Formal Framework Research Articles

Exploring regular black holes within the framework of the TFD formalism

Exploring regular black holes within the framework of the TFD formalism

Proton Relays in Molecular Catalysis for Hydrogen Evolution and Oxidation: Lessons From the Mimicry of Hydrogenases and Electrochemical Kinetic Analyses

AbstractThe active sites of metalloenzymes involved in small molecules activation often contain pendant bases that act as proton relay promoting proton‐coupled electron‐transfer processes. Here we focus on hydrogenases and on the reactions they catalyze, i. e. the hydrogen evolution and oxidation reactions. After a short description of these enzymes, we review some of the various biomimetic and bioinspired molecular systems that contain proton relays. We then provide the formal electrochemical framework required to decipher the key role of such proton relay to enhance catalysis in a single direction and discuss the few systems active for H2 evolution for which quantitative kinetic data are available. We finally highlight key parameters required to reach bidirectional catalysis (both hydrogen evolution and hydrogen oxidation catalyzed) and then transition to reversible catalysis (both reactions catalyzed in a narrow potential range) as well as illustrate these features on few systems from the literature.

Proton Relays in Molecular Catalysis for Hydrogen Evolution and Oxidation: Lessons From the Mimicry of Hydrogenases and Electrochemical Kinetic Analyses

AbstractThe active sites of metalloenzymes involved in small molecules activation often contain pendant bases that act as proton relay promoting proton‐coupled electron‐transfer processes. Here we focus on hydrogenases and on the reactions they catalyze, i. e. the hydrogen evolution and oxidation reactions. After a short description of these enzymes, we review some of the various biomimetic and bioinspired molecular systems that contain proton relays. We then provide the formal electrochemical framework required to decipher the key role of such proton relay to enhance catalysis in a single direction and discuss the few systems active for H2 evolution for which quantitative kinetic data are available. We finally highlight key parameters required to reach bidirectional catalysis (both hydrogen evolution and hydrogen oxidation catalyzed) and then transition to reversible catalysis (both reactions catalyzed in a narrow potential range) as well as illustrate these features on few systems from the literature.

Organic Communities, Atomistic Societies and Loneliness

The article distinguishes two models of human organization: the organic community and the atomistic society. It maintains that the organic paradigm stresses (a) the ideal unity of the whole; (b) internal relations; (c) teleological or dialectical processes; (d) co- or inter-dependent members (e. g. the human body or face); (e) a role-orientation; (f) living functions; (g) freedom defined as doing as you should; and (h) qualitative factors prevail. By contrast, the atomistic model emphasizes (a) the value of individual freedom; (b) external relations; (c) mechanical or causal explanations; (d) separate “parts”(e.g. a machine); (e) a rule orientation; (f) formal, legal, or artificial frameworks; (g) freedom defined as doing as you please; and (h) quantitative factors prevail. The article contends that the sense of individual loneliness or alienation experienced is generally much greater in the atomistic society. And since both the American family and its surrounding society are, in the main, atomisticly-structured, it follows that loneliness is more pronounced and prevalent in American society. The article concludes by offering some programmatic ideals and measures to reverse and mitigate the present tendency toward increasing loneliness in the United States.

Predecisional information search adaptively reduces three types of uncertainty

How do people search for information when they are given the opportunity to freely explore their options? Previous research has suggested that people focus on reducing uncertainty before making a decision, but it remains unclear how exactly they do so and whether they do so consistently. We present an analysis of over 1,000,000 information-search decisions made by over 2,500 individuals in a decisions-from-experience setting that cleanly separates information search from choice. Using a data-driven approach supported by a formal measurement framework, we examine how people allocate samples to options and how they decide to terminate search. Three major insights emerge. First, predecisional information search has at least three drivers that can be interpreted as reducing three types of uncertainty: structural, estimation, and computational. Second, the selection of these drivers of information search is adaptive, sequential, and guided by environmental knowledge that integrates prior expectations, task instructions, and personal experiences. Third, predecisional information search exhibits substantial interindividual heterogeneity, with individuals recruiting different drivers of information search. Together, these insights suggest that human information search is complex in ways that cannot be fully explained by monolithic accounts of information search, including proposals focused on estimation uncertainty or cost-benefit analysis. We conclude that broader theories of human information-search behavior are necessary.

Striking the balance: anti-money laundering goals and legal privilege in Australia

ABSTRACT Criminals engage legal professionals for their skills and services to facilitate laundering of proceeds from crime. Despite this risk, Australia remains one of the few countries globally that is non-compliant with international anti-money laundering (‘AML’) standards set by the Financial Action Task Force (‘FATF’) which urge States to impose preventative measures on legal professionals to provide intelligence to assist law enforcement in detecting financial crime. Representatives of the legal community have vehemently opposed regulating legal professionals under Australia’s AML laws since the inception of Australia’s formal AML framework, fearing that it would cause irreconcilable tension with lawyers’ ethical duties to uphold legal professional privilege (‘LPP’). Although Australia is among the last countries to impose AML duties on legal professionals, its lawmakers can benefit from examining best practices in comparable, globally compliant jurisdictions. Through consideration of the regulatory frameworks in the United Kingdom and New Zealand, this article derives practical insights and offers actionable recommendations for Australian lawmakers and international stakeholders on how to preserve LPP to the greatest extent possible while advancing AML goals. While LPP is not a barrier to AML regulation, it is an important consideration for lawmakers.

Zero coupon yield curve dynamics in the Russian sovereign bond market

Yield curve is a graphical representation of a relationship between interest rates and maturity. Shape of yield curve often attracts attention of analysts, because it represents market implied expectation of future interest rate path. However, the analysis of the yield curve shape often lacks theoretical foundation. It is based either on review of term spreads or on a simple visual investigation. In this article we formally define the shape of the yield curve in terms of function invariants. We use Nelson–Siegel model as a backbone for our classification and show that there exists only six possible shapes of yield curve. They are: a normal upward slopping yield curve, inverted yield curve, humped upward slopping, dipped upward slopping, humped inverted and dipped inverted. We analyze dynamics of zero coupon yield curve in Russian market based on real historical data. We show that transition from an upward slopping curve to an inverted one was always preceded by a hump at mid-tem maturities, while the transition back was always done through the dip. This highlights the importance of mid-term rates in reshapening the curve. We explain this behavior by short end of the curve being linked to the key rate and thus being more sticky. The contribution of the paper is twofold. First, it provides a formal framework to analyze the shape of the yield curve. Second, it describes the patterns in dynamic of the ruble yield curve that can be useful for bond investors in the Russian market.

Implementation of Cognitive (Neuropsychological) Interventions for Older Adults in Clinical or Community Settings: A Scoping Review.

Despite compelling evidence that cognitive interventions for older adults improve cognition, mood, and everyday function, few are implemented in clinical or community practice. This scoping review aims to understand the implementation frameworks and methods used and their contribution to implementation success of cognitive interventions for older adults. We followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR), and searched CINAHL, EMBASE, MEDLINE, and PSYCINFO databases, using terms related to cognitive interventions, implementation, and older adults. This resulted in 5002 studies, of which 29 were included following an iterative process. Most studies reported on implementation of cognitive stimulation for people with dementia. Only four studies used formal implementation frameworks, with three using RE-AIM, and one a process evaluation using complexity theory. The most frequently addressed implementation concepts were Acceptability, Feasibility, and Effectiveness, while Cost, Cost-Effectiveness, and Maintenance were rarely reported. Solutions to common barriers included the importance of good stakeholder relationships and engagement, a manualised intervention flexible enough to adapt to the context, and ensuring facilitators were well-trained, confident, and enthusiastic.

Expected First Occurrence Time of Uncertain Future Events in One-Dimensional Linear Systems

The rapid advancement of machine learning algorithms has significantly enhanced tools for monitoring system health, making data-driven approaches predominant in Prognostics and Health Management (PHM). In contrast, model-based approaches have seen modest progress, as they are often constrained by the need for prior knowledge of specific governing equations, limiting their applicability to a wide range of problems. Recently, rigorous theoretical foundations have been established to extend dynamical systems theory by incorporating prognosis of uncertain events. This article leverages this formal framework to introduce and demonstrate a fundamental mathematical result for one-dimensional linear dynamical systems. The presented theorem offers an exact expression for calculating the expected time at which an event will first occur in the future. Unlike typical thresholds, this event is triggered by a hazard zone, defined as an uncertain event likelihood function over the system's state space. Applications of this theorem can be found in implementing real-time prognostic frameworks, where it is crucial to quickly estimate the magnitude of impending failures. Emphasis is placed on minimizing computational burden to facilitate prognostic decision-making.

Implementation of Risk Management in an Effort to Realize the Good University Governance Principles

This study examines the implementation of risk management at Hasanuddin University in its efforts to realize Good University Governance (GUG) principles, such as transparency, accountability, and efficiency. Using a qualitative approach, data were collected through in-depth interviews, document analysis, and observations involving key university stakeholders. The findings show that while the university has established formal risk management frameworks, several challenges persist. These include resource limitations, inconsistent communication between departments, and a lack of a risk-aware culture. Despite these obstacles, the implementation of risk management has contributed positively to enhancing transparency and accountability by providing systematic processes for identifying, assessing, and mitigating risks. However, full integration with the broader governance system remains incomplete. To fully leverage risk management in supporting GUG principles, the university must promote greater stakeholder involvement, improve resource allocation, and ensure stronger alignment between risk management and governance strategies. These findings offer valuable insights for higher education institutions aiming to enhance governance through effective risk management.

Costs and benefits of a formal quality framework for colonoscopy: Economic evaluation.

Background and study aims Reduction of colorectal cancer morbidity and mortality is one of the primary objectives of colonoscopy. Post-colonoscopy colorectal cancers (PCCRCs) are critical outcome parameters. Analysis of PCCRC rates can validate quality assurance measures in colonoscopy. We assessed the effectiveness of implementing a gastroenterologist-led quality framework that monitors key procedure quality indicators (i.e., bowel preparation quality, adenoma detection rates, or patient satisfaction) by comparing the PCCRC rate before and after implementation. Patients and methods Individuals who had a colonoscopy between 2010 and 2017 at a single tertiary center in Queensland, Australia, were included and divided into two groups: baseline (2010-2014) and redesign phase (2015-2017). Data linkage of the state-wide cancer registry and hospital records enabled identification of subjects who developed colorectal cancers within 5 years of a negative colonoscopy. Costs associated with quality improvement were assessed for effectiveness. Results A total of 19,383 individuals had a colonoscopy during the study period. Seventeen PCCRCs were detected. The PCCRC rate was 0.376 per 1,000 person-years and the average 5-year PCCRC risk ranged from 0.165% to 0.051%. The rate of PCCRCs was higher at the beginning (0.166%; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.15%-0.17%) compared with the later period with full implementation of quality control measures (0.027%; 95% CI 0.023%-0.03%). The quality process determined an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of -$5,670.53 per PCCRC avoided. Conclusions This large cohort study demonstrated that a formal gastroenterologist-led quality assurance framework embedded into the routine operations of a clinical department not only reduces interval cancers but is also cost-effective regarding life years gained and quality-adjusted life years.

Constraints on Testing Post-Newtonian Gravity with Scanning Space Astrometry

High-precision astrometry has the capability of testing General Relativity in the framework of the parametrized post-Newtonian formalism (PPN). Accurate measurements of gravitational light deflection over the entire celestial sphere open up a potential opportunity for determining the post-Newtonian parameter γ, which governs the deflection strength. We examine both analytically and numerically the coupling between a global parallax shift and the PPN parameter γ in Gaia-like astrometry. We also study effect of a parallax zero point on PPN γ estimation is scanning space astrometry. Least squares technique is applied to a direct astrometric solution including PPN γ and astrometric parameters (positions, parallax and proper motions). Analytical solution of the normal equations provides covariance information for the parameter γ and parallaxes. We present a new treatment of the correlation between parallax zero point and PPN γ, based on a statistical approach. We also derive a formula describing the bias in PPN γ estimation resulting from a global parallax offset. These theoretical results are verified by Monte Carlo experiments using astrometric solutions with simulated Gaia observations. Parallax zero point at a sub-μas level is needed to obtain a PPN γ estimate comparable with today’s best determination. We generalize the problem to two-dimensional observations and derive formula for the correlation between parallax zero point and PPN γ in the case when both along- and across-scan measurements are used for PPN γ determination.

Exploring the Role of quality management practices (QMS) in mitigating Construction Failures and building collapse

The construction industry in Nigeria faces critical challenges due to frequent building collapses, highlighting the necessity for robust Quality Management Systems (QMS). This study investigates the current state of QMS adoption and its effectiveness in mitigating building failures. Despite the recognised importance of QMS, the industry shows a low adoption rate, with only 34.8% of firms holding ISO certification and 60.9% lacking formal QMS frameworks. A significant barrier identified is insufficient top management support, impacting 71.4% of the companies surveyed. The study employs a mixed-methods approach, including a comprehensive literature review and a survey of 22 industry stakeholders across major Nigerian cities. This methodology allows for a detailed examination of QMS practices, highlighting the critical role of management commitment, communication, and training in enhancing quality outcomes. The research fills a gap by providing a holistic analysis of QMS issues across different regions, which have been previously understudied. The findings underscore the necessity for enhanced regulatory frameworks and standardised practices to ensure consistent quality management. The study contributes to the international discourse on construction quality by emphasising systemic improvements rather than merely technical fixes. It calls for further research into region-specific challenges and broader adoption of formal QMS practices to improve safety and reliability in Nigeria's construction sector.

Distributed misbehavior monitors for socially organized autonomous systems

In systems in which many heterogeneous agents operate autonomously, with competing goals and without a centralized planner or global information repository, safety and performance can only be guaranteed by “social” rules imposed on the behavior of individual agents. Social laws are structured in a way that they can be verified just by using local information made available to an agent by a small number of its neighbors. Automobile mobility with traffic rules and logistics robots in warehouses are canonical examples of such “regulated autonomy”, but many other fairly-competing autonomous systems are to be expected shortly. In these systems, detecting whether an agent is not abiding by the rules is crucial for raising an alert and taking appropriate countermeasures. However, the limited visibility due to the local nature of the information makes the problem of misbehavior detection hard for any single agent, and only an exchange of information between agents can provide sufficient clues to arrive at a decision. This paper attacks the misbehavior detection problem for a class of socially organized autonomous systems, where the behavior of agents depends on the presence or absence of other neighbors. We propose a solution involving a “local monitor”, which runs on each agent and includes a hybrid observer and a set-valued consensus node. Based on whatever visibility is available, it reconstructs a set-valued occupancy estimate of nearby regions and combines it with communicating neighbors to reach a shared view and a mismatch discovery. We provide a formal framework for describing social rules that unify many different applications and a tool to generate code automatically for local monitors. The technique is demonstrated in various systems, including self-driving cars, autonomous forklifts, and distributed power plants.

Land and Legacy: Investigating Horizontal Conflicts in the Short Story "Dataran Melengen" through Postcolonial Ecocriticism Framework

The issue of ecology in former colonies is an inevitable consequence of past colonialism. The difference now is that the “colonial” subjects have transformed into multinational corporations that exploit nature and people by seizing the land on which communities depend for their livelihoods. This land grabbing is sanctioned by Indonesia through the legalization of laws that allow capitalism to flourish, while local communities become increasingly impoverished. This ecological issue is depicted in literature that critically addresses environmental issues. Therefore, this study examines the short story “Dataran Melengen” (2003) by Korrie Layun Rampan, which actively portrays the ecological issues in Kalimantan caused by companies holding Forest Concession Rights. This research actively employs postcolonial ecocriticism theory by Graham Huggan and Helen Tiffin as its formal framework and critically analyzes the text using Fairclough's critical discourse analysis method. This theory extensively discusses ecological issues in postcolonial countries, highlighting how state approval and abuse of power contribute to these issues. The study reveals ecological issues within the Dataran Melengen community, including horizontal conflicts driven by poverty, along with cultural loss, terror, and trauma. The short story “Dataran Melengen” serves two key functions as mentioned by Huggan and Tiffin: aesthetic and advocacy. These functions are expected to catalyze a third function—activism—where literature can drive social change. The research process involved a close reading of the text, contextual analysis, and a critical discourse approach to explore the interplay between narrative, power, and ecology.

Future directions for deep ocean climate science and evidence-based decision making

IntroductionA defining aspect of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) assessment reports (AR) is a formal uncertainty language framework that emphasizes higher certainty issues across the reports, especially in the executive summaries and short summaries for policymakers. As a result, potentially significant risks involving understudied components of the climate system are shielded from view.MethodsHere we seek to address this in the latest, sixth assessment report (AR6) for one such component—the deep ocean—by summarizing major uncertainties (based on discussions of low confidence issues or gaps) regarding its role in our changing climate system. The goal is to identify key research priorities to improve IPCC confidence levels in deep ocean systems and facilitate the dissemination of IPCC results regarding potentially high impact deep ocean processes to decision-makers. This will accelerate improvement of global climate projections and aid in informing efforts to mitigate climate change impacts. An analysis of 3,000 pages across the six selected AR6 reports revealed 219 major science gaps related to the deep ocean. These were categorized by climate stressor and nature of impacts.ResultsHalf of these are biological science gaps, primarily surrounding our understanding of changes in ocean ecosystems, fisheries, and primary productivity. The remaining science gaps are related to uncertainties in the physical (32%) and biogeochemical (15%) ocean states and processes. Model deficiencies are the leading cited cause of low certainty in the physical ocean and ice states, whereas causes of biological uncertainties are most often attributed to limited studies and observations or conflicting results.DiscussionKey areas for coordinated effort within the deep ocean observing and modeling community have emerged, which will improve confidence in the deep ocean state and its ongoing changes for the next assessment report. This list of key “known unknowns” includes meridional overturning circulation, ocean deoxygenation and acidification, primary production, food supply and the ocean carbon cycle, climate change impacts on ocean ecosystems and fisheries, and ocean-based climate interventions. From these findings, we offer recommendations for AR7 to avoid omitting low confidence-high risk changes in the climate system.

An empirical evaluation of a formal approach versus ad hoc implementations in robot behavior planning

As autonomous robotic systems integrate into various domains, ensuring their safe operation becomes increasingly crucial. A key challenge is guaranteeing safe decision making for cyber-physical systems, given the inherent complexity and uncertainty of real-world environments.Tools like Gwendolen, vGOAL, and Tumato enable the use of formal methods to provide guarantees for correct and safe decision making. This paper concerns Tumato, a formal planning framework that generates complete behavior from a declarative specification. Tumato ensures safety by avoiding unsafe actions and states while achieving robustness by considering nondeterministic outcomes of actions. While formal methods claim to manage complexity, provide safety guarantees, and ensure robustness, empirical evaluation is necessary to validate these claims.This work presents an empirical study comparing the characteristics of various ad hoc behavior planning implementations (developed by participants with diverse levels of experience in computer science), with implementations using Tumato. We investigate the usability of the different approaches and evaluate i) their effectiveness, ii) the achieved safety (guarantees), iii) their robustness in handling uncertainties, and iv) their adaptability, extensibility, and scalability. To our knowledge, this is the first participant-based empirical study of a formal approach for (safe and robust) autonomous behavior.Our analysis confirms that while ad hoc methods offer some development flexibility, they lack the rigorous safety guarantees provided by formal methods. The study supports the hypothesis that formal methods, as implemented in Tumato, are effective tools for developing safe autonomous systems, particularly in managing complexity and ensuring robust decision making and planning.

Spherical accretion onto higher-dimensional Reissner–Nordström black hole

Abstract We obtain relativistic solutions of spherically symmetric accretion by a dynamical analysis of a generalised Hamiltonian for higher-dimensional Reissner–Nordström (RN) Black Hole (BH). We consider two different fluids namely, an isotropic fluid and a non-linear polytropic fluid to analyse the critical points in a higher-dimensional RN BH. The flow dynamics of the fluids are studied in different spacetime dimensions in the framework of Hamiltonian formalism. The isotropic fluid is found to have both transonic and non-transonic flow behaviour, but in the case of polytropic fluid, the flow behaviour is found to exhibit only non-transonic flow, determined by a critical point that is related to the local sound speed. The critical radius is found to change with the spacetime dimensions. Starting from the usual four dimensions it is noted that as the dimension increases the critical radius decreases, attains a minimum at a specific dimension (D > 4) and thereafter increases again. The mass accretion rate for isotropic fluid is determined using Hamiltonian formalism. The maximum mass accretion rate for RN BH with different equations of state parameters is studied in addition to spacetime dimensions. The flow behaviour and mass accretion rate for a change in BH charge is also studied analytically. It is noted that the maximum mass accretion rate in a higher-dimensional Schwarzschild BH is the lowest, which however, increases with the increase in charge parameter in a higher-dimensional RN BH.

A Quick-Scan Methodology Incorporating Local Knowledge for Climate Risk and Vulnerability Assessments Applied in Kampala

AbstractA surge in publications on climate change vulnerability and risk assessments in recent years reflects the escalating impacts of climate change. These assessments are crucial for improving climate change adaptation planning. City-level integrated climate risk and vulnerability assessments (CRVAs) are increasingly relevant, particularly for African cities facing heightened vulnerability from local climate impacts and urbanization. There are several practical challenges in the context of Sub-Saharan African cities: 1) research capacity limitations; 2) the heterogeneity of settlements and their infrastructure; 3) data availability and accessibility; and 4) inclusion of local knowledge in the data collection process. This study aims to address these challenges through an integrated quick-scan CRVA approach. The methodology was developed during the COVID-19 pandemic to be conducted on distance with local partners, and tested through an instrumental case study in Kampala, Uganda. The case of Kampala shows the execution and resulting scan, with mapped districts where climate threats are urgent, summarized in so-called ‘neighbourhood profiles’. The method description and its implementation demonstrate that this form of CRVA methodology holds the potential to: (a) expedite city-wide climate assessments; (b) provide a filter procedure and a classification of diverse needs across districts; (c) bring together ‘insider knowledge’ and ‘outsider expertise’ and (d) establish knowledge collaborations across distances and scales. In just a few months’ time, the project team navigated in both informal community systems and formal institutional frameworks. Preferable to the alternative of complete absence of vulnerability assessments, the described ‘quick-scan method’ may be worthwhile for other African cities.

Habitat dimensionality and feeding strategies but not temperature as determinants of body size-trophic structure relationship in a marine food web.

Disentangling the determinants of trophic structure is central to ecology. The capacity to capture subjugate and consume a prey (i.e. gape limitation) is a relevant limitation to acquire energy for most organisms, especially those in smaller size ranges. This generates a size hierarchy of trophic positions in which large organisms consume small ones. Body size is tightly correlated to gape limitation and explains a large fraction of variance in the body size-trophic position relationship. However, a considerable fraction of variance still remains to be explained. Consumer search space dimensionality (2D or 3D) and feeding strategies, temperature and the size structure of primary producers can alter the trophic structure, but tests based on information from natural food webs are scarce. We generated specific predictions about the body size trophic position relationship and evaluated them using information from a subtropical South Atlantic coastal marine ecosystem: benthic realm (2D, rocky shore and sandy beach) and the pelagic realm (3D). We characterized this marine coastal food web based on stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen from 256 samples from primary producers (macroalgae and phytoplankton) to large predators (sand shark) in summer and winter. Consumer body size encompassed six orders of magnitude in weight from 10-2 to 6 × 104 g. Isotopic signal corresponded to an integration of carbon sources from basal consumers to top predators. The body size-trophic position relationship showed a linear positive association with different slopes for the benthic and pelagic environments. This implies a smaller predator prey size ratio for pelagic (3D) with respect to benthic consumers (2D) as theoretically expected. No seasonal differences were found in slopes and most of the overall variance in benthic environments was largely explained by feeding strategies of the different taxonomic groups. We provide an integrated evaluation on the role of body size, consumer search space and feeding strategy to understand the determinants of trophic position. Results demonstrate that integrating gape limitation hypothesis, the dimensionality of consumer search space and feeding strategies into a formal robust framework to understand trophic structure is feasible even in complex natural ecosystems.