The Emperor's New Markov Blankets

The free energy principle, an influential framework in computational neuroscience and theoretical neurobiology, starts from the assumption that living systems ensure adaptive exchanges with their environment by minimizing the objective function of variational free energy. Following this premise, it claims to deliver a promising integration of the life sciences. In recent work, Markov Blankets, one of the central constructs of the free energy principle, have been applied to resolve debates central to philosophy (such as demarcating the boundaries of the mind). The aim of this paper is twofold. First, we trace the development of Markov blankets starting from their standard application in Bayesian networks, via variational inference, to their use in the literature on active inference. We then identify a persistent confusion in the literature between the formal use of Markov blankets as an epistemic tool for Bayesian inference, and their novel metaphysical use in the free energy framework to demarcate the physical boundary between an agent and its environment. Consequently, we propose to distinguish between ‘Pearl blankets’ to refer to the original epistemic use of Markov blankets and ‘Friston blankets’ to refer to the new metaphysical construct. Second, we use this distinction to critically assess claims resting on the application of Markov blankets to philosophical problems. We suggest that this literature would do well in differentiating between two different research programs: ‘inference with a model’ and ‘inference within a model’. Only the latter is capable of doing metaphysical work with Markov blankets, but requires additional philosophical premises and cannot be justified by an appeal to the success of the mathematical framework alone.

Electrical & Optical Double Barrier Qualification and Implementation on FENJA Electrically Trace Heated Pipe-in-Pipe Project

This paper provides an overview of the work completed to design, qualify, manufacture and integrate electrical and optical double barrier penetrators with the Electrically Trace Heated Pipe-in-Pipe (ETH-PiP) as part of the Neptune Energy Fenja Development Project. Typical subsea penetrator systems in the oil and gas industry, such as pumps, compressors and X-trees are designed to be retrievable, to enable periodic refurbishment as well as providing the option for replacement, if required. However, the ETH-PiP architecture makes retrieval of system components complicated and uneconomical. Both the electrical and optical dual barrier penetrator system designs have to comply with a set of ETH-PiP specific criteria, such as to be maintenance free over a 25 years service life, prevent water ingress to the pipeline, provide pressure containment for operational media (in an unlikely scenario where the inner pipe bursts) and guarantee minimum footprint to allow an optimum integration onto the Pipeline End Termination (PLET) structure. In addition, the electrical system has to comply with a medium voltage rating (i.e. 5.0/8.7kV) to ensure a wide range of possible ETH-PiP architectures. The optical system has to maintain insertion loss below 0.5dB and a back reflection below -45dB to comply with the stringent requirements of distributed temperature monitoring sensor system over long distances. The qualification program of the electrical dual barrier penetrator system was performed in accordance with IEC 60502-4 and SEPS-SP-1001. A tailor made sequence had to be developed for the optical system, based on guidance from SEAFOM-TSD-01, considering that the system partly falls outside the associated standard application. The electrical dual barrier penetrator system qualification sequence was developed in two phases; firstly, the electrical transition contacts in the feedthrough chamber were qualified in accordance with IEC 60502-4 and secondly, four electrical double barrier penetrator prototypes were manufactured to allow the completion of the qualification sequence defined as per SEPS-SP-1001. The optical dual barrier penetrator system qualification employed the manufacturing of three prototypes to execute the pre-defined qualification sequence. Following the individual qualification of the electrical and optical dual barrier penetrator systems, subsequent welding and full-scale assembly trials were performed to ensure that the maximum allowable temperatures within the penetrators would not be exceeded during welding to the PLET, and to proof test the assembly procedure. Electrical verification testing was also undertaken during these trials to verify that the integrity of the penetrators had been maintained during the assembly and that the PLET arrangement did not give rise to any electrical stresses that could result in excessive deterioration of the penetrators. Integration of the four electrical and two optical dual barrier penetrator systems to the project PLET was completed in Q1 2020, with the actual subsea installation of the first ETH-PiP section including the PLET in Q3 2020.

Decommissioning Offshore Structures by Extraction of Foundation Mono piles Applying a Vibratory Hammer

The vibratory hammer is one of the tools for the extraction of offshore foundation piles as well as monopiles for the decommissioning of offshore structures. In addition to the standard application, where a pile is driven downward to be installed, a vibratory hammer can also be applied to extract piles. For an efficient and commercially attractive application of vibratory hammers for this purpose, the extraction process needs to be modeled during the planning phase to ensure that the appropriate equipment is used. This paper describes how pile driving simulation software can be used to model the extraction process. This is further illustrated through a case study covering the extraction phase of the 1st (onshore) and 2nd (offshore) part of the Delft Offshore Turbine Project. A monopile with a diameter of 4.0 m was extracted approximate 6 months after installation onshore and then extracted several times offshore shortly after installation in the 2nd phase. The paper will not only present the actual extraction predictions, but also the monitoring data obtained during extraction and the results of the post-analysis.

Noether’s theorem in statistical mechanics

Noether’s calculus of invariant variations yields exact identities from functional symmetries. The standard application to an action integral allows to identify conservation laws. Here we rather consider generating functionals, such as the free energy and the power functional, for equilibrium and driven many-body systems. Translational and rotational symmetry operations yield mechanical laws. These global identities express vanishing of total internal and total external forces and torques. We show that functional differentiation then leads to hierarchies of local sum rules that interrelate density correlators as well as static and time direct correlation functions, including memory. For anisotropic particles, orbital and spin motion become systematically coupled. The theory allows us to shed new light on the spatio-temporal coupling of correlations in complex systems. As applications we consider active Brownian particles, where the theory clarifies the role of interfacial forces in motility-induced phase separation. For active sedimentation, the center-of-mass motion is constrained by an internal Noether sum rule.

Measuring Maximum Head Circumference Within the Picture Archiving and Communication System: A Fully Automatic Approach

This study describes an automatic technique to accurately determine the maximum head circumference (MHC) measurement from MRI studies within the Picture Archiving and Communications System, and can automatically add this measurement to the final radiology report. Participants were selected through a retrospective chart review of patients referred to the neurosurgery clinic. Forty-nine pediatric patients with ages ranging from 5 months to 11 years were included in the study. We created 14 printed ring structures to mirror the head circumference values at various ages along the x-axis of the Nellhaus chart. The 3D-printed structures were used to create MRI phantoms. Analytical obtainment of circumference values from the 3D objects and phantom images allowed for a fair estimation and correction of errors on the image-based-measuring instrument. Then, standard manual MHC measurements were performed and compared to values obtained from the patients' MRI T1 images using the tuned instrument proposed in this document. A T-test revealed no statistical difference between the manual assessments and the ones obtained by the automation p = 0.357, α = 0.05. This automatic application augments the more error-prone manual MHC measurement, and can add a numerical value to the final radiology report as a standard application.

Alteration of Intestinal Microbiome of Clostridioides difficile-Infected Hamsters during the Treatment with Specific Cow Antibodies

Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) often develops after pretreatment with antibiotics, which can lead to damage of the intestinal microbiome. The approach of this study was to use specific polyclonal antibodies isolated from the milk of immunized cows to treat CDI, in contrast to the standard application of nonspecific antibiotics. To gain a deeper understanding of the role of the microbiome in the treatment of CDI with bovine antibodies, stool and intestinal fluid samples of hamsters were collected in large quantities from various treatments (>400 samples). The results show that the regeneration of the microbiome instantly begins with the start of the antibody treatment, in contrast to the Vancomycin-treated group where the diversity decreased significantly during the treatment duration. All antibody-treated hamsters that survived the initial phase also survived the entire study period. The results also show that the regeneration of the microbiome was not an antibody-induced regeneration, but a natural regeneration that occurred because no microbiota-inactivating substances were administered. In conclusion, the treatment with bovine antibodies is a functional therapy for both the acute treatment and the prevention of recurrence in hamsters and could meet the urgent need for CDI treatment alternatives in humans.

Should renal pelvic urine culture be obtained routinely in flexible ureterorenoscopy?

Background: Preoperative bladder urine culture (PBUC) analysis has become a standard application before any stone surgery. When growth is detected in PBUC, it is contraindicated to perform flexible ureterorenoscopy (f-URS). The results of the PBUC susceptibility test do not correlate well with those of the renal pelvic urine culture (RPUC) analysis. Previous studies have demonstrated the positivity of RPUC as an important marker for the development of infections after endoscopic operations. In the current study, we aimed to evaluate the consistency between PBUC and RPUC and to identify preoperative markers associated with a positive RPUC. Methods: Data from 129 patients who underwent f-URS on renal and proximal ureteral stones in two centers between 2015 and 2020 were prospectively recorded in a database and retrospectively analyzed. PBUC was obtained from all the patients preoperatively, and RPUC was taken at the beginning of the f-URS operation. The results of the two cultures were compared. Results: There was growth in PBUC in 25 (19.4%) patients and RPUC in 35 (27.1%) patients. Possible predictive markers in predicting a positive RPUC were evaluated using multivariate logistic regression analysis. Preoperative urine density at the renal pelvis [odds ratio (OR): 0.848, p<0.001],grade≥2 hydronephrosis (OR:18.970,p=0.001), and lower calyceal stone localization (OR:0.033,p=0.017) were determined as independent predictive factors for a positive RPUC. The ability of pelvis urine density to predict positive RPUC positivity was evaluated using the receiver operating characteristic analysis, in which the area under the curve value was determined to be 0.858 (0.780-0.936). The cut-off value of pelvis urine density in the prediction of RPUC positivity was 4.5, at which it had 80% sensitivity and 77.7% specificity. Conclusions: PBUC may not represent true colonization. Although bladder urine culture is negative before the operation, patients with preoperative hydronephrosis and low pelvis urine density may have RPUC growth.

Energy efficiency of heating equipment and resources in the implementation and adaption of lean manufacturing tools LLC TATNEFT-AZS center

THE PURPOSE. Consider the introduction and implementation of lean production technology in the branches of OOO Tatneft - AZS Center. Describe the essence of the technology, consider the problems, the complexity of implementation and propose an algorithm for introducing the technology and involving each employee in the process of optimizing the business and maximizing customer focus. METHODS. At the initial stage, it was decided to start implementing the Lean philosophy with two of its tools: kaizen and 5S. Using the philosophy of continuous improvement Kaizen, a system of kaizen sentences was developed and formalized. In order to provide material incentives for employees at each workplace, the Regulation on the system of continuous improvement of the production system of OOO Tatneft-AZS Center was adopted, which regulates and regulates the process of submitting and evaluating kaizen proposals. For the implementation of the 5S system, the standard "Application of the 5S system in the organization of a workplace" was developed, discussed in all labor collectives and adopted, on the basis of which the implementation of the 5S system was started in all branches of OOO Tatneft-AZS Center. RESULTS. The article describes the use of a fairly wide and varied range of Lean manufacturing tools: kaizen proposals, 5C, standardization, TPM, visualization, SFM-visual management, value stream maps. The tools differ in both the time and duration of implementation and their effectiveness. CONCLUSION. Within the framework of adapting the principles of Lean production to the retail and sales network of oil products of OOO Tatneft-AZS Center, the primary factors are industry and organizational specifics.

Protocol for ethyl methanesulphonate (EMS) mutagenesis application in rice

Background: Non-transgenic chemical mutagen application, particularly ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS), is an important tool to create mutations and gain a new genetic makeup for plants. It is useful to obtain a sufficient number of mutant plants instead of working with a severe mutation in a few plants. EMS dose and exposure period have been previously studied in several crops; however, EMS used to create point mutations in presoaked rice seeds has not been sufficiently studied and there is no standard protocol for such treatment. The aim of this study is to establish a standard protocol for EMS mutagenesis application in rice. Methods: Two studies were conducted to evaluate the effect of four durations of rice seed presoaking (0, 6, 12, and 24 hours), four EMS concentration doses (0.0%, 0.5%, 1.0%, and 2.0%), and four EMS exposure periods (6, 12, 24, and 48 hours). Germination rate, plumula and radicle length, seedling survival, shoot length, root length and fresh seedling weight were evaluated. Results: Results showed that a 12-hour presoaking duration, 0.5% EMS dose, and six hours of EMS exposure were the best practices for the optimum number of mutant plants. Conclusions: In light of both this study and the literature, a standard application protocol was established. This application protocol, detailed in this article, contains the following guidelines: (1) Presoaking: 12 hours, (2) EMS application: 0.5% dose EMS and six hours, (3) Final washing: six hours, (4) Drying: 72 hours at 38°C. A user-friendly protocol has been presented for utilization by researchers.

Difficulty in regulating social media content of age-restricted products: Comparing JUUL’s official Twitter timeline versus vaping-related hashtags. (Preprint)

BACKGROUND In 2018, JUUL Labs Inc, a popular e-cigarette manufacturer, announced it would substantially limit its social media presence in compliance with the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) call to curb underage e-cigarette use. However, shortly after the announcement, a series of JUUL-related hashtags emerged on various social media platforms, calling the effectiveness of the FDA’s regulations into question. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study is to show that hashtags remain a common venue to market age-restricted products on social media. METHODS We used Twitter’s standard Application Programming Interface (API) to download the 3200 most-recent tweets originating from JUUL Labs Inc.’s official Twitter Account (@JUULVapor), and a series of tweets containing one, or more, of the following hashtags (#ecig, #vape, #JUUL). We ran two Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) topic models comparing @JUULVapor’s content versus our hashtag corpus. We qualitatively deliberated topic meanings and substantiated our interpretations with tweets from either corpus. RESULTS The topic model generated for @JUULVapor’s timeline seemingly alluded to compliance with the FDA’s call to prohibit marketing of age-restricted products on social media. However, the topic model generated for the hashtag corpus contained several references to flavors, vaping paraphernalia, and illicit drugs which may be appealing to younger audiences. CONCLUSIONS Our findings underscore the complicated nature of social media regulation. Although JUUL Labs Inc. seemingly complied with the FDA to limit its social media presence, JUUL and other e-cigarette manufacturers are still discussed openly in social media spaces. Much discourse about JUUL and e-cigarettes is spread via hashtags, which allow messages to reach a wide audience quickly. This suggests social media regulations on manufacturers are, by themselves, in effective. Stricter protocols are needed to regulate discourse about age-restricted products on social media.