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Background: The Victorian Audit of Surgical Mortality (VASM) investigates all surgically related deaths in Victoria. The Victorian Admitted Episodes Database (VAED) is an administrative dataset maintained by the Health Department's Victorian Agency of Health Information (VAHI). We have reviewed clinical records to assess the correlation between deaths reported to the databases. Methods: Data July 2019 to June 2020 were compared. All hospitals that had surgical deaths not reported to VASM were asked to provide clinical summaries which were analysed to assess the deaths should have been reported. Case note review of 280 deaths only reported to VAHI through VAED was undertaken to establish whether these should have been reported to VASM. Results: VASM received 1763 reported surgical deaths with VAHI recording 1907. Using individual patient identifiers, 517 (29.3%) of the VASM deaths were not reported to VAHI but subsequent data analysis revealed they were correctly identified as reportable deaths in 385 (74.5%). There were 914 (47.9%) VAED recorded deaths that were not reported to VASM. 280/914 (30.6%) were reviewed from 21 hospitals. Only 24 (8.6%) of these had a surgical procedure in the patient's final admission and should have been reported. This suggests that the current method of VASM capture of surgical mortality only missed 4% cases for the 2019/20 year. Conclusion: There were major differences between surgical deaths reported to VASM and those reported by health services and recorded in VAED. Less than 5% of cases are not reported to VASM and thus not subjected to peer review. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When expressing comparisons of magnitude, Pitjantjatjara, a language indigenous to the land now known as Australia, employs contextually driven comparators (e.g., Anyupa is tall. Uma is short) rather than a dedicated morphological or syntactic comparative construction (e.g., Anyupa is taller than Uma). Pitjantjatjara also has a small number of lexicalized numerals, employing 'one', 'two', 'three', then 'many'. It is hypothesized that having dedicated comparatives in language and elaborated number systems aid comparisons of magnitudes. Fluent Pitjantjatjara-English bilinguals participated in tasks assessing their accuracy and reaction times when comparing two types of magnitude: numerosity (quantities of dots), and extent (line lengths). They repeated the comparisons in both languages on different days, allowing for the effect of language being spoken on responses to be assessed. No differences were found for numerosity; however, participants were less accurate when making comparisons of extent using Pitjantjatjara. Accuracy when using Pitjantjatjara decreased as the magnitude of the comparison increased and as differences between the comparators decreased. This result suggests a potential influence of linguistic comparison strategy on comparison behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Psychometricians have argued that measurement invariance (MI) testing is needed to know if the same psychological constructs are measured in different groups. Data from five experiments allowed that position to be tested. In the first, participants answered questionnaires on belief in free will and either the meaning of life or the meaning of a nonsense concept called "gavagai." Since the meaning of life and the meaning of gavagai conceptually differ, MI should have been violated when groups were treated like their measurements were identical. MI was severely violated, indicating the questionnaires were interpreted differently. In the second and third experiments, participants were randomized to watch treatment videos explaining figural matrices rules or task-irrelevant control videos. Participants then took intelligence and figural matrices tests. The intervention worked and the experimental group had an additional influence on figural matrix performance in the form of knowing matrix rules, so their performance on the matrices tests violated MI and was anomalously high for their intelligence levels. In both experiments, MI was severely violated. In the fourth and fifth experiments, individuals were exposed to growth mindset interventions that a twin study revealed changed the amount of genetic variance in the target mindset measure without affecting other variables. When comparing treatment and control groups, MI was attainable before but not after treatment. Moreover, the control group showed longitudinal invariance, but the same was untrue for the treatment group. MI testing is likely able to show if the same things are measured in different groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The species formerly known as Scrobipalpa pauperella (Heinemann, 1870) is hereby revised to Scrobipalpa freyii (Scott, 1859). An account is given of the discovery in the British Isles of the larva mining the leaves of Centaurea scabiosa L. (Asteraceae). The larva, pupa, adult and genitalia of both sexes are compared with those of Scrobipalpa acuminatella (Sircom, 1850). Images are provided of both species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aristotle claims that cross-sense comparisons—that is, comparisons with respect to homonymous predicates—are impossible. At the same time, he uses such comparisons in arguments that are fundamental to his philosophical project, such as when he claims that happiness is better than instrumental goods. In this paper, I discuss how this tension arises, and I explain why the cross-sense comparisons Aristotle uses are nevertheless possible. Using evidence from the Protrepticus , I claim Aristotle distinguishes two kinds of comparisons: comparisons of degrees of a quality, and comparisons of the priority with which a quality applies. Only the latter admits of some cross-sense comparisons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper draws together elements of the academic literature on policy mobilities on the one hand, and on the 'digital turn' on the other. It argues that COVID‐19 accelerated the digitalization of everyday life asking we think through how those already existing informational infrastructures supporting the mobility of policies are continuing to evolve, as are the methods available for researching them. This has potential consequences for how cities practice policy comparison exchange, and learning and how these processes are studied. This paper sets out a three‐pronged schema to take seriously the intersection of policy mobilities and the digital. They are policy mobilities through the digital, policy mobilities produced by the digital and policy mobilities of the digital. It concludes by outlining fruitful areas for a future research agenda. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay defends the use of empirical comparative analysis in the development of normative inquiry. In it, Juan Espíndola argues that comparisons between two or more carefully crafted cases can help us appreciate the relevant contextual considerations that must be factored into normative analysis. In the social sciences, comparisons are used to control whether a generalization holds across cases, for explanatory purposes. Comparisons have a controlling function. With respect to normative endeavors, Espíndola contends, comparisons can play a similar function. They can serve as a heuristic device to help us appreciate differences in what people value; in this sense, they also play an epistemic function, which can help us refine normative theories, especially if their ambition is to offer action‐guiding prescriptions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eco-geographical heterogenicity of countries such as Chile and in cities exhibiting a territorial and demographic important diversity is relevant for the epidemiological studies of the apparition and spread of SARS-CoV-2. That situation is the opposite to countries such as the Czech Republic, with small or less diverse territories where the apparition and spread of SARS-CoV-2 can be correlated mainly to demographic and seasonal variables more than climate, pollution, or other physical and biological variables. It is well visible that there is no simple model for measured active cases and given parameters. This motivates a more general question to develop models that predict the future number of reported COVID-19 cases (by laboratory testing). We tune several neural networks to show the complexity issues of such a problem. These predictions are made for the countries, Austria, Czech Republic, and Slovakia, with the model class used for making these predictions being the artificial neural network, for the data from February 2020 until February 2021. Two different architectures of the neural network are compared the feed-forward network and the recurrent neural network. Ultimately, it is found that there are notable differences between the three countries studied, with the data for the Czech Republic being easier to predict with good accuracy than the data from the other two countries. Likewise, it turns out that the feed-forward approach delivers better results for Austria and the Czech Republic, whereas, for Slovakia, the recurrent approach performs better. Likewise, it is found that combining the data from all three countries does not lead to improved accuracy compared to models using data from only one single country. Both of the findings mentioned above might be related to the relatively small amount of data available. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

GOES‐16 and GOES‐17 are the first of NOAA's Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES)‐R series of satellites. Each GOES‐R satellite has a magnetometer mounted on the end (outboard) and one part‐way down a long boom (inboard). This paper demonstrates the relative accuracy and stability of the measurements on a daily and long‐term basis. The GOES‐16 and GOES‐17 magnetic field observations from 2017 to 2020 have been compared to simultaneous magnetic field observations from each other and from the previous GOES‐NOP series satellites (GOES‐13, GOES‐14 and GOES‐15). These comparisons provide assessments of relative accuracy and stability. We use a field model to facilitate the inter‐satellite comparisons at different longitudes. GOES‐16 inboard and outboard magnetometers data suffer daily variations which cannot be explained by natural phenomena. Long‐term‐averaged GOES‐16 outboard (OB) data has daily variations of ±3 nT from average values with one‐sigma uncertainty of ±1.5 nT. Long‐term averaged GOES‐17OB magnetometer data have minimal daily variations. Daily average of the difference between the GOES‐16 outboard or GOES‐17 outboard measurements and the measurements made by another GOES satellite are computed. The long‐term averaged results show the GOES‐16OB and GOES‐17OB measurements have long‐term stability (±2 nT or less) and match measurements from magnetometers on other GOES within limits stated herein. The GOES‐17OB operational offset (zero field value) was refined using the GOES‐17 satellite rotated 180° about the Earth pointing axis (known as a yaw flip). Plain Language Summary: GOES‐16 and GOES‐17 are the first two of the R‐series of the NOAA's Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES). Like previous GOES satellites, they carry two magnetometers (inboard and outboard on a long boom) to measure the magnetic field at geosynchronous orbit (an altitude of approximately 35,786 km above mean sea level). Because these data are used to provide users of space‐based assets with the knowledge of the space environment and to provide input for research, the accuracy and stability of the new data sets relative to previous data sets are important. There are known variations in the data from the station‐keeping thrusters which are removed from the data studied. Previous studies showed that the GOES‐16 measurements contain artificial diurnal variations. This study shows that the diurnal variations of the outboard magnetometer data are useful and within specified limits. The GOES‐17 measurements do not have significant daily variations. Based on simultaneous measurements from the other GOES satellites, GOES‐16 and GOES‐17 outboard data are stable over a period of years. Key Points: GOES‐16 magnetic field data have artificial diurnal variations which are larger than in other GOES satellites and which change with seasonDaily averages of corrected magnetic field of GOES‐16/17 match simultaneous data from GOES‐13/14/15 nT except for eastward componentThe corrected GOES‐17 data match the GOES‐18 data when GOES‐17 and GOES‐18 are separated by 0.2° of longitude [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When expressing comparisons of magnitude, Pitjantjatjara, a language indigenous to the land now known as Australia, employs contextually driven comparators (e.g., Anyupa is tall. Uma is short) rather than a dedicated morphological or syntactic comparative construction (e.g., Anyupa is taller than Uma). Pitjantjatjara also has a small number of lexicalized numerals, employing ‘one’, ‘two’, ‘three’, then ‘many’. It is hypothesized that having dedicated comparatives in language and elaborated number systems aid comparisons of magnitudes. Fluent Pitjantjatjara-English bilinguals participated in tasks assessing their accuracy and reaction times when comparing two types of magnitude: numerosity (quantities of dots), and extent (line lengths). They repeated the comparisons in both languages on different days, allowing for the effect of language being spoken on responses to be assessed. No differences were found for numerosity; however, participants were less accurate when making comparisons of extent using Pitjantjatjara. Accuracy when using Pitjantjatjara decreased as the magnitude of the comparison increased and as differences between the comparators decreased. This result suggests a potential influence of linguistic comparison strategy on comparison behavior.

Five countries are normally included in the Nordic grouping. At first (statistical) glance they can appear very similar. But capitalism everywhere is on a different trajectory. It is a change that moves at different speeds at different times in different places – like a series of rocks falling, tumbling or just slowly sliding, down a mountainside, before they all settle at the bottom. There was a time when the Nordic countries were tumbling very closely together. They still are quite similar to each other. But other countries are becoming more and more like them, especially in Northern Europe. This could be seen as part of a greater change. As was recently explained: ‘People talk about capitalism as if it were just one thing, but the truth is that we live in a global system of capitalisms plural, with a chunk of ideology in common but considerable differences in local emphasisʼ. However, now we can see more and more places in the world becoming more Nordic, and especially so in the rich world. As a rule of thumb, those Nordic countries nearest to the UK tend to be home to folk who are a little more selfish, those further away are more collective and generous in their outlook, but all are so very different to the United States that when types of capitalism came to be defined, they were lumped together as an archetype. Now many other countries in the world are becoming more Nordic in many ways, or are even more Nordic than some of the Nordic countries.

An increasing number of studies in pragmatics, second language acquisition, and related fields have opted to use sitcom conversations as a substitute for natural conversations in their analyses. However, few studies have critically examined the validity of this substitution. Taking this into consideration, the present study aims to examine the lexical similarities and differences between sitcom and natural conversations by utilizing the Friends Corpus and the Santa Barbara Corpus of Spoken American English as samples under a synthesized analytic framework of six lexical categories that have been frequently examined in previous research. The findings indicate that there are significant differences between sitcom and natural conversations at the lexical level, particularly in terms of word lengths, keywords, and the use of discourse markers, personal pronouns, vocatives, and religious words. While sitcom conversations tend to be more concise, interactive, evaluative, and involving, natural conversations provide more explanations for their speech acts and refer to their parties who are not present in the conversations. Additionally, sitcom conversations use more intensifiers and vocatives while using fewer tentative modals, expletives, and religious words. Based on these results, it can be concluded that sitcom conversations do not fully depict the conversations in sitcoms, and thus substituting natural conversations with those in sitcoms should be approached with caution in language teaching and research. This study provides insight into the differences in lexical patterns between two types of conversations, and highlights the importance of using natural conversations as a basis for language teaching and research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We consider a parametric Dirichlet problem driven by a nonhomogenous differential operator. In the parametric reaction we have the competing effects of a singular term and of a superlinear perturbation which is sign-changing. Using variational tools together with truncation and comparison techniques we show that for all small values of the parameter the problem has at least two smooth solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper introduces the concepts of conditional spacings and normalized conditional spacings when an $ (n-k+1) $ (n − k + 1) -out-of-n system or a general coherent system having independent and identically distributed (IID) components just fails at time t. First, we obtain the marginal reliability and joint reliability of conditional spacings, and then conduct some comparisons of conditional spacings. We also investigate the dependent and ISO $ ^* $ ∗ properties of the conditional spacings. Finally, the case when the lifetimes of components are IID exponential is discussed in detail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electronic resource reviews written by librarians are a valuable way to identify potential content platforms and stay current on new resources. Resource-focused articles can also assist with learning about useful features, training others, and marketing to potential user groups. However, articles evaluating or highlighting innovative uses of resources may be published in disparate journals or online platforms and are not collocated. Small or solo-staffed libraries may not subscribe to library and information sciences databases or journals that contain reviews of electronic resources. And many of these reviews or other useful articles are open access. With this in mind, the main aim of the LERRN citation database was to create a freely available citation database that brings together electronic resource reviews and other content that can assist librarians in appraising and using electronic resources.

Background. The language of advertising in general has been widely researched since advertising became integrated in all spheres of our life. The researchers also mark the prominent role of extralinguistic elements in advertising. At the same time, the language as an important element of persuasion in tourist advertisements requires a more detailed coverage. Contribution to the research field. The present paper makes an overview of the linguistic tools of persuasion in travel advertisements. Purpose. The purpose of the present study is to analyse how linguistic tools are used to enhance the effectiveness and persuasive power of travel advertisements. Methods. The given research uses the method of description and analysis in order to identify the essential linguistic tools of persuasion in travel advertisements and to evaluate their role in enhancing the effectiveness of travel advertisements. Results. The study of travel brochures from leading tour operators based in the UK, Poland, Australia, New Zealand, the USA has shown that the language of advertising in tourism and in other spheres share a lot of common features, such as the extensive use of commendatory adjectives, frequent occurrence of metaphoric and metonymic expressions, play of words, modified forms of proverbs and sayings, comparisons. At the same time, the language of travel advertisements proper has its own specificities. The linguistic tools used in the texts of travel advertisements highlight the benefits of the advertised tour and help to create a clear image of the given destination. For this purpose, they are often complemented by additional information concerning the advertised tourist site. Discussion. The collected data demonstrate that expressive linguistic tools contribute to the overall effectiveness of travel advertisements.

The hominoid Ouranopithecus macedoniensis (Bonis, Bouvrain, Geraads & Melentis, 1974) is known from three Late Miocene localities in Greece. All are correlated with late Vallesian, MN10; more precisely, they are dated between 9.6 and 8.7 Ma. During the last 50 years several fossils of this hominoid have been recovered. The present article describes the first specimen with upper deciduous teeth, recovered from the locality Ravin de la Pluie in Axios Valley (Macedonia, Greece). The upper deciduous dentition of O. macedoniensis is characterised by a small canine relative to the length of the deciduous premolars, with a rounded occlusal crown outline, a trapezoidal dP3 with metacone and a rudimentary hypocone, a sub-squared dP4, and the absence of cingulum. The taxonomic and sexual attribution of the studied material is based on the preserved and virtually reconstructed permanent dentition, using high resolution microcomputed tomography. The morphological and metrical comparisons of the permanent dentition with the available sample of O. macedoniensis, as well as the monospecific character and the strong sexual dimorphism of the Ravin de la Pluie sample, allow its attribution to a female sub-adult individual of this taxon. The upper deciduous teeth of Ouranopithecus macedoniensis preserve some morphological features, that may have a phylogenetic value, but this hypothesis requires further investigation as the available material of all fossil taxa is poor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two important historical processes, the union of Iberian crowns and its impact on Brazil, and the process of Brazilian Independence, have in common the existence of teleological and anachronistic interpretations that prevent a correct analysis of what happened. This article analyses Spanish-Portuguese relations in the past with a focus on the period of Brazil's Independence, showing that Spain's participation was much more important than expected so far. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In this paper, a safety method for a 3-DOF industrial robot is developed based on recurrent neural network (RNN). Safety standards for human robot interaction (HRI) are taken into accounts. The main objective is to detect the undesired collisions on any of robot links. Since most of industrial robots are not collaborative, the dependence of the method on torque sensors to detect collisions makes its ability to use very restricted. Therefore, only the position data of joints are collected to be the data inputs of the proposed method in order to detect the undesired collisions. These data are aggregated from KUKA LWR IV robot while no collisions and in another time when applying collisions. These data are used to train the proposed RNN using Levenberg-Marquardt LM algorithm. KUKA robot is configured to act as a 3-DOF manipulator that moves in space and under the effect of gravity. The results show that the modelled and trained RNN is sensitive and efficient in detecting collisions on each link of robot separately. Studying the resulted error from the developed model reveals clearly that the method is reliable.

The paper presents the study and analysis with finite elements of the hook of a hoist, as well as the load capacity of the hook varying the cross-sections. The selected sections were constant over time and then the sizes of two different sections were changed. The hoist hook is modelled using SOLIDWORKS software. Von Mises stress analyses were performed. To validate the stress distribution model for its correctness, he used the theory of curved beams. The obtained results were compared with those determined by analytical calculation and it was found that the deviations are at least 5%. The finite element analysis method can be used for different material types and different loadings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Within the eleventh edition of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD‐11), diagnostic criteria for feeding and eating disorders were revised and new diagnoses including avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) are classifiable; however, nothing is known about how these changes affect the prevalence of feeding and eating disorders. This study compared the distribution and clinical characteristics of restrictive feeding and eating disorders between ICD‐10 and ICD‐11. Method: The Eating Disorder Examination (EDE), its child version, and the EDE ARFID module were administered to N = 82 patients (0–17 years) seeking treatment for restrictive feeding and eating disorders and their parents. Clinical characteristics were derived from medical records, questionnaires, and objective anthropometrics. Results: The number of residual restrictive eating disorders (rrED) significantly decreased from ICD‐10 to ICD‐11 due to a crossover to full‐threshold disorders, especially anorexia nervosa (AN) or ARFID. Patients reclassified to ICD‐11 ARFID were younger, had an earlier age of illness onset, more restrictive eating behaviors, and tended to have more somatic comorbidities compared to those reclassified to ICD‐11 AN. Patients with rrED according to both ICD‐10 and ICD‐11 were younger, had an earlier age of illness onset, less shape concern, and more somatic comorbidities than patients who were reclassified from ICD‐10 rrED to ICD‐11 AN or ARFID. Discussion: This study highlights the inclusive approach of ICD‐11 criteria, paving the way for more targeted treatment, and ARFID's high clinical relevance. Future studies considering nonrestrictive feeding and eating disorders across the life span may allow further analyses on diagnostic crossover. Public Significance: Changes in diagnostic criteria for restrictive eating disorders within the newly published ICD‐11 led to an increase in full‐threshold disorders, while the number of rrED was significantly lowered compared to ICD‐10 criteria. The results thus highlight the diagnostic utility of ICD‐11 criteria and may help providing adequate treatment to children and adolescents with rrED. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Mustafa Kemal University Journal of Agricultural Sciences / Mustafa Kemal Üniversitesi Tarım Bilimleri Dergisi is the property of Mustafa Kemal University, Faculty of Agriculture and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Loneliness-perceived social isolation-is defined as a discrepancy between existing social relationships and desired quality of relationships. Whereas most research has focused on existing relationships, we consider the standards against which people compare them. Participants who made downward social or temporal comparisons that depicted their contact with others as better (compared to other people's contact or compared to the past) reported less loneliness than participants who made upward comparisons that depicted their contact with others as worse (Study 1-3). Extending these causal results, in a survey of British adults, upward social comparisons predicted current loneliness, even when controlling for loneliness at a previous point in time (Study 4). Finally, content analyses of interviews with American adults who lived alone showed that social and temporal comparisons about contact with others were both prevalent and linked to expressed loneliness (Study 5). These findings contribute to understanding the social cognition of loneliness, extend the effects of comparisons about social connection to the important public health problem of loneliness, and provide a novel tool for acutely manipulating loneliness.

The results of experimental comparisons of the COOMET 706/RU-A/16 national standards of the unit of propagation velocity of longitudinal ultrasonic waves in solids are presented. The comparisons were performed in 2018–2021 with the participation of national metrological institutes of Russia, Belarus, Ukraine and China. The primary objective of these comparisons was verification of the measurement capabilities of the participating laboratories, analysis of the components of measurement uncertainty, and evaluation of the reproducibility of the measurement results, as well as a test of the traveling transfer standards, and the schedules and methods of their transportation. For the first time in the metrology of acoustic measurements in solids, comparisons of six national standards were carried out, which implemented various methods of excitation and registration of ultrasound (non-contact optical and capacitive methods, immersion piezoelectric method) and various methods of measurement of the propagation velocity of longitudinal ultrasonic waves in solids (pulse echo, resonance, through-transmission substitution technique). Taking account of the stability of the characteristics of the traveling transfer standards of comparison, a hybrid comparison scheme was used. Samples (velocity measures), made of quartz glass, BK8 optical glass, and 40Kh13 steel were used as references of comparison The measurements of the propagation velocity of longitudinal US waves in samples were performed at the frequencies 2.25–2.5, 5, and 10 MHz in accordance with the measurement procedure adopted on this standard. The comparisons showed the consistency of most of the measurement results obtained in the participating laboratories. Individual discrepancies in the results of the comparisons may be related to the possible underestimation of the quoted standard uncertainties of measurements by the participants in the comparisons, as well as the presence of unaccounted for influencing factors, which requires additional study to determine the causes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The meta-analysis has become one of the predominant studies designs in orthopaedic literature. Within recent years, the network meta-analysis has been implicated as a powerful approach to comparing multiple treatments for an outcome of interest when conducting a meta-analysis (as opposed to two competing treatments which is typical of a traditional meta-analysis). With the increasing use of the network meta-analysis, it is imperative for readers to possess the ability to independently and critically evaluate these types of studies. The purpose of this article is to provide the necessary foundation of knowledge to both properly conduct and interpret the results of a network meta-analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mobilization of narratives is essential in integrating people and constructing identities that help in navigating complexity, uncertainty, and conflictuality. This paper explores how comparisons are used as a discursive tool to shape narratives and bring about changes in policy and society, using the High Speed Two megaproject in the UK as a case study. We examine the comparisons that promoters and protesters employ in an organizational setting. In particular, we explore how the narratives that result from these comparisons--on questions including the need for the megaproject, the benefits of the megaproject, alternatives to the megaproject, and issues of noise, sustainability, compensation, and branding--help their efforts to organize. The research highlights how comparisons serve as an important cue in discourse and how different forms of comparison can help to create narratives and shape policy outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Knihovna is the property of Library Institute of the Czech National Library and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In this paper, a safety method for a 3-DOF industrial robot is developed based on recurrent neural network (RNN). Safety standards for human robot interaction (HRI) are taken into accounts. The main objective is to detect the undesired collisions on any of robot links. Since most of industrial robots are not collaborative, the dependence of the method on torque sensors to detect collisions makes its ability to use very restricted. Therefore, only the position data of joints are collected to be the data inputs of the proposed method in order to detect the undesired collisions. These data are aggregated from KUKA LWR IV robot while no collisions and in another time when applying collisions. These data are used to train the proposed RNN using Levenberg-Marquardt LM algorithm. KUKA robot is configured to act as a 3-DOF manipulator that moves in space and under the effect of gravity. The results show that the modelled and trained RNN is sensitive and efficient in detecting collisions on each link of robot separately. Studying the resulted error from the developed model reveals clearly that the method is reliable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A common result in novel word generalization tasks is thatcomparison settings (i.e., several stimuli introducedsimultaneously) favor conceptualization and generalization.We hypothesized that typical comparison forced-choicedesigns between a lure and a target conceptual dimension mighthave constrained children’s choices. Here we used a “yes-no”free choice design with 3- and 4-year-old children, andmanipulated the presentation mode of the stimuli, eithersimultaneous or sequential. We manipulated the semanticdistance between training and transfer items. Results showedthat simultaneous, rather than sequential, presentations in thetransfer phase led to more taxonomic generalizations in four-year olds. Results are discussed in terms of the constraints thatboth types of presentation bring into the task.

The article offers the results of statistical analysis of data on the highest wages of employees in the Slovak Republic in 2020. Descriptive analysis of sample data is supplemented by generalizing the results to the population of all employees whose salary exceeds the 99th percentile of the sample, by selected methods of statistical inference, which are probability models of the highest wages and analysis of variance. The analysis focuses on assessing the significance of the impact of selected demographic and social factors on the highest salaries of employees in SR in 2020 and their differences. The investigated factors there are gender, level of education, region of residence, the label of occupation, and age category. The article also focuses on inequalities in the number of employees at different levels of the monitored factors. The obtained results of the analysis are compared with the results of similar analysis from 2010.

Abstract Objective To compare characteristics of bipolar disorder patients diagnosed as DSM-5 types I (BD-1) vs. II (BD-2). Methods We compared descriptive, psychopathological, and treatment characteristics in a sample of 1377 consenting, closely and repeatedly evaluated adult BD patient-subjects from a specialty clinic, using bivariate methods and logistic multivariable modeling. Results Factors found more among BD-2 > BD-1 cases included: [a] descriptors (more familial affective disorder, older at onset, diagnosis and first-treatment, more education, employment and higher socioeconomic status, more marriage and children, and less obesity); [b] morbidity (more general medical diagnoses, less drug abuse and smoking, more initial depression and less [hypo]mania or psychosis, longer episodes, higher intake depression and anxiety ratings, less mood-switching with antidepressants, less seasonal mood-change, greater %-time depressed and less [hypo]manic, fewer hospitalizations, more depression-predominant polarity, DMI > MDI course-pattern, and less violent suicidal behavior); [c] specific item-scores with initial HDRS21 (higher scores for depression, guilt, suicidality, insomnia, anxiety, agitation, gastrointestinal symptoms, hypochondriasis and weight-loss, with less psychomotor retardation, depersonalization, or paranoia); and [d] treatment (less use of lithium or antipsychotics, more antidepressant and benzodiazepine treatment). Conclusions BD-2 was characterized by more prominent and longer depressions with some hypomania and mixed-features but not mania and rarely psychosis. BD-2 subjects had higher socioeconomic and functional status but also high levels of long-term morbidity and suicidal risk. Accordingly, BD-2 is dissimilar to, but not necessarily less severe than BD-1, consistent with being distinct syndromes.

Zagreb indices are well-known and historical indices that are very useful to calculate the properties of compounds. In the last few years, various kinds of Zagreb and Randic indices are investigated and defined to fulfil the demands of various engineering applications. Phenylenes are a class of conjugated hydrocarbons composed of a special arrangement of six- and four-membered rings. This special chain, produced by zeroth-order Markov process has been commonly appeared in the field of pharmacology and materials. Here, we compute the expected values of a multiplicative versions of the geometric arithmetic and atomic bond connectivity indices for these special hydrocarbons. Moreover, we make comparisons in the form of explicit formulae and numerical tables between the expected values of these indices in the random polyphenyl $ \mathbb{P}_n $ and spiro $ \mathbb{S}_n $ chains.

In this study the authors aim to add to the understanding of whether, and if so how, a change of electoral system affects factors such as voter turnout and the party system, and the authors' focus has been on changes that result in mixed electoral systems. They used three country cases (Japan, Italy, and New Zealand) to explore patterns in a before-and-after design. The findings suggest that a country cannot expect a significant effect on voter turnout if it decides to change its electoral system to a mixed system. Regarding party system fragmentation, the results show that the change of the electoral system in New Zealand from a plurality system to a mixed member proportional system had a clear and immediately positive effect on the party system. However, the results do not indicate that the changes of electoral systems in Japan and Italy have had any significant effect on the party system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Normal human cells have 22 pairs of chromosomes as well as 2 sex chromosomes for a total of 46 chromosomes; this normal karyotype is called diploidy (euploidy). On the other hand, aberrant numbers of chromosomes, i.e., gains and/or losses of chromosomes, have been found in most human cancer cells. This condition is called aneuploidy. Within in a clinical context, aneuploidy has been shown to be a marker of poor prognosis and drug resistance. Importantly, the deadliest stage of a cancer occurs when the cancer has been found to have spread from a primary tumor site to other organ sites, which is called metastasis. Controlled comprehensive clinical studies of metastatic cancer, which require an interrogation of the affected site(s), such as lungs, or liver, brain, or bone, with the goal of developing better treatment are very challenging. Therefore, repeatable controlled studies of complex human metastatic disease are simulated in animal systems using human cancer cells in special mouse strains. We used such a model system to better understand the chromosomal changes and the processes that bring them about, along with a study of gene variants, chromosomal amplifications, gains, and losses in metastatic cancer cells. We compared these differences to their primary tumor cell counterparts. This information aids us in suggesting possible new therapeutic treatments that may have a potential to limit the growth of metastatic cancer. Aneuploidy, a deviation in chromosome numbers from the normal diploid set, is now recognized as a fundamental characteristic of all cancer types and is found in 70–90% of all solid tumors. The majority of aneuploidies are generated by chromosomal instability (CIN). CIN/aneuploidy is an independent prognostic marker of cancer survival and is a cause of drug resistance. Hence, ongoing research has been directed towards the development of therapeutics aimed at targeting CIN/aneuploidy. However, there are relatively limited reports on the evolution of CIN/aneuploidies within or across metastatic lesions. In this work, we built on our previous studies using a human xenograft model system of metastatic disease in mice that is based on isogenic cell lines derived from the primary tumor and specific metastatic organs (brain, liver, lung, and spine). As such, these studies were aimed at exploring distinctions and commonalities between the karyotypes; biological processes that have been implicated in CIN; single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs); losses, gains, and amplifications of chromosomal regions; and gene mutation variants across these cell lines. Substantial amounts of inter- and intra-heterogeneity were found across karyotypes, along with distinctions between SNP frequencies across each chromosome of each metastatic cell line relative the primary tumor cell line. There were disconnects between chromosomal gains or amplifications and protein levels of the genes in those regions. However, commonalities across all cell lines provide opportunities to select biological processes as druggable targets that could have efficacy against the primary tumor, as well as metastases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this research, the cryogenic friction stir welding (CFSW) process has been performed using a liquid nitrogen medium to join two similar ZE42 magnesium alloy plates. The new experimental setup has been designed and fabricated to supply low-temperature (−196 °C) liquid nitrogen into the welding zone. The effects of welding parameters (tool pin profile, tool rotational speed, welding speed, and axial load) on the welding characteristics (tensile strength, hardness, and wear rate) have been investigated by the Taguchi technique. The impacts of welding parameters have been analysed to predict the optimum welding characteristics. The predicted best welding settings have been utilized to compare the CFSW and normal friction stir welding (NFSW) performances. The fractography of tensile-tested specimens, hardness distributions, and microstructure of worn-out CFSW welding surfaces have been examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis. When compared to the NFSW process, the tensile strength and hardness of CFSW are improved by 41.36 % and 35.13 %, respectively, and the wear rate has decreased by 23.53 %. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Compare patients diagnosed as DSM-5 type II bipolar disorder (BD2) vs. major depressive disorder (MDD).Methods: We compared characteristics of 3246 closely and repeatedly evaluated, consenting, adult patient-subjects (n = 706 BD2, 2540 MDD) at a specialty clinic using bivariate methods and multivariable modeling.Results: Factors more associated with BD2 than MDD included: [a] descriptors (more familial psychiatric, mood and bipolar disorders and suicide; younger at onset, diagnosis and first-treatment; more education; more unemployment; fewer marriages and children; higher cyclothymic, hyperthymic and irritable temperament ratings, lower anxious); [b] morbidity (more hypomanic, mixed or panic first episodes; more co-occurring general medical diagnoses, more Cluster B personality disorder diagnoses and ADHD; more alcohol and drug abuse and smoking; shorter depressive episodes and interepisode periods; lower intake ratings of depression and anxiety, higher for hypomania; far more mood-switching with antidepressants; lower %-time depressed; DMI > MDI course-pattern in BD2; more suicide attempts and violent suicidal behavior); [c] item-scores with intake HDRS21 higher for suicidality, paranoia, anhedonia, guilt, and circadian variation; lower somatic anxiety, depressed mood, insight, hypochondriasis, agitation, and insomnia; and [d] treatment (more lithium, mood-stabilizing anticonvulsants and antipsychotics, less antidepressants and benzodiazepines).Conclusions: BD2 and MDD subjects differed greatly in many descriptive, psychopathological and treatment measures, notably including more familial risk, earlier onset, more frequent recurrences and greater suicidal risk with BD2. Such differences can contribute to improving differentiation of the disorders and planning for their treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Ti–6Al–4V alloy is widely used in aerospace applications for its beneficial combination of properties. However, this alloy has high solubility for oxygen and thus a high reactivity. An evaluation of the structure and mechanical properties is represented for characterization of the Ti–6Al–4V alloy after being subjected to the oxygen-rich atmospheric entry environment. Recovered Ti–6Al–4V artifacts from the Columbia shuttle disaster suggest that this alloy underwent an accelerated degradation and combustion reaction when exposed to the high enthalpy, low-pressure surroundings experienced during re-entry into earth's atmosphere after the shuttle broke up. Arc-jet testing has provided a simulated aerothermodynamic heating environment to mimic what the spacecraft endured. Thermal alteration effects on this alpha–beta phase alloy were investigated using a hierarchical evaluation framework. Macroscopic, meso-scale, and micro-scale inspections are described. Qualitative inferences between the ground-based model and Columbia shuttle were made. Microscopic evaluation shows a disruption of crystalline order contrasting the unaffected state. Further characterizations were made to investigate the mechanical behavior correlations by means of microhardness techniques to describe the structural hardness variations. This article provides an opportunity to review the progression of structural development along various dimensional scales using hierarchical resolutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents genealogy-oriented analysis of how the Nordic model gained its dominant characterization as modern, advanced and superior to other European welfare models while Southern European countries came to be labelled laggards in the welfare domain. To illuminate the relational nature of these, and all, comparisons, the analysis accentuates how researchers, politicians, and civil servants alike designate Nordic and Southern European states, their societies, and their welfare models. The empirical analysis focuses on scholarly writings about welfare-state comparisons (1986–2017) and on European Union documents addressing cohesion policies (1986–2021). Analysis of the vocabulary and labelling illuminates how the Scandocentric and the South-related bias have been produced and reproduced.The analysis indicates that labels, once established, tend to get replicated without question and grow unquestionable in science and policy-making both. While reducing complexity and increasing predictability, this process simultaneously constrains alternative ways to interpret changing situations and alternative contexts.- [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When deciding whether to buy an item, consumers sometimes think about other ways they could spend their money. Past research has explored how increasing the salience of outside options (i.e. alternatives not immediately available in the choice set) influences purchase decisions, but whether the type of alternative considered systematically affects buying behavior remains an open question. Ten studies find that relative to considering alternatives that are similar to the target, considering dissimilar alternatives leads to a greater decrease in purchase intent for the target. When consumers consider a dissimilar alternative, a competing nonfocal goal is activated, which decreases the perceived importance of the focal goal served by the target option. Consistent with this proposed mechanism, the relative importance of the focal goal versus the nonfocal goal mediates the effect of alternative type on purchase intent, and the effect attenuates when the focal goal is shielded from activation of competing goals. We conclude with a discussion of the theoretical and practical implications of our findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A common result is that comparison settings (i.e., severalstimuli introduced simultaneously) favor conceptualizationand generalization. In a comparison setting, we manipulatedthe semantic distance between the two training items (e.g.,two bracelets versus a bracelet and a watch), and the semanticdistance between the training items and the test items (e.g., apendant versus a bow tie). We tested 5- and 8-year-oldchildren’s generalization of novel names for objects. Thisstudy is the first one to study the temporal dynamics ofcomparison in a generalization task with eye-tracking data.The eye movement data revealed clear patterns of explorationin which participants first focused on the training items andcompared them with each of the choice options. We alsocompared the search profiles for correct answers and errors.The results show that participants first found commonalitiesin the learning items, which they compared with each itemsin the solution set. This pattern is consistent with an alignmentview of generalization.

The current study explored how young females who compete in aesthetic sports adopt self-presentation strategies on social media. Data from semi-structured interviews with 10 collegiate female trampolinists (aged 19–24 years) were analyzed through reflective thematic analysis, and six themes were generated; self-analysis, the best you, emotional consequences, judgment, social media perceptions, and acceptance. Framed around these themes, creative nonfiction techniques were employed to present the results as an ethnodrama. Findings illustrated how participants demonstrated a high need to present their “best self”, as failure to do so results in fear of judgment, extreme self-criticism, and, subsequently, post-prevention. Moreover, participants used upward social comparisons, and when they felt they did not match the ‘thin ideal’, often made negative associations between weight gain and attractiveness. This study contributes to body image literature by demonstrating a more detailed understanding of how social media influences one’s need to alter their self-presentation to fit in with highly pressured societal ideals. In addition, the ethnodrama provides an educational tool to stimulate reflection about the extremity of this issue in today’s modern world.