Edge-Orders

Canonical orderings and their relatives such as st-numberings have been used as a key tool in algorithmic graph theory for the last decades. Recently, a unifying concept behind all these orders has been shown: they can be described by a graph decomposition into parts that have a prescribed vertex-connectivity. Despite extensive interest in canonical orderings, no analogue of this unifying concept is known for edge-connectivity. In this paper, we establish such a concept named edge-orders and show how to compute (1,1)-edge-orders of 2-edge-connected graphs as well as (2,1)-edge-orders of 3-edge-connected graphs in linear time, respectively. While the former can be seen as the edge-variants of st-numberings, the latter are the edge-variants of Mondshein sequences and non-separating ear decompositions. The methods that we use for obtaining such edge-orders differ considerably in almost all details from the ones used for their vertex-counterparts, as different graph-theoretic constructions are used in the inductive proof and standard reductions from edge- to vertex-connectivity are bound to fail. As a first application, we consider the famous Edge-Independent Spanning Tree Conjecture, which asserts that every k-edge-connected graph contains k rooted spanning trees that are pairwise edge-independent. We illustrate the impact of the above edge-orders by deducing algorithms that construct 2- and 3-edge independent spanning trees of 2- and 3-edge-connected graphs, the latter of which improves the best known running time from O(n^2) to linear time

Specifications for Multi-Brand Truck Platooning

ICWIM8, 8th International Conference on Weigh-In-Motion, PRAGUE, TCHÈQUE, RÉPUBLIQUE, 20-/05/2019 - 24/05/2019Platooning technology has made significant advances in the last decade, but to achieve the next step towards deployment of truck platooning, an integral multi-brand approach is required. It is the ambition of ENSEMBLE to realize pre-standards for interoperability between trucks, platoons and logistics solution providers, to speed up actual market pick-up of (sub)system development and implementation, and to enable harmonization of legal frameworks in the member states. This paper provides with definition of the specifications of the whole multi-brand truck platooning concept to be implemented within the testing and demonstration trucks of the 6 OEMs. It describes the functional architecture, captures all minimum set of operations layer requirements and tactical layer specifications for Platoon level A. The building blocks of truck platooning consist of in-vehicle requirements (Longitudinal, sensors, HMI interaction), infrastructure (V2I), information among trucks in platoon, and platooning strategy (coordination mode, gap regulation, formation, dissolution, and vehicle mix).La technologie de peloton a fait des progrès significatifs au cours de la dernière décennie, mais pour franchir la prochaine étape du déploiement de pelotons de camions, une approche multimarques intégrée est indispensable. Le projet ENSEMBLE a pour ambition de mettre en place des pré-normes en matière d'interopérabilité entre les camions, les pelotons et les fournisseurs de solutions logistiques, d'accélérer le développement et la mise en oeuvre de (sous-) systèmes sur le marché et de permettre l'harmonisation des cadres juridiques dans les États membres européens. Ce document fournit une définition des spécifications du concept de groupement de camions multimarques à mettre en oeuvre dans les camions de test et de démonstration des 6 constructeurs. Il décrit l'architecture fonctionnelle, capture l'ensemble des exigences minimales de la couche d'exploitation et des spécifications de la couche tactique pour le niveau A. Les éléments constitutifs du groupement de camions sont les exigences embarquées (longitudinal, capteurs, interaction IHM), infrastructure (V2I), informations entre camions du peloton et stratégie de peloton (mode de coordination, régulation des écarts, formation, dissolution et combinaison de véhicules)

Fair is Fair: A Fair Value Distribution Mechanism for Cloud Manufacturing Ecosystems

Cloud Manufacturing is a manufacturing paradigm that focuses on collaboration and resource utilization. Until recently, little research has been done to combine the perspectives of cloud manufacturing and digital platform ecosystems. In the cloud manufacturing paradigm, the cloud coordinator takes up the dual role of a matchmaker and a platform owner, though, so it is interesting to research how any power dominance of the platform owner can be avoided. To do so, three dimensions of platform governance suggested by Tiwana 2014 – pricing policies, decision rights, and control – were considered in this contribution to recommend a fair value distribution mechanism for platform ecosystems in cloud manufacturing. Requirements for such a solution are formulated in this contribution and design patterns satisfying these requirements are derived. We propose using tokens administrated by distributed ledger technologies and smart contracts to enable a special split revenue scheme that satisfies th

Disorders of body cognition following unilateral stroke - neuropsychological basis and modulation by galvanic vestibular stimulation (GVS)

Patients with vascular lesions of the right cerebral hemisphere often show unilateral, multimodal neglect. These patients fail to detect or respond to visual, acoustic or tactile stimuli in their contralesional hemispace or on their contralesional side of body. These failures are not caused by elementary disturbances of the visual (i.e. hemianopia), auditory (i.e. deafness) or motor (i.e. hemiparesis) modality, although they often go hand in hand with these impairments. The majority of previous studies have dealt with these sensory components of the syndrome, especially with visual neglect. However, there are many associated disorders with spatial neglect, e.g. impaired proprioception/arm position sense (APS) or tactile extinction. Both disorders impair activities of daily living and predict a negative functional outcome with functional dependency after rehabilitation. Despite their frequent occurrence, few standardized measurements and suitable (long-term) treatment methods are available for these two impairments. A promising method for the treatment of hemineglect is galvanic vestibular stimulation (GVS), a non-invasive technique activating vestibular cortices and adjacent cortical areas, which are damaged in neglect patients. This method has recorded first successes, especially in visuospatial neglect and the related disorder of extinction. Moreover, previous studies focused almost exclusively on right-handers. Since left-handers show a different cortical organization of the vestibular system, which is crucially involved in body cognition, left-handedness should also be considered for diagnosis and treatment. Therefore, four studies were conducted in the present doctoral thesis, which address these aspects.Patienten mit einer vaskulären Läsion in der rechten Gehirnhälfte zeigen häufig einen einseitigen, multimodalen Neglect. Diese Patienten versagen dabei visuelle, akustische oder taktile Reize auf der kontraläsionalen Raum- bzw. Körperseite wahrzunehmen oder auf diese zu reagieren. Dieses Versagen wird nicht durch eine elementare Störung in der visuellen (d.h. Hemianopsie), auditiven (d.h. Taubheit) oder motorischen (d.h. Hemiparese) Modalität verursacht, obwohl diese oft gleichzeitig auftreten. Der Großteil der bisherigen Studien hat sich mit diesen sensorischen Komponenten des Syndroms beschäftigt, v.a. mit dem visuellen Neglect. Allerdings treten viele assoziierte Störungen mit dem räumlichen Neglect auf, wie z.B. eine gestörte Propriozeption/Armpositionssinn (APS) oder die taktile Extinktion. Beide Störungen beeinträchtigen die Aktivitäten des täglichen Lebens und sagen ein negatives funktionelles Outcome mit funktionaler Abhängigkeit nach der Rehabilitation voraus. Trotz der hohen Auftretenshäufigkeit gibt es nur wenige standardisierte Messgeräte und geeignete (langfristige) Therapiemethoden für diese beiden Störungen. Eine vielversprechende Methode zur Behandlung des Neglects stellt die Galvanisch Vestibuläre Stimulationsmethode (GVS) dar, eine nicht-invasive Technik, die die vestibulären Kortizes und angrenzende Gehirnareale aktiviert, die bei Patienten mit Neglect häufig geschädigt sind. Diese Methode zeigte bisher schon gute Erfolge, v.a. in der Behandlung des visuell-räumlichen Neglects und der häufig assoziierten Extinktion. Darüber hinaus haben sich bisherige Studien überwiegend auf Rechtshänder konzentriert. Da aber Linkshänder eine unterschiedliche kortikale Organisation des vestibulären Systems aufweisen, welches bei der Körperkognition eine wichtige Rolle spielt, sollten Linkshänder ebenfalls in der Diagnostik und Therapie berücksichtigt werden. Daher wurden in der vorliegenden Doktorarbeit vier Studien durchgeführt, die die genannten Aspekte behandeln

Data mining in clinical trial text: transformers for classification and question answering tasks

This research on data extraction methods applies recent advances in natural language processing to evidence synthesis based on medical texts. Texts of interest include abstracts of clinical trials in English and in multilingual contexts. The main focus is on information characterized via the Population, Intervention, Comparator, and Outcome (PICO) framework, but data extraction is not limited to these fields. Recent neural network architectures based on transformers show capacities for transfer learning and increased performance on downstream natural language processing tasks such as universal reading comprehension, brought forward by this architecture’s use of contextualized word embeddings and self-attention mechanisms. This paper contributes to solving problems related to ambiguity in PICO sentence prediction tasks, as well as highlighting how annotations for training named entity recognition systems are used to train a high-performing, but nevertheless flexible architecture for question answering in systematic review automation. Additionally, it demonstrates how the problem of insufficient amounts of training annotations for PICO entity extraction is tackled by augmentation. All models in this paper were created with the aim to support systematic review (semi)automation. They achieve high F1 scores, and demonstrate the feasibility of applying transformer-based classification methods to support data mining in the biomedical literature

The relation between memory and decision-making in Multiple Sclerosis patients

Background. Impairments in long-term and working memory are widespread in Multiple Sclerosis (MS), setting on in early disease stages. These memory impairments may limit patients’ ability to take informed and competent medical decisions, too. In healthy populations, memory abilities predict decision quality across a wide range of tasks. These studies suggest that higher working memory capacity supports decisions in cognitively taxing tasks, whereas better semantic memory facilitates decisions in tasks requiring knowledge retrieval. In individuals with MS, previous studies have linked less accurate decisions to memory deficits and reduced executive functioning, too. However, these studies focussed on decisions under risk and did not broadly assess decision making skills. We aimed to fill this gap in a cross-sectional study. Methods. Hundred thirty-seven participants with MS were recruited during their stay in an MS specialized rehabilitation centre. In a first test session, participants completed a standardized test battery for working memory and semantic memory, the inventory for memory diagnostics. In a second test session, participants filled out the Adult Decision Making Competence battery (A-DMC). This version of the A-DMC measured decision making competence on five subscales: Resistance to Framing Effects, Under/Overconfidence, Applying Decision Rules, Consistency in Risk Perception, and Resistance to Sunk Cost Effects. In addition, participants were screened for depression and cognitive fatigue. Results. Working memory was impaired in most participants, whereas semantic memory was not impaired. To understand which memory abilities underlie distinct components of decision making in people with MS, we used structural equation modelling. Replicating previous findings in a healthy sample, working memory capacity was associated with the ability to recall semantic knowledge. Participants with lower working memory capacity were less resistant to framing effects and adhered to decision rules less. In contrast, participants with worse semantic memory assessed their own knowledge less accurately, perceived risks less consistently, and made more errors in applying decision rules. Cognitive fatigue and depression unlikely explain these relationships. Conclusions. Taken together, our study suggests that the memory problems, frequently reported in MS patients, may reach out to higher-order cognitive functions, such as decision making skills. Supporting shared decision-making and patient autonomy within MS thus requires to take memory impairments into account and to match the information provided to the patient’s memory abilities

Acetylsalicylic acid (Aspirin) for schizophrenia

© 2019 The Cochrane Collaboration. Background Schizophrenia is a serious chronic mental illness affecting an estimated 21 million people worldwide and there is increasing evidence linking inflammation in the brain to the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. Antipsychotic drugs are the conventional treatment for people with schizophrenia but are not always fully effective. Acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin) is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) with properties that inhibit the proinflammatory status of the brain. Using aspirin as an adjunct (add-on) treatment to antipsychotics or as a stand-alone treatment could be a novel, relatively inexpensive option for people with schizophrenia. Objectives To review the effects of acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin) as adjunct (add-on) or as stand-alone treatment for people with schizophrenia. Search methods We searched the Cochrane Schizophrenia Group’s Trials Register (last search 8 March 2018) which is based on regular searches of MEDLINE, Embase, PubMed, CINAHL, BIOSIS, AMED, PsycINFO and registries of Clinical Trials. There are no language, date, document type, or publication status limitations for inclusion of records in the register. Selection criteria Randomised clinical trials focusing on aspirin for people with schizophrenia. Data collection and analysis We extracted data independently. For binary outcomes, we calculated risk ratio (RR) and its 95% confidence interval (CI), on an intention-to-treat (ITT) basis. For continuous data, we estimated the mean difference (MD) between groups and its 95% CI. We employed a fixed-effect model for analyses. We assessed risk of bias for included studies and created a ’Summary of findings’ table using GRADE. Main results We included two studies, both comparing the effects of adding aspirin to standard antipsychotic treatment with adding placebo to standard antipsychotic treatment. We were hoping to find high-quality data for seven main outcomes of importance: clinically important change in global state, mental state, cognitive functioning and quality of life, numbers leaving the study early, incidence of gastrointestinal adverse events and hospital admission. Clinically important change data were not reported. Global state data were reported by one study as ’unspecified problem necessitating change in dose or type of antipsychotics’; there was no clear difference between treatment groups for this outcome (RR 0.75, 95% CI 0.30 to 1.88; studies = 1; participants = 70; very low-quality evidence). Both trials measured mental state using the Positive and Negative Symptom Scale (PANSS), and mean total PANSS endpoint scores favoured the adjunct aspirin group in the medium term (MD-6.56, 95% CI-12.04 to-1.08; studies = 2; participants = 130; very low-quality evidence). Less than 10% of each group’s participants left the studies early (for any reason) and by around three months there was no clear difference between numbers leaving early from the aspirin group compared to numbers leaving early from the placebo group suggesting aspirin is acceptable (RR 1.12, 95% CI 0.40 to 3.14; studies = 2; participants = 130; very low-quality evidence). There was some gastric upset in both groups but rates were not clearly different between the treatment groups (RR 1.03, 95% CI 0.55 to 1.94; studies = 1; participants = 70; very low-quality evidence). We are unclear if ’change in hospital status’ is an unfavourable outcome or not as one study reported equivocal data (RR 0.56, 95% CI 0.05 to 5.90; studies = 1; participants = 70; very low-quality evidence). It should be noted that all the above results were based on data of very low-quality and were difficult to interpret for clinicians or patients, and that the two studies, completed in the last decade, failed to report any usable outcomes on cognitive functioning or quality of life. Authors’ conclusions We highlighted the evidence that some pioneering researchers feel this question is important enough to merit testing in randomised trials. However, we also highlighted that the evidence produced from these trials was weak and inconclusive. It was impossible to draw clear conclusions on the therapeutic value of aspirin for schizophrenia from these short, small and limited trials

The role of investment banking for the German economy: Final report for Deutsche Bank AG, Frankfurt/Main

The aim of this study is to assess the contributions of investment banking to the economy with a particular focus on the German economy. To this end we analyse both the economic benefits and the costs stemming from investment banking. The study focuses on investment banks as this part of banking is particularly relevant for financing companies as well as the development and use of specific products to support the needs of private and professional clients. The assessment of benefits and costs of investment banking has been conducted from a European perspective. Nevertheless there is a focus on the German economy to allow a more detailed analysis of certain aspects as for example the use of derivatives by German companies, the success of M&As in Germany or the effect of securitization on loan supply and GDP in Germany. For comparison purposes other European countries and also the U.S. have been taken into account. The last financial crisis has shown the negative impacts of banks on the financial system and the whole economy. In a study on the contribution of investment banks to systemic risk we quantify the negative side of the investment banking business. In the last part of the study we assess how the effects of regulatory changes on investment banking. All important changes in banking and capital market regulation are taken into account such as Basel III, additional capital requirements for systemically important financial institutions, regulation of OTC derivatives and specific taxes. --