Local Group Research Articles

Feature-guided multi-view clustering by jointing local subspace label learning and global label learning

Multi-view clustering has received significant interest because different views contain various features that provide a better description of the target object. However, most of the current multi-view clustering methods only consider the global and local information of the graph, thus ignoring the global and local clustering structure of pseudo label. In addition, some methods ignore redundant features or features with unclear clustering structures that may be present in the original data. To this end, a method named Feature-guided Multi-view Clustering by jointing Local subspace label learning and Global label learning (MCLG) is proposed. Specifically, local and global label learning are integrated into one framework. Based on the anchor strategy, we propose to learn a unified local pseudo label for all views in the subspace. In the original space, the global graph is taken into a unified graph fusion learning strategy, making the learned global pseudo label contain richer information. In addition, the feature-guided learning strategy is added to the framework to select valuable features that can facilitate the learning of the clustering structure. Then, through the subspace graph structure reconstruction learning strategy, the subspace graph structure information is effectively utilized, and the integrity of the graph structure information is guaranteed. Finally, an algorithm that effectively guarantees convergence is proposed to optimize the proposed algorithm, and the effectiveness of MCLG is verified by the results obtained from nine real-world datasets.

An exploratory clinical trial of preoperative non-invasive localization before breast-conserving surgery using augmented reality technology

PurposeThis single-center, randomized, prospective, exploratory clinical trial was conducted to assess the clinical efficacy of an augmented reality (AR)—based breast cancer localization imaging solution for patients with breast cancer.MethodsThis clinical trial enrolled 20 women who were diagnosed with invasive breast cancer between the ages of 19 and 80, had a single lesion with a diameter ≥ 5 mm but ≤ 30 mm, had no metastases to other organs, and had not received prior chemotherapy. All patients underwent mammography, ultrasound, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging for preoperative assessment. Patients were randomly assigned to ultrasound-guided skin marking localization (USL) and AR-based localization (ARL) groups (n = 10 in each group). Statistical comparisons between USL and ARL groups were made based on demographics, radiologic features, pathological outcomes, and surgical outcomes using chi-square and Student t-tests.ResultsTwo surgeons performed breast-conserving surgery on 20 patients. Histopathologic evaluation of all patients confirmed negative margins. Two independent pathologists evaluated the marginal distances, and there were no intergroup differences in the readers' estimates (R1, 6.20 ± 4.37 vs. 5.04 ± 3.47, P = 0.519; R2, 5.10 ± 4.31 vs. 4.10 ± 2.38, P = 0.970) or the readers' average values (5.65 ± 4.19 vs. 4.57 ± 2.84, P = 0.509). In comparing the tumor plane area ratio, there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups in terms of either reader's mean values (R1, 15.90 ± 9.52 vs. 19.38 ± 14.05, P = 0.525; R2, 15.32 ± 9.48 vs. 20.83 ± 12.85, P = 0.290) or the overall mean values of two readers combined (15.56 ± 9.11 vs. 20.09 ± 13.38, P = 0.388). Convenience, safety, satisfaction, and reusability were all superior in the AR localization group (P < 0.001) based on the two surgeons' responses.ConclusionAR localization is an acceptable alternative to ultrasound-guided skin marking with no significant differences in surgical outcomes.

Aberrant Brain Networks and Relative Band Power in Patients with Acute Anti-NMDA Receptor Encephalitis: A Study of Resting-State EEG.

The alterations of the functional network (FN) in anti-N-methyl-Daspartate receptor (NMDAR) encephalitis have been recognized by functional magnetic resonance imaging studies. However, few studies using the electroencephalogram (EEG) have been performed to explore the possible FN changes in anti-NMDAR encephalitis. In this study, the aim was to explore any FN changes in patients with anti-NMDAR encephalitis. Twenty-nine anti-NMDAR encephalitis patients and 29 age- and gender-matched healthy controls (HC) were assessed using 19-channel EEG examination. For each participant, five 10-second epochs of resting state EEG with eyes closed were extracted. The cortical source signals of 84 Brodmann areas were calculated using the exact low resolution brain electromagnetic tomography (eLORETA) inverse solution by LORETA-KEY. Phase Lag Index (PLI) matrices were then obtained and graph and relative band power (RBP) analyses were performed. Compared with healthy controls, functional connectivity (FC) in the delta, theta, beta 1 and beta 2 bands significantly increased within the 84 cortical source signals of anti-NMDAR encephalitis patients (p < 0.05) and scalp FC in the alpha band decreased within the 19 electrodes. Additionally, the anti-NMDAR encephalitis group exhibited higher local efficiency and clustering coefficient compared to the healthy control group in the four bands. The slowing band RBP increased while the fast band RBP decreased in multiple-lobes and some of these changes in RBP were correlated with the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) and Mini-mental State Examination (MMSE) in anti-NMDAR encephalitis patients. This study further deepens the understanding of related changes in the abnormal brain network and power spectrum of anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis. The decreased scalp alpha FC may indicate brain dysfunction, while the increased source beta FC may indicate a compensatory mechanism for brain function in anti-NMDAR encephalitis patients. These findings extend understanding of how the brain FN changes from a cortical source perspective. Further studies are needed to detect correlations between altered FNs and clinical features and characterize their potential value for the management of anti-NMDAR encephalitis.

Coprime networks of the composite numbers: Pseudo-randomness and synchronizability

In this paper, we propose a network whose nodes are labeled by the composite numbers and two nodes are connected by an undirected link if they are relatively prime to each other. As the size of the network increases, the network will be connected whenever the largest possible node index n≥49. To investigate how the nodes are connected, we analytically describe that the link density saturates to 6/π2, whereas the average degree increases linearly with slope 6/π2 with the size of the network. To investigate how the neighbors of the nodes are connected to each other, we find the shortest path length will be at most 3 for 49≤n≤288 and it is at most 2 for n≥289. We also derive an analytic expression for the local clustering coefficients of the nodes, which quantifies how close the neighbors of a node to form a triangle. We also provide an expression for the number of r-length labeled cycles, which indicates the existence of a cycle of length at most O(logn). Finally, we show that this graph sequence is actually a sequence of weakly pseudo-random graphs. We numerically verify our observed analytical results. As a possible application, we have observed less synchronizability (the ratio of the largest and smallest positive eigenvalue of the Laplacian matrix is high) as compared to Erdős–Rényi random network and Barabási–Albert network. This unusual observation is consistent with the prolonged transient behaviors of ecological and predator–prey networks which can easily avoid the global synchronization.

Highly flexible and transparent self-healing elastomer based on localized supramolecular interactions with enhanced mechanical properties and long-term storage stability

This study prepared a highly flexible and transparent self-healing elastomer with enhanced mechanical properties and long-term storage stability, facilitated by localized supramolecular interactions. By incorporating a functional oligomer containing localized urea groups into a conventional elastomeric matrix, increased supramolecular interactions were promoted through multiple hydrogen bonds among clustered functional groups. The resulting supramolecular elastomers exhibited excellent optical properties, including total transmittance exceeding 90 %, yellow index less than 2, and haze under 1 %, along with elastic recovery of 40 %. Notably, the self-healing elastomer developed in this study effectively overcame the typical trade-off between mechanical and self-healing properties in conventional self-healing materials, achieving superior mechanical strengths compared to conventional elastomers and an outstanding self-healing efficiency of 94.0 % within a few minutes. Moreover, by tailoring the chemical structure of the oligomer, significant improvements in the long-term solution storage stability of the solution for urea systems were achieved. These results are attributed to the unique supramolecular network derived from multiple hydrogen bonding interactions among the localized functional groups in a confined zone. A mechanism for improved mechanical properties and outstanding self-healing performance is also proposed using a model system.

Terrorism and education: Evidence from instrumental variables estimators

SummaryThis paper estimates the effect of exposure to terrorist violence on education. Since terrorists may choose targets endogenously, we construct a set of novel instruments. To that end, we leverage exogenous variation from a local terrorist group's revenues and its affiliation with al‐Qaeda. Across several Kenyan datasets, we find that attacks suppress school enrolment more than predicted by difference‐in‐differences‐type estimators. This indicates that terrorists target areas experiencing unobserved, positive shocks. Evidence suggests fears and concerns as mechanisms of impact, rather than educational supply.

Real-effort in the Multilevel Public Goods Game

Abstract We investigate the extent to which a real-effort effect and an inequality effect impact individuals’ prosocial behavior in the multilevel public goods game. We explore two symmetrical treatments: one where everyone participates in a preliminary task to obtain their initial endowment, and another where no one does, to assess the real-effort effect. Additionally, we examine two asymmetrical treatments where only individuals from one local group engage in the preliminary task to study the inequality effect. We find evidence that the contribution to the local public good is stable across all treatments, while the contribution to the global public good is significantly lower when both groups perform the preliminary task.

‘A deadly weapon aimed at our hearts’: the scope and composition of Lord Scarman’s 1981 public inquiry

ABSTRACT State-led inquiries have been prominently positioned within British political and social cultures, seemingly popular with its citizens. They are often tactically utilized to depoliticize issues and provide the appearance that ministers share public concern, arguably acting as a political device to maintain the state through apparent declarations of unfailing commitment to ‘accountability’ and ‘legitimacy’. Lord Scarman’s 1981 inquiry into anti-police uprisings, portrayed by the State as violence belonging in ‘less-civilised countries’, provoked opposition to its unrepresentative membership and narrow focus. Some local groups, such as the Brixton Defence Campaign, viewed Scarman’s inquiry as the state’s attempt to legitimize characterizations of the ‘riots’ as ‘blameless forces of law and order [battling] black criminals’. Characterizations of the uprisings as simply ‘irrational’ criminality attempted to remove legitimacy from actions by politically marginalized Black Britons, previously denied access to processes more widely defined to be ‘legitimate’. Throughout, this article highlights the colonial legacies of inquiries, through their aims, operation, and membership. Scarman also refused to investigate accusations of police misconduct, which depict a different situation than accepted narratives, demonstrating the state’s influence on knowledge production and suggesting the potential for such records to reveal violence conducted in the name of the state. By marginalizing certain voices and limiting the inquiry’s scope, the uprisings were characterized as simply a ‘crisis’ of law and order. This aspect of discussion adds to recent debates on the use of the concepts of ‘’militarisation’ and ‘martial politics’, demonstrating practices that reproduce violence in the name of liberal governance.

Effects of Combined Live Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, Enterococcus, and Bacillus Cereus Tablets on the Structure and Function of the Intestinal Flora in Rabbits Undergoing Hepatic Artery Infusion Chemotherapy.

Few studies have explored the biological mechanism by which probiotics alleviate adverse reactions to chemotherapy drugs after local hepatic chemotherapy perfusion by regulating the intestinal flora. This study investigates the effects of Combined Live Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, Enterococcus, and Bacillus Cereus Tablets on the intestinal microbial structure and intestinal barrier function, as well as the potential mechanism in rabbits after local hepatic chemotherapy infusion. Eighteen New Zealand White rabbits were randomly divided into a control group, a hepatic local chemotherapy perfusion group, and a hepatic local chemotherapy perfusion + Combined Live Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, Enterococcus, and Bacillus Cereus Tablets group to assess the effects of Combined Live Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, Enterococcus, and Bacillus Cereus Tablets on the adverse reactions. The administration of Combined Live Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, Enterococcus, and Bacillus Cereus Tablets alleviated the intestinal flora disorder caused by local hepatic perfusion chemotherapy, promoted the growth of beneficial bacteria, and inhibited the growth of harmful bacteria. The Combined Live Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, Enterococcus, and Bacillus Cereus Tablets also reduced the levels of serum pro-inflammatory cytokines and liver injury factors induced by local hepatic perfusion chemotherapy. Our findings indicate that Combined Live Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, Enterococcus, and Bacillus Cereus Tablets can ameliorate the toxicity and side effects of chemotherapy by regulating intestinal flora, blocking pro-inflammatory cytokines, reducing liver injury factors, and repairing the intestinal barrier. Probiotics may be used as a potential alternative therapeutic strategy to prevent the adverse reactions caused by chemotherapy with local hepatic perfusion.

Investigating the role of axonal ion channel cooperativity in action potential dynamics: Studies on Hodgkin-Huxley's model

Voltage-gated ion channels play an important role in generating action potential in neurons. These ion channels are found to be in localized cluster form on the axonal membrane surface and behave cooperatively. However, in Hodgkin & Huxley's model of action potential the ion channels are considered to function independently. According to some recent reports, the activity of an ion channel is influenced by the neighboring ion channels' activities. We have modified the Hodgkin-Huxley's model based on our previous studies on cooperativity among ion channels. Computational analysis of the proposed model shows that the initiation of the action potential, amplitude and hyperpolarization are affected significantly by the cooperative interactions among the voltage-gated ion channels present on the axonal membrane surface. These results are qualitatively supported by the existing experimental facts.

Picard sheaves, local Brauer groups, and topological modular forms

AbstractWe develop tools to analyze and compare the Brauer groups of spectra such as periodic complex and real ‐theory and topological modular forms, as well as the derived moduli stack of elliptic curves. In particular, we prove that the Brauer group of is isomorphic to the Brauer group of the derived moduli stack of elliptic curves. Our main computational focus is on the subgroup of the Brauer group consisting of elements trivialized by some étale extension, which we call the local Brauer group. Essential information about this group can be accessed by a thorough understanding of the Picard sheaf and its cohomology. We deduce enough information about the Picard sheaf of and the (derived) moduli stack of elliptic curves to determine the structure of their local Brauer groups away from the prime 2. At 2, we show that they are both infinitely generated and agree up to a potential error term that is a finite 2‐torsion group.

Indigenous Water Engineering and Aquaculture Systems in Australia: The Budj Bim Cultural Landscape and Baiame’s Ngunnhu (the Brewarrina Aboriginal Fish Traps)

In Australia, First Peoples have practiced sustainable forms of water management for millennia. They have done so by respectfully caring for Country through their use of engineering and maintenance processes, including sophisticated fish and eel trapping structures and weir systems. Some of the largest continuing sites of water engineering and aquaculture in the world are still visible and used by local Aboriginal groups – the Budj Bim in Victoria and Baiame’s Ngunnhu (Brewarrina Aboriginal fish traps) in New South Wales (NSW). Recent scholarship and successful heritage listings, including the World Heritage listing of the Budj Bim Cultural Landscape and work by and with traditional custodians in these river systems, are starting to bring into public discourse and knowledge these sophisticated and important places of global cultural significance. The principles used in the design of these systems, and the social and environmental contexts of their maintenance and convening power over millennia, are particularly important as we navigate new technologically mediated forms of water management today and into the future. These management challenges include communities in Australia and globally working on the importance of significant places, values, rights, justice and voice for Indigenous peoples in building sustainable futures, including through innovation and safe, sustainable and responsible cybernetic approaches to water governance and the SDGs.

Asymmetric drift in MaNGA: mass and radially dependent stratification rates in galaxy discs

ABSTRACT We measure the age–velocity relationship from the lag between ionized gas and stellar tangential speeds in ∼500 nearby disc galaxies from MaNGA in Sloan Digital Sky Survey IV (SDSS-IV). Selected galaxies are kinematically axisymmetric. Velocity lags are asymmetric drift, seen in the Milky Way’s (MW) solar neighbourhood and other Local Group galaxies; their amplitude correlates with stellar population age. The trend is qualitatively consistent in rate ($\dot{\sigma }$) with a simple power-law model where σ ∝ tb that explains the dynamical phase-space stratification in the solar neighbourhood. The model is generalized based on disc dynamical times to other radii and other galaxies. We find in-plane radial stratification parameters σ0,r (dispersion of the youngest populations) in the range of 10–40 km s−1 and 0.2 &amp;lt; br &amp;lt; 0.5 for MaNGA galaxies. Overall, brincreases with galaxy mass, decreases with radius for galaxies above 10.4 dex (M⊙) in stellar mass, but is ∼constant with radius at lower mass. The measurement scatter indicates the stratification model is too simple to capture the complexity seen in the data, unsurprising given the many possible astrophysical processes that may lead to stellar population dynamical stratification. None the less, the data show dynamical stratification is broadly present in the galaxy population, with systematic trends in mass and density. The amplitude of the asymmetric drift signal is larger for the MaNGA sample than the MW, and better represented in the mean by what is observed in the discs of M31 and M33. Either typical discs have higher surface-density or, more likely, are dynamically hotter (hence thicker) than the MW.

Personal and organisational health literacy in the non-specific symptom pathway for cancer: An ethnographic study.

People being investigated for cancer face a wealth of complex information. Non-specific symptom pathways (NSS) were implemented in the United Kingdom in 2017 to address the needs of patients experiencing symptoms such as weight loss, fatigue or general practitioner 'gut feeling', who did not have streamlined pathways for cancer investigation. This study aimed to explore the health literacy skills needed by patients being investigated for cancer in NSS pathways. This study employed ethnographic methods across four hospitals in England, including interviews, patient shadowingand clinical care observations, to examine NSS pathways for cancer diagnosis. We recruited 27 patients who were shadowed and interviewed during their care. We also interviewed 27 professionals. The analysis focused on patient communication and understanding, drawing on the concepts of personal and organisational health literacy. Our analysis derived six themes highlighting the considerable informational demands of the NSS pathway. Patients were required to understand complex blood tests and investigations in primary care and often did not understand why they were referred. The NSS pathway itself was difficult to understand with only a minority of patients appreciating that multiple organs were being investigated for cancer. The process of progressing through the pathway was also difficult to understand, particularly around who was making decisions and what would happen next. The results of investigations were complex, often including incidental findings. Patients whose persistent symptoms were not explained were often unsure of what to do following discharge. We have identified several potential missed opportunities for organisations to support patient understanding of NSS pathways which could lead to inappropriate help-seeking post-discharge. Patients' difficulties in comprehending previous investigations and findings could result in delays, overtestingor inadequately targeted investigations, hindering the effective use of their medical history. Third, patients' limited understanding of their investigations and results may impede their ability to engage in patient safety by reporting potential care errors. Patient, public, clinical and policy representatives contributed to developing the research objectives through a series of meetings and individual conversations in preparation for the study. We have held several events in which patients and the public have had an opportunity to give feedback about our results, such as local interest groups in North London and academic conferences. A clinical contributor (J.-A. M.) was involved in data analysis and writing the manuscript.

Strengthening the Rule of Law Through Community Policing: Evidence From Liberia

How to improve security and strengthen the rule of law in fragile states? Community policing programs have long been at the forefront of policymakers’ efforts to address this challenge. These programs tend to be more expansive than those found in developed countries, focusing not only on building trust through meetings and foot patrols, but also on eliciting ‘coproduction’ from communities to supplement scarce police capacity and provide alternatives to vigilantism. I partnered with the Liberian National Police (LNP) to experimentally evaluate the effectiveness of this approach in Monrovia, Liberia, one of sub-Saharan Africa’s most crime-ridden cities. Drawing on a large-scale resident survey and administrative crime data, I find that the program improved relations between police and citizens, strengthened social norms against vigilantism, and mobilized communities to participate in the police’s “Watch Forum” initiative by forming and sustaining local security groups designed to facilitate cooperation with police. These changes were accompanied by a roughly 40% reduction in the incidence of mob violence. Despite these improvements, the program did not reduce the overall incident of crime, improve perceptions of security, or increase crime reporting.

Scalable semidefinite programming approach to variational embedding for quantum many-body problems

In quantum embedding theories, a quantum many-body system is divided into localized clusters of sites which are treated with an accurate ‘high-level’ theory and glued together self-consistently by a less accurate ‘low-level’ theory at the global scale. The recently introduced variational embedding approach for quantum many-body problems combines the insights of semidefinite relaxation and quantum embedding theory to provide a lower bound on the ground-state energy that improves as the cluster size is increased. The variational embedding method is formulated as a semidefinite program (SDP), which can suffer from poor computational scaling when treated with black-box solvers. We exploit the interpretation of this SDP as an embedding method to develop an algorithm which alternates parallelizable local updates of the high-level quantities with updates that enforce the low-level global constraints. Moreover, we show how translation invariance in lattice systems can be exploited to reduce the complexity of projecting a key matrix to the positive semidefinite cone.

Spatial and temporal clustering of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in Illinois household cats, 2021-2023.

This study aimed to evaluate the seroprevalence and spatial and temporal clustering of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in household cats within 63 counties in Illinois from October 2021 to May 2023. The analysis followed a stepwise approach. First, in a choropleth point map, we illustrated the distribution of county-level seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. Next, spatial interpolation was used to predict the seroprevalence in counties without recorded data. Global and local clustering methods were used to identify the extent of clustering and the counties with high or low seroprevalence, respectively. Next, temporal, spatial, and space-time scan statistic was used to identify periods and counties with higher-than-expected seroprevalence. In the last step, to identify more distinct areas in counties with high seroprevalence, city-level analysis was conducted to identify temporal and space-time clusters. Among 1,715 samples tested by serological assays, 244 samples (14%) tested positive. Young cats had higher seropositivity than older cats, and the third quarter of the year had the highest odds of seropositivity. Three county-level space-time clusters with higher-than-expected seroprevalence were identified in the northeastern, central-east, and southwest regions of Illinois, occurring between June and October 2022. In the city-level analysis, 2 space-time clusters were identified in Chicago's downtown and the southwestern suburbs of Chicago between June and September 2022. Our results suggest that the high density of humans and cats in large cities such as Chicago, might play a role in the transmission and clustering of SARS-CoV-2. Our study provides an in-depth analysis of SARS-CoV-2 epidemiology in Illinois household cats, which will aid in COVID-19 control and prevention.

Abstract PO1-23-05: Exploratory clinical trial of preoperative non-invasive localization before surgery in breast cancer patients using augmented reality technology

Abstract Purpose: A single-center, randomized, prospective exploratory clinical trial to assess the clinical efficacy of augmented reality(AR)-based breast cancer localization medical imaging solution in patients with breast cancer Methods: This prospective exploratory clinical trial enrolled 20 women who were diagnosed with invasive breast cancer between the ages of 19 and 70, had a single lesion or multifocal lesion with a lesion size of 5mm or more and 30mm or less, had no metastasis to other organs, and had not received prior chemotherapy. All patients underwent mammography, ultrasound, CT, and MRI for preoperative assessment. Patients were randomly assigned to US-guided skin marking (control) and SKIA-breast (AR localization) groups of 10 each. Result: Two surgeons performed breast-conserving surgery on twenty patients. Pathologic evaluation of all patients confirmed negative margins. Two independent pathologists evaluated marginal distance, and neither the two reader's estimates (R1, 6.20±4.37 vs. 5.04±3.47, p=0.519; R2, 5.10±4.31 vs. 4.10±2.38, p= 0.970) nor the two reader's average values (5.65±4.19 vs. 4.57±2.84, p= 0.509) showed any difference between the two groups. In comparing the tumor plane area ratio, there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups for the two readers (R1, 15.90±9.52 vs. 19.38±14.05, p=0.525; R2, 15.32±9.48 vs. 20.83±12.85, p=0.290) and the two reader's mean values (15.56±9.11 vs. 20.09±13.38, p=0.388). Based on the two surgeons' responses, convenience, safety, satisfaction, and reusability were all superior in the AR localization group (p=0.000). Conclusion: AR localization is an acceptable alternative to US-guided skin marking with no significant differences in surgical outcomes. Citation Format: Minah Lee, Jun Woo Lee, Woosung Lim, Joohyun Woo, Hyun-Goo Kim, Se Hyun Paek, SangHui Park, Ji Min Kim, Jin Chung, Jee Eun Lee, Jeoung Hyun Kim. Exploratory clinical trial of preoperative non-invasive localization before surgery in breast cancer patients using augmented reality technology [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2023 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2023 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(9 Suppl):Abstract nr PO1-23-05.

Search for heavy dark matter from dwarf spheroidal galaxies: leveraging cascades and subhalo models

The Fermi Large Area Telescope (Fermi-LAT) has been widely used to search for Weakly Interacting Massive Particle (WIMP) dark matter signals due to its unparalleled sensitivity in the GeV energy band. The leading constraints for WIMP by Fermi-LAT are obtained from the analyses of dwarf spheroidal galaxies within the Local Group, which are compelling targets for dark matter searches due to their relatively low astrophysical backgrounds and high dark matter content. In the meantime, the search for heavy dark matter with masses above TeV remains a compelling and relatively unexplored frontier. In this study, we utilize 14-year Fermi-LAT data to search for dark matter annihilation and decay signals in 8 classical dwarf spheroidal galaxies within the Local Group. We consider secondary emission caused by electromagnetic cascades of prompt gamma rays and electrons/positrons from dark matter, which enables us to extend the search with Fermi-LAT to heavier dark matter cases. We also update the dark matter subhalo model with informative priors respecting the fact that they reside in subhalos of our Milky Way halo aiming to enhance the robustness of our results. We place constraints on dark matter annihilation cross section and decay lifetime for dark matter masses ranging from 103 GeV to 1011 GeV, where our limits are more stringent than those obtained by many other high-energy gamma-ray instruments.

New business model and local governance in supporting social and environmental solutions: A social network analysis to evaluate the Italian local action group's “Terra è Vita” role

Current issues, such as climate change and social and economic disparities, are complex and context-dependent, influencing several economic and social actors. Micro-small and medium enterprises that populate rural areas often have lower risks than other companies but less innovation and fewer financial resources and capabilities. Here, a local convenor could help support these enterprises to drive their social, environmental, and economic behaviours to safeguard natural resources, respond to social community needs, and fulfil their economic goals. The European Union's Community-Led Local Development programme defines local action groups as actors who help develop and grow local areas in social and economic fields. We analyse this role, highlighting that by focusing on social and environmental issues, the convenor can stimulate changes in the traditional business model and the social business model characterised by the business ambidexterity involved in producing economic value that is also relevant to addressing the community's needs. We study the effectiveness of a local action group in its convenor role for local actors' behaviours on economic, social, and environmental themes. The study uses social network analysis to extract the network backbone that links 150 local area entrepreneurs according to their perceptions of the local area's main weaknesses. The results are twofold: they indicate that the local action group is perceived as an effective convenor and that its activities are instrumental in improving local area stakeholders' performance.