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In the paper by Inna Ganschow, the camp experience in the Soviet Union as a result of forced conscription will be treated, specifically in its artistic processing: secretly written diaries and letters by Luxembourg Wehrmacht soldiers. Contemporary historical research today calls them ego documents – private, handwritten texts of a personal nature. The range of texts to be examined in the lecture ranges from the smuggled out notes and letters that their released comrades took with them to Luxembourg, through diaries, speeches and self-made dictionaries to poems, short stories and drawings, some of which were in the camp and some immediately after the return from Tambov and other camps in the Soviet Union. The focus is on the question of dealing with the thesis of the Auschwitz concentration camp survivor Viktor Frankl, psychiatrist and neurologist from Vienna, that the meaning of camp life - logotherapy - can have a self-healing effect and increase the self-healing powers, which increases the chances of survival.

Data and R scripts for the paper:Comparing the transmission of carbapenemase-producing and extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli between broiler chickens. Data includes the phyloseq RDS for the 16S rRNA v3v4 sequencing data and its metadata. Analysis scripts as used for the paper for both the modeling and the microbiome. See README for more details. Links: NCBI SRA BioProject:PRJNA948179 Paper doi: Abstract paper: Comparing the transmission of carbapenemase-producing and extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli between broiler chickens Natcha Dankittipong, Jesse B. Alderliesten, Jan Van den Broek, M. Anita Dame-Korevaar, Michael S. M. Brouwer, Francisca C. Velkers, Alex Bossers, Clazien J. de Vos, Jaap A. Wagenaar, J. Arjan Stegeman, Egil A. J. Fischer The emergence of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE) is a threat to public health, because of their resistance to clinically important carbapenem antibiotics. The emergence of CPE in meat-producing animals is particularly worrying because consumption of meat contaminated with resistant bacteria similar to CPE, such as extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Enterobacteriaceae, contributed to colonization in humans worldwide. Currently, no data on the transmission of CPE in livestock is available. We performed a transmission experiment to quantify the transmission of CPE between broilers to fill this knowledge gap and to compare the transmission rates of CPE and other antibiotic-resistant E. coli. A total of 180 Ross 308 broiler chickens were distributed on the day of hatch (day 0) over 12 pens. On day 5, half of the chickens in each pen were orally inoculated with 5·102 colony-forming units of CPE, ESBL, or chloramphenicol-resistant E. coli (catA1). Amoxicillin drinking water treatment was given twice daily in 6 of the 12 pens from days 2 to 6 to evaluate the effect of antibiotic treatment on the transmission rates. Cloacal swabs of all animals were taken to determine the number of infectious broilers. We used a Bayesian hierarchical model to quantify the transmission of the E. coli strains. E. coli can survive in the environment and serve as a reservoir. Therefore, the susceptible-infectious transmission model was adapted to account for the transmission of resistant bacteria from the environment. In addition, the caecal microbiome was analyzed on day 5 and at the end of the experiment on day 14 to assess the relationship between the caecal microbiome and the transmission rates. The transmission rates of CPE were 52 – 68 per cent lower compared to ESBL and catA1, but it is not clear if these differences were caused by differences between the resistance genes or between the E. coli strains. Differences between the groups in transmission rates and microbiome diversity did not correspond to each other, indicating that differences in transmission rates were probably not caused by major differences in the community structure in the caecal microbiome. Amoxicillin treatment from day 2 to 6 increased the transmission rate more than three-fold in all inoculums. It also increased alpha-diversity compared to untreated animals on day 5, but not on day 14, suggesting only a temporary effect. Future research could incorporate more complex transmission models with different species of resistant bacteria into the Bayesian hierarchical model.

International audience; This paper is concerned with analytical developments of results firstly introduced by the authors in [1]. These developments are devoted to the optimization of upper bounds of the interval covariance matrices appearing in the Interval Kalman Filter [2]. The proposed study is mainly highlighted through two aspects. Firstly, the optimization is further performed by considering a class of upper bounds and minimizing the traces of these bounds in two stages (in terms of a gain matrix and then with respect to a scalar parameter). Secondly, the paper provides conditions under which the optimal trace value is controlled and hence the proposed Algorithm in [1], namely Optimal Upper Bound Interval Kalman Filter (OUBIKF), is ensured to perform with stability (i.e. without width explosion of the resulting interval estimators). Also under these conditions, the OUBIKF Algorithm, having a similar structure of the Standard Kalman Filter (SKF), is ensured to get a smaller trace upper bound of the covariance matrices in the correction step than the one in the prediction step. Numerical simulations based on anautomotive model is performed to illustrate the developed results.

Sequential Monte Carlo (SMC) methods are a class of Monte Carlo methods that are used to obtain random samples of a high dimensional random variable in a sequential fashion. Many problems encountered in applications often involve different types of constraints. These constraints can make the problem much more challenging. In this paper, we formulate a general framework of using SMC for constrained sampling problems based on forward and backward pilot resampling strategies. We review some existing methods under the framework and develop several new algorithms. It is noted that all information observed or imposed on the underlying system can be viewed as constraints. Hence the approach outlined in this paper can be useful in many applications.

This paper forensically reconstructs the timings, impacts and processes that drove the sequence of explosive eruptions of La Soufrière, St Vincent in April 2021 using a combination of field-based stratigraphy and textural dissection of the deposit character together with contemporary visual observations. Explosive activity on 9th and early on 10th April involved destruction of almost all of the 2020/2021 lava dome, ∼ 60% of the 1979 dome and formation of a 600 m diameter crater by 2pm UTC on 10th April. Following the initial explosion, plumes rose to altitudes of ∼15 km and pyroclastic density currents (PDCs) formed by column collapse, first occurred on 10th April, only after > 24hrs of explosive activity. Dense PDCs reached the sea only in the Larikai and Roseau Valleys, and dilute PDCs were restricted to within 2.5 km of the Summit Crater rim. The tephra fallout deposits are stratified, composed of numerous layers of both lapilli-rich and ash-rich layers, which we have grouped into at least 7 Units, based on their common characteristics (Units 1 to 7). Volume estimates, using a range of techniques to constrain uncertainties, indicate that the bulk volume of tephra (fallout and PDC) is 1.19 x 108m3 +/− 20% making this a VEI 4 eruption. Supplementary material at https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.6474317

Jedan od vodećih mikroorganizama koji uzrokuje bakterijsko trovanje hranom su bakterije roda Campylobacter koje prouzroče kampilobakteriozu, zoonozu koja je od 2005. godine najčešće prijavljivana bolest uzrokovana hranom u Europskoj Uniji te kao takva predstavlja javno-zdravstveni problem. Najprisutnijim izvorom ovog patogena smatra se pileće meso s obzirom da su kampilobakteri uobičajeni komenzali u probavnom sustavu peradi. S obzirom da se nalaze u crijevima peradi, osim prilikom procesa klanja i obrade mesa, velika mogućnost kontaminacije javlja se u kasnijim fazama proizvodnje kao što su: čupanje perja, evisceracija, pranje, pohranjivanje i hlađenje te kontaminacija putem ruku radnika, opreme ili same okoline, a pretpostavlja se da upravo koža peradi predstavlja glavni izvor ovog patogena. U ovom je radu određivan broj bakterija Campylobacter spp. u uzorcima kože vratova tovnih pilića, pilećih prsa bez kože, pilećih krilaca i pilećih bataka ‒ zabataka. Za određivanje broja kolonija korištena je standardna metoda za određivanje broja Campylobacter spp. prema ISO normiranoj metodi HRN EN ISO 10272 – 2:2017., One of the leading microorganisms causing bacterial food poisoning are the Campylobacter bacteria that cause campylobacteriosis, a zoonosis that has the most important source of this pathogen, given that campylobacters are common commensals in the digestive system of poultry. They are found in the intestines of poultry, and in addition to the slaughtering and meat processing stages, a high possibility of contamination occurs in the later stages of production, such as plucking feathers, evisceration, washing, storing and cooling, and contamination through the hands of workers, equipment, or the environment itself, and it is believed that the skin of poultry is been the most frequently reported food-borne disease in the European Union since 2005, making it a public health concern. Chicken meat is considered the main source of this pathogen. In this paper, the number of Campylobacter spp. bacteria was determined in samples of the neck skins of broiler chickens, skinless chicken breasts, chicken wings and chicken drumsticks. To determine the number of colonies, the standard method for determining the number of Campylobacter spp. according to the ISO standard method HRN EN ISO 10272 – 2:2017 was used.

The objective of this paper was to create an economical and abecedarian 3D printing method for the production of solid microneedles, as a more efficient transdermal drug delivery method, for day-to-day use in companion animals. The process of 3D printing was conducted using two types of 3D printers, utilizing the FDM and SLA printing techniques. Modulus of Elasticity was calculated for the determination of mechanical properties of the material, where the printed specimen was subjected to axial loading, and deformations were measured using an optical scanner. Post-processing was conducted by washing microneedles in isopropyl alcohol, followed by UV curing. The procedure of testing penetration capabilities was conducted at two sites of cat skin: auris externa and the lateral part of the abdomen. The SLA printing method was more precise, resulting in higher quality microneedles for animal use compared to the FDM printing technique. Modulus of Elasticity was calculated and the value E=0.9 GPa can be used. Testing proved that the printed model was able to penetrate the skin at the tested sites. The use of microneedles is simple and economical, and therefore has wide applications in small animal practice. Veterinarians can access microneedle design repositories and print them for more effective transdermal drug delivery. The multifunctionality and transferability of the design in the present study ensure that it can be further modified to provide personalized therapy., Cilj ovog rada je kreiranje ekonomične i abecedarne metode 3D printanja za proizvodnju čvrstih mikroigli, kao učinkovitije transdermalne metode aplikacije lijeka, za svakodnevnu uporabu u kućnih ljubimaca. Proces 3D printanja se provodi pomoću nekoliko tipova 3D printera, koristeći FDM i SLA tehnike printanja. Modul elasticiteta izračunat je za određivanje mehaničkih svojstava korištenog materijala, pri čemu je printani uzorak podvrgnut aksijalnom opterećenju, a deformacije su mjerene optičkim skenerom. Naknadna obrada je obavljena ispiranjem MNA u izopropil alkoholu, nakon čega je uslijedilo UV sušenje. Procedura ispitivanja sposobnosti penetracije MNs provedena je na dva mjesta na koži mačke: auris externa i lateralni dio abdomena. SLA metoda printanja bila je preciznija, što je rezultiralo mikroiglama veće kvalite za uporabu na životinjama u usporedbi s FDM tehnikom printanja. Modul elasticiteta je izračunat i može se koristiti vrijednost E=0,9 GPa. Testiranje printanih mikroigli je pokazalo da je model bio u stanju da penetrira u kožu na testiranim područjima. Uporaba mikroigli je jednostavna i ekonomična, stoga može biti široko rasprostranjena u praksi malih životinja. Veterinari mogu pristupiti repozitorijumima dizajna mikroigli i sami iste printati, kako bi ih koristili za učinkovitiju transdermalnu aplikaciju lijekova. Multifunkcionalnost i primjenjivost dizajna u ovoj studiji osiguravaju mogućnost daljnje modifikacije da bi se omogućila indivudualna terapija.

Estimation of the high-dimensional banded covariance matrix is widely used in multivariate statistical analysis. To ensure the validity of estimation, we aim to test the hypothesis that the covariance matrix is banded with a certain bandwidth under the high-dimensional framework. Though several testing methods have been proposed in the literature, the existing tests are only powerful for some alternatives with certain sparsity levels, whereas they may not be powerful for alternatives with other sparsity structures. The goal of this paper is to propose a new test for the bandedness of high-dimensional covariance matrix, which is powerful for alternatives with various sparsity levels. The proposed new test also be used for testing the banded structure of covariance matrices of error vectors in high-dimensional factor models. Based on these statistics, a consistent bandwidth estimator is also introduced for a banded high dimensional covariance matrix. Extensive simulation studies and an application to a prostate cancer dataset from protein mass spectroscopy are conducted for evaluating the effectiveness of the proposed adaptive tests blue and bandwidth estimator for the banded covariance matrix.

Evidence suggests that emotional distress, including problems like depression and anxiety is commonly reported by individuals meeting criteria for psychosis spectrum disorders. It has been argued that the appraisals individuals hold about the meaning of their psychosis may explain the emotional distress experienced. However, this literature has often failed to acknowledge the role of other variables in accounting for this distress. The aim of this thesis was to investigate the mechanisms underpinning emotional distress in those experiencing psychosis, by focusing specifically on psychosis-related appraisals and goal expectancy. A total of five studies are reported, four of these addressed the above aim by focusing specifically on individuals with a psychosis related disorder who were receiving support from a rehabilitation service. The final study captured how parental carers make sense of their child’s future following an experience of psychosis. Following a review of the literature in Chapter One, Chapter Two aimed to provide an overview of the methodological approaches employed in the current thesis. The study presented in Chapter Three aimed to synthesis the literature investigating the association between appraisals of psychosis experience and emotional distress in those experiencing psychosis, in order to determine the direction and magnitude of this association. A total of 17 studies were included in the review (15 in the meta-analysis). Small to moderate associations were observed between appraisals of psychosis and both depression and anxiety. A narrative synthesis of the literature showed that significant associations were evident in a small number of longitudinal studies (with regards to depression only). Furthermore, i in a number of cross-sectional studies significant associations held even when accounting for symptoms of psychosis, suggesting that the association that beliefs have with distress may not be entirely explained by the shared association with psychosis symptom severity. Chapter Four presents the findings of a study that aimed to validate a goal generation task within individuals experiencing psychosis. Using behaviour sequence analysis, the utility of the task in capturing goal generation processes in those meeting criteria for psychosis was determined. The study highlighted that those experiencing psychosis were able to progress from lower to higher-order goals. Using a cross-sectional design, Chapter Five aimed to investigate the extent to which psychosis related appraisals and goal expectancies (goal likelihood and goal difficulty) could account for emotional distress in those experiencing psychosis. A total of 73 individuals accessing support from a rehabilitation service were recruited. Results revealed that appraisals of psychosis were significantly associated with depression and anxiety. Specifically, appraisals of psychosis as a source of internal shame and defectiveness, external shame and as resulting in loss (e.g., loss of future employments) were all found to predict both depression and anxiety. Many of these associations held when controlling for other variables. Only appraisals of internal shame and defectiveness were found to be significantly associated with emotional distress, however, this association did not hold when controlling for other variables. When adjusting for appraisals of psychosis, goal appraisals were not found to be significantly associated with emotional distress. Chapter Six aimed to expand upon the results presented in chapter five by investigating the longitudinal association between goal expectancies (goal likelihood, difficulty and progress) and emotional distress. A series of mixed model ii regression analyses were carried out to determine the concurrent association between the variable and to establish if the degree of change in goal appraisals would correspond with changes in depression scores. On the whole these models revealed that goal expectancies do not have a consistent association with emotional distress when adjusting for other factors. However, they did highlight that appraisals of psychosis may be implicated in emotional distress within individuals experiencing psychosis. Finally, Chapter Seven presents the findings of a qualitative paper. Nine parental carers were interviewed with the aim of exploring how they make sense of their child’s future following an experience of psychosis, focusing particularly on the goals and aspirations parental carers hold for their adult children. An interpretative phenomenological analysis was carried out. A total of three superordinate themes emerged, impact of psychosis (subthemes: psychosis causing a change of path, goals: lost, maintained and adjusted), a fear of relapse (subthemes: concerns about coping and adjustment), and navigating the future (subthemes: hope, uncertainty and somewhere in between, barriers and facilitators). Overall, the findings from the current thesis suggest that appraisals of psychosis experience are important in accounting for emotional distress, an effect that was observed consistently across the studies reported within this thesis. However, it appears that goal expectancies do not have a consistent effect with emotional distress.

This paper aims to test the number of spikes in a generalized spiked covariance matrix, the spiked eigenvalues of which may be extremely larger or smaller than the non-spiked ones. For a high-dimensional problem, we first propose a general test statistic and derive its central limit theorem by random matrix theory without a Gaussian population constraint. We then apply the result to estimate the noise variance and test the equality of the smallest roots in generalized spiked models. Simulation studies showed that the proposed test method was correctly sized, and the power outcomes showed the robustness of our statistic to deviations from a Gaussian population. Moreover, our estimator of the noise variance resulted in much smaller mean absolute errors and mean squared errors than existing methods. In contrast to previously developed methods, we eliminated the strict conditions of diagonal or block-wise diagonal form of the population covariance matrix and extend the work to a wider range without the assumption of normality. Thus, the proposed method is more suitable for real problems., 23 pages,3 figures

Differential mechanisms are remarkable mechanical elements that are widely utilized in various systems; nevertheless, conventional differential mechanisms are heavy and difficult to use in applications with limited design space. In this paper, a curved lightweight compliant type of differential mechanism is presented. This mechanism acquires its differential characteristic by having a high rotational stiffness when the mechanism is symmetrically actuated on two sides, while having a low rotational stiffness when actuated only on one side. The intrinsic elastic strain energy required for deformation of the compliant differential is compensated for by reintroduction of potential energy to make the mechanism neutrally stable. For the storage of potential energy, two preloaded linear springs were used. The rotational stiffness of the one-sided actuation around the neutral position of the compliant differential mechanism is hypothesized to be adjustable by changing the preload of the springs. The stiffness can be positive, zero, and negative, meaning that the mechanism can have neutral stability and bistability. The hypothesis is investigated using a simulated model in Ansys Parametric Design Language using optimized parameters to achieve the desired stiffness for the mechanism. The simulated model is validated using an experimental setup for both the one-sided and symmetrical actuation stages. The experimental results showed a high correlation with the simulations. The mechanism with optimized dimensions and preload showed neutral stability for a range of 16°. Bistability was found for preloads higher than the aforementioned optimized preload. A linear trend was found between the preload of the springs and the rotational stiffness of the mechanism at θ = 0. Furthermore, an output/input kinematic performance of 0.97 was found for the simulated results and 0.95 for the experimental results.

The goal of this study is to review the overall prevalence, burden, and distribution of the dengue disease in Pakistan from 2000 to 2019. Literature was searched using different search engines like Google scholar, PubMed, etc. providing the keywords “Dengue disease/infection, Dengue virus, DENV, DF/DHF/ DSS Pakistan”. All the published research papers/reports on the dengue virus over the period 2000 to 2019 were studied and selected data were summarized using MS Excel for windows such as total cases, age wise, gender, DENV serotype distribution, total DHF, and DSS patients. The literature providing insufficient data was excluded. The total number of cases reported during 2000-19 were 201,269. The maximum number of cases during the mentioned literature survey period was reported in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) (23.3%) followed by Punjab (3.8%) and Sindh (1.9%). The majority of dengue-infected cases were reported as Dengue fever (74.4%) followed by DHF (24.1%) and DSS (1.5%). Overall the deaths during the mentioned literature survey were 1082, of which the maximum mortalities were reported from KP (N=248) followed by Punjab (N=220). DENV remains a major public health problem in Pakistan and seems to remain endemic for a long time. The total prevalence of dengue infection is increased accordingly with time from 2000 to 2019. Moreover, all the four serotypes exist in Pakistan with increased mortalities.

A composite likelihood is a combination of low-dimensional likelihood objects useful in applications where the data have complex structure. Although composite likelihood construction is a crucial aspect influencing both computing and statistical properties of the resulting estimator, currently there does not seem to exist a universal rule to combine low-dimensional likelihood objects that is statistically justified and fast in execution. This paper develops a methodology to select and combine the most informative low-dimensional likelihoods from a large set of candidates while carrying out parameter estimation. The new procedure minimizes the distance between composite likelihood and full likelihood scores subject to a constraint representing the afforded computing cost. The selected composite likelihood is sparse in the sense that it contains a relatively small number of informative sub-likelihoods while the noisy terms are dropped. The resulting estimator is found to have asymptotic variance close to that of the minimum-variance estimator constructed using all the low-dimensional likelihoods.

In this paper, we propose a new spectral-based approach to hypothesis testing for populations of networks. The primary goal is to develop a test to determine whether two given samples of networks come from the same random model or distribution. Our test statistic is based on the trace of the third order for a centered and scaled adjacency matrix, which we prove converges to the standard normal distribution as the number of nodes tends to infinity. The asymptotic power guarantee of the test is also provided. The proper interplay between the number of networks and the number of nodes for each network is explored in characterizing the theoretical properties of the proposed testing statistics. Our tests are applicable to both binary and weighted networks, operate under a very general framework where the networks are allowed to be large and sparse, and can be extended to multiple-sample testing. We provide an extensive simulation study to demonstrate the superior performance of our test over existing methods and apply our test to three real datasets.

Treball acceptat per publicar al proper volum 65 de la revista "Onomázein : Revista de Lingüística, Filología y Traducción" al tercer trimestre de 2024. Desde la campaña de Reforma y apertura iniciada en China en 1978, se ha despertado en este país el interés por la poesía española y han sido publicadas numerosas antologías poéticas. Sin embargo, la poesía femenina, muy destacable en el conjunto de la producción poética española, no había sido recopilada de manera sistemática hasta la publicación en 2001 de Antología de la poesía femenina española del siglo XX, obra del traductor Zhao Zhenjiang. El presente artículo se centra en cinco poetas españolas de la Generación del 27 incluidas en dicha antología y analiza las normas y las técnicas aplicadas en el proceso traductor. Since China's economic reform in 1978, people's interest in Spanish poetry has begun to awake and a large number of anthologies of poems have been published. However, female poetry, which has attracted worldwide attention in Spanish poetry creation, was not systematically compiled until 2001 when the translator Zhao Zhenjiang's Anthology of Spanish Female Poetry in the 20th Century was published. This paper focuses on five Spanish poetesses of the 27 Generation included in this collection of poems, and analyzes the principles and techniques used in the process of translation

In this paper, we provide an overview of the evolution of the definition of hyperglycemia during the past century and the alterations in glucose dynamics that cause fasting and postprandial hyperglycemia. We discuss how extensive mechanistic, physiological research into the factors and pathways that regulate the appearance of glucose in the circulation and its uptake and metabolism by tissues and organs has contributed knowledge that has advanced our understanding of different types of hyperglycemia, namely prediabetes and diabetes and their subtypes (impaired fasting plasma glucose, impaired glucose tolerance, combined impaired fasting plasma glucose, impaired glucose tolerance, type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, gestational diabetes mellitus), their relationships with medical complications, and how to prevent and treat hyperglycemia.

The aim of this paper is to better understand the dynamics of crystallogenic and starting activity in biological fluids of patients throughout surgery and the late postoperative phase in alveococcosis. Samples of saliva from 22 individuals with alveococcosis were included in the research. Biological fluid samples were taken at the time of admission and before the patient was discharged. Following that, slides were made utilizing the teziocrystalloscopy method, which incorporates the investigation of the crystal forming activity of mixed saliva with its starting characteristics using a 0.9 percent sodium chloride solution as the foundation ingredient. Using our own set of criteria, we evaluated the outcomes of crystalloscopic and tezigraphic experiments. Specrophotometric examination of tezigraphic and crystalloscopic facies was done using a PowerWave XS microplate spectrophotometer at wavelengths of 400, 350, and 300 nm to augment the results from ocular morphometry of dried saliva micro slides. Surgical therapy results in a partial normalization of physical and chemical parameters, as well as the composition of the patient's biological fluids after the patient is discharged from the hospital. Resumo O objetivo deste trabalho foi compreender melhor a dinâmica da atividade cristalogênica e inicial nos fluidos biológicos dos pacientes durante a cirurgia e na fase pós-operatória tardia da alveococose. Amostras de saliva de 22 indivíduos com alveococose foram incluídas na pesquisa. Amostras de fluidos biológicos foram coletadas no momento da admissão e antes da alta do paciente. Em seguida, foram confeccionadas lâminas utilizando a técnica de teziocristaloscopia, que combina a investigação da atividade formadora de cristais da saliva mista com suas características iniciais, utilizando uma solução de cloreto de sódio a 0,9% como ingrediente-base. Usando nosso próprio conjunto de critérios, avaliamos os resultados de experimentos cristaloscópicos e tezigráficos. O exame espectrofotométrico da fácies tezigráfica e cristaloscópica foi feito usando um espectrofotômetro de microplaca PowerWave XS nos comprimentos de onda de 400, 350 e 300 nm para aumentar os resultados da morfometria ocular de microplacas de saliva seca. A terapia cirúrgica resulta na normalização parcial dos parâmetros físicos e químicos, bem como da composição dos fluidos biológicos do paciente, após a alta hospitalar.

Selecting hyperparameters for unsupervised learning problems is challenging in general due to the lack of ground truth for validation. Despite the prevalence of this issue in statistics and machine learning, especially in clustering problems, there are not many methods for tuning these hyperparameters with theoretical guarantees. In this paper, we provide a framework with provable guarantees for selecting hyperparameters in a number of distinct models. We consider both the subgaussian mixture model and network models to serve as examples of i.i.d. and non-i.i.d. data. We demonstrate that the same framework can be used to choose the Lagrange multipliers of penalty terms in semi-definite programming (SDP) relaxations for community detection, and the bandwidth parameter for constructing kernel similarity matrices for spectral clustering. By incorporating a cross-validation procedure, we show the framework can also do consistent model selection for network models. Using a variety of simulated and real data examples, we show that our framework outperforms other widely used tuning procedures in a broad range of parameter settings.

Abstract This paper studied the behavior of multidimensional and income poverty, as well as its determinants in Brazil, in addition to rural and urban areas, based on information from the 2019 National Continuous Household Sample Survey (PNADC). The Alkire-Foster methodology was used in the construction of a Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI), in addition to the logit model to estimate the impacts of determinants related to household characteristics on poverty. The health and sanitation dimension was the one that contributed the most to the MPI, followed by the education and housing dimensions. Unidimensional poverty was greater than multidimensional and rural poverty was also greater. Among the determinants of poverty, being in households with non-white heads, younger, unmarried, unemployed, less educated and in the North and Northeast regions increased the chances of poverty. In addition, while female heads reduced the chances of multidimensional poverty, it increased the chances of the unidimensional one.

Phosphorus (P) use efficiency is crucial for sorghum production. P acquisition efficiency is the most important component of P use efficiency. The early-stage evaluation of plant development is a useful tool for identifying P-efficient genotypes. This study aimed to identify sorghum hybrids that are efficient in P use efficiency and assess the genetic diversity among hybrids based on traits related to P acquisition efficiency. Thus, 38 sorghum hybrids and two inbred lines (checks) were evaluated under low and high P in a paper pouch system with nutrient solution. Biomass and root traits related to P efficiency were measured. There was no interaction between genotypes and P levels concerning all evaluated traits. The biomass and root traits, except root diameter, presented smaller means under low P than high P. Efficient and inefficient hybrids under each P level were identified. The genetic diversity assessment grouped these genotypes in different clusters. The hybrids AG1090, MSK326, AG1060, 1G100, AS 4639, DKB 540, and DKB 590 were superior under low-P and high-P. Hybrids SC121, 1236020 e 1167017 presented the lowest means than all other hybrids, under both conditions. The evaluated hybrids showed phenotypic diversity for traits related to P acquisition, such as root length and root surface area, which can be useful for establishing selection strategies for sorghum breeding programs and increasing P use efficiency. Resumo A eficiência do uso do fósforo (P) é fundamental para a produção de sorgo. A avaliação no estágio inicial do desenvolvimento da planta é uma ferramenta útil para a identificação de genótipos eficientes de P. Este trabalho teve como objetivo identificar híbridos de sorgo que sejam eficientes ao uso de P e avaliar a diversidade genética entre os híbridos com base em características relacionadas à eficiência de aquisição de P. Assim, 38 híbridos de sorgo e duas linhagens (testemunhas) foram avaliados sob baixo e alto P em sistema de pastas de papel com solução nutritiva. Características de biomassa e de raiz relacionadas à eficiência de P foram mensuradas. Não houve interação entre genótipos e níveis de P em todas as características avaliadas. As características de biomassa e raiz, exceto o diâmetro da raiz, apresentaram médias menores sob baixo P em comparação com alto P. Híbridos eficientes e ineficientes sob cada nível de P foram identificados e agrupados quanto à diversidade genética. Os híbridos AG1090, MSK326, AG1060, 1G100, AS 4639, DKB 540 e DKB 590 foram superiores sob baixo-P e alto-P. Os híbridos SC121, 1236020 e 1167017 apresentaram as menores médias que todos os outros híbridos, em ambas condições. Os híbridos avaliados apresentaram diversidade fenotípica para características relacionadas à aquisição de P, como comprimento e área superficial da raiz, o que pode ser útil para estabelecer estratégias de seleção para programas de melhoramento de sorgo e aumentar a eficiência de uso do P.

This paper projects and analyzes the regional impacts of climate change on the agricultural productivity of family farming and large-scale agriculture in Brazil between 2021 and 2050, using the RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5 scenarios. The methodology adopted consists of a cross-sectional estimation of a production function in which agricultural productivity is determined by climatic, geographic, and productive factors. The study contributes to the literature by disaggregating agricultural production into family farming and large-scale agriculture, indicating the magnitude and direction of impacts by crops and regions in Brazil, a country with a great territorial dimension and relevant and heterogeneous agricultural production. The results indicate that the agricultural productivity of family farming is more sensitive and therefore this type of producer could be more vulnerable to the phenomenon. On average, the effects will be negative in the North/Northeast regions and for cassava, maize, beans, and soybeans, with possible impacts on deforestation and on food supply. Productivity gains are expected in the southern region and for the cultivation of sugar cane and soybeans. Deterioration of food security of the vulnerable farmers and regional disparities may increase in Brazil.

We assume a spatial blind source separation model in which the observed multivariate spatial data is a linear mixture of latent spatially uncorrelated random fields containing a number of pure white noise components. We propose a test on the number of white noise components and obtain the asymptotic distribution of its statistic for a general domain. We also demonstrate how computations can be facilitated in the case of gridded observation locations. Based on this test, we obtain a consistent estimator of the true dimension. Simulation studies and an environmental application in the Supplemental Material demonstrate that our test is at least comparable to and often outperforms bootstrap-based techniques, which are also introduced in this paper. peerReviewed

High-dimensional self-exciting point processes have been widely used in many application areas to model discrete event data in which past and current events affect the likelihood of future events. In this paper, we are concerned with detecting abrupt changes of the coefficient matrices in discrete-time high-dimensional self-exciting Poisson processes, which have yet to be studied in the existing literature due to both theoretical and computational challenges rooted in the non-stationary and high-dimensional nature of the underlying process. We propose a penalized dynamic programming approach which is supported by a theoretical rate analysis and numerical evidence.

This thesis presents a critical examination of the rivalry between G. W. M. Reynolds and Charles Dickens between 1837 and 1870. Specifically, the thesis analyses three distinct phases of their rivalry. The first is its inception in 1837 following Reynolds���s publication of Pickwick Abroad, his ���sequel��� to Dickens���s Pickwick Papers (1836). The second phase concerns the 1840s, examining how Reynolds���s success and reputation directly impacted upon Dickens���s position in the literary market. The final phase addresses the most explicit and combative chapter of their rivalry as the two traded insults across their publications in the 1850s and Dickens looked to ���displace��� his more radical counterpart. Commonly cited as a peripheral figure in Dickens���s career, this thesis argues for Reynolds as a more significant presence. By analysing their publications in parallel, often viewing one through the lens of the other, this study offers a fresh perspective on two authors competing for readerships and commercial marketspace while grappling with authorial identities in the first age of mass culture. The thesis presents three principal arguments. Firstly, it seeks to contest the reductive perception of Reynolds as a cheap plagiariser of Dickens���s work by analysing the more nuanced and complex aspects of Reynolds���s early re-appropriations. Secondly, it argues that Reynolds���s precipitous rise to literary fame and political notoriety after 1844 had a significant bearing on the fiction Dickens produced thereafter. It is contended that Dickens���s abrupt shift from the political incendiarism of The Chimes in 1844 into a ���transitional period��� in 1845, after which his fiction became more domestically, or family-oriented, can be understood as a response, or reaction to Reynolds���s concurrent literary successes and his growing reputation as a radical and political subversive. Finally, it is reasoned that the bitter exchange of insults between Dickens and Reynolds in the 1850s and the seemingly mutable tone of their rivalry up until Dickens���s death in 1870 illustrates a relationship not entirely the product of natural antipathy, but one cultivated for commercial and political purposes. It is argued that both Dickens and Reynolds constructed an image of the other in order to mask their similarities and natural affinities and to bolster and better define their own position in the literary marketplace.

The new identifiable case appeared in \cite{AGMO}, together with the analysis on simultaneous identifiability of pairs of ternary forms recently developed in \cite{BG}, suggested the following conjecture towards a complete classification of all simultaneous Waring identifiable cases: for any $ d \geq 2 $, the general polynomial vectors consisting of $ d-1 $ ternary forms of degree $ d $ and a ternary form of degree $ d+1 $, with rank $ \frac{d^2+d+2}{2} $, are identifiable over $ \mathbf{C} $. In this paper, by means of a computer-aided procedure inspired to the one described in \cite{AGMO}, we obtain that the case $ d = 4 $ contradicts the previous conjecture, admitting at least $ 36 $ complex simultaneous Waring decompositions (of length $ 11 $) instead of $ 1 $., Comment: 10 pages, accepted for publication on Journal of Symbolic Computation

Recently, thinning an antenna has resulted in attractive antenna radiation characteristics enhancement. This performance enhancement using a thin antenna array is achieved because the inter-coupling effects of the array elements are reduced. Though the thinning both reduces the weight of the antenna and enhances the radiation characteristics, iterative algorithms can further enhance the performance and hence, in this research, an optimizer algorithm and inter-coupling reducing mechanisms are applied. The excitation weights of the individual array elements are thinned by turning some of the elements off while some of the elements are turned on. The purpose of the thinning is to enhance the antenna performances like reduced SLL, high directivity, reduced power consumption and flexible radiation pattern. The SLL attenuation mechanism is applied to reduce the SLL in addition to the SLL reduction using the thinning and beamforming. Hence, in this paper, the three techniques (thinning, beamforming and SLL attenuation) are proposed to be integrated to enhance the antenna radiation characteristics. In general, the proposed combined method has resulted in much better SLL reduction, directivity improvement, and power wastage reduction.