Time-varying neutrino mass from a supercooled phase transition: current cosmological constraints and impact on the Ωm\Omega_m-σ8\sigma_8 plane

In this paper we investigate a time-varying neutrino mass model, motivated by the mild tension between cosmic microwave background (CMB) measurements of the matter fluctuations and those obtained from low-redshift data. We modify the minimal case of the model proposed by Dvali and Funcke (2016) that predicts late neutrino mass generation in a post-recombination cosmic phase transition, by assuming that neutrino asymmetries allow for the presence of relic neutrinos in the late-time Universe. We show that, if the transition is supercooled, current cosmological data (including CMB temperature, polarization and lensing, baryon acoustic oscillations, and Type Ia supernovae) prefer the scale factor $a_s$ of the phase transition to be very large, peaking at $a_s\sim 1$, and therefore supporting a cosmological scenario in which neutrinos are almost massless until very recent times. We find that in this scenario the cosmological bound on the total sum of the neutrino masses today is significantly weakened compared to the standard case of constant-mass neutrinos, with $\sum m_\nu<4.8$~eV at 95\% confidence, and in agreement with the model predictions. The main reason for this weaker bound is a large correlation arising between the dark energy and neutrino components in the presence of false vacuum energy that converts into the non-zero neutrino masses after the transition. This result provides new targets for the coming KATRIN and PTOLEMY experiments. We also show that the time-varying neutrino mass model considered here does not provide a clear explanation to the existing cosmological $\Omega_m$-$\sigma_8$ discrepancies.Comment: 13 pages, 13 figures, matches updated version accepted by Physical Review

Bringing Telemedicine Initiatives into Regular Care: Theoretical Underpinning for User-Centred Design Processes

Telemedicine is said to change the way care is delivered. Nevertheless, it still faces barriers to overcome the pilot stage and reach a majority of patients in regular care. Missing consideration of user-centred design processes is one major reason for this development as individuals are a key component for the technology’s success. Therefore, we aim to provide recommendations for a user-centred design process, which is, in turn, crucial to successfully implementing telemedicine innovations. To reach this aim, we identified individual-related barriers for telemedicine with an umbrella review. Furthermore, we related the barriers to the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT2) proposed by Venkatesh and colleagues. A theoretical explanation helps to generate a broader understanding of what prevents individual acceptance of telemedicine innovations. The provided recommendations are supposed to support researchers and practitioners planning future telemedicine solutions

Human Respiration Rate Measurement with High-Speed Digital Fringe Projection Technique

This paper proposes a non-contact continuous respiration monitoring method based on Fringe Projection Profilometry (FPP). This method aims to overcome the limitations of traditional intrusive techniques by providing continuous monitoring without interfering with normal breathing. The FPP sensor captures three-dimensional (3D) respiratory motion from the chest wall and abdomen, and the analysis algorithms extract respiratory parameters. The system achieved a high Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) of 37 dB with an ideal sinusoidal respiration signal. Experimental results demonstrated that a mean correlation of 0.95 and a mean Root-Mean-Square Error (RMSE) of 0.11 breaths per minute (bpm) were achieved when comparing to a reference signal obtained from a spirometer

Chief digital officers: the state of the art and the road ahead

There is a lively debate on chief digital officers (CDOs). Some practitioners stress CDOs’ critical role in recrafting digital strategies and accelerating digital transformation, while others predict their disappearance. Academics have also recently begun to study this new executive position and conducted research on CDOs which is, however, scattered across different disciplines and publication outlets. We conduct a systematic literature review that consolidates these initial gains in knowledge. Specifically, we integrate findings on theoretical lenses, research designs, and key themes in studies on CDOs and we propose a framework that organizes CDO research in three broad themes: antecedents of CDO presence, the CDO role, and consequences of CDO presence. We then build on identified gaps to develop an extensive agenda for future research on CDOs. For academic researchers, we not only offer a discipline-spanning overview of knowledge on the topic at hand but also provide useful direction towards fruitful avenues for future research on CDOs. For practitioners, we offer a summary of the current scientific literature on CDOs, including relevant insights on CDO appointments, governance, and performance consequences