix, and the absolute value of the effective Majorana neutrino mass. In the research presented in this paper, we have shown that the precise definition of the mass splittings between neutrino mass eigenstates, done in the latest analysis of experimental data, can be of crucial importance for defining the nature of neutrino mass hierarchy. The Standard Model has three generations of fundamental matter particles. Three generations of the charged lepton mass show a hierarchical structure. Owing to that, there is a belief and it is considered that neutrinos may follow such a hierarchical structure. In our calculations, we have also included the latest data obtained, based on the processing of measurement results, which showed that even with such data, obtained results favor the normal neutrino mass hierarchy. As for the individual neutrino mass calculated in this paper, in today's neutrino physics it is only known that the neutrino mass scale is bounded only from above, and both the Dirac and the Majorana character of neutrinos are compatible with all observations. Among some of the questions resolved in this paper, which are related to the properties of neutrinos, a positive answer was also given to the question of whether light neutrinos are self-conjugate particles or not.
description: 38 pages, 4 figures
VR Acrophobia Treatment - Development of Customizable Acrophobia Inducing Scenarios
Creators: name: Wagner, Sebastian
name: Illner, Kay
name: Weber, Matthias
name: Preim, Bernhard
name: Saalfeld, Patrick
Publisher: name: The Eurographics Association
Year: 2020
Subjects: Human centered computing
Virtual reality
Interactive systems and tools
Visualization
Applied computing
Health informatics

description: Specific phobias are among the most common mental diseases, affecting the lives of millions of people. Yet, many cases remain untreated and even undiagnosed, partly due to entry barriers such as waiting times and inconvenience of therapy. To improve the therapeutic options and convenience for the treatment of specific phobias, we implemented a virtual reality application for treating acrophobia (fear of heights) with in-virtuo exposure therapy. Our concept is based on principles from psychology and interaction design. This concept is then implemented using the game engine Unity and Oculus Rift headset as a target device for VR display. Our application has a wide range of customization options, which enables it to be personalized to individual patients. In addition, a number of motivational methods are integrated, which are intended to increase patient motivation, as motivation is essential for a successful therapy.
description: Eurographics Workshop on Visual Computing for Biology and Medicine
description: VR Applications
description: 49
description: 53
description: Sebastian Wagner, Kay Illner, Matthias Weber, Bernhard Preim, and Patrick Saalfeld
description: CCS Concepts: Human-centered computing --> Virtual reality; Interactive systems and tools; Visualization; Applied computing --> Health informatics
Comparative effectiveness of pegcetacoplan versus ravulizumab in patients with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria previously treated with eculizumab: a matching-adjusted indirect comparison
Creators: name: Bhak, Rachel H.
name: Mody-Patel, Nikita
name: Baver, Scott B.
name: Kunzweiler, Colin
name: Yee, Christopher W.
name: Sundaresan, Sanjana
name: Swartz, Natalia
name: Duh, Mei Sheng
name: Krishnan, Sangeeta
name: Sarda, Sujata P.
Publisher: name: Taylor & Francis
Year: 2021
Subjects: subject: Medicine
subject: Cell Biology
subject: Immunology
subject: FOS: Clinical medicine
subject: 69999 Biological Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: FOS: Biological sciences
subject: Cancer

description: In the absence of a head-to-head study, we assessed the comparative effectiveness of pegcetacoplan, a targeted C3 complement inhibitor, vs. ravulizumab, a C5 complement inhibitor, among patients with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) previously treated with eculizumab using matching-adjusted indirect comparison methodology. Individual patient data from the PEGASUS study (NCT03500549) comparing pegcetacoplan and eculizumab enabled adjustment for baseline differences compared with published results from the ALXN1210-PNH-302 study (NCT03056040), comparing ravulizumab and eculizumab. Adjusted differences and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were computed via weighted Wald tests for comparisons of pegcetacoplan vs. ravulizumab, anchored to the common comparator eculizumab. Sixty-eight patients from PEGASUS (36 pegcetacoplan; 32 eculizumab) and 195 from ALXN1210-PNH-302 (97 ravulizumab; 98 eculizumab) were included. Compared with ravulizumab, treatment with pegcetacoplan was associated with more transfusion avoidance (adjusted difference [95% CI] = +71.4% [53.5%, 89.3%]), hemoglobin level stabilization (+75.5% [56.4%, 94.6%]), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) level normalization (+64.0% [41.8%, 86.1%]), and fewer blood transfusions (−5.7 units [−7.2, −4.2]). Additionally, patients who received pegcetacoplan experienced clinically meaningful improvements in fatigue (+8.2 points [3.8, 12.6]), global health status (+9.6 points [0.1, 19.0]), physical functioning (+11.5 points [3.6, 19.5]), and fatigue symptoms (−13.3 points [−23.7, −3.0]), compared with ravulizumab. Mean change from baseline in LDH level was not significantly different for pegcetacoplan vs. ravulizumab. Results suggest that among patients previously treated with eculizumab, clinical, hematological, and quality of life endpoints were better for patients who received the C3 complement inhibitor pegcetacoplan vs. patients who received ravulizumab, a C5 complement inhibitor.
Weaving Indigenous Digital Strategies from Alberta, Canada and Oaxaca, Mexico
Creators: Alvarez Malvido, María
Publisher: name: University of Alberta Library
Year: 2022

The mainstream history of the Internet, digital information and communication technologies (ICTs) shows a clear shift to a centralized digital landscape that is predominantly controlled by corporations. However, diverse individuals, communities and Nations around the world have created connectivity and communication models that respond to their own needs and contexts. For example, Indigenous Peoples from different territories, who have resisted colonial structures and demonstrated the sustainability of their communities, organizations, and Nations in relation to their territories, have developed and used ICTs to support their own ways of living.  In this context, my research explores the strategies that Indigenous artists and communicators from territories in Mexico and Canada are undertaking to use digital tools according to their own terms and desires. Through testimonio as a narrative research methodology, this work assembles, shares and reflects on the journeys of Ayuujk, Xhdiza, Zapoteco, Nehiyaw, Dene and Métis artists and communicators from territories within the regions of Oaxaca and Alberta, in relation to the interconnected digital landscape of what we call the Internet.

This thesis is informed by a body of research that acknowledges that digital ICTs are not neutral, but tools of power and counterpower. The testimonio stories presented here provide a variety of experiences and reflections that reveal the strategies that Indigenous artists and communicators have used when interacting with digital tools, such as critical and reflective processes, experiences informed and nurtured by webs of relationships, relation to Land and Language and collective dreaming. Presented as first person narratives, these stories speak of resistance, memory, language revitalization, and collective processes. They reflect journeys that involve digital tools such as video game designing, radio broadcasting, app designing, online streaming and gaming, digital collaging and filmmaking. Moreover, these testimonios provide insights about the role of non-Indigenous allies to contribute to their ideation of a digital world. In presenting this research, I describe my own self-reflective journey that seeks to contribute to more appropriate, coherent and ethical collaborations in both research and technology, through relational and reflective methods and processes while honouring people's stories.
Exploring Predator-Prey Interactions in Devonian Strophomenate Brachiopods
Creators: Selles, Claudia M.
Publisher: name: University of Alberta Library
Year: 2022

Predation is an important process that helps to shape community structure. The study of predation in the fossil record has often used repair scars – traces of failed predatory attacks left on prey individuals – to identify differences in predation pressure across space, time, and taxa. However, fossil studies of communities and predation are often conducted at very different scales: paleocommunities may be sampled over millions of years while the effects of predation can be tested within a single bed or assemblage. Here, I used repair scars on brachiopod prey to evaluate: 1) whether predation is detectable as a driver of fine-scale community structure in the fossil record, and 2) which prey and environmental characteristics most strongly influence the likelihood of an individual being repaired over a broad spatio-temporal scale.

Paleocommunity studies have historically focused on depth and other environmental processes over ecological processes such as predation. This may be due to sampling at large spatio-temporal scales, at which environmental processes overprint finer-scale ecological ones. I directly tested predation and depth as drivers of Late Devonian brachiopod paleocommunities from Iowa over a time interval of ~ 1 My. Ordination of sampled communities revealed that both predation and depth influenced species distribution, but predation was the primary driver.

Individual characteristics such as prey size, ornament, and latitude have been identified as having an influence on the frequency and outcome of predatory attacks. However, these characteristics have infrequently been evaluated for their relative effect size on predation and only at small scales. Here, I examined Mid- to Late Devonian concavo-convex brachiopods from across North America for repair scars and created generalized linear mixed models including six candidate variables to explain and predict the likelihood of an individual being repaired. I found that prey size, shell convexity, and paleolatitude were most strongly associated with repairs, and the effect of size was greater than that of both convexity and paleolatitude. The effect of each of these variables on the likelihood of repair can be attributed to differences in attack frequency: attacks were more frequent on larger, less convex (flatter) individuals living at lower latitudes. The rate of success may have had an additive effect of attacks on larger prey being less successful, resulting in a greater likelihood of repair for these individuals.

As a whole, these studies revealed that predation can have a detectable influence on species distribution in the fossil record, and that prey and environmental characteristics – size, convexity, and paleolatitude in particular – can be used to explain and predict the likelihood of prey individuals being repaired.
Student and Teacher Meet in a Shared Virtual Reality: A one-on-one Tutoring System for Anatomy Education
Creators: name: Saalfeld, Patrick
name: Schmeier, Anna
name: D'Hanis, Wolfgang
name: Rothkötter, Hermann-Josef
name: Preim, Bernhard
Publisher: name: The Eurographics Association
Year: 2020
Subjects: Human centered computing
Interaction devices
Visualization
Computing methodologies
Virtual reality

description: We introduce a Virtual Reality (VR) one-on-one tutoring system to support anatomy education. A student uses a fully immersive VR headset to explore the anatomy of the base of the human skull. A teacher guides the student by using the semi-immersive zSpace. Both systems are connected via network and each action is synchronized between both systems. The teacher is provided with various features to direct the student through the immersive learning experience. The teacher can influence the student's navigation or provide annotations on the fly and hereby improve the student's learning experience.
description: Eurographics Workshop on Visual Computing for Biology and Medicine
description: VR Applications
description: 55
description: 59
description: Patrick Saalfeld, Anna Schmeier, Wolfgang D'Hanis, Hermann-Josef Rothkötter, and Bernhard Preim
description: CCS Concepts: Human-centered computing --> Interaction devices; Visualization; Computing methodologies --> Virtual reality
Deposition Of Vanadium Oxide (Vox) Thin Films By Dc And Rf Magnetron Sputtering
Creators: name: Sheela. D
name: Basanta Roul
name: K.K. Nanda
name: S. B. Krupanidhi
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2018

description: The talk presented at 29th Annual General Meeting Of Materials Research Society Of India And National Symposium On Advances In Functional And Exotic Materials.
InShaDe: Invariant Shape Descriptors for Visual Analysis of Histology 2D Cellular and Nuclear Shapes
Creators: name: Agus, Marco
name: Al-Thelaya, Khaled
name: Cali, Corrado
name: Boido, Marina M.
name: Yang, Yin
name: Pintore, Giovanni
name: Gobbetti, Enrico
name: Schneider, Jens
Publisher: name: The Eurographics Association
Year: 2020
Subjects: Applied computing
Imaging
Computing methodologies
Shape representations
Cluster analysis

description: We present a shape processing framework for visual exploration of cellular nuclear envelopes extracted from histology images. The framework is based on a novel shape descriptor of closed contours relying on a geodesically uniform resampling of discrete curves to allow for discrete differential-geometry-based computation of unsigned curvature at vertices and edges. Our descriptor is, by design, invariant under translation, rotation and parameterization. Moreover, it additionally offers the option for uniform-scale-invariance. The optional scale-invariance is achieved by scaling features to z-scores, while invariance under parameterization shifts is achieved by using elliptic Fourier analysis (EFA) on the resulting curvature vectors. These invariant shape descriptors provide an embedding into a fixed-dimensional feature space that can be utilized for various applications: (i) as input features for deep and shallow learning techniques; (ii) as input for dimension reduction schemes for providing a visual reference for clustering collection of shapes. The capabilities of the proposed framework are demonstrated in the context of visual analysis and unsupervised classification of histology images.
description: Eurographics Workshop on Visual Computing for Biology and Medicine
description: Joint Session DAGM GCPR - VMV - VCBM
description: 61
description: 70
description: Marco Agus, Khaled Al-Thelaya, Corrado Cali, Marina M. Boido, Yin Yang, Giovanni Pintore, Enrico Gobbetti, and Jens Schneider
description: CCS Concepts: Applied computing --> Imaging; Computing methodologies --> Shape representations; Cluster analysis
Deep learning via message passing algorithms based on belief propagation
Creators: name: Lucibello, Carlo
name: Pittorino, Fabrizio
name: Perugini, Gabriele
name: Zecchina, Riccardo
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2021
Subjects: subject: Machine Learning (cs.LG)
subject: Disordered Systems and Neural Networks (cond-mat.dis-nn)
subject: Machine Learning (stat.ML)
subject: FOS: Computer and information sciences
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: Message-passing algorithms based on the Belief Propagation (BP) equations constitute a well-known distributed computational scheme. It is exact on tree-like graphical models and has also proven to be effective in many problems defined on graphs with loops (from inference to optimization, from signal processing to clustering). The BP-based scheme is fundamentally different from stochastic gradient descent (SGD), on which the current success of deep networks is based. In this paper, we present and adapt to mini-batch training on GPUs a family of BP-based message-passing algorithms with a reinforcement field that biases distributions towards locally entropic solutions. These algorithms are capable of training multi-layer neural networks with discrete weights and activations with performance comparable to SGD-inspired heuristics (BinaryNet) and are naturally well-adapted to continual learning. Furthermore, using these algorithms to estimate the marginals of the weights allows us to make approximate Bayesian predictions that have higher accuracy than point-wise solutions.
Development of a Multisectorial Electroactive Nanowell Platform for Selective Single-Cell Sorting and Quantification
Creators: Menze, Lukas
Publisher: name: University of Alberta Library
Year: 2022

The rapid isolation of specific rare target cells is of rising importance in current targeted patient treatment plans. Common cell sorting approaches such as stream-based dielectrophoresis (DEP) based cell sorters are limited by their spatial dimensions as only a number of cell types corresponding to the number of output channels of the platform can be sorted. In this thesis, a microfluidic platform for selective single-cell sorting and subsequent quantification of sorted cells is presented, which can be upscaled to a high number of unique cell types without facing the same technical difficulties as previously developed devices. The platform consists of interdigitated electrodes (IDEs) and uses dielectrophoresis to capture target cells in a layer of 10 000 nanoliter wells placed on top. By splitting the design into 10 individually addressable IDE sectors, a large number of different cell types can be captured. This sectorial approach is highly modifiable and allows for complex samples to be captured over different sectors instead of requiring separate output channels for each cell type. The microfluidic behaviour of the platform regarding flow rate and DEP signal strength was examined to determine valid parameters for cell sorting and capture. A clinically relevant mixed sample of benign (MCF-10A) and malignant (MDA-MB-231) breast cells was used to validate the cell sorting performance of the platform and a target to non-target sorting accuracy of over 95\% could be achieved.

To monitor sector occupancy and determine how much sample has been sorted, the capabilities of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy were examined. Experimental results revealed that impedimetric measurements can be used to quantify the number of captured cells, removing the need for an additional cell counting structure on the platform and hence reducing system complexity.

Lastly, it was discussed how the presented microfluidic platform could be potentially expanded to facilitate single-cell RNA sequencing. The inability of current sequencing platforms to selectively capture and sequence cells from a mixed sample is a major problem of these designs. Since the platform presented in this thesis solves this problem, it may be a good candidate for future on-chip single-cell sequencing.

Overall, the presented microfluidic cell sorting platform shows great promise to be used as either a point-of-care device or in clinical environments where reliable sorting of varying cell samples is important.
Quantum Machine Learning for Chemistry and Physics
Creators: name: Sajjan, Manas
name: Li, Junxu
name: Selvarajan, Raja
name: Sureshbabu, Shree Hari
name: Kale, Sumit Suresh
name: Gupta, Rishabh
name: Singh, Vinit
name: Kais, Sabre
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2021
Subjects: subject: Chemical Physics (physics.chem-ph)
subject: Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci)
subject: Quantum Physics (quant-ph)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: Machine learning (ML) has emerged into formidable force for identifying hidden but pertinent patterns within a given data set with the objective of subsequent generation of automated predictive behavior. In the recent years, it is safe to conclude that ML and its close cousin deep learning (DL) have ushered unprecedented developments in all areas of physical sciences especially chemistry. Not only the classical variants of ML , even those trainable on near-term quantum hardwares have been developed with promising outcomes. Such algorithms have revolutionzed material design and performance of photo-voltaics, electronic structure calculations of ground and excited states of correlated matter, computation of force-fields and potential energy surfaces informing chemical reaction dynamics, reactivity inspired rational strategies of drug designing and even classification of phases of matter with accurate identification of emergent criticality. In this review we shall explicate a subset of such topics and delineate the contributions made by both classical and quantum computing enhanced machine learning algorithms over the past few years. We shall not only present a brief overview of the well-known techniques but also highlight their learning strategies using statistical physical insight. The objective of the review is to not only to foster exposition to the aforesaid techniques but also to empower and promote cross-pollination among future-research in all areas of chemistry which can benefit from ML and in turn can potentially accelerate the growth of such algorithms.
Highly Sensitive Urea Sensor Based On Citric Acid Capped Plasmonic Copper Quantum Dots
Creators: name: Neeli Chandran
name: B. Manikanta
name: P.G.Prabhash
name: Suvarna Krishnan
name: Nair, Swapna S
name: P, Rajendra
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2018

description: The talk presented at 29th Annual General Meeting Of Materials Research Society Of India And National Symposium On Advances In Functional And Exotic Materials.
Switching COPD patients from the disposable to the new reusable Respimat® Soft Mist Inhaler: a real-world study from Switzerland
Creators: name: Tschacher, Anne
name: Cadus, Cordula
name: Schildge, Sebastian
name: Diedrich, Jens Peter
name: Chhajed, Prashant N.
name: Leuppi-Taegtmeyer, Anne B.
name: Leuppi, Jörg Daniel
Publisher: name: Taylor & Francis
Year: 2021
Subjects: subject: Medicine
subject: Biotechnology
subject: 59999 Environmental Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: FOS: Earth and related environmental sciences
subject: Sociology
subject: FOS: Sociology
subject: Immunology
subject: FOS: Clinical medicine
subject: 69999 Biological Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: FOS: Biological sciences
subject: Developmental Biology
subject: Cancer
subject: Science Policy
subject: 110309 Infectious Diseases
subject: FOS: Health sciences

description: The aims of the survey were to assess first experiences of Swiss COPD patients switching from the disposable to the new reusable Respimat® inhaler, and to evaluate physicians´ and patients´ views of the new training material. Patients with a confirmed diagnosis of COPD using a disposable Respimat® inhaler for at least three months were included. Patients´ demographics, COPD stage, current treatment, and comorbidities relevant for the handling of the device were assessed. Further, patients were trained on the reusable Respimat® by placebo inhaler, patient brochure, video cards/demo films and SMS reminder service. After at least one cartridge change, patients gave comprehensive feedback on their satisfaction with the reusable Respimat® and physicians evaluated the need for re-training. 235 patients participated in the survey. Of these, 37% suffered from comorbidities restricting the handling of the Respimat®. 216 (92%) patients had a better overall satisfaction with the reusable than with the disposable Respimat®. Dose counter (86%), monthly preparation (81%) and daily handling (77%) were also assessed as better by most of the patients. In 80% of cases, the user ability was stated as better than for the disposable Respimat®. Less than 15% of the patients required further training. Placebo inhaler was the mostly preferred training material by both, physicians (in 86% of the patients) and patients (75%). In patients with comorbidities affecting inhaler handling, overall satisfaction was also better in 85.9% of the patients. The majority of patients were satisfied with the new reusable Respimat® device and proper handling could be attained using the provided training material, even in patients with restricting comorbidities.
Weiss variation for general boundaries
Creators: name: Feng, Justin C.
name: Chakraborty, Sumanta
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2021
Subjects: subject: General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology (gr-qc)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: The Weiss variation of the Einstein-Hilbert action with an appropriate boundary term has been studied for general boundary surfaces; the boundary surfaces can be spacelike, timelike, or null. To achieve this we introduce an auxiliary reference connection and find that the resulting Weiss variation yields the Einstein equations as expected, with additional boundary contributions. Among these boundary contributions, we obtain the dynamical variable and the associated conjugate momentum, irrespective of the spacelike, timelike or, null nature of the boundary surface. We also arrive at the generally non-vanishing covariant generalization of the Einstein energy-momentum pseudotensor. We study this tensor in the Schwarzschild geometry and find that the pseudotensorial ambiguities translate into ambiguities in the choice of coordinates on the reference geometry. Moreover, we show that from the Weiss variation, one can formally derive a gravitational Schr{ö}dinger equation, which may, despite ambiguities in the definition of the Hamiltonian, be useful as a tool for studying the problem of time in quantum general relativity. Implications have been discussed.
description: v2, Published in the GERG memorial volume for Prof. T. Padmanabhan, 25 pages, 1 figure
Comparative effectiveness of pegcetacoplan versus ravulizumab in patients with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria previously treated with eculizumab: a matching-adjusted indirect comparison
Creators: name: Bhak, Rachel H.
name: Mody-Patel, Nikita
name: Baver, Scott B.
name: Kunzweiler, Colin
name: Yee, Christopher
name: Sundaresan, Sanjana
name: Swartz, Natalia
name: Duh, Mei Sheng
name: Krishnan, Sangeeta
name: Sarda, Sujata P.
Publisher: name: Taylor & Francis
Year: 2021
Subjects: subject: Medicine
subject: Cell Biology
subject: Immunology
subject: FOS: Clinical medicine
subject: 69999 Biological Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: FOS: Biological sciences
subject: Cancer

description: In the absence of a head-to-head study, we assessed the comparative effectiveness of pegcetacoplan, a targeted C3 complement inhibitor, vs. ravulizumab, a C5 complement inhibitor, among patients with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) previously treated with eculizumab using matching-adjusted indirect comparison methodology. Individual patient data from the PEGASUS study (NCT03500549) comparing pegcetacoplan and eculizumab enabled adjustment for baseline differences compared with published results from the ALXN1210-PNH-302 study (NCT03056040), comparing ravulizumab and eculizumab. Adjusted differences and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were computed via weighted Wald tests for comparisons of pegcetacoplan vs. ravulizumab, anchored to the common comparator eculizumab. Sixty-eight patients from PEGASUS (36 pegcetacoplan; 32 eculizumab) and 195 from ALXN1210-PNH-302 (97 ravulizumab; 98 eculizumab) were included. Compared with ravulizumab, treatment with pegcetacoplan was associated with more transfusion avoidance (adjusted difference [95% CI] = +71.4% [53.5%, 89.3%]), hemoglobin level stabilization (+75.5% [56.4%, 94.6%]), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) level normalization (+64.0% [41.8%, 86.1%]), and fewer blood transfusions (-5.7 units [-7.2, -4.2]). Additionally, patients who received pegcetacoplan experienced clinically meaningful improvements in fatigue (+8.2 points [3.8, 12.6]), global health status (+9.6 points [0.1, 19.0]), physical functioning (+11.5 points [3.6, 19.5]), and fatigue symptoms (-13.3 points [-23.7, -3.0]), compared with ravulizumab. Mean change from baseline in LDH level was not significantly different for pegcetacoplan vs. ravulizumab. Results suggest that among patients previously treated with eculizumab, clinical, hematological, and quality of life endpoints were better for patients who received the C3 complement inhibitor pegcetacoplan vs. patients who received ravulizumab, a C5 complement inhibitor.
Measurement of Therapeutic Relationship in Physiotherapy
Creators: McCabe, Erin
Publisher: name: University of Alberta Library
Year: 2022

The ‘therapeutic relationship’ refers to the relationship between a patient and their healthcare provider, which is assumed to be therapeutic when the quality of the relationship affects the well-being and clinical outcomes of treatment. In physiotherapy, therapeutic relationship can be thought of as encompassing the conditions established by the physiotherapist and patient through their intentions towards treatment, the patient and physiotherapist’s ways of connecting during clinical encounters, and the bond that develops between physiotherapist and patient. There is mounting physiotherapy evidence showing that therapeutic relationships can impact the degree to which the patient engages in treatment, as well as biomedical and psychosocial health outcomes such as self-efficacy, physical functioning, pain, satisfaction with treatment, depression, and general health status. Physiotherapy studies to date have used measures borrowed from psychotherapy. This is a problem because the relationship between a physiotherapist and patient differs from that in psychotherapy. The overall purpose of this dissertation is to develop a patient-reported measure of therapeutic relationship, based on a theoretical framework of therapeutic relationship in physiotherapy. This dissertation is comprised of a series of four papers, each building on the next, culminating in the evaluation of a physiotherapy-specific measure of therapeutic relationship – the Physiotherapy Therapeutic RElationship Measure (P-TREM).  The first paper is a scoping review of the measures of therapeutic relationship and related constructs that have been used in research for patients with hemophilia. The second paper explores measurement theory in relation to therapeutic relationship in physiotherapy and summarized various approaches to measuring this complex, abstract phenomenon. The third paper outlines a study for the early development of the P-TREM, which included item generation, expert review, a content validation study and cognitive interviews. The fourth paper describes an evaluation of the validity of the P-TREM and optimizes its length. The end product is a 30-item version of the P-TREM which shows good concurrent and convergent validity, as well as internal consistency.
Broadband Terahertz Quantum Cascade Laser Dual-Comb Sources with Off-Resonant Microwave Injection
Creators: name: Liao, Xiaoyu
name: Li, Ziping
name: Zhou, Kang
name: Guan, Wen
name: Zhao, Yiran
name: Wang, Chenjie
name: Wan, Wenjian
name: Yang, Sijia
name: Zhang, Zhenzhen
name: Wang, Chang
name: Cao, J. C.
name: Zeng, Heping
name: Li, Hua
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2021
Subjects: subject: Optics (physics.optics)
subject: Applied Physics (physics.app-ph)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: Broadband dual-comb spectroscopy has attracted increasing interests due to its unique advantages in high spectral resolution, fast detection, and so on. Although the dual-comb technique is relatively mature in the infrared wavelengths, it is, currently, not commercially capable of practical applications in the terahertz regime due to the lack of high performance broadband terahertz dual-comb sources. In the terahertz frequency range, the electrically pumped quantum cascade laser (QCL) is a suitable candidate for the dual-comb operation. However, free running terahertz QCL dual-comb sources normally show limited optical bandwidths ($\sim$100-200 GHz). Although the resonant microwave injection locking has been widely used to broaden the emission spectra of terahertz QCLs by modulating the laser drive current at the cavity round-trip frequency, it is hard to be employed to broaden the dual-comb bandwidths due to the large phase noise induced by the resonant injection and non-ideal microwave circuits. Therefore, it is challenging to obtain broadband terahertz dual-comb sources that can fully exploits the laser gain bandwidth. Here, we employ an off-resonant microwave injection to significantly broaden the dual-comb bandwidth of a terahertz QCL dual-comb source emitting around 4.2 THz. The measured optical dual-comb bandwidth is broadened from 147 GHz in free running to $>$450 GHz under the off-resonant injection. The broadened dual-comb bandwidth is experimentally proved by the transmission measurements of a filter and a GaAs etalon. By performing a simple numerical analysis based on a rate equation model, we explain that the broadband dual-comb operation under the off-resonant microwave injection could be resulted from a wider lasing bandwidth and a higher degree of phase matching.
description: 22 pages, 6 figures
EmbAssi: Embedding Assignment Costs for Similarity Search in Large Graph Databases
Creators: name: Bause, Franka
name: Schubert, Erich
name: Kriege, Nils M.
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2021
Subjects: subject: Databases (cs.DB)
subject: FOS: Computer and information sciences

description: The graph edit distance is an intuitive measure to quantify the dissimilarity of graphs, but its computation is NP-hard and challenging in practice. We introduce methods for answering nearest neighbor and range queries regarding this distance efficiently for large databases with up to millions of graphs. We build on the filter-verification paradigm, where lower and upper bounds are used to reduce the number of exact computations of the graph edit distance. Highly effective bounds for this involve solving a linear assignment problem for each graph in the database, which is prohibitive in massive datasets. Index-based approaches typically provide only weak bounds leading to high computational costs verification. In this work, we derive novel lower bounds for efficient filtering from restricted assignment problems, where the cost function is a tree metric. This special case allows embedding the costs of optimal assignments isometrically into $\ell_1$ space, rendering efficient indexing possible. We propose several lower bounds of the graph edit distance obtained from tree metrics reflecting the edit costs, which are combined for effective filtering. Our method termed EmbAssi can be integrated into existing filter-verification pipelines as a fast and effective pre-filtering step. Empirically we show that for many real-world graphs our lower bounds are already close to the exact graph edit distance, while our index construction and search scales to very large databases.
description: Data Min Knowl Disc (2022)
Child and Parent Perceptions of Play Therapy
Creators: Hoover, Michelle NM
Publisher: name: University of Alberta Library
Year: 2022

Play therapy is an effective form of psychotherapy typically used with children under the age of 12. Numerous meta-analyses amalgamating the results of hundreds of play therapy research studies have shown that children who engage in play therapy are better off than nearly 80% of those who do not engage in play therapy. This result is nearly identical to studies examining the effectiveness of therapy in adults who participate in psychotherapy. Within the field of adult psychotherapy there has been significant research examining what makes therapy effective and what the mechanisms of change might be within the therapeutic process. However, a gap has been identified within the field of play therapy regarding this topic. While there has been some initial research exploring what it is within the process of play therapy that helps create change, the vast majority of this research comes from the perspective of the therapist. In psychotherapy, there is often a difference of perspective between what a therapist and a client names as impactful and important within therapy. In play therapy an additional complexity must also be considered. While it is the child typically receiving the clinical services, research has shown that parents also have the ability to impact clinical outcomes achieved. This study focused on child and parent experiences of play therapy and explored each of their perceptions of the therapeutic process. Eight parent/child dyads were interviewed and semi-structured interview questions were used to help explore their various experiences of play therapy. Three shared themes between parent and child groups emerged: support received, the role of the therapist, and the role of play. Results from this study exploring the differences and similarities that emerged between parent and child perceptions of play therapy may help provide insight for play therapists into the expectations that children and parents hold about play therapy, and provide guidance on navigating these multiple impactful participants within the process of play therapy.
From solution to device: processing approaches to boost the photovoltaic performance of organic solar cells
Creators: Velazquez Osorio, Adrian
Publisher: name: University of Alberta Library
Year: 2022

The world’s growing energy consumption and increasingly visible effects of climate change originated in continued dependence on fossil fuels has strengthened the push to develop cleaner and renewable sources of energy. Solar photovoltaic cells are at the forefront of an ongoing energy transition and a new generation of solar technology based on organic semiconductor materials – organic solar cells – is capturing the attention of researchers because of their unique properties.

Organic solar cells are photovoltaic devices that convert radiation into electricity using carbon-abundant materials. They can be manufactured to be flexible, semi-transparent, lightweight, and inexpensively produced on a large scale by roll-to-roll processes.

In this thesis work, a brief introduction on possible applications and operating principles of organic solar cells provides the background to the area. Chapter 1 describes the heart of the organic solar cell, the photoactive layer known as the bulk heterojunction, and the basics of the mechanisms behind photon harvesting via exciton generation, dissociation, and collection. The main photovoltaic metrics used to characterize these devices are also discussed.

Chapter 2 provides an overview of approaches used in the design of donor and acceptor materials and mentions how computer-driven optimization is emerging as an experimental paradigm to navigate the vast variable space involved in making the bulk heterojunction. The core section of this chapter focuses on approaches to improve solution processability of PM6:BTP-BO-4Cl OPV cells. Special emphasis is given to the application of methanol-based solvent annealing treatments and their role in inducing film dewetting of the PEDOT:PSS layer.

Chapter 3 continues this focus on optimization of the bulk heterojunction by discussing the application of microwave annealing of a ZR1:BTP-BO-4Cl composition. A brief critical overview on the application of microwave annealing to increase photovoltaic performance of organic solar cells is presented. Later, evaluation of different microwave annealing setups is examined.
Near-Optimal Quantum Algorithms for Multivariate Mean Estimation
Creators: name: Cornelissen, Arjan
name: Hamoudi, Yassine
name: Jerbi, Sofiene
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2021
Subjects: subject: Quantum Physics (quant-ph)
subject: Computational Complexity (cs.CC)
subject: Data Structures and Algorithms (cs.DS)
subject: Statistics Theory (math.ST)
subject: Machine Learning (stat.ML)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences
subject: FOS: Computer and information sciences
subject: FOS: Mathematics

description: We propose the first near-optimal quantum algorithm for estimating in Euclidean norm the mean of a vector-valued random variable with finite mean and covariance. Our result aims at extending the theory of multivariate sub-Gaussian estimators to the quantum setting. Unlike classically, where any univariate estimator can be turned into a multivariate estimator with at most a logarithmic overhead in the dimension, no similar result can be proved in the quantum setting. Indeed, Heinrich ruled out the existence of a quantum advantage for the mean estimation problem when the sample complexity is smaller than the dimension. Our main result is to show that, outside this low-precision regime, there is a quantum estimator that outperforms any classical estimator. Our approach is substantially more involved than in the univariate setting, where most quantum estimators rely only on phase estimation. We exploit a variety of additional algorithmic techniques such as amplitude amplification, the Bernstein-Vazirani algorithm, and quantum singular value transformation. Our analysis also uses concentration inequalities for multivariate truncated statistics. We develop our quantum estimators in two different input models that showed up in the literature before. The first one provides coherent access to the binary representation of the random variable and it encompasses the classical setting. In the second model, the random variable is directly encoded into the phases of quantum registers. This model arises naturally in many quantum algorithms but it is often incomparable to having classical samples. We adapt our techniques to these two settings and we show that the second model is strictly weaker for solving the mean estimation problem. Finally, we describe several applications of our algorithms, notably in measuring the expectation values of commuting observables and in the field of machine learning.
description: 35 pages, 1 figure; v2: minor changes
IMPACT OF FISCAL POLICY ON POSITIONED MEASURES TO REDUCING ADVERSE IMPACTS ON INCOME DISTRIBUTION
Creators: name: Usmonov P.Sh
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2024

description: Аннотация. Maqolada inflyatsiyani hisobga olgan holda imtiyozlar berish va byudjet resurslarining imkoniyatlari va iqtisodiy chegarasi doirasida ijtimoiy yordam ko'rsatish masalalari muhokama qilinadi. Xususan, ijtimoiy ta’minot dasturini vazifalari va maqsadlari bo‘yicha ajratishning huquqiy asoslari ko‘rsatilgan. 

Калит сўзлар: iste'mol, ortiqcha iste'molni bartaraf etish, resurslar tanqisligi, muhtojlik, maqsadli to'lovlar, nafaqalarni indeksatsiya qilish, inflyatsiya, jamg'arma, differentsiatsiya, ish haqi, nafaqa, maqsadli fond.

Аннотация: В статье рассматриваются вопросы предоставления пособий с учетом инфляции и предоставления социальной помощи в пределах бюджетных ресурсов и экономических ограничений. В частности, указано правовое основание разделения программы социального обеспечения по ее задачам и целям. 

Ключевые слова: потребление, искоренение чрезмерного потребления, дефицит ресурсов, нуждаемость, целевые выплаты, индексация пособий, инфляция, сбережения, разграничение, зарплата, льгота, доверительный фонд.

Abstract: The article discusses the issues of granting benefits taking into account inflation and providing social assistance within the limits of budget resources and economic limits. In particular, the legal basis for the separation of the social security program according to its tasks and goals is indicated.

Key words: interest rate, fiscal policy, income, employment, migration, elimination of consumer subsidies, deficit, savings, capital flight, reform, efficiency.