bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Missed chances and unfulfilled hopes: Why do firms make errors in evaluating technological opportunities?
Authors: Kumar Amit , Operti Elisa
Published: August 2023

Research Abstract

This study examines commission and omission errors in the evaluation of technological opportunities. Integrating structural and cognitive perspectives, we propose that inventors with more cohesive collaboration networks within the firm or geographically closer to the corporate headquarters exert greater influence on the dominant representations shaping opportunity evaluation within the firm. Thus, their inventions are more likely to be positively assessed, even if quality considerations suggest otherwise. Conversely, even when superior in quality, inventions from individuals with less cohesive collaboration networks within the firm or located far from the corporate headquarters are less likely to be positively evaluated, leading to omission errors. The study provides evidence based on 22 interviews and archival data from the mobile phone and personal digital assistant industry between 1990 and 2010.

Managerial Abstract

This study examines commission and omission errors in decision‐making about technologies. Studying patent renewal decisions of 42 firms in the mobile phone and personal digital assistant industry between 1990 and 2010, we show that inventors with more cohesive collaboration networks within the firm or located close to the corporate headquarters have their inventions positively assessed even when of lower quality, leading to commission errors. On the other hand, inventors with less cohesive collaboration networks within the firm or located far away from the corporate headquarters have their inventions disregarded even when of higher quality, causing omission errors. These findings call for managerial vigilance in technology evaluation decisions, ensuring valuable ideas are not overlooked due to an inventor's network position or location.
Engineered Extracellular Vesicles to Enhance Antigen Presentation for Boosting Light‐Driven Tumor Immunotherapy
Authors: Li Xuyu , He Shuaicheng , Luo Ban , Li Puze , Chen Xue , Wu Meichan , Song Cheng , Liu Chao , Yang Tian , Zhang Xiaojuan , Yang Xiangliang , Hu Jun
Published: August 2023

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have emerged as potential tools for tumor‐target therapy accompanied with activating anticancer immune responses by serving as an integrated platform, but usually suffered from the limited cross presentation of tumor‐associated antigen by dendritic cells (DCs). Here, a straightforward engineering strategy to construct heat shock proteins 70 (HSP70) highly expressed EVs incapsulated with Te nanoparticles (Te@EVsHSP70) for tumor photothermal therapy triggering improved immunotherapy is proposed. Tumor cells are firstly used as bioreactors for intracellular synthesis of Te nanoparticles, and NIR irradiation is subsequently introduced to upregulate the expression of HSP70 to give engineered Te@EVsHSP70 through exocytosis. Te@EVsHSP70 exhibits excellent photothermal performance and enhanced tumor antigen capture capability, which induces significant immunogenic death of tumor cells and improves DCs maturation both in vitro and in vivo. Thus, the engineered EVs demonstrate superior antitumor efficacy through photothermal effect and following provoked antitumor immune responses. This work provides a facile method to fabricate multifunctional EVs‐based drug delivery system for improving photothermal‐triggered tumor immunotherapy.
Gaining Deep Understanding of Electrochemical CO2RR with In Situ/Operando Techniques
Authors: Gong Yue , He Tao
Published: August 2023

Electrocatalysis for CO2conversion has been extensively studied to mitigate the energy shortage and environmental issues, which are gaining ever‐increasing attention. However, the complicated CO2reduction process and the dynamic evolution occurring on electrocatalyst surface make it hard to understand the catalytic mechanism. The development of advanced in situ/operando techniques intelligently coupled with electrochemical cells sheds light on the related study via capturing surface atomic rearrangement, tracing chemical state change of catalysts, monitoring the behavior of intermediates and products, and depicting microenvironment near the electrode surface. In this review, fundamentals of the state‐of‐the‐art in situ/operando techniques are clarified first. Case studies on the in situ/operando techniques performed to probe the CO2reduction reaction processes are then discussed in detail. Finally, conclusions and outlook on this field are presented.
Digital Twin Power Grid Oriented Mobile Edge Network Resource Allocation Model
Authors: Han Jinglin , Chen Zhiyong , Hu Ping , Li Hongtao , Li Guangyi , Pi Tanxin
Published: August 2023

The integration of vast quantities of clean energy causes intense impact on the power grid reliability. Digital Twin can be used to handle the high‐growth data flow generated in the power grid, and thus accelerate its digitalization process to fulfill the clean energy consumption target. As the traditional central cloud network structure can no longer effectively support the operation of digital twin power grid, the mobile edge network can be used as a reasonable substitute. To support the information interaction process of the mobile edge network, considering total profit, time delay and energy consumption, this paper proposes the mobile edge network communication and computing resource joint allocation model. On the basis, the GA‐PSO algorithm is proposed to solve the resource allocation optimization function. The feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed model is verified by the related simulation experiment. © 2023 Institute of Electrical Engineer of Japan and Wiley Periodicals LLC.
Sasa veitchii extract alleviates nonalcoholic steatohepatitis in methionine–choline deficient diet‐induced mice by regulating peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor alpha
Authors: Yoshioka Hiroki , Wu Sixun , Moriishi Takeshi , Tsukiboshi Yosuke , Yokota Satoshi , Miura Nobuhiko , Yoshikawa Masae , Inagaki Naoki , Matsushita Yuki , Nakao Makoto
Published: August 2023

Aim

Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is a pandemic liver disease. This study aimed to explore the protective effects of Sasa veitchii extract (SE) in a mouse model of methionine–choline‐deficient (MCD) diet‐induced NASH.

Methods

Eight‐week‐old male C57BL/6J mice were fed a normal diet or an MCD diet for 8 weeks (0–8 weeks). SE (0.1 mL) was administered orally once daily for the latter period (4 weeks; 5–8 weeks). Body weight was measured weekly. The mice were euthanized and plasma samples were collected. Livers were collected and weighed.

Results

The MCD diet decreased the liver/body weight ratio, elevated plasma alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase levels, and increased liver oxidative stress, fibrosis, and inflammation. These changes were alleviated by SE administration. We also found that the MCD‐induced increase in triglycerides and lipid droplets in the liver was attenuated by SE. Furthermore, MCD‐induced glutathione peroxidase‐4 and peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor‐alpha downregulation was sustained by SE administration.

Conclusion

Our results showed that SE protected mice against MCD‐induced hepatic injury, including oxidative stress and inflammation, by modulating peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor alpha activation.
How Do OS and Application Schedulers Interact? An Investigation with Multithreaded Applications
Authors: Korndörfer Jonas H. Müller , Eleliemy Ahmed , Simsek Osman Seckin , Ilsche Thomas , Schöne Robert , Ciorba Florina M.
Published: August 2023

Scheduling is critical for achieving high performance for parallel applications executing on high performance computing (HPC) systems. Scheduling decisions can be taken at batch system, application, and operating system (OS) levels. In this work, we investigate the interaction between the Linux scheduler and various OpenMP scheduling options during the execution of three multithreaded codes on two types of computing nodes. When threads are unpinned, we found that OS scheduling events significantly interfere with the performance of compute-bound applications, aggravating their inherent load imbalance or overhead (by additional context switches). While the Linux scheduler balances system load in the absence of application-level load balancing, we also found it decreases performance via additional context switches and thread migrations. We observed that performing load balancing operations both at the OS and application levels is advantageous for the performance of concurrently executing applications. These results show the importance of considering the role of OS scheduling in the design of application scheduling techniques and vice versa. This work motivates further research into coordination of scheduling within multithreaded applications and the OS.
OpenBMB: Big Model Systems for Large-Scale Representation Learning
Authors: Zeng Guoyang , Han Xu , Zhang Zhengyan , Liu Zhiyuan , Lin Yankai , Sun Maosong
Published: August 2023

Big pre-trained models (PTMs) have received increasing attention in recent years from academia and industry for their excellent performance on downstream tasks. However, huge computing power and sophisticated technical expertise are required to develop big models, discouraging many institutes and researchers. In order to facilitate the popularization of big models, we introduce OpenBMB, an open-source suite of big models, to break the barriers of computation and expertise of big model applications. In this chapter, we will introduce the core toolkits in OpenBMB, including BMTrain for efficient training, OpenPrompt and OpenDelta for efficient tuning, BMCook for efficient compression, and BMInf for efficient inference.
Bearing Capacity Prediction of Corroded PT Beams Incorporating Grouting Defects and Bond Degradation
Authors: Wang Lei
Published: August 2023

Corrosion can reduce the sectional area of strand, induce concrete cracking, and degrade bond strength, which can further decrease the bearing capacity of prestressed concrete beams. First, an analytical model is proposed to predict the flexural bearing capacity of partially ungrouted post-tensioned concrete beams. Then, a prediction model of corroded prestressed concrete beams is established to calculate the incompatible deformation between strand and concrete under different load conditions.
Injecting the UV into the bootstrap: Ising Field Theory
Authors: Correia Miguel , Penedones João , Vuignier Antoine
Published: August 2023

Abstract

We merge together recent developments in the S-matrix bootstrap program to develop a dual setup in 2 space-time dimensions incorporating scattering amplitudes of massive particles and matrix elements of local operators. In particular, the stress energy tensor allows us to input UV constraints on IR observables in terms of the central charge cUV of the UV Conformal Field Theory. We consider two applications: (1) We establish a rigorous lower bound on cUV of a class of ℤ2 symmetric scalar theories in the IR (including ϕ4); (2) We target Ising Field Theory by, first, minimizing cUV for different values of the magnetic field and, secondly, by determining the allowed range of cubic coupling and one-particle form-factor for fixed cUV = 1/2 and magnetic field.
Little string instanton partition functions and scalar propagators
Authors: Filoche Baptiste , Hohenegger Stefan
Published: August 2023

Abstract

We discuss a class of Little String Theories (LSTs) whose low energy descriptions are supersymmetric gauge theories on the Ω-background with gauge group U(N) and matter in the adjoint representation. We show that the instanton partition function of these theories can be written in terms of Kronecker-Eisenstein series, which in a particular limit of the deformation parameters of the Ω-background organise themselves into Greens functions of free scalar fields on a torus. We provide a concrete identification between (differences of) such propagators and Nekrasov subfunctions. The latter are also characterised by counting specific holomorphic curves in a Calabi-Yau threefold XN,1 which engineers the LST. Furthermore, using the formulation of the partition function in terms of the Kronecker-Eisenstein series, we argue for new recursive structures which relate higher instanton contributions to products of lower ones.
𝒩 = 1 SCFTs from F-theory on Orbifolds
Authors: Giacomelli Simone , Savelli Raffaele
Published: August 2023

Abstract

We study four-dimensional superconformal field theories living on the worldvolume of D3 branes probing minimally-supersymmetric F-theory backgrounds, focusing on the case of orbi-orientifold setups with and without 7-branes. We observe that these theories are closely related to compactifications of six-dimensional 𝒩 = (1, 0) theories on a torus with flux, where the flux quanta is mapped in Type IIB to the defining data of the orbifold group. We analyze the cases of class 𝒮k theories as well as of compactifications of the E-string and of orbi-instanton theories. We also classify 𝒮-fold configurations in F-theory preserving minimal supersymmetry in four dimensions and their mass deformations.
Hormonelle Kontrazeptiva bei Adoleszentinnen
Authors: Böttcher Bettina , Segerer Sabine
Published: August 2023

Die hormonelle Kontrazeption in der Adoleszenz stellt weiterhin eine wichtige Verhütungsmöglichkeit dar, auch wenn sich ein Trend zur Pillenmüdigkeit und Pillenskepsis abzeichnet. Umso wichtiger ist eine ausführliche, patientinnenzentrierte Beratung über verschiedene Kontrazeptiva in der gynäkologischen Praxis. Gerade bei der Erstvorstellung junger Mädchen sollten verschiedene Verfahren mit ihren Vor- und Nachteilen diskutiert werden und gemeinsam mit dem Mädchen überlegt werden, welche Anforderungen und Wünsche an die Verhütungsmethode gestellt werden. Prinzipiell kommen in der Adoleszenz alle verfügbaren hormonellen Kontrazeptiva in Frage. Dieses gilt auch für langwirksame reversible Kontrazeptiva, insbesondere für Intrauterinsysteme. Die Vermeidung von Teenagerschwangerschaften, aber auch die Entwicklung einer selbstbestimmten Sexualität sollten bei der Beratung bedacht werden.
Pseudoneglect during object search in naturalistic scenes
Authors: Nuthmann Antje , Clark Christopher N. L.
Published: August 2023

Pseudoneglect, that is the tendency to pay more attention to the left side of space, is typically assessed with paper-and-pencil tasks, particularly line bisection. In the present study, we used an everyday task with more complex stimuli. Subjects’ task was to look for pre-specified objects in images of real-world scenes. In half of the scenes, the search object was located on the left side of the image (L-target); in the other half of the scenes, the target was on the right side (R-target). To control for left–right differences in the composition of the scenes, half of the scenes were mirrored horizontally. Eye-movement recordings were used to track the course of pseudoneglect on a millisecond timescale. Subjects’ initial eye movements were biased to the left of the scene, but less so forR-targets than forL-targets, indicating that pseudoneglect was modulated by task demands and scene guidance. We further analyzed how horizontal gaze positions changed over time. When the data forL- andR-targets were pooled, the leftward bias lasted, on average, until the first second of the search process came to an end. Even for right-side targets, the gaze data showed an early left-bias, which was compensated by adjustments in the direction and amplitude of later saccades. Importantly, we found that pseudoneglect affected search efficiency by leading to less efficient scan paths and consequently longer search times forR-targets compared withL-targets. It may therefore be prudent to take spatial asymmetries into account when studying visual search in scenes.
Targeted NGS on sequential bone marrow biopsies aids in the evaluation of cytopenias and monocytosis and documents clonal evolution—a proof of principle study
Authors: Nann Dominik , Rau Achim , Mahmutovic Lejla , Steinhilber Julia , Meca Vanessa , Federmann Birgit , Vogel Wichard , Bonzheim Irina , Quintanilla-Martinez Leticia , Fend Falko
Published: August 2023

Differential diagnosis of clonal versus reactive cytopenia and monocytosis, respectively, frequently presents a diagnostic challenge. With the two recent classifications of myeloid disorders, mutational analysis has gained importance as a diagnostic tool. However, reports on its utility on trephine bone marrow biopsies (BMB) are sparse. The aim of our proof of principle study was to determine the suitability of targeted sequencing for the longitudinal evaluation of cytopenia and monocytosis and demonstration of clonal evolution on sequential BMB. Seventy-seven EDTA-decalcified BMB of 33 patients with peripheral cytopenia and/or monocytosis, including at least one follow-up biopsy/patient, were included. Initial morphological diagnoses were idiopathic cytopenia of undetermined significance (ICUS, 8 cases), MDS (without blast increase, 7 cases), MDS with increased blasts/excess blasts (MDS-IB/EB) (11 cases), and CMML (7 cases). Thirty-one genes relevant for myeloid disorders were examined using two custom AmpliSeq NGS panels. Mutations were found in the initial BMB of 5/8 cases of ICUS, thus changing the diagnosis to clonal cytopenia of unknown significance (CCUS), 5/7 MDS, 10/11 MDS-IB/EB, and 7/7 CMML. Clonal evolution was observed in 14/33 (42%) cases, mostly associated with disease progression. None of the wild-type patients acquired mutations during follow-up. NGS-based mutation profiling is a robust diagnostic tool for BMB and provides valuable additional information, especially for cases with no/minimal dysplasia, and for better risk stratification of MDS. Tracking variant allele frequency and appearance of mutations over time allows for observing clonal evolution or relapse.
Construction and validation of a novel prognostic nomogram for predicting overall survival in lung adenocarcinoma patients with different patterns of metastasis
Authors: Xiong Ying , Gu Feifei , Cui Jin , Liu Yuting , Sun Min , Gu Xinyue , Zhong Luhui , Zhang Kai , Liu Li
Published: August 2023

Objective

Metastasis of lung cancer is an important factor affecting survival. The present study proposed to establish and verify a nomogram for predicting overall survival (OS) in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) patients with different patterns of metastasis.

Methods

A total of 9727 patients diagnosed with metastatic LUAD patients from 2010 to 2015 were enrolled based on surveillance, epidemiology and end results (SEER) Database and then randomly divided into training and validation cohorts, and 136 patients in our Cancer Center were enrolled as the external validation cohort. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to evaluate the prognostic impact on OS. A prognostic nomogram was constructed and evaluated by C-index, calibration curve, decision curve analysis (DCA), and risk stratification system.

Results

Ultimately, 6809 and 2918 patients diagnosed with metastatic LUAD in the training and validation cohorts were enrolled in the study, respectively. A male sex, a later T and N stage, a larger tumor size, treatment including no surgery, no chemotherapy and no radiotherapy, metastasis sites were found to be independent risk factors in LUAD patients for worse OS, and then incorporated into the nomogram. The frequency of bone metastasis was the highest, and in single site metastasis, the prognosis of liver metastasis was the worst. Two-site metastasis is more common than three-site and four-site metastasis, and co-metastasis eventually leads to a worse survival outcome. The C-index value of nomogram for predicting OS were 0.798, 0.703 and 0.698 in the internal training, validation and external validation cohorts, separately. The calibration curves for the 6-months, 1-year and 2-year showed significant agreement between nomogram models and actual observations. The DCA curves indicated nomogram was more beneficial than the AJCC TNM stage. Patients were further divided into low-risk and high-risk groups according to nomogram predicted scores and developed a survival risk classification system.

Conclusions

Our prognostic nomogram is expected to be an accurate and individualized clinical predictive tool for predicting OS in LUAD patients with different patterns of metastasis.
Retention of teeth in the fracture gaps of the mandible: a retrospective analysis
Authors: Walker Linus Josef , Koba Sabine , Demiroglu Aktug , Saulacic Nikola , Burkhard John-Patrik
Published: August 2023

Objectives

Since the introduction of miniplate osteosynthesis and the use of prophylactic antibiotics, the complication rate related to the teeth in the fracture gap has significantly decreased. Currently, there are still no established guidelines for the management of such teeth in mandibular fracture lines. However, the long-term viability of these teeth within the fracture gap remains uncertain. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the survival rate of teeth located within the mandibular fracture line and evaluate related follow-up treatments over a minimum period of one year.

Materials and methods

This retrospective study examined 184 patients who underwent surgical treatment for mandibular fractures between January 2018 and December 2021. A total of 189 teeth located in the fracture line were analyzed. Clinical and radiological parameters were collected, including patient age and gender, fracture etiology and location, intraoperative tooth treatment, as well as complications related to both the fracture and the affected teeth in long term.

Results

Most of the examined teeth remained uneventful, with postoperative tooth-related complications seen in 14 (7.4%) teeth. The most common complications were symptomatic apical periodontitis (n = 9, 4.8%) and increased tooth mobility (n = 3, 1.5%). A correlation was found between complications and trauma-related tooth luxation (p = 0.002, OR = 15.2), as well as prior teeth connected to retainers or orthodontic appliances (p = 0.001, OR = 10.32).

Conclusion

Tooth-related complications are rare when intact teeth are retained within the fracture gap. Therefore, unless there is a definitive intraoperative indication for extraction, it is recommended to preserve the teeth in the fracture line.

Clinical relevance

Intact teeth in the fracture line of the mandible should not be primarily extracted.
Theoretical investigation of nonergodic solute dispersion in natural porous formations characterized by persistent and antipersistent power-law log-conductivity correlations
Authors: Pannone Marilena
Published: August 2023

Tracer dispersion within log-conductivity fields represented by power-law semivariograms is investigated by an analytical first-order Lagrangian approach that, in treating subsurface flow and transport, resorts to the superposition principle of an infinite double hierarchy of mutually independent scales of heterogeneity. The results of the investigation, which are corroborated by a preliminary field validation, and also interpreted in terms of probabilistic risk analysis, say that transport anomaly is intrinsically associated with evolving-scale heterogeneous porous formations, regardless of their semivariogram scaling exponent b. In contrast with what was found by previous studies that dealt with this subject in a Lagrangian framework, it is demonstrated that: (1) the magnitude of nonergodic dispersion is nonmonotonically related to b; (2) consistently assuming a characteristic advective-heterogeneity length-scale leads to a universal (and quadratic) dependence of the dimensionless macrodispersion coefficients on the dimensionless time. Additionally, it is demonstrated that, in the presence of fractal heterogeneity, and unlike what happens for short-range correlations, diffusion acts as an antagonist mechanism in terms of Fickian dispersion achievement. Finally, the reinterpretation of antipersistent and persistent correlations as a double hierarchy of oscillatory nonperiodic and periodic fields, respectively, besides allowing for a technical explanation of all the detected trends, envisions a possible alternative methodology for their numerical generation.
What if worms were sentient? Insights into subjective experience from the Caenorhabditis elegans connectome
Authors: Zalucki Oressia , Brown Deborah J. , Key Brian
Published: August 2023

Deciphering the neural basis of subjective experience remains one of the great challenges in the natural sciences. The structural complexity and the limitations around invasive experimental manipulations of the human brain have impeded progress towards this goal. While animals cannot directly report first-person subjective experiences, their ability to exhibit flexible behaviours such as motivational trade-offs are generally considered evidence of sentience. The worm Caenorhabditis elegans affords the unique opportunity to describe the circuitry underlying subjective experience at a single cell level as its whole neural connectome is known and moreover, these animals exhibit motivational trade-offs. We started with the premise that these worms were sentient and then sought to understand the neurons that were both necessary and sufficient for a motivational trade-off involving the rewarding experience of food and the negative experience of an aversive odour. A simple hierarchical network consisting of two chemosensory neurons and three interneurons was found to produce an output to motoneurons that enabled worms to respond in a contextually appropriate manner to an aversive odour according to the worm's hunger state. Given that this circuitry is like that found in the human spinal cord, retina, and primary visual cortex, three regions which are neither necessary nor sufficient for subjective experience, we conclude that motivational trade-offs are not a criterion for subjective experience in worms. Furthermore, once the neural substrate for a behaviour is described, we question the explanatory role of subjective experience in behaviour.
When Do Corporate Good Deeds Become a Burden? The Role of Corporate Social Responsibility Following Negative Events
Authors: Kim Changhyun , Zang Yoonseok , Wang Heli , Niu Kate
Published: August 2023

This study investigates the differential roles of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in the context of negative events. By categorizing CSR and negative events by their respective stakeholder groups, primary and secondary stakeholders, we theorize and test differential impacts of CSR and their interaction effects with different types of negative events. We propose that, while CSR toward secondary stakeholders offers the monotonous risk-tempering effect, CSR toward primary stakeholders has heterogeneous effects when facing negative events. Specifically, the effect of CSR toward primary stakeholders varies with the type of negative events. When negative events are associated with secondary stakeholders in the domain of morality, CSR toward primary stakeholders presents a risk-amplifying effect. When the negative events are associated with primary stakeholders in the domain of capability, however, CSR toward primary stakeholders does not present a significant risk-amplifying effect. In contrast, CSR toward secondary stakeholders presents the risk-tempering effect regardless of the type of negative events. We find general support for these arguments when we analyze the market responses to the news events of RepRisk, which provides data of various corporate negative events covered by the media.
Vulnerability and Essential Services
Authors: Graham C.
Published: August 2023

This paper discusses the development of vulnerability policy in essential services in the UK, the position at present and what the future holds.
Genetic diversity of kale (Brassica oleracea L. var acephala) using agro-morphological and simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers
Authors: Pipan Barbara , Neji Mohamed , Meglič Vladimir , Sinkovič Lovro
Published: August 2023

Kale (Brassica oleracea. var. acephala) is a nutrient-rich green leafy vegetable consumed as food and used in traditional medicine worldwide. An essential step in describing the available genetic resources and ensuring their effective use in breeding programs is to characterize the genetic diversity of available germplasm. In this study, the genetic diversity and structure of 26 kale accessions from South-East Europe were examined using 26 agro-morphological traits collected in the field and 12 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. Considerable agro-morphological variability was found in most quantitative (CV = 17.26–42.42%) and qualitative (H' = 0.61–1.79) traits. Multifactorial analysis (MFA) showed that country of origin (33.01%) and morphotype (32.30%) significantly influenced kale diversification. Leaf blade shape (20.62%), leaf incision (19.43%), anthocyanin distribution (16.43%), and leaf colour (15.55%) were the traits that most clearly differentiated accessions. The three common commercial kale cultivars were identified as independent outliers that differed from the other kale accessions in both MFA and UPGMA clustering analysis. The SSR markers were highly informative with 108 alleles and polymorphic information content ranging from 0.395 to 0.856. Strong genetic diversity was detected at the accession level (H' = 0.58) while genetic differentiation was low (Fst = 0.05). Similar to UPGMA clustering, Bayesian clustering suggests that the kale collection can be divided into four clusters with a high degree of admixture and no geographic grouping pattern is apparent. Overall, the study showed that the kale collection studied represents a valuable reservoir of genetic and agro-morphological variability that could be used for future breeding initiatives.
Towards Integrated Target–SOL–Core Plasma Simulations for Fusion Devices with Liquid Metal Targets
Authors: Nallo Giuseppe Francesco , Gonzalez Jorge , Bray Elisabetta , Luda di Cortemiglia Teobaldo , Marchetto Chiara , Subba Fabio , Westerhof Egbert , Zanino Roberto
Published: August 2023

Self-healing liquid metal divertors (LMDs) based on the Capillary Porous Structure (CPS) concept are currently being considered among the possible solutions to the power exhaust problem in future fusion reactors. Indeed, the passive replenishment of the plasma-facing surface by capillary forces and the self-shielding of the target via vapor emission can potentially improve the divertor lifetime and its resilience to transient loads. On the other hand, the LMD target erosion can be significant due to evaporation and thermal sputtering, on top of physical sputtering, possibly leading to unacceptable core plasma dilution/power losses (for a low-Z/high-Z metal such as Li and Sn, respectively). For this reason, it is necessary to assess whether an LMD is compatible with an European DEMO (EU-DEMO) plasma scenario. This requires a self-consistent model of the impurity emission from the target, the plasma in both the scrape-off layer (SOL) and the core regions and the transport of impurities therein. In this paper, an an integrated modelling approach is proposed, which is based on SOLPS-ITER and includes its coupling with a target erosion model written in FreeFem++ and a core plasma model (ASTRA/STRAHL). An application of the coupled SOL-target model to simulate experiments performed in the Magnum-PSI linear plasma device with a CPS target filled with Li is also included to provide a first demonstration of the capabilities of the approach. Results are promising, being in good agreement (within a few degrees) with the measured target temperature distribution. In perspective, the modelling framework presented here will be applied to the EU-DEMO with an Sn divertor.
Experimental investigation on a thermochemical seasonal sorption energy storage battery utilizing MgSO4-H2O
Authors: Salama Mostafa M. , Mohamed Sherif A. , Attalla Mohamed , Shmroukh Ahmed N.
Published: August 2023

Thermochemical sorption energy storage (TSES) is the most recent thermal energy storage technology and has been proposed as a promising solution to reduce the mismatch between the energy supply and demand by storing energy for months in form of chemical bonds and restore it in form of synthesis chemical reaction. Compared with sensible/latent thermal energy processes, TSES system has major advantages, including a high energy storage capacity/density and the possibility of long-term energy retention with negligible heat loss. Therefore, a solid–gas thermochemical sorption battery is established and investigated utilizing a composite working pair of MgSO4–H2O based on room temperature expanded graphite (RTEG), treated with sulfuric acid (H2SO4) and ammonium persulfate ((NH4)2S2O8) as a porous additive. The experimental results showed that energy storage density and sorption efficiency increase with the increment of charging temperature or decreasing of discharging temperature at a certain ambient temperature. Under experimental conditions, energy density ranged from 31.7 to 908.8 kJ/kg (corresponding to volume energy density from 11.7 to 335.8 MJ/m3), while sorption energy efficiency ranged from 28.3 to 79.1%. The highest values were obtained when charging, condensation, and discharging temperatures were 95, 20, and 15 °C, respectively. The maximum thermal efficiency was 21.1% at charging/discharging temperature of 95/15 °C with sensible to sorption heat ratio of 3:1.

Graphical Abstract
Changes in concentrations of potentially toxic elements during storage of hard river water samples at low temperatures using different sample preservation procedures
Authors: Milačič Radmila , Marković Katarina , Marković Stefan , Ščančar Janez , Jolánkai Zsolt , Clement Adrienne , Musa Ildikó , Kardos Máté Krisztián , Zoboli Ottavia , Zessner Matthias
Published: August 2023

Purpose

According to standard procedure recommended by the Water Framework Directive (WFD), dissolved concentrations of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in river water are determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) in filtered (0.45 µm) and acidified (pH 2) samples. Properly prepared and stored composite samples can enhance the temporal representativity of monitoring without increasing analytical costs. For this purpose, the WFD recommends freezing, which can preserve the species integrity and prevent adsorption processes of PTEs.

Methods

Low storage temperature in hard water samples can trigger precipitation of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) and subsequent co-precipitation of PTEs. To test and determine to what extent co-precipitation with CaCO3 can influence the determination of PTE concentrations, composite river water samples from two case study catchments in Hungary (Zagyva and Koppány) were prepared following two different sample preservation procedures. To study the behavior of PTEs in river water during storage, in the first procedure, samples were frozen, and they were thawed, filtered, and acidified directly prior to the analysis. In the second procedure, samples were filtered on-site and acidified prior to freezing to prevent precipitation of CaCO3 and then only thawed to carry out the chemical analyses. Concentrations of PTEs were determined by ICP-MS.

Results

A statistical evaluation of the results using Student’s t-test revealed significant differences between the two sample preservation procedures, suggesting that PTEs were largely co-precipitated with CaCO3 if the samples were not acidified prior to freezing.

Conclusion

When establishing protocols for sample preservation procedures, the phenomenon of co-precipitation of PTEs with CaCO3 should be considered if the samples were not acidified before freezing. Therefore, to prevent co-precipitation of PTEs with CaCO3, samples should be filtered and acidified before freezing.
Effect of a strain rate dependent material modeling of a steel on the prediction accuracy of a numerical deep drawing process
Authors: Vallaster Eva , Wiesenmayer Sebastian , Merklein Marion
Published: August 2023

In the production of sheet metal components, batch and process fluctuations cause deviations in the resulting component properties, which often lead to production rejects. To counteract this inline, the computing time for predicting the process result and optimizing the process parameters must be very short, which is why analytical models are advantageous. A large database is usually required for modeling, and numerical simulations are well suited for generating it. The stamping velocity is a process parameter possibly varying, but strain rate dependency of the material often is neglected in numerical simulations. The objective of this study is to analyze the effects of strain rate dependent material modeling on the simulation accuracy of a sheet metal forming process. Therefore, uniaxial tensile tests and layer compression tests at different strain rates are conducted on the steel HC340LA. Based on this, the material behavior is captured in a strain rate dependent material card, which is used for the numerical simulation of a deep drawing process of a geometry with complex shape. For the validation of the model, experiments are carried out and being compared with the computational results in terms of force–displacement curves and part geometry. Furthermore, numerical investigations are used to analyze if drawbead height and blankholder force have an influence on the strain rate distribution and whether this affects the process force.
Decentering Mindfulness: Toward Greater Meditative Diversity in Global Public Health
Authors: Knabb Joshua J. , Vazquez Veola E.
Published: August 2023

In this commentary on “Mindfulness for Global Public Health: Critical Analysis and Agenda,” the authors affirm Oman’s emphasis on the need for alternative religious-derived meditative programs and interventions, placed alongside Buddhist-derived mindfulness, for global public health. To begin, we highlight areas of agreement with Oman, then provide a metaphor we believe fittingly captures the current dilemma faced by those ambitiously attempting to globalize mindfulness for public health. Next, we advocate for the decentering of mindfulness, via developing and distributing evidence-based meditative practices derived from other religions, so public health strategies can be more diverse for global consumption. To do so, we offer examples from our own efforts to operationalize and experimentally investigate meditative and contemplative practices housed within the millennia-old Christian religious tradition for contemporary Christian communities experiencing psychological and spiritual suffering. Such examples include contemplation within the classic Medieval work The Cloud of Unknowing, the Jesus Prayer in Eastern Orthodox Christianity, Puritan meditation in Protestant Christianity, and Ignatian meditation and contemplation in Catholic Christianity. To conclude, we offer basic steps for the further development of such alternative religious-derived meditative practices, along with a more detailed account of a recent empirical study of our own. Overall, our hope is to promote greater meditative diversity in the noble pursuit of global public health, with mindfulness offered alongside a plethora of other religious meditative practices, which can provide local communities around the world with a broader range of worldview-dependent and -sensitive options.
Immune changes induced by periampullary adenocarcinoma are reversed after tumor resection and modulate the postoperative survival
Authors: Landerer Anna , Himmelsbach Ruth , Biesel Esther A. , Fichtner-Feigl Stefan , Wittel Uwe A. , Chikhladze Sophia
Published: August 2023

Background

Tumor growth encompasses multiple immunologic processes leading to impaired immunity. Regarding cancer surgery, the perioperative period is characterized by additional immunosuppression, which may contribute to poorer outcomes. In this exploratory study, we assessed plasma parameters characterizing the perioperative immunity with a particular focus on their prognostic value.

Patients and methods

31 patients undergoing pancreatoduodenectomy were enrolled (adenocarcinoma of the pancreatic head and its periampullary region: n = 24, benign pancreatic diseases n = 7). Abundance and function of circulating immune cells and the plasma protein expression were analyzed in blood samples taken pre- and postoperatively using flow cytometry, ELISA and Proximity Extension Assay.

Results

Prior to surgery, an increased population of Tregs, a lower level of intermediate monocytes, a decreased proportion of activated T-cells, and a reduced response of T-cells to stimulation in vitro were associated with cancer. On the first postoperative day, both groups showed similar dynamics. The preoperative alterations did not persist six weeks postoperatively. Moreover, several preoperative parameters correlated with postoperative survival.

Conclusion

Our data suggests systemic immunologic changes in adenocarcinoma patients, which are reversible six weeks after tumor resection. Additionally, the preoperative immune status affects postoperative survival. In summary, our results implicate prognostic and therapeutic potential, justifying further trials on the perioperative tumor immunity to maximize the benefit of surgical tumor therapy.
How to Develop Organizational Forms for a Successful Digital Transformation? Findings from Two Case Studies
Authors: Erjavec Jure , Indihar Štemberger Mojca , Jaklič Jurij
Published: August 2023

Previous research has increased our understanding of individual digital transformation (DT) activities, roles, responsibilities, and related dilemmas, yet a comprehensive insight is missing with respect to the organizational forms that are most appropriate for developing the capabilities needed for successful DT. The purpose of this paper is to identify the main organizational characteristics and organizational forms for a successful DT and to identify influential factors that impact decisions about suitable organizational forms. Drawing on two case studies, we look at how companies can develop digital capabilities through different configurations of organizational forms. Findings show that decisions on organizational forms have to be influenced by digital culture, IT department’s role, and the goals of DT. Moreover, top management leadership is more important than a formal digital strategy, and DT projects must be executed by coordinated interdisciplinary teams. The presented research offers a comprehensive insight on how companies can develop digital capabilities that enable a successful DT by developing their organizational forms, i.e., by combining the different DT actions, actors, their roles and responsibilities, their interplay, implementing DT strategies, and combining the design of digital software solutions with the design of organizational routines and practices.
Mental Health Service Use and Barriers to Accessing Services in a Cohort of Transgender, Gender Diverse, and Non-binary Adults in Australia
Authors: Cronin Timothy J. , Pepping Christopher A. , Lyons Anthony
Published: August 2023

Introduction

Transgender, gender diverse, and non-binary people (TGDNB) access mental health services more frequently compared to the cisgender population, yet they continue to experience significant unmet mental health needs. The present study examined rates of mental health service use, satisfaction with services, barriers to service access, and help-seeking intentions in a sample of TGDNB adults in Australia. In addition, we examined whether barriers to service access were associated with help-seeking intentions.

Methods

Participants were 150 TGDNB adults (Mage = 37.19, SD = 15.73) who reported transfeminine (n = 77), transmasculine (n = 37), or non-binary (n = 36) genders. Self-reported recency of service use, satisfaction with services, barriers to service access, and help-seeking intentions were obtained in an online questionnaire, completed in 2016.

Results

Most participants had accessed mental health services in the past 6 months (55.3%). However, less than two thirds were either very satisfied (28%) or somewhat satisfied (32.7%) with these services. Common barriers to accessing services included a lack of professionals adequately trained and competent to work with TGDNB people, the cost of services, and concern with being treated poorly. Barriers to accessing services were negatively associated with help-seeking intentions, and stigma-related barriers had a greater negative effect on help-seeking intentions when satisfaction with prior services was low.

Conclusions

TGDNB adults face multiple barriers to accessing mental health services, many of which appear to predict help-seeking intentions.

Policy Implications

Implications and future research directions are discussed, with particular emphasis on ways to reduce barriers to service access for TGDNB adults.
Identification of a gene set that maintains tumorigenicity of the hepatocellular carcinoma cell line Li-7
Authors: Seyama Yusuke , Sudo Kazuhiro , Hirose Suguru , Hamano Yukako , Yamada Takeshi , Hiroyama Takashi , Sasaki Ryosuke , Hirai Masami Yokota , Hyodo Ichinosuke , Tsuchiya Kiichiro , Nakamura Yukio
Published: August 2023

The identification and development of therapeutic targets in cancer stem cells that lead to tumor development, recurrence, metastasis, and drug resistance is an important goal in cancer research. The hepatocellular carcinoma cell line Li-7 contains functionally different types of cells. Cells with tumor-forming activity are enriched in cancer stem cell-like CD13+CD166− cells and this cell population gradually decreases during culture in conventional culture medium (RPMI1640 containing 10% fetal bovine serum). When Li-7 cells are cultured in mTeSR1, a medium developed for human pluripotent stem cells, CD13+CD166− cells, and their tumorigenicity is maintained. Here, we sought to identify the mechanisms of tumorigenicity in this sub-population. We compared gene expression profiles of CD13+CD166− cells with other cell sub-populations and identified nine overexpressed genes (ENPP2, SCGN, FGFR4, MCOLN3, KCNJ16, SMIM22, SMIM24, SERPINH1, and TMPRSS2) in CD13+CD166− cells. After transfer from mTeSR1 to RPMI1640 containing 10% fetal bovine serum, the expression of these nine genes decreased in Li-7 cells and they lost tumorigenicity. In contrast, when these genes of Li-7 cells were forcibly expressed in cultures using RPMI1640 containing 10% fetal bovine serum, Li-7 cells maintained tumorigenicity. A metabolome analysis using capillary electrophoresis–mass spectrometry showed that two metabolic pathways, “Alanine, aspartate and glutamate metabolism” and “Arginine biosynthesis” were activated in cancer stem-cell-like cells. Our analyses here showed potential therapeutic target genes and metabolites for treatment of cancer stem cells in hepatocellular carcinoma.