Communicating risks with interactive visualisations and reflective tasks:a mixed-methods evaluation of a mammography screening decision aid

Static graphs of statistics are established visual aids in risk communication and decision support. Interactive information visualisations (InfoVis) and reflective tasks are supposed to enhance active processing, but the evidence is scarce and mixed. This mixed-methods research investigated the effectiveness and user experience of InfoVis and tasks in the context of mammography screening. In a web-based experiment prospective invitees of the screening program (N = 338; aged 30-49) tried a pre-tested web-based decision-aid with risk information either as text, static graph, or InfoVis with or without reflective tasks. The main outcomes were informed choice and risk knowledge, the latter operationalised according to the fuzzy-trace-theory. The accompanying qualitative evaluation with seven participants applied think-aloud protocols and focused interviews. There was no experimental evidence that InfoVis support risk knowledge or informed choice better than text or static graphs. There were even minor detrimental effects. The qualitative results showed problems with the InfoVis presenting risk of overdiagnosis, and negative reactions towards the tasks. InfoVis processing was easy when the underlying concept was easy. While reflective tasks seem not advisable in this target group, limited and well-considered application of InfoVis with a low cognitive load can be an alternative, attention-directing visual aid format

Multi-camera machine learning for salt marsh species classification and mapping

Accurate classification of salt marsh vegetation is vital for conservation efforts and environmental monitoring, particularly given the critical role these ecosystems play as carbon sinks. Understanding and quantifying the extent and types of habitats present in Ireland is essential to support national biodiversity goals and climate action plans. Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) equipped with optical sensors offer a powerful means of mapping vegetation in these areas. However, many current studies rely on single-sensor approaches, which can constrain the accuracy of classification and limit our understanding of complex habitat dynamics. This study evaluates the integration of Red-Green-Blue (RGB), Multispectral Imaging (MSI), and Hyperspectral Imaging (HSI) to improve species classification compared to using individual sensors. UAV surveys were conducted with RGB, MSI, and HSI sensors, and the collected data were classified using Random Forest (RF), Spectral Angle Mapper (SAM), and Support Vector Machine (SVM) algorithms. The classification performance was assessed using Overall Accuracy (OA), Kappa Coefficient (k), Producer’s Accuracy (PA), and User’s Accuracy (UA), for both individual sensor datasets and the fused dataset generated via band stacking. The multi-camera approach achieved a 97% classification accuracy, surpassing the highest accuracy obtained by a single sensor (HSI, 92%). This demonstrates that data fusion and band reduction techniques improve species differentiation, particularly for vegetation with overlapping spectral signatures. The results suggest that multi-sensor UAV systems offer a cost-effective and efficient approach to ecosystem monitoring, biodiversity assessment, and conservation planning

Domain-specific cognitive flexibility:shift-readiness adaptations for task- and attention-switching are non-transferrable

Adaptive behavior in the real world involves navigating competing goals in a constantly changing environment. Doing so requires cognitive flexibility across multiple domains, including flexibility for switching between tasks, that is, activating the appropriate rules for stimulus-response associations, and flexibility for shifting attention between different sources of sensory inputs. Previous work in task switching and attention shifting has separately shown that people are capable of strategically modulating both types of flexibility based on the current demands. That is, people become better at switching between tasks (e.g., digit magnitude vs. parity tasks) when switches are frequently cued and better at shifting attention between different stimulus locations when shifts are frequently cued. Across five experiments in the current study, we investigated the possibility of cognitive flexibility transfer between the domains of task switching and attention shifting when the frequency of switches/shifts is orthogonally manipulated within the same context. We implemented a novel paradigm that involved concurrent cued task switching and attention shifting. We varied either the proportion of task switches or attention shifts across blocks of trials, while keeping the proportion of the other constant. If flexibility adaptations in biased contexts transferred across domains, switch/shift frequency manipulations in one domain should affect flexibility across both domains. Instead, in Experiments 1 to 3, we found that performance costs of attention shifts remained constant across task-switch biased contexts despite adjustments in task-switch costs; likewise, in Experiments 4 to 5, we found that costs of switching between tasks remained constant across blocks that varied in attention-shift frequency despite adaptations in attention-shift costs. These results suggest that probabilistic learning and adjustments of attention-shifts and task switches to meet contextual demands occur independently

Deviations from the Porter-Thomas Distribution due to Nonstatistical γ Decay below the ¹⁵⁰Nd Neutron Separation Threshold

We introduce a new method for the study of fluctuations of partial transition widths based on nuclear resonance fluorescence experiments with quasimonochromatic linearly polarized photon beams below particle separation thresholds. It is based on the average branching of decays of =1 states of an even-even nucleus to the 2+1 state in comparison to the ground state. Between 5 and 7 MeV, a constant average branching ratio for decays from 1− states of 0.490(16) is observed for the nuclide 150Nd . Assuming 2-distributed partial transition widths, this average branching ratio is related to a degree of freedom of =1.93⁢(12), rejecting the validity of the Porter-Thomas distribution, requiring =1. The observed deviation can be explained by nonstatistical effects in the -decay behavior with contributions in the range of 9.4(10)% up to 94(10)%

Effective resource management through VM allocation in cloud data center

It is essential to allocate virtual machines efficiently in order to optimize the resource utilization and minimize the total energy consumption in data centers (DCs). Thus, reducing the number of operational physical machines will reduce the overall energy consumption of the cloud DC. In this paper, First Fit (FF), First Fit Decrease (FFD), Best Fit (BF), Best Fit Decrease (BFD) and Genetic Algorithm (GA) heuristics have been used to allocate virtual machines (VMs) to physical machines (PMs) to get the optimal mapping. Furthermore, we estimated the total energy consumption by the resource requirements of PMs that are required to process the assigned VMs. The experimental results indicate that optimizing the number of active PMs is not always enough to minimize the total energy consumption of the DC. GA is able to get the optimal number of active PMs, but it does not always reduce the total energy consumption of the DC compared to the other employed algorithms. This highlights the necessity of considering energy consumption as a separate objective during virtual machine allocation and consolidation planning as opposed to minimizing the number of active PMs to reduce the power consumption of the data center

An overview of informal WEEE management in MTN Phone Village, Rumukurushi, Port Harcourt, Nigeria

In developing nations, the informal sector is frequently used for the management of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE), which presents serious threats to human health and the environment. This study carried out an overview of the informal WEEE management system adopted in MTN Phone Village in Rumukurushi, Port Harcourt, Nigeria, the associated problems, and measures to address the problems. This study highlights several issues by investigating how WEEE is currently collected, stored, disassembled, sorted, recycled, and disposed of. These issues include serious health concerns for workers, environmental contamination, financial limitations, and regulatory inadequacies. The results emphasise the necessity for more awareness, better infrastructure, stronger regulations, and financial incentives to transition informalrecyclers into the formal economy. The study proposed the restriction of the activities of informal recyclers to WEEE collection only, coupled with the application of the Just-in-time lean management principles. By tackling these problems, the study hopes to provide long-term solutions that lessen the negative effects of informal WEEE disposal, eventually safeguarding the environment and public health. The outcomes of the study identified a research gap in the field. It also contributes to the existing knowledge in the field of specialisation. Furthermore, the study recommended, restricting the activities of informal recyclers to WEEE collection coupled with the adoption of the Justin-time (JIT) lean management principles to the current WEEE management system in the location and other areas faced with similar challenges

Fiscal stance, fiscal rules, and public debt dynamics in the United States

Public debt in the United States has continued to rise despite the implementation of various policy measures aimed at curbing its growth. The Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) and Dynamic Simulated ARDL models were used to examine the effect of fiscal stance and fiscal rules on the dynamics of U.S. public debt. The findings reveal that while fiscal tightening is useful in reducing public debt accumulation, the adoption of fiscal rules may be unbeneficial for curtailing public debt, implying that discretion, rather than rules, may be more desirable for public debt management in the United States

Research approaches to qualitative studies:the case of crisis management in higher education women academics

This paper analyses approaches to qualitative research, with the focus on women academics’ narrative in the Higher Education in the UK. The authors have considered a number of different research strategies (case studies, ethnographies etc) and research designs (interviews, focus groups, surveys etc), in order to result in the appropriate approach to this particular research. The paper also covers information on research participants and the data analysis process, focusing on thematic analysis for this study

Ethical conduct of the UK Post Office in relation to the Horizon Scandal

This article will detail the Post Office and Horizon scandal (United Kingdom), from the implementation of the system to the wrongful accusations and fallout from the High Court case that found the system utterly unfit for purpose. Four ethical theories will be detailed: Foucault’s ethics, Utilitarianism, Deontology, and Sartrean Existentialism. The Horizon scandal represents a significant ethical failure within the Post Office, according to notions of accountability, transparency, and corporate responsibility. The primary ethical issue was the lack of accountability from the Post Office management. Despite repeated reports of problems with the Horizon system, the Post Office continued to rely on its data to prosecute sub-postmasters. This shows a disregard for the responsibility they held over the system's accuracy and the lives of their subpostmasters. In light of the Horizon scandal, and as a means to attempt to regain public trust, there should be reforms under four headings: Improved Oversight; Greater Transparency; Compensation and Rehabilitation; and Ethical Training. Compensation and Rehabilitation implies providing adequate compensation and support for those wronged by the scandal and ensuring that their reputations are restored. Ethical Training means implementing comprehensive ethical training programmes within the organization to foster a culture of accountability and fairness