Power Deposition on Tokamak Plasma-Facing Components

The SMARDDA software library is used to model plasma interaction with complex engineered surfaces. A simple flux-tube model of power deposition necessitates the following of magnetic fieldlines until they meet geometry taken from a CAD (Computer Aided Design) database. Application is made to 1) models of ITER tokamak limiter geometry and 2) MASTU tokamak divertor designs, illustrating the accuracy and effectiveness of SMARDDA, even in the presence of significant nonaxisymmetric ripple field. SMARDDA's ability to exchange data with CAD databases and its speed of execution also give it the potential for use directly in the design of tokamak plasma facing components.Comment: 13 pages, 20 figure

Bargaining Coalitions in the Agricultural Negotiations of the Doha Round: Similarity of Interests or Strategic Choices? An Empirical Assessment

The paper aims at understanding the structural features of the bargaining coalitions in the Doha Round of the WTO. We provide an empirical assessment of the preferences of each negotiating actor looking at general economics indicators, development levels, structure of the agricultural sectors, and trade policies for agricultural products. Bargaining coalitions are analyzed by grouping countries through a cluster analysis procedure. The clusters are compared with existing coalitions, in order to assess their degree of internal homogeneity as well as their common interests. Such a comparison allows the detection of possible “defectors”, i.e. countries that according to their economic conditions and policies seem to be relatively less committed to the positions of the coalition they join.Agricultural trade negotiations, Bargaining coalitions, WTO, Cluster analysis

Effectiveness of dismantling strategies on moderated vs. unmoderated online social platforms

Online social networks are the perfect test bed to better understand large-scale human behavior in interacting contexts. Although they are broadly used and studied, little is known about how their terms of service and posting rules affect the way users interact and information spreads. Acknowledging the relation between network connectivity and functionality, we compare the robustness of two different online social platforms, Twitter and Gab, with respect to dismantling strategies based on the recursive censor of users characterized by social prominence (degree) or intensity of inflammatory content (sentiment). We find that the moderated (Twitter) vs unmoderated (Gab) character of the network is not a discriminating factor for intervention effectiveness. We find, however, that more complex strategies based upon the combination of topological and content features may be effective for network dismantling. Our results provide useful indications to design better strategies for countervailing the production and dissemination of anti-social content in online social platforms

Direct conversion of human pluripotent stem cells into cranial motor neurons using a piggyBac vector

Human pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) are widely used for in vitro disease modeling. One of the challenges in the field is represented by the ability of converting human PSCs into specific disease-relevant cell types. The nervous system is composed of a wide variety of neuronal types with selective vulnerability in neurodegenerative diseases. This is particularly relevant for motor neuron diseases, in which different motor neurons populations show a different susceptibility to degeneration. Here we developed a fast and efficient method to convert human induced Pluripotent Stem Cells into cranial motor neurons of the branchiomotor and visceral motor subtype. These populations represent the motor neuron subgroup that is primarily affected by a severe form of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis with bulbar onset and worst prognosis. This goal was achieved by stable integration of an inducible vector, based on the piggyBac transposon, allowing controlled activation of Ngn2, Isl1 and Phox2a (NIP). The NIP module effectively produced electrophysiologically active cranial motor neurons. Our method can be easily extended to PSCs carrying disease-associated mutations, thus providing a useful tool to shed light on the cellular and molecular bases of selective motor neuron vulnerability in pathological conditions

Framing ERP success from an information systems failure perspective: a measurement endeavor

To the best of our knowledge, extant definitions of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) success are not comprehensive, and they do not address all of the most relevant dimensions of this complex issue. Consequently, current ERP success models may lead to deceptive evaluations. Through a rigorous logical shift starting from IS failure, and diverging from classical project management approaches, this paper attempts to define ERP success by means of four factors: Process, Correspondence, Interaction, and Expectation. Results formally integrates the literature gaps and enable the future definition of appropriate measurement items that could steer management practices towards a sounder approach to ERP success

The Clientele Effects in Equity Crowdfunding: a Complex Network Analysis

The study develops an original interdisciplinary approach, leveraging complex networks through which it identifies groups of investors and projects in equity crowdfunding, investigates whether clientele effects arise resulting in specific investor-entrepreneur matching, and explores which investor-entrepreneur combinations can lead to the emergence of collective behaviors. Data about campaigns and investors are gathered from Crowdcube to identify investors and company types that populated this leading UK platform during its early years (2011–2016). Results show that the clientele effect exists only between specific investors and project types: serial investors are attracted to innovative companies, whereas high-value and small investors, representing the largest group in the crowd, prefer mature companies in the consumer product industry. Moreover, the study reveals that information exchange in certain matching drives the clientele effect, resulting in collective behavior on specific segments: small investors engage in collective behaviors only when targeting high-tech innovative companies. These findings provide a new view on the clientele effect in equity crowdfunding platforms and the financing of innovative companies

Immunology and Homeopathy. 1. Historical Background

Homeopathy was born as an experimental discipline, as can be seen from the enormous amount of homeopathic data collected over more than two centuries. However, the medical tradition of homeopathy has been separated from that of conventional science for a long time. Conventional scientific wisdom dictates that homeopathy should have no effect above placebo but experiments on ultra-high dilutions of solutes together with some clinical data suggest the intriguing possibility that it might do in some circumstances. Today, an osmotic process between disciplines, previously seen as in conflict, is facilitated because over the last few decades homeopathy has initiated the methods of current medical science and a substantial number of experimental studies—at molecular, cellular and clinical levels—are available. One area of dialogue and of common progress is that of inflammation and immunity, probably because these are closely related to the traditional ‘vital force’ of the body's self-healing power. In a series of papers we review the historical origins of homeopathy, the laboratory and animal models related to the field of immunopharmacology, the clinical evidence in favor and against the use of homeopathy in the inflammatory diseases and the hypotheses regarding its action mechanism(s). Finally, we will enlighten the specific characteristics of the homeopathic approach, which places great emphasis on identifying a cure for the whole organism

Process-mining-enabled audit of information systems: Methodology and an application

Current methodologies for Information Systems (ISs) audits suffer from some limitations that could question the effectiveness of such procedures in detecting deviations, frauds, or abuses. Process Mining (PM), a set of business-process-related diagnostic and improvement techniques, can tackle these weaknesses, but literature lacks contributions that address this possibility concretely. Thus, by framing PM as an Expert System (ES) engine, this paper presents a five-step PM-based methodology for IS audits and validates it through a case in a freight export port process managed by a Port Community System (PCS), an open electronic platform enabling information exchange among port stakeholders. The validation pointed out some advantages (e.g. depth of analysis, easier automation, less invasiveness) of our PM-enabled methodology over extant ESs and tools for IS audit. The substantive test and the check on the PCS processing controls and output controls allowed to identify four major non-conformances likely implying both legal and operational risks, and two unforeseen process deviations that were not known by the port authority, but that could improve the flexibility of the process. These outcomes set the stage for an export process reengineering, and for revising the boundaries in the process flow of the PCS

Key antecedents and practices for supply chain management adoption in project contexts

An adequate identification of antecedents is recognized as fundamental in order to set the basis for connecting the inter-organizational networks in a SCM perspective. This work aims to identify key antecedents of SCM in a project-based environment by using Interpretive Structural Modelling (ISM). This is firstly useful in order to highlight the relationships among the antecedents and to deduce priority for their achievement. The findings provide a hierarchical perspective of the 16 identified antecedents. In particular, three macro-classes of prerequisites were defined: cross-organizational cooperation, rules and procedures — accessibility, and super-ordinate goals. Moreover, results from a longitudinal and illustrative case study are also presented in order to compare the out-coming ISM model with evidence from a success case in the Yacht-building context so offering interesting insights about the implementation process. From a managerial perspective, the proposed model offers a conceptual path for SCM adoption, emphasizing most critical issues that have to be considered and organized in this complex and unpredictable setting