Search

This paper reports on the employment migration behavior of non‐White ethnic minority graduates in the United Kingdom for the 2018/2019 graduation cohort, which is the last cohort to enter the labor market before the COVID‐19 pandemic. Using data from the new Graduate Outcomes survey and controlling for a rich set of background characteristics, the findings indicate that ethnic minority graduates are more likely than their White counterparts to find work in ethnically diverse areas of the United Kingdom after leaving higher education. An identity utility framework is then formalized that combines identity economics with traditional approaches of human capital theory and job search theory. A test of an ethnic identity‐based hypothesis reveals that Asian, Black, and Mixed‐background graduates are comparatively more likely to migrate to areas with higher ethnic diversity levels, rather than less diverse areas. In addition to traditional explanations based on human capital theory and job search theory, this paper argues that these patterns are best explained by ethnic identity norms, which introduce a preference for working in ethnically diverse places. However, the results should be interpreted with some caution because of concerns related to heterogeneity within the ethnic group classifications used in the paper and possible omitted and unobserved variables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nearly three decades ago, Gramling and Freudenburg (1996) urged that greater attention be given to middle‐range efforts in environmental sociology. In this article, I will argue that since Gramling and Freudenburg offered their advice, there has been a critical mass of work in environmental sociology undertaken from the perspective of middle‐range theory, but this has been undervalued in our never‐ending odyssey in search for grand theory. To illustrate this, I review sociological enquiry into risk and risk communication. To make a case of my own for a middle‐range sociology appropriate to the second quartile of the 21st century, I advocate the development of a "sociology of environmental morality" (see Farrell, 2015; Hannigan forthcoming, 2024; Stock, 2020) to be pursued via a middle‐range perspective. I conclude by outlining two strategies for pursuing a middle‐range sociology of environmental morality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the early 1940s, P. A. Smith showed that if a finite p-group G acts on a finite dimensional complex X that is mod p acyclic, then its space of fixed points, XG, will also be mod p acyclic. In their recent study of the Balmer spectrum of equivariant stable homotopy theory, Balmer and Sanders were led to study a question that can be shown to be equivalent to the following: if a G-space X is a equivariant homotopy retract of the p-localization of a based finite G-C.W. complex, given H < G and n, what is the smallest r such that if XH is acyclic in the (n+r)th Morava K-theory, then XG must be acyclic in the nth Morava K-theory? Barthel et. al. then answered this when G is abelian, by finding general lower and upper bounds for these "blue shift" numbers which agree in the abelian case. In our paper, we first prove that these potential chromatic versions of Smith's theorem are equiv- alent to chromatic versions of a 1952 theorem of E. E. Floyd, which replaces acyclicity by bounds on dimensions of mod p homology, and thus applies to all finite dimensional G-spaces. This unlocks new techniques and applications in chromatic fixed point theory. Applied to the problem of understanding blue shift numbers, we are able to use classic constructions and representation theory to search for lower bounds. We give a simple new proof of the known lower bound theorem, and then get the first results about nonabelian 2-groups that do not follow from previously known results. In particular, we are able to determine all blue shift numbers for extraspecial 2-groups. Applied in ways analogous to Smith's original applications, we prove new fixed point theorems for K(n)*-homology disks and spheres. Finally, our methods offer a new way of using equivariant results to show the collapsing of certain Atiyah-Hirzebruch spectral sequences in certain cases. Our criterion appears to apply to the calculation of all 2-primary Morava K-theories of all real Grassmanians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The measurements of the total cross section of the e + e − ⟶ γ γ γ reaction from the VENUS, TOPAS, OPAL, DELPHI, ALEPH, and L3 collaborations, collected between 1989 and 2003, are used to perform a χ 2 test to validate the current quantum electrodynamics (QED) theory and search for possible deviations with the direct contact term annihilation. By observing a deviation from the QED predictions on the total cross section of the e + e − ⟶ γ γ γ reaction above s = 180.0 GeV, a non-QED direct contact term is introduced following the dimension 6 effective theory to explain the deviation. In the non-QED direct contact term, a threshold energy scale Λ is included and explained to the finite interaction length in direct contact term and in consequence the size of the electron involved in the annihilation area. The experimental data of the total cross section is compared to the QED cross section by a χ 2 test, which gives a best fit of the Λ to be 1576 ± 202 GeV, corresponding to a finite interaction length of r e = 1.25 ± 0.16 × 1 0 − 17 (cm). In the direct contact term annihilation, this interaction length is a measure of the size of an electron r e . By combining all the data results from the mentioned collaborations, we have at least 2 to 3 times more statistics than every single experiment at high s region. This induces the best precision on r e compared to the previous measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The search model suggested in this study uses a unit-speed nanosensor to track the fluid's randomly linear flow particle, starting at the real line's origin. The nanosensor oscillates passing through the origin point (towards right and left) in the presence of a sequence of random points, and the particle's position is always changing with a random waiting time that varies with the Gaussian jump length. We may be able to consider the search distance as a function of a discounted effort-reward parameter (factor) because of this uncertainty. We demonstrate analytically how this parameter affects proving the existence of this model and reducing the expected value of the first collision time before the nanosensor returns a particle to the origin. To demonstrate the effectiveness of this model, a numerical example is provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The measurements of the total cross section of the e + e − ⟶ γ γ γ reaction from the VENUS, TOPAS, OPAL, DELPHI, ALEPH, and L3 collaborations, collected between 1989 and 2003, are used to perform a χ 2 test to validate the current quantum electrodynamics (QED) theory and search for possible deviations with the direct contact term annihilation. By observing a deviation from the QED predictions on the total cross section of the e + e − ⟶ γ γ γ reaction above s = 180.0 GeV, a non-QED direct contact term is introduced following the dimension 6 effective theory to explain the deviation. In the non-QED direct contact term, a threshold energy scale Λ is included and explained to the finite interaction length in direct contact term and in consequence the size of the electron involved in the annihilation area. The experimental data of the total cross section is compared to the QED cross section by a χ 2 test, which gives a best fit of the Λ to be 1576 ± 202 GeV, corresponding to a finite interaction length of r e = 1.25 ± 0.16 × 1 0 − 17 (cm). In the direct contact term annihilation, this interaction length is a measure of the size of an electron r e . By combining all the data results from the mentioned collaborations, we have at least 2 to 3 times more statistics than every single experiment at high s region. This induces the best precision on r e compared to the previous measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We utilize degenerate perturbation theory to investigate continuous-time quantum search on second-order truncated simplex lattices. In this work, we show that the construction of the Hamiltonian must consider the structure of the lattice. This idea enables effective application of degenerate perturbation theory to third- and higher-order lattices. We identify two constraints on the reduction of the dimension of the Hamiltonian. In addition, we elucidate the influence of the distinct configurations of marked vertices on the quantum search. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examine universal positivity constraints on 2 → 2 scattering in 4d planar N = 4 supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory with higher-derivative corrections. We present numerical evidence that the convex region of allowed Wilson coefficients (the "EFT-hedron") flattens completely along about one-third of its dimensions when an increasing number of constraints on the spectral density from crossing-symmetry are included. Our analysis relies on the formulation of the positivity constraints as a linear optimization problem, which we implement using two numerical solvers, SDPB and CPLEX. Motivated by the flattening, we propose a novel partially resummed low-energy expansion of the 2 → 2 amplitude. As part of the analysis, we provide additional evidence in favor of the conjecture [1] that the Veneziano amplitude is the only amplitude compatible with both S-matrix bootstrap constraints and string monodromy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mind represents abstract magnitude information, including time, space, and number, but in what format is this information stored? We show support for the bipartite format of perceptual magnitudes, in which the measured value on a dimension is scaled to the dynamic range of the input, leading to a privileged status for values at the lowest and highest end of the range. In six experiments with college undergraduates, we show that observers are faster and more accurate to find the endpoints (i.e., the minimum and maximum) than any of the inner values, even as the number of items increases beyond visual short-term memory limits. Our results show that length, size, and number are represented in a dynamic format that allows for comparison-free sorting, with endpoints represented with an immediately accessible status, consistent with the bipartite model of perceptual magnitudes. We discuss the implications for theories of visual search and ensemble perception. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A salient color distractor is known to capture attention during search for a less salient shape target, but the mechanisms underlying attentional capture are debated. Theeuwes (2004, Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 11(1), 65–70) argued that attentional capture depends on the size of the attentional window. If the attentional window is large, search is efficient and attentional capture should be stronger because the distractor is more likely to be inside the window. Consistently, we found higher search efficiency and more attentional capture in singleton than in feature search. However, differences in attentional capture only occurred when singleton and feature search were performed by different groups of participants, but not when singleton and feature search occurred unpredictably in the same group of participants. This result contradicts the attentional window account because search efficiency was always higher in singleton than in feature search. Rather, the results support search mode theory, which claims that participants looked for the most salient stimulus in singleton search ("singleton detection mode"), which resulted in more capture by the salient color distractor. When search types varied unpredictably, it was impossible to apply a consistent search strategy, which eliminated the differences between singleton and feature search. Further, we manipulated search efficiency by target–nontarget similarity. With dissimilar nontargets, the target was salient and search efficiency was high. Therefore, the attentional window account predicts more capture. However, we found the opposite result in singleton search and no difference in feature search. Taken together, these observations are inconsistent with the attentional window account but support search mode theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Jump functions are the most-studied non-unimodal benchmark in the theory of randomized search heuristics, in particular, evolutionary algorithms (EAs). They have significantly improved our understanding of how EAs escape from local optima. However, their particular structure—to leave the local optimum one can only jump directly to the global optimum—raises the question of how representative such results are. For this reason, we propose an extended class J U M P k , δ of jump functions that contain a valley of low fitness of width δ starting at distance k from the global optimum. We prove that several previous results extend to this more general class: for all k ≤ n 1 / 3 ln n and δ < k , the optimal mutation rate for the (1 + 1) EA is δ n , and the fast (1 + 1) EA runs faster than the classical (1 + 1) EA by a factor super-exponential in δ . However, we also observe that some known results do not generalize: the randomized local search algorithm with stagnation detection, which is faster than the fast (1 + 1) EA by a factor polynomial in k on J U M P k , is slower by a factor polynomial in n on some J U M P k , δ instances. Computationally, the new class allows experiments with wider fitness valleys, especially when they lie further away from the global optimum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study exa k (n , F) , the largest number of edges in an n -vertex graph that contains exactly k copies of a given subgraph F. The case k = 0 is the Turán number ex (n , F) that is among the most studied parameters in extremal graph theory. We show that for any F and k , exa k (n , F) = (1 + o (1)) ex (n , F) and determine the exact values of exa k (n , K 3) and exa 1 (n , K r) for n large enough. We also explore a connection to the following well-known problem in search theory. We are given a graph of order n that consists of an unknown copy of F and some isolated vertices. We can ask pairs of vertices as queries, and the answer tells us whether there is an edge between those vertices. Our goal is to describe the graph using as few queries as possible. Aigner and Triesch in 1990 showed that the number of queries needed is at least n 2 − exa 1 (n , F). Among other results we show that the number of queries that were answered NO is at least n 2 − exa 1 (n , F). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phenomenology is the unity of principles and methods employed for investigating the essence of things. The present paper is a brief review of the series of publications that these authors carried out over the past decade. The general thrust of these publications consists in the idea that phenomenological ideas of physics are used to analyze earthquakes. One conspicuous example of a phenomenological theory is thermodynamics. Maxwell's electrodynamics is also a perfect example of a phenomenological theory. The phenomenology of earthquakes is still far from reaching that high level of excellence. A look at the rational knowledge of geodynamics shows that we have so far reached a preliminary stage where we are aware of the subject-matter, methods, and problems faced by the future phenomenological theory of earthquakes. Nevertheless, we already clearly see that our approach to the construction of such a theory has promise. We are using concrete examples to show that phenomenological concepts of general physics are helpful in the search for the principles of the theory, in the processing and analysis of concrete manifestations of seismicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article advances extant research that has audited search algorithms for misinformation in four respects. Firstly, this is the first misinformation audit not to implement a national but a cross-national research design. Secondly, it retrieves results not in response to the most popular query terms. Instead, it theorizes two semantic dimensions of search terms and illustrates how they impact the number of misinformative results returned. Furthermore, the analysis not only captures the mere presence of misinformative content but in addition whether the source websites are affiliated with a key misinformation actor (Russia's ruling elites) and whom the conspiracy narratives cast as the malicious plotters. Empirically, the audit compares Covid-19 conspiracy theories in Google search results across 5 key target countries of Russia's foreign communication (Belarus, Estonia, Germany, Ukraine, and the US) and Russia as of November 2020 (N = 5280 search results). It finds that, across all countries, primarily content published by mass media organizations rendered conspiracy theories visible in search results. Conspiratorial content published on websites affiliated with Russia's ruling elites was retrieved in the Belarusian, German and Russian contexts. Across all countries, the majority of conspiracy narratives suspected plotters from China. Malicious actors from the US were insinuated exclusively by sources affiliated with Russia's elites. Overall, conspiracy narratives did not primarily deepen divides within but between national communities, since – across all countries – only plotters from beyond the national borders were blamed. To conclude, the article discusses methodological advice and promising paths of research for future cross-national search engine audits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study p-Faulty Search, a variant of the classic cow-path optimization problem, where a unit speed robot searches the half-line (or 1-ray) for a hidden item. The searcher is probabilistically faulty, and detection of the item with each visitation is an independent Bernoulli trial whose probability of success p is known. The objective is to minimize the worst case expected detection time, relative to the distance of the hidden item to the origin. A variation of the same problem was first proposed by Gal (Search games, Academic Press, New York, 1980). Alpern and Gal (The theory of search games and rendezvous, Springer, Berlin, 2003) proposed a so-called monotone solution for searching the line (2-rays); that is, a trajectory in which the newly searched space increases monotonically in each ray and in each iteration. Moreover, they conjectured that an optimal trajectory for the 2-rays problem must be monotone. We show that an analogous conjecture for the case where the search domain is the half-line cannot be correct. Indeed, we provide a lower bound for all monotone algorithms, which we also match with an upper bound. Our main contribution is the design and analysis of a sequence of refined search strategies, outside the family of monotone algorithms, which we call t-sub-monotone algorithms. Such algorithms induce performance that is strictly decreasing with t, and for all p ∈ (0 , 1) . The value of t quantifies, in a certain sense, how much our algorithms deviate from being monotone, demonstrating that monotone algorithms are sub-optimal when searching the half-line. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper describes in detail a class of educational problems from an elementary school course of mathematics and computer science. This course has been implemented over the past decades by a team led by Academician of the RAS A.L. Semenov. In the problems, it is necessary to find, build, or list all objects that satisfy a certain system of conditions. The student conducts these activities in a visual world of basic objects of discrete mathematics and computer science: strings (finite sequences of symbols), bags (multisets), tables, trees, and statements containing quantifiers. The connections of these problems with problems in computational combinatorics (counting the number of options), with search problems in the theory of computational complexity, with "big ideas," and general cognitive strategies for their formation in education are considered. The content of education in our approach is more adequate to the context of the modern world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nursing has evolved from its historical roots, influenced by multiple factors such as knowledge from other disciplines, methods, and processes of knowledge generation and theory utilization. Issues arise because nurses recognize the need for knowledge-based practice and envisage the focus of knowledge generation and utilization from theoretical framing guiding their practice. The borrowed or unique knowledge-based practice is grounded in philosophical and theoretical frameworks advanced through paradigmatic viewpoints within the metaparadigms of nursing. Encompassing a framework in nursing is the concept of caring. Caring in nursing uniquely contributes to appreciating nursing as a discipline of knowledge and a practice profession. Suggested processes involve knowledge-based, evidence-based, and theory-based practices within a conceptual-theoretical-empirical system. Moreover, because there is yet a continuing search for a universal theory of nursing guiding global nursing care practice, nursing must have contended with the plurality of theories dictating varying ways of practicing nursing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Though researchers working on congenital aphantasia (henceforth "aphantasia") agree that this condition involves an impairment in the ability to voluntarily generate visual imagery, disagreement looms large as to which other impairments are exhibited by aphantasic subjects. This article offers the first extensive review of studies on aphantasia, and proposes that aphantasic subjects exhibit a cluster of impairments. It puts forward a novel cognitive theory of aphantasia, building on the constructive episodic simulation hypothesis of memory and imagination. It argues that aphantasia is best explained as a malfunction of processes in the episodic system, and is therefore an episodic system condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines 'The Natures of Conceptual Change', the Notre Dame lectures given by Kuhn in 1980. In particular, I aim to examine the content of these lectures which was not published before. This exegetical task will shed light on the sources of the notion of taxonomy used in these lectures for the first time with the explicit philosophical purposes. It also will shed new light on Kuhn's position regarding the causal theory of reference. Reviewing these archival materials paves the way for intertextual comparisons, as Kuhn included part of these lectures in the texts published later and in the book Plurality of Worlds: an Evolutionary Theory of Scientific Development. In recent years, the publication of Kuhn's archival material and the research on these texts increased in quantity and quality. Faced with this encouraging landscape, a comparative examination of the different unpublished texts is crucial to refining both our research tools on Kuhn's intellectual biography and the philosophical work inspired by his proposal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Temporal self‐regulation theory was developed to address an observed intention‐behaviour gap across behaviours. However, a synthesis of studies has not yet been conducted to investigate the theory's utility to explain behaviour and bridge the intention‐behaviour gap. This review aimed to evaluate the predictive ability of temporal self‐regulation theory to understanding behaviour and pre‐registered at PROSPERO (ID: CRD42021253174). Method: Forward citation searches on the original theory publication through Google Scholar until May 2021 identified 37 eligible articles, including, 12,555 participants assessing at least two of the three theory constructs. Random‐effects meta‐analyses assessed the strength of associations between theory constructs on behaviour and random effects meta‐regressions assessed moderators of behaviour. Results: Findings provide support for temporal self‐regulation theory to explain behaviour with very weak (self‐regulatory capacity r =.039, CI =.00, –.07) to moderate (intention r =.331, CI =.26,.40; behavioural pre‐potency r =.379, CI =.32,.44) effect sizes. Further, the strength of associations varied across behaviour types and contexts. However, there was high heterogeneity across studies and some moderating effects could not be assessed due to insufficient numbers of studies assessing interactions. Conclusions: We urge researchers to assess and report interactions for better understanding of the drivers of behaviour to develop effective interventions for positive behaviour change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contaminant intrusion in water distribution networks is an important concern and must be identified as soon as possible. Although optimization techniques are widely used for source identification, the performance of these methods decreases with increasing the size of the water network. To overcome this problem, this paper presents a new approach to reduce the search space, based on network topology, as a prior step to applying a search algorithm. In this method, all hydraulically connected nodes to the sensor node (with a positive detection) are identified using graph theory and considered as the new reduced search space in the optimization process. The effectiveness of the proposed method was investigated on three different benchmark water networks with different complexity and sizes. The results showed that the proposed approach can decrease the computational time by 18% to 63% while improving the success rate of contaminant source identification by 14% to 150%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, the covariance matrix (CM) or pseudo CM of the received signal is processed to improve the degrees of freedom (DOFs) and estimation accuracy. This is where the second-order cumulant (SOC) in the two-dimensional (2-D) direction-of-arrival (DOA) estimation algorithm based on sparse arrays comes into play. This paper proposes a 2-D DOA estimation approach for non-circular (NC) signals based on fourth-order cumulant (FOC), which fully exploits its inherent benefits in virtual array expansion and denoising white Gaussian noise in comparison with SOC. The proposed algorithm, on the other hand, discards the original 2-D spectral peak search theory and uses the properties of the NC signal and parallel sparse array (PSA) to place the 2-D angle information in Toeplitz matrices for estimation, greatly reducing the computational complexity of processing the FOC without compromising estimation accuracy. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm outperforms the conventional algorithms in terms of estimation accuracy while utilizing fewer physical sensors and a smaller array aperture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: This paper focuses on the parameter estimation issues of multivariate equation‐error autoregressive moving average systems. By applying the gradient search and the multi‐innovation theory, we derive a multi‐innovation gradient based iterative (MI‐GI) algorithm. In order to improve the computational efficiency and the parameter estimation accuracy, a filtering and decomposition based gradient iterative (F‐D‐GI) algorithm is presented by using the data filtering technique and the decomposition technique. The key is to choose an appropriate filter to filter the input‐output data and to transform an original system into several subsystems. Compared with the MI‐GI algorithm, the F‐D‐GI algorithm can generate more accurate parameter estimates. Finally, an illustrative example is provided to indicate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Optically addressable defects in wide‐bandgap semiconductors are of considerable interest as materials platforms for quantum sensing and information systems. Density functional theory is used to identify novel defects in diamond consisting of transition metal + nitrogen complexes with potential for quantum sensing. Defects are characterized with respect to formation energy, ordering and degeneracy of the defect energy levels, optical and charge transition energies, zero‐field‐splitting energies, and thermodynamic stability. Novel defect sites with optically addressable spin states and viable spin sublevel configurations are identified, and analysis of activation energies for atomic migration indicates stability in the lattice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Faced with challenges of our time, the university assumes the commitment to be an agent of change through the holistic formation of leaders. The purpose is to analyze two common goods, educational relationship and research, that influence the creation of a holistic ecosystem that favors the projection of leaders who are committed to their community. A qualitative research method was applied through grounded theory in order to search the data for emerging conceptualizations, which were categorized and analyzed in a process of constant comparison, with an instrument based on gamestorming. In this case, the two common goods mentioned will be analyzed as part of the dynamics of common goods. The agency has a direct link to leadership and transformation. Stability is a concept highly valued by students. There is a strong sense of identity as a university community. Research is directly related to innovation. The educational relationship reflected in the personalized accompaniment, the importance of holistic formation, and the vision of contributing to the improvement of humanity, are factors that promote participation in university life and transformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dawn of the epoch of gravitational wave (GW) astronomy, which initiated with the detection of a fundamental noise, was the period when the search for a theory in which gravity could be quantized began to increase significantly. In this paper, we have mainly intended to focus on the polar modes of GWs in the formalism of gravity's rainbow, which is based on the product of the disparity between quantum mechanics and general relativity (GR). For this purpose, we have perturbed the spatially flat conformal Friedmann-Lemaitre-Robertson-Walker metric, material distribution and the components of four-velocity by making use of the polar Regge-Wheeler gauge and formulated the corresponding field equations for both the zeroth-order (unperturbed) and the first-order (perturbed) cases of the metric. Subsequently, these field equations have been taken into account simultaneously to get exact expressions of the gauge functions. From a graphical perspective, we have studied the impact of rainbow parameters on the amplitude of GWs. In the last step, discussing the Huygens Principle, we have concluded that the GWs obey the principle only in the radiation-dominated era and the principle is broken otherwise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Geodesic vector fields and other distinguished vector fields on a Riemann manifold were used in the study of free motions on such a manifold, and we applied the geometric Hamilton–Jacobi theory for the search of geodesic vector fields from Hamilton–Jacobi vector fields and the same for closed vector fields. These properties were appropriately extended to the framework of Newtonian and generalised Newtonian systems, in particular systems defined by Lagrangians of the mechanical type and velocity-dependent forces. Conserved quantities and a generalised concept of symmetry were developed, particularly for Killing vector fields. Nonholonomic constrained Newtonian systems were also analysed from this perspective, as well as the relation among Newtonian vector fields and Hamilton–Jacobi equations for conformally related metrics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper considers the problem of finding a landing spot for a drone in a dense urban environment. The conflicting requirements of fast exploration and high resolution are solved using a multi-resolution approach, by which visual information is collected by the drone at decreasing altitudes so that the spatial resolution of the acquired images increases monotonically. A probability distribution is used to capture the uncertainty of the decision process for each terrain patch. The distributions are updated as information from different altitudes is collected. When the confidence level for one of the patches becomes larger than a prespecified threshold, suitability for landing is declared. One of the main building blocks of the approach is a semantic segmentation algorithm that attaches probabilities to each pixel of a single view. The decision algorithm combines these probabilities with a priori data and previous measurements to obtain the best estimates. Feasibility is illustrated by presenting several examples generated by a realistic closed-loop simulator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article summarises a laboratory program involving over 100 tests that were performed to study the influence of soil type, temperature, water content and salinity on the strength and creep of frozen soils under uniaxial compression and shear tests. Analyses of experimental data allowed to get equations for predicting strength and creep parameters depending on the temperature and salinity using generalising parameters for frozen soils (freezing point and the concentration of pore solution). These parameters reflect the total impact of all factors (soil type, salinity and water content) in forming a single pattern for all types of soil. The developed theory of searching for generalised dependencies showed a good convergence for predicting the strength and creep characteristics of frozen soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Positronium (Ps) is an exotic hydrogenic atom composed of an electron bound to a positron via the Coulomb force. Being composed of two low-mass leptons, positronium is, for all practical purposes, fully described by quantum electrodynamics (QED). The absence of hadronic components suggests that positronium energy levels and decay rates can be calculated to very high precision, limited only by the order of the corresponding perturbative expansion and the tiny effects of heavy or weakly interacting virtual particles and exotic decay modes. Moreover, as it is a low-mass particle–antiparticle system, the QED description of positronium is strongly affected by annihilation and recoil effects that are either weaker or not present in other atoms. As a result, sufficiently precise measurements of Ps energy levels and decay properties can serve as stringent tests of bound-state QED theory, and may be sensitive to processes not present in the theory, such as axion-like particles (beyond the QCD axion), or a fifth fundamental force. In addition, since positronium is an eigenstate of the fundamental symmetries C and P, various symmetry violating mechanisms can be probed through searches for anomalous decay modes. In the last three decades, there have been significant experimental advances in positron and positronium physics which open up the possibility to test QED bound-state theory with unprecedented precision. Here we present the current state-of-the-art in experimental positronium spectroscopy, and discuss explicitly how such measurements can be used to test bound-state QED theory, and how such tests may contribute to the search for physics beyond the Standard Model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In visual search tasks, responses to targets on one trial can influence responses on the next trial. Most typically, target repetition speeds response while switching to a different target slows response. Such "priming" effects have sometimes been given very significant roles in theories of search (e.g., Theeuwes, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 368, 1628, 2013). Most work on priming has involved "singleton" or "popout" tasks. In non-popout priming tasks, observers must often perform a task-switching operation because the guiding template for one target (e.g., a red vertical target in a conjunction task) is incompatible with efficient search for the other target (green horizontal, in this example). We examined priming in inefficient search where the priming feature (Color: Experiments 1–3, Shape: Experiments 4–5) was irrelevant to the task of finding a T among Ls. We wished to determine if finding a red T on one trial helped observers to be more efficient if the next T was also red. In all experiments, we found additive priming effects. The reaction time (RT) for the second trial was shorter if the color of the T was repeated. However, there was no interaction with set size. The slope of the RT × Set Size function was not shallower for runs of the same target color, compared to trials where the target color switched. We propose that priming might produce transient guidance of the earliest deployments of attention on the next trial or it might speed decisions about a selected target. Priming does not appear to guide attention over the entire search. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The spread of the Internet has transformed the dating landscape. Given the increasing popularity of online dating and rising immigration to Canada, this study takes an intersectional lens to examine nativity and gender differentials in heterosexual online dating. Design/methodology/approach: In 2018, a random-digit-dial telephone survey was conducted in Canada. Logistic regression models were used to analyze original data from this survey (N = 1,373). Findings: Results show that immigrants are more likely than native-born people to have used online dating in Canada, possibly because international relocation makes it more difficult for immigrants to meet romantic partners in other ways. In online-to-offline transitions, both native-born and immigrant online daters follow gendered scripts where men ask women out for a first date. Finally, immigrant men, who likely have disadvantaged positions in offline dating markets, also experience the least success in finding a long-term partner online. Originality/value: Extending search theory of relationship formation to online dating, this study advances the understanding of change and continuity in gendered rituals and mate-selection processes in the digital and globalization era. Integrating search theory and intersectionality theory, this study highlights the efficiency of using the Internet to search for romantic partners and the socially constructed hierarchy of desirability as interrelated mechanisms that produce divergent online dating outcomes across social groups. Internet dating, instead of acting as an agent of social change, may reproduce normative dating practices and existing hierarchies of desirability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The guided search theory suggests that global sources of scenes are important for robust visual processing. In this study, we use an eye-tracking experiment to verify that contours play a crucial role in guiding visual attention. Moreover, the experimental data show that subjects pay more attention to the closed regions of line drawings, which are usually related to the dominant objects in the corresponding scenes. In addition, human attention is also guided by scene structure. Inspired by these findings, we designed two long-range selective pooling (LRSP) modules of convolutional neural networks to improve saliency detection by integrating long-range features. The proposed LRSP modules (including regional pooling and layout pooling modules) are inspired by the long-range interactions in the biological visual cortexes and are beneficial for capturing long-range information guided by contours. Extensive experiments show that the proposed method achieves comparable results to state-of-the-art methods, but with a more lightweight network structure. Moreover, benefiting from the contour guidance, the proposed model with long-range interactions demonstrates higher robustness and generalization in the saliency detection task compared with other methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Making errors is part of human nature, and it is thus important to know how to get the best out of them. Experimental evidence has shown that generating errors can enhance learning when these are followed by corrective feedback. However, little is known about the specific conditions and mechanisms that underlie this benefit of experiencing errors. This review aimed to shed some light on this type of learning. First, we highlight certain conditions that may influence errorful learning. These include the timing of corrective feedback, error types, learner awareness about errorful learning, motivation to learn the study material, differences in special populations (e.g., amnesia), incidental versus intentional encoding, the importance of selecting an appropriate final test procedure, whether the study material needs to be semantically related, and if it is necessary to recover the previous errors at the time of retrieval. We then consider four explanatory theories of errorful learning: (1) The Mediator Effectiveness hypothesis, (2) the Search Set theory, (3) the Recursive Reminding theory, and (4) the Error Prediction theory. According to these theories, two factors are decisive for observing the benefits of errorful learning: the level of a pre-existing semantic relationship between the study materials, and whether the error must be explicitly recovered on the final test. To conclude, we discuss some limitations of using a pretesting procedure to study errorful learning and we reflect on further research. This review brings us closer to understanding why experiencing errors confers a memory advantage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While many studies estimate the effects of active labor market programs (ALMPs) on the participants' labor market outcomes, far fewer studies are concerned with the effects of these policies on the regional job-matching process. We analyze which ALMPs are particularly effective at the regional level, as well as the role local labor market conditions play for their effectiveness. We find positive effects for a number of ALMPs, but for some of these the effects differ considerably between regions with high and low unemployment. This has important policy implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We consider a large family of problems in which an ordering (or, more precisely, a chain of subsets) of a finite set must be chosen to minimize some weighted sum of costs. This family includes variations of min sum set cover, several scheduling and search problems, and problems in Boolean function evaluation. We define a new problem, called the min sum ordering problem (MSOP), which generalizes all these problems using a cost and a weight function defined on subsets of a finite set. Assuming a polynomial time α-approximation algorithm for the problem of finding a subset whose ratio of weight to cost is maximal, we show that under very minimal assumptions, there is a polynomial time 4 α -approximation algorithm for MSOP. This approximation result generalizes a proof technique used for several distinct problems in the literature. We apply this to obtain a number of new approximation results. Summary of Contribution: This paper provides a general framework for min sum ordering problems. Within the realm of theoretical computer science, these problems include min sum set cover and its generalizations, as well as problems in Boolean function evaluation. On the operations research side, they include problems in search theory and scheduling. We present and analyze a very general algorithm for these problems, unifying several previous results on various min sum ordering problems and resulting in new constant factor guarantees for others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we give a brief account of the history of neutrino, and how that most aloof of all particles shaped our search for a theory of fundamental interactions ever since it was theoretically proposed. We introduce the necessary concepts and phenomena in a nontechnical language aimed at a physicist with some basic knowledge of quantum mechanics. In showing that neutrino mass could be the door to new physics beyond the Standard Model, we emphasize the need to frame the issue in the context of a complete theory, with testable predictions accessible to present and near future experiments. We argue in favor of the minimal Left–Right symmetric theory as the strongest candidate for such theory, connecting neutrino mass with parity breakdown in nature. This is the theory that led originally to neutrino mass and the seesaw mechanism behind its smallness, but even more important, the theory that sheds light on a fundamental question that touches us all: the symmetry between left and right. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We consider the problem of a decision-maker searching for information on multiple alternatives when information is learned on all alternatives simultaneously. The decision-maker has a running cost of searching for information, and has to decide when to stop searching for information and choose one alternative. The expected payoff of each alternative evolves as a diffusion process when information is being learned. After establishing the well-posedness of the equation, we show that the optimal boundary where search is stopped (free boundary) is star-shaped, and present an asymptotic characterization of the value function and the free boundary. We prove that the distance between the free boundary and each point on the diagonal is logarithmic in the number of alternatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The successive discoveries of the cage-like D2d B40−/0 and C3/C2 B39− mark the onset of borospherene chemistry. Based on extensive global minimum searches and first-principles theory calculations, we predict herein the possible existence of the axially chiral cage-like C2 B38+ (1/1′) and C2 B382+ (3/3′) which are novel aromatic members of the borospherene family featuring a B21 boron triple-chain on the waist and four B6 hexagonal holes on the cage surface. Detailed bonding analyses show that the B38+ (1) and B382+ (3) possess 12 and 11 delocalized π bonds over a σ-skeleton, respectively, following the universal bonding pattern of σ + π double delocalization of the borospherene family. Extensive molecular dynamics simulations indicate that both B38+ (1) and B382+ (3) are dynamically stable at 700 K. The IR, Raman, and UV–vis spectra of these cluster cations are computationally simulated to facilitate their future spectral characterizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biomolecular folding involves searching among myriad possibilities for the native conformation, but the elementary steps expected from theory for this search have never been detected directly. We probed the dynamics of folding at high resolution using optical tweezers, measuring individual trajectories as nucleic acid hairpins passed through the high-energy transition states that dominate kinetics and define folding mechanisms. We observed brief but ubiquitous pauses in the transition states, with a dwell time distribution that matched microscopic theories of folding quantitatively. The sequence dependence suggested that pauses were dominated by microbarriers from nonnative conformations during the search by each nucleotide residue for the native base-pairing conformation. Furthermore, the pauses were position dependent, revealing subtle local variations in energy-landscape roughness and allowing the diffusion coefficient describing the microscopic dynamics within the barrier to be found without reconstructing the shape of the energy landscape. These results show how high-resolution measurements can elucidate key microscopic events during folding to test fundamental theories of folding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One approach that has tried to define mental disorder is called "natural function objectivism." According to natural function objectivism, it is possible to base the demarcation between normal and pathological mental states using a theory of natural normal function. Although promising, this approach has faced decisive criticisms forcing the search for alternative theories. In this article, I want to argue that there is still hope for a definition of mental disorder based on the criterion of dysfunction if we rethink the value-freedom ideal usually associated with this notion. One theory of function that has received little attention in the debate about the definition of mental disorder is the causal role approach to function (CR), initially developed by Robert Cummins. CR has usually been rejected as the right theory of function to define mental disorder using a "dysfunction clause." This is because it was considered too dependent on human interests. In this article, I want to defend that CR should be amended rather than rejected. More precisely, my claim is that CR's relativity to human interests should be constrained rather than the whole theory dropped. My aim is to provide a framework for thinking about a notion of dysfunction that is both value-laden and sufficiently objective to provide a basis for distinguishing between healthy and pathological mental conditions, using Alexandrova's account of "social objectivity." [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the establishment and maturation of the experimental programs searching for new physics with sizeable couplings at the LHC, there is an increasing interest in the broader particle and astrophysics community for exploring the physics of light and feebly-interacting particles as a paradigm complementary to a New Physics sector at the TeV scale and beyond. FIPs 2020 has been the first workshop fully dedicated to the physics of feebly-interacting particles and was held virtually from 31 August to 4 September 2020. The workshop has gathered together experts from collider, beam dump, fixed target experiments, as well as from astrophysics, axions/ALPs searches, current/future neutrino experiments, and dark matter direct detection communities to discuss progress in experimental searches and underlying theory models for FIPs physics, and to enhance the cross-fertilisation across different fields. FIPs 2020 has been complemented by the topical workshop "Physics Beyond Colliders meets theory", held at CERN from 7 June to 9 June 2020. This document presents the summary of the talks presented at the workshops and the outcome of the subsequent discussions held immediately after. It aims to provide a clear picture of this blooming field and proposes a few recommendations for the next round of experimental results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The exchange of meta-information has always formed part of information behavior. In this article, we show that this rule also extends to conversational search. Information about the user's information need, their preferences, and the quality of search results are only some of the most salient examples of meta-information that are exchanged as a matter of course in a search conversation. To understand the importance of metainformation for conversational search, we revisit its definition and survey how meta-information has been taken into account in the past in information retrieval. Meta-information has gone by many names, about which a concise overview is provided. An in-depth analysis of the role of meta-information in search and conversation theories reveals that they provide significant support for the importance of meta-information in conversational search. We further identify conversational search datasets are suitable for a deeper inspection with regard to meta-information, namely, Spoken Conversational Search and Microsoft Information-Seeking Conversations. A quantitative data analysis demonstrates the practical significance of meta-information in information-seeking conversations, whereas a qualitative analysis shows the effects of exchanging different types. Finally, we discuss practical applications and challenges of meta-information in conversational search, including a case study of VERSE, an existing search system for the visually impaired. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some international pharmaceutical companies have succeeded in producing vaccines against COVID‐19. Countries all over the world have aimed to obtain these vaccines with minimum cost. We consider a set of K‐independent Markovian waiting lists. Each list contains a set of countries, where each one of them has an exponential service time and a Poisson arrival process. These companies differ in some characteristics such as the vaccine production cost and the speed of the required quantity delivery. We present a new detection model that helps in providing an appropriate decision to choose a suitable company. Moreover, the concept of balking and the retention of reneged countries is taken into consideration under the quality control process of each waiting list. Under steady state, we face an interesting and difficult discrete stochastic optimization problem. Its solution gives an optimal distribution of the searching effort, which is bounded by a known probability distribution. A simulation study has been derived to get the minimum value of the paid cost random values. The highest service rate, the total expected profit of each queuing system, and the optimum performance measures, which depend on this cost, have been obtained to show the effectiveness of this model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Dr. Takuo Aoyagi invented pulse oximetry in 1974. Pulse oximeters are widely used worldwide, most recently making headlines during the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Aoyagi passed away on April 18, 2020, aware of the significance of his invention, but still actively searching for the theory that would take his invention to new heights. Method: Many people who knew Dr. Aoyagi, or knew of him and his invention, agreed to participate in this tribute to his work. The authors, from Japan and around the world, represent all aspects of the development of medical devices, including scientists and engineers, clinicians, academics, business people, and clinical practitioners. Results: While the idea of pulse oximetry originated in Japan, device development lagged in Japan due to a lack of business, clinical, and academic interest. Awareness of the importance of anesthesia safety in the US, due to academic foresight and media attention, in combination with excellence in technological innovation, led to widespread use of pulse oximetry around the world. Conclusion: Dr. Aoyagi's final wish was to find a theory of pulse oximetry. We hope this tribute to him and his invention will inspire a new generation of scientists, clinicians, and related organizations to secure the foundation of the theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on the recursive parameter estimation problem of the exponential autoregressive (ExpAR) model. Applying the Newton search and multi-innovation theory, a multi-innovation Newton recursive algorithm is presented for identifying the ExpAR model. In order to improve the computational efficiency, the hierarchical identification principle is employed to decompose an ExpAR model into two sub-models, and to derive a hierarchical multi-innovation Newton recursive algorithm. A simulation example is provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent experimental observation of the first bilayer clusters B48−/0 reveals a new structural domain in boron nanostructures. Inspired by the previously reported bilayer B48, B54, B60, and B62 and based on extensive global‐minimum searches and density‐functional theory calculations, we predict herein a new series of medium‐sized bilayer boron nanoclusters C2 B64 (I), D2 B66 (II), D2 B68 (III), C1 B70 (IV), and Ci B72 (V) which all contain an elongated B46 bilayer hexagonal prism at the center with four effective interlayer 2c–2e B−B σ bonds formed between the top and bottom layers and the bilayer to core‐shell structural transition at B74 where core‐shell species start to dominate in thermodynamics, defining the up‐limit of the bilayer boron nanoclusters at B72. The newly obtained bilayer C2 B64 (I), D2 B68 (III), and C1 B70 (IV) appear to be systematically more stable than the previously reported cage‐like D4d B64, core‐shell C1 B68, and quasi‐planar C3v B70, respectively. Detailed bonding analyses indicate that these bilayer species follow the universal bonding pattern of σ+π double delocalization, rendering three‐dimensional aromaticity to the systems. The IR, Raman, and UV‐vis spectra of the concerned bilayer species are computationally simulated to facilitate their future characterizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The work analyzed, with the title “Ethical foundations of taxation: in search of a Theory of Justice in Kant”, is the result of a dissertation by Raphael Silva Rodrigues developed in the Master's Program of the Faculty of Law of UFMG. The author offers important knowledge to the legal community, both for Tax Law and Philosophy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]