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This paper analyzes diverse features extracted from spoken language to select the most discriminative ones for dementia detection. We present a two-step feature selection (FS) approach: Step 1 utilizes filter methods to pre-screen features, and Step 2 uses a novel feature ranking (FR) method, referred to as dual dropout ranking (DDR), to rank the screened features and select spoken language biomarkers. The proposed DDR is based on a dual-net architecture that separates FS and dementia detection into two neural networks (namely, the operator and selector). The operator is trained on features obtained from the selector to reduce classification or regression loss. The selector is optimized to predict the operator's performance based on automatic regularization. Results show that the approach significantly reduces feature dimensionality while identifying small feature subsets that achieve comparable or superior performance compared with the full, default feature set. The Python codes are available at https://github.com/kexquan/dual-dropout-ranking. • Dual-net architecture enables automatic regularization. • Ensemble from multiple cross-validations stabilizes detection performance. • Two-step feature selection significantly reduces feature dimensions. • Identified spoken language biomarkers boost detection performance. • Codes are available at https://github.com/kexquan/dual-dropout-ranking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The presence of hard exudate (EX) lesions is an early clinical symptom of Diabetic Retinopathy (DR); its accurate segmentation is essential for diagnosis and treatment. Automatic segmentation of EX lesions is challenging because they have a wide range of sizes, shapes, and brightness, and can be confused with soft exudate lesions. In this paper, we present and assess an efficient segmentation method for interactively segmenting EX lesions in fundus images from DR patients. Our approach consisted of two main stages: (1) the first stage generates an automatic segmentation using a CNN-based method. (2) If the obtained segmentation is suboptimal, the second stage is used to refine each inaccurately segmented region using a CNN-based interactive segmentation method. To train and evaluate method performance, we used two public datasets (IDRiD and DDR) and two local datasets from two medical centers (EHos and EWT) containing a wide range of EX lesions. Several state-of-the art CNN-based models and the proposed method were trained and evaluated on IDRiD, DDR and EHos datasets using the area under the precision–recall curve (AUPR), the dice similarity coefficient (Dice) and the intersection over union (IoU). In addition, EWT dataset was used to evaluate the methods without retraining the CNN models. The evaluation results using IDRiD dataset showed that the proposed method achieved AUPR , mean Dice and mean IoU scores of 0.893, 76.6% and 62.4%, respectively, which are comparable to the state-of-the-art method on EX segmentation. When evaluated on the DDR dataset with large portion of small EX lesions, the proposed method achieved AUPR , mean Dice and mean IoU scores of 0.693, 60.8% and 45.5%, yielding state-of-the-art performance. Furthermore, with the main evaluation metric being AUPR , the evaluation results on two datasets, EHos and ETW, with scores of 0.689 and 0.667 demonstrated superiority of the proposed method over the other segmentation methods. The proposed two-stage CNN-based segmentation method is an useful approach for accurately segmenting EX lesions in color fundus images, enabling lesion quantification to aid experts in treating patients with DR. The source code, the trained CNN models and the data are publicly available at: https://github.com/dvquang2000/Interactive_HardExudates_Segmentation. • A two-stage CNN-based method was proposed for accurate EX lesions segmentation in fundus image • Multiple datasets in several hospitals and countries were included in the study • An assessment of the proposed method on two different field of view in image acquisition was performed • State-of-the-art and the proposed methods were tested with and without retraining the CNN models • The proposed method outperformed state-of-the-art methods in most evaluation scores [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Accurate modeling of dry-type detuned reactor (DDR) in the time domain and calculating the impulse voltage distribution for the first time. • Development of an accurate high frequency model considering the complex permeability for DDR foil conductors. • Applying the proposed model to study the FRA of the DDR. • Validating the accuracy of calculations by performing measurements in the time and frequency domains. • Modifying the design of a real DDR based on the performed analysis. Dry-type detuned reactor (DDR) is a key component for power quality management. Improper design of DDR may result in insulation failure during power system transient events. This can be avoided by developing a proper DDR high frequency model that can accurately capture the behavior of the reactor during transients and provide better insight into its performance under various operating conditions. One of the main challenges of proper DDR modeling is the shape of the leakage flux, which is strongly dependent on the shielding effect of the foil conductors and hence affecting the winding frequency response at high frequencies. This paper proposes a high-frequency lumped equivalent circuit model for DDR with frequency-dependent parameters. The frequency-dependent inductances and resistances are calculated using anisotropic equivalent complex permeability to represent the damping effects in the core and winding. A combined analytical-finite element modelling approach is employed to calculate the winding capacitances. The accuracy of the proposed model is verified by comparing its frequency response with the experimental results obtained from a laboratory prototype. Furthermore, the impulse voltage distribution within the windings is obtained through simulation and measurement analyses to attest the robustness of the proposed model. The proposed model is expected to aid in the proper design and optimization of DDR to improve its insulation withstand capability and enhance its performance during transient events within power grids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work we design and analyse a Discrete de Rham (DDR) method for the incompressible Navier–Stokes equations. Our focus is, more specifically, on the SDDR variant, where a reduction in the number of unknowns is obtained using serendipity techniques. The main features of the DDR approach are the support of general meshes and arbitrary approximation orders. The method we develop is based on the curl–curl formulation of the momentum equation and, through compatibility with the Helmholtz–Hodge decomposition, delivers pressure-robust error estimates for the velocity. It also enables non-standard boundary conditions, such as imposing the value of the pressure on the boundary. In-depth numerical validation on a complete panel of tests including general polyhedral meshes is provided. The paper also contains an appendix where bounds on DDR potential reconstructions and differential operators are proved in the more general framework of Polytopal Exterior Calculus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There seems to be some evidence that Germany is turning from being a 'domestic' to a 'public' gender regime. The extension of public childcare, increasing female labour market participation rates and the introduction of gender quotas, among other changes, point to this development. However, a detailed analysis reveals an ambivalent and even contradictory trajectory. This development can only be understood by applying an intersectional perspective and looking at families with different socioeconomic backgrounds, class, and gender. By focusing on family households in which women are the main earners, this paper illustrates changes and stability in different domains and contributes to the understanding of the German gender regime's trajectory. On the basis of a qualitative study conducted in West and East Germany, the article shows that many women who are the main breadwinners in their families are in this position not because of modernised gender relations and by their own choice, but 'involuntarily', because of their partners' weak labour market position and increasing pressure within the German welfare state to earn their own living and contribute to covering the needs of the household through gainful employment. Many female-breadwinner families do not live reversed, modernised gender roles, but face an above-average risk for poverty and have little room for manoeuvre. Political and economic factors, as well as norms (in the domains of polity, economy and civil society), help to explain these findings. We see mainly neoliberal, activation policies directed at households with low resources, whereas the institutional framework for households with higher incomes has remained relatively stable. The results of the study show that dual-earner households are not necessarily progressive and dual earning is a poor indicator of a gender regime change. • There is some evidence that the German system is moving from a 'domestic' to a 'public' gender regime. However, we see a quite ambivalent trajectory. • By focusing on households where women are the main earners, this paper contributes to the understanding of the trajectory of the German gender regime. • Female breadwinner families often have a poverty risk above average and few room for manoeuvre. • Activating policies are addressed to households with low resources, whereas the institutional framework for high income households has remained stable. • Applying an intersectional perspective, the study helps to understand how different policies play out if social class is taken into account. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vascular aging is a major risk factor for age-related cardiovascular diseases, which have high rates of morbidity and mortality. It is characterized by changes in the blood vessels, such as macroscopically increased vascular diameter and intima-medial thickness, chronic inflammation, vascular calcification, arterial stiffening, and atherosclerosis. DNA damage and the subsequent various DNA damage response (DDR) pathways are important causative factors of vascular aging. Deficient DDR, which may result in the accumulation of unrepaired damaged DNA or mutations, can lead to vascular aging. On the other hand, over-activation of some DDR proteins, such as poly (ADP ribose) polymerase (PARP) and ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM), also can enhance the process of vascular aging, suggesting that DDR can have both positive and negative effects on vascular aging. Despite the evidence reviewed in this paper, the role of DDR in vascular aging and potential therapeutic targets remain poorly understood and require further investigation. • Vascular aging is the most important risk factor in the high morbidity and mortality of age-related cardiovascular diseases. • DNA damage and the subsequent various DNA damage response (DDR) pathways as important causative factors in vascular aging. • DDR can positively or negatively influence vascular aging. • Modulating DDR pathways pharmacologically or molecularly might have potential therapeutic benefits in managing age-related cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 2021 German Federal Election saw an increasing variation in voting behavior between both age groups and geographic groups. This paper brings these developments together and argues that the urban-rural divide is much bigger among younger than among older voters. We combine data from the German Longitudinal Election Study with original survey data and introduce the number of freelance artists at the ZIP code level as a new measure of urbanity. Using this data, we show that the urban-rural age divide concerns cultural attitudes as well as the propensity to vote. While the Greens mainly attract young voters in cities, the AfD performed well among young rural voters, particularly in Eastern Germany. At the same time, the differences between the young and the old are larger in cities than in the countryside. These results suggest that the importance of the urban-rural divide is likely to increase in future elections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Large housing estates are an important part of the built environment worldwide. They provide residence for millions of people. Within Europe, the debate surrounding such estates is largely concerned with social decline. During the last two decades, many large estates in Germany have experienced striking changes related to a declining and ageing population as well as housing conditions. Trends towards urban shrinkage have caused new challenges for urban and neighbourhood development. Induced by the post-socialist transition after 1990, former East German estates, in particular, had to face far reaching changes related to outmigration, decreased demand for housing and infrastructure as well as an overall ageing of the population. Set against this background, questions about the future potentials of these estates go beyond social decline. Instead, the impact of demographic change and questions of long-term demand gain importance. Therefore, in this paper, we focus on how a declining and aging population impacts upon the composition of the population within a particular estate. Additionally, we are interested in how the residential satisfaction in the estate has changed over time and which target groups are attracted to the estates. This paper discusses these questions by using results from a unique sociological long-term survey carried out over 30 years in a large housing estate in Leipzig, eastern Germany. We show that rapid social decline has not yet been an issue in the estate, and residential satisfaction has grown and reached high levels among remaining residents. However, demographic characteristics have changed tremendously. This study found that social and demographic shifts are interwoven, so that the extent to which this stability can be maintained in the future is presently unclear. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper develops a dynamic model to illustrate how diet and body weight change when novel food products become available to consumers. We propose a microfounded test to empirically discriminate between habit and taste formation in intertemporal preferences. Moreover, we show that 'novelty consumption' and endogenous preferences can explain the persistent correlation between economic development and obesity. By empirically studying the German reunification, we find that East Germans consumed more novel Western food and gained more weight than West Germans when a larger variety of food products became readily accessible after the fall of the Wall. The observed consumption patterns suggest that food consumption features habit formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heinrich Bredt (1906–1989) has to be considered one of the most prominent German pathologists of the past century. While his scientific oeuvre – especially his research on pathology of the cardiovascular system – received widespread attention, his actual connection to National Socialism remains largely concealed. This paper takes this need for clarification as an occasion for a detailed investigation of Bredt's political role in the Third Reich, based on source material from Federal, State and University Archives. The analysis shows that Heinrich Bredt had already joined the anti-Semitic and anti-democratic Association of German Students in the 1920s, and from 1933 onward he entered various Nazi organizations – including the Nazi Party. Unlike in later statements, Bredt was not just a nominal member of the Party, he held various offices in National Socialist organizations and was accordingly classified as loyal to the regime by the Nazi authorities. In contrast, during his time in the socialist dictatorship of East Germany, Bredt remained aloof from the ruling Socialist Unity Party of Germany and its political organizations – unlike many former Nazi Party members who behaved in a political opportune manner in East Germany as well. Bredt demonstrated a distance from the socialist system which suggests that his political actions were guided not by pragmatic but by ideological considerations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The paper addresses the question of whether TV consumption has an impact on material aspirations. We exploit a natural experiment that took place during the period in which Germany was divided. Owing to geographical reasons TV programs from the Federal Republic of Germany could not be received in all parts of the German Democratic Republic. Therefore a natural variation occurred in exposure to West German television. We find robust evidence that watching TV is positively correlated with aspirations. Our identification strategy implies a causal relationship running from TV to aspirations. This conclusion resists various sets of alternative specifications and samples. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Gustav Mie was a professor of physics with a strong background in mathematics. After moving to the University of Greifswald in North-Eastern Germany he became acquainted with colloids, and one of his PhD students investigated the scattering and attenuation of light by gold colloids experimentally. Mie used his previously acquired knowledge of the Maxwell equations and solutions of very similar problems in the literature to concisely treat the theoretical problem of scattering and absorption of light by a small absorbing sphere. He also presented many numerical examples which completely explained all the effects that had been observed until then. Since all calculations were done by hand, Mie had to limit his theoretical results to three terms in infinite expansions, thus he only could treat particles smaller than 200nm at visible wavelengths. Mie''s paper had remained hardly noticed for the next 50 years, most likely because of the lack of computers. It experienced a revival later and up to now it has been referenced more than 4000 times, owing to the widespread use of Mie''s approach in sciences such as astronomy, meteorology, fluid dynamics and many others. Gustav Mie did not consider his work on scattering of light by small particles as very important, since he just tried to explain the effects which his students had observed. He concentrated on hot topics in theoretic physics, e.g., the theory of matter. He wrote several textbooks, e.g., on relativity, gravitation theory, and electromagnetism, and all of them had run into several editions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Several crossing experiments in dairy cattle are currently in progress. Most of them are based on Holstein-Friesian, superior in milk production, and Jersey, known for highly concentrated milk and early maturity. Crossbreeding can lead to combination of favorable characteristics from the breeds involved, based on breed additive genetic effects. Further, heterosis can be of additional economic benefit, but the magnitude of heterosis is not well established for many breed combinations, and traits and effects of heterosis are not heritable. These unknowns, and possible recombination losses in rotational crossbreeding systems, are the challenges to practical application of crossbreeding in dairy cattle. Crossbreeding, if widely implemented, impacts existing breeding schemes and should be pursued after careful economic evaluation. In the former East Germany, crossbreeding in dairy cattle led to a new synthetic breed, a milk-emphasized dual-purpose breed called Schwarzbuntes Milchrind der DDR (SMR). The SMR composite was based on a 3-breed cross, including native East German Black and White, Danish Jersey, and Canadian Holstein-Friesian. The SMR breed was used in commercial milk production in East Germany in the 1970s and 1980s. This paper describes the goals in creating and performance of SMR and summarizes related work during the SMR period. Current German crossing experiments and profitability for different amounts of heterosis will be introduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to contribute to the understanding of fluvial system response to climate change during the last glacial–interglacial cycle. Fluvial and aeolian successions have been studied in the opencast brown-coal mine Nochten in eastern Germany. An absolute chronology was established by luminescence and 14C-dating, enabling to demonstrate the relations between depositional units and changes in sedimentary environment over time with regional climatic and vegetational changes. It is concluded that the major climatic periods, coinciding with the oxygen isotope stages, are generally reflected in the fluvial sequence by distinct fluvial environments. Major climatic changes (oxygen isotope stage boundaries) have been preserved in the fluvial record as erosional bounding surfaces and by changes in fluvial style. Rapid climate changes like the Middle Pleniglacial Dansgaard–Oeschger cycles are in general not reflected in the fluvial succession. These cycles were too short or with too low amplitude to cause a strong vegetational response and related changes in water and sediment supply. It is emphasized that also the preservation potential of short-lived climatic warming events in ‘high-energy’ fluvial systems is low. Warming events may, however, have been preserved in lacustrine successions in former thermokarst lakes. A strong cooling event at ca 40 ka, leading to continuous permafrost conditions and changes in the water and sediment budget, was reflected in the fluvial archive by a change from sandy anabranching to braided river conditions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]