Collective Response Research Articles

Critical points for the processing of personal data by the government: An empirical study in Brazil

The General Law for the Protection of Personal Data (LGPD), issued in Brazil in August 2018, establishes as one of the legal bases for the processing of personal data the execution of public policies by the State. A systematic review of the literature identified the existence of six critical points that represent challenges for public managers in the elaboration and implementation of policies that require the processing of personal data. The objective of this research is to establish the levels of criticality of the factors identified by the literature review, as well as to verify the existence of other critical points on which the literature has not yet advanced. To this end, a group of 11 specialists was selected to participate in the research that used the Delphi Method, a technique that consists of applying a set of questionnaires sequentially and individually, in order to establish a dialog between the participants and build a collective response. The results indicate a coherence between what was verified in the theory and the perception of the specialists. Another 10 critical points for the processing of personal data by the government were mentioned by the participants. In general, the main elements of tension identified addressed the lack of training of public officials and the sharing of personal data.

How Business Schools Support Students Pursuing Entrepreneurship: Insights from Nepalese Students

This study explores how Nepalese business schools are supporting students’ entrepreneurial aspirations and how they can further support student entrepreneurs. The study employed a qualitative research approach to gather students' perspectives on the effectiveness of current support systems. A total of seven interviews were conducted with students from two selected business schools. From the collective responses of the students, 8 prominent roles emerged, which were analysed using thematic analysis. The findings of the study revealed that business schools have been supporting their entrepreneurial students by imparting the theoretical knowledge required for entrepreneurship, complemented by providing platforms to apply the gained theoretical knowledge in a practical setting, nurturing their entrepreneurial skills through training and mentorship, facilitating the networking opportunity, and establishing the on-campus incubation centre. However, despite the continuous efforts of the business school, findings also revealed that there are many areas to be improved and given attention to motivate students to act on their entrepreneurial ideas. Findings suggest that Business schools should give more emphasis to funding Students’ business Ideas and modernising the method of teaching. This research contributes to an understanding of fostering entrepreneurship through business education in the context of business schools in Nepal.

Enhancement of terahertz fields in LiTaO3 waveguides using a conical pulse front.

The development of methods for the generation of strong ultrafast electromagnetic pulses in the terahertz (THz) spectral range has led to a surge of progress in nonlinear THz spectroscopy and THz control of molecular and collective responses. For spectroscopy in the 1-THz range, the submillimeter wavelengths and associated large spot sizes, large optical elements, and short distances between final focusing elements and samples can lead to cumbersome experimental setups that are incompatible with some sample environments. Here, we introduce a novel terahertz ring excitation (TREx) optical pumping geometry to generate superposing, focusing fields in planar THz waveguides made out of the electro-optic material lithium tantalate. High THz fields, >175 kV/cm, are generated and measured optically with no free-space THz propagation. The field level achieved by pumping with a sequence of concentric rings of excitation light exceeds by about 20× the result of a single cylindrically focused line of pump light that has been used routinely in previous work. The technique opens new prospects for compact waveguide-based linear and nonlinear THz spectroscopy and signal processing.

Rethinking climate change vulnerabilities after COVID‐19: Recommendations for social science‐based interventions drawn from research on Conspiracy Theories and Diversity Science

AbstractScholars have noted several connections between the COVID‐19 pandemic and the climate crisis, ranging from the material influence of the pandemic on climate change processes (e.g., how lockdowns temporarily lowered climate emissions) to the similar ways the crises have been managed. Both crises are also global in scope, have exerted a significant toll on human lives and require major changes in our lifestyles. However, while collective responses to COVID‐19 were rapid and concerted, efforts to address climate change continue to be met with resistance. In this article, we investigate the social vulnerabilities common to both crises and the lessons that policymakers in the climate field can take away from the pandemic. After outlining the theoretical and empirical similarities between the two crises, we present a general framework and recommendations for the use of social science‐based interventions. We focus on two broad topics of contemporary interest that lay bare social vulnerabilities of the coronavirus pandemic—conspiracy theories and racial and ethnic inequities—to highlight the ways that understanding social and psychological processes associated with the pandemic can help inform more efficient climate policies.Public Significance StatementThis paper shows how the COVID‐19 pandemic's social and psychological lessons can guide climate change policies. By leveraging social science insights, we propose strategies and illustrations to combat misinformation and address social inequities, ultimately fostering more effective and inclusive climate actions and benefiting policymakers and society at large.

Forum Theatre for Reconciliation: a drama-based approach to conflict transformation applied to socio-environmental struggles in Bolivia

ABSTRACT This paper examines how participatory theatre methods can be used to foster reconciliation and conduct research in communities affected by socio-environmental conflicts. We design and pilot a distinctive drama-based approach to conflict transformation that we call Forum Theatre for Reconciliation (FTR). The method furthers embodied intersubjective understanding as well as a critical analysis of structural causes of conflict. We discuss this approach applied to low-intensity communal conflicts linked to extreme wildfires in Bolivia, where fires exacerbate tensions between different communities and result in (sometimes) violent confrontation and polarising discourse. We identify three key innovations of this peacebuilding approach: rehumanising the Self and Other, co-creating complex and inclusive narratives of conflict, and devising collective response across different perspectives and experiences.

Toward Multispecies Mourning: Imagining an Art Therapy for Ecological Grief

Witnessing the devastating impacts of climate change and species loss has left many of us grappling with inexpressible grief for our more-than-human world. The importance of creating therapeutic environments to facilitate ecological grieving is greater than ever. This article examines the potential benefits of art therapy in this context. These include: reducing the risk of disenfranchized grief through connection; containing and externalizing complexity; providing regulation; and empowering participants to continue engagement. Grief counseling frameworks offer solid foundations for future directions. However, First Nations perspectives provide richer understandings of our multispecies interdependencies, and will be central to forging collective and localized responses to ecological grief that build communities of healing—not just between cultures, but between species, too.

Global Cybercrime Requires a Collective Response: Are We Prepared to Ban Ransom Payments?

Global Cybercrime Requires a Collective Response: Are We Prepared to Ban Ransom Payments?

Fractured Mobilization: Miami’s Little Haiti Confronts Mega-Real Estate Speculation

Disenfranchised urban communities worldwide are increasingly vulnerable to land dispossession and cultural erasure as neoliberal regimes unleash intensified financial speculation within polarizing and splintering local/global class and racialized disparities. A dilemma of disenfranchised communities when confronting speculative intrusions where prospective allies have become marginalized or eliminated is whether, and to what degree, to resist such threats contentiously at the risk of zero-sum defeat versus accommodative negotiations seeking to rescue modest benefits while mitigating dislocations. The forms and intensities of community responses can be conceptualized as embedded within multiscalar state society and local politico-spatial configurations. From that perspective, I address a predominantly Black immigrant district, Miami’s Little Haiti, as it confronts mega-real estate speculation within a metropolitan political economy of corporate real estate hegemony and accelerating racialized expulsions. The contentious versus accommodative dilemma and local/supralocal political landscape fractured and neutralized the Haitian collective responses. I conclude by discussing the case’s theoretical/comparative implications.

Tailoring Plasmonic Fields with Shape-Controlled Single-Crystal Gold Metasurfaces.

Geometry and crystallinity play a critical role in the wavelength-dependent optical responses and plasmonic local near-field distributions of metallic nanostructures. Nevertheless, the ability to tailor the shape and position of crystalline metal surface nanostructures has remained a challenge that limits control of their enhanced local fields and represents a barrier to harnessing their individual and collective responses. Here, we describe a solution deposition method in the presence of anionic additives, which yields shape-controlled, single-crystal plasmonic gold nanostructures on Ag(100) and Au(100) substrates. Use of SO42- ions yields smooth Au(111)-faceted square pyramids with large plasmonic Raman enhancements. Halide additives produce textured hillocks comprising edge- and screw-type dislocations (Cl-), or platelets with large-area Au(100) terraces and (110) step edges (Br-), while SO42- and Br- additive combinations provide Au(110)-faceted square pyramids. With lithographic patterning, this chemistry yields metal deposition with precise geometry and location control to provide single-crystal, plasmonic gold metasurfaces with tailored optical response. The appropriately designed metasurfaces can then generate large Raman scattering enhancements, far greater than high density gold square pyramids with random surface disposition. Shape-controlled single-crystal plasmonic metasurfaces will thus offer opportunities to tune the characteristics of nanostructures, providing enhanced optical, photocatalytic, and sensory response.

Exceptional Nexus in Bose-Einstein Condensates with Collective Dissipation.

In multistate non-Hermitian systems, higher-order exceptional points and exotic phenomena with no analogues in two-level systems arise. A paradigm is the exceptional nexus (EX), a third-order EP as the cusp singularity of exceptional arcs (EAs), that has a hybrid topological nature. Using atomic Bose-Einstein condensates to implement a dissipative three-state system, we experimentally realize an EX within a two-parameter space, despite the absence of symmetry. The engineered dissipation exhibits density dependence due to the collective atomic response to resonant light. Based on extensive analysis of the system's decay dynamics, we demonstrate the formation of an EX from the coalescence of two EAs with distinct geometries. These structures arise from the different roles played by dissipation in the strong coupling limit and quantum Zeno regime. Our Letter paves the way for exploring higher-order exceptional physics in the many-body setting of ultracold atoms.

Machine Learning-Powered Ultrahigh Controllable and Wearable Magnetoelectric Piezotronic Touching Device.

Recent advancements in nanomaterials have enabled the application of nanotechnology to the development of cutting-edge sensing and actuating devices. For instance, nanostructures' collective and predictable responses to various stimuli can be monitored to determine the physical environment of the nanomaterial, such as temperature or applied pressure. To achieve optimal sensing and actuation capabilities, the nanostructures should be controllable. However, current applications are limited by inherent challenges in controlling nanostructures that counteract many sensing mechanisms that are reliant on their area or spacing. This work presents a technique utilizing the piezo-magnetoelectric properties of nanoparticles to enable strain sensing and actuation in a flexible and wearable patch. The alignment of nanoparticles has been achieved using demagnetization fields with computational simulations confirming device characteristics under various types of deformation followed by experimental demonstrations. The device exhibits favorable piezoelectric performance, hydrophobicity, and body motion-sensing capabilities, as well as machine learning-powered touch-sensing/actuating features.

Quorum Sensing in Emulsion Droplet Swarms Driven by a Surfactant Competition System.

Quorum sensing enables unicellular organisms to probe their population density and perform behavior that exclusively occurs above a critical density. Quorum sensing is established in emulsion droplet swarms that float at a water surface and cluster above a critical density. The design involves competition between 1) a surface tension gradient that is generated upon release of a surfactant from the oil droplets, and thereby drives their mutual repulsion, and 2) the release of a surfactant precursor from the droplets, that forms a strong imine surfactant which suppresses the surface tension gradient and thereby causes droplet clustering upon capillary (Cheerios) attraction. The production of the imine-surfactant depends on the population density of the droplets releasing the precursor so that the clustering only occurs above a critical population density. The pH-dependence of the imine-surfactant formation is exploited to trigger quorum sensing upon a base stimulus: dynamic droplet swarms are generated that cluster and spread upon spatiotemporally varying acid and base conditions. Next, the clustering of two droplet subpopulations is coupled to a chemical reaction that generates a fluorescent signal. It is foreseen that quorum sensing enables control mechanisms in droplet-based systems that display collective responses in contexts of, e.g., sensing, optics, or dynamically controlled droplet-reactors.

From individual resilience to collective response: reframing ecological emotions as catalysts for holistic environmental engagement.

The ongoing international study on the mental health implications of climate change has prompted a deeper exploration of ecological emotions such as eco-anxiety, eco-worry and eco-grief, which are associated with environmental degradation and the escalating climate crisis. Although psychological and mental health literature has mainly presented preliminary conceptual analyses, the understanding of ecological emotions remains unclear. This narrative review aims to clarify the definition, highlight precipitating factors, and outline the effects of ecological emotions on mental health, emphasizing the need for thorough research to shift the nonclinical intervention approach from merely promoting individual resilience to encouraging collective engagement. Our analysis of the literature reveals that the existing theoretical framework, which predominantly focuses on bolstering individual resilience, provides only temporary relief for acute symptoms without addressing the foundational social and environmental factors that trigger these ecological emotions. We conclude that it is crucial to overcome the limitations of Western anthropocentrism's human-to-human interaction approach and embrace the unity of humans and nature to effectively manage the increasing ecological emotions. This perspective draws insights from the holistic and collective wisdom of indigenous cultures and traditional Chinese philosophy, offering a potential pathway toward maintaining a sustainable emotional balance amid the worsening global ecological turmoil.

A determination of the Large Magellanic Cloud dark matter subhalo mass using the Milky Way halo stars in its gravitational wake

Our goal is to study the gravitational effects caused by the passage of the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) in its orbit on the stellar halo of the Milky Way. We employed Gaia Data Release 3 to construct a halo tracers dataset consisting of K-giant stars and RR-Lyrae variables. Additionally, we compared the data with a theoretical model to estimate the dark matter subhalo mass. We have improved the characterisation of the local wake and the collective response due to the LMC's orbit. We have also estimated for the first time the dark subhalo mass of the LMC to be of the order of $1.7 $ M$_ odot $, which is comparable to previously reported values in the literature.

Understanding Crowd Responses to Perceived Hostile Threats: An Innovative Multidiscplinary Approach

People facing threat may evacuate, help others, share information, ignore the threat and the plight of others, or enact a combination of these behaviours. Accurate conceptual models of crowd behaviours must consider why and when these behaviours occur, as well as how people's responses may vary across different scenarios. Researchers have investigated crowd responses to threats using a variety of methods, such as interviews, observational analysis and virtual reality experiments. Each methodology offers benefits to understanding collective responses to threats, but each methodology also has limitations. Importantly, very little research has explored crowd responses in false alarm situations where crowd members misperceive that a threat exists. In this paper, we describe a new programme of work which combines approaches from safety engineering and crowd psychology to gain a thorough understanding of crowd behaviour in response to real and misperceived threats, and the processes underpinning the behaviour. We focus on how we identified and addressed the similarities and differences in our research questions, conceptual approaches to research, and methodological abilities. We demonstrate how our multidisciplinary approach provides a framework for combining diverse research methods that collectively build knowledge to create more accurate models of crowd responses to (mis)perceived threats.

On modeling collective risk perception via opinion dynamics

Modeling the collective response to an emergency is a problem of paramount importance in social science and risk management. Here, we leverage the social psychology literature to develop a mathematical model tailored to such a real-world problem, grounded in the opinion dynamics theory. In our model, a network of individuals revise their risk perception by processing information broadcast by the institution and shared by peers, and accounts for heterogeneity in terms of individuals’ trust in institutions, peers, and in their own risk sensitivity. Through a rigorous analysis of the model, we establish that the temporal average opinions of the individuals converge to a steady state and, under some assumptions, we are able to analytically characterize such a steady state, shedding light on how the individuals’ heterogeneous risk sensitivity shapes the collective response. Numerical results and simulations are provided to illustrate and corroborate our findings.

Algorithmic precision in immune checkpoint therapy response prediction for lung cancer: Evaluating the Digital Drug Assignment model's clinical performance.

8523 Background: Despite the potential of immune checkpoint therapy (ICT) in oncology, its clinical effectiveness is limited, with only 15-35% of patients showing benefit. This inefficacy is compounded by the significant financial burden it poses. Here we tested the predictive performance of the computational reasoning model, the Digital Drug Assignment (DDA) published before (1) based on Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) results of lung cancer patients treated with various ICTs. Methods: A cohort of 328 lung cancer cases was analyzed, all of which had tumor NGS results and documented outcomes following treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors, sourced from cBioPortal. Treatment DDA scores were computed using the Genomate AI platform. DDA score thresholds were established to categorize response probability into low (<0, indicating potential resistance), intermediate (0 to 1000), and high (≥1000), or negative (<0) and positive (≥0) groups. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was conducted, employing log-rank statistics for significance testing. Results: The collective Objective Response Rate (ORR) to ICT was 28%. Patients receiving low-DDA-score ICTs (n=34) showed an ORR of 0%, contrasted with 36% in the DDA-high group (n=212), and 18% in the intermediate group, demonstrating significant differences (Chi-square p<0.0001). Median Progression-Free Survival (mPFS) was 2.2 months in the DDA-low category, significantly shorter than the 7.0 months observed in the DDA-high group (p<0.0001, HR=0.40, 95% CI 0.23-0.72) or the 5.6 months in the overall positive DDA-score group (p<0.0001, HR=0.43, 95% CI 0.24-0.75). The intermediate group had a mPFS of 4.2 months, with a pooled mPFS of 5.0 months for all cases. Notably, median Overall Survival (mOS) also differed significantly between the DDA-low and DDA-high categories, 11.9 months vs. 26.3 months, respectively (p=0.0038, HR=0.52, 95% CI 0.30-0.92), with the intermediate group at 18.5 and all cases at 20.6 months. Even in the non-TMB-High/MSI-High/PD-L1+ subgroup, DDA was predictive of the outcome: mPFS of 2.2 vs 4.2 months in the negative (n=31) versus positive (n=108) DDA categories (p=0.0066, HR=0.55, 95% CI 0.32-0.95). By administering chemotherapy instead of ICT to the DDA-low cohort, we can not only potentially enhance the ORR but also reduce expenditures, resulting in an Incremental Cost-Effectiveness Ratio (ICER) of negative USD 121,816. Conclusions: The DDA demonstrates efficacy in predicting response to immunotherapy based on NGS data, offering a potential pathway to optimize treatment costs and outcomes. Our findings suggest that routine NGS panels could be leveraged for this purpose without necessitating additional testing. This highlights the potential economic impact of using predictive algorithms like DDA to optimize ICT utilization. 1. Petak et al. npj Precis. Onc. 5, 59, 2021.

Online discussion or authentic dialogue? How design affects discussions in two alternative types of online forums

AbstractAuthentic dialogue demands that we respond, interpret and sometimes disagree with others' ideas—a key component of participation in a democratic society. Yet the sharing and uptake of different ideas can be hampered by traditional online platforms which divide students into isolated threads. To tackle this issue, we introduce two novel online forums designed to foster engagement and idea exchange: a linear chat, akin to SMS, and a collaborative writing forum we call CREW. Seventy‐three graduate students, divided into 18 small groups, tested these forums. We used discourse analysis to measure idea uptake and other dialogic features. From this analysis, seven discussions emerged as particularly interactive and engaging, exhibiting a high uptake‐to‐turn ratio. We noticed linear chat encouraged a high proportion of uptake, but also produced ‘tangles’—breaks in related post chains. CREW discussions sparked similar engagement but resolved most tangles since they required a collaborative written response. This study offers fresh insights in both research and teaching for improving online discussions. Practitioner notesWhat is already known about this topic A vital practice for scholarly dialogue and democratic discourse is uptake: building on what others have written or said. Instead of encouraging uptake of others' words and ideas, typical online discussions in Learning Management Systems (LMSs) can inadvertently isolate students in separate threads. What this paper adds We introduce and analyse two new, innovative types of online discussions that may encourage more uptake of others' words and ideas. To eliminate isolation and encourage uptake, a linear chat forum makes all posts visible, but may produce interruptions, or ‘tangles’. A forum that includes collaborative responsive writing requires participants to converge on a collective response, encouraging dialogue and overcoming tangles. Implications for practice/policy Teachers and other stakeholders might consider how discussion forum designs in LMSs can support or limit authentic dialogue. Practitioners might consider how to incorporate deliberation about a shared focus into online discussions. Instructors might avoid tangles by aligning assignment purposes with dialogic principles: posing authentic questions that invite multiple interpretations and require uptake of others' responses.

International Order and Latin American Reticent Support for Ukraine

Latin America has promoted the nonintervention principle as a fundamental tenet of the international order. The region defends this principle to prevent abuses of force by great powers. Why, then, have Latin American governments been reticent to support Ukraine against the ongoing Russian invasion? The Latin American reactions to the Russian invasion do not represent a normalisation of aggression or a rejection of the international order. The Latin American responses are anchored in two regional approaches to the international order favouring nonintervention: republicanism promotes collective responses while pluralism defends non‐Western values. If the West wants to win more Latin American support for Ukraine, it is necessary to disentangle supporting Ukraine and defending the international order.

Missed Signals:Analyzing the Failure of Intelligence Cooperation in ASEAN in Preventing the Jolo Cathedral Bombings 2019

This research examines the failure of ASEAN Our Eyes (AOE) to face the 2019 Jolo Cathedral bombings. ASEAN's first intelligence cooperation initiative, known as AOE, was established in 2018 in response to the growing threat of transnational terrorism (ISIS) in the region. The Jolo Cathedral bombing was one of the deadliest suicide bombings in the Philippines, demonstrating the inability of AOE as a counterterrorism mechanism to face the threat of transnational terrorism. The findings of this research shed light on the two major factors - the absence of an agreed standard of procedure and the lack of early warning systems - that contributed to the failure of the AOE. The gaps identified highlight areas for improvement in intelligence cooperation and underscore the need for standardized procedures and robust early warning mechanisms to enhance ASEAN's collective response to transnational terrorist threats.