bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Spatial and temporal ways of knowing sea level rise: Bringing together multiple perspectives
Authors: McMichael Celia , Kothari Uma , McNamara Karen E. , Arnall Alex
Published: March 2021

Sea level rise presents risks to ecosystems, populations, and infrastructure in low‐lying areas. This article considers diverse ways of knowing, understanding, and experiencing these risks. It explores differences and connections between knowledge produced through the technological methods of scientific research and that which emerges through the experiences and insights of local people. For example, while scientific assessments measure and forecast, among other things, the height and rate of vertical change in the sea level using instruments such as tide gauges and radar‐firing satellites, for local populations sea level rise is largely perceived and knowable through everyday processes and lived experiences of coastal changes as sea waters encroach onto the land. The review article reveals this diversity of knowledge and how it is produced. It considers how these different forms of knowledge might coalesce in ways that can more effectively inform understandings of, and responses to, the varied effects of sea level rise. Focusing specifically on spatial and temporal understandings of sea level rise—as the vertical rise of sea levels and inward encroachment of sea water, and timescales from the everyday to the decadal and centennial—this article concludes by arguing for the importance of integrating scientific measurement and modeling with local knowledge. It suggests that local and Indigenous knowledge should not merely represent an enrichment of scientific facts, but rather that bringing together local/Indigenous and scientific knowledge can provide significant ways of knowing and sensing the world that can build the resilience of social‐ecological systems.

This article is categorized under:

Perceptions, Behavior, and Communication of Climate Change > Perceptions of Climate Change
Application of phagotrophic algae in waste activated sludge conversion and stabilization
Authors: Xiao Suo , Woo Bryen , Goldhardt James , Ju Lu‐Kwang
Published: March 2021

Phagotrophic algae can consume bacteria that are the predominant microorganisms present in the waste activated sludge (WAS) generated from municipal wastewater treatment processes. In this study, we developed a combined ultrasonication–phagotrophic algal process for WAS conversion. The ultrasonic pretreatment released small volatile solids (VS) including bacteria from WAS flocs. A phagotrophic alga Ochromonas danica then grew by consuming more than 80% of the released VS, with approximately 30% (w/w) algal cell yield. The process reduced the overall WAS VS by 42.4% in 1 day, comparing very favorably with the 27% reduction in 10 days by aerobic digestion. For stabilizing the solids remaining from the ultrasonic step, the total oxygen uptake required was 65%–92% lower than that for the original WAS, indicating substantially reduced aeration cost. Overall, this novel process enhanced the WAS digestion at lower energy requirements and produced microalgae for other potential uses. © 2021 Water Environment Federation

Practitioner points

At least 80% of released VS from WAS can be processed by phagotrophic algae.

Significant amounts of algae can be produced from WAS.

Ultrasonication–phagotrophic algal process can make sludge management more sustainable.
Policy Analysis of Gastrointestinal Cancer Prevention in Iran: A Framework Based on a Qualitative Study
Authors: Kabiri Neda , Khodayari‐zarnaq Rahim , Khoshbaten Manouchehr , Janati Ali
Published: March 2021

This study aimed to analyze the current policies of common gastrointestinal cancer prevention. This qualitative instrumental case study was conducted in 2019 to analyze policies using the “policy triangle framework.” Two data collection methods were used: document review and semistructured interviews. The country's related documents were searched through databases. Semistructured interviews were conducted at the interviewee's workplace. In total, 22 participants were interviewed, 12 of whom were from the Ministry of Health. Interviews and documents were analyzed using directed content analysis in MAXQDA v10 software. Interobserver reliability, peer check, and member check were done to confirm the trustworthiness of data. The main contextual factors affecting gastrointestinal cancers in Iran were socioeconomic, structural, political, and legal factors. Content of gastrointestinal cancer prevention in the national policies were mostly about lifestyle changes, food security, and environmental conditions. Efforts for cancer prevention policymaking in Iran starts in 1984 with a top‐down approach to the implementation and three types of evaluation. Stakeholders of gastrointestinal cancer prevention policies in Iran were categorized into three groups of governmental, nongovernmental, and semigovernmental organizations. Coordination among different organizations should be strengthened through setting common goals and creating a shared vision, and finally, political leadership should be realized by the Ministry of Health.
Crystal Structure and Thermal Properties of Phenibut, Phenibut H2O and Phenibut HCl: a Case for Phase Stability Based on Structural Considerations
Authors: Komisarek D. , Pallaske M. , Vasylyeva V.
Published: March 2021

Phenibut is an anxiolytic drug approved for medical use in many eastern European states. With the exception of the HCl Salt of Phenibut no crystal structure related research has been conducted on this substance. Herein, the crystal structures of Phenibut and Phenibut⋅H2O are presented, including crystal packing analysis based on interaction energy calculations. IR spectra are shown alongside powder diffraction data and thermogravimetric analysis to characterize and compare structural as well as thermal properties of the examined Phenibut forms. Single crystal diffraction is used in conjunction with Crystal Explorer based Hirshfeld analysis to carefully identify the bonding interaction properties in each compound. Finally, a case is made regarding stability of the compared crystalline phases based on the conducted structural analyses and the quantification of the molecular interaction energies.
Weyl covariance, and proposals for superconformal prepotentials in 10D superspaces
Authors: James Gates S. , Hu Yangrui , Hazel Mak S.-N.
Published: March 2021

Abstract

Proposals are made to describe the Weyl scaling transformation laws of supercovariant derivatives∇A, the torsion supertensorsTABC, and curvature supertensorsRABcdin 10D superspaces. Starting from the proposal that an unconstrained supergravity prepotential for the 11D,$$ \mathcal{N} $$N= 1 theory is described by a scalar superfield, considerations for supergravity prepotentials in the 10D theories are enumerated. We derive infinitesimal 10D superspace Weyl transformation laws and discover ten possible 10D,$$ \mathcal{N} $$N= 1 superfield supergravity prepotentials. The first identification of all off-shell ten dimensional supergeometrical Weyl field strength tensors, constructed from respective torsions, is presented.
The fragmentation spectrum from space-time reciprocity
Authors: Neill Duff
Published: March 2021

Abstract

Analyzing the single inclusive annihilation spectrum of charged hadrons in e+e− collisions, I confront the hadronization hypothesis of local parton-hadron duality with a systematic resummation of the dependence on the small energy fraction. This resummation is based on the reciprocity between time-like and space-like splitting processes in 4 − 2ϵ-dimensions, which I extend to resum all the soft terms of the cross-section for inclusive jet production. Under the local-parton-hadron duality hypothesis, the resulting distribution of jets essentially determines the spectrum of hadrons as the jet radius goes to zero. Thus I take the resummed perturbative jet function as the non-perturbative fragmentation function with an effective infra-red coupling. I find excellent agreement with data, and comment on the mixed leading log approximation previously used to justify local parton-hadron duality.
Sequential aiming in pairs: the multiple levels of joint action
Authors: Roberts James W. , Maiden James , Lawrence Gavin P.
Published: March 2021

The task constraints imposed upon a co-actor can often influence our own actions. Likewise, the observation of somebody else’s movements can involuntarily contaminate the execution of our own movements. These joint action outcomes have rarely been considered in unison. The aim of the present study was to simultaneously examine the underlying processes contributing to joint action. We had pairs of participants work together to execute sequential aiming movements between two targets—the first person’s movement was contingent upon the anticipation of the second person’s movement (leader), while the second person’s movement was contingent upon the direct observation of the first person’s movement (follower). Participants executed separate blocks of two-target aiming movements under different contexts; that is, solely on their own using one (2T1L) and two (2T2L) of their upper limbs, or with another person (2T2P). The first movement segment generally indicated a more abrupt approach (shorter time after peak velocity, greater displacement and magnitude of peak velocity), which surprisingly coincided with lower spatial variability, for the 2T2P context. Meanwhile, the second segment indicated a similar kinematic profile as the first segment for the 2T2P context. The first movement of the leader appeared to accommodate the follower for their movement, while the second movement of the follower was primed by the observation of the leader’s movement. These findings collectively advocate two distinct levels of joint action including the anticipation (top–down) and mapping (bottom–up) of other people’s actions.
Intraoperative cone beam computed tomography for detecting residual stones in percutaneous nephrolithotomy: a feasibility study
Authors: Kingma R. A. , Voskamp M. J. H. , Doornweerd B. H. J. , de Jong I. J. , Roemeling S.
Published: March 2021

Cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) provides multiplanar cross-sectional imaging and three-dimensional reconstructions and can be used intraoperatively in a hybrid operating room. In this study, we investigated the feasibility of using a CBCT-scanner for detecting residual stones during percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL). Intraoperative CBCT-scans were made during PCNL procedures from November 2018 until March 2019 in a university hospital. At the point where the urologist would have otherwise ended the procedure, a CBCT-scan was made to image any residual fragments that could not be detected by either nephroscopy or conventional C-arm fluoroscopy. Residual fragments that were visualized on the CBCT-scan were attempted to be extracted additionally. To evaluate the effect of this additional extraction, each CBCT-scan was compared with a regular follow-up CT-scan that was made 4 weeks postoperatively. A total of 19 procedures were analyzed in this study. The mean duration of performing the CBCT-scan, including preparation and interpretation, was 8 min. Additional stone extraction, if applicable, had a mean duration of 11 min. The mean effective dose per CBCT-scan was 7.25 mSv. Additional extraction of residual fragments as imaged on the CBCT-scan occurred in nine procedures (47%). Of the follow-up CT-scans, 63% showed a stone-free status as compared to 47% of the intraoperative CBCT-scans. We conclude that the use of CBCT for the detection of residual stones in PCNL is meaningful, safe, and feasible.
Therapeutic approaches to pediatric COVID-19: an online survey of pediatric rheumatologists
Authors: Janda Ales , Schuetz Catharina , Canna Scott , Gorelik Mark , Heeg Maximilian , Minden Kirsten , Hinze Claas , Schulz Ansgar , Debatin Klaus-Michael , Hedrich Christian M. , Speth Fabian
Published: March 2021

Data on therapy of COVID-19 in immunocompetent and immunosuppressed children are scarce. We aimed to explore management strategies of pediatric rheumatologists. All subscribers to international Pediatric Rheumatology Bulletin Board were invited to take part in an online survey on therapeutic approaches to COVID-19 in healthy children and children with autoimmune/inflammatory diseases (AID). Off-label therapies would be considered by 90.3% of the 93 participating respondents. In stable patients with COVID-19 on oxygen supply (stage I), use of remdesivir (48.3%), azithromycin (26.6%), oral corticosteroids (25.4%) and/or hydroxychloroquine (21.9%) would be recommended. In case of early signs of “cytokine storm” (stage II) or in critically ill patients (stage III) (a) anakinra (79.5% stage II; 83.6% stage III) or tocilizumab (58.0% and 87.0%, respectively); (b) corticosteroids (oral 67.2% stage II, intravenously 81.7% stage III); (c) intravenous immunoglobulins (both stages 56.5%); or (d) remdesivir (both stages 46.7%) were considered. In AID, > 94.2% of the respondents would not support a preventive adaptation of the immunomodulating therapy. In case of mild COVID-19, more than 50% of the respondents would continue pre-existing treatment with immunoglobulins (100%), hydroxychloroquine (94.2%), anakinra (79.2%) or canakinumab (72.5%), or tocilizumab (69.8%). Long-term corticosteroids would be reduced by 26.9% (< = 2 mg/kg/d) and 50.0% (> 2 mg/kg/day), respectively, with only 5.8% of respondents voting to discontinue the therapy. Conversely, more than 75% of respondents would refrain from administering cyclophosphamide and anti-CD20-antibodies. As evidence on management of pediatric COVID-19 is incomplete, continuous and critical expert opinion and knowledge exchange is helpful.
Correction to: Detection of the phycotoxin pectenotoxin-2 in waters around King George Island, Antarctica
Authors: Krock Bernd , Schloss Irene R. , Trefault Nicole , Tillmann Urban , Hernando Marcelo , Deregibus Dolores , Antoni Julieta , Almandoz Gastón O. , Hoppenrath Mona
Published: March 2021

A correction to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-021-02834-3
Biparietal meander expansion technique for sagittal suture synostosis in patients older than 1 year of age—technical note
Authors: Kang Y. S. , Pennacchietti V. , Schulz M. , Schwarz K. , Thomale U-W.
Published: March 2021

Objective

Sagittal suture synostosis (SSS) is the most common form of craniosynostosis. For older patients, the strategy for surgical correction needs to consider diminished growth dynamics of the skull and an active reconstruction cranioplasty aims to sustain stability for the active child. We describe our technique of biparietal meander expansion (BME) technique for SSS for patients older than 1 year and retrospectively reviewed the perioperative course as well as the subjective experience of patients and caregivers during follow-up.

Methods

The BME technique incorporates bilateral serpentine craniotomies and fixation of the consecutively expanded bone tongues with crossing sutures for patients with SSS older than 12 months of age at surgery. We reviewed patients undergoing this surgical technique for correction of SSS and collected data about the clinical course and performed a patients reported outcome measure (PROM) for patients or caregivers to evaluate subjective experience and outcome after surgical treatment.

Results

BME was performed in 31 patients (8 females; median age: 43 months; range 13–388). The mean length of operation was 172.7±43 minutes (range 115–294). Patients experienced no immediate complications or neurological morbidity after surgery. Considering a total of 21 completed PROM questionnaires, the head shape after surgery was evaluated as either “better” (57%) or “much better” (43%) compared to preoperatively. Eighty-one percent of patients or caregivers answered that the patient experiences no limitation in daily activities. Although 42.8% perceived the hospital as strenuous, 90.5% would choose to undergo this treatment again.

Conclusion

BME is a feasible technique for older SSS patients resulting in immediate stability of the remodelled calvarium with a more normal head shape. The survey among caregivers or patients revealed a favourable subjectively experienced outcome after this type of surgical treatment of SSS in the more complex context of an older patient cohort.
Patient-Reported Dysphagia in Adults with Eosinophilic Esophagitis: Translation and Validation of the Swedish Eosinophilic Esophagitis Activity Index
Authors: Albinsson Sofie , Tuomi Lisa , Wennerås Christine , Larsson Helen
Published: March 2021

The lack of a Swedish patient-reported outcome instrument for eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) has limited the assessment of the disease. The aims of the study were to translate and validate the Eosinophilic Esophagitis Activity Index (EEsAI) to Swedish and to assess the symptom severity of patients with EoE compared to a nondysphagia control group. The EEsAI was translated and adapted to a Swedish cultural context (S-EEsAI) based on international guidelines. The S-EEsAI was validated using adult Swedish patients with EoE (n = 97) and an age- and sex-matched nondysphagia control group (n = 97). All participants completed the S-EEsAI, the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire-Oesophageal Module 18 (EORTC QLQ-OES18), and supplementary questions regarding feasibility and demographics. Reliability and validity of the S-EEsAI were evaluated by Cronbach’s alpha and Spearman correlation coefficients between the domains of the S-EEsAI and the EORTC QLQ-OES18. A test–retest analysis of 29 patients was evaluated through intraclass correlation coefficients. The S-EEsAI had sufficient reliability with Cronbach’s alpha values of 0.83 and 0.85 for the “visual dysphagia question” and the “avoidance, modification and slow eating score” domains, respectively. The test–retest reliability was sufficient, with good to excellent intraclass correlation coefficients (0.60–0.89). The S-EEsAI domains showed moderate correlation to 6/10 EORTC QLQ-OES18 domains, indicating adequate validity. The patient S-EEsAI results differed significantly from those of the nondysphagia controls (p < 0.001). The S-EEsAI appears to be a valid and reliable instrument for monitoring adult patients with EoE in Sweden.
A variational multiscale immersed meshfree method for heterogeneous materials
Authors: Huang Tsung-Hui , Chen Jiun-Shyan , Tupek Michael R. , Beckwith Frank N. , Koester Jacob J. , Fang H. Eliot
Published: March 2021

We introduce an immersed meshfree formulation for modeling heterogeneous materials with flexible non-body-fitted discretizations, approximations, and quadrature rules. The interfacial compatibility condition is imposed by a volumetric constraint, which avoids a tedious contour integral for complex material geometry. The proposed immersed approach is formulated under a variational multiscale based formulation, termed the variational multiscale immersed method (VMIM). Under this framework, the solution approximation on either the foreground or the background can be decoupled into coarse-scale and fine-scale in the variational equations, where the fine-scale approximation represents a correction to the residual of the coarse-scale equations. The resulting fine-scale solution leads to a residual-based stabilization in the VMIM discrete equations. The employment of reproducing kernel (RK) approximation for the coarse- and fine-scale variables allows arbitrary order of continuity in the approximation, which is particularly advantageous for modeling heterogeneous materials. The effectiveness of VMIM is demonstrated with several numerical examples, showing accuracy, stability, and discretization efficiency of the proposed method.
Regional circulation patterns inducing coastal upwelling in the Baltic Sea
Authors: Bednorz Ewa , Półrolniczak Marek , Tomczyk Arkadiusz M.
Published: March 2021

Atmospheric feedback involved in the occurrence of coastal upwelling in a small semi-enclosed sea basin, i.e., the Baltic Sea, was analysed, and the regional circulation conditions triggering upwelling in different coastal sections were identified. Upwelling in the summer season (June–August, years 1982–2017) was recognized on the basis of sea surface temperature patterns. Circulation conditions were defined using (1) the established daily indices of zonal and meridional airflow and (2) the synoptic situation at sea level distinguished by applying rotated principal component analysis to sea level pressure data. The 12 daily synoptic patterns differed substantially in the intensity and location of their pressure centres. The mean seasonal frequency of upwelling was generally higher along the western Baltic shores than along the meridionally oriented eastern shores and varied from less than 10 to over 30% along the more predestined coastal sections, i.e., the northwestern coast of the Gulf of Bothnia, the northern Gulf of Finland and the southern Swedish coast. Due to the variable orientations of coastlines, upwelling could occur under almost any prevailing wind direction, and thus, each of the classified synoptic patterns could induce upwelling in some coastal sections. As deduced from the pressure fields for each circulation pattern, mostly alongshore winds triggered upwelling, which is in line with the Ekman rule. With time, upwelling could also be induced by the stress of normal to the coastline seaward winds.
Influence of the grid parameters during under voltage ride through (UVRT) testing
Authors: Frehn Anica , Grune Rayk , Röttgers Heiko , Monti Antonello
Published: March 2021

Under-voltage ride through (UVRT) tests can be carried out on system test benches, most of them are equipped with a converter based grid simulator. This paper describes the control of the artificial grid impedance at the 4 MW test bench at CWD. Validation measurements with the commercial wind turbine E‑115 E2 show that the virtual impedance specification is sufficient to perform UVRT tests with different grid parameters. Comparative measurements between the voltage divider based FRT Container and the grid simulator with deliberately different grid parameters show a different behavior of the research wind turbine FVA nacelle. Therefore, it is recommended to perform UVRT tests on the test bench with predefined grid parameters.
Regional Control for Spatially Structured Mosquito Borne Epidemics
Authors: Aniţa Sebastian , Capasso Vincenzo , Scacchi Simone
Published: March 2021

This paper is a continuation of a previous paper by the first two authors to appear in the same IWR Special Issue for Scientific Computing. We are concerned with an optimal regional control problem for spatially structured vector borne epidemic system, considering malaria as a case study. A conceptual reduced mathematical model of malaria had been presented consisting of a two-component reaction-diffusion system. Three actions (controls) had been included: killing mosquitoes, treating the infected humans and reducing the contact rate mosquitoes-humans. The problem which is faced concerns the optimal choice of the region of intervention, by introducing a cost functional which takes into account the total cost of the damages produced by the disease, of the controls and of the intervention in a certain subdomain, for a finite time horizon case. A gradient algorithm had been proposed for the search of a minimal value of the cost functional, with respect to both the control parameters and the region of intervention. The scope of the present paper concerns the numerical implementation of such an algorithm. The level set method has played a major role for the mathematical description of the subregion of intervention. The outcomes of a series of numerical simulations are reported, under a variety of parameter scenarios.
Landmarks in wayfinding: a review of the existing literature
Authors: Yesiltepe Demet , Conroy Dalton Ruth , Ozbil Torun Ayse
Published: March 2021

Landmarks are accepted as one of the vital elements in both virtual and real environments during wayfinding tasks. This paper provides an overview of the existing literature on the selection of landmarks in wayfinding mostly in large-scale urban environments and outdoors by discussing two main aspects of landmarks: visibility and salience. Environments and layouts used in previous studies, different tasks given to people and the main findings are explained and compared. Summary tables are created from these findings. The review concludes that there is mostly a consensus on the selection of landmarks, when considering their location. Accordingly, landmarks on route and also at decision points (with a turn) are more effective during wayfinding tasks. However, visibility of landmarks as well as visual and cognitive saliency need to be further investigated using different environments, tasks or different levels of familiarity with environments.
Presentation of a rare, highly aggressive peritoneal disease: desmoplastic small round cell tumor and its therapeutic options
Authors: Ramspott Jan Philipp , Jäger Tarkan , Neureiter Daniel , Emmanuel Klaus , Schredl Philipp
Published: March 2021

Background

Desmoplastic small round cell tumor is a rare highly aggressive peritoneal disease (sarcoma) with mortality rates up to 70% in the first 3 years after diagnosis. It mainly affects young men. Patients clinically complain about diffuse abdominal pain.

Methods

This case report describes the clinical course of a 69-year-old man who presented with recurrent abdominal pain. Physical examination, laboratory testing, imaging, and gastroscopy were performed. Intra-abdominal peritoneal biopsies were taken during diagnostic laparoscopy.

Results

Physical examination was unremarkable. Laboratory results showed elevated white blood cells, C‑reactive protein, and negative tumor markers. Computed tomography and positron emission tomography scan revealed extensive peritoneal metastases with diffuse intra-abdominal signal intensities and ascites. Gastroscopy was unremarkable, whereas diagnostic laparoscopy confirmed imaging results with a peritoneal cancer index of 39. Extensive immunohistochemical and consecutive molecular investigations led to the diagnosis of an intraperitoneal desmoplastic small round cell tumor.

Conclusion

Our case report demonstrates a very rare cause of recurrent abdominal pain. Desmoplastic small round cell tumor is a rare and highly aggressive undifferentiated sarcoma, which mainly affects young men. Treatment options include chemotherapy, radiotherapy, cytoreductive surgery, and/or hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy. Standardized treatment protocols are still lacking because only a few cases have been described so far. Differential diagnoses include all malignancies with peritoneal masses.
Supply chain viability: conceptualization, measurement, and nomological validation
Authors: Ruel Salomée , El Baz Jamal , Ivanov Dmitry , Das Ajay
Published: March 2021

Supply chain viability (SCV) is an emerging concept of growing importance in operations management. This paper aims to conceptualize, develop, and validate a measurement scale for SCV. SCV is first defined and operationalized as a construct, followed by content validation and item measure development. Data have been collected through three independent samplings comprising a total of 558 respondents. Both exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses are used in a step-wise manner for scale development. Reliability and validity are evaluated. A nomological model is theorized and tested to evaluate nomological validity. For the first time, our study frames SCV as a novel and distinct construct. The findings show that SCV is a hierarchical and multidimensional construct, reflected in organizational structures, organizational resources, dynamic design capabilities, and operational aspects. The findings reveal that a central characteristic of SCV is the dynamic reconfiguration of SC structures in an adaptive manner to ensure survival in the long-term perspective. This research conceptualizes and provides specific, validated dimensions and item measures for SCV. Practitioner directed guidance and suggestions are offered for improving SCV during the COVID-19 pandemic and future severe disruptions.
A local search framework for industrial test laboratory scheduling
Authors: Mischek Florian , Musliu Nysret
Published: March 2021

In this paper we introduce a complex scheduling problem that arises in a real-world industrial test laboratory, where a large number of activities has to be performed using qualified personnel and specialized equipment, subject to time windows and several other constraints. The problem is an extension of the well-known Resource-Constrained Project Scheduling Problem and features multiple heterogeneous resources with very general availability restrictions, as well as a grouping phase, where the jobs have to be assembled from smaller units. We describe an instance generator for this problem and publicly available instance sets, both randomly generated and real-world data. Finally, we present and evaluate different metaheuristic approaches to solve the scheduling subproblem, where the assembled jobs are already provided. Our results show that Simulated Annealing can be used to achieve very good results, in particular for large instances, where it is able to consistently find better solutions than a state-of-the-art constraint programming solver within reasonable time.
Ethical Decision-Making in Family Firms: The Role of Employee Identification
Authors: Reck Friederike Sophie , Fischer Denise , Brettel Malte
Published: March 2021

The ethical behavior prevalent in an organization often determines business success or failure. Much research in the business context has scrutinized ethical behavior, but there are still few insights into its roots; this study furthers this line of inquiry. In line with identity work theory, we examine how employees’ identification with a family business shapes internal ethical decision-making processes. Because it is individuals who engage in decision-making—be it ethical or not—our research perspective centers on the individual level. We followed an inductive, qualitative approach and conducted interviews with 19 employees in seven family businesses. We found that individuals engage in identity work when they identify as individual family firm employees and when they identify with the perceived characteristics of the family firm. These processes of identification, in turn, influence how employees cope with ethical situations. Our findings contribute to ethics and family business research, as well as to identity theory.
Batch seismic inversion using the iterative ensemble Kalman smoother
Authors: Gineste Michael , Eidsvik Jo
Published: March 2021

An ensemble-based method for seismic inversion to estimate elastic attributes is considered, namely the iterative ensemble Kalman smoother. The main focus of this work is the challenge associated with ensemble-based inversion of seismic waveform data. The amount of seismic data is large and, depending on ensemble size, it cannot be processed in a single batch. Instead a solution strategy of partitioning the data recordings in time windows and processing these sequentially is suggested. This work demonstrates how this partitioning can be done adaptively, with a focus on reliable and efficient estimation. The adaptivity relies on an analysis of the update direction used in the iterative procedure, and an interpretation of contributions from prior and likelihood to this update. The idea is that these must balance; if the prior dominates, the estimation process is inefficient while the estimation is likely to overfit and diverge if data dominates. Two approaches to meet this balance are formulated and evaluated. One is based on an interpretation of eigenvalue distributions and how this enters and affects weighting of prior and likelihood contributions. The other is based on balancing the norm magnitude of prior and likelihood vector components in the update. Only the latter is found to sufficiently regularize the data window. Although no guarantees for avoiding ensemble divergence are provided in the paper, the results of the adaptive procedure indicate that robust estimation performance can be achieved for ensemble-based inversion of seismic waveform data.
Use of sanger and next-generation sequencing to screen for mosaic and intronic APC variants in unexplained colorectal polyposis patients
Authors: Elsayed Fadwa A. , Tops Carli M. J. , Nielsen Maartje , Morreau Hans , Hes Frederik J. , van Wezel Tom
Published: March 2021

In addition to classic germline APC gene variants, APC mosaicism and deep intronic germline APC variants have also been reported to be causes of adenomatous polyposis. In this study, we investigated 80 unexplained colorectal polyposis patients without germline pathogenic variants in known polyposis predisposing genes to detect mosaic and deep intronic APC variants. All patients developed more than 50 colorectal polyps, with adenomas being predominantly observed. To detect APC mosaicism, we performed next-generation sequencing (NGS) in leukocyte DNA. Furthermore, using Sanger sequencing, the cohort was screened for the following previously reported deep intronic pathogenic germline APC variants: c.1408 + 731C > T, p.(Gly471Serfs*55), c.1408 + 735A > T, p.(Gly471Serfs*55), c.1408 + 729A > G, p.(Gly471Serfs*55) and c.532-941G > A, p.(Phe178Argfs*22). We did not detect mosaic or intronic APC variants in the screened unexplained colorectal polyposis patients. The results of this study indicate that the deep intronic APC variants investigated in this study are not a cause of colorectal polyposis in this Dutch population. In addition, NGS did not detect any further mosaic variants in our cohort.
Robust scheduling and dispatching rules for high-mix collaborative manufacturing systems
Authors: Zanchettin Andrea Maria
Published: March 2021

Motivated by the increasing demand of mass customisation in production systems, this paper proposes a robust and adaptive scheduling and dispatching method for high-mix human-robot collaborative manufacturing facilities. Scheduling and dispatching rules are derived to optimally track the desired production within the mix, while handling uncertainty in job processing times. The sequencing policy is dynamically adjusted by online forecasting the throughput of the facility as a function of the scheduling and dispatching rules. Numerical verification experiments confirm the possibility to accurately track highly variable production requests, despite the uncertainty of the system.
Who’s calling? The effect of phone calls and personal interaction on tax compliance
Authors: Mogollon Monica , Ortega Daniel , Scartascini Carlos
Published: March 2021

Most tax agencies use letters as the method of communicating with taxpayers. Still, other technologies exist that could be more effective. This paper reports the results of a field experiment conducted by the National Tax Agency of Colombia (DIAN), using phone calls to reduce tax delinquencies. DIAN randomly assigned 34,000 tax debtors to a phone call operation using a fixed script to communicate existing debts and invite taxpayers to a meeting at the local tax agency office. Phone calls were very effective to increase collection of unpaid taxes. Conditional on the phone call being made, the effect on the treatment is about 25 percentage points higher than the control group (about a fivefold increase). We also find suggestive evidence that the personal interaction seems to be an important channel for explaining taxpayers’ behavior. Faced with a tax agent, taxpayers tend to commit to attending the meeting and paying the tax owed. However, many taxpayers who commit do not make payment effective. The findings complement a nascent literature that shows that there are plenty of gains from innovating in the communication strategy. They also indicate that personal interactions are important, but they have to be paired with easy-to-follow and immediate actions. Paying taxes is easier said than done.
Strong Solutions of Stochastic Differential Equations with Generalized Drift and Multidimensional Fractional Brownian Initial Noise
Authors: Baños David , Ortiz-Latorre Salvador , Pilipenko Andrey , Proske Frank
Published: March 2021

In this paper, we prove the existence of strong solutions to an stochastic differential equation with a generalized drift driven by a multidimensional fractional Brownian motion for small Hurst parameters $$H<\frac{1}{2}.$$

H
<

1
2

.

Here, the generalized drift is given as the local time of the unknown solution process, which can be considered an extension of the concept of a skew Brownian motion to the case of fractional Brownian motion. Our approach for the construction of strong solutions is new and relies on techniques from Malliavin calculus combined with a “local time variational calculus” argument.
What’s so naïve about naïve realism?
Authors: Raineri Carlo
Published: March 2021

Naïve Realism claims that veridical perceptual experiences essentially consist in genuine relations between perceivers and mind-independent objects and their features. The contemporary debate in the philosophy of perception has devoted little attention to assessing one of the main motivations to endorse Naïve Realism–namely, that it is the only view which articulates our ‘intuitive’ conception of perception. In this paper, I first clarify in which sense Naïve Realism is supposed to be ‘naïve’. In this respect, I argue that it is put forward as the only view which can take our introspective knowledge of perception at face value, and I identify the two (alleged) key features of such introspective knowledge. Second, I challenge the claim that one of these features-namely, that it seems as one could not be in the same perceptual state unless the putative objects of perception existed and were perceived–is introspectively evident. Consequently, I argue that a view of perceptual experience–such as Intentionalism–which denies that this feature is true of perception can still take introspection at face value. This undermines the claim that Naïve Realism is the only account which accommodates our intuitions on the nature of perception.
Accounting for preference dependency in target costing – a note
Authors: Homburg Carsten , Hoppe André , Schick Roman , Braul Amelie
Published: March 2021

Target costing is a well-established strategic cost management tool in theory and practice. The original target costing model implies independence of customer preferences resulting in additive utility functions for the customer-oriented optimization of cost structures. We argue that this independence of preferences is not given until a minimum variant of a product is reached that provides its inherent functionality. This is reasonable since one cannot assign customer utility to a product that does not function in its most basic way. Our modified model accounts for the dependency of customer preferences and differentiates between the costs necessary to produce a minimum variant and those related to product features beyond this minimum variant. The customer-oriented optimization of the cost structure is then conducted only for those costs that exceed the costs of the minimum variant. This modification justifies the preference independence assumption in target costing and allows for a more reasonable assignment of required adjustments in costs per product component.
Prognostic performance of clinical assessment tools following hip fracture in patients with chronic kidney disease
Authors: Wu Henry H. L. , Van Mierlo Reinier , McLauchlan George , Challen Kirsty , Mitra Sandip , Dhaygude Ajay P. , Nixon Andrew C.
Published: March 2021

Purpose

People living with chronic kidney disease (CKD) are at a higher risk of hip fracture with an associated increased mortality risk compared to individuals without CKD. Our study aimed to evaluate the clinical assessment tools that best predict mortality risk following hip fracture for patients with CKD.

Methods

Patients with CKD G3b-5D admitted to Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, U.K. between June 2013 and Dec 2019 were included. The association between CKD and post-fracture mortality risk was evaluated. All patients were assessed using tools that evaluated frailty status, co-morbidity, pre-operative risk, functional status and cardiopulmonary fitness. Receiver operating characteristic curve analyses were performed to determine the prognostic accuracy of the assessment tools for 30 day and 1 year mortality following hip fracture in patients with CKD.

Results

397 patients fulfilled inclusion criteria with a mean age of 83.5 ± 9.2 years. Older age, female sex, intracapsular fracture and more severe CKD, co-morbidity and frailty status were all associated with an increased mortality risk. Patients with dialysis-dependent CKD and severe/very severe frailty had a hazard ratio for mortality of 2.55 (95% Cl 2.11–2.98) and 3.11 (95% Cl 2.47–3.93), respectively. The Clinical Frailty Scale demonstrated the best prognostic accuracy for both 30 day [Area Under the Curve (AUC) 0.91, 95% Cl 0.84–0.97] and 1 year mortality (AUC 0.93, 95% Cl 0.87–1.00).

Conclusion

Patients with advanced CKD and severe frailty have a high mortality risk following hip fracture. The Clinical Frailty Scale is an excellent prognostic tool for mortality in this setting and could be easily incorporated into routine clinical practice.
Rediscovering the Cooperative Enterprise: A Systematic Review of Current Topics and Avenues for Future Research
Authors: Camargo Benavides Andres Felipe , Ehrenhard Michel
Published: March 2021

For decades, the cooperative enterprise (CE) produces market goods and/or provides services in the interest to its members, such as communities, customers, and suppliers. The upsurge of interest in social enterprises, and their balancing of social and economic interests, has also led to a renewed interest in CEs, often seen as a specific type of social enterprise. However, from an organizational perspective, this renewed interest has been both limited and scattered over a variety of fields. In this paper, we systematically review papers on CE in the mainstream organizational literature, defined as literature in the fields of economics, business, management and sociology. Our review integrates and synthesizes the current topics in the mainstream organizational literature and provides a number of avenues for future research. In addition, we compare our findings in the organizational literature to the social issues literature as these appeared to be quite complimentary. We found multilevel studies, determination of social impact—in particular measurable impact, managerial practices for sustainable (organisational) development, and the entrepreneurial opportunity generation process as the four key avenues for future research.
Effects of urbanisation and a wastewater treatment plant on microplastic densities along a subtropical river system
Authors: Dalu Tatenda , Banda Thabiso , Mutshekwa Thendo , Munyai Linton F. , Cuthbert Ross N.
Published: March 2021

Global freshwaters are increasingly threatened by pollutants emanating from human activities around watersheds. Microplastic pollution is an increasing problem for rivers worldwide, potentially threatening ecological integrity, ecosystem services and human health. We present quantifications and characterisations of sediment microplastic pollution in a subtropical river system in southern Africa, and relate distributions to wastewater treatment works, abiotic variables and urban environments. We additionally apply several diversity indices to decipher how microplastic types differ across the river system seasonally. Over two thousand microplastic particles were found across five sites and three seasons in the river system, comprising microbeads of various colours and microfibres. Microplastic concentrations were highest and most diverse in the hot–wet (mean range 76.0 ± 10.0–285.5 ± 44.5 microplastic kg−1) season as compared to the cool–dry (16.5 ± 4.5–27.0 ± 5.0 microplastic kg−1) and hot–dry (13.0 ± 4.0–29.0 ± 10.0 microplastic kg−1) seasons, and were mostly dominated by microfibres. However, no clear patterns were found in relation to wastewater treatment operations spatially, or in relation to abiotic variables in the river system. This study therefore finds a diverse range of microplastic types widely distributed in the river system that differ across seasons. Our results provide important, novel insights into plastic pollution in an understudied area of the Global South, and point to extensive pollution from sources outside of wastewater treatment works.
Discovery and investigation of natural Diels–Alderases
Authors: Watanabe Kenji
Published: March 2021

It has been proposed that biosyntheses of many natural products involve pericyclic reactions, including Diels–Alder (DA) reaction. However, only a small set of enzymes have been proposed to catalyze pericyclic reactions. Most surprisingly, there has been no formal identification of natural enzymes that can be defined to catalyze DA reactions (DAases), despite the wide application of the reaction in chemical syntheses of complex organic compounds. However, recent studies began to accumulate a growing body of evidence that supports the notion that enzymes that formally catalyze DA reactions, in fact exist. In this review, I will begin by describing a short history behind the discovery and characterization of macrophomate synthase, one of the earliest enzymes that was proposed to catalyze an intermolecular DA reaction during the biosynthesis of a substituted benzoic acid in a phytopathogenic fungus Macrophoma commelinae. Then, I will discuss representative enzymes that have been chemically authenticated to catalyze DA reactions, with emphasis on more recent discoveries of DAases involved mainly in fungal secondary metabolite biosynthesis except for one example from a marine streptomycete. The current success in identification of a series of DAases and enzymes that catalyze other pericyclic reactions owes to the combined efforts from both the experimental and theoretical approaches in discovering natural products. Such efforts typically involve identifying the chemical features derived from cycloaddition reactions, isolating the biosynthetic genes that encode enzymes that generate such chemical features and deciphering the reaction mechanisms for the enzyme-catalyzed pericyclic reactions.
The legacy of large dams in the United States
Authors: Di Baldassarre Giuliano , Mazzoleni Maurizio , Rusca Maria
Published: March 2021

The sustainability of large dams has been questioned on several grounds. One aspect that has been less explored is that the development of dams and reservoirs often enables agricultural expansion and urban growth, which in turn increase water consumption. As such, dam development influences, while being influenced by, the spatial and temporal distribution of both supply and demand of water resources. In this paper, we explore the interplay between large dams, patterns of population growth and agricultural expansion in the United States over the past two centuries. Based on a large-scale analysis of spatial and temporal trends, we identify three distinct phases, in which different processes dominated the interplay. Then, we focus on agricultural water use in the Southwest region (Arizona, California and Nevada) and explore chicken-and-egg dynamics where water supply partly meets and partly fuels water demand. Lastly, we show that the legacy of dams in the United States consists of a lock-in condition characterized by high levels of water consumption, especially in the Southwest, which leads to severe water crises and groundwater overexploitation when droughts occur.