In this paper, we study the approximate minimization problem of weighted finite automata (WFAs): to compute the best possible approximation of a WFA given a bound on the number of states. By reformulating the problem in terms of Hankel matrices, we leverage classical results on the approximation of Hankel operators, namely the celebrated Adamyan-Arov-Krein (AAK) theory. We solve the optimal spectral-norm approximate minimization problem for irredundant WFAs with real weights, defined over a one-letter alphabet. We present a theoretical analysis based on AAK theory and bounds on the quality of the approximation in the spectral norm and $\ell ^2$ norm. Moreover, we provide a closed-form solution, and an algorithm, to compute the optimal approximation of a given size in polynomial time.

This article examines the complex phenomenon of self-harm, exploring its motivations, theoretical underpinnings and the intricate transference and countertransference reactions that arise in clinical settings. It aims to integrate psychiatric understanding with contemporary theories of the impact of trauma on both the body and the mind, to deepen the knowledge of self-harm and increase the effectiveness of treatment approaches. The article argues for a nuanced view of self-harm and emphasises the need for compassionate, well-informed care. By addressing the psychodynamics of self-harm, the article seeks to improve therapeutic outcomes and foster an empathetic and effective clinical response. Fictitious case studies are used to illustrate these concepts, demonstrating the critical role of early attachment experiences and the challenges faced by healthcare providers in management.

Previous literature generally acknowledged that leader inclusiveness has positive effects on employee voice. However, emerging research and practice commentary highlight the importance of considering the potential dark side of leader inclusiveness on employee voice. This study examines the dual-path mechanism by which leader inclusiveness influences employee voice through perceived autonomy and cognitive dependence and investigates the moderating role of performance-prove goal orientation within this dynamic. Based on data from 286 independent leader–subordinate dyads working in China, we find that leader inclusiveness can promote employee voice by increasing perceived autonomy, and hinder employee voice by increasing cognitive dependence. Furthermore, performance-prove goal orientation weakens the positive indirect effect of leader inclusiveness on voice via perceived autonomy and strengthens the negative indirect effect of leader inclusiveness on voice via cognitive dependence. These findings contribute to a better understanding of how leader inclusiveness affects employee voice behavior through dual pathways and its boundary conditions.

I formulate a compatibilism that is distinctively responsive to skeptical worries about the justification of punishment and other moral responsibility practices. I begin with an evolutionary story explaining why backward-looking reactive attitudes are “given” in human society. Cooperative society plausibly could not be sustained without such practices. The necessary accountability practices have complex internal standards. These internal standards may fully ground the appropriateness of reactive attitudes. Following a recent analogy, we can similarly hold that there are no external standards for what is funny; the norms of comedy are complex, but funny is funny. However, this is compatible with moral reasons to change the practices themselves, and therefore change what is fitting within them: in the first instance, a moralistic “that's not funny” is ill-fitting, but “that shouldn't be funny” can be apt. The analogous reformist position prescribes practices constituting the minimal responsibility norms necessary for cooperative society.

Imitation from Observation (IfO) prompts the robot to imitate tasks from unlabeled videos via reinforcement learning (RL). The performance of the IfO algorithm depends on its ability to extract task-relevant representations since images are informative. Existing IfO algorithms extract image representations by using a simple encoding network or pre-trained network. Due to the lack of action labels, it is challenging to design a supervised task-relevant proxy task to train the simple encoding network. Representations extracted by a pre-trained network such as Resnet are often task-irrelevant. In this article, we propose a new approach for robot IfO via multimodal observations. Different modalities describe the same information from different sides, which can be used to design an unsupervised proxy task. Our approach contains two modules: the unsupervised cross-modal representation (UCMR) module and a self-behavioral cloning (self-BC)-based RL module. The UCMR module learns to extract task-relevant representations via a multimodal unsupervised proxy task. The Self-BC for further offline policy optimization collects successful experiences during the RL training. We evaluate our approach on the real robot pouring water task, quantitative pouring task, and pouring sand task. The robot achieves state-of-the-art performance.

The cable-driven parallel mechanism (CDPM) is known as an interesting application in industry to pick and place objects owing to its advantages such as large workspaces. In addition to the advantages of this mechanism, there are some challenges to improving performance by considering constraints in different components, such as the behavior of cables, shape, size of the end effector and base, and model of pulleys and actuators. Moreover, the impact of online geometry reconfiguration must be analyzed. This paper demonstrates the impact of these constraints on the performance of reconfigurable CDPM. The methodology is based on the systematic review and meta-analysis guidelines to report the results. The databases used to find the papers are extracted from Scopus and Google Scholar, using related keywords. As a result, the impact of physical constraints on system performance is discussed. A total of 90 and 37 articles are selected, respectively. After removing duplicates and unrelated papers, 88 studies that met the inclusion criteria are selected for review. Even when considering the physical constraints in modeling the mechanism, simplifications in designing a model for the reconfigurable CDPM generate errors. There is a gap in designing high-performance controllers to track desired trajectories while reconfiguring the geometry, and the satisfaction of physical constraints needs to be satisfied. In conclusion, this review presents several constraints in designing a controller to track desired trajectories and improve performance in future work. This paper presents an integrated controller architecture that includes physical constraints and predictive control.

Anxiety and depression are highly prevalent and comorbid problems in childhood, which deserve greater understanding for effective prevention and treatment. The main aim of the present study was to explore the comorbidity between anxiety and depression symptoms using a novel and valuable approach to study comorbidity, such as network analysis. Specifically, the connectivity between symptoms and possible relevant symptoms was examined through comorbidity estimation and shortest pathway networks, as well as bridge symptoms. This study comprised 281 Spanish-speaking children aged 8–12 years (45.2% girls), whose anxiety and depression symptoms were assessed through specific brief parent-report measures. Analyses revealed that in the comorbidity network, the most central symptoms were related to depression (“No good anymore,” “Could never be as good,” “Hated self,” “Did everything wrong,” “Nobody loved him/her”) or anxiety (“Suddenly feels really scared”). Furthermore, it was found that the most central bridge symptoms, whose activation would play a key role in the activation of other domain symptoms, were anxiety symptoms such as “Trouble going to school” and “Suddenly feels really scared” and depression symptoms, such as “Could never be as good” and “Hated self.” Additionally, the shortest path network suggested the existence of different possible pathways of connection between anxiety and depression symptoms. Overall, these findings help to understand the complexity of the anxiety-depression comorbidity. It suggests the existence of central and bridge symptoms that complement previous studies, which may be potential targets for interventions to prevent and treat childhood anxiety and depression.

We derive an asymptotic expansion for the critical percolation density of the random connection model as the dimension of the encapsulating space tends to infinity. We calculate rigorously the first expansion terms for the Gilbert disk model, the hyper-cubic model, the Gaussian connection kernel, and a coordinate-wise Cauchy kernel.

Antipsychotic medications targeting dopamine receptors were identified 70 years ago. Recent clinical trials have shown that agonists of muscarinic acetylcholinergic receptors can improve both psychotic and negative symptoms in schizophrenia. Here, this new approach to the treatment of schizophrenia is reviewed in anticipation of the drugs being licensed clinically.

Understanding gender disparities in home-based self-employment (HBS) and their links to homeownership and socioeconomic factors is crucial for advancing sustainable development goals (SDGs) in Sub-Saharan Africa, especially Nigeria. This study uses data from the 2010/2011, 2012/13, 2015/16, and 2018/19 waves of the Nigerian General Household Survey (GHS). It employs random effect probit regression, the LASSO method for identifying predictors, and the Blinder–Oaxaca decomposition technique to analyse gender differences in nonlinear binary outcomes. The results show that female business owners are more likely to engage in HBS compared to males, highlighting the importance of gender equality (SDG 5) and decent work (SDG 8). While male entrepreneurs are mainly driven by profit, females prioritise balancing paid and unpaid work, reflecting motivations beyond profit within heterodox economics. Significant gender-differentiated impacts are observed in relation to monthly rent, post-secondary education, dwelling space, energy, and regional locations. Notably, the presence of children significantly increases female involvement in HBS, a trend not seen among males. Marriage also influences female participation, suggesting that marital circumstances and economic benefits play a role. These findings highlight the need for policies addressing gender-specific constraints, challenging traditional gender roles, and promoting inclusive human development within the SDG framework.

This study aims to examine the impact of the Hukou system, a labour mobility-restricting institution, on the decision to engage in non-agricultural self-employment in China, reflecting the dynamic process of labour transition from contractual work to self-employment within the country’s evolving labour market. By using the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) dataset, the results show that urban migrants, who own rural Hukou but migrate to large cities, are more likely to turn to self-employment than local citizens conditional on individual characteristics. Taking advantage of the 2014 Hukou reform, we provide supporting evidence that Hukou discrimination is a key factor in explaining the higher self-employment rate among representative urban migrants. Further heterogeneous analysis suggests that low-income migrants experience greater constraints imposed by the Hukou system, while high-income level migrants are more likely to turn to self-employment voluntarily.

In this article, we develop a novel large volatility matrix estimation procedure for analyzing global financial markets. Practitioners often use lower-frequency data, such as weekly or monthly returns, to address the issue of different trading hours in the international financial market. However, this approach can lead to inefficiency due to information loss. To mitigate this problem, our proposed method, called Structured Principal Orthogonal complEment Thresholding (S-POET), incorporates observation structural information for both global and national factor models. We establish the asymptotic properties of the S-POET estimator, and also demonstrate the drawbacks of conventional covariance matrix estimation procedures when using lower-frequency data. Finally, we apply the S-POET estimator to an out-of-sample portfolio allocation study using international stock market data.