bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
331 model predictions for rare B and K decays, and ∆F = 2 processes: an update
Authors: Buras Andrzej J. , De Fazio Fulvia
Published: March 2023

Abstract

Motivated by the improved results from the HPQCD lattice collaboration on the hadronic matrix elements entering ∆Ms,d in $$ {B}_{s,d}^0-{\overline{B}}_{s,d}^0 $$

B

s
,
d

0

−

B
¯

s
,
d

0

mixings and the increase of the experimental branching ratio for Bs→ μ+μ−, we update our 2016 analysis of various flavour observables in four 331 models, M1, M3, M13 and M16 based on the gauge group SU(3)C× SU(3)L× U(1)X. These four models, which are distinguished by the quantum numbers, are selected among 24 331 models through their consistency with the electroweak precision tests and simultaneously by the relation $$ {C}_9^{\textrm{NP}}=-{bC}_{10}^{\textrm{NP}} $$

C
9
NP

=
−

bC
10
NP

with 2 ≤ b ≤ 5, which after new result on Bs→ μ+μ− from CMS is favoured over the popular relation $$ {C}_9^{\textrm{NP}}=-{C}_{10}^{\textrm{NP}} $$

C
9
NP

=
−

C
10
NP

predicted by several leptoquark models. In this context we investigate in particular the dependence of various observables on |Vcb|, varying it in the broad range [0.0386, 0.043], that encompasses both its inclusive and exclusive determinations. Imposing the experimental constraints from εK, ∆Ms, ∆Md and the mixing induced CP asymmetries $$ {S}_{\psi {K}_S} $$

S

ψ

K
S

and $$ {S}_{\psi {K}_S} $$

S

ψ

K
S

, we investigate for which values of |Vcb| the four models can be made compatible with these data and what is the impact on B and K branching ratios. In particular we analyse NP contributions to the Wilson coefficients C9 and C10 and the decays Bs,d→ μ+μ−, $$ {K}^{+}\to {\pi}^{+}\nu \overline{\nu} $$

K
+

→

π
+

ν

ν
¯

and $$ {K}_L\to {\pi}^0\nu \overline{\nu} $$

K
L

→

π
0

ν

ν
¯

. This allows us to illustrate how the value of |Vcb| determined together with other parameters of these models is infected by NP contributions and compare it with the one obtained recently under the assumption of the absence of NP in εK, ∆Ms, ∆Md and $$ {S}_{\psi {K}_S} $$

S

ψ

K
S

.
Supersymmetrizing the Pasti-Sorokin-Tonin action
Authors: Kozyrev Nikolay
Published: March 2023

Abstract

In this paper the harmonic superspace action of the tensor multiplet of N = (1, 0), d = 6 supersymmetry is constructed which in the bosonic limit reduces to the known Pasti-Sorokin-Tonin action for the self-dual tensor field. The action involves, besides the potential containing the dynamical fields, also an auxiliary tensor multiplet and a set of analytic superfields with gauge PST scalar among them. For each of gauge symmetries of the PST action, a superfield analog is found. The equations of motion are calculated and it is shown that no extra degrees of freedom appear.
Boundary states in the SU(2)k WZW model from open string field theory
Authors: Kudrna Matěj
Published: March 2023

Abstract

We analyze boundary states in the SU(2)k WZW model using open string field theory in the level truncation approximation. We develop algorithms that allow effective calculation of the action in this model and we search for classical solutions of the equations of motion, which are conjectured to describe boundary states. We find three types of solutions. First, there are real solutions that represent maximally symmetric Cardy boundary states and we show that they satisfy certain selection rules regarding their parameters. Next, we find complex solutions that go beyond the SU(2) model and describe maximally symmetric SL(2, ℂ) boundary conditions. Finally, we find exotic solutions that correspond to symmetry-breaking boundary states. Most of real exotic solutions describe the so-called B-brane boundary states, but some may represent yet unknown boundary states.
Analyticity of replica correlators and modular ETH
Authors: Shyani Milind
Published: March 2023

Abstract

We study the two point correlation function of a local operator on an n-sheeted replica manifold corresponding to the half-space in the vacuum state of a conformal field theory. In analogy with the inverse Laplace transform, we define the Renyi transform of this correlation function, which is a function of one complex variable w, dual to the Renyi parameter n. Inspired by the inversion formula of Caron-Huot, we argue that if the Renyi transform f (w) has bounded behavior at infinity in the complex w plane, the discontinuity of the Renyi transform disc f (w) provides the unique analytic continuation in n of the original replica correlation function. We check our formula by explicitly calculating the Renyi transform of a particular replica correlator in a large N holographic CFTd in dimensions d > 2.

We also discover that the discontinuity of the Renyi transform is related to the matrix element of local operators between two distinct eigenstates of the modular Hamiltonian. We calculate the Renyi transform in 2d conformal field theories, and use it to extract the off-diagonal elements of (modular) ETH. We argue that in 2d, this is equivalent to the off-diagonal OPE coefficients of a CFT and show that our technique exactly reproduces recent results in the literature.
The ABC of algorithmic aversion: not agent, but benefits and control determine the acceptance of automated decision-making
Authors: Schaap Gabi , Bosse Tibor , Hendriks Vettehen Paul
Published: March 2023

While algorithmic decision-making (ADM) is projected to increase exponentially in the coming decades, the academic debate on whether people are ready to accept, trust, and use ADM as opposed to human decision-making is ongoing. The current research aims at reconciling conflicting findings on ‘algorithmic aversion’ in the literature. It does so by investigating algorithmic aversion while controlling for two important characteristics that are often associated with ADM: increased benefits (monetary and accuracy) and decreased user control. Across three high-powered (Ntotal = 1192), preregistered 2 (agent: algorithm/human) × 2 (benefits: high/low) × 2 (control: user control/no control) between-subjects experiments, and two domains (finance and dating), the results were quite consistent: there is little evidence for a default aversion against algorithms and in favor of human decision makers. Instead, users accept or reject decisions and decisional agents based on their predicted benefits and the ability to exercise control over the decision.
Outcomes of Thyroidectomy During the COVID‐19 Pandemic: A NSQIP Analysis
Authors: Romero‐Velez Gustavo , Noureldine Salem I. , Burneikis Talia A. , Bletsis Panagiotis , Parmer Megan , Siperstein Allan
Published: March 2023

Background

The coronavirus disease 19 (COVID‐19) has had a profound impact on our healthcare system. Surgery in particular faced significant challenges related to allocation of resources and equitable patient selection, resulting in a delay in non‐emergent procedures. We sought to study the impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic on patient outcomes after thyroidectomy.

Methods

This was a cross‐sectional study using the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS‐NSQIP) database that included all thyroidectomies from 2018 to 2020. The primary outcome evaluated was surgical outcomes during 2020, the first year of the pandemic, compared to years preceding the pandemic. Factors associated with adverse postoperative outcomes during the study period were included in a multivariate analysis.

Results

The volume of thyroidectomy procedures in 2020 decreased 16.4% when compared to the preceding years. During 2020, there was a significant increase in mortality (0.14% vs. 0.07%, p = 0.03), unplanned intubation (0.45% vs. 0.27%, p < 0.01) and cardiac arrest (0.11% vs. 0.03%, p < 0.01), while other complications remained stable. Undergoing surgery in 2020 remained as a risk factor for mortality in a multivariate analysis (OR 2.4 95% CI 1.3–4.4).

Conclusion

The first year of the COVID‐19 pandemic had a significant impact on outcomes after thyroidectomy resulting in increased mortality. As the world recovers, there will likely be an increase number of patients seeking care who were unable to obtain it during the pandemic. Close attention should be placed on the outcomes which were altered during the pandemic.
Incidence, Clinical Significance, and Longitudinal Signal Characteristics of Ischemic Lesions Related to Diagnostic Cerebral Catheter Angiography
Authors: Schinz David , Zimmermann Thomas , Göttler Jens , Sepp Dominik , Zimmer Claus , Boeckh-Behrens Tobias , Kirschke Jan S. , Kreiser Kornelia , Liebl Hans
Published: March 2023

Purpose

Cerebral DSA is a routine procedure with few complications. However, it is associated with presumably clinically inapparent lesions detectable on diffusion-weighted MRI imaging (DWI lesions). However, there are insufficient data regarding incidence, etiology, clinical relevance, and longitudinal development of these lesions. This study prospectively evaluated subjects undergoing elective diagnostic cerebral DSA for the occurrence of DWI lesions, potentially associated clinical symptoms and risk factors, and longitudinally monitored the lesions using state-of-the-art MRI.

Materials and Methods

Eighty-two subjects were examined by high-resolution MRI within 24 h after elective diagnostic DSA and lesion occurrence was qualitatively and quantitatively evaluated. Subjects’ neurological status was assessed before and after DSA by clinical neurological examination and a perceived deficit questionnaire. Patient-related risk factors and procedural DSA data were documented. Subjects with lesions received a follow-up MRI and were questioned for neurological deficits after a median of 5.1 months.

Results

After DSA, 23(28%) subjects had a total of 54 DWI lesions. Significantly associated risk factors were number of vessels probed, intervention time, age, arterial hypertension, visible calcified plaques, and less examiner experience. Twenty percent of baseline lesions converted to persistent FLAIR lesions at follow-up. After DSA, none of the subjects had a clinically apparent neurological deficit. Self-perceived deficits were nonsignificantly higher at follow-up.

Conclusion

Cerebral DSA is associated with a considerable number of postinterventional lesions, some persisting as scars in brain tissue. Presumably because of the small lesion size and inconsistent location, no clinically apparent neurological deficits have been observed. However, subtle self-perceived changes may occur. Therefore, special attention is needed to minimize avoidable risk factors.
One-dimensional nonlinear model of generalized thermo-electroelasticity
Authors: Ghaleb A. F. , Ahmed Ethar A. A. , Mosharafa A. A.
Published: March 2023

We investigate a one-dimensional restriction of a nonlinear model of thermo-electroelasticity in extended thermodynamics and in the quasi-electrostatic regime (see Ghaleb et al. in Int J Eng Sci 119:29–39, 2017. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijengsci.2017.06.010). An additional dependence of the thermal conductivity and the thermal relaxation time on temperature and heat flux is introduced. The aim of the present work is to assess the effect of some quadratic nonlinear couplings between the mechanical, thermal and electric fields. Such couplings are known to have a crucial effect on the stability of the solutions. It is confirmed that there are two speeds of wave propagation of disturbances, the coupled thermoelastic wave and the heat wave. Formulae are provided for both speeds, showing their explicit dependence on temperature, heat flux and electric field. The purely thermal case is briefly considered. The present results may be useful for the description of a broad range of interactions in large polarizable slabs of electro-thermoelastic materials and for the design of such materials.
Twenty-one-year follow-up revealed guideline-concordant and non-concordant trends in intensive care of bronchiolitis
Authors: Selin Sofia , Mecklin Minna , Korppi Matti , Heikkilä Paula
Published: March 2023

To evaluate the management of bronchiolitis in the paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) before and after publication of the national bronchiolitis guidelines in June 2015. All infants treated between 2016–2020 for bronchiolitis in the PICU of Tampere University Hospital at < 12 months of age were included. The data were retrospectively collected from electronic patient records. The current results reflecting the post-guideline era were compared with previously published results for the pre-guideline 2000–2015 period. These two studies used identical protocols. Forty-six infants treated in the PICU were included. During the post-guideline era, inhaled adrenaline was given to 26 (57%), salbutamol to 7 (15%), and hypertonic saline inhalations to 35 (75%) patients. Forty-three patients (94%) received high-flow oxygen therapy (HFOT). Seventeen patients (37%) were treated with nasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) and 4 (9%) with mechanical ventilation.

Conclusion: When post-guideline years were compared with pre-guideline years, the use of bronchodilators decreased in agreement, but the use of inhaled saline increased in disagreement with the guidelines. The use of respiratory support increased, evidently because of an introduction of the non-invasive HFOT treatment modality.

What is Known:• Oxygen supplementation and respiratory support, when needed, are the cornerstones of bronchiolitis treatment.• Medicines are frequently given to infants with bronchiolitis, especially if intensive care is needed, although evidence of their effectiveness is lacking.

What is New:• Nearly all (94%) infants who needed intensive care were treated with HFOT and 37% with nasal CPAP, and finally, only 9% were intubated, which reflects the effectiveness of non-invasive techniques.• When pre- and post-guideline eras were compared, use of racemic adrenaline decreased from 84 to 57%, but use of hypertonic saline increased up to 75%, which disagrees with the current guidelines.
Detection of SARS-CoV-2 receptor binding domain using fluorescence probe and DNA flowers enabled by rolling circle amplification
Authors: Zhang Man , Ye Lei
Published: March 2023

Using rolling circle amplification (RCA) and two different ways of signal readout, we developed analytical methods to detect the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein (S protein). We modified streptavidin-coated magnetic beads with an aptamer of RBD through a biotin-tagged complementary DNA strand (biotin-cDNA). Binding of RBD caused the aptamer to dissociate from the biotin-cDNA, making the cDNA available to initiate RCA on the magnetic beads. Detection of RBD was achieved using a dual signal output. For fluorescence signaling, the RCA products were mixed with a dsDNA probe labeled with fluorophore and quencher. Hybridization of the RCA products caused the dsDNA to separate and to emit fluorescence (λex = 488 nm, λem = 520 nm). To generate easily detectable UV–vis absorbance signal, the RCA amplification was extended to produce DNA flower to encapsulate horseradish peroxidase (HRP). The HRP-encapsulated DNA flower catalyzed a colorimetric reaction between H2O2 and 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) to generate an optical signal (λabs = 450 nm). The fluorescence and colorimetric assays for RBD have low detection limits (0.11 pg mL−1 and 0.904 pg mL−1) and a wide linear range (0.001–100 ng mL−1). For detection of RBD in human saliva, the recovery was 93.0–100% for the fluorescence assay and 87.2–107% for the colorimetric assay. By combining fluorescence and colorimetric detection with RCA, detection of the target RBD in human saliva was achieved with high sensitivity and selectivity.

Graphical Abstract
On the stability of bodies suspended asymmetrically with an inelastic rope
Authors: Genda Attila , Stepan Gabor
Published: March 2023

The stability of a body suspended asymmetrically by means of an inelastic rope is investigated. The rope is attached to the body at two points and passed over a frictionless hook or a nail in the vertical plane. The equilibrium points of the system and their stability are described as a function of the rope length, the distance of the attachment points and the position of the center of mass. Depending on the choice of the parameters, one, two or three equilibrium positions exist: their structural change manifests itself in the form of cusp bifurcations of co-dimension two, which is determined in exact analytical form.
Common ownership in a delivered pricing duopoly
Authors: Bai Nuowen , Matsumura Toshihiro
Published: March 2023

This study investigates how common ownership affects the location choice of duopolists. We formulate a shipping (delivered pricing) model on the Hotelling line in which firms choose their locations and then compete in prices. We show that even if high prices due to common ownership do not reduce welfare under inelastic demand, common ownership can still lead to welfare loss by promoting dispersion among firms. We also find that common ownership promotes transport cost-reducing investments and accelerates welfare loss in excessive investments.
Biocontrol of weedy Sporobolus grasses in Australia using fungal pathogens
Authors: Steinrucken T. V. , Vitelli J. S.
Published: March 2023

In Australia there are five weedy Sporobolus grass (WSG) species that heavily impact agricultural industries and native biodiversity. WSG have been the subject of several efforts to find host-specific pathogens with potential for classical and inundative biocontrol. Most of these studies are only discussed in unpublished reports or theses, so in this paper we synthesise the available peer-reviewed and ‘grey’ literature that discuss classical, augmentative and inundative biocontrol of WSG in Australia using fungal pathogens. We consider the hundreds of fungal pathogens previously isolated from Sporobolus hosts on an international and national scale. Of the pathogens investigated for WSG biocontrol previously, the only promising classical biocontrol agent was a smut fungus (Ustilago sporoboli-indici) from South Africa that is now present in Queensland and New South Wales, Australia. Its method of introduction to Australia is unknown. We hence discuss the history and potential for augmentative biocontrol of WSG using U. sporoboli-indici. Next, we summarise inundative biocontrol efforts. Several ascomycetes isolated from Australian WSG populations have been tested in this regard, including species of Nigrospora, Fusarium, Curvularia, Microdochium, Pestalotiopsis, and Neopestalotiopsis. However, a lack of host-specificity or efficacy subsequently precluded their further development, and potential improvements on those inundative biocontrol studies are discussed. Finally, we discuss a collection of endemic fungal taxa isolated from diseased Sporobolus in Australia, which are currently undergoing virulence, pathogenicity, and host-specificity screening as potential inundative biocontrol agents for WSG. Our intention is that the lessons learned from previous studies and summarised herein, will support ongoing development of WSG biocontrol agents in Australia, and more broadly, weed biocontrol using plant pathogens anywhere in the world.
Effects of orange rust on sugarcane yield traits in a multi-environment breeding program
Authors: Dijoux Jordan , Dumont Thomas , Paysan Maureen , Legrand Charline , Hervouet Catherine , Barau Laurent , Rott Philippe , Hoarau Jean-Yves
Published: March 2023

Orange rust caused by Puccinia kuehnii is a major emerging disease in many sugarcane-producing countries. Breeding for resistant varieties is the main strategy for controlling orange rust. The rapid spread of this disease in recently contaminated sugarcane industries offers the opportunity to use on-going breeding trials to investigate the effect of orange rust on yield traits and gauge levels of resistance required to minimize losses. Orange rust was first observed in 2018 in Reunion. This study reports the effects of the disease on cane yield (CY), recoverable sugar (RS), fiber content (FIB) and economic index (EI) in five environments of Reunion’s sugarcane breeding program located in diverse agro-climatic zones. Disease resistance assessed under natural infection had high broad-sense heritability (0.76–0.91) in multi-environment analyses. Mean infection levels differed between locations congruently with location differences for two influential climatic parameters (humidity and temperature). Maximum potential yield losses ($${YL}_{max}$$

YL

max

) associated with orange rust were estimated using regression analyses of yield traits versus disease susceptibility. $${YL}_{max}$$

YL

max

for CY and EI varied between environments and reached up to 26.0% and 24.2% respectively, in one of the most humid environments. RS was either unaffected or only slightly increased by the disease. In contrast, FIB was always reduced by the disease ($${YL}_{max}$$

YL

max

≤6.5%). Multi-environment analyses of yield traits of varieties common to all five environments gave insights into the impact of orange rust on the yielding ability of these varieties across all environments. All these data provide food for thoughts to efficient breeding strategies for varietal resistance to orange rust.
Reframing Prehistoric Human-Proboscidean Interactions: on the Use and Implications of Ethnohistoric Records for Understanding the Productivity of Hunting Megaherbivores
Authors: Lupo Karen D. , Schmitt Dave N.
Published: March 2023

The
role that humans played in the extinction of Pleistocene proboscideans is highly controversial. Ethnohistoric records of elephant hunting, in concert with theoretical rationales, are often used as proxy evidence to support the view that ancient humans regularly and efficiently targeted large-sized proboscideans to the point of extinction. This paper examines the socioeconomic and technological contexts of elephant hunting in contemporary and ethnohistoric records to show how these circumstances influenced the scale of harvest, productivity, and valuation of elephants. Quantitative and qualitative evidence derived from some of these records are used to analyze the efficiency of elephant capture using traditional hunting technologies (spears, poisoned projectiles, traps, and drives). This analytical framework provides a systematic method for evaluating the productivity of proboscidean predation. Results show that prior to the widespread use of firearms in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the acquisition of elephants, irrespective of the traditional hunting technology used, was a dangerous, high-cost activity often associated with a high-risk of hunting failure. In the ethnographic record, elephant hunting is consistently associated with prestige-seeking among egalitarian hunter-gatherers. Although the analysis presented here is derived from hunting episodes that involved modern elephants, the physical characteristics and abilities that make these animals expensive and risky to hunt were likely manifested by most Pleistocene proboscideans. Using ethnographic data, a framework for recognizing how prestige hunting is manifested under different ecological and sociopolitical circumstances is provided and offers an alternative and compelling explanation for zooarchaeological patterning of costly prey in the past.
The Prevalence of Mental Health Service Use in Australian Workers with Accepted Workers’ Compensation Claims for Low Back Pain: A Retrospective Cohort Study
Authors: Gray Shannon E. , Di Donato M. , Sheehan L. R. , Iles R. , Collie A.
Published: March 2023

Purpose

Low back pain (LBP) is a leading cause of disability globally and interferes with work performance and quality of life. For work-related LBP, Australian workers can receive workers’ compensation and access funded healthcare to promote recovery, including mental health services, as there are strong links between chronic LBP and mental health. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of funded mental health services for workers with compensated LBP.

Methods

Claims and services data from four Australian workers’ compensation jurisdictions were analysed. Prevalence of accessing at least one mental health service was reported as a percentage of all claims overall and by duration of time loss, age group, sex, financial year of claim lodgement, jurisdiction, socioeconomic status and remoteness. Odds of accessing at least one service was determined using logistic regression.

Results

Almost 10% of LBP claims accessed at least one mental health service (9.7%) with prevalence increasing with time loss. Prevalence was highest in Victoria however a higher percentage of workers with LBP accessed mental health services earlier in Queensland. Odds of accessing services was highest with longest time loss duration, among females and in Queensland. Lower odds were observed in regional areas and among those aged over 56 years.

Conclusion

Findings suggest opportunities for workers’ compensation regulators and insurers to provide greater access to appropriate mental health services alongside physical treatment as standard practice, such as those in more remote locations or earlier in a claim, to improve recovery outcomes for workers with LBP.
Novel BECCS implementation integrating chemical looping combustion with oxygen uncoupling and a kraft pulp mill cogeneration plant
Authors: Saari Jussi , Peltola Petteri , Kuparinen Katja , Kaikko Juha , Sermyagina Ekaterina , Vakkilainen Esa
Published: March 2023

Bioenergy with CO2 capture and storage (BECCS) is a promising negative emission technology (NET). When using sustainably produced biomass as fuel, BECCS allows the production of power and heat with negative CO2 emissions. The main technical challenges hindering the deployment of BECCS technologies include energy penalties associated with the capture process. This work evaluates the performance of an advanced CO2 capture technology, chemical looping with oxygen uncoupling (CLOU), replacing a conventional fluidized bed boiler in the power boiler role in a large, modern integrated pulp and paper mill. Results from a MATLAB/Simulink reactor model were incorporated in a plant and integration model developed in a commercial process simulation software to quantify the performance of the CLOU-integrated cogeneration plant. The results show that in this specific application, the typically already low efficiency penalty of CLOU-based carbon capture and storage (CCS) systems could be eliminated entirely, and actually even a very small efficiency gain could be obtained. The highly efficient operation is possible due to the high moisture and hydrogen contents of the biomass and the separation of combustion products and excess air streams in the CLOU process; this provides an opportunity to recover a significant amount of heat by flue gas condensation at a higher temperature level than what is possible in a conventional boiler. Together with abundant low-temperature heat sinks available at the pulp and paper application allows freeing a considerable amount of low-pressure steam for expansion in the condensing turbine. The resulting increase in gross generator output proved enough to not only match, but very slightly exceed the approximately 18 MW parasitic load introduced by the CLOU system in comparison to the conventional boiler.
Multimedia ad exposure scale: measuring short-term impact of online ad exposure
Authors: Aslan Oğuz Evin , Strle Gregor , Košir Andrej
Published: March 2023

The shift toward fragmented and ubiquitous use of multimedia poses several challenges to our understanding and assessment of multimedia exposure and its effects. This article focuses on multimedia advertising exposure and its impact on consumer behavior. It presents the development of Multimedia Ad Exposure Scale (MMAES) – an instrument designed to measure short-term effects of online multimedia ad exposure in terms of engagement, psychological reactance, awareness and attitude, and purchase intention. The main research challenge has been to identify core dimensions that can reliably measure such exposure, particularly in the context of ad-supported video streaming. The development of MMAES is presented through its conceptualization, operationalization, and an observational study conducted via crowdsourcing. The target group is young adults (ages 18-24, N = 360), digital natives who engage with ad-supported video streaming more than any other user group. Exploratory factor analysis revealed a well-defined four-factor structure of MMAES. The results of the validity and reliability measures show good content and construct validity as well as good overall reliability and very good internal consistency of MMAES. Overall, the results show that MMAES is a reliable instrument for measuring the short-term effects of multimedia ad exposure and its weak ground truth.
Politics, markets, and CEO pay: a congruence analysis of two competing theoretical explanations of executive compensation at large firms in Finland
Authors: Rosenblum Jordan
Published: March 2023

This article conducts a congruence analysis on the historical development of CEO pay at large firms in Finland to contribute to the debate between prominent competing theoretical perspectives on the causes of CEO pay and consequent income inequality. It examines the alignment of the empirical evidence on CEO pay in Finland with a market-based theory, which emphasizes market forces, and a politics-based theory, which emphasizes the distribution of power between labor and employers, drawing from Power Resources Theory, to see whether a particular perspective holds more explanatory power. The congruence analysis finds that the expectations of the politics-based perspective are aligned with CEO pay developments in the 1970s and 1980s, when labor was strong and CEO pay was modest, as well as the difference between CEO pay developments before the mid-1990s and afterward, when employers were strong and CEO pay grew rapidly to new heights. It also finds that the market-based perspective is helpful for explaining developments starting in the mid-1990s. The impact of the market on CEO pay is shown to be contingent on the distribution of power in society.
Myopic capital market concerns and investment incentives in business alliances
Authors: Chen Hui , Pfeiffer Thomas
Published: March 2023

We study a publicly traded firm that cares about its short-term stock market performance while collaborating with a privately owned firm in a business alliance. The firms each undertake a relation-specific investment and then bargain over the allocation of the joint surplus generated by the alliance. The public firm’s myopic market concerns affect both the total size of the surplus and how the firms divide the surplus. While the public firm always becomes more aggressive and obtains more of the surplus, the total size of the surplus may become larger or smaller, due to the effect of myopic market concerns on the firms’ investment incentives. We establish conditions under which the investment and the value of each firm increase or decrease with market concerns. The market concerns could mitigate or exacerbate the hold-up problem between the two firms and thus could either benefit or harm the whole business alliance. We also study two extensions with (i) the two investments being substitutes instead of complements and (ii) both firms being publicly listed. In both cases, the insights from our main model still hold.
Economic policy uncertainty, renewable energy and environmental degradation: Evidence from Egypt
Authors: Selmey Mousa Gowfal , Elamer Ahmed A
Published: March 2023

This study contributes to the growing but still limited body of literature on the impact of economic policy uncertainty, renewable energy usage, and economic growth on environmental degradation in Egypt. Using the autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) bound test, we examine the existence of cointegration relationships in Egypt over the period 1990–2018. Our results indicate that economic policy uncertainty is positively associated with environmental degradation in both the short and long run. Additionally, we find that economic growth exacerbates environmental degradation in both the short and long term. Finally, renewable energy consumption has a significant negative effect on environmental degradation in the long run. Therefore, ensuring economic policy stability is crucial for maintaining environmental quality. To this end, Egyptian policymakers should prioritize low-carbon research and development techniques, as well as the adoption of renewable energy sources to mitigate environmental degradation.
Zirconium preconcentration from zircon raffinate using gamma radiation–induced polymerization of reduced graphene oxide composite
Authors: Ali Amr Hamdi , Abdo Shaimaa Mohammed , Dakroury Gehan Abdel Rahman Sadek
Published: March 2023

Zirconium is commonly used as a cladding material for nuclear reactors. The purity of the zirconium material seeks to control reactor efficiency. A novel composite of reduced graphene oxide–grafted polyacrylic acid, malic acid, and trioctylamine (rGO-g-PAA-MA/TOA) was prepared using in situ radical polymerization with gamma radiation at a dose of 25 KGy from a 60Co cell to preconcentrate zirconium Zr(IV) from zircon raffinate. Five distinct rGO-g-PAA-MA/TOA composite compositions were created and evaluated. The best composite composition was 62.95% acrylic acid, 15.8% malic acid, and 15.8% trioctylamine. After 60 min, the sorption reaction reached equilibrium at pH 0.35 and 20 °C. The pseudo nth order indicated that the order of the sorption reaction was 1.8476. The Elovich model and Dubinin-Radushkevich model controlled the kinetic mechanism and adsorption isotherm of the sorption reaction, respectively; based on estimated regression plots and quantitatively with three different error functions: coefficient of determination (R2), chi-square statistic (χ2), and corrected Akaike information (AICc). The adsorption capacity of rGO-g-PAA-MA/TOA was 75.06 mg g−1. Exothermic reaction and spontaneous sorption took place. Using 2 M H2SO4, 98% of the zirconium was efficiently desorbed. The separation of contaminated Ti(IV) from desorbed Zr(IV) by raising pH to 2.5 through hydrolysis and ZrO2 formation.
Resource productivity and environmental degradation in EU-27 countries: context of material footprint
Authors: Mushafiq Muhammad , Prusak Błażej
Published: March 2023

This study explores the relationship between the resource productivity and environmental degradation in European Union-27 countries. This study tests this relationship in context of high, moderate, and low material footprint sub-samples; these samples are formed utilizing the expectation–maximization machine learning algorithm. Using the panel data set of EU-27 countries from 2000 to 2020, linear and non-linear autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) are applied for the symmetric and asymmetric evidence and to test environmental Kuznets curve (EKC), linear ARDL with the quadratic function is included. Results of the symmetric relationship find evidence of resource productivity’s impact on the environmental degradation. In full sample of EU-27, both symmetric and asymmetric methods show that the short run and long run increase of resource productivity lower the environmental degradation. Only long run asymmetric relationship in high material footprint subsamples supports that the resource productivity controls environmental degradation. Results of moderate material footprint sub-sample are mixed. However, low material footprint countries show that resource productivity in long run controls the environmental degradation in symmetry and only positive resource controls productivity in short run in asymmetric relationship. The reason for mixed results is the quadratic nature of sub-samples. EKC hypothesis is validated in moderate and low material footprint sub-samples. This research has many policy implications.
Macrophage Anti-inflammatory Behaviour in a Multiphase Model of Atherosclerotic Plaque Development
Authors: Ahmed Ishraq U. , Byrne Helen M. , Myerscough Mary R.
Published: March 2023

Atherosclerosis is an inflammatory disease characterised by the formation of plaques, which are deposits of lipids and cholesterol-laden macrophages that form in the artery wall. The inflammation is often non-resolving, due in large part to changes in normal macrophage anti-inflammatory behaviour that are induced by the toxic plaque microenvironment. These changes include higher death rates, defective efferocytic uptake of dead cells, and reduced rates of emigration. We develop a free boundary multiphase model for early atherosclerotic plaques, and we use it to investigate the effects of impaired macrophage anti-inflammatory behaviour on plaque structure and growth. We find that high rates of cell death relative to efferocytic uptake results in a plaque populated mostly by dead cells. We also find that emigration can potentially slow or halt plaque growth by allowing material to exit the plaque, but this is contingent on the availability of live macrophage foam cells in the deep plaque. Finally, we introduce an additional bead species to model macrophage tagging via microspheres, and we use the extended model to explore how high rates of cell death and low rates of efferocytosis and emigration prevent the clearance of macrophages from the plaque.
Die Vorhersage von Lockerungsmissbräuchen und intramuralen Regelverstößen mittels aktuarischer Prognoseinstrumente – eine retrospektive Validierungsstudie der OGRS 3 und des SVG-5
Authors: Verzagt Hanna , Heyder Robin , Biedermann Laura , Rettenberger Martin
Published: March 2023

Kriminalprognostische Verfahren sind unerlässlicher Bestandteil der Beurteilung von Rückfallwahrscheinlichkeiten im Zuge von Entlassungsentscheidungen. Ihre Eignung zur Vorhersage von Lockerungsmissbräuchen und intramuralen Regelverstößen wurde hingegen bislang kaum untersucht. Die vorliegende Studie prüft die prädiktive Validität der 3. Version der Offender Group Reconviction Scale (OGRS 3) und des Screeninginstrument zur Vorhersage des Gewaltrisikos (SVG-5) an einer Stichprobe von 200 Insassen der Justizvollzugsanstalt Frankenthal. Darüber hinaus werden weitere potenzielle Prädiktoren explorativ untersucht. Für die Prognoseinstrumente ergeben sich überwiegend geringe bis maximal moderate Effektstärken (OGRS 3: Area Under the Curve (AUC) = 0,522 bis 0,556 und SVG-5: AUC = 0,561 bis 0,653). Die vorliegenden Ergebnisse sollten aufgrund methodischer Limitationen allerdings zurückhaltend interpretiert werden. Sie können jedoch als Ausgangspunkt und Grundlage für zukünftige Forschung in diesem Bereich verwendet werden, da die Resultate nahelegen, dass auch Lockerungsmissbräuche und intramurales Fehlverhalten grundsätzlich vorhergesagt werden können.
Chemotherapy in Cutaneous Melanoma: Is There Still a Role?
Authors: Pham James P. , Joshua Anthony M. , da Silva Ines P. , Dummer Reinhard , Goldinger Simone M.
Published: March 2023

Purpose of Review

In the preceding decade, the management of metastatic cutaneous melanoma has been revolutionised with the development of highly effective therapies including immune checkpoint inhibitors (specifically CTLA-4 and PD-1 inhibitors) and targeted therapies (BRAF and MEK inhibitors). The role of chemotherapy in the contemporary management of melanoma is undefined.

Recent Findings

Extended analyses highlight substantially improved 5-year survival rates of approximately 50% in patients with metastatic melanoma treated with first-line therapies. However, most patients will progress on these first-line treatments. Sequencing of chemotherapy following failure of targeted and immunotherapies is associated with low objective response rates and short progression-free survival, and thus, meaningful benefits to patients are minimal.

Chemotherapy has limited utility in the contemporary management of cutaneous melanoma (with a few exceptions, discussed herein) and should not be the standard treatment sequence following failure of first-line therapies. Instead, enrolment onto clinical trials should be standard-of-care in these patients.
For a new Sociology of Social love
Authors: Montagna Nicola
Published: March 2023

Love is a theme at the centre of all our lives, including those of sociologists and social scientists. It has been widely addressed and described in literature and poetry, extensively depicted in the pictorial arts, sung about in music. Even philosophy, from its very beginnings, has devoted beautiful and intense pages to this theme. For reasons difficult to understand, the founding fathers of our discipline have been reluctant to enter the analytical realm of love. They touched this theme, but only marginally. It is only relatively recently that more insightful and focused discussions have come from some key figures of contemporary sociology in works by Niklas Luhmann, Anthony Giddens, Ulrich Beck and Elisabeth Beck-Gernsheim, Zygmunt Bauman and, more recently, Eva Illouz that demonstrate the profoundly social nature of our most intimate feelings and convey how the transformation of love and intimacy is related to wider social changes. In this sense, this collection edited by Silvia Cataldi and Gennaro Iorio aims to fill a major gap, while fuelling the debate on social love and its implications as a transformative force in an era characterised by multiple crises. By bringing together scholars from across several countries, not only it collates the fruit of years of research, but it also launches new developments in the debate on social love and set a new research agenda.
The Use of Wooden Clubs and Throwing Sticks among Recent Foragers
Authors: Hrnčíř Václav
Published: March 2023

There is a popular idea that archaic humans commonly used wooden clubs as their weapons. This is not based on archaeological finds, which are minimal from the Pleistocene, but rather on a few ethnographic analogies and the association of these weapons with simple technology. This article presents the first quantitative cross-cultural analysis of the use of wooden clubs and throwing sticks for hunting and violence among foragers. Using a sample of 57 recent hunting-gathering societies from the Standard Cross-Cultural Sample, it is shown that the majority used clubs for violence (86%) and/or hunting (74%). Whereas in hunting and fishing the club usually served only as a secondary tool, 33% of societies used the club as one of their main fighting weapons. The use of throwing sticks was less frequent among the societies surveyed (12% for violence, 14% for hunting). Based on these results and other evidence, it is argued that the use of clubs by early humans was highly probable, at least in the simplest form of a crude stick. The great variation in the forms and use of clubs and throwing sticks among recent hunter-gatherers, however, indicates that they are not standardized weapons and that similar variation may have existed in the past. Many such prehistoric weapons may therefore have been quite sophisticated, multifunctional, and carried strong symbolic meaning.
Dyeing of Recycled Electrospun Polyamide 6 Nanofibers: Implications of Dye Particle Size
Authors: Metwally Bahaa S. , Rashed Samah A. , El-Sheikh M. N. , Hamouda Asmaa S.
Published: March 2023

The dyeing of recycled polyamide nonwoven fabrics based on nanofibers (PA-NWNF), which were fabricated from polyamide wastes, was conducted in this study. Since PA-NWNF exhibited a high surface area to volume ratio, it was dyed with different particle sizes of Disperse Red 167 dye (DR 167, DR 167-B, and DR 167-C) without auxiliary agents to prevent further environmental pollution. The undyed and dyed PA-NWNF, as well as the applied dyes, were characterized by SEM, BET, XRD, and FT-IR techniques. Both color yield (K/S) and fastness of dyed PA-NWNF were also evaluated. The morphology of dyed DR 167-C owned homogeneity and smooth nanofibers. In addition, DR 167-C dye (the smallest particle size) provided numerous advantages, including high particle dispersion, low dyeing temperature, minimum processing time, and greater color yield. At a concentration of 15%, DR 167-C produced 55.1 and 33.18% color yields which were higher than DR 167 and DR 167-B, respectively. Also, DR 167-C achieved a better colorfastness to washing (very good, 4) compared to other studied dyes.
State Variation Regarding Other Health Impairment Eligibility Criteria for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
Authors: Briesch Amy M. , Waldron Felicia M. , Beneville Margaret A.
Published: March 2023

The special education eligibility category that has come to be most commonly associated with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in recent years is Other Health Impairment (OHI). However, the eligibility criteria for the OHI disability category have been criticized for being especially vague, given that the disability category incorporates a wide range of health impairments without providing any additional specificity. Because states have the latitude to utilize more specific eligibility criteria than what is provided at the federal level, the purpose of the current study was to review state-level special education eligibility criteria for OHI, with particular interest in identifying the degree to which eligibility guidance exists specific to students with ADHD and the extent to which this guidance varies across states. Results suggested that wide state variation exists regarding eligibility guidance, with 22% of states utilizing the federal definition and only 14% of states providing elaboration regarding all three components of the federal definition. Whereas it was most common for states to provide additional guidance surrounding what is needed to establish that a student has a health impairment, less than half of states provided specific guidance surrounding the other two components of the federal definition. Implications for policy and practice are discussed.
Evaluation of the survival of homofermentative Lacticaseibacillus casei subsp. casei in fermented milk matrix enriched with non-digestible natural fibers
Authors: Morales-Ríos Emmanuel Iván , Ríos-Guerra Hulme , Espinosa-Raya Judith , Gómez-Pliego Raquel
Published: March 2023

The physicochemical changes induced by seven different dietary fibers (oat, bamboo, pea, inulin, apple, potato, and wheat) during storage and their effects on the survival of homofermentative Lacticaseibacillus casei subsp. casei (L. casei) in fermented milk matrix were analyzed. For this, an experimental study of the effect of storage time on the microorganisms count and physicochemical properties (pH, titratable acidity, syneresis and viscosity) of milk fermented with L. casei was carried out every two weeks during a storage period of 42 days. Throughout the period studied at 4 °C, no significant differences were found in terms of viscosity values, syneresis rates and L. casei counts, despite the substantial decrease in the pH values. Notably, the substantial increase in the concentration of free hydronium ions (active acidity) in the fiber-enriched matrices during the follow-up period was positively correlated with the L.casei survival. The microbial count determined in all samples was higher than 1 × 107 CFU/g, the minimum value recommended by world organizations for nutraceutical fermented foods. Consequently, the studied prebiotic fibers could be considered in the production of new fermented dairy products with functional properties.

Graphical abstract