Hubble constant by natural selection: Evolution chips in the Hubble tension

The Approximate Bayesian Computation (ABC) algorithm considers natural selection in biology as a guiding principle for statistical model selection and parameter estimation. We take this ABC approach to cosmology and use it to infer which model anchored on a choice of a Hubble constant prior would be preferred by the data. We find in all of our runs that the Planck Hubble constant ($H_0 = 67.4 \pm 0.5$ km s$^{-1}$Mpc$^{-1}$) always emerge naturally selected by the ABC over the SH$0$ES estimate ($H_0 = 73.30 \pm 1.04$ km s$^{-1}$Mpc$^{-1}$). The result holds regardless of how we mix our data sets, including supernovae, cosmic chronometers, baryon acoustic oscillations, and growth data. Compared with the traditional MCMC, we find that the ABC always results with narrower cosmological constraints, but remain consistent inside the corresponding MCMC posteriors.Comment: 9 pages, 6 figures, v2: added algorithm details, matter density discussion, under review, codes https://github.com/reggiebernardo/notebooks/tree/main/supp_ntbks_arxiv.2212.0220

The Contribution of Different Public Innovation Funding Programmes to SMEs’ Export Performance

This paper studies the effects of different public innovation funding programs on the innovation output and export performance of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). We evaluate the effectiveness of regional, national and European funding programs implemented in Germany for both product and process innovations. Our panel study shows that public financial support contributes to higher innovation outputs, which in turn translates into higher export success in later years. This relation however only holds for certain sources of public funding and certain types of innovation output. Innovation support from the European Union and national programs for cutting-edge technology that results in higher sales with new-to-market products shows a significant positive effect on SMEs’ export performance. For funding programs run by regional authorities, we find similar though relatively smaller impacts on both innovation output and exporting. Bottom-up funding at the national level—which allows firms to freely define the design of the funded innovation projects in terms of content and cooperation—increases sales with innovations that are only new to the firm, but these innovations have limited impacts on export success. Our results suggest that public innovation programs should challenge SMEs to go for more ambitious innovations in order to strengthen their competitivenes

Concentration-dependent alpha(1)-Adrenoceptor Antagonism and Inhibition of Neurogenic Smooth Muscle Contraction by Mirabegron in the Human Prostate

Introduction: Mirabegron is available for treatment of storage symptoms in overactive bladder, which may be improved by β3-adrenoceptor-induced bladder smooth muscle relaxation. In addition to storage symptoms, lower urinary tract symptoms in men include obstructive symptoms attributed to benign prostatic hyperplasia, caused by increased prostate smooth muscle tone and prostate enlargement. In contrast to the bladder and storage symptoms, effects of mirabegron on prostate smooth muscle contraction and obstructive symptoms are poorly understood. Evidence from non-human smooth muscle suggested antagonism of α1-adrenoceptors as an important off-target effect of mirabegron. As α1-adrenergic contraction is crucial in pathophysiology and medical treatment of obstructive symptoms, we here examined effects of mirabegron on contractions of human prostate tissues and on proliferation of prostate stromal cells. Methods: Contractions were induced in an organ bath. Effects of mirabegron on proliferation, viability, and cAMP levels in cultured stromal cells were examined by EdU assays, CCK-8 assays and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results: Mirabegron in concentrations of 5 and 10 μM, but not 1 µM inhibited electric field stimulation-induced contractions of human prostate tissues. Mirabegron in concentrations of 5 and 10 µM shifted concentration response curves for noradrenaline-, methoxamine- and phenylephrine-induced contractions to the right, including recovery of contractions at high concentrations of α1-adrenergic agonists, increased EC50 values, but unchanged Emax values. Rightshifts of noradrenaline concentration response curves and inhibition of EFS-induced contractions were resistant to L-748,337, l-NAME, and BPIPP. 1 µM mirabegron was without effect on α1-adrenergic contractions. Endothelin-1- and U46619-induced contractions were not affected or only inhibited to neglectable extent. Effects of mirabegron (0.5–10 µM) on proliferation and viability of stromal cells were neglectable or small, reaching maximum decreases of 8% in proliferation assays and 17% in viability assays. Mirabegron did not induce detectable increases of cAMP levels in cultured stromal cells. Conclusion: Mirabegron inhibits neurogenic and α1-adrenergic human prostate smooth muscle contractions. This inhibition may be based on antagonism of α1-adrenoceptors by mirabegron, and does not include activation of β3-adrenoceptors and requires concentrations ranging 50-100fold higher than plasma concentrations reported from normal dosing. Non-adrenergic contractions and proliferation of prostate stromal cells are not inhibited by mirabegron

Internationalization and SME Innovations:An empirical study in Japan and in Germany

We investigate the role of internationalisation strategies of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Japan and Germany on the firms' product innovation performance. While both countries are a mong the leading innovation nations, innovation performance of SMEs differs substantially. The paper aims to explore the role of SME internationalisation as a driver for diverging performance in innovation. We find evidence for an association between exploitation-based internationalisation strategy and firms' new-to-market (novel) product innovation performance. Furthermore, while the link between firm cooperation and innovation is evidenced in Germany, this association is not supported by Japanese SMEs. Perhaps the most consistent phenomenon is that firms combining exploitation and exploration strategies can achieve the best innovation performance. We also evidence the influential power grounded on the aspects of distance constraints, company size and product type. These results lead to important implications to the strategies of internationalization and innovation for SMEs’ managers and policy makers

Selective inhibition of neurogenic, but not agonist‐induced contractions by phospholipase A2 inhibitors points to presynaptic phospholipase A2 functions in contractile neurotransmission to human prostate smooth muscle

Background Phospholipases A2 (PLA2) may be involved in α1-adrenergic contraction by formation of thromboxane A2 in different smooth muscle types. However, whether this mechanism occurs with α1-adrenergic contractions of the prostate, is still unknown. While α1-adrenoceptor antagonists are the first line option for medical treatment of voiding symptoms in benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), improvements are limited, probably by nonadrenergic contractions including thromboxane A2. Here, we examined effects of PLA2 inhibitors on contractions of human prostate tissues. Methods Prostate tissues were obtained from radical prostatectomy. Contractions were induced by electric field stimulation (EFS) and by α1-adrenergic agonists in an organ bath, after application of the cytosolic PLA2 inhibitors ASB14780 and AACOCF3, the secretory PLA2 inhibitor YM26734, the leukotriene receptor antagonist montelukast, or of solvent to controls. Results Frequency-dependent contractions of human prostate tissues induced by EFS were inhibited by 25% at 8 Hz, 38% at 16 Hz and 37% at 32 Hz by ASB14780 (1 µM), and by 32% at 16 Hz and 22% at 32 Hz by AACOCF3 (10 µM). None of both inhibitors affected contractions induced by noradrenaline, phenylephrine or methoxamine. YM26734 (3 µM) and montelukast (0.3 and 1 µM) neither affected EFS-induced contractions, nor contractions by α1-adrenergic agonists, while all contractions were substantially inhibited by silodosin (100 nM). Conclusions Our findings suggest presynaptic PLA2 functions in prostate smooth muscle contraction, while contractions induced by α1-adrenergic agonists occur PLA2-independent. Lacking sensitivity to montelukast excludes an involvement of PLA2-derived leukotrienes in promotion of contractile neurotransmission

The export additionality of innovation policy

The empirical evidence that innovation policies often lead to innovation additionality is long-standing. However, innovation is an intermediate outcome. Innovations are important to the extent that they contribute to some broader goal, such as the competitiveness of firms and economies. To this end, we take exporting as an important indicator of competitiveness and investigate whether innovation interventions lead to exporting outcomes. Using the Mannheim Innovation Panel, the current study explores whether innovation interventions at various administrative levels associate with changing export behaviors among German Small- and Medium-sized Enterprise (SMEs). Our results provide evidence of the scope for policymakers to employ innovation interventions as export policy

Successive photoswitching and derivatization effects in photochromic dithienylethene-based coordination cages

A new series of [Pd2(L)4] cages based on photochromic dithienylethene (DTE) ligands allowed us to gain insight into the successive photoswitching of multiple DTE moieties in a confined metallo‐supramolecular assembly. Three new X‐ray structures of [Pd2(o‐L4)4], [Pd2(o‐L1)2(c‐L1)2] and [Pd2(c‐L1)4] (o‐L and c‐L = open and closed forms of DTE ligands, respectively) were obtained. The structures deliver snapshots of three different combinations of DTE photoisomeric states within the cage, facilitating a comparison of the all‐open with the all‐closed, and most notably, an intermediate form where open and closed switches co‐exist in the same cage. Moreover, a series of spherical anionic borate clusters was introduced in order to study their roles in the light‐controllable host–guest chemistry. The binding guests show higher affinities with the flexible open cage [Pd2(o‐L1)4] than with the rigid closed cage [Pd2(c‐L1)4]. For the [B12F12]2− guest, thermodynamic data obtained from NMR experiments was compared to results from isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC)