15 research outputs found
Abstract reservoir computing
Noise of any kind can be an issue when translating results from simulations to the real world. We suddenly have to deal with building tolerances, faulty sensors, or just noisy sensor readings. This is especially evident in systems with many free parameters, such as the ones used in physical reservoir computing. By abstracting away these kinds of noise sources using intervals, we derive a regularized training regime for reservoir computing using sets of possible reservoir states. Numerical simulations are used to show the effectiveness of our approach against different sources of errors that can appear in real-world scenarios and compare them with standard approaches. Our results support the application of interval arithmetics to improve the robustness of mass-spring networks trained in simulations
Feasibility, efficacy, and functional relevance of automated auditory closed-loop suppression of slow-wave sleep in humans.
Slow-wave sleep (SWS) is a fundamental physiological process, and its modulation is of interest for basic science and clinical applications. However, automatised protocols for the suppression of SWS are lacking. We describe the development of a novel protocol for the automated detection (based on the whole head topography of frontal slow waves) and suppression of SWS (through closed-loop modulated randomised pulsed noise), and assessed the feasibility, efficacy and functional relevance compared to sham stimulation in 15 healthy young adults in a repeated-measure sleep laboratory study. Auditory compared to sham stimulation resulted in a highly significant reduction of SWS by 30% without affecting total sleep time. The reduction of SWS was associated with an increase in lighter non-rapid eye movement sleep and a shift of slow-wave activity towards the end of the night, indicative of a homeostatic response and functional relevance. Still, cumulative slow-wave activity across the night was significantly reduced by 23%. Undisturbed sleep led to an evening to morning reduction of wake electroencephalographic theta activity, thought to reflect synaptic downscaling during SWS, while suppression of SWS inhibited this dissipation. We provide evidence for the feasibility, efficacy, and functional relevance of a novel fully automated protocol for SWS suppression based on auditory closed-loop stimulation. Future work is needed to further test for functional relevance and potential clinical applications
Moral dilemmas and trust in leaders during a global health crisis
Abstract: Trust in leaders is central to citizen compliance with public policies. One potential determinant of trust is how leaders resolve conflicts between utilitarian and non-utilitarian ethical principles in moral dilemmas. Past research suggests that utilitarian responses to dilemmas can both erode and enhance trust in leaders: sacrificing some people to save many others (âinstrumental harmâ) reduces trust, while maximizing the welfare of everyone equally (âimpartial beneficenceâ) may increase trust. In a multi-site experiment spanning 22 countries on six continents, participants (N = 23,929) completed self-report (N = 17,591) and behavioural (N = 12,638) measures of trust in leaders who endorsed utilitarian or non-utilitarian principles in dilemmas concerning the COVID-19 pandemic. Across both the self-report and behavioural measures, endorsement of instrumental harm decreased trust, while endorsement of impartial beneficence increased trust. These results show how support for different ethical principles can impact trust in leaders, and inform effective public communication during times of global crisis. Protocol Registration Statement: The Stage 1 protocol for this Registered Report was accepted in principle on 13 November 2020. The protocol, as accepted by the journal, can be found at https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.13247315.v1.</p
Etat de la biodiversité en Suisse en 2014 - Une analyse scientifique
Der Bericht gibt einen Ăberblick ĂŒber den Zustand der BiodiversitĂ€t in der Schweiz im Jahr 2014. Wichtige Institute und wissenschaftsnahe Einrichtungen in der Schweiz, die zum Thema BiodiversitĂ€t forschen, haben ihre Daten und ihr Wissen zusammengetragen und ziehen daraus mehrere Schlussfolgerungen: Die Schweiz ist aufgrund ihrer Topographie, der grossen Höhenunterschiede und der Lage im Herzen Europas ein Land mit einer reichen biologischen Vielfalt. In den letzten 100 Jahren haben wir allerdings massive Verluste an BiodiversitĂ€t erlitten. Der Anteil intakter, naturnaher FlĂ€chen ist im Schweizer Mittelland und in den Tallagen der Berggebiete auf einem bedenklich tiefen Niveau angelangt. Die BestĂ€nde vieler Arten sind auf ein tiefes Niveau zurĂŒckgegangen; das langfristige Ăberleben dieser Arten ist nicht gesichert. Die bisher ergriffenen Massnahmen zur Erhaltung und Förderung der BiodiversitĂ€t in der Schweiz haben dazu beigetragen, dass die Lage der biologischen Vielfalt in der Schweiz nicht noch viel schlechter ist; sie reichen aber bei weitem nicht aus. Ohne massive zusĂ€tzliche Anstrengungen werden die Verluste (ausgehend vom bereits Ă€usserst tiefen Niveau) landesweit weiter fortschreiten. Starke Verluste gibt es heute insbesondere in den tieferen und gut erreichbaren Lagen der Berggebiete. Die Entwicklung dort erinnert an die Verluste im Mittelland seit Mitte des letzten Jahrhunderts. Ăkosysteme liefern â effizient und kostengĂŒnstig â Produkte und Dienstleistungen, von denen die ganze Gesellschaft profitiert. Doch viele Ăkosysteme sind bereits dermassen geschĂ€digt, dass ihre FĂ€higkeit, wertvolle und lebenswichtige Leistungen fĂŒr die Menschen bereitzustellen, drastisch eingeschrĂ€nkt ist (z.B. Kohlenstoffspeicherung oder Erholungsfunktion). Dies ist umso bedenklicher, als mit den zu erwartenden klimatischen VerĂ€nderungen vermehrt auch Extremereignisse abgepuffert werden mĂŒssen. SachverstĂ€ndige schĂ€tzen, dass in der Schweiz eine Verdoppelung der aktuellen FlĂ€che wichtiger LebensrĂ€ume notwendig ist, um die BiodiversitĂ€t und die Ăkosystemleistungen langfristig zu erhalten. Benötigt wird nicht nur eine funktionsfĂ€hige ökologische Infrastruktur aus Schutz- und Vernetzungsgebieten, entscheidend ist auch eine «biodiversitĂ€tsfreundliche» FlĂ€chennutzung in allen relevanten Sektoren sowie eine spezifische Artenförderung fĂŒr jene prioritĂ€ren Arten, die auf zusĂ€tzliche Massnahmen angewiesen sind. Nur mit ausreichenden, stufengerechten Massnahmen lĂ€sst sich die ökologische QualitĂ€t aller LebensrĂ€ume erhöhen und damit auch deren Ăkosystemleistungen fördern. Die Erhaltung und Förderung der BiodiversitĂ€t ist eine gesamtgesellschaftliche Aufgabe. Konsum, Land-, Wald- und Energiewirtschaft, Verkehr, Raumplanung, Jagd und Fischerei, Wasser- und Siedlungsbau, Tourismus, Forschung und Bildung sowie die Privatwirtschaft spielen eine wesentliche Rolle. Dabei kann die Erhaltung und Förderung der BiodiversitĂ€t in vielen FĂ€llen sehr gut in bestehende Programme integriert werden. Der Handlungsbedarf ist ausgewiesen, die wirkungsvollen Massnahmen sind bekannt. Politik und Gesellschaft haben es nun in der Hand, die richtigen Entscheidungen zu treffen und damit das Wohlergehen auch fĂŒr die nĂ€chsten Generationen zu sichernLe prĂ©sent rapport donne une vue dâensemble de lâĂ©tat de la biodiversitĂ© en Suisse en 2014. Les principaux instituts et organismes scientifiques de Suisse qui explorent le thĂšme de la biodiversitĂ© ont fait part de leurs donnĂ©es et de leur savoir, qui aboutissent aux conclusions suivantes: En raison de sa topographie, de ses gradients altitudinaux Ă©levĂ©s et de sa situation au cĆur de lâEurope, la Suisse offre une grande richesse en biodiversitĂ©. Au cours des cent derniĂšres annĂ©es, elle a toutefois subi un appauvrissement massif de sa biodiversitĂ©. La part de surfaces intactes et proches de la nature a atteint un niveau inquiĂ©tant sur le Plateau et dans les vallĂ©es de montagne. Les populations de nombreuses espĂšces ont atteint un trĂšs bas niveau, de sorte que leur survie Ă long terme nâest pas assurĂ©e. Les mesures adoptĂ©es jusquâĂ prĂ©sent pour sauvegarder et promouvoir la biodiversitĂ© en Suisse ont enregistrĂ© quelques succĂšs, toutefois encore nettement insuffisants. Faute dâefforts supplĂ©mentaires massifs, les pertes continueront Ă lâĂ©chelle nationale. Elles affectent aujourdâhui en particulier les rĂ©gions de basse altitude facilement accessibles. LâĂ©volution dans ces rĂ©gions rappelle les pertes subies sur le Plateau depuis le milieu du XXe siĂšcle. Les Ă©cosystĂšmes assurent la fourniture (efficiente et peu coĂ»teuse) de produits et de services dont profite lâensemble de la sociĂ©tĂ©. Pourtant, de nombreux milieux sont dĂ©jĂ dĂ©gradĂ©s dans une telle mesure que leur aptitude Ă fournir des services utiles est gravement compromise (stockage du carbone ou fonction rĂ©crĂ©ative, p. ex.). Câest dâautant plus inquiĂ©tant que les changements prĂ©visibles du climat nĂ©cessiteront de faire face Ă davantage dâĂ©pisodes extrĂȘmes. Les experts estiment quâun doublement de la surface actuelle de nombreux milieux serait nĂ©cessaire en Suisse pour prĂ©server Ă long terme la biodiversitĂ© et les services Ă©cosystĂ©miques. Non seulement une infrastructure Ă©cologique en bon Ă©tat de fonctionnement et composĂ©e de zones de protection et de connexion sâavĂšre nĂ©cessaire; une utilisation des surfaces «compatible» avec la biodiversitĂ© dans tous les secteurs concernĂ©s ainsi quâune promotion des espĂšces prioritaires, tributaires de mesures supplĂ©mentaires, se rĂ©vĂšlent Ă©galement dĂ©terminantes. Seules des mesures suffisantes et adĂ©quates permettent dâaccroĂźtre la qualitĂ© Ă©cologique de tous les milieux et de favoriser ainsi leurs services Ă©cosystĂ©miques. La sauvegarde et la promotion de la biodiversitĂ© impliquent lâensemble de la sociĂ©tĂ©. Agriculture, sylviculture, Ă©nergie, transports, amĂ©nagement du territoire, chasse et pĂȘche, construction hydraulique, urbanisme, tourisme, recherche et formation de mĂȘme que le secteur privĂ© jouent tous un rĂŽle dĂ©terminant. A cet Ă©gard, la sauvegarde et la promotion de la biodiversitĂ© peuvent parfaitement sâintĂ©grer, dans bien des cas, dans des utilisations existantes. La nĂ©cessitĂ© dâagir est reconnue et les mesures efficaces sont identifiĂ©es. La balle est maintenant dans le camp de la classe politique et de la sociĂ©tĂ©. Ils sont tenus de prendre les bonnes dĂ©cisions et dâassurer ainsi aussi le bien-ĂȘtre des gĂ©nĂ©rations futures
Moral dilemmas and trust in leaders during a global health crisis
Trust in leaders is central to citizen compliance with public policies. One potential determinant of trust is how leaders resolve conflicts between utilitarian and non- utilitarian ethical principles in moral dilemmas. Past research suggests that utilitarian responses to dilemmas can both erode and enhance trust in leaders: sacrificing some people to save many others (âinstrumental harmâ) reduces trust, while maximizing the welfare of everyone equally (âimpartial beneficenceâ) may increase trust. In a multi-site experiment spanning 22 countries on six continents, participants (N = 23,929) completed self-report (N = 17,591) and behavioral (N = 12,638) measures of trust in leaders who endorsed utilitarian or non-utilitarian principles in dilemmas concerning the COVID-19 pandemic. Across both the self-report and behavioral measures, endorsement of instrumental harm decreased trust, while endorsement of impartial beneficence increased trust. These results show how support for different ethical principles can impact trust in leaders, and inform effective public communication during times of global crisis
Strong Impact of Smoking on Multimorbidity and Cardiovascular Risk Among Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Infected Individuals in Comparison With the General Population.
Background. âAlthough acquired immune deficiency syndrome-associated morbidity has diminished due to excellent viral control, multimorbidity may be increasing among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected persons compared with the general population. Methods. âWe assessed the prevalence of comorbidities and multimorbidity in participants of the Swiss HIV Cohort Study (SHCS) compared with the population-based CoLaus study and the primary care-based FIRE (Family Medicine ICPC-Research using Electronic Medical Records) records. The incidence of the respective endpoints were assessed among SHCS and CoLaus participants. Poisson regression models were adjusted for age, sex, body mass index, and smoking. Results. âOverall, 74 291 participants contributed data to prevalence analyses (3230 HIV-infected; 71 061 controls). In CoLaus, FIRE, and SHCS, multimorbidity was present among 26%, 13%, and 27% of participants. Compared with nonsmoking individuals from CoLaus, the incidence of cardiovascular disease was elevated among smoking individuals but independent of HIV status (HIV-negative smoking: incidence rate ratio [IRR] = 1.7, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.2-2.5; HIV-positive smoking: IRR = 1.7, 95% CI = 1.1-2.6; HIV-positive nonsmoking: IRR = 0.79, 95% CI = 0.44-1.4). Compared with nonsmoking HIV-negative persons, multivariable Poisson regression identified associations of HIV infection with hypertension (nonsmoking: IRR = 1.9, 95% CI = 1.5-2.4; smoking: IRR = 2.0, 95% CI = 1.6-2.4), kidney (nonsmoking: IRR = 2.7, 95% CI = 1.9-3.8; smoking: IRR = 2.6, 95% CI = 1.9-3.6), and liver disease (nonsmoking: IRR = 1.8, 95% CI = 1.4-2.4; smoking: IRR = 1.7, 95% CI = 1.4-2.2). No evidence was found for an association of HIV-infection or smoking with diabetes mellitus. Conclusions. âMultimorbidity is more prevalent and incident in HIV-positive compared with HIV-negative individuals. Smoking, but not HIV status, has a strong impact on cardiovascular risk and multimorbidity
Strong Impact of Smoking on Multimorbidity and Cardiovascular Risk Among Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Infected Individuals in Comparison With the General Population
Background. Although acquired immune deficiency syndrome-associated morbidity has diminished due to excellent viral control, multimorbidity may be increasing among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected persons compared with the general population. Methods. We assessed the prevalence of comorbidities and multimorbidity in participants of the Swiss HIV Cohort Study (SHCS) compared with the population-based CoLaus study and the primary care-based FIRE (Family Medicine ICPC-Research using Electronic Medical Records) records. The incidence of the respective endpoints were assessed among SHCS and CoLaus participants. Poisson regression models were adjusted for age, sex, body mass index, and smoking. Results. Overall, 74 291 participants contributed data to prevalence analyses (3230 HIV-infected; 71 061 controls). In CoLaus, FIRE, and SHCS, multimorbidity was present among 26%, 13%, and 27% of participants. Compared with nonsmoking individuals from CoLaus, the incidence of cardiovascular disease was elevated among smoking individuals but independent of HIV status (HIV-negative smoking: incidence rate ratio [IRR] = 1.7, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.2-2.5; HIV-positive smoking: IRR = 1.7, 95% CI = 1.1-2.6; HIV-positive nonsmoking: IRR = 0.79, 95% CI = 0.44-1.4). Compared with nonsmoking HIV-negative persons, multivariable Poisson regression identified associations of HIV infection with hypertension (nonsmoking: IRR = 1.9, 95% CI = 1.5-2.4; smoking: IRR = 2.0, 95% CI = 1.6-2.4), kidney (nonsmoking: IRR = 2.7, 95% CI = 1.9-3.8; smoking: IRR = 2.6, 95% CI = 1.9-3.6), and liver disease (nonsmoking: IRR = 1.8, 95% CI = 1.4-2.4; smoking: IRR = 1.7, 95% CI = 1.4-2.2). No evidence was found for an association of HIV-infection or smoking with diabetes mellitus. Conclusions. Multimorbidity is more prevalent and incident in HIV-positive compared with HIV-negative individuals. Smoking, but not HIV status, has a strong impact on cardiovascular risk and multimorbidity