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Feedback-evolving Mean-field Games
Get PDFA natural assumption in games is to consider static payoffs. Yet, this is not true when the environment changes independently or as a result of players’ interactions, e.g., geopolitical decisions in the global financial market, or weather conditions in autonomous driving. Indeed, these environmental aspects have a significant impact on the strategic interactions between players and vice versa. With the growing interest in machine learning approaches, disregarding these environmental changes leads to nonstationarity and instability of the corre- sponding algorithms. Motivated by this issue, we develop a novel framework for continuous-time finite-state feedback-evolving mean-field games (FEMFG) where the population dynamics are paired with an environmental resource which determines the payoffs and in turn evolves according to the population distribution across the underlying Markov chain. We derive the corresponding initial-terminal value problem and show the conditions for the existence of a feedback-evolving mean-field Nash equilibrium as the solution to the FEMFG, namely, when the population dynamics given by the Kolmogorov equation and the value function obtained via the Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman equation do not change over tim
Household stress moderates the association between caregiver metacognition and infant sustained attention
Get PDFPrevious work has shown that caregiver executive functions (EFs) are robustly linked to EFs in children. However, existing evidence has used mixed methods approaches combining questionnaires and experimental tasks in older children. The current study used contextually similar questionnaires to examine whether caregiver EFs were linked to infant EFs, and whether household stress and socioeconomic status moderated these associations. Ninety-one families living in the Midlands region of the United Kingdom participated in the study. Caregiver EFs were assessed using the behavior rating inventory of executive functions and infant EFs were assessed using the early executive functions questionnaire. Caregivers were also asked to provide information on household stress and socioeconomic status. Our findings showed that better caregiver metacognition was associated with better infant sustained attention, and this association was moderated by caregiver life stress. Our findings contribute to the understanding of early associations between caregiver and child EFs.</p
Shaping the Spirit:Girls Reformatory Schools in England, c.1854-1933
No full textThis article will explore the use of corporal punishment in Reformatory Schools for girls in nineteenth-century England. The period under study is 1854, when Reformatory schools were certified by government legislation, and 1933, when they merged with Industrial Schools to form Approved Schools. This historical criminological study focuses on understanding the ways those in authority and power responded to offending, rather than the offending itself. As such, the use of physical force in disciplining and controlling institutionalised offending children within reformatory schools has been explored alongside how those institutions justified the use and extent of corporal punishment, and how the views were reflected, or differed, at the political level. To achieve this the following primary source material were turned to: Home Office archival concerning reformatories and the use of corporal punishment more broadly; regional archival records of Devon and Exeter Reformatory School for Girls to form a case study focused on the institutions surviving Punishment Books; and, the Inspector of Reformatory Schools of Great Britain annual reports. Despite historical and contemporary claims, it will be demonstrated that corporal punishment of girls within residential schools was not a matter of last resort, despite contemporary and historical claims to the contrary
Realizing anomalous Floquet non-Abelian band topology in photonic scattering networks
Get PDFThe concept of multi-gap topology has recently been shown to give rise to uncharted phases beyond conventional single-gap classifications. These phases relate to band nodes with non-Abelian quaternion charges and momentum-space braiding processes characterized by new invariants such as paradigmatic Euler class, phenomena that intrinsically require at least two spatial dimensions. Extending such phases into the non-equilibrium regime is predicted to unlock even richer multi-gap topologies beyond static settings, yet their experimental realization has remained elusive due to the stringent requirements on dimensionality, symmetry, and dynamical control. Here, we theoretically demonstrate and, for the first time, experimentally realize two-dimensional (2D) Floquet non-Abelian band topology in photonic scattering networks. Within this platform, we uncover a sequence of topological phenomena unique to 2D multi-gap systems far from equilibrium, including anomalous multi-gap phases interconnected by band nodes, Floquet Euler transfer, gapped phases with anomalous Dirac string configurations, and Floquet-induced non-Abelian braiding of band nodes. In addition, we observe Floquet-periodic anomalous edge states across multiple gaps, providing experimental signatures of these sought-after 2D multi-gap Floquet topological phases. Our results establish photonic scattering networks as a practical and versatile route to non-Abelian Floquet systems, opening avenues for dynamical topological physics with braiding capability and robust photonic functionalities
Corrigendum to “Effects of modified release hydrocortisone on restoration of early morning cortisol, quality of life, and fatigue in adrenal insufficiency (The CHAMPAIN study):a randomised, double-blind, double-dummy, cross-over study comparing Chronocort and Plenadren” [eClinical Medicine 91(2026); 103714]
Get PDFThis corrigendum corrected an error found in the original article that had been published in volume 91 (2026). The authors identified that an affiliation was missing for Verena Theiler-Schwetz. Verena Theiler-Schwetz should have had the following affiliations:- Department of Metabolism and Systems Science, School of Medical Sciences, College of Medicine and Health, University of Birmingham, United Kingdom and- Division of Endocrinology and Diabetology, Department of Internal Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Graz, AustriaThe authors would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused.</div
Maximising environmental savings from silicon photovoltaics manufacturing to 2035
Get PDFThe silicon photovoltaics market is transitioning from the incumbent passivated emitter rear cell to the higher efficiency tunnel oxide passivated contact technology and it is crucial to understand the environmental impact of this change. Here, we conduct life cycle assessment to compare both technologies quantitatively and identify environmental savings in 15 of 16 environmental impact categories for tunnel oxide passivated contact. This includes a 6.5% reduction in carbon dioxide equivalent emissions, per watt peak at the expense of 15.2% increase in metal resource use, for photovoltaic modules manufactured in China and transported to central Europe. A critical factor in photovoltaics manufacturing is the carbon intensity of the electricity mix. We model the impact of photovoltaics production across different global regions, incorporating future electricity mix scenarios and a projection for photovoltaics deployment. Our model provides a forecast of the environmental impact of global photovoltaics manufacturing and identifies a potential reduction of 8.2 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions by 2035, depending on manufacturing location
Risk-informed opportunistic operation and maintenance for floating offshore wind turbine towers subjected to corrosion fatigue
No full textFloating Offshore Wind Turbines (FOWTs) promise abundant wind resources in deep waters but face structural risks due to corrosion-fatigue (CF) deterioration. The present study aims at a comprehensive framework to evaluate and mitigate the CF risk, and to optimise the operational costs and power production through incorporating strategic and window-aligned the opportunistic operation and maintenance (OOM). Multi-physics modelling and reliability assessment are applied to evaluate fracture-critical ring-flange connections at component, flange, and structural levels. On this basis, failure risk is further quantified through cost losses associated with varying failure consequences. As the key factor influencing structural vibration and power production, three turbine control strategies are examined, i.e., a reference strategy and two de-rating strategies with varying operational reductions. Based on these risk-informed insights, a Genetic Algorithm (GA)-driven, co-scheduled OOM framework is proposed to optimise both turbine control strategies and maintenance actions in an integrated manner. The results highlight the critical impact of CF deterioration on the structural reliability and risk over a 25-year service life. Meanwhile, the de-rating control strategy is validated in mitigating the structural risk and extending maintenance intervals. By coupling operation strategies with maintenance actions in a risk-informed and window-aligned way, a delicate trade-off can be achieved to optimise the structural risk, maintenance cost, and power production in a life-cycle context. This study provides practical insights for industry, demonstrating risk-informed OOM strategies can enhance FOWT performance and cost-effectiveness under similar design and environmental conditions. The proposed framework also sets the stage for future research on dynamic maintenance strategies in FOWT risk and reliability management
Interlaboratory mmWave and THz Quasi-Optical Characterization of Commercial Conventional and 3-D Printable Substrates
Get PDFThe growing interest in terahertz (THz) circuits and devices for next-generation communication and sensing technologies, combined with the increasing need for novel non-planar designs, necessitates accurate and broadband characterization of advanced dielectric substrates. This study comprehensively characterizes industrial-grade Radix™ dielectric resins alongside conventional substrates from 50 GHz to 2.5 THz, with measurements conducted at both the National Physical Laboratory and University of Birmingham using quasi-optical systems run by vector network analyzers (VNAs) and time-domain spectrometers (TDSs). Five different collimated beam measurement setups are used, each using in-house developed material extraction algorithms that incorporate the influence of surface roughness into the extraction process, extending proprietary VNA and TDS-based extraction algorithms. The comprehensive interlaboratory measurement campaign demonstrates strong consistency, validating the robustness and reliability of the methodologies. Detailed analysis confirms that the additional surface roughness introduced by 3D additive manufacturing of Radix™ resins has a negligible impact on electrical parameters
#405 ICON8B:GCIG phase III randomised trial comparing first-line weekly dose-dense chemotherapy + bevacizumab to three-weekly chemotherapy + bevacizumab in high-risk stage III-IV epithelial ovarian cancer: final overall survival (OS) analysis
No full textIntroduction/Background: In ICON8B the use of dose-dense weekly paclitaxel (ddWT) with 3-weekly (q3w) carboplatin (C) and bevacizumab (BEV) as first-line treatment improved median progression-free survival (PFS) by 5.5 months (m) compared to standard q3w paclitaxel (T) dosing with C+BEV (22.2m vs 16.7m; Hazard Ratio (HR) 0.75, 95% CI 0.62-0.90 p=0.002). We now report the final overall survival (OS) analysis.Methodology: Eligible participants (pts) with high-risk stage III (residual disease >1cm diameter after immediate primary surgery (IPS) or requirement for primary chemotherapy) or stage IV EOC were randomised 1:1:1 to Arm B1 (standard- q3wC AUC5/6+q3wT 175mg/m2+ q3w BEV 7.5mg/kg); Arm B2- (q3wC AUC5/6+ddwT 80mg/m2); Arm B3- (q3wC AUC5/6+ddwT 80mg/m2+ q3wBEV 7.5mg/kg). Up to six cycles chemotherapy and 18 BEV cycles were administered. Arm B2 recruitment discontinued after ICON8 saw no evidence of PFS improvement with q3wCddwT vs q3wCT. OS was a key secondary outcome. Pts were followed for survival endpoints until trial closure on 18th Dec 2024.Results: From 07/2015 to 03/2020 579 pts were randomised to arms B1 + B3. Median age was 64 years; 91% had High Grade Serous Carcinoma; 93% Stage IIIc/IV; 84% primary chemotherapy with planned delayed primary surgery; 49% known germline BRCA1/2 mutation status. After median follow-up of 72.0m, 411 deaths were reported (197 B3; 214 B1). Median OS was 49.8m (95% CI 43·7-54.5m) in B3 and 39.6m (95% CI 34·7-45·0m) in B1 (HR 0·79, 95% CI 0·65-0·95, p=0·010). In pts receiving primary chemotherapy, median OS was 47.3m (95% CI 42.0-52.6m) in B3 and 37.1m (95% CI 32.3-42.1m) in B1.Conclusion: In pts with high-risk stage III-IV EOC, the use of ddwT in combination with q3w C + BEV as first-line systemic therapy improves median OS by 10.2m compared to q3w T dosing. ddwT with q3wC+BEV should now be considered a standard-of-care first-line treatment option in this group
Water Fluoridation:Institutional Arrangements and Regulatory Mechanisms in Three Selected Countries
Get PDFObjective: To describe and compare regulatory processes for quality control of community water fluoridation (CWF) in three selected countries. Methods: Documentary analysis of printed and online resources; correspondence with key informants from Brazil, the United States of America (USA), and England; countries with tradition in water fluoridation implementation for dental caries prevention. Results: The target and maximum allowable concentration of fluoride in drinking water was 0.7/4.0 mg/L in the USA; 0.7/1.5 mg/L in Brazil, and 1.0/1.5 mg/L in England. Concentration monitoring by the water companies varied; collection of samples at several points of the distribution network was required in England and the USA, while Brazil demanded only one point at the end of the water treatment. England and the USA relied on data generated by companies responsible for water treatment, while Brazil adopted an independent surveillance system that used data collected in the distribution network by the local health authority. A common point between the USA and Brazil was the construction of a nationwide information system under principles of health surveillance that could be disseminated for stakeholders. In England, annual quality reports for each water supply zone were accessible but not routinely collated and published. Conclusion: Institutional arrangements, regulatory mechanisms, and control, surveillance, and information disclosure procedures varied substantially among countries. There is potential for exchanging procedural and outcome information in order to improve the performance of fluoridation services
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