Logics of Finite Hankel Rank

We discuss the Feferman-Vaught Theorem in the setting of abstract model theory for finite structures. We look at sum-like and product-like binary operations on finite structures and their Hankel matrices. We show the connection between Hankel matrices and the Feferman-Vaught Theorem. The largest logic known to satisfy a Feferman-Vaught Theorem for product-like operations is CFOL, first order logic with modular counting quantifiers. For sum-like operations it is CMSOL, the corresponding monadic second order logic. We discuss whether there are maximal logics satisfying Feferman-Vaught Theorems for finite structures.Comment: Appeared in YuriFest 2015, held in honor of Yuri Gurevich's 75th birthday. The final publication is available at Springer via http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-23534-9_1

Vorgehen bei der Bewertung der Archivfunktion von naturnahen und anthropogenen Böden im Kreis Recklinghausen

Für den Kreis Recklinghausen (Nordrhein-Westfalen) mit einer Fläche von etwa 761 km2 ist eine Bewertung ausgewählter Teilfunktionen gemäß BBodSchG zu erstellen. Neben dem naturnahen Außenbereich (450 km2) ist dabei soweit möglich auch der Siedlungsbereich zu berücksichtigen. Als zukünftige Planungsgrundlage entsteht abschließend eine zusammenfassende digitale Karte zur Bodenfunktionsbewertung. In dieser nimmt die Archivfunktion eine zentrale Rolle ein. Die Erstellung der Bodenfunktionskarten erfolgt in erster Linie auf Basis vorhandener digitaler Daten unter Verwendung der Software ArcGIS (Version 10.3). Von zentraler Bedeutung sind dabei die digitale Bodenkarte im Maßstab 1:50.000, die für Teilgebiete vorliegenden digitalen bzw. analogen Bodenkarten 1:5.000 und für landwirtschaftliche Flächen die auf der Bodenschätzung basierende DGK5 Boden. Ergänzend erfolgte eine bodenkundliche Untersuchungskampagne, die vor Ort insbesondere der Klärung von Widersprüchen zwischen Darstellungen verschiedener Bodenkarten und der Erfassung bislang fehlender Informationen dient. Als Kriterien zur Bewertung der Archivfunktion fließen die Naturnähe, die Regenerierbarkeit und die auf das Kreisgebiet bezogene Seltenheit ein. Da sich deren Bewertung im Wesentlichen auf das Merkmal „Bodentyp“ konzentriert, geht die Klassifizierung der oben genannten Kriterien zur Verdeutlichung von Unterschieden von einer 3-stufige Skala aus. Die Kriterien werden stufenweise in Matrices verrechnet. Die Seltenheit fließt mit einer Gewichtung von 50 % ein. Rechnerisch ergibt sich letztlich eine fünfstufige Skala, wie sie in der Regel auch bei den weiteren betrachteten Teilfunktionen angestrebt wird. Bei der abschließenden Plausibilitätsprüfung wird im Einzelfall das Prinzip der Priorisierung und der Vergabe von Zu- bzw. Abschlägen angewandt. Hierbei wird auf ergänzende bodenrelevante Datengrundlagen zurückgegriffen (z.B. Bodendenkmale und Geotope). Die nach Konvertierung auch für die Plattform MapInfo nutzbare digitale Karte der Bewertung der Archivfunktion zeigt, dass der Anteil der Böden mit sehr hoher Wertigkeit (Wertestufen > 4) im naturnahen Außenbereich bei etwa 5 % (ca. 24 km2) liegt. Dabei handelt es sich insbesondere um Plaggenesch und Niedermoor im Bereich der Gebiete bei Dorsten und Haltern. Hinzu kommen 65 Teilflächen im Siedlungsbereich, in denen Schutzobjekte kartiert sind; diese entsprechen einem Flächenanteil von insgesamt 0,15 % (0,7 km²)

Dependence Logic with Generalized Quantifiers: Axiomatizations

We prove two completeness results, one for the extension of dependence logic by a monotone generalized quantifier Q with weak interpretation, weak in the meaning that the interpretation of Q varies with the structures. The second result considers the extension of dependence logic where Q is interpreted as "there exists uncountable many." Both of the axiomatizations are shown to be sound and complete for FO(Q) consequences.Comment: 17 page

Delegation and coordination with multiple threshold public goods: experimental evidence

When multiple charities, social programs and community projects simultaneously vie for funding, donors risk mis-coordinating their contributions leading to an inefficient distribution of funding across projects. Community chests and other intermediary organizations facilitate coordination among donors and reduce such risks. To study this, we extend a threshold public goods framework to allow donors to contribute through an intermediary rather than directly to the public goods. Through a series of experiments, we show that the presence of an intermediary increases public good success and subjects’ earnings only when the intermediary is formally committed to direct donations to socially beneficial goods. Without such a restriction, the presence of an intermediary has a negative impact, complicating the donation environment, decreasing contributions and public good success.When multiple charities, social programs and community projects simultaneously vie for funding, donors risk mis-coordinating their contributions leading to an inefficient distribution of funding across projects. Community chests and other intermediary organizations facilitate coordination among donors and reduce such risks. To study this, we extend a threshold public goods framework to allow donors to contribute through an intermediary rather than directly to the public goods. Through a series of experiments, we show that the presence of an intermediary increases public good success and subjects’ earnings only when the intermediary is formally committed to direct donations to socially beneficial goods. Without such a restriction, the presence of an intermediary has a negative impact, complicating the donation environment, decreasing contributions and public good success

Positioning pharmacists’ roles in primary health care: a discourse analysis of the compensation plan in Alberta, Canada

Abstract Background A comprehensive Compensation Plan for pharmacy services delivered by community pharmacists was implemented in Alberta, Canada in July 2012. Services covered by the Compensation Plan include care planning services, prescribing services such as adapting prescriptions, and administering a drug or publicly-funded vaccine by injection. Understanding how the Compensation Plan was framed and communicated provides insight into the roles of pharmacists and the potential influence of language on the implementation of services covered by the Compensation Plan by Albertan pharmacists. The objective of this study is to examine the positioning of pharmacists’ roles in documents used to communicate the Compensation Plan to Albertan pharmacists and other audiences. Methods Publicly available documents related to the Compensation Plan, such as news releases or reports, published between January 2012 and December 2015 were obtained from websites such as the Government of Alberta, Alberta Blue Cross, the Alberta College of Pharmacists, the Alberta Pharmacists’ Association, and the Blueprint for Pharmacy. Searches of the Canadian Newsstand database and Google identified additional documents. Discourse analysis was performed using social positioning theory to explore how pharmacists’ roles were constructed in communications about the Compensation Plan. Results In total, 65 publicly available documents were included in the analysis. The Compensation Plan was put forward as a framework for payment for professional services and formal legitimization of pharmacists’ changing professional roles. The discourse associated with the Compensation Plan positioned pharmacists’ roles as: (1) expanding to include services such as medication management for chronic diseases, (2) contributing to primary health care by providing access to services such as prescription renewals and immunizations, and (3) collaborating with other health care team members. Pharmacists’ changing roles were positioned in alignment with the aims of primary health care. Conclusions Social positioning theory provides a useful lens to examine the dynamic and evolving roles of pharmacists. This study provides insight into how communications regarding the Compensation Plan in Alberta, Canada positioned pharmacists’ changing roles in the broader context of changes to primary health care delivery. Our findings may be useful for other jurisdictions considering implementation of remunerated clinical services provided by pharmacists

The effect of alcohol advertising, marketing and portrayal on drinking behaviour in young people: systematic review of prospective cohort studies

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The effect of alcohol portrayals and advertising on the drinking behaviour of young people is a matter of much debate. We evaluated the relationship between exposure to alcohol advertising, marketing and portrayal on subsequent drinking behaviour in young people by systematic review of cohort (longitudinal) studies.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>studies were identified in October 2006 by searches of electronic databases, with no date restriction, supplemented with hand searches of reference lists of retrieved articles. Cohort studies that evaluated exposure to advertising or marketing or alcohol portrayals and drinking at baseline and assessed drinking behaviour at follow-up in young people were selected and reviewed.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>seven cohort studies that followed up more than 13,000 young people aged 10 to 26 years old were reviewed. The studies evaluated a range of different alcohol advertisement and marketing exposures including print and broadcast media. Two studies measured the hours of TV and music video viewing. All measured drinking behaviour using a variety of outcome measures. Two studies evaluated drinkers and non-drinkers separately. Baseline non-drinkers were significantly more likely to have become a drinker at follow-up with greater exposure to alcohol advertisements. There was little difference in drinking frequency at follow-up in baseline drinkers. In studies that included drinkers and non-drinkers, increased exposure at baseline led to significant increased risk of drinking at follow-up. The strength of the relationship varied between studies but effect sizes were generally modest. All studies controlled for age and gender, however potential confounding factors adjusted for in analyses varied from study to study. Important risk factors such as peer drinking and parental attitudes and behaviour were not adequately accounted for in some studies.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>data from prospective cohort studies suggest there is an association between exposure to alcohol advertising or promotional activity and subsequent alcohol consumption in young people. Inferences about the modest effect sizes found are limited by the potential influence of residual or unmeasured confounding.</p

Pitfalls of predicting complex traits from SNPs

The success of genome-wide association studies (GWASs) has led to increasing interest in making predictions of complex trait phenotypes, including disease, from genotype data. Rigorous assessment of the value of predictors is crucial before implementation. Here we discuss some of the limitations and pitfalls of prediction analysis and show how naive implementations can lead to severe bias and misinterpretation of results