Reliability Evaluation of Augmented Cubes on Degree

The [Formula: see text]-dimensional augmented cube [Formula: see text], proposed by Choudum and Sunitha in 2002, is one of the most famous interconnection networks of the distributed parallel system. Reliability evaluation of underlying topological structures is vital for fault tolerance analysis of this system. As one of the most extensively studied parameters, the [Formula: see text]-conditional edge-connectivity of a connected graph [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], is defined as the minimum number of the cardinality of the edge-cut of [Formula: see text], if exists, whose removal disconnects this graph and keeps each component of [Formula: see text] having minimum degree at least [Formula: see text]. Let [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] be three integers, where [Formula: see text], if [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text], if [Formula: see text]. In this paper, we determine the exact value of the [Formula: see text]-conditional edge-connectivity of [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] for each positive integer [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text], and give an affirmative answer to Shinde and Borse’s corresponding conjecture on this topic in [On edge-fault tolerance in augmented cubes, J. Interconnection Netw. 20(4) (2020), DOI:10.1142/S0219265920500139].

Universal quantum computation via quantum controlled classical operations

A universal set of gates for (classical or quantum) computation is a set of gates that can be used to approximate any other operation. It is well known that a universal set for classical computation augmented with the Hadamard gate results in universal quantum computing. Motivated by the latter, we pose the following question: can one perform universal quantum computation by supplementing a set of classical gates with a quantum control, and a set of quantum gates operating solely on the latter? In this work we provide an affirmative answer to this question by considering a computational model that consists of 2n target bits together with a set of classical gates controlled by log(2n + 1) ancillary qubits. We show that this model is equivalent to a quantum computer operating on n qubits. Furthermore, we show that even a primitive computer that is capable of implementing only SWAP gates, can be lifted to universal quantum computing, if aided with an appropriate quantum control of logarithmic size. Our results thus exemplify the information processing power brought forth by the quantum control system.

Smuggled Migrants as Victims?

After outlining the UN Protocol’s general approach to migrant smuggling, this article raises the question of whether and to what extent smuggled migrants can be said to be victims of this crime. The author argues that an affirmative answer is possible in at least three different respects: smuggled migrants can be victimized by states fighting against migrant smuggling and irregular immigration (secondary victimization); but, of course, they can also be victimized by smugglers (primary victimization), in two ways: first, if smuggling is so performed as to put their lives, physical integrity or dignity at risk; secondly, smugglers also victimize migrants by profiting of their vulnerable condition, and their need to enter a foreign country, in order to gain economic benefit.

Positive answer to the invariant and hyperinvariant subspaces problems for hyponormal operators

The question whether every operator on infinite-dimensional Hilbert space 𝐻 has a nontrivial invariant subspace or a nontrivial hyperinvariant subspace is one of the most difficult problems in operator theory. This problem is open for more than half a century. A subnormal operator has a nontrivial invariant subspace, but the existence of nontrivial invariant subspace for a hyponormal operator 𝑇 still open. In this paper we give an affirmative answer of the existence of a nontrivial hyperinvariant subspace for a hyponormal operator. More generally, we show that a large classes of operators containing the class of hyponormal operators have nontrivial hyperinvariant subspaces. Finally, every generalized scalar operator on a Banach space 𝑋 has a nontrivial invariant subspace.

The presence of occupational structure in online texts based on word embedding NLP models

Research on social stratification is closely linked to analyzing the prestige associated with different occupations. This research focuses on the positions of occupations in the semantic space represented by large amounts of textual data. The results are compared to standard results in social stratification to see whether the classical results are reproduced and if additional insights can be gained into the social positions of occupations. The paper gives an affirmative answer to both questions.The results show a fundamental similarity of the occupational structure obtained from text analysis to the structure described by prestige and social distance scales. While our research reinforces many theories and empirical findings of the traditional body of literature on social stratification and, in particular, occupational hierarchy, it pointed to the importance of a factor not discussed in the mainline of stratification literature so far: the power and organizational aspect.

Memorialization of the Past through Artistic Forms: Rememberance of the Partisan Movement during and after Yugoslavia

In memory studies, the importance of textualization and visualization (cultural mediation) of the socially shared memories of the past is particularly emphasized. However, while the accent is on the issues of the reasons for some representations to become dominant in relation to others, why the preferred images of the past change over time, as well as of the circumstances and actors that facilitate these changes in the choice and representation of the “desirable” past, less attention is paid to the change in the dominant media through which these images are transferred. This paper examines the reasons behind certain socio-political circumstances and historical periods that render particularly relevant some artistic forms in collective representations of the shared past. Can the artistic forms themselves, as the media of transfer of the messages from the past, testify of the socio-historical function of collective memory, as well as of the society that “addresses” its past in this manner? Aiming for the affirmative answer to this question, the text discusses the favoured artistic expressions of the memory of the World War II in three chronological segments in the socialist Yugoslavia and after its collapse, when the memory is 1) marked and institutionalized as the narrative of the partisans’ struggle and victory; 2) disputed and reshaped as the “dissident” narrative; and 3) taken over from the former official memory and transformed into a form of social-cultural critique.

Validity and Reliability of the Sport Readiness Questionnaire Focused on Musculoskeletal Injuries

Background: The pre-participation physical evaluation (PPE), which includes a musculoskeletal system evaluation, identifies factors that may be a risk for athletes while practicing sport. Thus, the Sport Readiness Questionnaire, focused on musculoskeletal injuries (MIR-Q) was developed to screen athletes at risk of future injuries or worsening pre-existing injuries during training or competition. However, the criterion-related validity and reliability of the MIR-Q have not yet been analyzed. Objectives: To test the criterion-related validity and reliability (internal consistency and test-retest) of the MIR-Q. Methods: One hundred and twenty adult athletes from different sports (17 women) completed the MIR-Q and underwent a physical orthopedic examination (POE) performed by an orthopedic physician. At least one affirmative answer on the MIR-Q, as well as one positive finding on the POE, was considered “a risk factor for sport injury”. The validity was assessed from sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy measurements. Internal consistency was obtained through the KR-20 test. Reliability was measured using the test-retest method in a 7-14-day interval with a sub-sample (n = 41) and verified by the Kappa index. Results: Eighty-one (67.5%) questionnaires contained positive responses. The sensitivity of the MIR-Q against POE was high (84.4%), while specificity and accuracy were considered moderate, with values of 42.7% and 58.0%, respectively. Internal consistency was moderate (KR-20 = 0.57), and test-retest was reduced (K = 0.30; P = 0.02). Conclusions: The MIR-Q was associated with high values of validity and low values of reliability. The questionnaire may be an alternative tool for musculoskeletal screening during PPE in limited medical settings (sports OR orthopedic physician) conditions. Future studies should investigate the predictive validity of the MIR-Q, and psychometric properties of the questionnaire with younger athletes.

Iterated nonexpansive mappings in Hilbert spaces

In [T. Dominguez Benavides and E. Llorens-Fuster, Iterated nonexpansive mappings, J. Fixed Point Theory Appl. 20 (2018), no. 3, Paper No. 104, 18 pp.], the authors raised the question about the existence of a fixed point free continuous INEA mapping T defined on a closed convex and bounded subset (or on a weakly compact convex subset) of a Banach space with normal structure. Our main goal is to give the affirmative answer to this problem in the very special case of a Hilbert space.

The effect of nudges on autonomy in hypothetical and real life settings

Nudges have repeatedly been found to be effective, however they are claimed to harm autonomy, and it has been found that laypeople expect this too. To test whether these expectations translate to actual harm to experienced autonomy, three online studies were conducted. The paradigm used in all studies was that participants were asked to voluntarily participate in a longer version of the questionnaire. This was either done in a hypothetical setting, where participants imagined they were asked this question, but did not answer it, and reported their expectations for autonomy; Or in an actual choice setting where participants answered the question and then reported their actual autonomy. The first study utilized the hypothetical setting and tried to replicate that laypeople expect nudges to harm autonomy with the current paradigm. A total of 451 participants were randomly assigned to either a control, a default nudge, or a social norm nudge condition. In the default nudge condition, the affirmative answer was pre-selected, and in the social norm nudge condition it was stated that most people answered affirmative. The results showed a trend for lower expected autonomy in nudge conditions, but did not find significant evidence. In Study 2, with a sample size of 454, the same design was used in an actual choice setting. Only the default nudge was found to be effective, and no difference in autonomy was found. In Study 3, Studies 1 and 2 were replicated. Explanation of the nudge was added as an independent variable and the social norm nudge condition was dropped, resulting in six conditions and 1322 participants. The results showed that participants indeed expected default nudges to harm their autonomy, but only if the nudge was explained. When actually nudged, no effect on autonomy was found, independent of the presence of an explanation.

The brain drain as exploitation

When skilled individuals emigrate from developing states to developed states, they leave a burdened state behind and bring their valuable human capital to a state that enjoys vast advantages by comparison. Most of the normative debate to date on this so-called ‘brain drain’ has focused on the duties that skilled emigrants owe to their home state after they emigrate. This article shifts the focus to the question of whether their host state acquires special duties toward their home state and argues for an affirmative answer to that question. After identifying the conditions under which ‘exploitative free-riding’ can occur, the article shows that the brain drain is a case of exploitation that gives rise to special duties of compensation for developed host states.