Framework Of Principles Research Articles

A scaling law to model the effectiveness of identification techniques

AI techniques are increasingly being used to identify individuals both offline and online. However, quantifying their effectiveness at scale and, by extension, the risks they pose remains a significant challenge. Here, we propose a two-parameter Bayesian model for exact matching techniques and derive an analytical expression for correctness (κ), the fraction of people accurately identified in a population. We then generalize the model to forecast how κ scales from small-scale experiments to the real world, for exact, sparse, and machine learning-based robust identification techniques. Despite having only two degrees of freedom, our method closely fits 476 correctness curves and strongly outperforms curve-fitting methods and entropy-based rules of thumb. Our work provides a principled framework for forecasting the privacy risks posed by identification techniques, while also supporting independent accountability efforts for AI-based biometric systems.

On Medical Tourism Overseas: Ethical Analysis of the Duties of NHS Doctors in Managing the Negative Health Consequences of Accessing Medical Treatments Abroad.

An increasing number of UK residents are travelling overseas to access medical treatments, the negative health consequences of which are largely managed by NHS doctors. This paper performs an ethical analysis, using the ethical framework of principlism, of the duties of NHS doctors in managing these negative health consequences of medical tourism overseas. While the doctor's duty to respect patient autonomy contains a negative duty to not interfere with their choice to access medical treatment overseas, it also contains a positive duty to ensure this choice is informed. This requires those considering medical tourism overseas to be counselled on the risks. This should take place directly by counselling, and indirectly through public health messaging. Beneficence requires the doctor to promote the patient's health, therefore obligating them to treat complications of medical tourism overseas, to intervene if poor cosmetic outcomes negatively impact the patient's mental health, and to refer the patient if the necessary aftercare is insufficiently or entirely unavailable on the NHS. Beneficence also requires doctors to remove harm, meaning they must counsel patients about the risks of medical tourism overseas to minimise the risk of negative health consequences. Justice requires NHS doctors to care for patients according to their clinical needs regardless of how that need has arisen, including the negative health consequences of medical tourism abroad, and requires NHS doctors to minimise these negative health consequences to minimise the scarce resources allocated to addressing them. The duty of non-maleficence is not relevant in this context. Amongst other requirements, this paper finds that NHS doctors must counsel those considering medical tourism overseas on the risks of doing so, and existing efforts to do so should be increased to reflect the increasing prevalence of medical tourism overseas by UK residents and the associated negative health consequences.

Competing fairness ideals underlie wealth inequality across decision contexts

AbstractWealth inequality is one of the most profound challenges confronting society today. However, an important issue in addressing inequality lies in formalizing the diversity of individual perspectives regarding what constitutes a fair distribution of resources. We tackle this topic by simulating wealth inequality through the allocation of bonus endowments in both Dictator Game (DG) and Ultimatum Game (UG) settings and capturing distributive decisions. By integrating a computational model, we quantify individual differences in the interplay between financial self-interest and competing pro-social motivations that emerge in the context of pre-existing wealth inequity. Our behavioral results show that, on average, pre-existing wealth influences distributive preferences across both allocations and proposals. Yet, inequality elicits non-uniform fairness concerns. Using a hierarchical clustering approach, we objectively categorise participants’ behavior elucidating four distinct decision strategies: ‘Pro-Self’, ‘Table Egalitarianism’, ‘Total Egalitarianism’, and ‘Moral Opportunism’. A balanced distribution of strategies is observed during allocations (DG), whereas Table Egalitarianism prevails in strategic proposals (UG), highlighting the influence of strategic considerations on decision strategy. Furthermore, we demonstrate an association between strategies across decision contexts. Our findings thus contribute a principled framework to formalize distributive preferences, revealing that, with respect to both altruistic allocations and strategic proposals, competing ideals of fairness underlie distributive preferences under wealth inequality.

Multimodal Loudspeaker Based on a Dielectric Elastomer Roll Actuator

A novel loudspeaker design integrating lightweight and efficient acoustic transducers derived from dielectric elastomer films is presented. This innovation centers on core-free dielectric elastomer roll actuators, functioning akin to artificial muscles, altering shape upon the application of an electric field. The actuators serve two roles: propelling acoustically radiating surfaces and emitting sound themselves. The paper provides a model that describes the axial vibration behavior via electromechanical and acoustic networks, facilitating understanding and comparability with electrodynamic loudspeaker systems without the need for extensive background knowledge of dielectric elastomer technology. Based on established methodologies, the design process and adaptability to diverse applications is evident. A demonstrator developed as a proof of concept with the aim of creating a broadband speaker for speech reproduction was designed, constructed, and examined utilizing the established methodology. It shows promising practicality and, in certain aspects, technological superiority over electrodynamic counterparts. Notable features, such as increased efficiency, significant weight reduction, and wide radiation pattern make this speaker viable and particularly attractive for mobile PA applications such as those found in trains and aircraft. Furthermore, the underlying principle and modeling framework allow the future creation and adaptation to a broad spectrum of applications, promising further innovation in the field.

Inferring context-dependent computations through linear approximations of prefrontal cortex dynamics.

The complex neural activity of prefrontal cortex (PFC) is a hallmark of cognitive processes. How these rich dynamics emerge and support neural computations is largely unknown. Here, we infer mechanisms underlying the context-dependent integration of sensory inputs by fitting dynamical models to PFC population responses of behaving monkeys. A class of models implementing linear dynamics driven by external inputs accurately captured PFC responses within contexts and revealed equally performing mechanisms. One model implemented context-dependent recurrent dynamics and relied on transient input amplification; the other relied on subtle contextual modulations of the inputs, providing constraints on the attentional effects in sensory areas required to explain flexible PFC responses and behavior. Both models revealed properties of inputs and recurrent dynamics that were not apparent from qualitative descriptions of PFC responses. By revealing mechanisms that are quantitatively consistent with complex cortical dynamics, our modeling approach provides a principled and general framework to link neural population activity and computation.

The Chinggisid Crisis of the mid-fourteenth century: reasons and consequences

Abstract This article analyses the collapse of the Mongol empire in the mid- to late fourteenth century (1330s to 1390s) across Eurasia, looking at three facets of the Crisis: environmental—focusing on climate change; epidemiological—exploring the Black Death's impact on the fall of the Chinggisids; and political—mainly the dilution of the Chinggisid charisma due to the halt of expansion. We argue that the main facet of the Crisis was political, and that it derived from the nomadic culture of the Mongols. This was the same political culture that enabled them to establish their huge empire. However, an integral part of this political culture was the need to secure the support of the nomadic elites who were also the backbone of the Mongol army. This proved to be much harder in a reality of excessive natural disasters on the one hand and the erosion of the Chinggisid charisma due to the renunciation of the ideal of world conquest on the other. The result was a growing number of elite groups who contested for power while nominally retaining the framework of the Chinggisid principle, among whom the imperial sons-in-law played a significant part, as well as the shrink and fragmentation of the Chinggisid polities that survived the Crisis.

Assessment of the adequacy of minimum guarantee sums in mandatory medical malpractice insurance in Poland in relation to claims for annuities by injured patients

This article examines the adequacy of minimum guarantee sums in compulsory insurance for entities providing medical services in Poland, within the framework of risk management principles and objectives. The authors refer to the principles and functions of the risk management process and the perspectives of various stakeholders. Value of risk is analysed in relation to annuities claimed for bodily injury, using the maximum probable loss approach in cases of serious injury resulting in the loss of the ability to work and lead an independent life at a young age—key components of annuity claims. To determine the value of the damage, the authors conduct example annuity calculations using the scenario method. The calculations were conducted in relation to two medical malpractice cases involving Polish medical entities: one concerning an injured Polish patient, and the other a German patient (illustrating medical tourism from a neighbouring country). In both cases, Polish substantial law applies, as determined by the location of the tort. That is why, the claim assessment is based on life expectancy tables and macroeconomic data from both the Polish and German markets. The key findings lead to the conclusion that the insurance sums stipulated by the legislator are grossly inadequate in relation to the level of injury sustained. Limited empirical examples and scenario analyses of potential claims for serious bodily injury (without even considering the worst-case scenarios) suggest that the legislator’s minimum insurance sums are exceeded by 4 to over 100 times (for foreign patients), solely for annuities. This has negative consequences—albeit varying across different stakeholders. The findings also show that the value of annuities is indeed spread over time, but it significantly surpasses compensation claims, underscoring the importance of annuities in risk assessment. The results concerning the potential claim values should form the basis for the legislative decisions regarding minimum guarantee sums, especially if we assume the primacy of the proper protection of potentially injured parties. Furthermore, these findings are also important in shaping the scope of protection under voluntary insurance instruments.

Importance Sampling for Cost-Optimized Estimation of Burn Probability Maps in Wildfire Monte Carlo Simulations

Background: Wildfire modelers rely on Monte Carlo simulations of wildland fire to produce burn probability maps. These simulations are computationally expensive. Methods: We study the application of importance sampling to accelerate the estimation of burn probability maps, using L2 distance as the metric of deviation. Results: Assuming a large area of interest, we prove that the optimal proposal distribution reweights the probability of ignitions by the square root of the expected burned area divided by the expected computational cost and then generalize these results to the assets-weighted L2 distance. We also propose a practical approach to searching for a good proposal distribution. Conclusions: These findings contribute quantitative methods for optimizing the precision/computation ratio of wildfire Monte Carlo simulations without biasing the results, offer a principled conceptual framework for justifying and reasoning about other computational shortcuts, and can be readily generalized to a broader spectrum of simulation-based risk modeling.

SNoMaN: a visual analytic tool for spatial social network mapping and analysis

ABSTRACT Spatial social networks (SSNs) are node-link structures that evidence interpersonal or inter-organizational relationships, where nodes and edges have a defined geographic location. To model SSNs, users need both geographic and social network metrics. However, there are few GUI-based analytic tools that enable simultaneous spatial and social network exploration. In this paper, following the research framework of Exploratory Spatial Data Analysis (ESDA) and design principles of social network analysis tools, we derived three design goals of exploratory spatial social network analysis (SSNA). Guided by these design goals, we provide a visual analytic tool, SNoMaN, which links network and geographical layouts and helps users conduct SSNA by interactively computing and visualizing SSN metrics, describing spatial distributions, exploring associations, and detecting anomalies. We introduce new types of visual diagrams, including Cluster–Cluster Plots, Centralization Plots, on-the-fly mapping of geometrically bounded network modules, and Route Factor Diagrams. We illustrate these new approaches using use case studies of a 1960s network of Mafia members, a global flight network, and a food donation-sharing network in southwestern Virginia. We find that SNoMaN can be used to generate data insights that fuse a system’s spatial and social dimensions that are hard to obtain otherwise.

Existence Analysis of Conformable Fractional Boundary Value Problems

This study examined the fractional boundary value issue at flexible derivatives, focusing on establishing the existence of solutions and uniqueness. We introduce conditions that advance our understanding of this complex mathematical domain by capitalizing on the innovative framework of contraction principles. Moreover, the versatility of the proposed method is emphasized by its effectiveness in dealing with a wide set for compatible fractional differential equations characterized by diverse boundary conditions.

Peran Manajemen Sumber Daya Manusia dalam Meningkatkan Kualitas Pendidikan Islam: Kajian Pustaka

The significance of human resource management (HR) in raising the standard of Islamic education is examined in this study of the literature. This study identifies important HR practices like professional development, performance management, planning techniques, and efficient hiring that support educational advancement by looking at a variety of scientific sources. These results demonstrate that an effective HR framework raises the general level of education in Islamic institutions by promoting a favorable learning environment and assisting educators' professional development. This study emphasizes how crucial HRM is as a tactical instrument for achieving high-quality education within the framework of Islamic principles.

Dissociable Contributions of Goal-Relevant Evidence and Goal-Irrelevant Familiarity to Individual and Developmental Differences in Conflict Recognition.

Recent studies using the diffusion decision model find that performance across many cognitive control tasks can be largely attributed to a task-general efficiency of evidence accumulation (EEA) factor that reflects individuals' ability to selectively gather evidence relevant to task goals. However, estimates of EEA from an n-back "conflict recognition" paradigm in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive DevelopmentSM (ABCD) Study, a large, diverse sample of youth, appear to contradict these findings. EEA estimates from "lure" trials-which present stimuli that are familiar (i.e., presented previously) but do not meet formal criteria for being a target-show inconsistent relations with EEA estimates from other trials and display atypical v-shaped bivariate distributions, suggesting many individuals are responding based largely on stimulus familiarity rather than goal-relevant stimulus features. We present a new formal model of evidence integration in conflict recognition tasks that distinguishes individuals' EEA for goal-relevant evidence from their use of goal-irrelevant familiarity. We then investigate developmental, cognitive, and clinical correlates of these novel parameters. Parameters for EEA and goal-irrelevant familiarity-based processing showed strong correlations across levels of n-back load, suggesting they are task-general dimensions that influence individuals' performance regardless of working memory demands. Only EEA showed large, robust developmental differences in the ABCD sample and an independent age-diverse sample. EEA also exhibited higher test-retest reliability and uniquely meaningful associations with clinically relevant dimensions. These findings establish a principled modeling framework for characterizing conflict recognition mechanisms and have several broader implications for research on individual and developmental differences in cognitive control.

Tangent space functional reconfigurations in individuals at risk for alcohol use disorder

ABSTRACT Human brain function dynamically adjusts to ever-changing stimuli from the external environment. Studies characterizing brain functional reconfiguration are, nevertheless, scarce. Here, we present a principled mathematical framework to quantify brain functional reconfiguration when engaging and disengaging from a stop signal task (SST). We apply tangent space projection (a Riemannian geometry mapping technique) to transform the functional connectomes (FCs) of 54 participants and quantify functional reconfiguration using the correlation distance of the resulting tangent-FCs. Our goal was to compare functional reconfigurations in individuals at risk for alcohol use disorder (AUD). We hypothesized that functional reconfigurations when transitioning to/from a task would be influenced by family history of AUD (FHA) and other AUD risk factors. Multilinear regression models showed that engaging and disengaging functional reconfiguration were associated with FHA and recent drinking. When engaging in the SST after a rest condition, functional reconfiguration was negatively associated with recent drinking, while functional reconfiguration when disengaging from the SST was negatively associated with FHA. In both models, several other factors contributed to the functional reconfiguration. This study demonstrates that tangent-FCs can characterize task-induced functional reconfiguration and that it is related to AUD risk.

Exploring the foundations of Islamic moral economy: a return to substantive morality

Purpose This paper aims to explore the general flaws in the theorization of Islamic economics, particularly its failure to incorporate substantive morality into its framework. Since a considerable number of Islamic economic studies remain within the bounds of instrumental morality, this paper seeks to propose an alternative understanding of Islamic economics by emphasizing the essential role of Islamic moral economy (IME) through substantive morality. Design/methodology/approach The study critically examines the theorization of Islamic economics through a discursive methodology. The adopted method and strategy allow for the discursive evaluation of conceptual developments within the field of modern Islamic economics. It proposes an authentic definition of IME by outlining its paradigmatic framework of political economy, value system, axiomatic approach and operational principles. Findings Islamic economics has been theorized in a reactive and reflexive manner, aiming to provide an alternative to the neoclassical hegemonic discourse. However, it has largely neglected its inherent moral dimension, focusing instead on instrumental morality and failed to embed substantive morality into its system. By introducing an alternative reading of Islamic economics, this study presents IME as a distinct economic model that centers substantive morality in its theorization. Originality/value This paper contributes to the existing literature by offering a novel perspective on Islamic economics that challenges the prevalent instrumental approach and emphasizes the importance of substantive morality. It provides a comprehensive framework for understanding IME as a distinct economic model, thereby enriching the discourse on Islamic economics with an authentic and morally grounded paradigm.

The problem of student’s responsibility in the context of digitalization of education

Introduction. The article discusses some socio-psychological problems related to the change in the subjectivity of the student as the main actor of educational practices.Purpose setting. The purpose of this article is to discuss the acute problems of a student’s responsibility in the context of the emerging non-traditional nature of educational communications.Methodology and methods of the study. The discussion is conducted within the framework of the methodological principles of cognitivism and social constructionism, which today determine the vector of research related to the impact of digitalization on educational practices.Results. The thesis is updated that the change in the subjectivity of an individual (as a learning subject) in the context of convergence of AI applications in educational practices occurs in two main planes. The first of them is associated with the deformation (decrease) of student’s level of responsibility for performing educational practices «as specific learning actions». The second is that the determination of reducing responsibility is largely determined by the «moving»of the driver into the «comfort zone». In this zone, there is a «delegation»of choice and decision-making from the individual (subject, student) by AI application.Conclusion. Against the background of issues related to the «reliability of solutions»offered by AI and the lack of «digital literacy», the possibility of self-identification of the student and the level of his responsibility (as a real subject of educational practices) can be clearly questioned and requires methodological and methodical reflection.

Robot learning on the job: Human-in-the-loop autonomy and learning during deployment

With the rapid growth of computing powers and recent advances in deep learning, we have witnessed impressive demonstrations of novel robot capabilities in research settings. Nonetheless, these learning systems exhibit brittle generalization and require excessive training data for practical tasks. To harness the capabilities of state-of-the-art robot learning models while embracing their imperfections, we present Sirius, a principled framework for humans and robots to collaborate through a division of work. In this framework, partially autonomous robots are tasked with handling a major portion of decision-making where they work reliably; meanwhile, human operators monitor the process and intervene in challenging situations. Such a human–robot team ensures safe deployments in complex tasks. Further, we introduce a new learning algorithm to improve the policy’s performance on the data collected from the task executions. The core idea is re-weighing training samples with approximated human trust and optimizing the policies with weighted behavioral cloning. We evaluate Sirius in simulation and on real hardware, showing that Sirius consistently outperforms baselines over a collection of contact-rich manipulation tasks, achieving an 8% boost in simulation and 27% on real hardware than the state-of-the-art methods in policy success rate, with twice faster convergence and 85% memory size reduction. Videos and more details are available at https://ut-austin-rpl.github.io/sirius/ .

Controlling for polygenic genetic confounding in epidemiologic association studies

Epidemiologic associations estimated from observational data are often confounded by genetics due to pervasive pleiotropy among complex traits. Many studies either neglect genetic confounding altogether or rely on adjusting for polygenic scores (PGS) in regression analysis. In this study, we unveil that the commonly employed PGS approach is inadequate for removing genetic confounding due to measurement error and model misspecification. To tackle this challenge, we introduce PENGUIN, a principled framework for polygenic genetic confounding control based on variance component estimation. In addition, we present extensions of this approach that can estimate genetically unconfounded associations using GWAS summary statistics alone as input and between multiple generations of study samples. Through simulations, we demonstrate superior statistical properties of PENGUIN compared to the existing approaches. Applying our method to multiple population cohorts, we reveal and remove substantial genetic confounding in the associations of educational attainment with various complex traits and between parental and offspring education. Our results show that PENGUIN is an effective solution for genetic confounding control in observational data analysis with broad applications in future epidemiologic association studies.

Menakar Kebijakan Pendampingan Self Declare Halal oleh Perguruan Tinggi (Studi Kasus di Universitas Nahdlatul Ulama Sidoarjo dan Uin Maulana Malik Ibrahim Malang)

This study examines various government efforts to encourage halal product assurance, especially through the creation of derivative regulations and the establishment of the Halal Product Assurance Organizing Agency (BPJPH). However, small to micro-scale business actors still need help, especially related to registration fees and understanding the importance of halal certification. The study aims to explain the role of universities in East Java in assisting halal certification for Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) while analyzing the legal aspects and maqashid sharia. Using field research methods and qualitative approaches, it was found that the role of universities is as PPH assistants for MSEs who meet the halal certification criteria through the self-declare route. The implementation of self-declare halal assistance is faced with the obstacle of maintaining the activeness of registered PPH assistants, and there are still business actors who need to meet the requirements in the assistance process, such as lack of information on materials and expired material certification. An effective monitoring system is required to overcome potential errors in the halal certification process. Universities are also expected to be able to create program innovations to strengthen and activate the role of PPH assistants. The government, in this case, especially BPJPH, also needs to create a more consistent policy regarding halal certification registration through the application so that the criteria of the Halal Product Assurance System (SJPH), which is built on five basic principle frameworks (arkanul halal) can be met.

Free vibrations and dynamic behavior of the three layered flexoelectric functionally graded microbeam under moving load

In this study, free vibrations and the dynamic responses of the three layered flexoelectric functionally graded microbeam under the effect of moving load are investigated. Using the first order shear deformation and the size-dependent piezoelectricity theories in the framework of Hamilton's principle, the governing equations of motion and the corresponding classical and non-classical boundary conditions are obtained. Next, the equations of motion were discretized and solved using the finite element method. In order to validate the governing equations and the solution method, the obtained results have been compared with the results of previous studies, which shows a good convergence between the current and previous results. The obtained results demonstrate the dynamic behavior of the microbeam is strongly influenced by the geometrical ratios, the flexoelectric layers thickness, the functionally graded power index, the flexoelectric coefficient and the load velocity. So that the escalation in the strain gradient from the augmentation of the flexoelectric layers' thickness leads to a corresponding rise in the electric potential function. Moreover, as the flexoelectric coefficient increases, the microbeam becomes more responsive to polarization, thereby generating a greater amount of electrical energy. In addition, changes in the velocity of the moving load significantly affect the dynamic behavior of the structure in such a way that with the increase in the load velocity, the dynamic deflection of the structure increases.

Impact of 6S (5S+Safety) Implementation in Machine Workshops on Occupational Safety

In this current study, the impact of implementing 6S (5S+Safety) in the machining industry on occupational safety was investigated by selecting the chip machining section of a factory producing flywheels. To facilitate the comparison of risk levels before and after the implementation of 6S, a Fine-Kinney risk evaluation was conducted in the sawdust department before the application of 6S. The 6S implementation process took 28 days, and subsequently, a Fine-Kinney risk evaluation was performed in the sawdust department, revealing a 77.4% reduction in risks. As a result, the 77.4% reduction in accident risks indicates that the implementation of 6S, which emphasizes safety within the framework of the 5S principles, leads to a more organized, cleaner, and safer machine workshop environment. We can indicate that this approach not only reduces the risk of accidents but also enhances work efficiency, preventing time loss and material waste.