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Purpose: In total knee arthroplasty (TKA), asymmetric tibial components have been developed alongside symmetric tibial components to enhance bony coverage at the tibia. In primary TKA and revision TKA for patients with significant bone defects, augmentation is employed to fill the bone defect. However, there have been no reports on bony coverage of the tibial component of the revision system in the cases of bone defects. Therefore, we simulated bone defects using CT and compared the bony coverage of asymmetric and symmetric tibial components in the revision TKA system. Methods: This study included 45 patients (50 knees involved) with medial osteoarthritis. Preoperative CT scans were used to simulate placement using ZedKnee. Three models were evaluated: Persona Revision PCCK (Zimmer) for the asymmetric component, NexGen LCCK (Zimmer) for the symmetric component, and the ATTUNE revision system (Depuy-Synthes). A 130-mm stem extension was utilized. Augmentations of each thickness were placed to simulate bone defects of 5, 10, and 15 mm. The coverage, overhang, and underhang rates were measured for each slice and compared among the models. Results: In terms of coverage, the rate was greater for PCCK at 0 mm, and only ATTUNE exhibited a significantly lower coverage at 5 and 10 mm. There was no significant difference in coverage at 15 mm. At 0 mm, PCCK demonstrated less posterior underhangs. At 5 and 10 mm, PCCK showed less anterior overhang but more anterior underhang. At 15 mm, PCCK had a less anterior overhang, with an overhang in the posterior region but less underhang. When overhang and underhang were combined and compared, the asymmetric component generally yielded superior results. Conclusion: In the cases of bone defects, asymmetric components demonstrated reduced anterior overhang and decreased posterior underhang, resulting in greater bone coverage. This may contribute to improved long-term outcomes in the revision TKA system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Rauvolfia vomitoria (R. vomitoria) is a plant of economic importance due to its diverse ethnomedicinal properties, including the anticonvulsant effect. In this study, we studied the antiseizure and neuroprotective potentials of R. vomitoria extracts against pentylenetetrazol (PTZ)-induced kindling. Methods: Twenty-five adult Swiss mice (25–30 g) were assigned to five groups (n = 5): control group, PTZ treatment group, and PTZ treatment after receiving oral R. vomitoria crude extract (100 mg/kg), R. vomitoria phenol extract (50 mg/kg) or sodium valproate (15 mg/kg) every 48 h for 28 days. Seizure scores, cognitive behavioral tests including novel object test, Y-maze test, and the elevated plus maze test, as well as brain neurochemicals and histomorphology studies, were performed. Results: Compared with the control group, the PTZ group showed comparable body weight and durations in closed and open arms (P > 0.05), but preference for familiar objects, significant (P < 0.05) spontaneous alternation, increased monoamine oxidase activity and nitric oxide level, and Nissl chromatolysis in the temporal lobe structures including the cortex, hippocampus, and amygdala. R. vomitoria phenol extract pretreatment significantly (P < 0.05) reduced seizures, prevented adverse cognitive behaviors, decreased the nitric oxide level, and reduced the temporal lobe Nissl chromatolysis compared with the R. vomitoria crude extract pretreatment group and the sodium valproate pretreatment groups. Conclusions: Thus, R. vomitoria phenol extract showed promising results against seizures and potential for general brain protection, suggesting that the anticonvulsant property of R. vomitoria may be attributed to its phenol constituent. More studies are needed to delineate the mechanisms of its action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Confidence interval performance is typically assessed in terms of two criteria: coverage probability and interval width (or margin of error). In this article, we assess the performance of four common proportion interval estimators: the Wald, Clopper-Pearson (exact), Wilson and Agresti-Coull, in the context of rare-event probabilities. We define the interval precision in terms of a relative margin of error which ensures consistency with the magnitude of the proportion. Thus, confidence interval estimators are assessed in terms of achieving a desired coverage probability whilst simultaneously satisfying the specified relative margin of error. We illustrate the importance of considering both coverage probability and relative margin of error when estimating rare-event proportions, and show that within this framework, all four interval estimators perform somewhat similarly for a given sample size and confidence level. We identify relative margin of error values that result in satisfactory coverage while being conservative in terms of sample size requirements, and hence suggest a range of values that can be adopted in practice. The proposed relative margin of error scheme is evaluated analytically, by simulation, and by application to a number of recent studies from the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To analyze multiple‐causal models, including socioeconomic, obesity, sugar consumption, alcohol smoking, caries, and periodontitis variables in pregnant women with early sugar exposure, obesity, and the Chronic Oral Disease Burden in their offspring around the first 1000 days of life. Methods: The BRISA cohort study, Brazil, had two assessments: at the 22nd–25th gestational weeks and during the child's second year (n = 1141). We proposed a theoretical model exploring the association between socioeconomic and pregnancy factors (age, smoking, alcohol, sugars, obesity, periodontitis, and caries) and child's variables (sugars and overweight) with the outcome, Chronic Oral Disease Burden (latent variable deduced from visible plaque, gingivitis, and tooth decay), using structural equation modeling. Results: Caries and periodontitis were correlated in pregnant women. Addictive behaviors in the gestational period were correlated. Obesity (Standardized coefficient ‐ SC = 0.081; p = 0.047) and added sugar consumption (SC = 0.142; p = 0.041) were observed intergenerationally in the pregnant woman‐child dyads. Sugar consumption by the children (SC = 0.210; p = 0.041) increased the Chronic Oral Disease Burden. Conclusions: Poor caries and periodontal indicators were correlated in pregnant women and their offspring. Obesity and sugar consumption act intergenerationally. Oral health in early life may change life trajectory since the worst oral conditions predict main NCDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The local gingival tissue environment with homeostasis and tissue‐destructive events of periodontitis demonstrates major changes in histological features and biology of the oral/sulcular epithelium, fibroblasts, vascular cells, inflammatory cell infiltration, and alveolar bone. Objective: This study used an experimental periodontitis model to detail the gingival transcriptome related to cell death processes of pyroptosis, necroptosis, ferroptosis, and cuproptosis. Materials and Methods: Healthy Macaca mulatta primates stratified by age, ≤3 years (young), 7–12 years (adolescent), 12–15 years (adult), and 17–23 years (aged), provided gingival tissue biopsies for microarray analysis focused on 257 genes representative of the four cell death processes and bacterial plaque samples for 16S rRNA gene analysis. Results: Age differences in the profiles of gene expression in healthy tissues were noted for cuproptosis, ferroptosis, necroptosis, and pyroptosis. Major differences were then observed with disease initiation, progression, and resolution also related to the age of the animals. Distinct bacterial families/consortia of species were significantly related to the gene expression differences for the cell death pathways. Conclusions: These results emphasized age‐associated differences in the gingival tissue molecular response to changes in the quality and quantity of bacteria accumulating with the disease process reflected in regulated cell death pathways that are both physiological and pathophysiological. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: As fentanyl has become more readily available, opioid-related morbidity and mortality in the United States has increased dramatically. Preliminary studies suggest that high-affinity, partial muopioid receptor agonists such as the combination product buprenorphine-naloxone may reduce mortality from overdose and promote remission. With the escalating prevalence of opioid use disorder (OUD), it is essential to evaluate the effectiveness of opioid agonists like buprenorphine-naloxone. This study examines mortality and remission rates for OUD patients prescribed buprenorphine-naloxone to determine the efficacy of this treatment toward these outcomes. Methods: We carried out a retrospective analysis using the US Collaborative Network database in TriNetX, examining de-identified medical records from nearly 92 million patients across 56 healthcare organizations. The study spanned the years from January 1, 2017–May 13, 2022. Cohort 1 included OUD patients who began buprenorphine-naloxone treatment within one-year post-diagnosis, while Cohort 2, the control group, consisted of OUD patients who were not administered buprenorphine. The study measured mortality and remission rates within a year of the index event, incorporating propensity score matching for age, gender, and race/ethnicity. Results: Prior to propensity matching, we identified a total of 221,967 patients with OUD. Following exclusions, 61,656 patients treated with buprenorphine-naloxone showed 34% fewer deaths within one year of diagnosis compared to 159,061 patients who did not receive buprenorphine (2.6% vs 4.0%; relative risk [RR] 0.661; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.627–0.698; P < 0.001). The remission rate was approximately 1.9 times higher in the buprenorphine-naloxone group compared to the control group (18.8% vs 10.1%; RR 1.862; 95% CI 1.812–1.914; P < 0.001). After propensity matching, the effect on mortality decreased but remained statistically significant (2.6% vs 3.0%; RR 0.868; 95% CI 0.813–0.927; P < 0.001) and the remission rate remained consistent (18.8% vs 10.4%; RR 1.812; 95% CI 1.750–1.876; P < 0.001). Number needed to treat for benefit was 249 for death and 12 for remission. Conclusion: Buprenorphine-naloxone was associated with significantly reduced mortality and increased remission rates for patients with opioid use disorder and should be used as a primary treatment. The recognition and implementation of treatment options like buprenorphine-naloxone is vital in alleviating the impact of OUD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Morphological changes in the abdominal wall muscle in diastasis recti abdominis (DRA) patients with low back pain (LBP) symptoms and whether there is a wider interrectus distance (IRD) remain unclear. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine the correlation between DRA severity and LBP and the morphological differences in abdominal wall muscles between patients who presented with symptoms of LBP and those who were asymptomatic. METHODS: A total of 57 postpartum DRA patients were enrolled, including 21 without LBP, 36 with LBP, and 30 healthy nulliparous women. The numerical rating scale (NRS) was used to evaluate the degree of LBP. The IRD and muscle thickness of the abdominal muscles were measured via an ultrasonography device at the end of a natural breathing cycle. RESULTS: The abdominal muscles of the rectus abdominis (RA), external oblique muscle (EO), and transversus abdominis (TrA) in the DRA patients were significantly thinner than those in the control group (p < 0.05), whereas the difference in the internal oblique muscle (IO) was not significant (p > 0.05). There were no statistically significant differences in abdominal muscle thickness or the IRD regardless of whether the patients with DRA had LBP symptoms, with similar findings between the NRS score and DRA severity (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: In DRA patients within one year postpartum, no significant difference was found in the severity of DRA or abdominal muscles, regardless of whether they were complicated by LBP symptoms. Shortening the IRD alone may not be beneficial for improving LBP symptoms in DRA patients. The relationship between DRA and LBP and the role of the abdominal muscles in postpartum LBP should be interpreted with caution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Radar work mode recognition is crucial to analyse radar behaviour and intention. There are some challenges limiting the recognition of long sequences with multiple mode classes. First, the performance of recognition method relies on precise segregation of intercepted sequence, which is often unfeasible in reality. Second, the states at the boundaries of adjacent modes may create extraneous mode samples that intervenes the recognition. Third, current methods fail to deal with the scenarios where multiple modes share the same state sequence. To address these problems, a novel forward matching method (FMM) is proposed, comprising a shortest path method (SPM) for intra‐mode recognition, a matching strategy, and an adjustment mechanism. SPM is to provide potential recognition for short fragments of the given long sequence. The matching strategy is to assess the availability of current recognition. The adjustment mechanism tunes the segregation and improves the subsequent recognition. FMM offers several distinct advantages. First, the model can explicitly characterise the mode transition probability and is totally interpretable. Second, FMM can distinguish intentional ambiguities, alleviate mosaic ambiguity and probability deviation associated with inter‐mode recognition. Third, FMM is extendable to integrate with other intro‐mode recognition methods to cater to various scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies the bounded confidence model on growing fully-mixed populations. In this model, in addition to the usual opinion clusters, significant secondary clusters of smaller size appear systematically, while those secondary clusters appear erratically and include much fewer agents when the population is fixed. Through simulations, we derive the bifurcation diagram of the growing population model and compare it to the diagram obtained with an evolving probability density instead of agents, and with their equivalent having a fixed population. Our tests, when changing the usual bounded confidence function into a smooth bounded confidence function, suggest that these secondary clusters are mainly generated by a different mechanism when the population is growing than when it is fixed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents calculations of the current-voltage, dI/dV- and d2I/dV2-characteristics for a Josephson junction with a short one-dimensional channel, taking into account a "deformed" (anomalous) energy-dependent Andreev reflection function. Depending on the degree of deviation from the classical Andreev reflection coefficient, the "anomalous" functions are conditionally divided into weakly and strongly deformed coefficients. The excess Andreev current decrease is demonstrated with increasing anomaly factor due to the low probability of multiple Andreev reflections compared to the classical case. It has been shown that anomalous fractional (fractal) gap structures arise in the spectra, which require experimental verification. The analysis shows that on the spectrum of modified dynamic conductivity, when considering the anomalous function of Andreev reflections, the second Andreev feature becomes more pronounced as a minimum and the first feature manifests as a notable kink, which is absent in the classical dependencies for cases of high transparency obtained within the Averin–Bardas model. In the anomalous mode, the Andreev features appear as "dips" in the relatively high-energy region, which have also been detected in the Josephson junction spectra, indicating the possibility of generating high-frequency phonons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the free Schrödinger equation on finite metric graphs with infinite ends. We give sufficient conditions to obtain the L 1 (R) → L ∞ (R) time decay rate at least t−1/2. These conditions allow certain metric graphs with circles and/or with commensurable lengths of the bounded edges. Further we study the dynamics of the probability flow between the bounded sub-graph and the unbounded ends. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The emergence and maintenance of cooperation is a complex and intriguing issue, especially in the context of widespread asymmetries in interactions that arise from individual differences in real-world scenarios. This study investigates how asymmetric payoff distribution affects cooperation in public goods games by considering a population composed of two types of individuals: strong and weak. The asymmetry is reflected in the fact that strong players receive a larger share of the public pool compared to weak players. Our results demonstrate that asymmetric payoff distribution can promote cooperation in well-mixed populations and trigger the co-evolution of cooperation between sub-populations of strong and weak players. In structured populations, however, the effect of asymmetric payoff distribution on cooperation is contingent on the proportion of strong players and the extent of their payoff share, which can either foster or inhibit cooperation. By adjusting the interaction probability between strong and weak players based on their spatial arrangement on lattice networks, we find that moderate interaction probabilities most effectively maintain cooperation. This study provides valuable insights into the dynamics of cooperation under asymmetric conditions, highlighting the complex role of asymmetrical interactions in the evolution of cooperation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate some statistical properties of escaping particles in a billiard system whose boundary is described by two control parameters with a hole on its boundary. Initially, we analyze the survival probability for different hole positions and sizes. We notice that the survival probability follows an exponential decay with a characteristic power-law tail when the hole is positioned partially or entirely over large stability islands in phase space. We find that the survival probability exhibits scaling invariance with respect to the hole size. In contrast, the survival probability for holes placed in predominantly chaotic regions deviates from the exponential decay. We introduce two holes simultaneously and investigate the complexity of the escape basins for different hole sizes and control parameters by means of the basin entropy and the basin boundary entropy. We find a non-trivial relation between these entropies and the system's parameters and show that the basin entropy exhibits scaling invariance for a specific control parameter interval. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Delay in arterial hypertension (AH) diagnosis and late therapy initiation may affect progression towards hypertensive-mediated organ damage (HMOD) and blood pressure (BP) control. Aim: We aimed to assess the impact of time-to-therapy on BP control and HMOD in patients receiving AH diagnosis. Methods: We analysed data from the Campania Salute Network, a prospective registry of hypertensive patients (NCT02211365). At baseline visit, time-to-therapy was defined as the interval between the first occurrence of BP values exceeding guidelines-directed thresholds and therapy initiation; HMOD included left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), carotid plaque, or chronic kidney disease. Optimal BP control was considered for average values < 140/90 mmHg. Low-risk profile was defined as grade I AH without additional cardiovascular risk factors. Results: From 14,161 hypertensive patients, we selected 1,627 participants who were not on antihypertensive therapy. This population was divided into two groups based on the median time-to-therapy (≤ 2 years n = 1,009, > 2 years n = 618). Patients with a time-to-therapy > 2 years had higher risk of HMOD (adjusted odds ratio, aOR:1.51, 95%, CI:1.19–1.93, p < 0.001) due to increased risks of LVH (aOR:1.43, CI:1.12–1.82, p = 0.004), carotid plaques (aOR:1.29, CI:1.00-1.65, p = 0.047), and chronic kidney disease (aOR:1.68, CI:1.08–2.62, p = 0.022). Time-to-therapy > 2 years was significantly associated with uncontrolled BP values (aOR:1.49, CI:1.18–1.88, p < 0.001) and higher number of antihypertensive drugs (aOR:1.68, CI:1.36–2.08, p < 0.001) during follow-up. In low-risk subgroup, time-to-therapy > 2 years did not impact on BP control and number of drugs. Conclusions: In hypertensive patients, a time-to-therapy > 2 years is associated with HMOD and uncontrolled BP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In context-aware decision analysis, mean can be an important measure, even when the distribution is skewed. Previous comparative studies showed that it is a real challenge to construct a confidence interval that performs well for highly skewed data. In this study, we propose new confidence intervals for the population mean based on Edgeworth expansion that include both skewness and kurtosis corrections. We compared existing and newly proposed confidence intervals for a range of samples from symmetric and skewed distributions of varying levels of kurtosis. Using Monte Carlo simulations, we evaluated the performance of these intervals based on the coverage probability, mean length, and standard deviation of the length. The proposed bootstrap Edgeworth-based confidence interval outperformed other confidence intervals in terms of coverage probability for both symmetric and skewed distributions and can be recommended for general use in practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Offset geomorphic markers are commonly used to interpret slip history of strike‐slip faults and have played an important role in forming earthquake recurrence models. These data sets are typically analyzed using cumulative probability methods to interpret average amounts of slip in past earthquakes. However, interpretation of the geomorphic record to infer surface slip history is complicated by slip variability, measurement uncertainty, and modification of offset features in the landscape. To investigate how well geomorphic data record surface slip, we use offset measurements from recent strike‐slip surface ruptures (n = 39), faults with geomorphic evidence of multiple strike‐slip earthquakes (n = 29), and synthetic slip distributions with added noise (n> ${ >} $10,000) to examine the constraints of the geomorphic record and the underlying assumptions of the cumulative offset probability distribution analysis method. We find that the geomorphic record is unlikely to resolve more than two paleo‐slip distributions, except in specific cases with low slip variability, high slip‐per‐event, and semiarid climate. In cases where site‐specific conditions allow for interpretation of more than two earthquakes, lateral extrapolation along a fault is not straightforward because on‐fault displacement and distributed deformation may be spatially variable in each earthquake. We also find that average slip in modern earthquakes is adequately recovered by probability methods, but the reported prevalence of strike‐slip faults with characteristic slip history is not supported by geomorphic data. We also propose updated methods to interpret slip history and construct uncertainty bounds for paleo‐slip distributions. Plain Language Summary: Earthquake history on strike‐slip faults is often interpreted from landforms (e.g., small channels) displaced across a fault that record different amounts of slip depending on how many earthquakes they have experienced. These data sets of displaced landforms are typically analyzed using probability methods to interpret the history of slip on a fault. However, from modern earthquakes, we know that earthquakes have complex surface slip patterns, and the geomorphic record of surface slip is modified by precipitation and anthropogenic activities after an earthquake. To investigate how well geomorphic data record surface slip, we use displaced landform data from modern earthquakes, faults with geomorphic evidence of multiple earthquakes, and synthetic data sets to examine the underlying assumptions in the typical analysis methods and how characteristics of surface slip (slip variability, data density, slip distribution shape, slip amplitude, and slip history) affect how to interpret earthquake history from geomorphic data. We find that the geomorphic record stores less information than previously thought, rarely more than two earthquakes, and we propose updated methods to interpret geomorphic data from strike‐slip faults. Key Points: At typical slip variability, the geomorphic record does not resolve more than two paleo‐slip distributions, except under specific conditionsLow slip variability, high slip‐per‐event, and semiarid conditions increase the likelihood of recording more than two slip distributionsCharacteristic slip may be less common than implied by the geomorphic record [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Six up-to-date reconstructions of hemispheric and global temperatures and two indices of volcanic activity were analyzed using both Fourier and wavelet approaches over time intervals of up to 1500 years. A cyclicity with a period of 188–250 years was found to be present in both the Northern Hemisphere temperature and volcanic activity. These cycles were found to be negatively correlated with the correlation coefficients, reaching values of −0.61–−0.68 over the entire time interval. The maximum correlation coefficient is reached when volcanic variations lead to temperature variations by 20 years. The combined probability of the null hypothesis—the proposition that in the Northern Hemisphere, there is no real association between the bicentennial change in volcanic activity and temperature and that the revealed correlations arose purely by chance—was found to be no more than 1.2 × 10−2 over the entire time interval and less than 10−2 over the time interval of AD 1270–1980. The effect was weaker for the global temperature and was not detected in the Southern Hemisphere. It is shown that the identified bicentennial temperature variation could have made a certain contribution to the warming in the first half of the 20th century. However, this cycle has probably been in decline for the last 40–50 years and the decline should continue for the next few decades. Possible origins of the revealed bicentennial correlations are discussed, and guidelines for further research are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Asa result of the time lag in transmission, the data obtained by the sensor is delayed and does not reflect the state at the current moment. The effects of input delay are often overlooked in active inference (AIF), which may lead to significant deviations in state estimation and increased prediction errors, particularly when the system is subjected to a sudden external stimulus. In this paper, a theoretical framework of delayed feedback active inference (DAIF) is proposed to enhance the applicability of AIF to real systems. The probability model of DAIF is defined by incorporating a control distribution into that of AIF. The free energy of DAIF is defined as the sum of the quadratic state, sense, and control prediction error. A predicted state derived from previous states is defined and introduced as the expectation of the prior distribution of the real-time state. A proportional-integral (PI)-like control based on the predicted state is taken to be the expectation of DAIF preference control, whose gain coefficient is inversely proportional to the measurement accuracy variance. To adaptively compensate for external disturbances, a second-order inverse variance accuracy replaces the fixed sensory accuracy of preference control. The simulation results of the trajectory tracking control of a quadrotor unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) show that DAIF performs better than AIF in state estimation and disturbance resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we consider the problem of self-supervised learning (SSL) utilizing the 1-Wasserstein distance on a tree structure (a.k.a., Tree-Wasserstein distance (TWD)), where TWD is defined as the L1 distance between two tree-embedded vectors. In SSL methods, the cosine similarity is often utilized as an objective function; however, it has not been well studied when utilizing the Wasserstein distance. Training the Wasserstein distance is numerically challenging. Thus, this study empirically investigates a strategy for optimizing the SSL with the Wasserstein distance and finds a stable training procedure. More specifically, we evaluate the combination of two types of TWD (total variation and ClusterTree) and several probability models, including the softmax function, the ArcFace probability model, and simplicial embedding. We propose a simple yet effective Jeffrey divergence-based regularization method to stabilize optimization. Through empirical experiments on STL10, CIFAR10, CIFAR100, and SVHN, we find that a simple combination of the softmax function and TWD can obtain significantly lower results than the standard SimCLR. Moreover, a simple combination of TWD and SimSiam fails to train the model. We find that the model performance depends on the combination of TWD and probability model, and that the Jeffrey divergence regularization helps in model training. Finally, we show that the appropriate combination of the TWD and probability model outperforms cosine similarity-based representation learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper considers the online routing, modulation, spectrum, and core allocation problem in elastic optical networks. Three algorithms are proposed to minimize the bandwidth blocking probability while taking into account the impact of interference from established lightpaths. These algorithms are based on a sequence of alternative paths, ordered in terms of increasing lengths, determined by Yen's algorithm. Each of the algorithms for the selected single or dual lightpath enforces the constraints of spectrum continuity, contiguity of the slots, and non-overlapping of the spectra with the established lightpaths, maximizes the number of bits per symbol, and selects a specific core on each link of the path. Simulation studies performed for two sample networks showed that the crosstalk has a significant impact on the bandwidth blocking probability. The best results were obtained by iterating over all paths and all slots, selecting the lightpath with the lowest average crosstalk per slot, consisting of the most loaded cores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Random walks and Lorentz processes serve as fundamental models for Brownian motion. The study of random walks is a favorite object of probability theory, whereas that of Lorentz processes belongs to the theory of hyperbolic dynamical systems. Here we first present an example where the method based on the probabilistic approach led to new results for the Lorentz process: concretely, the recurrence of the planar periodic Lorentz process with a finite horizon. Afterwards, an unsolved problem—related to a 1981 question of Sinai on locally perturbed periodic Lorentz processes—is formulated as an analogous problem in the language of random walks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article deals with the definitions of the distance, divergence, and similarity characteristics between two finite fuzzy measures, which are generalizations of the same definitions between two finite probability distributions. As is known, a fuzzy measure can be uniquely represented by the so-called its associated probability class (APC). The idea of generalization is that new definitions of distance, divergence, and similarity between fuzzy measures are reduced to the definitions of distance, divergence, and similarity between the APCs of fuzzy measures. These definitions are based on the concept of distance generator. The proof of the correctness of generalizations is provided. Constructed distance, similarity, and divergence relations can be used in such applied problems as: determining the difference between Dempster-Shafer belief structures; Constructions of collaborative filtering similarity relations; non-additive and interactive parameters of machine learning in phase space metrics definition, object clustering, classification and other tasks. In this work, a new concept is used in the fuzzy measure identification problem for a certain multi-attribute decision-making (MADM) environment. For this, a conditional optimization problem with one objective function representing the distance, divergence or similarity index is formulated. Numerical examples are discussed and a comparative analysis of the obtained results is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is well known that networks are dynamic graphs, and the topology of a network can be described by a graph. Thus, the reliability of a network under edge failure is defined as the probability that its corresponding topological graph remains connected under the condition that the edges fail with independent probabilities. In this paper, the reliability of a class of two-layer networks is considered, where each layer is a complete graph and the edges joining different layers are one-to-one correspondingly connected. The edge failure probability is uniform in the same layer and distinct in different layers and between layers. The recursive formula for the reliability (reliability polynomial) of the two-layer network is obtained, and the corresponding algorithm is also given. Furthermore, the reliability of several networks is computed by Python, which verifies the correctness of the algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the class of random entire functions given by power series, in which the coefficients are formed as the product of an arbitrary sequence of complex numbers and two sequences of random variables. One of them is the Rademacher sequence, and the other is an arbitrary complex-valued sequence from the class of sequences of random variables, determined by a certain restriction on the growth of absolute moments of a fixed degree from the maximum of the module of each finite subset of random variables. In the paper we prove sharp Wiman–Valiron's type inequality for such random entire functions, which for given p ∈ (0 ; 1) holds with a probability p outside some set of finite logarithmic measure. We also considered another class of random entire functions given by power series with coefficients, which, as above, are pairwise products of the elements of an arbitrary sequence of complex numbers and a sequence of complex-valued random variables described above. In this case, similar new statements about not improvable inequalities are also obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fifth-generation district heating systems have appeared in the heating supply of modern cities. There is a growing demand for the use of renewable energy sources, the most significant of which is geothermal energy. Implementing district heating systems is very costly, and reducing investment and operating costs requires accurate forecasting of expected heating demands and uncertainty analysis. The design of district heating systems begins with determining the heat demand to be supplied. The heating demand maximum occurring with a 1% frequency (24-h duration) is called the representative heating demand. In our study, we deal with the probability theory of heating demands. Heating demands are also uncertain primarily due to the uncertainties in meteorological and weather characteristics and, in a mathematical sense, are random variables. We must emphasize that any description that follows a deterministic approach in determining heating demands does not meet the criteria of modern science and can lead to severe planning and operational errors. In our study, following a probabilistic approach, we present a mathematical model that allows the determination of heating demands using probabilistic tools. With the help of the model, we can determine the low-risk representative heat demand and, through this, assess whether the available heat production capacity is sufficient with the prescribed safety or whether its expansion is necessary. Furthermore, in operation, we can prepare with the least risk of the short- and long-term forecasted values of meteorological factors. In our study, using the presented probabilistic method, we proved that for the most common prefabricated housing units in Hungary (approximately 500,000), there is a 30% uncertainty in the representative—previously accepted as 5000 W—heat demand, which, if considered in operation, can avoid significant costs. Our investigations showed that under representative meteorological conditions, the standard deviation of the expected heat demand is 1119 W, while the expected value is 3700 W. With the help of the presented model, the errors and uncertainties in the parameters used to calculate heat demand can be extensively analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Trazodone, an antidepressant drug is also largely used in several medical contexts. Insomnia, behavioral disorders, and anxiety may be underlying symptoms for prescribing trazodone. This cross‐sectional study aims to identify reasons for trazodone prescription, assess the efficacy, as well as identify any related side effects in older persons living in long term care facilities (LTCFs). Methods: Older adults aged ≥ 60 years, at risk of or affected with Covid‐19 and enrolled in the GeroCovid Observational study from LTCFs, and using trazodone were included. A structured questionnaire was administered to treating physicians regarding reasons for trazodone prescription, discontinuation, possible adverse events and benefits. Results: Thirty‐seven out 74 LTCFs participating in both the GeroCovid and GeroCovid Vax studies completed the questionnaire regarding trazodone use. Of the 427 participants included in this study analysis, we found that 43% had diagnoses of dementia and depression, 33% had dementia, no behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) and no depression, 14% had dementia with BPSD and no depression, and < 11% had only depression. The main reasons for trazodone prescription included agitation, insomnia, depression and anxiety. Trazodone use was reported as partially or totally effective in more than 90% of participants using the drug. Falls were the most frequent adverse event (30% of participants). Conclusions: Our data suggest that trazodone behaves as an eclectic antidepressant that, in the clinical practice, may also be used for BPSD and insomnia, especially in older people with dementia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The classical measures of voting power are based on players' decisiveness or full causal efficacy in vote configurations or divisions. We design an alternative, recursive measure departing from this classical approach. We motivate the measure via an axiomatic characterisation based on reasonable axioms and by offering two complementary interpretations of its meaning: first, we interpret the measure to represent, not the player's probability of being decisive in a voting structure, but its expected probability of being decisive in a uniform random walk from a vote configuration in the subset lattice (through which we represent the voting structure); and, second, we interpret it as representing a player's expected efficacy, thereby incorporating the notion of partial and not just full causal efficacy. We shore up our measure by demonstrating that it satisfies a set of postulates any reasonable voting measure should satisfy, namely, the iso-invariance, dummy, dominance, donation, minimum-power bloc, and quarrel postulates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many theories assume that actively maintaining information in working memory (WM) predicts its retention in episodic long-term memory (LTM), as revealed by the beneficial effects of more WM time. In four experiments, we examined whether affording more time for intentional WM maintenance does indeed drive LTM. Sequences of four words were presented during trials of simple span (short time), slow span (long time), and complex span (long time with distraction; Experiments 1–2). Long time intervals entailed a pause of equivalent duration between the words that presented a blank screen (slow span) or an arithmetic problem to read aloud and solve (complex span). In Experiments 1–3, participants either serially recalled the words (intentional encoding) or completed a no-recall task (incidental encoding). In Experiment 4, all participants were instructed to intentionally encode the words, with the trials randomly ending in the serial-recall or no-recall task. To ensure similar processing of the words between encoding groups, participants silently decided whether each word was a living or nonliving thing via key press (i.e., an animacy judgment; Experiments 1 and 3–4) or read the words aloud and then pressed the space bar (Experiment 2). A surprise delayed memory test at the end of the experiment assessed LTM. Applying Bayesian cognitive models to disambiguate binding and item memory revealed consistent benefits of free time to binding memory that were specific to intentional encoding in WM. This suggests that time spent intentionally keeping information in WM is special for LTM because WM is a system that maintains bindings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Visual working memory (VWM) is a limited cognitive resource that can be functionally expanded through chunking (Miller, 1956). For example, participants can hold an increasing number of colours in mind as they learn to chunk reliably paired combinations (Brady et al., 2009). We investigated whether this benefit is mediated through the in situ compression of VWM representations (Brady et al., 2009) or the offloading of chunks to long-term memory (LTM; Huang & Awh, 2018; Ngiam et al., 2019) by asking if a vulnerability of LTM – proactive interference – influences VWM performance. We adapted previous designs using deterministic (Experiment 1, N = 60) and probabilistic pairings (Experiments 2 and 3, N = 64 and 80, respectively), to include colour pairings that swapped in sequence along with pairings that were consistent in sequence. Generally, participants reported colours from consistent pairs more accurately than from swapping pairs, which we designed to drive interference in LTM (Experiments 1 and 2). The error profiles also pointed to proactive interference between swapping pairs in all three experiments. Moreover, participants who had explicit awareness of frequent colour pairings had higher VWM accuracy, and their errors reflected more proactive interference than their unaware counterparts (Experiment 3). This pattern of long-term proactive interference in a VWM task lends support for accounts of VWM chunking that propose LTM offloading. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) people in the United States face elevated childbirth-related risks when compared with non-Hispanic white people. Access to health care is a treaty right of many AI/AN people, often facilitated through the Indian Health Service (IHS), but many AI/AN people do not qualify for or cannot access IHS care and rely on health insurance coverage to access care in other facilities. Our goal was to describe health insurance coverage and access to IHS care before, during, and after childbirth for AI/AN birthing people in the United States. We analyzed 2016 to 2020 Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System data (44 states and two other jurisdictions) for 102,860 postpartum individuals (12,920 AI/AN and 89,940 non-Hispanic white). We calculated weighted percentages, adjusted predicted probabilities, and percentage point differences for health care coverage (insurance type and IHS care) before, during, and after childbirth. Approximately 75% of AI/AN birthing people did not have IHS care around the time of childbirth. AI/AN people had greater variability in insurance coverage and more insurance churn (changes in type of insurance, including between coverage and no coverage) during the perinatal period, compared with non-Hispanic white people. Health care coverage differed for rural and urban AI/AN people, with rural AI/AN residents having the lowest prevalence of continuous insurance (60%). AI/AN birthing people experience insurance churning and limited access to IHS care during the perinatal period. Efforts to improve care for AI/AN birthing people should engage federal, state, and tribal entities to ensure fulfillment of the trust responsibility of the United States and to address health inequities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To analyze the diversity of citation distributions to publications in different research topics to investigate the accuracy of size-independent, rank-based indicators. The top percentile-based indicators are the most common indicators of this type, and the evaluations of Japan are the most evident misjudgments. The distributions of citations to publications from countries and journals in several research topics were analyzed along with the corresponding global publications using histograms with logarithmic binning, double rank plots, and normal probability plots of log-transformed numbers of citations. Size-independent, top percentile-based indicators are accurate when the global ranks of local publications fit a power law, but deviations in the least cited papers are frequent in countries and occur in all journals with high impact factors. In these cases, a single indicator is misleading. Comparisons of the proportions of uncited papers are the best way to predict these deviations. This study is fundamentally analytical, and its results describe mathematical facts that are self-evident. Respectable institutions, such as the OECD, the European Commission, and the U.S. National Science Board, produce research country rankings and individual evaluations using size-independent percentile indicators that are misleading in many countries. These misleading evaluations should be discontinued because they can cause confusion among research policymakers and lead to incorrect research policies. Studies linking the lower tail of citation distribution, including uncited papers, to percentile research indicators have not been performed previously. The present results demonstrate that studies of this type are necessary to find reliable procedures for research assessments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The study aimed to evaluate the changes of left ventricular diastolic function and the improvement of clinical symptoms in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) after percutaneous intramyocardial septal radiofrequency ablation (PIMSRA). Methods: This study enrolled 31 adult HCM patients with HFpEF who underwent PIMSRA treatment. Electrocardiogram, imaging, and blood biochemical examinations were performed on these patients during a 6‐month follow‐up. Results: Compared with the baseline, at 6 months after PIMSRA, patients showed significant reductions in peak left ventricular outflow tract pressure gradients (resting gradient: from a mean of 83.24 to 23.40 mmHg, p < 0.001; postexercise gradient: from a mean of 109.70 to 33.39 mmHg, p< 0.001). The interventricular septal thickness reduced from a mean of 22.90 to 17.48 mm, p < 0.001. The E/e' decreased from a median of 18.67 to 11.54, p < 0.001. The 6‐minute walk distance (6MWD) increased from a mean of 359.03 to 435.81 m, p < 0.001. The Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire Overall Summary Score (KCCQ OS) increased from a mean of 57.57 to 71.93, p < 0.001. The number of HFpEF patients diagnosed according to the European Society of Cardiology's Heart Failure Association HFA‐PEFF score decreased from 31 to 23. None of the patients had new‐onset bundle branch block or complete heart block after PIMSRA. Conclusion: PIMSRA is a safe and effective treatment. It can improve left ventricular diastolic function and quality of life in HCM patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This study aims to examine the change in mental health fromthe clinical to community setting in personswith spinal cord injury and to identify the role of psychosocial resources for this transition. Design: Longitudinal survey self-report data fromN = 240 personswith spinal cord injury from the Swiss Spinal Cord Injury Cohort study. Results: Latent profile analysis identified three profiles for each the clinical and the community setting: low, medium, and high mental health load. Latent transition analysis revealed that persons with spinal cord injury were most likely to stay in the same profile from discharge of initial rehabilitation to community, followed by a decrease from a high mental health load to a medium mental health load and an increase from a low mental health load to a medium mental health load. Individuals staying in the low mental health load profile showed significantly higher levels of psychosocial resources compared to individuals increasing to the medium mental health load profile, whereas individuals who stayed in the high mental health load profile showed lower levels of psychosocial resources compared to individuals decreasing to the medium mental health load profile. Conclusions: This study highlights a positive role of psychosocial resources onmental health transitions, underlining the need for strengthening psychosocial resources beyond initial rehabilitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated intimate partner violence victimization patterns in two-year and four-year college students, examining heavy episodic drinking as a risk factor. Using Bayesian analysis to assess similarities, Hypothesis 1 found moderate evidence for no reliable differences in dating victimization between groups. Hypothesis 2 indicated that heavy episodic drinking reliably predicted intimate partner violence in both college types. Contrary to Hypothesis 3, the relationship strength between heavy episodic drinking and intimate partner violence did not differ between campus types. These results suggest consistent intimate partner violence patterns across college types, emphasizing the importance of addressing heavy episodic drinking in prevention efforts for both groups. The study contributes valuable insights to understanding and mitigating intimate partner violence risks in diverse college settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mathematical language (or the content-specific words in mathematics) has repeatedly shown to be related to mathematical abilities in preschool and in the early grades of primary education. Research in this field has predominantly focused on young children's quantitative and spatial language. At the same time, recent research has discovered that children in the early years of primary education already possess advanced mathematical skills such as reasoning about patterns, proportions and probabilities. In this study we developed an advanced mathematical language task to measure children's understanding of mathematical language proper of the domains of patterning, proportionality, and probability, specifically aimed at first, second, and third graders (ages 5 -8). To develop a valid test instrument, our task was substantiated by a review of relevant literature and previously conducted studies. Further, the task was optimized based on the feedback received from expert professionals and a pilot study with 36 children. After administering the advanced mathematical language task to 236 first, second, and third graders, the results suggest that the task provides reliable scores in these grades. The internal consistency is excellent (α =.993). In addition, the test–retest reliability was checked in 49 children (r =.704; p <.001), and shows that the test also produces stable results over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recommendation of new varieties is supported by value for cultivation and use (Valor de Cultivo e Uso [VCU]) trials. For a more reliable recommendation, it is necessary to identify methodologies that make better use of the genotype‐by‐environment interaction (GEI). The methodology proposed by Dias et al. is an alternative to take advantage of the GEI; it considers concepts of Bayesian models and probability methods of adaptation and stability analysis in a single model, classifying the genotypes regarding possible success based on a defined selection intensity. Thus, the aim of the present study was to explore the use of Bayesian probabilistic method for the purpose of recommend common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) varieties. To that end, we used grain yield data from 15 genotypes of common bean evaluated in 42 environments distributed over different crop seasons, years, and locations in regard to VCU trials conducted from 2016 to 2018. Under a predefined selection intensity of 30%, the genotypes with greater marginal probability of superior performance were G01, G14, G07, G11, and G02. The genotypes with greater marginal probability of superior stability were G06, G07, G04, G03, and G12. Considering the joint probability of superior performance and yield stability, the genotypes G07, G14, G01, G11, and G04 stand out. Therefore, the use of the Bayesian probabilistic method showed promise in recommendation of common bean varieties. Core Ideas: Reliable recommendations of common bean varieties can be obtained from probabilist Bayesian models.High‐performance and stable common bean varieties were identified for tropical conditions.Probability methods can minimize risk in decision‐making for broad and specific variety recommendation. Plain Language Summary: Recommendation of varieties is supported by multi‐environment trials (MET). In MET, in addition to genetic and environmental effects, there is an interaction between these (GEI). According to the study of Dias et al., the methodology to take advantage of the GEI is based in Bayesian probabilistic models. Thus, the aim of the present study was to explore the use of Bayesian probabilistic method proposed by Dias et al. for recommending common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) varieties. To that end, we used grain yield data from 15 genotypes of common bean evaluated in 42 environments. Under a predefined selection intensity of 30%, the genotypes with greater joint probability of superior performance and yield stability were G07, G14, G01, G11 and G04. The use of the Bayesian probabilistic method showed promise in recommendation common bean varieties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Integrative medicine (IM) is the healing-oriented practice of medicine that emphasizes the relationship between practitioner and patient. It considers the whole person, their environment, lifestyle, and social and cultural factors. It is evidence based and makes use of all appropriate therapies, conventional and complimentary. Objective: To evaluate the impact of IM services on health outcomes and care costs of chronic pain management patients compared with standard care. Methods: This article uses University of New Mexico hospital billing data from 10/2016 to 09/2019 to identify patients with nervous system or musculoskeletal pain. A total of 1,304 patients were matched using propensity scores into IM services (treatment: 652) and standard care (control: 652) cohorts for difference-in-differences analysis. The patients were matched based on age, sex, race, zip code, insurance type, ICD-10s, prescriptions, health care events, and medical claim costs. Results: Patients who used IM services had better health outcomes and lower costs at 3-month, 6-month, and 12-month follow-up. At the 12-month follow-up, the IM group showed a 19% decrease in utilization of inpatient care, a 37% decrease in Emergency Department utilization, and an 11.3% reduction in claim costs compared with the control group. Conclusion: Patients who utilize IM services as part of chronic pain management have overall lower health care costs and better health outcomes. Unfortunately, in the health system studied, less than 3% of patients utilize these services. Promotion of and education about IM services should be aimed at both patients and their providers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Central Limit Theorem (CLT) is a fundamental result in probability theory with numerous applications in various disciplines. There are a wide variety of CLT‐like theorems, for example the De Moivre–Laplace, Lindeberg and Lyapounov theorems. Independent and identically distributed random variables with a finite second moment are usually considered assumptions in CLTs. However, in this article we present a CLT for a sum of dependent and nonidentically distributed Bernoulli random variables that arises in the well‐known matching experiment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the problem of testing the existence of a heterogeneous dense subhypergraph. The null hypothesis corresponds to a heterogeneous Erdös–Rényi uniform random hypergraph and the alternative hypothesis corresponds to a heterogeneous uniform random hypergraph that contains a dense subhypergraph. We establish detection boundaries when the edge probabilities are known and construct an asymptotically powerful test for distinguishing the hypotheses. We also construct an adaptive test which does not involve edge probabilities, and hence, is more practically useful. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A statistical network model with overlapping communities can be generated as a superposition of mutually independent random graphs of varying size. The model is parameterized by the number of nodes, the number of communities, and the joint distribution of the community size and the edge probability. This model admits sparse parameter regimes with power-law limiting degree distributions and non-vanishing clustering coefficients. This article presents large-scale approximations of clique and cycle frequencies for graph samples generated by the model, which are valid for regimes with unbounded numbers of overlapping communities. Our results reveal the growth rates of these subgraph frequencies and show that their theoretical densities can be reliably estimated from the data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The information propagation on the social network has been an important research topic, with a focus on the significant influence of individual behaviors. The marginal utility behavior can affect the process of information propagation. But most previous research ignore it. Besides, the process can also be influenced by limited-contact capacity, which increase the complexity of networks. In this paper, the marginal utility behavior model on the single-layer network with limited-contact capacity is proposed first. Then the edge-based compartmental (EBC) method is used to explore the novel information propagation mechanism. Through experiments, it was found that when individuals show an increasing marginal utility behavior, with the propagation probability increasing, the final spreading scope shows a discontinuous increase pattern by weakening behavior. However, the final spreading scope shows no outbreak by strengthening behavior. In contrast, when individuals show a diminishing marginal utility behavior, with the propagation probability increasing, the final spreading scope shows a continuous increase pattern by strengthening. Nevertheless, the final spreading scope shows a discontinuous increasing by weakening. What's more, the limited-contact capacity and the degree distribution heterogeneity can also change the information propagation pattern. Besides, the experimental results are in agreement with the theoretical results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identifying influential spreaders is a crucial aspect of network science with various applications, including rumor control, viral marketing and epidemic spread limitation. Despite the availability of various methods for identifying these spreaders in complex networks, there remains a fundamental question regarding their accurate and discriminative identification. To address the issues and account for each node's propagation ability, we propose an algorithm to identify influential spreaders based on the node's weight and spreading probability (NWSP) for identifying influential spreaders. The effectiveness of the proposed method is evaluated using the Susceptible–Infected–Recovered (SIR) model, Kendall's Tau (τ) and monotonicity. The proposed method is compared with several well-known metrics, including degree centrality, K-shell decomposition, betweenness centrality, closeness centrality, eigenvector centrality and the centrality method based on node spreading probability (SPC), in ten real networks. Experimental results demonstrate the superiority ability of the proposed algorithm to accurately and discriminatively identify influential spreaders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In bounded confidence opinion dynamics, agents only consider other agents when their opinions are sufficiently close. In many works, the confidence bound is assumed as a homogeneous one. However, agents in different situations may be with different confidence bounds in real life. In this work, the correlation of degrees and confidence bounds is introduced into modified Hegselmann–Krause model on complex networks and we mainly focus on whether the population can reach consensus, where all agents hold a same opinion. The number of opinion clusters, the relative size of the largest cluster and the probability of reaching consensus are the measures of the opinion cluster profile. The numerical simulation shows that the existence of the correlation promotes the probability of reaching consensus and even in the case where some agents are with very small confidence bounds. On scale-free and Erdös–Rényi random networks, the negative correlation supports the consensus much more than the positive correlation case. However, two correlations show the same effect on small-world networks, and this effect is also observed in scale-free and Erdös–Rényi random networks when the average degree becomes very large. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we propose methods to minimize bias due to unit nonresponse. We consider a two-phase sampling design where the second phase is a probability subsample of nonrespondents from the first phase. In this context, we propose three weighting procedures to estimate the total when not all units in the subsample respond. The weighting is based on the response homogeneity group (RHG) model. Given the RHG model, theoretical results on bias and variance estimation are obtained for all estimators. In a simulation study, we evaluate the empirical properties of the three estimators as well as of estimators based on two commonly used procedures to handle unit nonresponse in single-phase sampling design. These two procedures include: (i) nonresponse calibration weighting, also known as the one-step approach, and (ii) nonresponse probability weighting followed by calibration, also known as the two-step approach. Our results indicate that when there is significant deviation from the assumed RHG model, the nonresponse follow-up estimators perform better in terms of bias and coverage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While probability sampling has been considered the gold standard of survey methods, nonprobability sampling is increasingly popular due to its convenience and low cost. However, nonprobability samples can lead to biased estimates due to the unknown nature of the underlying selection mechanism. In this article, we propose parametric and semiparametric approaches to integrate probability and nonprobability samples using common ancillary variables observed in both samples. In the parametric approach, the joint distribution of ancillary variables is assumed to follow the latent Gaussian copula model, which is flexible to accommodate both categorical and continuous variables. In contrast, the semiparametric approach requires no assumptions about the distribution of ancillary variables. In addition, logistic regression is used to model the mechanism by which population units enter the nonprobability sample. The unknown parameters in the copula model are estimated through the pseudo maximum likelihood approach. The logistic regression model is estimated by maximizing the sample likelihood constructed from the nonprobability sample. The proposed method is evaluated in the context of estimating the population mean. Our simulation results show that the proposed method is able to correct the selection bias in the nonprobability sample by consistently estimating the underlying inclusion mechanism. By incorporating additional information in the nonprobability sample, the combined method can estimate the population mean more efficiently than using the probability sample alone. A real-data application is provided to illustrate the practical use of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Vaccine hesitancy is increasingly recognized as a health challenge affecting populations worldwide. Given the biological vulnerabilities and structural barriers people who use substances and/or have behavioral addictions face, this systematic review aims to evaluate whether this subpopulation is less prone to adhere to vaccination recommendations. Methods Electronic searches of published original research were conducted in PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, and PsycINFO from database inception to December 2022. Our strategy encompassed retrievals regardless of languages and date of publication. Animal studies, abstracts without a full manuscript, and studies which were considered to have lower robustness of scientific evidence were excluded. Outcomes measured were vaccine acceptance, uptake, and adherence. Results were interpreted through a narrative synthesis. Results The search yielded 103 retrievals encompassing data collected on 5 576 374 persons who were predominantly residents of Europe (n = 39) and North America (n = 27). Tobacco use, the substance for which many studies were found (n = 91), was significantly associated with poorer vaccine acceptance, uptake and adherence for influenza, COVID-19, human papillomavirus (HPV), and maternal and childhood vaccines. Peri-natal and parental substance use was identified as a risk factor for suboptimal vaccine-related outcomes concerning maternal COVID-19 and childhood vaccines. Finally, people identified as 'using', 'abusing', or 'misusing' drugs or substances may be at decreased odds of all outcomes in various vaccines. Conclusions Collectively, the studies identified several groups with statistically significant greater vaccine hesitancy and decreased engagement among whom targeted measures could be beneficial. Timely evidence, especially on behavioral addictions and substances besides tobacco, is lacking, and warrants urgent attention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Utilizing scientifically validated statistical approaches, our research underscores the significance of safety climate in the healthcare industry, emphasizing how interpersonal trust and locus of control impact organization safety. Findings inspire more informed, scientifically grounded preventative strategies and advocate for a psychologically safe error disclosure culture, prompting advancements in occupational interventions. Objectives: The current study aims to identify individual and joint drivers that significantly influence the safety climate in healthcare industries by using Bayesian network (BN) simulations for an in-depth analysis. Methods: Survey data were collected from 452 employees from two branches of one hospital in China for a study about workplace safety. The original English surveys were translated into Chinese using the back-translation procedure recommended by Brislin. Employees were asked to complete two online surveys with 1 month in between each administration. The sample was 42% doctors and 58% nurses. A BN model, based on theory, was updated and complemented with expert knowledge. A graphical model based on expert knowledge and data-driven machine learning approaches was used to refine the BN structure, representing interrelationships among all studied variables. The BN model was employed to identify the best key drivers and joint strategies for safety climate improvement. Results: The BN model demonstrated a good overall fit. The Euclidean distance metric was used to assess the influence between connected variables, with interpersonal trust and locus of control having the strongest independent effects on safety climate among the five contributing factors. Joint strategies, particularly joint optimization of error disclosure culture and interpersonal trust, as well as error disclosure culture and self-efficacy, were most effective in promoting a safe climate. Conclusions: The findings suggest that hospital safety climate can be improved by providing a psychologically safe error disclosure culture and enhancing interpersonal trust among employees and their self-efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the widespread worldwide adoption of location‐based service technologies, accurate and reliable driving trajectories have become crucial. However, because of the inherent deficiencies of sensor devices, accurate road matching results may not always be obtained directly from trajectory data, which poses a challenge for many location and trajectory based services. Existing map‐matching techniques mainly focus on high‐sampling‐rate trajectory data while paying relatively less attention to low‐frequency trajectory data. Low‐sampling‐rate trajectory data have greater matching difficulties than high‐sampling‐rate data owing to the limited available information. Moreover, in the case of signal loss or interference, the accuracy of map‐matching algorithms can decrease significantly for low‐sampling‐rate data. To achieve accurate map‐matching results for low‐sampling‐rate trajectory data, this study proposes a map‐matching algorithm based on probability interpolation. First, the trajectory data are denoised to eliminate redundant trajectory points. Second, the concept of the probability truth value is introduced to handle the relationship between the interpolated virtual points and actual sampled trajectory points accurately. A higher probability truth value indicates a higher confidence level of the interpolation. Third, the denoised trajectory data are interpolated and a probability truth value is assigned based on the interpolation accuracy. Finally, a comprehensive probability composed of the probability truth value, emission probability, and transition probability is used to determine the correctly matched road segments. Experimental results on real trajectory datasets demonstrated that the proposed algorithm outperformed several advanced algorithms in terms of accuracy and performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Test consolidation and total laboratory automation (TLA) were implemented in a core laboratory with a high volume of specimens in a medical center in Taiwan to reduce the costs of laboratory services and improve laboratory workflow and performance. Methods Using a retrospective research approach, 5 stat and 7 routine tests were used to analyze the in-laboratory to report turnaround time (IR-TAT). Mean, SD, medium, 90th percentile, outlier percentage of IR-TAT, full-time equivalents, productivity, tube touch moment (TTM), and financial impact were determined and compared pre- and post-TLA. Results The mean IR-TAT of overall stat chemical tests for inpatient and outpatient were 32.8% and 11.9% reductions, respectively. The productivity of each medical technologist increased by 32.4% per month, and there was a reduction of 5 medical technologists compared with the number required to complete the same tests before consolidation. The TTM of staff per year post-TLA decreased by 74.1% tube touches. Conclusion The efficiency of laboratory services was improved by consolidation to the core laboratory along with TLA implementation coupled with logic rules such as delta-check and autoverification. Effectiveness was improved as measured by an increase in productivity, labor reduction, staff safety, and cost reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The development and evaluation of the Professor Hippo-on-Campus Student Mental Health Education Program, a mental health literacy intervention for post-secondary faculty and staff, is described. It includes 3-hour virtual, asynchronous e-modules and an optional 2-hour, synchronous workshop. Participants: All faculty and staff in a single university were invited to participate (February 2020–January 2021). Methods: Pre-and post-module and post-workshop surveys were conducted, assessing knowledge, attitudes, stigma, behavioral intentions, and confidence. Paired t-tests and regressions assessed change. Satisfaction was assessed through closed and open-ended questions, analyzed descriptively and through qualitative content analysis. Results: Four hundred and fifty staff and faculty completed the pre-survey, 262 completed the post-survey, and 122 completed a workshop survey. Participation resulted in improvements in knowledge, attitudes, stigma, and confidence with high levels of satisfaction. Conclusion: The program provides tailored student mental health training to post-secondary staff and faculty, which appears to increase their mental health literacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]