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In today's globalized world, characterized by complex supply chain networks, integrating sustainability supply chain risks into the corporate assessment models seems crucial. To tackle the global challenges this paper presents a Sustainability Risk Assessment Framework that allows measurement of environmental and social risks upstream and downstream, along global supply chains, using a combination of quantitative methods (environmental and social footprint computing tools) and qualitative methods (hotspots analysis) from three dimensions (by scenarios, by product components, by lifecycle stage). To test this framework this study focuses on the mobile phone industry, due to the importance of its environmental and social impacts. The results show the low impact of recycling strategies in environmental terms and social terms on the mobile phone industry. Fostering re-use strategies by companies will substantially improve their impacts. This framework overcomes some of the weaknesses of the corporate sustainability risk assessment methodologies, combining quantitative methods and qualitative methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Chronic wounds are defined as those with disturbances in normal healing. They involve symptoms like exudate, odor, pain or impaired mobility, severely impacting life quality. In the case of patients with additional comorbidities, these are known to aggravate the healing impairment. Amniotic membrane (AM) is gaining attention for its regenerative potential, as it has shown promise in treating hard-to-heal wounds, such as diabetic foot ulcers. This work examines a series of five patients who, while suffering an array of other chronic conditions, were treated with AM for the management of non-healing chronic ulcers. Inclusion criteria involved patients with lesions that have been active at least for six weeks and resistant to multiple treatments, accompanied by complex underlying pathologies affecting cardiovascular, immune or renal functions. Exclusion criteria included untreated active infections and patients undergoing other experimental treatments. The mean age of the patients was 68.4 ± 5.2 years. Wounds were treated once a week with AM, following standardized procedures. The variables measured included pain levels, microorganism presence, wound reduction and the number of AM applications to recovery. The median pain VAS score decreased significantly from seven at the start to two at the end of procedures. Four out of five patients achieved complete epithelialization, while the remaining patient showed significant reductions of 40% in wound size after 14 months. Our results confirm how the application of AM is a safe and effective resource for the management of chronic wounds in patients with serious comorbidities, enhancing patients' quality of life, firstly by reducing pain, later by allowing recovery. Future research, including molecular analyses of wound exudates before and after AM treatment, can contribute to better understanding and fine tuning of this therapeutic resource. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pictures with affective content have been extensively used in scientific studies of emotion and sexuality. However, only a few standardized picture sets have been developed that offer explicit images, with most lacking pornographic pictures depicting diverse sexual practices. This study aimed to fill this gap through developing a standardized affective set of diverse pornographic pictures (masturbation, oral sex, vaginal sex, anal sex, group sex, paraphilia) of same-sex and opposite-sex content, offering dimensional affective ratings of valence, arousal, and dominance, as well as co-elicited discrete emotions (disgust, moral and ethical acceptance). In total, 192 pornographic pictures acquired from online pornography platforms and 24 control IAPS images have been rated by 319 participants (Mage = 22.66, SDage = 4.66) with self-reported same- and opposite-sex sexual attraction. Stimuli were representative of the entire affective space, including positively and negatively perceived pictures. Participants showed differential affective perception of pornographic pictures according to gender and sexual attraction. Differences in affective ratings related to participants' gender and sexual attraction, as well as stimuli content (depicted sexual practices and sexes). From the stimuli set, researchers can select explicit pornographic pictures based on the obtained affective ratings and technical parameters (i.e., pixel size, luminosity, color space, contrast, chromatic complexity, spatial frequency, entropy). The stimuli set may be considered a valid tool of diverse explicit pornographic pictures covering the affective space, in particular, for women and men with same- and opposite-sex sexual attraction. This new explicit pornographic picture set (EPPS) is available to the scientific community for non-commercial use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To evaluate MRI and histological concordance in prostate cancer (PCa) identification via mapped transperineal biopsies. Methodology: Retrospective per-lesion analysis of patients undergoing MRI and transperineal biopsy at the Valencian Institute of Oncology (2016–2024) using CAPROSIVO PCa data. Patients underwent MRI, with or without regions of interest (ROI), followed by transperineal biopsies (3–5 cores/ROI, 20–30 systematic). Sensitivity (Se), specificity (Sp), negative predictive value (NPV), positive predictive value (PPV), and area under the curve (AUC) were calculated, considering PI-RADS 3 lesions as positive or negative. Gleason Grade Group (GG) > 1 defined clinically significant PCa (csPCa). Results: 1817 lesions were analyzed from 1325 patients (median age 67, median PSA 6.3 ng/ml). 53% MRI were negative, GG > 1 prevalence was 38.4%. MRI-negative cases showed varying PCa rates: 57.4% negative, 30.2% GG 1, and 12.4% GG > 1. PI-RADS 3 lesions had mixed outcomes: 45.6% benign, 13.1% GG 1, and 41.3% GG > 1. 9.2% PI-RADS 4–5 lesions were negative, 9% GG 1, and 81.7% GG > 1. For PI-RADS 3 lesions considered positive, Se, Sp, NPV, PPV, and AUC were 82.9%, 75%, 87.6%, 67.4%, and 0.79 respectively. Considering PI-RADS 3 as negative yielded 64.8% Se, 91% Sp, 80.6% NPV, 81.7% PPV, and 0.78 AUC. Conclusion: MRI and mapped prostate biopsies exhibited moderate concordance. MRI could miss up to one in five csPCa foci and misinterpret one in three ROIs. Careful MRI interpretation is crucial for optimizing patient care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An early prediction of outcomes of neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (NE) is of key importance in reducing neonatal mortality and morbidity. The objectives were (i) to analyze the characteristics of miRNA expression and metabolic patterns of neonates with NE and (ii) to assess their predictive performance for neurodevelopmental outcomes. Plasma samples from moderate/severe NE patients (N = 92) of the HYPOTOP study were collected before, during, and after therapeutic hypothermia (TH) and compared to a control group (healthy term infants). The expression of miRNAs and concentrations of metabolites (hypoxia-related and energy, steroid, and tryptophan metabolisms) were analyzed. Neurodevelopmental outcomes were evaluated at 24 months postnatal age using Bayley Scales of Infant Development, ed. III, BSID-III. Differences in miRNA and metabolic profiles were found between NE vs. control infants, abnormal (i.e., mildly and moderately abnormal and severe) vs. normal, and severe vs. non-severe (i.e., normal and mildly and moderately abnormal) BSID-III. 4-Androstene-3,17-dione, testosterone, betaine, xanthine, and lactate were suitable for BSID-III outcome prediction (receiver operating characteristic areas under the curve (AUCs) ≥ 0.6), as well as 68 miRNAs (AUCs of 0.5–0.9). Significant partial correlations of xanthine and betaine levels and the expression of several miRNAs with BSID-III sub-scales were found. Conclusion: We have identified metabolites/miRNAs that might be useful to support the prediction of middle-term neurodevelopmental outcomes of NE. What is known and what is new: • The early prediction of outcomes of neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (NE) is of key importance in reducing neonatal mortality and morbidity. • Alterations of the metabolome and miRNAs had been observed in NE. • We performed miRNA sequencing and quantified selected metabolites (i.e., lactate, pyruvate, ketone bodies, Krebs cycle intermediates, tryptophan pathway, hypoxia-related metabolites, and steroids) by GC- and LC–MS. • Specific miRNAs and metabolites that allow prediction of middle-term neurodevelopmental outcomes of newborns with NE undergoing hypothermia treatment were identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the electron field emission (EFE) of vertical silicon nanowires (Si NWs) fabricated on n-type Si (100) and p-type Si (100) substrates using catalyst-induced etching (CIE). The impact of dopant types (n- and p-types), optical energy gap, crystallite size and stress on EFE parameters has been explored in detail. The surface morphology of grown SiNWs has been characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), showing vertical, well aligned SiNWs. Optical absorption and Raman spectroscopy confirmed the presence of the quantum confinement (QC) effect. The EFE performance of the grown nanowire arrays has been examined through recorded J–E measurements under the Fowler–Nordheim framework. The Si NWs grown on p-type Si showed a minimum turn-on field and also a higher field enhancement factor. The band-bending diagram also suggests a lower barrier height of p-type Si NWs compared to n-type Si NWs, which plays a key role in enhancing the EFE performance. These investigations suggest that dopant types (n- and p-types), band gap, crystallite size and stress influence the EFE parameters and Si NWs grown on p-type Si (100) substrates are much more favorable for the investigation of EFE properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Distributed space systems are increasingly valued in the space industry, as they enhance mission performance through collaborative efforts and resource sharing among multiple heterogeneous satellites. Additionally, enabling autonomous and real-time satellite-to-satellite communications through Inter-Satellite Links (ISLs) can further increase the overall performance by allowing cooperation without relying on ground links and extensive coordination efforts among diverse stakeholders. Given the constrained resources available onboard satellites, a crucial element of achieving cost-effective and autonomous cooperation involves minimizing energy wastage resulting from unsuccessful or unnecessary communication. To address this challenge, satellites must anticipate their ISL opportunities or encounters with minimal resource utilization. Building upon prior publications, this work presents further insights into the use of supervised learning to enable satellites to forecast their encounters without relying on orbit propagation. In particular, a more realistic definition of satellite encounters, along with a versatile solution applicable to all polar low-Earth orbit satellites is implemented. Results show that the trained model can anticipate encounters for realistic and unseen data from an available data source with a balance accuracy of around 90% and six times faster when compared with the well-known Simplified General Perturbation 4 orbital model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Informacion Comercial Espanola Revista de Economia is the property of S.G.E.E.I.P.C., Secretaria de Estado de Comercio, Ministerio de Industria, Comercio y Turismo and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In this study, we investigate the influence of shape and magnetocrystalline anisotropies on the magnetic dynamic susceptibility of individual cobalt nanowires (Co-NWs) through micromagnetic simulations. The simulations encompassed a range of nanowire diameters from 10 to 150 nm and lengths from 50 nm to 1 μm, considering three magnetocrystalline anisotropy scenarios: no anisotropy, easy-plane anisotropy, and easy-axis anisotropy. The results reveal that shape anisotropy leads to ground states characterized as flower, twisted flower, or vortex configurations, while the prevalence of flower or vortex states depends on whether easy-axis or easy-plane magnetocrystalline anisotropy is present, respectively. The interplay between shape and magnetocrystalline anisotropies yields diverse effects in the ferromagnetic resonance response, contingent upon the nanowire's ground magnetic state. For Co-NWs with flower and twisted flower states, the edge-mode frequency can be modulated predominantly by varying the nanowire diameter, while the fundamental-mode frequency is influenced by the nanowire's length. In contrast, Co-NWs with a vortex state exhibit azimuthal mode, with their number and frequencies primarily dependent on the nanowire diameter, while gyrotropic modes are affected by the nanowire's length. Furthermore, nanowires featuring uniaxial magnetocrystalline anisotropy (MCA) exhibit higher resonant frequencies compared to those without MCA. The insights gained from this investigation offer valuable guidance for tailoring cobalt nanowires with specific ferromagnetic resonance properties, facilitating their utilization in various applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we investigate the pseudo-static magnetic properties of Permalloy conical frustum nanowires using micromagnetic simulations. We thoroughly examine how both the major and minor radii influence the magnetic reversal mechanism when an external magnetic field is applied parallel to the nanowire axis. The obtained results show that under specific geometrical conditions, magnetization reverts though a Bloch point-type domain wall. In these cases, hysteresis curves exhibit two Barkhausen jumps during magnetization reversal, forming a plateau field range in which a Bloch point domain wall nucleates and propagates until its annihilation after the second Barkhausen jump. The nucleation of a Bloch point domain wall in a frustum conical nanowire geometry is reported. These findings highlight the significance of this geometry in nucleating these attractive topological defects for promising applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is a list of references and sources related to the topic of focal therapy for prostate cancer. It includes studies, clinical trials, and research papers that explore various treatment options and techniques, such as high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU), irreversible electroporation (IRE), and photodynamic therapy. The document also mentions the importance of accurate imaging techniques, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) PET-CT, in guiding and assessing the effectiveness of focal therapy. The references provide a comprehensive overview of the current research and ongoing studies in the field of focal therapy for prostate cancer. [Extracted from the article]

Lead halide perovskites have prompted great interest, offering impressive photovoltaic performances. Most fundamental investigations and cell optimizations focus on solution‐based solar cells, which are not easily extended to larger scales. Commonly in these cells, losses in the open‐circuit voltage are attributed to arise primarily from interface recombination, and therefore the most studies have focused on optimization of the surface to eliminate defects states. In contrast, thermal evaporation is an alternative, solvent‐free, and scalable method to deposit lead halide perovskites that is gaining attention. However, the number of reports showing high‐efficiency solar cells (> 20%) prepared using thermal evaporation is still small. Here, the origins of non‐radiative charge carrier recombination are investigated in perovskite cells that are deposited via thermal co‐evaporation. This is done through a combination of photoluminescence spectroscopy, current‐voltage characterization, and simulations. It is found that the non‐radiative recombination in these cells is caused equally by bulk and interface defects. In general, it is advocated to perform a dual analysis of the photoluminescence spectroscopy of both the film and the photovoltaic device, in conjunction with current‐voltage measurements. It is emphasized that such a dual analysis is needed to enable the identification of improvements and to unlock further advancements in this technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Global warming is causing large-scale disruption of cnidarian-Symbiodiniaceae symbioses fundamental to major marine ecosystems, such as coral reefs. However, the mechanisms by which heat stress perturbs these symbiotic partnerships remain poorly understood. In this context, the upside-down jellyfish Cassiopea has emerged as a powerful experimental model system. Results: We combined a controlled heat stress experiment with isotope labeling and correlative SEM-NanoSIMS imaging to show that host starvation is a central component in the chain of events that ultimately leads to the collapse of the Cassiopea holobiont. Heat stress caused an increase in catabolic activity and a depletion of carbon reserves in the unfed host, concurrent with a reduction in the supply of photosynthates from its algal symbionts. This state of host starvation was accompanied by pronounced in hospite degradation of algal symbionts, which may be a distinct feature of the heat stress response of Cassiopea. Interestingly, this loss of symbionts by degradation was concealed by body shrinkage of the starving animals, resulting in what could be referred to as “invisible” bleaching. Conclusions: Overall, our study highlights the importance of the nutritional status in the heat stress response of the Cassiopea holobiont. Compared with other symbiotic cnidarians, the large mesoglea of Cassiopea, with its structural sugar and protein content, may constitute an energy reservoir capable of delaying starvation. It seems plausible that this anatomical feature at least partly contributes to the relatively high stress tolerance of these animals in rapidly warming oceans. 7jQYTVpxtJyVhU5epTFb61 Video Abstract [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work we performed a detailed numerical analysis to investigate the static and dynamic magnetic properties of hexagonal cells of square and circular cobalt nanodots as a function of the distance between them and the external magnetic field to which they are subjected. By simulating hysteresis curves with the external magnetic field applied parallel and perpendicular to the plane of these nanostructures, we can conclude that the cobalt nanodots presented a significant perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. We also obtained that the coercivity increases with decreasing volume, which implies that the circular dots have a higher coercivity than the square dots. Furthermore, we studied the dynamic susceptibility of these systems and found that it is possible to control both the position and the number of resonance peaks by controlling the geometry and the distance between the magnetic nanodots. This work provides useful information on the behaviour of cobalt nanodot arrays, opening paths for the design and improvement of two-dimensional technological devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Migrant seasonal agricultural workers face conditions of material vulnerability such as inadequate housing difficulties prevent access to running water supplies. The purpose of this study is to explore the perceptions of professionals involved in the care and support of seasonal migrant agricultural workers, as it relates to water access and water consumption and their impact on these workers' health, in a context of COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A qualitative exploratory and descriptive study was conducted in 2021 as part of a larger research project, based on 63 personal semi-structured interviews with professionals who provided support to seasonal migrant agricultural workers in three Spanish autonomous regions. COREQ checklist was used for reporting. The interviews were recorded, transcribed, and imported into ATLAS.ti-9 for an inductive thematic analysis. Results: The results have been structured into two main themes: (1) Accessing and obtaining water; and (2) Health problems related to water consumption. Seasonal migrant agricultural workers experience barriers to obtaining safe water for hygiene, cleaning, food preparation and drinking. The implementation of regulations to reduce COVID-19 transmission resulted in improved hygiene levels in the migrants' quarters, including access to safe drinking water. Conclusion: This study suggests that water insecurity experienced by migrant seasonal agricultural workers in Spain results from their poor living conditions and causes health problems related to a lack of hygiene and the use of unsafe water. Sustainable solutions are needed beyond the pandemic in order to provide migrant workers with adequate living conditions and ensure their water needs are fulfilled. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding affective perceptual processes can further contribute to the explanation of motivation and actions, as well as sexual risk behaviors. Pornography can be considered salient emotional content and is popular, also among females. Yet, the female perspective on pornography has often been overlooked and it remains unclear how individual variables may be associated with the affective perception of pornography and could provide a risk profile. Possible associations between several sexual and psychological intrapersonal variables and the affective perception of various forms of pornography were analyzed from the female perspective. A sample of 231 females (M = 21.87 years; SD = 3.9 years) provided ratings of affective valence, arousal, disgust, and moral and ethical acceptance for mainstream pornographic and paraphilic images of dominance, submission, or sexual violence. Paraphilic pornography was perceived as less pleasant, arousing, and moral and ethically acceptable, but more disgusting compared to mainstream pornography. This was more pronounced among females who had never consumed pornography. Results further suggest that the female affective perception of pornography was associated with the following sexual intrapersonal variables: sexual sensation seeking for physical sensations, erotophilia, lack of sexual control, problematic pornography consumption, and sexual disgust sensitivity. Of the assessed psychological intrapersonal variables, only anxiety was negatively associated with disgust for paraphilic pornography. It is important to further analyze the female affective perception of pornography and associated variables to include them in strategies for prevention and for addressing problematic consequences of the acceptance of specific sexual content and behaviors, especially related to sexualized violence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, the robustness of discrete PI controllers when used with a Symmetric-Send-On-Delta (SSOD) sampling law is addressed. Hitherto, the continuous Describing Function has been employed as a suitable tool to evaluate the robustness of such systems to limit cycle oscillations induced by the SSOD. However, due to the discrete implementation of the controllers in most of the actual applications, the Sampled Describing Function technique is used in this work to provide a more realistic approach, which takes into account the effect of both the SSOD and sampling period of the discrete controller on inducing such oscillation. A simple measure has been developed to characterise the robustness of these systems and it has been tested through several examples, showing its validity in predicting the apparition or avoidance of limit cycles. This measure has been used to evaluate the robustness of some spread tuning rules applied to a wide batch of systems reflecting the dynamics of most processes in the industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a technique for tuning PI controllers with symmetric send-on-delta (SSOD) sampling, using three measurements taken from the step response. The tuning procedure is based on a previously published experimental PI tuning method developed for standard sampling and the adaptation of this method to the SSOD sampling case. It is well known that the SSOD sampling strategy may induce permanent oscillations in the closed loop if the controller is not designed properly. The proposed approach avoids those oscillations through fixing some limitations in the tuning parameters using only the experimental step response measurements as input data. The result is an experimental PI tuning method, based on three simple measurements in the step response, that guarantees the absence of oscillations when SSOD sampling is used in the loop. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents an improvement of the n-shifting technique to identify the frequency response of an industrial process using a fully asymmetric and delaying relay. The n-shifting approach allows the calculation of n + 1 points of G(s) by an asymmetric relay experiment. This set of n points is composed of G(0), G(jωosc), ... , G(jnωosc), being ωosc the oscillation frequency, and where G(jωosc) is in most cases located in the third quadrant of the Nyquist map. By delaying the relay output and repeating a similar experiment it can be generated n additional points of G(s) where the first point is G(jω'osc) with 0 < ω'osc < ωosc. In this way, it is possible to depict the full output spectrum of G(s) from zero to very high frequencies by a short relay experiment. An example of identification and tuning of a PID controller with data from the n-shifting are presented to show the validity of the approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable and responsible investment (SRI) has experienced impressive growth in the last two decades. However, the adoption of advanced SRI strategies that go beyond the mere exclusion of companies or asset classes has not kept pace with this expansion, a critical development regarding its potential impact on sustainability. For this reason, this study aims to identify the main drivers for the adoption of advanced sustainable and responsible investment practices by asset management companies to know why and which companies better advance the strengthening of SRI in the European financial market considering an original combination of different SRI drivers. To investigate which factors seem to be more decisive in adopting more sophisticated SRI practices, we first conducted a survey among fund management companies that manage and/or distribute investment funds in Europe. Second, we used logistic and multivariate regressions as analytical tools for testing the hypotheses. Results show that societal pressures and a formal corporate social responsibility policy are the main drivers for adopting advanced SRI practices by asset management companies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The use of remote consultation modalities has exponentially grown in the past few years, particularly since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Although a huge body of the literature has described the use of phone (tele) and video consultations, very few of the studies correspond to randomized controlled trials, and none of them has assessed the safety of these consultation modalities as the primary objective. The primary objective of this trial was to assess the safety of remote consultations (both video and teleconsultation) in the follow-up of patients in the hospital setting. Methods: Multicenter, randomized controlled trial being conducted in four centers of an administrative healthcare area in Catalonia (North-East Spain). Participants will be screened from all individuals, irrespective of age and sex, who require follow-up in outpatient consultations of any of the departments involved in the study. Eligibility criteria have been established based on the local guidelines for screening patients for remote consultation. Participants will be randomly allocated into one of the two study arms: conventional face-to-face consultation (control) and remote consultation, either teleconsultation or video consultation (intervention). Routine follow-up visits will be scheduled at a frequency determined by the physician based on the diagnostic and therapy of the baseline disease (the one triggering enrollment). The primary outcome will be the number of adverse reactions and complications related to the baseline disease. Secondary outcomes will include non-scheduled visits and hospitalizations, as well as usability features of remote consultations. All data will either be recorded in an electronic clinical report form or retrieved from local electronic health records. Based on the complications and adverse reaction rates reported in the literature, we established a target sample size of 1068 participants per arm. Recruitment started in May 2022 and is expected to end in May 2024. Discussion: The scarcity of precedents on the assessment of remote consultation modalities using randomized controlled designs challenges making design decisions, including recruitment, selection criteria, and outcome definition, which are discussed in the manuscript. Trial registration: NCT05094180. The items of the WHO checklist for trial registration are available in Additional file 1. Registered on 24 November 2021. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cerebellar atrophy (CA) is a frequent neuroimaging finding in paediatric neurology, usually associated with cerebellar ataxia. The list of genes involved in hereditary forms of CA is continuously growing and reveals its genetic complexity. We investigated ten cases with early-onset cerebellar involvement with and without ataxia by exome sequencing or by a targeted panel with 363 genes involved in ataxia or spastic paraplegia. Novel variants were investigated by in silico or experimental approaches. Seven probands carry causative variants in well-known genes associated with CA or cerebellar hypoplasia: SETX, CACNA1G, CACNA1A, CLN6, CPLANE1, and TBCD. The remaining three cases deserve special attention; they harbour variants in MAST1, PI4KA and CLK2 genes. MAST1 is responsible for an ultrarare condition characterised by global developmental delay and cognitive decline; our index case added ataxia to the list of concomitant associated symptoms. PIK4A is mainly related to hypomyelinating leukodystrophy; our proband presented with pure spastic paraplegia and normal intellectual capacity. Finally, in a patient who suffers from mild ataxia with oculomotor apraxia, the de novo novel CLK2 c.1120T>C variant was found. The protein expression of the mutated protein was reduced, which may indicate instability that would affect its kinase activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Staff working in long-term care (LTC) homes during COVID-19 frequently reported a lack of communication, collaboration, and teamwork, all of which are associated with staff dissatisfaction, health concerns, lack of support and moral distress. Our study introduced regular huddles to support LTC staff during COVID-19, led by a Nurse Practitioner (NP). The objectives were to evaluate the process of huddle implementation and to examine differences in outcomes between categories of staff (direct care staff, allied care and support staff, and management) who attended huddles and those who did not. Methods: All staff and management at one LTC home (< 150 beds) in Ontario, Canada were included in this pre-experimental design study. The process evaluation used a huddle observation tool and focused on the dose (duration, frequency) and fidelity (NP's adherence to the huddle guide) of implementation. The staff attending and non-attending huddles were compared on outcomes measured at post-test: job satisfaction, physical and mental health, perception of support received, and levels of moral distress. The outcomes were assessed with validated measures and compared between categories of staff using Bayesian models. Results: A total of 42 staff enrolled in the study (20 attending and 22 non-attending huddles). Forty-eight huddles were implemented by the NP over 15 weeks and lasted 15 min on average. Huddles were most commonly attended by direct care staff, followed by allied care/support, and management staff. All huddles adhered to the huddle guide as designed by the research team. Topics most often addressed during the huddles were related to resident care (46%) and staff well-being (34%). Differences were found between staff attending and non-attending huddles: direct care staff attending huddles reported lower levels of overall moral distress, and allied care and support staff attending huddles perceived higher levels of support from the NP. Conclusions: NP-led huddles in LTC homes may positively influence staff outcomes. The process evaluation provided some understanding of why the huddles may have been beneficial: the NP addressed resident care issues which were important to staff, encouraged a collaborative approach to solving issues on the unit, and discussed their well-being. Trial registration number: NCT05387213, registered on 24/05/2022. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Efficient nutrient recycling underpins the ecological success of cnidarian-algal symbioses in oligotrophic waters. In these symbioses, nitrogen limitation restricts the growth of algal endosymbionts in hospite and stimulates their release of photosynthates to the cnidarian host. However, the mechanisms controlling nitrogen availability and their role in symbiosis regulation remain poorly understood. Here, we studied the metabolic regulation of symbiotic nitrogen cycling in the sea anemone Aiptasia by experimentally altering labile carbon availability in a series of experiments. Combining 13C and 15N stable isotope labeling experiments with physiological analyses and NanoSIMS imaging, we show that the competition for environmental ammonium between the host and its algal symbionts is regulated by labile carbon availability. Light regimes optimal for algal photosynthesis increase carbon availability in the holobiont and stimulate nitrogen assimilation in the host metabolism. Consequently, algal symbiont densities are lowest under optimal environmental conditions and increase toward the lower and upper light tolerance limits of the symbiosis. This metabolic regulation promotes efficient carbon recycling in a stable symbiosis across a wide range of environmental conditions. Yet, the dependence on resource competition may favor parasitic interactions, explaining the instability of the cnidarian-algal symbiosis as environmental conditions in the Anthropocene shift towards its tolerance limits. Photosymbioses enable efficient nutrient recycling between heterotrophic and phototrophic organisms. This study shows that nutrient cycling in a cnidarian-algal symbiosis is regulated through resource competition between symbiotic partners. Mutualistic interactions can therefore emerge from mutual exploitation in nutrient–exchange symbioses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Parkinson's disease, pathogenic factors such as the intraneuronal accumulation of the protein α-synuclein affect key metabolic processes. New approaches are required to understand how metabolic dysregulations cause degeneration of vulnerable subtypes of neurons in the brain. Here, we apply correlative electron microscopy and NanoSIMS isotopic imaging to map and quantify 13C enrichments in dopaminergic neurons at the subcellular level after pulse-chase administration of 13C-labeled glucose. To model a condition leading to neurodegeneration in Parkinson's disease, human α-synuclein was unilaterally overexpressed in the substantia nigra of one brain hemisphere in rats. When comparing neurons overexpressing α-synuclein to those located in the control hemisphere, the carbon anabolism and turnover rates revealed metabolic anomalies in specific neuronal compartments and organelles. Overexpression of α-synuclein enhanced the overall carbon turnover in nigral neurons, despite a lower relative incorporation of carbon inside the nucleus. Furthermore, mitochondria and Golgi apparatus showed metabolic defects consistent with the effects of α-synuclein on inter-organellar communication. By revealing changes in the kinetics of carbon anabolism and turnover at the subcellular level, this approach can be used to explore how neurodegeneration unfolds in specific subpopulations of neurons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to understand how scholarly research addresses sustainable investments' contribution to sustainable development (SD) within the sustainable development goals (SDG) framework. This is achieved by focusing on how the asset management industry, through the practice of advanced sustainable investment strategies, can contribute more efficiently to SD. Design/methodology/approach: For this purpose, a systematic literature review using the content analysis method and comprised between the years 2015 and 2021 is carried out. Findings: A systematic literature review shows that the asset management industry is critical to integrating SDGs in financial markets, through their influence on investee companies or their investment products. The findings also indicate that SDGs are integrated into investment portfolios, particularly those managed according to the impact investment strategy and those that practice active ownership. However, the integration is not homogeneous. Research limitations/implications: This review has limitations derived from search engineering. In addition, research goals have conditioned the exclusion of articles that merely refer to the SDGs. Moreover, since SDGs were launched in 2015, not enough time has elapsed to analyze the total contribution of sustainable investment to achieving the SDGs. Practical implications: This study provides the basis for a multidisciplinary debate related to developing a good integration of SDGs in the asset management industry under new global challenges. Social implications: Given the disconnection between the expansion of sustainable investment and sustainability achievements, this research aims to deepen the understanding of how sustainable investment can contribute more efficiently to SD within the framework of SDGs. Originality/value: This analysis advances previous academic research by providing insights into new pathways for future studies on how to approach the asset management industry's challenges to contribute to sustainable development efficiently in the current context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This focused critical ethnography aimed to deepen our understanding of the impact of participating in a temporary, cyclical, low-wage migration program on the mental and emotional health (MEH) of Mexican women and their non-migrating family members. Except for global care chains research, the field of migrant mental health has paid limited attention to the importance of transnational family dynamics and the MEH of relatives beyond the workers' children. The current study broadens this framework to examine how family-level changes brought about by migration affect the MEH not only the migrant and her children, but also extended family members. Participants included five women employed in the Canadian Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program and an average of five non-migrating members of their families in Mexico. The study combined four data generation methods: participant observation, 'emojional' calendars, semi-structured interviews, and sociodemographic questionnaires. Study participants' MEH was significantly influenced by gendered selection processes and the cyclical pattern of migration. Similar impacts were observed within and across four groups of participants (workers, their children, the children's caregivers, and extended family members) during their periods apart and together. There were significant effects of their relative's migration on the MEH of extended family members, a population group commonly overlooked in the literature. Findings from this study suggest that public health research, programs, and policies using a transnational approach are best suited to effectively address the impacts of migration on the MEH of migrants and their non-migrating families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wide bandgap perovskites are being widely studied in view of their potential applications in tandem devices and other semitransparent photovoltaics. Vacuum deposition of perovskite thin films is advantageous as it allows the fabrication of multilayer devices, fine control over thickness and purity, and it can be upscaled to meet production needs. However, the vacuum processing of multicomponent perovskites (typically used to achieve wide bandgaps) is not straightforward, because one needs to simultaneously control several thermal sources during the deposition. Here a simplified dual‐source vacuum deposition method to obtain wide bandgap perovskite films is shown. The solar cells obtained with these materials have similar or even larger efficiency as those including multiple A‐cations, but are much more thermally stable, up to 3500 h at 85 °C for a perovskite with a bandgap of 1.64 eV. With optimized thickness, record efficiency of >19% and semitransparent devices with stabilized power output in excess of 17% are achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we investigate the magnetic properties of interconnected permalloy nanowire networks using micromagnetic simulations. The effects of interconnectivity on the hysteresis curves, coercivity, and remanence of the nanowire networks are analyzed. Our results reveal intriguing characteristics of the hysteresis curves, including nonmonotonic behaviors of coercivity as a function of the position of horizontal nanowires relative to vertical nanowires. By introducing horizontal nanowires at specific positions, the coercivity of the nanowire networks can be enhanced without altering the material composition. The normalized remanence remains relatively constant regardless of the position of the horizontal wires, although it is lower in the interconnected nanowire arrays compared to nonconnected arrays. These findings provide valuable insights into the design and optimization of nanowire networks for applications requiring tailored magnetic properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background : The development of nanoscale secondary ion mass spectrometry (NanoSIMS) has revolutionized the study of biological tissues by enabling, e.g., the visualization and quantification of metabolic processes at subcellular length scales. However, the associated sample preparation methods all result in some degree of tissue morphology distortion and loss of soluble compounds. To overcome these limitations an entirely cryogenic sample preparation and imaging workflow is required. Results: Here, we report the development of a CryoNanoSIMS instrument that can perform isotope imaging of both positive and negative secondary ions from flat block-face surfaces of vitrified biological tissues with a mass- and image resolution comparable to that of a conventional NanoSIMS. This capability is illustrated with nitrogen isotope as well as trace element mapping of freshwater hydrozoan Green Hydra tissue following uptake of 15N-enriched ammonium. Conclusion: With a cryo-workflow that includes vitrification by high pressure freezing, cryo-planing of the sample surface, and cryo-SEM imaging, the CryoNanoSIMS enables correlative ultrastructure and isotopic or elemental imaging of biological tissues in their most pristine post-mortem state. This opens new horizons in the study of fundamental processes at the tissue- and (sub)cellular level. Teaser: CryoNanoSIMS: subcellular mapping of chemical and isotopic compositions of biological tissues in their most pristine post-mortem state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic created major challenges in long-term care (LTC) homes across Canada and globally. A nurse practitioner-led interdisciplinary huddle intervention was developed to support staff wellbeing in two LTC homes in Ontario, Canada. The objective of this study was to identify the constructs strongly influencing the process of implementation of huddles across both sites, capturing the overall barriers and facilitators and the intervention's intrinsic properties. Methods: Nineteen participants were interviewed about their experiences, pre-, post-, and during huddle implementation. The Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) was used to guide data collection and analysis. CFIR rating rules and a cross-comparison analysis was used to identify differentiating factors between sites. A novel extension to the CFIR analysis process was designed to assess commonly influential factors across both sites. Results: Nineteen of twenty selected CFIR constructs were coded in interviews from both sites. Five constructs were determined to be strongly influential across both implementation sites and a detailed description is provided: evidence strength and quality; needs and resources of those served by the organization; leadership engagement; relative priority; and champions. A summary of ratings and an illustrative quote are provided for each construct. Conclusion: Successful huddles require long-term care leaders to consider their involvement, the inclusion all team members to help build relationships and foster cohesion, and the integration of nurse practitioners as full-time staff members within LTC homes to support staff and facilitate initiatives for wellbeing. This research provides an example of a novel approach using the CFIR methodology, extending its use to identify significant factors for implementation when it is not possible to compare differences in success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background : The development of nanoscale secondary ion mass spectrometry (NanoSIMS) has revolutionized the study of biological tissues by enabling, e.g., the visualization and quantification of metabolic processes at subcellular length scales. However, the associated sample preparation methods all result in some degree of tissue morphology distortion and loss of soluble compounds. To overcome these limitations an entirely cryogenic sample preparation and imaging workflow is required. Results: Here, we report the development of a CryoNanoSIMS instrument that can perform isotope imaging of both positive and negative secondary ions from flat block-face surfaces of vitrified biological tissues with a mass- and image resolution comparable to that of a conventional NanoSIMS. This capability is illustrated with nitrogen isotope as well as trace element mapping of freshwater hydrozoan Green Hydra tissue following uptake of 15N-enriched ammonium. Conclusion: With a cryo-workflow that includes vitrification by high pressure freezing, cryo-planing of the sample surface, and cryo-SEM imaging, the CryoNanoSIMS enables correlative ultrastructure and isotopic or elemental imaging of biological tissues in their most pristine post-mortem state. This opens new horizons in the study of fundamental processes at the tissue- and (sub)cellular level. Teaser: CryoNanoSIMS: subcellular mapping of chemical and isotopic compositions of biological tissues in their most pristine post-mortem state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to empirically analyze a sound commitment and a consistent integration of sustainable development goals (SDGs) in the corporate reporting and management systems of companies that have a leading position in sustainability. Design/methodology/approach: The study applies a content analysis procedure based on a proposed analytical framework to codify the commitment and the SDG integration. In order to analyze the consistency of the integration, this study has provided a "SDG integration" score based on fuzzy inference systems methods. The companies in the sample have been identified as benchmarks in terms of sustainability in a specific region of Spain. Findings: The findings show a lack of formality regarding the SDG commitment at the highest decision-making level and a low level of SDG integration in the reporting and management systems. These results are mainly explained because the most companies do not prioritize according to the materiality analysis and those SDGs more reported have not been deployed along targets and KPIs in a consistent way. Research limitations/implications: The results provide practical implications that help to overcome the limitations in terms of comparison and consistency of the SDGs-reported information. It also illustrates how the leading sustainable companies are doing the SDG reporting and suggests which elements could be improved to promote a consistent integration of the SDGs in the management systems. Originality/value: This study provides new work lines in the promotion of an effective SDG-business reporting based on a robust management structure that allows an alignment among the SDG-business decisions based on a normative, strategic and operational approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We extend the 'black box' picture of public management and the 'balanced view' of HRM literature in the Spanish public context. Specifically, we explore the link between structural empowerment and organisational performance and the mediating role of three employee outcomes: job satisfaction and affective commitment as attitudinal variables related to eudaimonic well-being, and job anxiety as a variable related to hedonic well-being. Using a multilevel methodology with data on employees from 103 local authorities for 2016, results support the mutual gains perspective, but not as intensely as expected (empowerment does not affect attitudinal variables), since empowerment contributes to reducing job anxiety in Spanish local governments. Specifically, information and rewards are the structural empowerment dimensions that help to reduce job anxiety levels in employees and, thus, enhance performance. These results suggest that local government managers could usefully apply techniques such as disseminating information on the organisation's aims among employees or paying bonuses for meeting targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work we performed a detailed numerical analysis to investigate the dynamic susceptibility of 1000 nm long Fe3O4 nanotubes by varying the diameter, the tube wall thickness and the magnitude of the external magnetic field applied along the tube axis. We found two well-defined modes, one of low frequency associated with the caps of the nanotubes, and another of high frequency associated with the central area of the nanotubes, which can be controlled by varying the geometry of the tubes or the external magnetic field to which they are subjected. These results allow us to suggest the use of these nanotubes in applications that require controlling the resonant frequency in the GHz range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, our objective was to investigate the static and dynamic magnetic properties of Fe3O4 nanotubes that are 1000 nm long, by varying the external radius and the thickness of the tube wall. We performed a detailed numerical analysis by simulating hysteresis curves with an external magnetic field applied parallel to the axis of the tubes (along the z-axis). Our findings indicate that nanotubes with an external radius of 30 nm exhibit non-monotonic behavior in their coercivity due to a change in the magnetization reversal mechanism, which was not observed in nanotubes with external radii of 80 nm. Additionally, we explored the dynamic susceptibility of these nanotubes and found that the position and number of resonance peaks can be controlled by manipulating the nanotube geometry. Overall, our study provides valuable insights into the behavior of Fe3O4 nanotubes, which can aid in the design and improvement in pseudo-one-dimensional technological devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a dramatic remodeling of the T cell compartment during aging. The most notorious changes are the reduction of the naive T cell pool and the accumulation of memory-like T cells. Memory-like T cells in older people acquire a phenotype of terminally differentiated cells, lose the expression of costimulatory molecules, and acquire properties of senescent cells. In this review, we focus on the different subsets of age-associated T cells that accumulate during aging. These subsets include extremely cytotoxic T cells with natural killer properties, exhausted T cells with altered cytokine production, and regulatory T cells that gain proinflammatory features. Importantly, all of these subsets lose their lymph node homing capacity and migrate preferentially to nonlymphoid tissues, where they contribute to tissue deterioration and inflammaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current guidelines for the ascending aortic aneurysm (AsAA) treatment recommend surgery mainly according to the maximum diameter assessment. This criterion has already proven to be often inefficient in identifying patients at high risk of aneurysm growth and rupture. In this study, we propose a method to compute a set of local shape features that, in addition to the maximum diameter D, are intended to improve the classification performances for the ascending aortic aneurysm growth risk assessment. Apart from D, these are the ratio DCR between D and the length of the ascending aorta centerline, the ratio EILR between the length of the external and the internal lines and the tortuosity T. 50 patients with two 3D acquisitions at least 6 months apart were segmented and the growth rate (GR) with the shape features related to the first exam computed. The correlation between them has been investigated. After, the dataset was divided into two classes according to the growth rate value. We used six different classifiers with input data exclusively from the first exam to predict the class to which each patient belonged. A first classification was performed using only D and a second with all the shape features together. The performances have been evaluated by computing accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) and positive (negative) likelihood ratio LHR+ (LHR-). A positive correlation was observed between growth rate and DCR (r = 0.511, p = 1.3e-4) and between GR and EILR (r = 0.472, p = 2.7e-4). Overall, the classifiers based on the four metrics outperformed the same ones based only on D. Among the diameter-based classifiers, k-nearest neighbours (KNN) reported the best accuracy (86%), sensitivity (55.6%), AUROC (0.74), LHR+ (7.62) and LHR- (0.48). Concerning the classifiers based on the four shape features, we obtained the best accuracy (94%), sensitivity (66.7%), specificity (100%), AUROC (0.94), LHR+ (+∞)and LHR- (0.33) with support vector machine (SVM). This demonstrates how automatic shape features detection combined with risk classification criteria could be crucial in planning the follow-up of patients with ascending aortic aneurysm and in predicting the possible dangerous progression of the disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: While concerns about the social and environmental impact that result from business activity continue to grow, a stream of research consolidates to understand the mechanisms that can favor more sustainable companies. The present study tries to expand the knowledge of the antecedents of radical innovation by analyzing the effects of alternative and understudied constructs. Grounded on stewardship and organizational learning theories, this paper analyzes how leaders that are concerned with sustainability and the social impact of their companies may boost this type of innovation by facilitating an organizational context that promotes experimentation, dialog, participative decision-making, risk-taking and interaction with the external environment. Design/methodology/approach: Through structural equation modeling, the study provides empirical evidence of the positive effect of stewardship leader behavior on radical innovation, using organizational learning capability as an explanatory variable. Findings: Results suggest that organizational learning capability fully mediates the relationship between stewardship leader behavior and radical innovation. Research limitations/implications: This research focuses on a sample frame of Spanish companies with recognized excellence in human resources management. Practical implications: In the context of a growing interest in sustainable development, and concern for the consequences of economic and business activities, this study highlights the role played by stewardship leader behavior to foster radical innovation and organizational learning capability which, in turn, represent essential tools to compete in a globalized and turbulent context. Originality/value: To the authors' knowledge, this is the first empirical study that analyzes the mediating effect of organizational learning capability in the relationship between stewardship leader behavior and radical innovation. This paper contributes to the understanding of how stewardship leader behavior affects radical innovation and the key role played by organizational learning capability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The magnetic dynamic susceptibility of cobalt dots hosting a skyrmionic bubble has been obtained by means of micromagnetic simulations by exciting the system with a magnetic field pulse. When the pulse is applied parallel to the dot axis, a single resonance peak is obtained, whereas when the pulse is applied perpendicular to the dot axis, multiple peaks are obtained. The origin of each of these peaks and their evolution as a function of uniaxial anisotropy are studied in detail. The results presented in this work are important in view of the possible realization of tunable frequency devices, since we showed that it is possible to adjust a set of frequencies of skyrmionic bubbles by controlling the uniaxial anisotropy constant of the dot and the direction in which the magnetic pulse is applied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After the first detection of a gravitational wave in 2015, the number of successes achieved by this innovative way of looking through the Universe has not stopped growing. However, the current techniques for analyzing this type of events present a serious bottleneck due to the high computational power they require. In this article we explore how recent techniques based on quantum algorithms could surpass this obstacle. For this purpose, we propose a quantization of the classical algorithms used in the literature for the inference of gravitational wave parameters based on the well-known quantum walks technique applied to a Metropolis–Hastings algorithm. Finally, we develop a quantum environment on classical hardware, implementing a metric to compare quantum versus classical algorithms in a fair way. We further test all these developments in the real inference of several sets of parameters of all the events of the first detection period GWTC-1 and we find a polynomial advantage in the quantum algorithms, thus setting a first starting point for future algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]