bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparison of moisture sources of summer precipitation in 1998 and 2020 in the middle and lower reaches of Yangtze River basin
Authors: Chen Jihua , Li Ying , Xiong Biao , Wang Yingfei , Zhou Shuangshuang , Huang Yingping
Published: February 2023

The persistent heavy precipitation during summer in 1998 and 2020 in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River basin (MLYRB) caused the most influential floods in the region during recent 30 years. Previous studies paid lots of attention to those events by analysing the spatial–temporal distributions and the circulation backgrounds; however, the comparison of moisture contribution to summer precipitation in the MLYRB in 1998 and 2020 have rarely been well addressed. This study tracked the moisture sources of summer precipitation in 1998 and 2020 in the MLYRB based on an Eulerian moisture tracking model (WAM‐2layers) forced with ERA5 dataset and explored the similarities and differences of moisture transport and moisture contribution during the two periods. Results showed that the moisture contribution to summer precipitation in the MLYRB mainly transported by the southwest monsoon system, with the major sources extended across the Indo‐China Peninsula, the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea, to the south Indian Ocean. During the summer of 1998 and 2020, increased moisture contributions were mainly from the southwestern sources, particularly the Indo‐China Peninsula and its surroundings. Meanwhile, decreased moisture contributions were found from the local recycling and the northeastern sources. In comparison with summer 1998, there were less moisture can be transported from the low‐latitude oceans (particularly the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal) to the MLYRB during summer 2020, except for the Northwestern Pacific.
An exploratory analysis of internal communication in times of the COVID‐19 pandemic
Authors: Gomes Patrícia , Santos Eulália , Martins Elisete
Published: February 2023

Communication is a key element for the success of any organization. The present study aims to construct and validate a scale of perception of internal communication. It is also intended to assess whether there are differences in internal communication between employees who are teleworking and those who are in‐person work in times of the COVID‐19 pandemic. The methodology used is quantitative in nature based on a questionnaire survey, with the sample consisting of 837 Portuguese individuals in a work context. The results show that the structure of the scale of perception of internal communication is composed of three factors: organizational information, communication with supervisors, and communication between colleagues. The perception of internal communication in the factor organizational information showed higher levels in workers who are in telecommuting situations. It is hoped that this work will enrich the academy and enable managers to use communication more effectively so that the organizations they manage become more competitive.
Selecting relevant moderators with Bayesian regularized meta‐regression
Authors: Van Lissa Caspar J. , van Erp Sara , Clapper Eli‐Boaz
Published: February 2023

When meta‐analyzing heterogeneous bodies of literature, meta‐regression can be used to account for potentially relevant between‐studies differences. A key challenge is that the number of candidate moderators is often high relative to the number of studies. This introduces risks of overfitting, spurious results, and model non‐convergence. To overcome these challenges, we introduce Bayesian Regularized Meta‐Analysis (BRMA), which selects relevant moderators from a larger set of candidates by shrinking small regression coefficients towards zero with regularizing (LASSO or horseshoe) priors. This method is suitable when there are many potential moderators, but it is not known beforehand which of them are relevant. A simulation study compared BRMA against state‐of‐the‐art random effects meta‐regression using restricted maximum likelihood (RMA). Results indicated that BRMA outperformed RMA on three metrics: BRMA had superior predictive performance, which means that the results generalized better; BRMA was better at rejecting irrelevant moderators, and worse at detecting true effects of relevant moderators, while the overall proportion of Type I and Type II errors was equivalent to RMA. BRMA regression coefficients were slightly biased towards zero (by design), but its residual heterogeneity estimates were less biased than those of RMA. BRMA performed well with as few as 20 studies, suggesting its suitability as a small sample solution. We present free open source software implementations in the R‐packagepema(for penalized meta‐analysis) and in the stand‐alone statistical program JASP. An applied example demonstrates the use of the R‐package.
Refractometric Imaging and Biodetection Empowered by Nanophotonics
Authors: Sun Shengqi , Wu Lan , Geng Zihan , Shum Perry Ping , Ma Xingyi , Wang Jiawei
Published: February 2023

Advancing clinical and nonclinical diagnostic technologies is particularly crucial for improved preparedness for the next pandemic and other global healthcare challenges. To this end, marrying advanced microscopic imaging with chip‐scale bioanalytical systems provides fresh modalities by analyzing signals of transmitted, reflected, or scattered light waves. This review brings clarity to the latest progress of refractometric imaging and biodetections on a chip, in which interferences and resonances as cornerstones of optics and plasmonics are breaking new ground. A vast range of nanophotonic and plasmonic transducers are discussed, ranging from planar films, nanoarrays, and waveguiding resonators to holistic designs. The augmented bioanalyses cover immunoassays, single‐molecule analysis, and motion tracking of bacterial pathogens and cells. Compared to single‐point spectroscopic measurements, imaging‐empowered approaches are rapidly evolving with greatly promoted signal‐noise ratio, spatial‐temporal resolutions, multiplexability, and throughput, which can be accomplished in a compact cradle system with minimized bulky components in a spectrometer‐free manner. Besides, advances in machine learning technologies applied for data analytics and transducer designs are highlighted. All in all, there are unlimited opportunities for new optical structures, principles, and ways of data retrieval to tap in, which will raise technological impacts on unveiling fundamental issues in life science and advancing global healthcare technologies.
How Single Site Mutations Can Help Understanding Structure Formation of Amyloid β1−40
Authors: Schwarze Benedikt , Huster Daniel
Published: February 2023

Amyloid fibrils represent the structural endpoint on the energetic (mis)folding landscape of very many proteins. Physiologically, amyloid fibrils are observed as a characteristic hallmark in misfolding diseases often associated with degenerative and neurodegenerative disorders. In the beginning of the scientific discussion, the focus is laid on the fibrillar state, but over the time it becomes increasingly clear that low molecular weight and transient aggregates are of crucial importance for pathological mechanisms. Structural studies find different intra‐ and intermolecular contacts for the most well‐studied peptide amyloid β (Aβ) depending on the stage of fibrillation. In particular, the contact between residues phenylalanine 19 (F19) and leucine 34 (L34) seems to be highly conserved, suggesting that it must be of particular significance for Aβ misfolding and possibly the pathological properties of the peptide. This review aims to highlight the rational and the usefulness of point mutations in Aβ peptides and their impact on the critical interstrand contact F19−L34 depending on the stage of fibrillation. While the amyloid structure of Aβ is very robust against quite a few modifications, the toxicity of mutated Aβ molecules highly depends on the F19−L34 contact.
Multimodal Imaging of Substantia Nigra in Parkinson's Disease with Levodopa‐Induced Dyskinesia
Authors: Su Dongning , Gan Yawen , Zhang Zhe , Cui Yusha , Zhang Zhijin , Liu Zhu , Wang Zhan , Zhou Junhong , Sossi Vesna , Stoessl A. Jon , Wu Tao , Jing Jing , Feng Tao
Published: February 2023

Background

Degeneration of the substantia nigra (SN) may contribute to levodopa‐induced dyskinesia (LID) in Parkinson's disease (PD), but the exact characteristics of SN in LID remain unclear.

Objective

To further understand the pathogenesis of patients with PD with LID (PD‐LID), we explored the structural and functional characteristics of SN in PD‐LID using multimodal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Methods

Twenty‐nine patients with PD‐LID, 37 patients with PD without LID (PD‐nLID), and 28 healthy control subjects underwent T1‐weighted MRI, quantitative susceptibility mapping, neuromelanin‐sensitive MRI, multishell diffusion MRI, and resting‐state functional MRI. Different measures characterizing the SN were obtained using a region of interest–based approach.

Results

Compared with patients with PD‐nLID and healthy control subjects, the quantitative susceptibility mapping values of SN pars compacta (SNpc) were significantly higher (P = 0.049 and P = 0.00002), and the neuromelanin contrast‐to‐noise ratio values in SNpc were significantly lower (P = 0.012 and P = 0.000002) in PD‐LID. The intracellular volume fraction of the posterior SN in PD‐LID was significantly higher compared with PD‐nLID (P = 0.037). Resting‐state fMRI indicated that PD‐LID in the medication off state showed higher functional connectivity between the SNpc and putamen compared with PD‐nLID (P = 0.031), and the functional connectivity changes in PD‐LID were positively correlated with Unified Dyskinesia Rating Scale total scores (R = 0.427, P = 0.042).

Conclusions

Our multimodal imaging findings highlight greater neurodegeneration in SN and the altered nigrostriatal connectivity in PD‐LID. These characteristics provide a new perspective into the role of SN in the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying PD‐LID. © 2023 The Authors. Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.
The u‐p approximation versus the exact dynamic equations for anisotropic fluid‐saturated solids. I. Hyperbolicity
Authors: Osinov Vladimir A.
Published: February 2023

The numerical solution of dynamic problems for porous fluid‐saturated solids is often performed with the use of simplified equations known as the u‐p approximation. The simplification of the equations consists in neglecting some acceleration terms, which is justified for a certain class of problems related, in particular, to geomechanics and earthquake engineering. There exist two u‐p approximations depending on how many acceleration terms are neglected. All comparative studies of the exact and u‐p formulations are focused on the question of how well the u‐p solutions approximate those obtained with the exact equations. In this paper, the equations are compared from a different point of view, addressing the question of well‐posedness of boundary value problems. The exact equations must be hyperbolic and satisfy the corresponding hyperbolicity conditions for the boundary value problems to be well posed. The u‐p equations are not of the form to which the conventional definition of hyperbolicity applies. A slight extension of the approach makes it possible to derive hyperbolicity conditions as necessary conditions for well‐posedness for the u‐p approximations. The hyperbolicity conditions derived in this paper for the u‐p approximations are formulated in terms of the acoustic tensor of the skeleton. They differ essentially from the hyperbolicity conditions for the exact equations.
Sustainability motives, values and communication of slow fashion business owners
Authors: Ramonienė Lineta
Published: February 2023

Research on sustainable consumption is increasing however, it mostly focuses on commercial products. Fashion industry in general remains understudied especially small size business in sustainable fashion. Even this segment continues to be neglected in research, it creates a significant impact on sustainability. The study is carried in Lithuania. While sustainability is regarded as the business standard in neighboring countries, especially Scandinavia, Lithuania is still learning how to become more conscious and sustainable. Although the country has the capacity to lead sustainability in the region, there is inadequate education on this matter. Regardless, several local businesses and governments agree that incorporating sustainability is a single clear route to economic growth. The paper aims to understand motives and values of Lithuanian sustainable clothing business owners and explore how they communicate these motives and values. The study employs a qualitative approach of in‐depth semi‐structured interviews. The analysis is guided by the framework of grounded theory, which leads to the conception of four themes: (1) Initiating a Change; (2) Respectful and Responsible Approach; (3) Slowness; (4) Personal and Purposeful Communication. A possible limitation of this study is the language barrier. Participants could choose whether they wished to speak in English or Lithuanian. Three out of seven chose to speak their native language, while four agreed to speak in English. Although English‐speaking participants did not show any difficulty expressing themselves, their interviews turned out to be shorter than those conducted in Lithuanian. Findings indicate that the motives, values, and communication procedures of the owners are reflected in bringing about a change in consumers' minds and actions, taking responsibility to show respect to stakeholders and the environment, slowing down in every step from design to shipping, and building a conscious and educated community. The paper has defined relevant terms and put forward the ground values of the sustainable fashion industry by giving a voice to sustainable clothing business owners, their experiences, and insights.
Congenital dyserythropoietic anemia type IV in the genetic era: A rare neonatal case report of rapid identification with a review of the literature
Authors: Deguise Marc‐Olivier , Blain Sarah , Simpson Ewurabena , Liebman Mira , Ferretti Emanuela
Published: February 2023

Congenital dyserythropoietic anemia type IV (CDAIV) is a rare inherited hematological disorder, presenting with severe anemia due to altered erythropoiesis and hemolysis, with variable needs for recurrent transfusions. We present a case of a transfusion‐dependent male newborn who presented at birth with severe hemolytic anemia, and required an intrauterine transfusion. Genetic testing rapidly identified a Kruppel‐like factor 1 (KLF1) pathogenic variant (c.973G>A, p.E325K), known to be causative for CDAIV. This case highlights the advantages of next‐generation sequencing testing for congenital hemolytic anemia: diagnostic speed, guidance on natural history, and optimized clinical management and anticipatory guidance for parents and clinicians. Additionally, we reviewed the literature for all CDAIV cases.
Emotional distress predicts palliative cancer care attitudes: The unique role of anger
Authors: Mossman Brenna , Perry Laura M. , Gerhart James I. , McLouth Laurie E. , Lewson Ashley B. , Hoerger Michael
Published: February 2023

Objective

Although palliative care can mitigate emotional distress, distressed patients may be less likely to engage in timely palliative care. This study aims to investigate the role of emotional distress in palliative care avoidance by examining the associations of anger, anxiety, and depression with palliative care attitudes.

Methods

Patients (N = 454) with heterogeneous cancer diagnoses completed an online survey on emotional distress and palliative care attitudes. Emotional distress was measured using the Patient‐Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System anger, anxiety, and depression scales. The Palliative Care Attitudes Scale was used to measure palliative care attitudes. Regression models tested the impact of a composite emotional distress score calculated from all three symptom measures, as well as individual anger, anxiety, and depression scores, on palliative care attitudes. All models controlled for relevant demographic and clinical covariates.

Results

Regression results revealed that patients who were more emotionally distressed had less favorable attitudes toward palliative care (p < 0.001). In particular, patients who were angrier had less favorable attitudes toward palliative care (p = 0.013) while accounting for depression, anxiety, and covariates. Across analyses, women had more favorable attitudes toward palliative care than men, especially with regard to beliefs about palliative care effectiveness.

Conclusions

Anger is a key element of emotional distress and may lead patients to be more reluctant toward timely utilization of palliative care. Although psycho‐oncology studies routinely assess depression or anxiety, more attention to anger is warranted. More research is needed on how best to address anger and increase timely utilization of palliative cancer care.
Distribution of Dalbulus maidis (DeLong) (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) and incidence of maize rayado fino virus and Candidatus Phytoplasma asteris in corn succession planting systems
Authors: da Cunha Tiago Garcia , Veloso Ronnie Von dos Santos , de Araújo Matheus Miller Mesquita , Tavares Luciano Gabriel , Ribeiro Luiz Fernando Borges , Tormen Gislaine Pacheco , Campos Diogo Santos , Picanço Marcelo Coutinho , Lopes Everaldo Antônio , Pereira Renata Ramos , Soares Marcus Alvarenga , da Silva Ricardo Siqueira
Published: February 2023

BACKGROUND

Corn is one of the main crops grown globally to produce food for human consumption and animal feed, including raw materials for bioenergy. Effective pest management is critical for the economic viability of corn production. The leafhopper Dalbulus maidis and the diseases transmitted by it have become relevant to corn production. Our study aimed to determine environmental parameters that affect D. maidis populations and the impacts of pathogen dispersion on corn productivity under different rotation systems and sowing seasons.

RESULTS

The population density of leafhoppers found in the studied crops was low but capable of establishing the diseases and spreading them widely in the crops. The leafhopper's highest occurrence was in the corn vegetative development stage, and its population peaks were earlier in the corn off‐season. The incidence of maize rayado fino virus and maize bushy stunt phytoplasma were higher in corn off‐season than in the growing season. The incidence of diseases was higher in the final stages of the cultivation cycle. Yield losses were significantly higher for maize bushy stunt phytoplasma and not significant for maize rayado fino virus.

CONCLUSION

Our study observed that corn's physiological stage was the main factor influencing D. maidis dynamics. The occurrence of D. maidis at low densities was sufficient to ensure the efficient transmission and dissemination of maize rayado fino virus and maize bushy stunt phytoplasma, which had a higher incidence in the reproductive stage and the corn sowed off‐season. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.
Comparative phosphoproteomics analysis provides insights into the responses of Chilo suppressalis to sublethal chlorantraniliprole exposure
Authors: Meng Xiangkun , Guan Daojie , Zhang Nan , Jiang Heng , Jiang Chengyun , Ge Huichen , Wei Jiaping , Wang Jianjun , Qian Kun
Published: February 2023

BACKGROUND

Sublethal exposure to insecticides causes changes in insect behaviors and physiologies including feeding, mobility, communication, hormone homeostasis, development and fecundity, however, the underlying molecular mechanisms were largely unclear. Our previous studies revealed that sublethal chlorantraniliprole exposure disturbed the hormone homeostasis, reduced the weight and longevity and prolonged the developmental duration of Chilo suppressalis. In the present study, the potential phosphorylation modification regulation mechanisms in C. suppressalis in response to sublethal chlorantraniliprole exposure were explored using comparative and quantitative phosphoproteomics.

RESULTS

A total of 2640 phosphopeptides belonging to 1144 phosphoproteins were identified, among which 446 phosphopeptides derived from 303 unique phosphoproteins were differentially phosphorylated between the chlorantraniliprole‐treated and control larvae. The phosphorylation levels of differentially phosphorylated phosphopeptides were further validated using parallel reaction monitoring (PRM). Functional classification and protein–protein interaction of the differentially phosphorylated proteins (DPPs) were analyzed. Generalized analysis of the DPPs and the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) identified in our previous study showed that sublethal chlorantraniliprole exposure significantly changed the transcription and phosphorylation levels of genes/proteins associated with carbohydrate and lipid metabolism, cytoskeleton, signal transduction, transcription, translation and post‐translational modification, leading to the dysfunctions of energy metabolism, transcription regulation, protein synthesis and modification, and signal transduction in C. suppressalis. Further analysis of the phosphorylation motifs in DPPs revealed that the MAPKs, CDKs, CaMK II, PKA, PKC and CK II protein kinases might be directly responsible for the phosphoproteomics response of C. suppressalis to chlorantraniliprole treatment.

CONCLUSION

Our results provide abundant phosphorylation information for characterizing the protein modification in insects, and also provide valuable insights into the molecular mechanisms of insect post‐translational modifications in response to sublethal insecticide exposure. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.
Synthesis, characterization, and wound healing properties of α/γ hybrid peptides
Authors: ur Rahim Junaid , Khalid Arfan , Shankar Sudha , Qasam Irfan , Yadav Govind , Rai Rajkishor
Published: February 2023

The present work describes the synthesis, characterization, and wound healing properties of α/γ hybrid peptides: Boc‐Phe‐γ4‐Phe‐Val‐OMe (S1), Boc‐DPhe‐γ4‐Phe‐Val‐OMe (S2), Boc‐Ala‐γ4‐Phe‐Val‐OMe (S3), Boc‐DAla‐γ4‐Phe‐Val‐OMe (S4), Boc‐Leu‐γ4‐Phe‐Val‐OMe (S5), and Boc‐DLeu‐γ4‐Phe‐Val‐OMe (S6). Peptides S1–S6 were screened against human keratinocytes (HaCaT) and RAW 264.7 cells. Among all, S1‐ and S2‐treated cells exhibited high cell viability; S1 and S2 induced keratinocyte migration and inhibited the production of the cytokines IL‐6 and TNF‐α. In vivo results demonstrated that the hybrid peptides S1 and S2 accelerate wound healing in Wistar rats with 83% and 88% at 50 μg/ml, and 74% and 76% at 25 μg/ml, respectively.
Robust inference for nondestructive one‐shot device testing under step‐stress model with exponential lifetimes
Authors: Balakrishnan Narayanaswamy , Castilla Elena , Jaenada María , Pardo Leandro
Published: February 2023

One‐shot devices analysis involves an extreme case of interval censoring, wherein one can only know whether the failure time is either before or after the test time. Some kind of one‐shot devices do not get destroyed when tested, and so can continue within the experiment, providing extra information for inference, if they did not fail before an inspection time. In addition, their reliability can be rapidly estimated via accelerated life tests (ALTs) by running the tests at varying and higher stress levels than working conditions. In particular, step‐stress tests allow the experimenter to increase the stress levels at prefixed times gradually during the life‐testing experiment. The cumulative exposure model is commonly assumed for step‐stress models, relating the lifetime distribution of units at one stress level to the lifetime distributions at preceding stress levels. In this paper, we develop robust estimators and Z‐type test statistics based on the density power divergence (DPD) for testing linear null hypothesis for nondestructive one‐shot devices under the step‐stress ALTs with exponential lifetime distribution. We study asymptotic and robustness properties of the estimators and test statistics, yielding point estimation and confidence intervals for different lifetime characteristic such as reliability, distribution quantiles, and mean lifetime of the devices. A simulation study is carried out to assess the performance of the methods of inference developed here and some real‐life data sets are analyzed finally for illustrative purpose.
Machine learning approach for the prediction of the number of sulphur atoms in peptides using the theoretical aggregated isotope distribution
Authors: Agten Annelies , Claesen Jurgen , Burzykowski Tomasz , Valkenborg Dirk
Published: February 2023

Rationale

The observed isotope distribution is an important attribute for the identification of peptides and proteins in mass spectrometry–based proteomics. Sulphur atoms have a very distinctive elemental isotope definition, and therefore, the presence of sulphur atoms has a substantial effect on the isotope distribution of biomolecules. Hence, knowledge of the number of sulphur atoms can improve the identification of peptides and proteins.

Methods

In this paper, we conducted a theoretical investigation on the isotope properties of sulphur‐containing peptides. We proposed a gradient boosting approach to predict the number of sulphur atoms based on the aggregated isotope distribution. We compared prediction accuracy and assessed the predictive power of the features using the mass and isotope abundance information from the first three, five and eight aggregated isotope peaks.

Results

Mass features alone are not sufficient to accurately predict the number of sulphur atoms. However, we reach near‐perfect prediction when we include isotope abundance features. The abundance ratios of the eighth and the seventh, the fifth and the fourth, and the third and the second aggregated isotope peaks are the most important abundance features. The mass difference between the eighth, the fifth or the third aggregated isotope peaks and the monoisotopic peak are the most predictive mass features.

Conclusions

Based on the validation analysis it can be concluded that the prediction of the number of sulphur atoms based on the isotope profile fails, because the isotope ratios are not measured accurately. These results indicate that it is valuable for future instrument developments to focus more on improving spectral accuracy to measure peak intensities of higher‐order isotope peaks more accurately.
Long‐Term Stability, Biocompatibility, and Magnetization of Suspensions of Isolated Bacterial Magnetosomes
Authors: Mickoleit Frank , Jörke Cornelia , Richter Reinhard , Rosenfeldt Sabine , Markert Simon , Rehberg Ingo , Schenk Anna S. , Bäumchen Oliver , Schüler Dirk , Clement Joachim H.
Published: February 2023

Magnetosomes are magnetic nanoparticles biosynthesized by magnetotactic bacteria. Due to a genetically strictly controlled biomineralization process, the ensuing magnetosomes have been envisioned as agents for biomedical and clinical applications. In the present work, different stability parameters of magnetosomes isolated from Magnetospirillum gryphiswaldense upon storage in suspension (HEPES buffer, 4 °C, nitrogen atmosphere) for one year in the absence of antibiotics are examined. The magnetic potency, measured by the saturation magnetization of the particle suspension, drops to one‐third of its starting value within this year—about ten times slower than at ambient air and room temperature. The particle size distribution, the integrity of the surrounding magnetosome membrane, the colloidal stability, and the biocompatibility turn out to be not severely affected by long‐term storage.
Empowering college students: UDL, culturally responsive pedagogy, and mindset as an instructional approach
Authors: Gentile Amber L. , Budzilowicz Mary
Published: February 2023

This chapter provides actionable strategies through the description of a crosswalk model explicitly connecting Universal Design for Learning, Culturally Responsive Pedagogy, and Mindset. The influences of Social Emotional Learning and Trauma Informed Practices are explored.
The creative ways colleges are reinventing themselves to avoid demographic declines
Authors: D'Orio Wayne
Published: February 2023

There's no arguing with the demographics. Starting in 2025, the number of high school graduates will decline by 100,000 annually for four years. And the shrinking number of graduates will persist at least 15 years.
Subpoenas and the new registrar, Part 3
Authors: Rainsberger Richard
Published: February 2023

What do you do when you encounter something for the first time? That was the case when I received my first subpoena in 1976. Now 30 years later, I get an email from a Ferpadoc reader saying she had arrived at the same rite of registrar passage. She had received her first subpoena. She didn't know what to do. She was asking for help.
U. of South Carolina's Scott Verzyl: Long‐term programs helped boost applications, spur enrollment, and raise the university's graduation rate
Authors: D'Orio Wayne
Published: February 2023

When Scott Verzyl joined the University of South Carolina in 2004, the school's goals were clear but wide‐ranging. The public university wanted to grow its enrollment, increase applicants from both in‐state and out of state, and improve the profile of the student body.
Introduction: EU Urban Initiatives as Integrated Multi-level Policy Mixes—Policy Levels, Policy Dimensions and Added Values of Integrated Local Strategies from a Comparative Perspective
Authors: Navarro Yáñez Clemente J.
Published: February 2023

This chapter proposes to study urban initiatives implemented in the framework of the EU cohesion policy as integrated urban multi-level policy mixes. The first section details the main policy level and dimensions of these policies and analytical ideas about their relationship based on policy sector and policy integration perspectives. The second section applies this analytical framework to the so-called urban dimension of the cohesion policy, proposing some insights into its multi-scalar comparative analyses based on policy frame changes, member state’s institutional contexts and local settings. The third section specifies the central added value expected from EU integrated urban initiatives and research already done about this issue. Lastly, the fourth section briefly presents some of the major traits of EU urban initiatives applied in Spain, introducing the main research questions and empirical corpus analysed in this book.
The Impact of the URBAN Initiative: On Residential Mobility and ‘Contextual Exposure’ to EU-Integrated Urban Development Strategies
Authors: Navarro Yáñez Clemente J. , Fernández-García Manuel , Domínguez-González Alicia
Published: February 2023

Previous evaluations of integrated area-based initiatives have shown moderate effects on residents’ living conditions and, therefore, neighbourhood socioeconomic composition. This chapter sustains this could be explained by residential mobility in targeted neighbourhoods: according to the ‘neighbourhood revitalisation’ frame of policy analysed, impacts should be more evident among ‘stayers’ residents who have been exposed to the project implementation. This idea is studied by performing two analyses: all residents and only ‘stayers’ residents. Both apply a repeated measurement with control groups design to analyse the change in unemployment rates, educational attainment, and socioeconomic status in experimental and control neighbourhoods. The analysis controlling by contextual exposure, including only stayers residents, shows a better impact than the analysis including all residents. Therefore, in addition to contrafactual selection according to programme eligibility criteria, impact studies should consider residential mobility as a confounding factor regarding the impact of area-based policy actions on targeted territories providing policy evidence for the debate between urban revitalisation and state-led gentrification theses on area-based initiatives.
Euphorias! Positive Feelings Within Negative Conditions
Authors: Jones Tiffany
Published: February 2023

People within marginal gender, sex, and sexuality groups are mostly framed within conservative psycho-medical research, or critical empowerment literature. In both literatures, their framing has negative aspects either negating their bodies, identities, health, or function, or positioning within discriminatory contexts. Resisting deficit-based framings, this book uses the concept ‘euphoria’ to investigate when, why, and how marginal gender, sex, and sexuality groups have positive experiences of their diverse variations. These positive experiences appear to occur within, and even in part due or at least in relation to, marginal groups’ repressive and disordering contexts and marginalisation itself. This chapter supplies an overview of the different literatures on euphoria. It relates this work to information on dysphoria. It then supplies an outline of the chapters of the book.
The Scientific Background to Our Own Empirical Study
Authors: Tausch Arno
Published: February 2023

In this chapter, we amply debate the contributions on “political Islam” in the leading peer-reviewed journals of social science. We discuss contributions by Francois Burgat, but also Jocelyne Cesari, John Esposito, Gilles Kepel and Oliver Roy clearly outline which important value patterns the adherents of political Islam represent (five items from the Arab Barometer) and which political movements and governments of countries are to be assigned to the extension of the phenomenon. Of special importance is the study by Harvard Professor Melanie Cammett (Cammett et al., 2020), which deals explicitly with political Islam and political values in the Arab world using data from the Arab Barometer. The empirical analyses of Cammett et al. (2020), use longitudinal data from the Arab Barometer as well as data from the World Values Survey 2015. We also debate the contributions by such authors as Fox et al. (2016), Achilov (2016); as well as empirical contributions by Driessen (2018), Kucinskas and Van Der Does (2017); a highly interesting Iranian paper, authored by Rahbarqazi and Mahmoudoghli (2020); and the Tessler (2010), study. All these studies were very valuable in the formation of our own empirical research.
Influencing Factors for Users’ Privacy and Security Protection Behavior in Smart Speakers: Insights from a Swiss User Study
Authors: Ebbers Frank , Karaboga Murat
Published: February 2023

Smart speakers pose several risks to security and privacy, which users can counter with protective measures. This paper investigates the factors contributing to the adoption of protective measures by smart speaker users. Using survey data from Swiss participants, we first captured four different combinations of users with (no) concerns and (no) measures. We then used six factors to examine which of these influence protective behavior. Our findings reveal that whether or not protective measures are taken is affected by the usage context, usage duration, gender, opinion toward emotion recognition, and reasons for acquisition, but not by model/manufacturer, age and education level. With our results, we want to contribute to the ongoing discussion about influencing factors on concerns and protective measures, using the smart speaker domain as an example.
INTERPLAST-Germany—adapting to global plastic surgery
Authors: Borsche Andre´
Published: February 2023

Background

INTERPLAST, Inc. was founded in 1969 by plastic surgeons in Stanford, CA, to create a financial basis through donations to operate foreign patients at Stanford or send surgical teams to developing countries. With the same financial effort, 50 to 100 times more patients can be operated on locally than in a hospital at home. Stanford’s example was appealing to many plastic surgeons worldwide, who founded similar INTERPLAST NGOs in their own countries.

Methods

A literature review revealed worldwide humanitarian actions of INTERPLAST teams, whose annual effectiveness is comparable to the operation numbers of large plastic surgery departments. Six patients with complex facial deformities requiring multiple surgical interventions were selected for temporary stay and operations in Germany.

Results

Repeated missions at the same hospitals with training of local surgeons have increased significantly compared to earlier “parachute missions.” Microsurgical procedures for free flaps with magnifying glasses are now possible for the experienced even in hospitals in developing countries. The most efficient medical aid in the future will be the expansion and establishment of departments or hospitals in developing countries supported or maintained by partner hospitals in our home country.

Conclusions

Operations of humanitarian plastic surgeons in developing countries are becoming increasingly difficult. Local health authorities require temporary surgical permits, customs offices try to clear surgical material and look at expiration dates of medicines, and pandemics complicate planning of INTERPLAST missions. It therefore seems increasingly necessary to go as single teacher, training engaged local surgeons and assisting operations. The alternative is inviting local surgeons to Western hospitals and introducing them to the basic skills of plastic surgery and empathy with the poor. However, the lack of recognition of medical degrees from all developing countries remains a problem for their training in Europe.

Level of evidence: Level V, risk/prognostic
Understanding immunity: an alternative framework beyond defense and strength
Authors: Zach Martin , Greslehner Gregor P.
Published: February 2023

In this paper we address the issue of how to think about immunity. Many immunological writings suggest a straightforward option: the view that the immune system is primarily a system of defense, which naturally invites the talk of strong immunity and strong immune response. Despite their undisputable positive role in immunology, such metaphors can also pose a risk of establishing a narrow perspective, omitting from consideration phenomena that do not neatly fit those powerful metaphors. Building on this analysis, we argue two things. First, we argue that the immune system is involved not only in defense. Second, by disentangling various possible meanings of ‘strength’ and ‘weakness’ in immunology, we also argue that such a construal of immunity generally contributes to the distortion of the overall picture of what the immune system is, what it does, and why it sometimes fails. Instead, we propose to understand the nature of the immune system in terms of contextuality, regulation, and trade-offs. We suggest that our approach provides lessons for a general understanding of the organizing principles of the immune system in health and disease. For all this to work, we discuss a wide range of immunological phenomena.
A Dual Probabilistic Discounting Approach to Assess Economic and Environmental Impacts
Authors: Nesticò Antonio , Maselli Gabriella , Ghisellini Patrizia , Ulgiati Sergio
Published: February 2023

The growing environmental concerns require the characterization of decision support methods that can guide analysts towards more sustainable investment choices. Therefore, in theex-anteeconomic evaluations of investments with environmental repercussions, it is of rising interest to give the “right” value to the non-monetary effects in the long term. In this regard, conventional discounting procedures—based on constant rates—are inadequate to evaluate intergenerational environmental effects. With this research we propose an innovative model for estimating discount rates to be used in the Cost–Benefit Analysis (CBA) of projects with long-term environmental effects. The model is based on a two-goods extension of the Ramsey formula, according to which the rate at which environmental impacts are discounted is different from the rate at which monetary benefits are discounted. Compared to the Ramsey model, we propose time-declining functions of the two discount rates to assess the long-run effects of investment projects. To characterize the model, we consider the macroeconomic risk, or we assume that the variable “GDP growth rate” is a stochastic variable. Furthermore, since we propose discount rates to evaluate public projects in line with sustainable development goals, we express environmental quality as a function of the Environmental Performance Index (EPI). Based on the proposed model, we estimate for the first time declining consumption discount rates and declining environmental discount rates for Italy based on empirical data. The estimates of the two discount rates for Italy shows that the environmental discount rate is lower than the consumption one: in fact, the first one starts from a value of 3.0% and arrives at 0.4% after 300 years; while the second one starts from 0.7% and reaches 0.3% at the end of the considered time horizon. The result highlights the importance of estimating country-specific dual and declining discount rates. These discount rates allow appropriate weights to be given to all investment impacts, and therefore also to environmental impacts, compared to conventional discounting.
The irresponsibility of not using AI in the military
Authors: Meerveld H. W. , Lindelauf R. H. A. , Postma E. O. , Postma M.
Published: February 2023

The ongoing debate on the ethics of using artificial intelligence (AI) in military contexts has been negatively impacted by the predominant focus on the use of lethal autonomous weapon systems (LAWS) in war. However, AI technologies have a considerably broader scope and present opportunities for decision support optimization across the entire spectrum of the military decision-making process (MDMP). These opportunities cannot be ignored. Instead of mainly focusing on the risks of the use of AI in target engagement, the debate about responsible AI should (i) concern each step in the MDMP, and (ii) take ethical considerations and enhanced performance in military operations into account. A characterization of the debate on responsible AI in the military, considering both machine and human weaknesses and strengths, is provided in this paper. We present inroads into the improvement of the MDMP, and thus military operations, through the use of AI for decision support, taking each quadrant of this characterization into account.
Diatom–salinity thresholds in experimental outdoor streams reinforce the need for stricter water quality guidelines in South Australia
Authors: Frost Charles , Tibby John , Goonan Peter
Published: February 2023

Water quality guidelines are an important tool for managing environmental pressures on freshwater streams, but guidelines are frequently set using conditions from reference sites that are assumed to be unimpacted. Using biological thresholds potentially provides a better foundation for guidelines. However, guidelines based on field observations alone may be compromised by confounding influences. This study used an outdoor stream mesocosm, an artificial substrate (rope), and six salinity concentrations to assess the veracity of a diatom–salinity threshold determined previously in natural temperate South Australian streams. In addition, shaded treatments assessed the synergistic influences of salinity and reduced sunlight. Salinity had the strongest effect on diatoms, influencing both species and functional compositions. Species diversity and richness, and functional diversity had negative correlations with salinity. Shade strongly reduced diatom concentrations and altered species composition, with no observed interaction between salinity and light. Threshold Indicator Taxa ANalysis indicated a salinity threshold of 1610 μS cm−1 for both shade treatments, lower than the upper limit of the range used in current freshwater guidelines. This study recommends a new candidate guideline of 1600 μS cm−1 for regional freshwater streams and suggests that contemporary methods for deriving water quality guidelines may not adequately protect aquatic health.
Automation, organizational ambidexterity and the stability of employee relations: new tensions arising between corporate entrepreneurship, innovation management and stakeholder management
Authors: Hiebl Martin R. W. , Pielsticker David I.
Published: February 2023

While previous entrepreneurship research has only seldom drawn on organizational ambidexterity, the analysis of the important contemporary tensions among entrepreneurship, innovation management and strategic management issues may be facilitated by more closely analysing organizational ambidexterity in entrepreneurial settings. In this paper, we follow this thinking and more closely analyse an often applied form of corporate entrepreneurship: automation. Such automation is transferring work that was formerly conducted by humans to machines and may thus result in new tensions between corporate entrepreneurship, innovation management and the management of organizational stakeholders such as employees. The present paper investigates whether increased automation lowers the stability of firms’ relationships with their employees. In addition, we expect that this relationship is moderated by organizational ambidexterity, as employees may have perceived ambidexterity as a signal that their firm will not overly invest in exploitation only, but maintain a balance between exploitation and exploration. Drawing on stakeholder theory, previous insights into corporate entrepreneurship and a survey of German Mittelstand firms, our findings show that highly ambidextrous firms are indeed more vulnerable to automation, leading to lower employee relational stability. Our findings thus suggest that in highly ambidextrous firms, novel tensions around automation-related corporate entrepreneurship will be detrimental to the stability of the firm’s relations with one of its key stakeholder groups: employees.
Comment on “Tidally Synchronized Solar Dynamo: A Rebuttal” by Nataf (Solar Phys. 297, 107, 2022)
Authors: Scafetta Nicola
Published: February 2023

Nataf (Solar Phys.297, 107, 2022) has recently asserted that the hypothesis that the solar dynamo may be synchronized by planetary tidal forces is unsupported by any evidence. He reached this conclusion by adopting a simplistic tidal model (which was discussed in his Appendix A) that relies solely on the effect of Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Jupiter whose orbits were assumed to be circular. His model was unable to produce tides with periods compatible with those of the Schwabe 11-year solar cycle. I demonstrate here that the modeling in Nataf (2022) is erroneous and that a correct modeling and interpretation of the planetary tidal function, which accounts for all planets and their true orbits, fits well with the spectral requirements of the Schwabe 11-year solar cycle. This result has been already shown and discussed in a substantial body of scholarly research on the subject, which Nataf apparently ignored. A recent and extended review of the empirical and theoretical evidences supporting the planetary synchronized solar dynamo theory was offered by Scafetta and Bianchini (Front. Astron. Space Sci.9, 937930, 2022).