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Unpacking dimensions of a tiering typology:Delegation, direction and strength
No full textWithin environmental assessment (EA), tiering between higher-tier strategic environmental assessment at the plan and program level and lower-tier environmental impact assessment at the project level creates effective communication, ensuring that insights are not isolated to the planning level in which they were derived, but can inform and guide other levels. Tiering can travel in many directions – ensuring that strategic goals make it into implemented projects and that information gained in project levels inform future strategic planning. This research extends the tiering concept along three dimensions, ‘delegation’, ‘direction’ and ‘strength’. It does so to further existing conceptual understandings and gain a nuanced understanding of the role that especially strategic levels have in ensuring meaningful tiering. To illustrate the new conceptual tiering typologies, the research draws upon a case study of three Danish EA reports on spatial planning to understand how tiering is delegated between planning levels. The illustrative case study concludes that a procedurally effective referral of information between planning tiers calls for tiering practice that is explicit and is both delegated and successfully implemented in the appropriate planning levels. Consequently, this paper not only furthers theoretical perspectives; it also demonstrates how the proposed typology can be applied and opens for further reflection on the potentials and limitations of the typology as well as avenues for future research.</p
Accuracy and Reliability of an MR-Compatible Dorsiflexion Ergometer for Dynamic 31P-MRS: Comparison With a Clinical Dynamometer in Individuals With and Without Obesity
No full textABSTRACT The clinical application of MR-compatible ergometers for muscle contractile assessment is limited by a lack of validation against standard clinical dynamometers. Moreover, the impact of obesity on the reliability of MR ergometer-based muscle contractile assessments and the quality of phosphorus-31 magnetic resonance spectroscopy (31P-MRS) data remains unclear. This study aimed to validate an MR-compatible ergometer against a clinical dynamometer and to evaluate the applicability of 31P-MRS in individuals with severe obesity. Twenty adults (35?60?years) were recruited and divided into groups of nonobesity (BMI 18.5?30?kg/m2, n?=?10) and severe obesity (BMI?≥?35?kg/m2, n?=?10), matched for age, sex, and height. Ankle dorsiflexion was assessed using both a clinical dynamometer and an MR ergometer, measuring maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) and a 4-min isotonic fatiguing exercise. 31P-MRS was continuously acquired during the in-scanner exercise. Agreement between devices was assessed using Bland?Altman plots and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs). 31P-MRS data quality was evaluated based on signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), uncertainty of fit (CRLB), and phosphocreatine (PCr) recovery fit (R2). Pearson's correlations examined relationships between muscle fatigue and metabolic parameters. All subjects successfully completed the protocol on both devices. The MR ergometer demonstrated moderate-to-excellent reliability (ICC ≥?0.50) for most contractile parameters. While maximal torque, power, and work were underestimated on the MR ergometer (16?28%), this bias was consistent across BMI groups. 31P-MRS met preset quality thresholds (SNR ≥?5, CRLBThe clinical application of MR-compatible ergometers for muscle contractile assessment is limited by a lack of validation against standard clinical dynamometers. Moreover, the impact of obesity on the reliability of MR ergometer-based muscle contractile assessments and the quality of phosphorus-31 magnetic resonance spectroscopy ( 31P-MRS) data remains unclear. This study aimed to validate an MR-compatible ergometer against a clinical dynamometer and to evaluate the applicability of 31P-MRS in individuals with severe obesity. Twenty adults (35–60 years) were recruited and divided into groups of nonobesity (BMI 18.5–30 kg/m 2, n = 10) and severe obesity (BMI ≥ 35 kg/m 2, n = 10), matched for age, sex, and height. Ankle dorsiflexion was assessed using both a clinical dynamometer and an MR ergometer, measuring maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) and a 4-min isotonic fatiguing exercise. 31P-MRS was continuously acquired during the in-scanner exercise. Agreement between devices was assessed using Bland–Altman plots and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs). 31P-MRS data quality was evaluated based on signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), uncertainty of fit (CRLB), and phosphocreatine (PCr) recovery fit (R 2). Pearson's correlations examined relationships between muscle fatigue and metabolic parameters. All subjects successfully completed the protocol on both devices. The MR ergometer demonstrated moderate-to-excellent reliability (ICC ≥ 0.50) for most contractile parameters. While maximal torque, power, and work were underestimated on the MR ergometer (16–28%), this bias was consistent across BMI groups. 31P-MRS met preset quality thresholds (SNR ≥ 5, CRLB < 20%, R 2 ≥ 0.70) in both groups. Dorsiflexion fatigue (reduction in power) correlated strongly (r ≥ 0.77) with metabolic changes, including PCr depletion (R 2 = 0.68), pH drop (R 2 = 0.59), PCr recovery time constant (R 2 = 0.62), and inorganic phosphate accumulation (Pi/PCr) (R 2 = 0.67). The MR ergometer demonstrated feasibility, acceptable reliability, and consistent 31P-MRS data quality across BMI groups. These findings support the use of the MR ergometer for in-scanner dorsiflexor assessments, even in individuals with severe obesity.</p
Evaluating Quality of Disparate Data Sources: A Discord-Driven Approach
No full textAmong other measures of data quality, determining the reliability of conflicting values from different sources is especially challenging. Traditional data fusion approaches often infer correct values in simple cases, but struggle to handle variations in data granularity (such as differences in temporal, spatial, or categorical aggregations) and offer limited insight into the nature of disagreements. Thus, we propose a new source evaluation approach for numerical attributes that measures discordance (i.e., the extent to which sources differ from each other). Unlike existing methods that focus solely on point estimation, we allow both fine-grained and coarse-grained analysis, allowing more sophisticated data quality assessments. We employ a linear programming solver that transparently adapts to any data alignment expressed in a set of operators resembling relational algebra. Extensive experiments on real-world datasets demonstrate that our method generalizes existing truth discovery techniques measuring differences with Mean Absolute Error (MAE), Root Mean Square Error (RMSE), and can adapt to diverse and complex scenarios
Affective Solidarity in Melting Destinations:Stepping Forward, Standing With and Staying Connected to Climate Justice
No full textMagnetic Resonance Imaging Provides Accurate Measures of Cartilage Creep and Biomechanical Tissue Properties: Ex vivo Comparison to Ground Truth Mechanical Testing
Get PDFCartilage mechanical properties have been suggested to be more effective biomarkers for early-stage osteoarthritis (OA) than conventional clinical pain and image feature detection, when compared with OA grading methods. However, limited research exists evaluating the feasibility of alternative methods, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques, to determine biomechanical properties. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of clinical MRI for non-invasive evaluation of cartilage creep behaviour and biomechanical properties. Bovine cartilage samples (n = 12, diameter = 6 mm) were loaded at 0.25 MPa/s until reaching 1 MPa, then held under constant stress for 1 h using a counterbalanced study design with two different configurations. The first configuration used a custom-made, hydraulic-based MRI-compatible device to apply the load to the sample. During loading, 2D proton density-weighted fast spin echo MR images with fat suppression (CHESS method) were captured every minute. The second configuration used a universal testing machine as a ground truth (GT) reference. Time-dependent creep deformation was assessed in both configurations, and the instantaneous and equilibrium moduli were calculated at 1 min and at the end of the creep test, respectively. In addition, sample-specific fibril-reinforced poroelastic (FRPE) material parameters were estimated for both configurations using inverse finite element analysis of the measured creep data. The FRPE model successfully simulated experimental data, with mean R2 values of 0.77 [95 % CI: 0.61, 0.92] for MRI and 0.98 [95 % CI: 0.95, 0.99] for GT. Results showed comparable deformation trajectories with no significant differences in the FRPE material properties between the configurations (i.e., Ef0,Efε,Enf,k0,M). Only the mean instantaneous modulus at 1 min of creep was higher (p < 0.001) with MRI 4.5 [95 % CI: 2.9, 6.1] MPa compared to GT 2.9 [95 % CI: 2.3, 3.5] MPa. These findings demonstrate that MRI can capture cartilage creep deformation and estimate biomechanical properties with reasonable accuracy in an ex vivo setting. This advocates towards further development of the workflow for creep compression experiments in vivo. Yet, the workflow requires load-controlled relaxation and considerations of 3D contact mechanics of the human knee. While this work does not yet establish clear clinical applicability, it represents important evidence for non-invasive quantification of cartilage biomechanics. It is conceivable that our advancements may contribute to subject-specific estimation of inherent biomechanical tissue properties in the future.</p
What? Why? How? Navigating Diverse Perspectives on Creativity in Sport
No full textThis introductory chapter outlines the rationale, structure, and ambitions of The Palgrave Handbook of Creativity in Sport. In response to the growing interest in creativity across sport contexts, the Handbook offers a pluralistic and interdisciplinary overview of the field, aiming to stimulate dialogue, challenge conventions, and inspire new directions. Rather than seeking consensus, the editors invite readers to critically reflect on the nature, value, and application of creativity in sport, and to navigate the wide-ranging theoretical, contextual, and applied perspectives presented across the Handbook’s three parts. Besides introducing these parts, a central aim of this chapter is to trace the emergence and evolution of creativity as a researchable construct in sport – from early philosophical inquiries andeducational incentives to more contemporary interventions, frameworks and empirical studies. By highlighting overlooked contributions and mapping key developments, the chapter situates current debates within a broader historical context. In doing so, it underscores creativity as a central – yet multifaceted – dimension of sport, spanning from recreational play to elite performance. Ultimately,the chapter seeks to cultivate a community of creative inquirers who are open to diverse perspectives and committed to advancing the field through engaged, reflective, and context-sensitive scholarship
Feedback-based quantum strategies for constrained combinatorial optimization problems
Get PDFFeedback-based quantum algorithms have recently emerged as potential methods for approximating the ground states of Hamiltonians. One such algorithm, the feedback-based algorithm for quantum optimization (FALQON), is specifically designed to solve quadratic unconstrained binary optimization problems. Its extension, the feedback-based algorithm for quantum optimization with constraints (FALQON-C), was introduced to handle constrained optimization problems with equality and inequality constraints. In this work, we extend the feedback-based quantum algorithms framework to address a broader class of constraints known as invalid configuration (IC) constraints, which explicitly prohibit specific configurations of decision variables. We first present a transformation technique that converts the constrained optimization problem with invalid configuration constraints into an equivalent unconstrained problem by incorporating a penalizing term into the cost function. Then, leaning upon control theory, we propose an alternative method tailored for feedback-based quantum algorithms that directly tackles IC constraints without requiring slack variables. Our approach introduces a new operator that encodes the optimal feasible solution of the constrained optimization problem as its ground state. Then, a controlled quantum system based on the Lyapunov control technique is designed to ensure convergence to the ground state of this operator. Two approaches are introduced in the design of this operator to address IC constraints: the folded spectrum approach and the deflation approach. These methods eliminate the need for slack variables, significantly reducing the quantum circuit depth and the number of qubits required. We show the effectiveness of our proposed algorithms through numerical simulations
