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Laminations of Punctured Surfaces as τ-Regular Irreducible Components
No full textLet Σ:=(Σ,M,P) be a marked surface with marked points on the boundary M⊂∂Σ≠∅, and punctures P⊂Σ∖∂Σ, and let T be signature zero tagged triangulation of Σ in the sense of Fomin-Shapiro-Thurston. In this situation the corresponding non-degenerate Jacobian algebra A(T):=PC(Q(T),W(T)) is skewed-gentle. Building on ideas by Qiu-Zhou, and on recent progress concerning the description of homomorphisms between representations of skewed-gentle algebras by the first author, we show that there is an isomorphism πT:Lam(Σ)→DecIrrτ(A(T)) of tame partial KRS-monoids, which intertwines generic g-vectors and shear coordinates with respect to T. Here, Lam(Σ) is the set of laminations of Σ considered by Musiker-Schiffler-Williams, with the disjoint union of non-intersecting laminations as partial monoid operation. On the other hand, DecIrrτ(A(T)) denotes the set of generically τ-reduced irreducible components of the decorated representation varieties of A(T), with the direct sum of generically E-orthogonal irreducible components as partial monoid operation, where E is the symmetrized E-invariant of Derksen-Weyman-Zelevinsky
Obesity and Negative Affect: A Multi-Disciplinary Exploration of the Interaction Between Mental and Physical Health and its Effect on Cognitive Function
Get PDFBackground
In 2015 The ROAMER project used expert consultation to set priorities for public mental health. These included increased research into the interaction between mental and physical health conditions. This thesis examines the interactions between obesity and affective disorders, two major foci for public health, using a range of investigative methods. The research was used to develop a neurocognitive model to explain mental-physical health links between the conditions.
Methods
Study 1 BMI and loneliness: analysed longitudinal research data from a large high-quality multidisciplinary health study (the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development; n=1042: female = 572) utilising anthropometry and loneliness measures to examine the interaction between adiposity and socially mediated negative affect over time. Confirmation of the longitudinal relationship between these variables was used to develop a novel theoretical model to explain the neurocognitive mechanisms that link and reinforce these conditions.
Study 2 Body mass, negative affect, and cognitive function: A multi-disciplinary investigation of anthropometric, affective, and neurocognitive indicators in a single sample of young adults (n=90). Measures of BMI, waist circumference (WC), depression, anxiety, rumination and worry, cognitive performance (Continuous Performance Task of attention, Simon task of spatial response inhibition), and self-reported executive function problems (BRIEF scale). Neurovascular activity (functional near infra-red spectroscopy) and functional connectivity were examined by health group during resting state and task.
Results
Study 1: A series of hierarchical regressions found a significant linear effect of BMI on loneliness (Beta = 0.11) and a significant curvilinear effect of loneliness on BMI (Beta = 0.02) one year later. These reciprocal effects are likely to be mutually reinforcing over time. The study shed light on the time-course of physical and mental health effects between negative affect and body mass.
Study 2: Negative Affect and Adiposity: brooding rumination predicted BMI and WC; WC predicted rumination (explaining around 5% variance). Cognitive performance: The high BMI group (>30) displayed more attention and inhibition errors than low BMI. The high depression and brooding rumination groups displayed more response inhibition errors. Self-Reported Executive Function Problems. The high self-reported inhibition group had more attention errors, and the inhibition error rate was approaching significance. BRIEF subscales were strongly and positively associated with negative affect, and moderately associated with BMI (r=.30) and WC (r=.32). Neurovascular activity in the frontal and temporal lobe. In the resting state higher WC was related to reduced left frontal neurovascular activity (6% variance explained). Higher worry was related to more activity in the right temporal region (explaining 8% of variance). Those high in brooding rumination had greater functional connectivity in the temporal lobe and frontal gyrus than low brooders (superior and medial) during the resting state, but the reverse pattern was observed during the cognitive tasks (functional connectivity was much less extensive). The high WC risk group had reduced functional connectivity in the resting state and attention task, but widespread functional connectivity during the inhibition task.
Conclusion
Study 1 makes important contributions to our understanding the temporal relationship between adiposity and negative affect. Study 2 identifies repetitive negative thinking as an important predictor of health and cognition and a potential target for intervention to address the negative reinforcement between weight gain and negative affective conditions. Evidence also supports the proposed theoretical model which to my knowledge is the first to attempt to explain the neurocognitive processes that mediate physical and mental health through repetitive negative cognition
The JCMT BISTRO Survey: Magnetic Fields Align with Orbital Structure in the Galactic Center
Get PDFWe present the magnetic field in the dense material of the Central Molecular Zone (CMZ) of the Milky Way, traced in 850 μm polarized dust emission as part of the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope (JCMT) B-fields In STar-forming Region Observations (BISTRO) Survey. We observe a highly ordered magnetic field across the CMZ between Sgr B2 and Sgr C, which is strongly preferentially aligned with the orbital gas flows within the clouds of the CMZ. We find that the observed relative orientations are non-random at a >99% confidence level and are consistent with models in which the magnetic field vectors are aligned within 30o to the gas flows in 3D. The deviations from aligned magnetic fields are most prominent at positive Galactic longitudes, where the CMZ clouds are more massive, denser, and more actively forming stars. Our observed strongly preferentially parallel magnetic field morphology leads us to hypothesize that in the absence of star formation, the magnetic field in the CMZ is entrained in the orbital gas flows around Sgr A∗, while gravitational collapse and feedback in star-forming regions can locally reorder the field. This magnetic field behavior is similar to that observed in the CMZ of the nuclear starburst galaxy NGC 253. This suggests that despite its current low star formation rate, the CMZ of the Milky Way is analogous to those of more distant, actively star-forming, galaxies
Proposing the Integrated Pathway Model of Moral Injury (IPM-MI): A moderated mediation analysis of moral injury among secure mental healthcare staff.
Get PDFMoral injury is a prevalent issue for secure mental healthcare staff, though understanding of the underlying mechanisms is limited. This multi-study paper explores several developmental, cognitive and emotional pathways to moral injury and associated wellbeing outcomes. Frontline and support staff from secure mental healthcare services were recruited to two cross-sectional studies (n = 527 and n = 325, respectively), and completed several questionnaires. In the first study, findings indicated a serial mediating effect of childhood trauma symptoms, early maladaptive schemas, and maladaptive metacognitions in the pathway between exposure to potentially morally injurious events and moral injury symptoms. Moderating effects of social and organisational support were also apparent. Findings from study two supported pathways between moral injury and psychological, somatic and functional outcomes, which were mediated by negative emotional schema, with limited mediating effects for expressive suppression. Moderating effects of alexithymia on several mediating pathways were also noted. The results support a developmental-cognitive model to account for the development of moral injury and associated adverse well-being outcomes in secure mental healthcare staff. Drawing on the findings and wider literature, the Integrated Pathway Model of Moral Injury (IPM-MI) is proposed and discussed, offering a novel theoretical account that may inform several potential prevention and intervention strategies
An Analytical Study of Hyperparameters and Architectural Impacts for Image Super-Resolution
No full textSuper-resolution is particularly helpful for applications like larger computer screens, portable electronics like cellphones and cameras, and high-definition television sets. It plays a crucial role in improving visual perception by transforming low-resolution images into clearer, high-resolution ones. The integration of deep learning methodologies has demonstrated significant promise in mitigating the constraints of conventional approaches. Three traditional deep learning networks are used in this experiment to perform picture super-resolution tasks. This experiment uses the well-known Very Deep Super-Resolution (VDSR) network as a reference and evaluates the effects of different hyperparameters on the results. The experiment then presents the Convolutional Neural Network with Recurrent Neural Network (CNN+RNN) and Generative Adversarial Network (GAN). The benefits of these various network topologies are contrasted, and the differences and enhancements provided by each configuration are examined. Lastly, subjective comparison graphs are provided and objective measurements are used to assess the outcomes. The quality of the experimental results is directly impacted by the network structure's complexity
A CRITICAL REVIEW OF PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP IN PRACTICE – THE NATIONAL COMPETITIVENESS STRATEGY IN GUYANA: 2005-2015
No full textThis study conducts a critical review of the Guyana National Competitiveness Strategy (NCS) and its implementation during its life cycle, 2005 – 2015, to create a comprehensive historical account of this transformative initiative in Guyana.
Guyana has a history rooted in slavery, indentureship and colonialism. Following independence in 1966, Guyana’s economy was severely debilitated by the impact of an ill-conceived and maladministered Co-operative Socialism Ideology. The population endured severe hardships and by the early 1980’s, the country was near collapse. It had plunged into an abyss of debt, poverty, and crime, with a strong parallel economy, in a society stratified along ethnic lines, manifested in its partisan politics.
Several economic programs aimed at reversing the negative impacts of Co-operative Socialism were instituted. Among these was the National Competitiveness Strategy which was launched in 2005 as a Public Private Partnership (P3) with an inclusive implementation framework overseen by the President of Guyana and prominent members of the private sector.
Given Guyana’s turbulent evolution, such an initiative was unprecedented, with the potential to be transformative and of historical significance.
The NCS encapsulated several programmes implemented through various ministries and agencies. Therefore, the research methodology included the compilation of secondary data and information on the NCS from multiple sources including original published documents and private documents shared by the Private Sector and the Government. In addition, the dynamics of the NCS P3 were examined through a sample of key stakeholders’ interviews which provided insights into the social forces that instigated the growth, implementation, and premature demise of this major developmental initiative.
The documentary research conducted provides the core data for developing the historical account of the NCS. Stakeholder analysis was used to incorporate the experiences, perceptions, and motivations of the various participants into the study to provide an improved understanding of the process and its possible influence on the outcomes.
Data sources were compared and triangulated where needed to assess the accuracy of the information. This process included comparing documentary evidence with other salient sources, such as newspaper accounts and personal communications, where these sources were accessible.
Findings confirm that the complexity and magnitude of the NCS were significant. It was quite comprehensive in nature but perhaps overly ambitious in scope when it came to practical implementation. An apparent shift in political focus by the Government to another strategy (the Low Carbon Development Strategy) further impeded the effective implementation of the NCS. However, both sectors viewed this high level Public Private Partnership as somewhat successful despite its challenges.
Although proponents of Public Private Partnerships perceive it as the catalyst for development and by virtue of its inclusiveness it seems like the ideal approach, the reality of its application can be particularly challenging, as experienced in Guyana.
This research will contribute to the limited literature on Guyana’s business and economic history and provide a rare case study on the practical application of Public Private Partnership in Governance
Systematic review and meta-analysis of artificial intelligence in classifying HER2 status in breast cancer immunohistochemistry
Get PDFThe DESTINY-Breast04 trial has recently demonstrated survival benefits of trastuzumab-deruxtecan (T-DXd) in metastatic breast cancer patients with low Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2 (HER2) expression. Accurate differentiation of HER2 scores has now become crucial. However, visual immunohistochemistry (IHC) scoring is labour-intensive and prone to high interobserver variability, and artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a promising tool in diagnostic medicine. We conducted a diagnostic meta-analysis to evaluate AI’s performance in classifying HER2 IHC scores, demonstrating high accuracy in predicting T-DXd eligibility, with a pooled sensitivity of 0.97 [95% CI 0.96–0.98] and specificity of 0.82 [95% CI 0.73–0.88]. Meta-regression revealed better performance with deep learning and patch-based analysis, while performance declined in externally validated and those utilising commercially available algorithms. Our findings indicate that AI holds promising potential in accurately identifying HER2-low patients and excels in distinguishing 2+ and 3+ scores
Love and colleagues: Sustaining wellbeing in the workplace through social connections
No full textChapter 10 delves into the social dimensions of love and its transformative potential within midwifery care and workplace relationships in maternity services. Building on the foundational understanding of love explored throughout the book, it emphasises love as a form of social connection that influences not only personal interactions but also team dynamics, organisational culture, and the broader environment of maternity and perinatal services. This chapter explores global and national challenges within midwifery and offers solutions to foster wellbeing and enhance workplace culture. By examining how love operates as a fundamental human need, it provides insights into cultivating loving connections that enhance collaboration and community in professional settings. Drawing from both scientific and artistic perspectives, this chapter connects the physiology, psychology, and social constructs of love to inform meaningful practices in maternity care, ultimately fostering human flourishing
News and intraday retail investor order flow in foreign exchange markets
No full textThis paper examines the trading behavior of individual investors using a proprietary intraday dataset of a large pool of retail investor aggregate (minute by minute) long and short positions in EUR/USD. Standard event study analysis shows no significant adjustment in trading ahead of scheduled macro news announcements and trading contrary to the announcement surprise after the event. A panel regression analysis shows that such contrarian trading behavior is mainly driven by lagged returns rather than fundamental macro news. Further, intraday time series analysis shows that the lagged overall news sentiment also significantly affects retail investor trading. Finally, to verify the uninformed nature of retail trading, we show that simple cross-over trading strategies that exploit retail investors’ order flow could be profitable. Overall, our results suggest that retail investors in currency markets are influenced by news sentiment and past returns, but do not appear able to extract fundamental information from public news. Our findings support the differential abilities of market participants to interpret public information as reflected through the intraday trading activity of retail currency traders
