Detecting The Corruption Of Online Questionnaires By Artificial Intelligence

Online questionnaires that use crowd-sourcing platforms to recruit participants have become commonplace, due to their ease of use and low costs. Artificial Intelligence (AI) based Large Language Models (LLM) have made it easy for bad actors to automatically fill in online forms, including generating meaningful text for open-ended tasks. These technological advances threaten the data quality for studies that use online questionnaires. This study tested if text generated by an AI for the purpose of an online study can be detected by both humans and automatic AI detection systems. While humans were able to correctly identify authorship of text above chance level (76 percent accuracy), their performance was still below what would be required to ensure satisfactory data quality. Researchers currently have to rely on the disinterest of bad actors to successfully use open-ended responses as a useful tool for ensuring data quality. Automatic AI detection systems are currently completely unusable. If AIs become too prevalent in submitting responses then the costs associated with detecting fraudulent submissions will outweigh the benefits of online questionnaires. Individual attention checks will no longer be a sufficient tool to ensure good data quality. This problem can only be systematically addressed by crowd-sourcing platforms. They cannot rely on automatic AI detection systems and it is unclear how they can ensure data quality for their paying clients

The status of sustainable social innovation in Malta

Governments are increasingly using social innovation to stimulate economic growth and address social issues sustainably. Unfortunately, due to its size, Malta faces a very different challenge to sustainably kick-start high-value-added innovative ecosystems compared to larger states. This is due to a number of issues, including diseconomies of scale, that tend to impede conventional innovation policy efforts. Based on grassroots data, this paper presents the results of a study which determined the status of social innovation in Malta and presents a few recommended measures that can be implemented in order to stimulate social innovation sustainably in Malta and possibly in similar small jurisdictions.peer-reviewe

GPU enabled real-time optical frequency comb spectroscopy and photonic readout

We describe a GPU-enabled approach for real-time optical frequency comb spectroscopy in which data is recorded, Fourier transformed, normalized, and fit at data rates up to 2.2 GB/s. As an initial demonstration we have applied this approach to rapidly interrogate the motion of an optomechanical accelerometer through the use of an electro-optic frequency comb. However, we note that this approach is readily amenable to both self-heterodyne and dual comb spectrometers for molecular spectroscopy as well as photonic readout where the approach's agility, speed, and simplicity are expected to enable future improvements and applications

IGR J18483-0311: a new intermediate supergiant fast X-ray transient

IGR J18483-0311 is a high-mass X-ray binary recently discovered by INTEGRAL. Its periodic fast X-ray transient activity and its position in the Corbet diagram - although ambiguous - led to the conclusion that the source was a likely Be/X-ray binary (BeXB), even if a supergiant fast X-ray transient (SFXT) nature could not be excluded. We aimed at identifying the companion star of IGR J18483-0311 to discriminate between the BeXB and the SFXT nature of the source. Optical and near-infrared photometry, as well as near-infrared spectroscopy of the companion star were performed to identify its spectral type. We also assembled and fitted its broad-band spectral energy distribution to derive its physical parameters. We show that the companion star of IGR J18483-0311 is an early-B supergiant, likely a B0.5Ia, and that its distance is about 3-4 kpc. The early-B supergiant nature of its companion star, as well as its fast X-ray transient activity point towards an SFXT nature of IGR J18483-0311. Nevertheless, the long duration and the periodicity of its outbursts, as well as its high level of quiescence, are consistent with IGR J18483-0311 being an intermediate SFXT, in between classical supergiant X-ray binaries (SGXBs) characterised by small and circular orbits, and classical SFXTs with large and eccentric orbits.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figures, 3 tables, accepted in A&

Detecting the corruption of online questionnaires by artificial intelligence

Online questionnaires that use crowdsourcing platforms to recruit participants have become commonplace, due to their ease of use and low costs. Artificial intelligence (AI)-based large language models (LLMs) have made it easy for bad actors to automatically fill in online forms, including generating meaningful text for open-ended tasks. These technological advances threaten the data quality for studies that use online questionnaires. This study tested whether text generated by an AI for the purpose of an online study can be detected by both humans and automatic AI detection systems. While humans were able to correctly identify the authorship of such text above chance level (76% accuracy), their performance was still below what would be required to ensure satisfactory data quality. Researchers currently have to rely on a lack of interest among bad actors to successfully use open-ended responses as a useful tool for ensuring data quality. Automatic AI detection systems are currently completely unusable. If AI submissions of responses become too prevalent, then the costs associated with detecting fraudulent submissions will outweigh the benefits of online questionnaires. Individual attention checks will no longer be a sufficient tool to ensure good data quality. This problem can only be systematically addressed by crowdsourcing platforms. They cannot rely on automatic AI detection systems and it is unclear how they can ensure data quality for their paying clients

COMBINATION OF INDEPENDENT COMPONENT ANALYSIS, DESIGN OF EXPERIMENTS AND DESIGN SPACE FOR A NOVEL METHODOLOGY TO DEVELOP CHROMATOGRAPHIC METHODS

As defined by ICH [1] and FDA, Quality by Design (QbD) stands for “a systematic approach to development that begins with predefined objectives and emphasizes product and process understanding and process control, based on sound science and quality risk management”. A risk–based QbD–compliant approach is proposed for the robust development of analytical methods. This methodology based on Design of Experiments (DoE) to study the experimental domain models the retention times at the beginning, the apex and the end of each peak corresponding to the compounds of a mixture and uses the separation criterion (S) rather than the resolution (RS) as a Critical Quality Attribute. Stepwise multiple linear regressions are used to create the models. The estimated error is propagated from the modelled responses to the separation criterion (S) using Monte Carlo simulations in order to estimate the predictive distribution of the separation criterion (S) over the whole experimental domain. This allows finding ranges of operating conditions that will guarantee a satisfactory quality of the method in its future use. These ranges define the Design Space (DS) of the method. In chromatographic terms, the chromatograms processed at operating conditions within the DS will assuredly show high quality, with well separated peaks and short run time, for instance. This Design Space can thus be defined as the subspace, necessarily encompassed in the experimental domain (i.e. the knowledge space), within which the probability for the criterion to be higher than an advisedly selected threshold is higher than a minimum quality level. Precisely, the DS is defined as “the multidimensional combination and interaction of input variables (e.g., material attributes) and process parameters that have been demonstrated to provide assurance of quality” [1]. Therefore, this DS defines a region of operating conditions that provide prediction of assurance of quality rather than only quality as obtained with traditional mean response surface optimisation strategies. For instance, in the liquid chromatography there is a great difference in e.g. predicting a resolution (RS) higher than 1.5 vs. predicting that the probability for RS to be higher than 1.5 (i.e. P(RS> 1.5)) is high. The presentation of this global methodology will be illustrated for the robust optimisation and DS definition of several liquid chromatographic methods dedicated to the separation of different mixtures: pharmaceutical formulations, API and impurities/degradation products, plant extracts, separation of enantiomers, … References [1] International Conference on Harmonisation (ICH) of Technical Requirements for Registration of Pharmaceuticals for Human Use, Topic Q8(R2): Pharmaceutical development, Geneva, 2009

Biomechanical analysis of tension band wiring (TBW) of transverse fractures of patella

Abstract Purpose Tension band wiring is commonly used for fixation of simple transverse fractures. The popular configuration is parallel Kirschner wires (K-wires) and a stainless steel wire loop placed in a vertically oriented figure-of-8. Methods We used a wooden model of a patella with a midway transverse fracture and compared four different types of fixation. The first construct had a vertical figure-of-8 with one twist of wire. The second contained a vertical figure-of-8 with two twists of wire. The third was a vertical figure-of-8 with two twists of wire placed at adjacent corners while the last one had a horizontal figure-of-8 with two twists of wire placed at adjacent corners. Interfragmentary compression at the point of wire breakage was measured for each construct as well as permanent displacement on cyclic loading. Results Placement of the figure-of-eight in a horizontal orientation with two wire twists at the corner improved interfragmentary compression by 63% (p < 0.05, Tukey post hoc test). On cyclic loading, all the constructs with vertical figure-of-eight but none with a horizontal construct failed (p = 0.01; Fisher's exact test). Permanent fracture displacement after cyclic loading was 67% lower with horizontal figure-of-eight constructs (p < 0.05; t test). Conclusion Placing wire twists at the corner and a horizontal placement of figure-of-8 improves stability of the construct

Agile chip-scale electro-optic frequency comb spectrometer with millivolt drive voltages

Here, we present an on-chip spectrometer that leverages an integrated thin-film lithium niobate modulator to produce a frequency-agile electro-optic frequency comb for interrogating chip-scale temperature and acceleration sensors. The low half-wave voltage, $V_{\pi}$, of the modulators and the chirped comb process allows for ultralow radiofrequency drive voltages, which are as much as seven orders of magnitude less than the lowest found in the literature and are generated using a chip-scale, microcontroller-driven direct digital synthesizer. The on-chip comb spectrometer is able to simultaneously interrogate both the on-chip temperature sensor and an off-chip, microfabricated optomechanical accelerometer with cutting-edge sensitivities of $\approx 5 {\mu} \mathrm{K} \cdot \mathrm{Hz} ^{-1/2}$ and $\approx 130 {\mu}\mathrm{m} \cdot \mathrm{s}^{-2} \cdot \mathrm{Hz}^{-1/2}$, respectively. Notable strengths of this platform include the frequency agility of the optical frequency combs, ultralow radiofrequency power requirements and compatibility with a broad range of existing photonic integrated circuit technologies.Comment: 11 pages, 5 figure

Delayed-Onset Hemolytic Anemia in Patients with Travel-Associated Severe Malaria Treated with Artesunate, France, 2011–2013

French Artesunate Working GroupInternational audienceArtesunate is the most effective treatment for severe malaria. However, delayed-onset hemolytic anemia has been observed in ≈20% of travelers who receive artesunate, ≈60% of whom require transfusion. This finding could discourage physicians from using artesunate. We prospectively evaluated a cohort of 123 patients in France who had severe imported malaria that was treated with artesunate; our evaluation focused on outcome, adverse events, and postartesunate delayed-onset hemolysis (PADH). Of the 123 patients, 6 (5%) died. Overall, 97 adverse events occurred. Among the 78 patients who received follow-up for >8 days after treatment initiation, 76 (97%) had anemia, and 21 (27%) of the 78 cases were recorded as PADH. The median drop in hemoglobin levels was 1.3 g/dL; 15% of patients with PADH had hemoglobin levels of <7 g/dL, and 1 required transfusion. Despite the high incidence of PADH, the resulting anemia remained mild in 85% of cases. This reassuring result confirms the safety and therapeutic benefit of artesunate