Extending maps to profinite completions in finitely generated quasivarieties

in Beiträge zur Algebra und Geometrie (2020), 61(4), 627-647

We consider the problem of extending maps from algebras to their profinite completions in finitely generated quasivarieties. Our developments are based on the construction of the profinite completion of ... [more ▼]

We consider the problem of extending maps from algebras to their profinite completions in finitely generated quasivarieties. Our developments are based on the construction of the profinite completion of an algebra as its natural extension. We provide an extension which is a multi-map and we study its continuity properties, and the conditions under which it is a map. [less ▲]

Clarifying the Role of Negative Emotions in the Origin and Control of Impulsive Actions.

in Psychologica Belgica (2020), 60(1), 1-17

This critical review elaborates on the origin of impulsive actions and how these can be controlled. We focus in particular on the role of negative events. First, we outline how impulsive actions often ... [more ▼]

This critical review elaborates on the origin of impulsive actions and how these can be controlled. We focus in particular on the role of negative events. First, we outline how impulsive actions often originate from negative events that are (emotionally) appraised. A discrepancy between this current state and a desired goal state leads to action tendencies. The urgency of the resulting action depends on the importance of the goal and the size of the discrepancy. Second, we discuss how such impulsive actions can be regulated or controlled e.g. by biasing competition between different options, or by completely suppressing all motor output. Importantly, such control mechanisms might also depend on emotional factors. To reconcile these findings, we present a coherent theoretical framework, taking into account various cognitive, affective, and motivational mechanisms as well as contextual factors that play a crucial role in the origin and control of impulsive actions. [less ▲]

A Blanket Too Narrow: On the Autonomy of Member States to Cut Particularly High Special Pensions

E-print/Working paper (2020)

Funzioni della dignità e regolazione del rapporto individuale di lavoro

in Variazioni su Temi di Diritto del Lavoro (2020), (3), 607-629

The value of dignity in the employment relationship can be analysed from different angles, and not always gave rise to omogeneous protection techniques. This article is focused on some ambits of ... [more ▼]

The value of dignity in the employment relationship can be analysed from different angles, and not always gave rise to omogeneous protection techniques. This article is focused on some ambits of regulation, in which the value is taken as costitutional basis for primary law, parameter for the contracting parties as well as overarching principle of interpretation. [less ▲]

Thin-film (Sb,Bi)2Se3 Semiconducting Layers with Tunable Band Gaps Below 1 eV for Photovoltaic Applications

in Physical Review Applied (2020), 14

Role of the ferroelastic strain in the optical absorption of BiVO4

in APL MATERIALS (2020), 8(8),

Bismuth vanadate (BiVO4) has recently been under focus for its potential use in photocatalysis thanks to its well-suited absorption edge in the visible light range. Here, we characterize the optical ... [more ▼]

Bismuth vanadate (BiVO4) has recently been under focus for its potential use in photocatalysis thanks to its well-suited absorption edge in the visible light range. Here, we characterize the optical absorption of a BiVO4 single crystal as a function of temperature and polarization direction by reflectance and transmittance spectroscopy. The optical bandgap is found to be very sensitive to the temperature, and to the tetragonal-to-monoclinic ferroelastic transition at 523 K. The anisotropy, as measured by the difference in the absorption edge for the light polarized parallel and perpendicular to the principal axis, is reduced from 0.2 eV in the high-temperature tetragonal phase to 0.1 eV at ambient temperature. We show that this evolution is dominantly controlled by the ferroelastic shear strain. These findings provide a route for further optimization of bismuth vanadate-based light absorbers in photocatalytic devices. [less ▲]

The WHO-5 Well-Being Index – Validation based on item response theory and the analysis of measurement invariance across 35 countries.

in Journal of Affective Disorders Reports (2020)

Background: The five-item World Health Organization Well-Being Index (WHO-5) is a frequently used brief standard measure in large-scale cross-cultural clinical studies. Despite its frequent use, some ... [more ▼]

Background: The five-item World Health Organization Well-Being Index (WHO-5) is a frequently used brief standard measure in large-scale cross-cultural clinical studies. Despite its frequent use, some psychometric questions remain that concern the choice of an adequate item response theory (IRT) model, the evaluation of reliability at important cutoffpoints, and most importantly the assessment of measurement invariance across countries. Methods: Data from the 6th European Working Condition survey (2015) were used that collected nationally representative samples of employed and self-employed individuals ( N = 43,469) via computer-aided personal interviews across 35 European countries. An in-depth IRT analysis was conducted for each country, testing different IRT assumptions (e.g., unidimensionality), comparing different IRT-models, and calculating reliabilities. Furthermore, measurement invariance analysis was conducted with the recently proposed alignment procedure. Results: The graded response model fitted the data best for all countries. Furthermore, IRT assumptions were mostly fulfilled. The WHO-5 showed overall and at critical points high reliability. Measurement invariance analysis revealed metric invariance but discarded scalar invariance across countries. Analysis of the test characteristic curves of the aligned graded response model indicated low levels of differential test functioning at medium levels of the WHO-5, but differential test functioning increased at more extreme levels. Limitations: The current study has no external criterion (e.g., structured clinical interviews) to assess sensitivity and specificity of the WHO-5 as a depression screening-tool. Conclusions: The WHO-5 is a psychometrically sound measure. However, large-scale cross-cultural studies should employ a latent variable modeling approach that accounts for non-invariant parameters across countries (e.g., alignment). [less ▲]

Mind the gap: Robotic Mission Planning Meets Software Engineering

in Proceedings of the 8th International Conference on Formal Methods in Software Engineering (2020)

In the context of robotic software, the selection of an appropriate planner is one of the most crucial software engineering decisions. Robot planners aim at computing plans (i.e., blueprint of actions) to ... [more ▼]

In the context of robotic software, the selection of an appropriate planner is one of the most crucial software engineering decisions. Robot planners aim at computing plans (i.e., blueprint of actions) to accomplish a complex mission. While many planners have been proposed in the robotics literature, they are usually evaluated on showcase examples, making hard to understand whether they can be effectively (re)used for realising complex missions, with heterogeneous robots, and in real-world scenarios. In this paper we propose ENFORCE, a framework which allows wrapping FM-based planners into comprehensive software engineering tools, and considers complex robotic missions. ENFORCE relies on (i) realistic maps (e.g, fire escape maps) that describe the environment in which the robots are deployed; (ii) temporal logic for mission specification; and (iii) Uppaal model checker to compute plans that satisfy mission specifications. We evaluated ENFORCE by analyzing how it supports computing plans in real case scenarios, and by evaluating the generated plans in simulated and real environments. The results show that while ENFORCE is adequate for handling single-robot applications, the state explosion still represents a major barrier for reusing existing planners in multi-robot applications. [less ▲]

Online Spatiotemporal Popularity Learning via Variational Bayes for Cooperative Caching

in IEEE Transactions on Communications (2020)

The stochastic maintenance location routing allocation problem for rolling stock

in International Journal of Production Economics (2020), 230