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Through a multiple-case study of seven German providers, we explore the architecture of commercial offerings of consumer experiences, such as wine-tastings, craft workshops, or wellness activities, which have both digital and physical components. Physical-digital experiences offer participants an opportunity to encounter many different sensations of an experience, as not all (e.g. taste, smell, touch) can be converted to digital form and not all are possible to experience physically (e.g. visual depictions of distant lands). Our empirical study shows that experience providers combine both physical and digital offering architectures by augmenting, substituting, porting, and excluding physical and digital components, a process that changes the value these experiences create for consumers and provides new means by which providers capture value from these offerings. We develop a theoretical model that explains value creation and value capture through the design and provision of physical-digital experiential consumer offerings that leverage physical-digital hybridity at multiple levels to enhance existing or generate new value pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Horne, AJ, Jung R. 2022. Hypolimnetic oxygenation 5. Copper, zinc, iron, and manganese declines in Camanche Reservoir downstream of an abandoned mine. Lake Reserve. Manage. 38:139–149. An abandoned mine upstream of Camanche Reservoir in California had increased sediment copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) concentrations by 10-fold. Regulators and environmentalists claimed that a hypolimnetic oxygenation system (HOS) on the reservoir bed would stir sediments and increase metal toxicity in the hypolimnetic water supplied to steelhead and Chinook salmon in the Mokelumne River and its large fish hatchery. On the contrary, after HOS, small decreases in the concentrations of Zn and Cu and large decreases in iron (Fe) and manganese (Mn) occurred. Before HOS, ΣCu concentrations were relatively low (mean deep, 3.3 µg/L, surface, 2.4 µg/L) but in the soft water sometimes exceeded an aquatic life criterion of 3 µg/L. After HOS, the long-term mean ΣCu dropped 12% to 2.9 µg/L (deep); surface concentrations were unchanged. Before HOS, bottom water ΣZn (mean = 17.7 µg/L) occasionally exceeded the criterion of 27 µg/L, but after HOS the long-term mean fell 36% to 11.3 µg/L. In contrast, ΣFe dropped 40-fold, dissolved Fe dropped 150-fold, ΣMn dropped 30-fold, and dissolved Mn dropped 400-fold. Fe and Mn declines were consistent with oxide precipitation. However, declines in Cu and Zn were due to homogenization of the deeper hypolimnion by mixing in the oxygenated HOS plume and not due to oxidation itself or the HOS-induced 79% reduction in algae. Important for reservoir management, HOS slightly reduced heavy metals in the reservoir outflows, benefiting the downstream river and fish hatchery. Similar results are predicted for mixing by aeration or propellers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Experimental investigations on the resistive memory switching in sub-micron sized NiO memory cell are presented to elucidate the resistive memory switching mechanism. The voltage or current-biased I-V measurements show that the resistive switching transitions can be regarded as the combination of a voltage-controlled negative differential resistance phenomenon and a current-controlled negative differential resistance phenomenon. Along with experimental observations of multiple resistance states, these indicate that the memory switching in NiO would come from the percolative formation and rupture of filamentary conducting paths. Pulse experiments further suggest that the memory switching would come from local domains inside filaments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the growing diversity of customer needs, little empirical evidence would guide managers to leverage customer need diversity (CND) for radical innovation. Building on the knowledge-based view and dynamic capabilities, the authors explore relationships among CND, strategic flexibility, big data analytics capabilities, and radical innovation performance. With 308 survey responses from innovation managers, the authors find that CND impacts radical innovation performance via (1) mediation through strategic flexibility and (2) moderation by volume, variety, and velocity capabilities associated with big data analytics. The moderation effects of volume and velocity capabilities are positive and negative simultaneously, depending on the purpose for which CND is utilised. Therefore, to leverage customer need diversity, firms need to build strategic flexibility and exercise caution when utilising big data analytics capabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes an optimal lane-changing and control strategy to solve the collision avoidance of intelligent vehicles in highway driving. A quintic polynomial lane-changing trajectory model is established in the Frenet frame, and the trajectory planning problem is transformed into the optimisation problem of lane-changing target coordinates. To consider the multiple environmental factors on vehicle lane-changing, the feasible region of the lane-changing target point was generated based on the lateral acceleration limitation and the safe distance constraints. The performance evaluation indexes were established, considering efficiency, comfort, lateral slip, and lane offset. The multi-objective optimisation problem is solved in the feasible region, and the optimisation results were applied to the collision detection process. In addition, considering the nonlinear characteristics of tire force caused by sudden lateral movements of vehicles at high-speed, a vehicle dynamics model based on the Magic Formula is established, and Model Predictive Control is applied to track the expected trajectory. Simulation results show that this strategy can plan suitable lane-changing trajectories in high-speed working conditions and achieve vehicle collision avoidance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Information Systems (IS) research has proposed digital nudges as a promising toolset for supporting consumers in making better decisions. However, there is a vivid academic debate regarding the ethical underpinnings of nudging and potential measures to alleviate ethical concerns. One particularly promising approach to digital nudging is leveraging salience effects. Yet, the potential of digital salience nudges remains underexplored in IS literature, and little is known about how measures proposed to alleviate ethical concerns affect their behavioural impact. In a preregistered online experiment (N = 600), we assess the effects of a digital salience nudge on the healthiness of food product choices. Additionally, we examine how two proposed ethical measures, namely transparency and self-nudging, influence the nudge's effects. We find that implementing the digital salience nudge in an online supermarket decreased the proportion of unhealthy food products chosen by 63% and increased the proportion of healthy alternatives by 30%. Notably, disclosing transparent information about the nudge did not impact its effectiveness. Offering the nudge as a self-nudge led to comparable effects to a preset nudge when combined with transparent information. We conclude that digital salience nudging is effective and that nudges can be ethically designed without compromising their behavioural impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brand collaboration requirement (BCR) evaluation is a key premise for core manufacturing enterprises to lead the collaborative brand construction of a large-scale manufacturing industry value chain (LSMIVC). Because brand collaboration (BC) in LSMIVC requires interaction with other businesses, BCRs are interactional and decision-makers come from multiple groups. However, existing requirement evaluation approaches rarely consider the interactional nature of requirements and the multiple groups nature of decision makers, producing unstable, easy-to-fail, and inaccurate results. Therefore, this study presents a multi-group decision-making approach based on a decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory and analytic network process (DEMATEL-ANP). This approach integrates the assessment information of BCRs from group decision-makers and prevents unstable and easily invalid assessment results owing to an incomplete decision-maker team. Additionally, DEMATEL-ANP was used to rank the interaction BCRs, which improved the accuracy and effectiveness of the requirement evaluation. Finally, the developed approach and model were tested against the air-conditioning industry value chain. The case study shows that the proposed method can determine requirement ranking. Comparative tests show that the proposed approach is effective and superior, and is more consistent with real-world BC situations. Therefore, the proposed approach provides a direction and theoretical basis for core manufacturing enterprises to implement BC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Horne AJ, Jung R, Lai H, Faisst B, Beutel, M. 2019. Hypolimnetic oxygenation 2: oxygen dynamics in a large reservoir with submerged down-flow contact oxygenation (Speece cone). Lake Reserv Manage. 35:323–337. Low dissolved oxygen (DO) in the sediments of Camanche Reservoir, California (513 million m3, 31 km2), produced toxic hydrogen sulfide (H2S). Direct hypolimnetic oxygenation suppressed H2S without provoking early destratification and cold-water fish problems downstream. A cool, bubble-free plume directed horizontally over the sediments was chosen over a rising bubble plume. A submerged, down-flow contact oxygenator (Speece cone) pumped anoxic water from 5 m above the sediments to the top of a 7 m high cone to dissolve a counterflow of rising pure oxygen bubbles. The bubble-free, highly oxygenated discharge (80 mg/L) was diluted to fish-safe levels (8 mg/L) and directed up-reservoir via jets in a 45 m long manifold. Placing the cone on the bottom near the dam increased hydraulic pressure and doubled oxygen solubility. Poor-quality hypolimnion water (DO <2 mg/L, redox 18–100 mV, H2S odors) was converted to good-quality water (DO 3–7 mg/L, redox >300 mV, no H2S odors). Comparing preoxygenation hypolimnion DO decline (0.1 mg/L/d) with oxygenation temporarily switched off (0.23 mg/L/d) gave a full-scale estimate of induced hypolimnion oxygen demand. In 1994, the oxygenated plume moved 4.5 km upstream at 0.1 cm/s via natural water motion. No long pipes were needed. About 18% of the bottom hypolimnion was directly oxidized in the cone and 1.8 times the total volume was indirectly oxidized via entrainment in the plume. After 10 yr, oxygen additions were reduced by >50% with no deleterious effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The degradation of ofloxacin (OFL) by ultraviolet (UV) radiation in the presence of iodide was studied as an advanced reduction process (ARP), and followed resulting effluents were biodegraded for further mineralisation in the biological treatment. About 100% degradation of OFL was obtained under the selected condition (OFL: Iodide molar ratio of 2:1 and pH 9.0) after 20 min reaction time. In UV/Iodide ARP, the obtained range for reaction rate constant (kobs) and reaction rate (robs) were from 0.311 to 0.039 min−1, and from 15.55 to 7.94 mg/L.min, respectively. The calculation of the energy consumption (using kinetic model) indicated with increasing OFL concentration from 50 to 200 mg L−1, the amount of energy consumption increases from 0.905 to 7.09 kW per cubic metre of treatment (also it was observed increase from 0.91 to 6.29 kW per cubic metre of treatment using IUPAC model). Intermediate (I) products and possible photodegradation pathways of OFL in the UV/Iodide ARP effluent were analysed after 30 min using GC-MS. Investigations showed after 30 min, most of the intermediates were converted to simple linear compounds such as acrylic acid (I6: C3H4O2), formic acid (I9: CH2O2) and acrylaldehyde (I10: C3H4O), that finally mineralised to CO2, H2O, NH4+ and NH3. Modified Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion test (applied to investigation of bacterial inhibition) was reduced from 33 mm (in initial concentration of OFL without treatment) to 9 mm (after 30 min of reaction). The UV/Iodide effluent reduced the COD by 40.9% after 30 min of reaction. When the biological reactor as post-treatment was operated at a concentration of MLSS 1000 mg L−1, the COD removal efficiency reached to 65.28% (121 to 42 mg L−1) within 11 h. However, by increasing the amount of MLSS to 3000 mg L−1, the COD removal efficiency reached to 84.09% (from 176 to 28 mg L−1) and at the 5000 mg L−1 of MLSS, the COD removal efficiency was 91.52% (from 236 to 20 mg L−1). It can be concluded from this study, although, the UV/Iodide ARP was very effective in breaking down OFL molecules, but it is not cost-effective due to the high time and cost of mineralisation. Therefore, application of the biological reactors as a post-treatment method after UV/Iodide ARP, due to cost-effective, environmentally friendly and the ability to degrade the intermediates produced can be useful. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The central difference is a popular algorithm used to integrate the equations of motion, yet suffers from two drawbacks: (1) it is only conditionally stable and requires a small-time step to maintain numerical stability; (2) it is non-dissipative, and high-frequency spurious oscillations may appear and compromise the accuracy of the solution. These drawbacks are detrimental to applying the algorithm to the real-time hybrid simulation of large, complex nonlinear structural systems. In this paper, the conventional central difference algorithm is modified to overcome these drawbacks, and the modified algorithm is applied to the real-time hybrid simulation of complex structural systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Live streaming technologies transform the information processing of customers by changing the way they interact with and acquire information. However, this emerging technological artefact may induce both positive and negative consequences for customer decision making. It is yet unknown what constitutes the dimensions of the juxtaposed IT affordances and how they affect customer behaviours in this new social phenomenon. This paper contributes to IS research by uncovering the specific bright and dark sides of IT affordances in live streaming e-commerce and by explaining the cognitive mechanisms underpinning customer purchase and brand citizenship behaviours. We employed a sequential mixed-methods design to embrace and contextualise the theory of affordance, vicarious learning, and cognitive load to rigorously develop a theoretical framework of the juxtaposed IT affordance in live streaming e-commerce. The results indicate that positive affordances (e.g., interactivity, visibility, and entertainment) have stronger effects on both economic and non-economic value. However, the potential dark side (e.g., broadcasting and source diversity) has more negative effects on purchase intention than brand citizenship behaviour, underscoring the importance of involving customers in co-creating brand-related value in live streaming e-commerce. Our findings contribute considerably to the emerging literature on live streaming e-commerce and provide actionable recommendations for practitioners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To compete with e-commerce, retailers are increasingly integrating smart technologies into their offline retail environment. This enables retailers to analyze their customers and provide them with a personalized shopping experience. However, research to date has mainly focused on the customer rather than the retailer. Building on a semi-systematic review of 75 studies using sensor technologies in retail environments between 2001 and 2021, this paper facilitates future research on the selection and combination of sensor technologies for in-store customer analysis from a retailer's perspective. The literature was analyzed in terms of the technology used, the raw data collected, and the interpretation of the data. The results show that technologies were primarily used to gain insights into customers' physical behavior, while few studies attempted to identify the customer or examine customers' emotions. The identified studies rarely combined multiple technologies. Based on the analysis, this study provides recommendations for selecting and combining sensor technologies in stores. Current approaches to support technology selection take a broad perspective and compare entire store technology concepts, such as smart shelving or smart shopping carts, rather than basic sensor technologies. The findings are relevant to both research and retail practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neural oscillations as synchronized activity of large numbers of neurons in the neural ensembles have always been a hot topic of research for experimental and theoretical studies because of their high importance in human behaviors and functions. Since there is not yet a comprehensive mathematical model for simulating brainwaves, we proposed a cellular automaton (CA) model of a neuronal population by considering the different states of an action potential at the cellular level and simple connectivity patterns. Some important characteristics of a neural network are included in the model, such as different states of activation of a neuron, and excitatory and inhibitory synapses. Our computational model can display different dynamics from fixed-point and limit-cycle to chaotic behaviors similar to different dynamics of a real neuronal population in the brain. Qualitative and quantitative comparisons of the real electroencephalogram data and the CA simulations in the linear and nonlinear domains demonstrated the efficiency of our CA network to simulate the electrical brain activity. Time series from the proposed model display a high-dimensional stochastic behavior that corresponds to the behavior of a healthy brain. Therefore, this model can be used to study biological neuronal populations and provide more insight into their different mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How do leaders across different hierarchies motivate employees' job performance in the new digital age? In order to answer this under-investigated question, we first conceptualise digital performance as employees' job performance that is attained through using the new generation of digital technologies and then propose a research model that integrates and differentiates the influential mechanisms of the dual leadership factors – top management support and transformational supervisory leadership – regarding employees' digital-enabled task performance and innovative performance. Specifically, we tested the research model with two different samples, including 230 sales personnel from a large automobile manufacturing company and 206 employees from multiple joint ventures across different industries. We find that top management support exhibits a stronger influence on digital-enabled task performance than on innovative performance through the mediation of data-driven culture, while transformational supervisory leadership nurtures a stronger effect on digital-enabled innovative performance than on task performance through the mediation of digital self-efficacy. Our study consolidates and extends the technology use literature on management support and advances IS leadership theory to the digital context. Our findings also offer practical insights into the effective use of the new generation of digital technologies in organisations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent developments in data-centric technologies (e.g., big data, Internet of Things, cloud computing) have given rise to the data-centric models, such as servitization. Servitization here refers to firms selling a product as a service instead of selling product ownership, which has been viewed as a green business model that can benefit the environment. Despite the potential environmental superiority of servitization, previous studies and empirical observations have shown that the servitization model may generate lower profits than the conventional product sales model, which poses challenges for firms to choose their business models. However, the existing literature has not considered the role of data-centric technologies that are increasingly embedded in the servitization model, in which firms can co-create value with consumers by leveraging product usage data to improve service offerings. In this study, we build an analytical model to scrutinize the economic and environmental performance of the data-centric servitization model compared to the product model. We find that the data-centric servitization model is more profitable than the product model only when a firm's service improvement capability is relatively high. Unfortunately, a high service improvement capability may exacerbate the negative environmental impact, resulting in the servitization model being less environmentally friendly than the product model. We discuss the circumstances under which using the servitization model can yield win-win outcomes in terms of profitability and environmental impact. The findings can help managers and policymakers reconcile the tension between firm profitability and environmental damage and make judicious decisions on business model choices and the application of emerging data-centric technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a new threshold INAR(1) model based on modified negative binomial operator with random coefficient is proposed. Basic probabilistic and statistical properties of this process are established. Then the conditional least squares (CLS) and the conditional maximum likelihood (CML) methods are applied to estimate the model parameters when the threshold value is known or not. The asymptotic properties of the CLS-estimator and the CML-estimator are also been discussed. A method to test the constancy of the autoregressive parameters is provided. As an illustration, a simulation study is conducted to illustrate the performances of these estimators and present an empirical analysis of monthly counts of break and enter non-dwelling in Bellingen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Foliage uptake of atmospheric elemental mercury (Hg0) and subsequent translocation by the phloem is the main pathway for Hg accumulation in tree rings. Tree rings have been used as the emerging natural archive to directly reconstruct centennial trends of atmospheric Hg0 level. The tree-ring Hg records in remote regions have successfully reconstructed the peak of anthropogenic Hg emissions in Europe and North America in 1960s − 1970s and the distinct increase of Hg emissions in Asia since 1980s. Combining the Hg concentrations and isotopic signatures would provide historical atmospheric Hg trends and Hg emission source shifts. The mechanisms for Hg translocation, specifically the radial translocation and impacts of environmental and tree physiological factors, are yet to be clarified to explain the nonlinear relation between atmospheric Hg0 concentration and Hg signals in tree rings. Thus, we recommend to trace Hg accumulation and translocation processes and their Hg isotopic fractionation in tree rings, and examine the relationship between tree-ring Hg profile and atmospheric pollution level in specific tree species. Finally, we suggest to develop more statistical models to quantify environmental and tree physiological impacts on Hg accumulation and translocation in tree rings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A bidirectional relationship between chronic pain (CP) and mental disorders has been reported, and coffee was believed to be associated with both. However, the association of coffee in this bidirectional relationship remains unclear. We aim to analyze the association of coffee consumption on the relationship of CP with depression and anxiety. A total of 376,813 participants from UK Biobank were included. We collected data on anxiety, depression and CP from objects of our study population. The association of coffee consumption on the relationship of CP with depression and anxiety was assessed through logistic/linear regression models. Moreover, seemingly unrelated estimation test (SUEST) was used to compare whether the coefficients differed in two different groups. We observed significant associations of coffee consumption in the interaction of CP with depression and anxiety, such as the association of multisite chronic pain (MCP) on self-reported depression (βcoffee = 0.421, βnon-coffee = 0.488, PSUEST = 0.001), and the association of MCP on generalized anxiety disorder-7 (GAD-7) scores (βcoffee = 0.561, βnon-coffee = 0.678, PSUEST = 0.004) were significantly different between coffee drinking and non-coffee drinking groups. Furthermore, in analysis stratified by gender, we found headache (βmale = 0.392, βfemale = 0.214, PSUEST = 0.022) and hip pain (βmale = 0.480, βfemale = 0.191, PSUEST = 0.021) had significant associations with self-reported depression between males and females groups in coffee drinkers. Our results suggested that coffee consumption has a significant association on the relationship of CP with depression and anxiety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pantograph-catenary dynamic interaction problem is addressed by Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) tests to simulate the dynamic interaction between a numerical model (the catenary) and a physical device (the pantograph). The real-time simulation requires a computationally efficient numerical model and an on time and accurate transference of the response to the pantograph, for which a Periodic Finite Element Model (PFEM) of the catenary is considered. Firstly because of the acceptable computation time required to solve it, makes it suitable for real-time simulations and, secondly, its ability to allow for the delay caused by the transfer of the numerical model response. The catenary PFEM we used considers the non-linear behaviour of the dropper slackening, leading to highly accurate HIL test results, which were validated up to a frequency of 25 Hz. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As consumers are increasingly online and social, they also increasingly value brands that interact with them and create personalized relationships with them. We propose social-relational capability in marketing as an ability to build and maintain relationships, which generate value for consumer communities on social media and enhance the customer-based brand equity. Prior research has been fragmented and more research focusing on the development of social-relational capability is needed to develop a better understanding of the social networks of brands and consumers. By examining the effects of consumer-level, brand-level, and consumer-brand dyadic level antecedents on the development of the social-relational capability of a brand we advance existing literature on marketing using perspectives from social network theory, resource-based view, and dynamic capabilities theory. The findings have implications for both consumers and managers in maintaining long-lasting beneficial relationships. The results revealed that social-relational capability enables a brand to strengthen brand equity. The integration of different social media and relational resources allows brands to develop three distinct dimensions of social-relational capability, which enhance brand equity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In various existing works, glaucoma detection is not predicted accurately, which may lead to irreversible vision loss. A new framework is designed for detecting glaucoma by transfer learning approach. In the initial stage, the source images are gathered from standard datasets. After collecting the raw images, it is fed for image enhancement, performed through the Retinex approach. Further, the segmentation process is carried out by Modified DeepLabV3, where the significant Regions of Interest (ROI) are extracted by enhanced images and segmented the abnormalities. To meet the optimal value, the parameters in DeepLabV3 are tuned optimally by the Improved Rain Optimization Algorithm (IROA). Once the image is segmented, it is subjected to the detection or classification task, where the glaucoma is effectively classified by the hybrid learning method called Optimized DenseNet and MobileNet Transfer Learning (ODMNet) that is constructed with Densely Connected Convolutional Networks (DenseNet) and MobileNet, where the layers are optimized by IROA approach. Finally, the performance is assessed with the assistance of diverse metrics. In experimental analysis, the accuracy and F1-score of the designed method attain 96% and 93%. The recommended detection model achieves higher detection performance in telemedicine and healthcare applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of organochlorine pesticides has been banned because of their persistent nature. In response to this ban, the agricultural sector replaces organochlorine pesticides with organophosphate pesticides that are more easily degraded but are generally more toxic. Cikeruh River is part of the Upper Citarum Watershed. This research was aimed to determine the effects of using organochlorine and organophosphate pesticides in the water and sediment of the Cikeruh River. The water and sediment samples were taken from ten points along the river and then analyzed using a gas chromatography method to determine the pesticide concentration. The results of organochlorine pesticides were not detected in all water samples, while in the sediment were found 4-point samples, namely lindane and endrine. Organophosphate pesticides detected in all water samples were diazinon, chlorpyrifos, malathion, fenitrothion, parathion, methidathion and profenofos. Meanwhile, organophosphate pesticides detected in sediment samples were diazinon, chlorpyrifos, malathion, fenitrothion, parathion, methidathion and profenofos. The highest organochlorine was found in the sediments (7.376 ppb), and the highest organophosphate was found in the water (223.61 ppb). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highly Automated Driving (HAD) systems implement new features to improve the performance, safety and comfort of partially or fully automated vehicles. The identification of safety parameters by means of complex systems and the driving environment is a fundamental aspect that require great attention. Therefore, much research has been conducted in the field of collision detection in the development of automated vehicles. However, the development of HAD systems faces the challenge of ensuring zero accidents. For this reason, collision detection in the safety-related concept phase as hazard identification is one of the key research points in HAD system. In this paper, a systematic approach to detect potential collisions for scenario-based hazard analysis of HAD systems is presented by using Multilayer Perceptron (MLP) as a Machine Learning (ML) technique. Moreover, the proposed approach assists in reducing the number of observed scenarios for hazard analysis and risk assessment. Additionally, two simulation-based scenario datasets are examined in the ML model to identify potential hazard scenarios. The results of this study show that MLP can support to detect the collision at safety-related concept phase. Furthermore, this paper contributes to providing arguments and evidence for ML techniques in HAD systems safety by selecting relevant use cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Power is an all-pervasive, and fundamental force in human relationships and plays a valuable role in social, political, and economic interactions. Power differences are important in social groups in enhancing group functioning. Most people want to have power and there are many benefits to having power. However, power is a corrupting force and this has been a topic of interest for centuries to scholars from Plato to Lord Acton. Even with increased knowledge of power's corrupting effect and safeguards put in place to counteract such tendencies, power abuse remains rampant in society suggesting that the full extent of this effect is not well understood. In this paper, an effort is made to improve understanding of power's corrupting effects on human behavior through an integrated and comprehensive synthesis of the neurological, sociological, physiological, and psychological literature on power. The structural limits of justice systems' capability to hold powerful people accountable are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Self-tracking devices and applications have become popular in recent years and changed user behaviour. Previous research has primarily focused on the adoption of self-tracking devices and their effects on self-assessment. As adoption increases, user engagement becomes prominent for the continuous use of the devices and the applications. In this study, we focus on user engagement with activity tracking applications, e.g., Fitbit Flex and Jawbone Up that offer data on user performance. We collected data from semi-structured interviews with 54 participants. We propose a process model comprising four stages which involve distinct user interactions with data: review, react, reflect, and respond. We advance research in this domain by the proposed process model that explicates user engagement in two cases: when the user encounters satisfactory or unsatisfactory results. In the latter case, we depict four response tactics when users are confronted with unsatisfactory results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How do organizations develop and manage employees' data analytics skills to create business value and enhance organizational competitive advantage? In order to address this prominent and critical research question for IS research, we conceptualize and operationalize data analytics skills at the individual level and develop a nomological network model to examine its critical antecedents and outcomes from the lens of adaptation structuration theory. We test our core proposition and research model using survey data collected from 258 frontline employees of three data-intensive research institutes in China. We discover that data-driven culture, data analytics affordance, and individual absorptive capacity are positively associated with employees' data analytics skills, which in turn, have positive influences on their task and innovative performance. We classify the employees into digital immigrants and digital natives based on age and examine the different influences of three salient antecedents on data analytics skills between the two groups. The research findings suggest that data-driven culture plays a more significant role in driving data analytics skills for digital immigrants, while data analytics affordance exhibits a stronger influence on data analytics skills for digital natives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite many advantages of social media as a customer service channel, there is a concern that active service intervention encourages excessive service complaints. Our paper casts doubt on this misconception by examining the dynamics between social media customer complaints and brand service interventions. We find service interventions indeed cause more complaints, yet this increase is driven by service awareness rather than chronic complaining. Due to the publicity and connectivity of social media, customers learn about the new service channel by observing customer service delivery to others—a mechanism that is unique to social media customer service and does not exist for traditional call centers. Importantly, high-quality service reduces future complaints. As a result, proactive customer service is a sound strategy on social media, as long as firms dedicate to service quality. Hence, firms should be less concerned about whether to respond and more focused on how to respond to customer complaints. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To better describe the characteristics of time series of counts showing over-dispersion, asymmetry and structural change features, this paper considers a class of random coefficient integer-valued threshold autoregressive processes that properly capture flexible asymmetric and nonlinear responses without assuming the distributions for the errors. By the Taylor expansion, a normally distributed working likelihood is obtained and the Bayesian empirical likelihood inference is conducted for the model parameters. Through the normalized approximation of the nonparametric likelihood, the originally complicated Bayesian calculation has been greatly simplified. Finally, the proposed method is verified via some simulations and an empirical analysis of the meningococcal disease data set in Germany. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we report a newly synthesized Schiff base molecule named (E)-N-(2-chloropyridin-3-yl)-1-(5-nitro-2-(piperidin-1-yl)phenyl)methanimine. We also report its structural, chemical, surface, and electronic properties, potential targets, drug-likeness, ADME and toxicity profile, and docking studies for the main protease (Mpro) of SARS-CoV-2. The scope of this study includes the topological and electronic properties, intermolecular interactions, physicochemical and pharmacokinetic properties, metabolic pathways, toxicity endpoints, blood–brain barrier (BBB) permeability, and intestinal absorption activities. We performed the above analyses using bioinformatics/chemoinformatics tools and computational techniques. The topic crystal/compound (TC) contains two crystallographically independent molecules in the asymmetric unit (Z′ = 2). TC is open to attack by electrophilic and nucleophilic species and is a soft, chemically reactive, kinetically unstable material. There are no deviations from the known drug-likeness rules. BBB penetration and GI absorption of TC are possible. The docking values of the complex Mpro/TC and Mpro/native ligand N3 were calculated to be −8.10 and −7.11 kcal/mol, respectively. Therefore, we can say that TC is a potential Mpro inhibitor and can be investigated for further laboratory studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses a Japanese urushi box in the collection of the Swedish Museum of Far Eastern Antiquities, inventory number TEMP-0030. It documents a study that included scientific analyses by five different processes: sectional optical microscopy (OM/POL), wood taxonomy (WT), pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (Py-GC-MS), X−ray fluorescence microscopy (XRF), and radiocarbon dating (14C). To a lesser degree, the investigation also included an examination of the inscribed information on a paper label. The scientific results show that the box substrate is hinoki (Chamaecyparis obtusa Engl.), assembled with a proteinaceous glue. A cloth made from ramie fibres (Boehmeria nivea) covers the wood body. The main constituent in the coating is urushiol, derived from Toxicodendron vernicifluum trees. The black appearance on the exterior faces is due to a pigment of soot. The makie and nashiji decorations, on both exterior and interior faces, are composed of brass, silver, and gold, in flakes and powders. Radiocarbon dating suggests the time of manufacture as 1728–1764 CE, or the mid-Edo period. The information on the paper label suggests 1745 CE and the Zohiko, Kyoto, as the time and place of manufacture. Indirectly, this study emphasises the potential of these analytical techniques and a forensic approach in learning about other 'lost and found' objects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drug-eluting stents (DES) are the best choice of the current era to open the occluded arteries. Its success depends upon the concentration of the drug and overall release kinetics, which in turn is subjected to the polymeric drug carrier and mechanism of drug release at the target area. Each generation of DES possess different characteristics based on different aspects i.e., polymer type, coating layer thickness, and drug concentration have been discussed. This review paper discusses all the polymers utilized in DES systems and their release profiles when combined with multiple drugs for the treatment of coronary heart disease. Drug-coated metal stents are used to support and improve the quality of life of patients with cardiovascular diseases. This review describes the properties of drug-eluting stent from different generations and challenges they offered. Nature of polymeric drug carriers affects the inflammation, lesion healing, rate of restenosis, and thrombosis. Ongoing research in DES technology aims to avoid the challenges offered by non-erodible polymeric drug carriers. Third-generation DES utilizes PLA-based polymers which are biocompatible, flexible, and erodible. Bioresorbable DES is future of DES technology; however, it is still in primitive stages and overcoming the issues of mechanical strength and corrosion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective and Significance: This research aims to design and develop a pilot plant-type pharmaceutical reactor with a strong focus on its volumetric capacity and heat transfer capabilities. The primary goal is to replicate design and control strategies at the laboratory or pilot scale to analyze and produce generic semisolid formulations. Methods: Computational fluid dynamics and heat transfer modeling, utilizing the finite volume method, were employed to determine the reactor's performance and particle trajectory during the mixing and stirring. This allowed for the establishment of optimal operational parameters and variables. Furthermore, prototypes were constructed at 1:2.5 and 1:15 scales to examine the reactor's morphology, ensure volumetric versatility, and conduct mixing, homogenization, and coloration tests using varying volumes. Results and Conclusions: The outcomes of this study yielded a versatile reactor suitable for processing pharmaceutical semisolids at both laboratory and pilot-scale volumes. Notably, the reactor demonstrated exceptional volumetric capacity within a single vessel while effectively facilitating heat transfer to its interior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present investigation aims to develop and evaluate a radiopharmaceutical for targeting and assessing β-cells mass based on gliclazide, an antidiabetic drug that specifically binds the sulfonylurea receptor unique to the β-cells of the pancreas. Conditions were optimized to radiolabel gliclazide with radioiodine via electrophilic substitution reaction. Then, it was formulated as a nanoemulsion system using olive oil and egg lecithin by hot homogenization followed by ultrasonication. The system was assessed for its suitability for parenteral administration and drug release. Then, the tracer was evaluated in silico and in vivo in normal and diabetic rats. The labeled compound was obtained with a high radiochemical yield (99.3 ± 1.1%) and good stability (>48 h). The radiolabeled nanoemulsion showed an average droplet size of 24.7 nm, a polydispersity index of 0.21, a zeta potential of −45.3 mV, pH 7.4, an osmolality of 285.3 mOsm/kg, and viscosity of 1.24 mPa.s, indicating suitability for parenteral administration. In silico assessment suggested that the labeling did not affect the biological activity of gliclazide. The suggestion was further supported by the in vivo blocking study. Following intravenous administration of nanoemulsion, the pancreas uptake was highest in normal rats (19.57 ± 1.16 and 12 ± 0.13% ID) compared to diabetic rats (8.51 ± 0.16 and 5 ± 0.13% ID) at 1 and 4 h post-injection, respectively. All results supported the feasibility of radioiodinated gliclazide nanoemulsion as a tracer for pancreatic β-cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alternative estimation and forecasting procedures for the integer-valued autoregressive process with dependent geometric counting series are investigated. Some nonparametric estimation methods are applied to estimate the parameters of the model. The performance of the estimators is assessed via simulation study. We investigate an application of the process using COVID-19 data set and illustrate the best performance of the proposed model among some competitive INAR(1) models via the residual analysis and model adequacy. Consequently, the selected model is applied to predict the number of cases of COVID-19 based on the classic and Bayesian approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silk Fibroin (SF), a protein typically extracted from Bombyx mori cocoons, is considered to play an essential role in advancing the development of a more sustainable generation of multifunctional materials. The unique properties of SF have led to its widespread application in various fields, including energy harvesting, electronics, and biomedicine. However, to further expand SF's potential and tailor it for specific applications, modifying its main properties and adding novel functional characteristics becomes often necessary. This review offers a comprehensive overview of the most significant modifications of SF and their respective applications. We explore blends and mixtures of SF with emerging bio-based materials, which serve as an excellent platform to enhance SF's processability and functionality. Additionally, we analyze the most relevant fillers, which play a pivotal role in the development of SF composites, enabling the achievement of active and specific behaviors. By examining these aspects, we aim to shed light on the potential of SF as a versatile and customizable material, contributing to the implementation of sustainable and functional materials in various application domains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Investigations were undertaken for a better understanding of seasonality, interaction with tea ecosystem, and parasitic impact of an endoparasitoid Cotesia ruficrus (Haliday) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) on the destructive tea looper Hyposidra talaca (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Geometridae). The population abundance of C. ruficrus was noticed as high in the months of pre-winter and spring seasons which was coincided with the population increase of H. talaca. C. ruficrus found to foraging and collecting nectar from the flowers of Lantana camera L., Moringa oleifera Lam., and Clerodendron infortunatum L. associated with the tea ecosystem. The life table parameters including intrinsic rate of natural increase (rm) and net reproductive rate (Ro) of C. ruficrus were 0.203 per day and 41.11 female offspring/female, respectively, with the gross reproductive rate (∑mx) 50.09 eggs/female. The parasitic impact of C. ruficrus has significantly affected the food consumption and development of H. talaca. Resultantly, a drastic reduction in body weight, changes in differential hemocyte count (DHC), and morphology of hemocytes were observed in parasitized host larvae. Toxic effect of quinalphos and thiamethoxam on C. ruficrus showed 100% mortality followed by bifenthrin > deltamethrin > emamectin benzoate > flubendiamide > fenpyroxymate after 72 h of the application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerous primary studies and a recent meta-analytic confirmatory factor analysis (Meta-CFA; Said-Metwaly, Fernández-Castilla, Kyndt, & Van den Noortgate, 2018) have shown that Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking – Figural (TTCT-F) consists of two factors. However, recent research has raised questions regarding factor analysis of the TTCT-F due to poor discriminant validity and artificial clustering of indices. Additionally, the original meta-analysis did not include databases of dissertations and theses. In this study, we replicated and extended the meta-CFA study of the TTCT-F using 56 correlation matrices from 45 studies and a total of 11,142 participants. We investigated whether the problem of discriminant validity, participants' age, the use of Form A or B, and the use of standardized or raw scores influence the factor structure. Our results show that a two-factor structure remains stronger than a one-factor structure in both replication and extension studies, and this conclusion is robust to score type, participant age, and issues related to discriminant validity. However, further research is needed to determine if this structure applies to less commonly used Form B, which had different factor loadings from Form A. We discuss the implications of our results for creativity research, the psychometrics of TTCT-F, and gifted identification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study proposes the use of nonlinear autoregressive with exogenous input (NARX) to emulate dynamic behavior of analytical substructures in real-time hybrid simulation (RTHS). The training of the NARX model can be conducted numerically, and its implementation presents a good representation of structural dynamics with minimum computational demands on the RTHS equipment. A Kriging metamodel is further introduced to surrogate the NARX model coefficients to account for ground motion uncertainties. RTHS of a single-degree-of-freedom (SDOF) structure with a self-centering viscous damper are conducted as proof of concept to experimentally demonstrate the effectiveness of proposed Kriging-NARX metamodeling approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Built upon the push-pull mooring framework, the research model of this study examines the switching intention of mobile payment service. This research fills current knowledge gaps in the literature by examining (1) personal characteristics that have been relatively understudied for clarifying switching intention, (2) a dual role of usage inertia that serves as not only a mediator but also a moderator, and (3) the moderation of self-efficacy on mooring factors (switching cost and perceived economic value). Statistical analyses based on the field survey data across three industries (manufacturing, banking, and traditional servicing industries) in Taiwan were conducted. This study applies multiple methods to test its empirical data, including confirmatory factor analysis, moderated hierarchical regression analysis, the ULMC approach, and the technique of bootstrapping. The analytical results show (1) switching intention is directly influenced by anxiety on compatibility, usage inertia, and personal innovativeness; (2) switching intention is indirectly influenced by switching cost and perceived economic value through the mediation of usage inertia; (3) usage inertia negatively moderates the relationship between personal innovativeness and switching intention; and (4) IT self-efficacy negatively moderates the relationship between switching cost and usage inertia. Finally, this study discusses theoretical and practical implications based on the results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magnesium is the most promising element as a bioresorbable material in bone repairing applications. Closed-cell Mg-2Zn-2Ca foam was fabricated through melt processing route by using economical biocompatible pure dolomite+MgCO3 as dual-blowing agent with favorable advantages of uniform pore structure, improved mechanical properties and good biocompatibility. In addition, residuals of blowing agent act as biocompatible particles during degradation. Mg-2Zn-2Ca foam was characterized for its physical, mechanical, in vitro degradation properties and microstructure characterization. Mg-2Zn-2Ca foams having relative density 0.41–0.45, average uniform pore size in the range of 0.25–0.75 mm revealed plastic compression strength up-to 50.1 MPa, plateau strength up to 43.2 MPa with 56.3% densification strain and 30 MJ/m3 of energy absorption per unit volume were obtained. Moreover, Mg foam exhibited adequate compressive behavior during in vitro degradation up to 4 weeks in simulated body fluid. Despite higher amount of hydrogen release in initial stage, Mg foam observed stable degradation mechanism after 2 weeks due to formation and deposition of degradation products on cellular surfaces. Based on the processing method and results obtained, Mg-2Zn-2Ca closed-cell foam satisfied the requirement of physical, mechanical and in vitro degradation properties compared to natural bone properties and recommended as cost effective, biocompatible and bone substitution mechanical implant material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Information sharing on social networks is ubiquitous, intuitive, and occasionally accidental. However, people may be unaware of the potential negative consequences of disclosures, such as reputational damages. Yet, people use social networks to disclose information about themselves or others, advised only by their own experiences and the context-invariant informed consent mechanism. In two online experiments (N = 515 and N = 765), we investigated how to aid informed sharing decisions and associate them with the potential outcomes via notifications. Based on the measurements of sharing attitudes, our results showed that the effectiveness of informing the users via notifications may depend on the timing, content, and layout of the notifications, as well as on the users' curiosity and rational cognitive style, motivating information processing. Furthermore, positive emotions may result in disregard of important information. We discuss the implications for user privacy and self-presentation. We provide recommendations on privacy-supporting system design and suggest directions for further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper supports the personal data platform cooperative as a means of bringing about John Rawls's favoured institutional realisation of a just society, the property-owning democracy. It describes personal data platform cooperatives and applies Rawls's political philosophy to analyse the institutional forms of a just society in relation to the economic power deriving from aggregating personal data. It argues that a society involving a significant number of personal data platform cooperatives will be more suitable to realising Rawls's principle of fair equality of opportunity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies the process by which data are generated, managed, and assembled into tradable objects we call data commodities. We link the making of such objects to the open and editable nature of digital data and to the emerging big data industry in which they are diffused items of exchange, repurposing, and aggregation. We empirically investigate the making of data commodities in the context of an innovative telecommunications operator, analyzing its efforts to produce advertising audiences by repurposing data from the network infrastructure. The analysis unpacks the processes by which data are repurposed and aggregated into novel data-based objects that acquire organizational and industry relevance through carefully maintained metrics and practices of data management and interpretation. Building from our findings, we develop a process theory that explains the transformations data undergo on their way to becoming commodities and shows how these transformations are related to organizational practices and to the editable, portable, and recontextualizable attributes of data. The theory complements the standard picture of data encountered in data science and analytics, and renews and extends the promise of a constructivist Information Systems (IS) research into the age of datafication. The results provide practitioners, regulators included, vital insights concerning data management practices that produce commodities from data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While multiple mechanisms for value creation from big data analytics (BDA) exist, their application in everyday life can create trade-offs, particularly in the context of service robotics where the dispersion of autonomous digital technologies creates potentials for data-driven efficiency gains. Attending to personal preferences in such contexts, increasingly vital for customer acceptance, may run counter to efficiency, thus constraining value creation and rendering efficiency-personalization trade-offs a key managerial challenge. For the case of autonomous vehicles (AVs), we formalize this trade-off and design a machine-learning approach to handle it by drawing on a unique dataset comprising 35,000 drives by 1,850 users. We consider the real-time dynamics and user interactions that affect the decisions of AVs and develop a model extension that allows for leveraging the properties of sharing business models to make better-informed decisions. Our study contributes to information systems (IS) AV research by providing an artifact that targets both efficiency and personalization of AV operations as well as the dynamic balance between the two. With the focus on everyday life contexts, our study points to the value of incorporating trade-offs between competing goals as well as human-centered perspectives in information systems designs for research on BDA value creation. For practitioners, our work provides a practical and generalizable approach to realize the potentials of service robots without risking customer acceptance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The challenge for omnichannel retailers is to offer a seamless experience across all touchpoints. However, there is a lack of research that provides theoretical and empirical evidence about how firms can create such experiences. The aim of the current research is to analyse: (1) the concept of omnichannel seamless interaction experience (OSIE) and (2) its effect on customer satisfaction with the interaction. Based on a systematic literature review and running a content analysis, consistency, freedom in channel selection, and synchronisation across channels were identified as OSIE dimensions. In two studies and using two methods, a survey and a controlled experiment, these OSIE dimensions and downstream effects were tested. The findings confirm the multidimensionality of OSIE – composed of consistency, synchronisation, and freedom in channel selection – and its positive effect on customer satisfaction with the interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]