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How to respond to Change? Evidence of Cultural Organizations in Times of COVID-19
Get PDFThis research paper is available at DRS Digital Library: https://dl.designresearchsociety.org/drs-conference-papers/
drs2024/researchpapers/221The extensive impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the cultural sector necessitated a paradigm shift, demanding organizational resilience and adaptability from organizations within this domain. In response, this study employs a mixed-methods approach to elucidate the innovative strategies implemented by Dutch cultural organizations amidst the constraints imposed by the pandemic. The study discerns three pivotal strategies: repurposing, the accelerated digitalization of cultural experiences, and the cultivation of a collaborative and experimental mindset. This research highlights the enduring implications of COVID-19-induced changes, illuminating the design strategies for sustaining organizational stability amid uncertain events posed by unprecedented external challenges
A systematic evaluation of risk in bioenergy supply chains
Get PDFWe introduce a novel method of evaluating risks of disruption to (bio)fuel supply chains. The biofuel landscape is complex, with multiple options for feedstocks and processing routes, but the type, size, and scale of risks are currently not sufficiently appreciated. As a consequence, the uptake of biofuels remains below expectation suggesting the need for comprehensive risk assessment. Our method of risk discovery and evaluation is based on a transparent and robust sustainability assessment framework, and exploits the richness of data and expert analysis available in publications. In a UK case study, we show that biomass (solids) has a similar risk score to coal, biogas being slightly less risky, with bioliquids being less risky still though more risky than wind and solar power. The most important cause of risk, ‘changing policy or regulatory framework’, reflects this fledgling industry's need for policy support. The second most important cause of risk is ‘lack of access to capital’, reflecting the scale of the process engineering required to convert biomass to tightly specified products which could substitute fossil fuels. Levels of optimism bias in the biofuel industry are high, leading to unrealistic expectations from complex technologies and dubious claims about the quantity of resource available. This, together with the wide variety and variability of feedstocks complicates the business case for biofuel investment. Bioenergy policy would benefit from a more nuanced understanding of risks which impede the widespread large-scale deployment of biofuels.This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors
From Ecosystems to Advicescapes: Business, Development and Advice in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh
Get PDFThe provision of entrepreneurship advice is a growing feature of private sector development in South Asia but has so far received little attention from researchers. The article explores the theme of business advice in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, drawing on recent ethnographic fieldwork among advice seekers to explore the significance of low-income households of business advice within the unfolding processes of both marketization and state support. It offers a theoretical innovation in the concept of ‘advicescape’, supported by ethnographic materials conveying local-level perspectives and experiences of business advice users. Despite the growth of a complex business support ecosystem in each country, the article finds that many such people are falling through the cracks, in that they face problems accessing advice, find its quality variable and instead rely heavily on informal advice. It ends with reflections on the now dominant business-and-development approach, including a brief observation on improving the inclusivity and effectiveness of entrepreneurship advice.The Atlantic Equity Challenge (AEQ), a research grant programme developed and funded by the Atlantic Fellows for Social and Economic Equity (AFSEE) at the International Inequalities Institute of the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)
Leaders, conflict, and team coordination: a relational leadership approach in temporary organisations
Get PDFSustainable Development Goals: SDG 8: Decent work and economic growthSupplemental material is available online at: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09537287.2024.2313518#supplemental-material-section .This study explores how the level of relational leadership of team leaders influences team members’ conflict-handling style and team coordination in temporary organisations (TOs). Leaning upon Socio-Psychological and relational leadership theories, the research also evaluates how the cultural background of leaders moderates the nature of the association between relational leadership and project team performance. This contribution is unique by engaging with three moderating cultural groups while drawing on data from 126 teams in TOs using PLS path modelling. The results explain that relational leadership influences team members’ cooperative and conflict-avoiding styles, which are, in turn, positively associated with team coordination and team performance. The judicious and considered use of conflict-avoiding should be recognised as a thoughtful style in multicultural team contexts and as a consequence of relational leadership. Team coordination and performance, however, are related more to relational leadership with the sample of leaders from a specific within-nationality cultural background.Universiti Sains Malaysia for providing the RUI Grant [No. 1001/PPBGN/816283]
Most countries do not take a fair share of refugees – here’s how we could incentivise them
Get PDFSince its introduction in 1951, the UN refugee convention has been the basis for the global refugee system. It defines who a refugee is and outlines the rights they are entitled to.
More than 70 years later, the world is more connected and the nature of migration and asylum has changed. UK home secretary James Cleverly (as well as his predecessor Suella Braverman) has suggested that such migration treaties are no longer fit for purpose
Experimental and computational thermoelectric generator for waste heat recovery for aeronautic application
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Data will be made available on request.This study is a comprehensive exploration of a polymer nanocomposite-based Thermoelectric Generator (TEG) developed within the European project InComEss, specifically designed for aeronautical applications. The focus lies on evaluating the TEG's performance under thermal conditions representative of various aircraft flight stages. The TEG module, consisting of four sections with 17 p-n strips each, is constructed from aerospace-grade polycarbonate, exhibiting dimensions of 50 * 1 * 0.3 mm. In the laboratory phase, the TEG's performance is systematically assessed through a series of experiments. Temperature gradients, ranging from -15°C to 55°C, emulate conditions experienced during ascending and descending flight stages. The results indicate promising outcomes, showcasing the potential viability of polymer-based TEGs for aeronautical applications. Specifically, temperature gradients of 40-70°C, representative of atmospheric conditions and wing leading edge skin conditions, are applied across four test trials. The model validation demonstrates creditable agreement between computational outcomes and experimental data. Insights gained from COMSOL Multiphysics simulations includes temperature distribution, electric potential, and flow dynamics. Simulations conducted under varied temperature ranges provide valuable insights into the TEG's performance variability. Key findings include temperature distribution profiles, electric potential outputs under open and closed-circuit conditions, and a detailed flow analysis within a controlled thermal environment. The validated computational model not only enhances understanding of the TEG's behaviour, but also establishes a foundation for optimizing design parameters to enhance thermoelectric efficiency. The error analysis underscores the model's reliability, exhibiting an average error of 5.68% between computational and experimental results, reinforcing its suitability for scientific investigations of this nature.This work has been receiving financial support from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme for project InComEss under Grant Agreement Number 862597
Composition templating for heterogeneous nucleation of intermetallic compounds
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The datasets used and/or analysed during the current study available from the corresponding author on reasonable request. All data generated or analysed during this study are included in this published article.Refinement of intermetallic compounds (IMCs) through enhancing heterogeneous nucleation during casting process is an important approach to improve the properties of aluminium alloys, which greatly increases the economy value of recycled Al-alloys. However, heterogeneous nucleation of IMCs is inherently more difficult than that of a pure metal or a solid solution. It requires not only creation of a crystal structure but also the positioning of 2 or more different types of atoms in the lattice with specific composition close to that of the nucleated IMCs. Previous understanding on heterogeneous nucleation is based on structural templating, usually considering the small lattice misfit at the interface between the nucleating solid and substrate. In this work, we proposed a hypothesis and demonstrated that composition templating plays a critical role in heterogeneous nucleation of IMCs. The experimental results revealed that segregation of Fe atoms on the AlB2 surface, i.e., the Fe modified AlB2 particle, provides the required composition templating and hence enhances heterogeneous nucleation of α-Al15(Fe, Mn)3Si2, resulting in a significant refinement of the α-Al15(Fe, Mn)3Si2 particles in an Al-5 Mg-2Si-1.0Mn-1.2Fe alloy.Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) (UK) for under grant number EP/N007638/1 (Future Liquid Metal Engineering Hub)
Application of transcritical CO<inf>2</inf> heat pumps to boiler replacement in low impact refurbishment projects
No full textData availability:
The principal results data can be found at https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/9lssdybg6tdik8y4knxd0/h?rlkey=j35o9cym4z6vfkalhu3rmrp6z&dl=0. The models, simulation data inputs and outputs can also be made available.
Multiple model runs were used to generate the data at both sub-system and system level. Explanations can be provided to ensure the most appropriate data is provided. To obtain further data please contact the first mentioned author.80% of current UK housing stock is expected to still be in use in 2050. Difficult, intrusive and expensive, refurbishment measures are required to achieve the level of insulation required for current low temperature heat pumps. Transcritical CO2 heat pumps can achieve higher efficiencies, with higher output temperatures, than current, Carnot limited, synthetic gas heat pumps, with less environmental impact. Widely deployed in water heating and supermarket chilling systems, CO2 heat pumps need heating return temperatures of 30 °C or less to function effectively. This has impeded their adoption with hydronic heating systems which have high return temperatures.
This study identified system modifications external to the refrigeration cycle that address return temperatures. It modelled a transcritical CO2 air source heat pump with a hydronic heating system in a solid wall semi-detached house. Full year system coefficients of performance over 3 were achieved in four UK locations by using space heating return fluids to defrost the air source heat exchanger and to pre-heat inlet water, recovering any remaining excess return fluid heat as a source for the heat pump. Solar panels boosted this to 5.1. The levelized cost of energy for the system was calculated (with heat pump grant) at 22p/kWh, lower than a gas boiler, with 9.45 tonnes CO2 emission savings over a fifteen-year life
Search for flavor changing neutral current interactions of the top quark in final states with a photon and additional jets in proton-proton collisions at = 13 TeV
No full textA preprint of this article is available at: arXiv:2312.08229v2 [hep-ex], https://arxiv.org/abs/2312.08229 . Comments: Replaced with the published version. Added the journal reference and the DOI. All the figures and tables can be found at https://cms-results.web.cern.ch/cms-results/public-results/publications/TOP-21-013 (CMS Public Pages)A search for the production of a top quark in association with a photon and additional jets via flavor changing neutral current interactions is presented. The analysis uses proton-proton collision data recorded by the CMS detector at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb−1. The search is performed by looking for processes where a single top quark is produced in association with a photon, or a pair of top quarks where one of the top quarks decays into a photon and an up or charm quark. Events with an electron or a muon, a photon, one or more jets, and missing transverse momentum are selected. Multivariate analysis techniques are used to discriminate signal and standard model background processes. No significant deviation is observed over the predicted background. Observed (expected) upper limits are set on the branching fractions of top quark decays: B (t → uγ) < 0.95 × 10−5 (1.20 × 10−5) and B (t → cγ) < 1.51 × 10−5 (1.54 × 10−5) at 95% confidence level, assuming a single nonzero coupling at a time. The obtained limit for B(t → uγ) is similar to the current best limit, while the limit for B (t → cγ) is significantly tighter than previous results.SCOAP3
N4BP1 functions as a dimerization-dependent linear ubiquitin reader which regulates TNF signalling
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Coordinates of the structure of N4BP1-CUE and the N4BP1-CUE/Ub complex have been deposited in the PDB-Dev Protein Data Bank (https://pdb-dev.wwpdb.org) under accession codes PDBDEV_00000076 and PDBDEV_00000093, respectively. Chemical shift data have been deposited in the Biological Magnetic Resonance Data Bank (https://bmrb.io) with BMRB entry ID 50688. The model of dimeric N4BP1 in complex with linear Ub2 is available in ModelArchive (modelarchive.org) with the accession code ma-2x3cw. The mass spectrometry proteomics data have been deposited to the ProteomeXchange Consortium via the PRIDE partner repository [76] with the dataset identifier PXD024355. All the plasmids generated in this study will be available upon request. All data is available in the main text or the supplementary materials. All original western blot images are available in the Supplemental Material.Supplementary information
is available at: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41420-024-01913-8#Sec40 .Signalling through TNFR1 modulates proinflammatory gene transcription and programmed cell death, and its impairment causes autoimmune diseases and cancer. NEDD4-binding protein 1 (N4BP1) is a critical suppressor of proinflammatory cytokine production that acts as a regulator of innate immune signalling and inflammation. However, our current understanding about the molecular properties that enable N4BP1 to exert its suppressive potential remain limited. Here, we show that N4BP1 is a novel linear ubiquitin reader that negatively regulates NFκB signalling by its unique dimerization-dependent ubiquitin-binding module that we named LUBIN. Dimeric N4BP1 strategically positions two non-selective ubiquitin-binding domains to ensure preferential recognition of linear ubiquitin. Under proinflammatory conditions, N4BP1 is recruited to the nascent TNFR1 signalling complex, where it regulates duration of proinflammatory signalling in LUBIN-dependent manner. N4BP1 deficiency accelerates TNFα-induced cell death by increasing complex II assembly. Under proapoptotic conditions, caspase-8 mediates proteolytic processing of N4BP1, resulting in rapid degradation of N4BP1 by the 26 S proteasome, and acceleration of apoptosis. In summary, our findings demonstrate that N4BP1 dimerization creates a novel type of ubiquitin reader that selectively recognises linear ubiquitin which enables the timely and coordinated regulation of TNFR1-mediated inflammation and cell death.This work was supported by the Francis Crick Institute through provision of access to the MRC Biomedical NMR Centre. The Francis Crick Institute receives its core funding from Cancer Research UK (FC001029), the UK Medical Research Council (FC001029), and the Wellcome Trust (FC001029). KK was supported by the UPStream grant (EU, FP7, ITN project 290257). BS is supported by the UK Medical Research Council (MR/X036944/1)
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