Not in Control,but Liable?Attributing Human Responsibility for Fully Automated Vehicle Accidents

Human agency has become increasingly limited in complex systems with increasingly automated decision-making capabilities.For instance,human occupants are passengers and do not have direct vehicle control in fully automated cars(i.e.,driverless cars).An interesting question is whether users are responsible for the accidents of these cars.Normative ethical and legal analyses frequently argue that individuals should not bear responsibility for harm beyond their control.Here,we consider human judgment of responsibility for accidents involving fully automated cars through three studies with seven experiments(N=2668).We compared the responsibility attributed to the occupants in three conditions:an owner in his private fully automated car,a passenger in a driverless robotaxi,and a passenger in a conventional taxi,where none of these three occupants have direct vehicle control over the involved vehicles that cause identical pedestrian injury.In contrast to normative analyses,we show that the occupants of driverless cars(private cars and robotaxis)are attributed more responsibility than conventional taxi passengers.This dilemma is robust across different contexts(e.g.,participants from China vs the Republic of Korea,participants with first-vs third-person perspectives,and occupant presence vs absence).Furthermore,we observe that this is not due to the perception that these occupants have greater control over driving but because they are more expected to foresee the potential consequences of using driverless cars.Our findings suggest that when driverless vehicles(private cars and taxis)cause harm,their users may face more social pressure,which public discourse and legal regulations should manage appropriately.

Research on the Collaborative Governance of Social Responsibility in Online Audiovisual Enterprises

This paper aims to analyze the present conditions of the social responsibility ecosystem in online audiovisual enterprises in the digital age. It focuses on the governance of social responsibility in these enterprises and conducts an in-depth analysis of the problems and influencing factors related to the social responsibility aberrations of online audiovisual enterprises. Drawing upon social responsibility theory and collaborative governance theory, this research constructs a social responsibility guidance and governance system guided by the public, supported by the voluntary fulfillment of responsibilities by online audiovisual enterprises, and based on the collaborative participation of diverse stakeholders. It explores and optimizes the implementation pathways of this system, providing theoretical support and practical guidance for promoting the sustainable development of online audiovisual enterprises. Furthermore, it aims to contribute to the creation of a harmonious Internet ecosystem.

Practice and Exploration of Ideological and Political Education for Postgraduate Students Under the Mentor Responsibility System

This study aims to address the problems existing in the ideological and political education of postgraduate students,and combines the implementation of the mentor responsibility system to explore the role orientation,work content,and practical effects of mentors in the ideological and political education of postgraduate students.Through questionnaire surveys,interviews,and other research methods,the current situation of ideological and political education of postgraduate students under the mentor responsibility system is analyzed,and corresponding optimization strategies are proposed.

Inter-Provincial Transaction Model in Two-Level ElectricityMarket Considering Carbon Emission and Consumption Responsibility Weights

In the context of the joint operation of China’s intra-provincial markets and inter-provincial trading,how to meet the load demand and energy consumption using inter-provincial renewable energy trading is a key problem.The combined operation of intra-provincial and inter-provincial markets provides a new way for provincial power companies to optimize and clear the intra-provincial power market,complete the intra-provincial consumption responsibility weight index,and consume renewable energy across provinces and regions.This paper combines power generation and consumption within the province,uses inter-provincial renewable energy trading tomeet the load demand within the province and completes the index of intra-provincial consumption responsibility weights.The intra-provincial market trading and inter-provincial market clearing are respectively taken as the upper and lower levels of the model.Under the two-level electricity market operation framework,the upper-level model aims to minimize the expected total operating cost within the province considering the carbon emission cost and the weight of the consumption responsibility,while the lower-level model aims to minimize the inter-provincial renewable energy purchasing cost.Finally,the influence of inter-provincial transaction mechanism,risk aversion coefficient,voucher price,and responsibility weight on operating cost is analyzed.Simulation is used to verify that the proposed model can meet the requirements of the provincial load power consumption and the consumption responsibility weight index,and promote the consumption of renewable energy.

Dynamic model and driving strategy of corporate social responsibility

Corporate social responsibility is the inevitable requirement for the survival and development of enterprises in modern society,as well as the basic guarantee for the sustainable development of economy and society.In order to analyze the driving factors of corporate social responsibility from both internal and external aspects,the dynamic model of corporate social responsibility was constructed,and the driving strategies of corporate social responsibility were also suggested.The driving factors of corporate social responsibility include not only the external constraints of policies,regulations and stakeholders,but also the internal requirements of the sustainable development of enterprises.Only when the external driving force is transformed into the spontaneous and conscious responsibility behavior of the enterprise,can the enterprise achieve its due effect.Moreover,in order to better fulfill the social responsibility,enterprise should build a management system of social responsibility,enhance the awareness of social responsibility,and promote the effective implementation of social responsibility projects.The relevant department should strengthen the all-round supervision of corporate social responsibility,and further improve the policies,laws and regulations related to social responsibility.Enterprises should strengthen communication with stakeholders,actively disclose social responsibility information,and constantly improve social responsibility behavior.By implementing social responsibility,enterprise can improve its business environment,enhance corporate brand image and core competitiveness,and promote the sustainable development of economy and society.

Corporate Social Responsibility and Green Innovation-The Mediating Effect of Financing Constraints

Green innovation has become a strategic direction for the country and enterprises,and it is an important facet in achieving high-quality economic development.Whether corporate social responsibility(CSR),as a key competitive strategy for achieving sustainable economic development,can promote corporate green innovation and the path of evolution has become a hot topic of current research.This paper takes Chinese manufacturing A share listed companies as its sample and uses Stata sofware to conduct regression analysis to test the relationship between CSR,financing constraints,and green innovation,respectively.It further distinguishes the sample into different technological properties and different regions to study the degree of differentiation of the mediating effect on financing constraints.The results show that CSR can not only directly promote corporate green innovation,but that it also can further positively influence corporate green innovation by alleviating financing constraints.Financing constraints play a mediating role in the relationship between CSR and green innovation,especially in enterprises with strong innovation demand and in regions with high levels of regional economic development.The findings enrich the research perspective on the relationship between CSR and green innovation and provide realistic data support for subsequent studies.

Research on Corporate Social Responsibility Evaluation Based on Improved CRITIC-TOPSIS—A Case Study of Listed Companies in China’s Pharmaceutical Distribution Industry

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) has garnered considerable attention from countries, institutions, enterprises and social groups. However, the lack of research on CSR evaluation system for industries has impeded its development and construction across various industries. Therefore, given the close association of pharmaceutical distribution enterprises with personal health, there exists a pressing need to explore the CSR in this domain. This paper establishes a CSR evaluation index system for pharmaceutical distribution enterprises, employing a combination of documentary analysis and in-depth interviews. This index system comprises 7 CSR criterion layers (e.g., responsible governance and employee responsibility) and 56 index layers. 25 listed companies in China’s pharmaceutical distribution industry are chosen as research objects, and this study also establishes an evaluation model for the CSR of pharmaceutical distribution companies through the improved Criteria Importance Though Intercrieria Correlation (CRITIC) method combined with The Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) method. The empirical analysis reveals that the responsible governance criterion layer and the social development criterion layer demonstrate the best performance, while the supplier, customer and patient responsibility criterion layer exhibit the worst performance.

Corporate Social Responsibility Perception and Happiness of Employees:Evidence From Disney Resort in China

In recent years,many scholars have discussed good corporate culture,such as corporate social responsibility.The study investigates the relationship between employee perceptions of corporate social responsibility(CSR)and happiness in China’s resort industry.Four types of corporate social responsibilities are economic,legal,ethical,and discretionary.The study is an empirical study conducted to survey full-time workers who are working in Disney Resort,China.257 effective samples have been collected.The result implicated that the Disney Resort employees’corporate social responsibility perception positively affects happiness.Economic,legal,ethical,and discretionary responsibility all positively affect happiness.

Research on the Relationship Between Human Resource Management and Corporate Environmental Responsibility

The significance of human resource management in enterprise management is steadily growing,especially as businesses today are expected to shoulder their share of social responsibility.Among these responsibilities,corporate environmental responsibility assumes a pivotal role.This paper aims to investigate the interplay between human resource management practices and corporate environmental responsibility.The study employs various factors of human resource management practices as independent variables,using the current environmental status quo and environmental innovation capacity as intermediary variables,and adopts multiple regression analysis to scrutinize the influencing factors of corporate environmental responsibility.The findings underscore that when the working environment is favorable,enterprise human resource management practices can effectively enhance corporate environmental responsibility.Furthermore,when supported by environmentally responsible behavior,these human resources practices exhibit a positive influence on a company’s environmental responsibility.Consequently,this study provides practical recommendations for enhancing corporate environmental responsibility.

Immune regulation of the gut-brain axis and lung-brain axis involved in ischemic stroke

Local ischemia often causes a series of inflammatory reactions when both brain immune cells and the peripheral immune response are activated.In the human body,the gut and lung are regarded as the key reactional targets that are initiated by brain ischemic attacks.Mucosal microorganisms play an important role in immune regulation and metabolism and affect blood-brain barrier permeability.In addition to the relationship between peripheral organs and central areas and the intestine and lung also interact among each other.Here,we review the molecular and cellular immune mechanisms involved in the pathways of inflammation across the gut-brain axis and lung-brain axis.We found that abnormal intestinal flora,the intestinal microenvironment,lung infection,chronic diseases,and mechanical ventilation can worsen the outcome of ischemic stroke.This review also introduces the influence of the brain on the gut and lungs after stroke,highlighting the bidirectional feedback effect among the gut,lungs,and brain.

Phase composition,conductivity,and sensor properties of cerium-doped indium oxide

The hydrothermal synthesis of In_(2)O_(3)and CeO_(2)–In_(2)O_(3)is investigated as well as the properties of sensor layers based on these compounds.During the synthesis of In_(2)O_(3),intermediate products In(OH)_(3)and InOOH are formed,which are the precursors of stable cubic(c-In_(2)O_(3))and metastable rhombohedral(rh-In_(2)O_(3))phases,respectively.A transition from c-In_(2)O_(3)to rh-In_(2)O_(3)is observed with the addition of CeO_(2).The introduction of cerium into rh-In_(2)O_(3)results in a decrease in the sensor response to hydrogen,while it increases in composites based on c-In_(2)O_(3).The data on the sensor activity of the composites correlate with XPS results in which CeO_(2)causes a decrease in the concentrations of chemisorbed oxygen and oxygen vacancies in rh-In_(2)O_(3).The reverse situation is observed in composites based on c-In_(2)O_(3).Compared to In_(2)O_(3)and CeO_(2)–In_(2)O_(3)obtained by other methods,the synthesized composites demonstrate maximum response to H_(2)at low temperatures by 70–100℃,and have short response time(0.2–0.5 s),short recovery time(6–7 s),and long-term stability.A model is proposed for the dependence of sensitivity on the direction of electron transfer between In_(2)O_(3)and CeO_(2).

Immune consequences of exercise in hypoxia:A narrative review

Immune outcomes are key mediators of many health benefits of exercise and are determined by exercise type,dose(frequency/duration,intensity),and individual characteristics.Similarly,reduced availability of ambient oxygen(hypoxia)modulates immune functions depending on the hypoxic dose and the individual capacity to respond to hypoxia.How combined exercise and hypoxia(e.g.,high-altitude training)sculpts immune responses is not well understood,although such combinations are becoming increasingly popular.Therefore,in this paper,we summarize the impact on immune responses of exercise and of hypoxia,both independently and together,with a focus on specialized cells in the innate and adaptive immune system.We review the regulation of the immune system by tissue oxygen levels and the overlapping and distinct immune responses related to exercise and hypoxia,then we discuss how they may be modulated by nutritional strategies.Mitochondrial,antioxidant,and anti-inflammatory mechanisms underlie many of the adaptations that can lead to improved cellular metabolism,resilience,and overall immune functions by regulating the survival,differentiation,activation,and migration of immune cells.This review shows that exercise and hypoxia can impair or complement/synergize with each other while regulating immune system functions.Appropriate acclimatization,training,and nutritional strategies can be used to avoid risks and tap into the synergistic potentials of the poorly studied immune consequences of exercising in a hypoxic state.

Prediction of treatment response to antipsychotic drugs for precision medicine approach to schizophrenia:randomized trials and multiomics analysis

Background:Choosing the appropriate antipsychotic drug(APD)treatment for patients with schizophrenia(SCZ)can be challenging,as the treatment response to APD is highly variable and difficult to predict due to the lack of effective biomarkers.Previous studies have indicated the association between treatment response and genetic and epigenetic factors,but no effective biomarkers have been identified.Hence,further research is imperative to enhance precision medicine in SCZ treatment.Methods:Participants with SCZ were recruited from two randomized trials.The discovery cohort was recruited from the CAPOC trial(n=2307)involved 6 weeks of treatment and equally randomized the participants to the Olanzapine,Risperidone,Quetiapine,Aripiprazole,Ziprasidone,and Haloperidol/Perphenazine(subsequently equally assigned to one or the other)groups.The external validation cohort was recruited from the CAPEC trial(n=1379),which involved 8 weeks of treatment and equally randomized the participants to the Olanzapine,Risperidone,and Aripiprazole groups.Additionally,healthy controls(n=275)from the local community were utilized as a genetic/epigenetic reference.The genetic and epigenetic(DNA methylation)risks of SCZ were assessed using the polygenic risk score(PRS)and polymethylation score,respectively.The study also examined the genetic-epigenetic interactions with treatment response through differential methylation analysis,methylation quantitative trait loci,colocalization,and promoteranchored chromatin interaction.Machine learning was used to develop a prediction model for treatment response,which was evaluated for accuracy and clinical benefit using the area under curve(AUC)for classification,R^(2) for regression,and decision curve analysis.Results:Six risk genes for SCZ(LINC01795,DDHD2,SBNO1,KCNG2,SEMA7A,and RUFY1)involved in cortical morphology were identified as having a genetic-epigenetic interaction associated with treatment response.The developed and externally validated prediction model,which incorporated clinical information,PRS,genetic risk score(GRS),and proxy methylation level(proxyDNAm),demonstrated positive benefits for a wide range of patients receiving different APDs,regardless of sex[discovery cohort:AUC=0.874(95%CI 0.867-0.881),R^(2)=0.478;external validation cohort:AUC=0.851(95%CI 0.841-0.861),R^(2)=0.507].Conclusions:This study presents a promising precision medicine approach to evaluate treatment response,which has the potential to aid clinicians in making informed decisions about APD treatment for patients with SCZ.Trial registration Chinese Clinical Trial Registry(https://www.chictr.org.cn/),18 Aug 2009 retrospectively registered:CAPOC-ChiCTR-RNC-09000521(https://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx?proj=9014),CAPEC-ChiCTRRNC-09000522(https://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx?proj=9013).

LncRNA pol-lnc78 as a ceRNA regulates antibacterial responses via suppression of pol-miR-n199-3p-mediated SARM down-regulation in Paralichthys olivaceus

Long non-coding RNAs(lncRNAs)function as key modulators in mammalian immunity,particularly due to their involvement in lncRNA-mediated competitive endogenous RNA(ceRNA)crosstalk.Despite their recognized significance in mammals,research on lncRNAs in lower vertebrates remains limited.In the present study,we characterized the first immune-related lncRNA(pol-lnc78)in the teleost Japanese flounder(Paralichthys olivaceus).Results indicated that pol-lnc78 acted as a ceRNA for pol-miR-n199-3p to target the sterile alpha and armadillo motif-containing protein(SARM),the fifth discovered member of the Toll/interleukin 1(IL-1)receptor(TIR)adaptor family.This ceRNA network regulated the antibacterial responses of flounder via the Toll-like receptor(TLR)signaling pathway.Specifically,SARM acted as a negative regulator and exacerbated bacterial infection by inhibiting the expression of inflammatory cytokines IL-1βand tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α).Pol-miR-n199-3p reduced SARM expression by specifically interacting with the 3’untranslated region(UTR),thereby promoting SARM-dependent inflammatory cytokine expression and protecting the host against bacterial dissemination.Furthermore,pol-lnc78 sponged pol-miR-n199-3p to ameliorate the inhibition of SARM expression.During infection,the negative regulators pol-lnc78 and SARM were significantly down-regulated,while pol-miR-n199-3p was significantly up-regulated,thus favoring host antibacterial defense.These findings provide novel insights into the mechanisms underlying fish immunity and open new horizons to better understand ceRNA crosstalk in lower vertebrates.

Dynamic response of a thermal transistor to time-varying signals

Thermal transistor,the thermal analog of an electronic transistor,is one of the most important thermal devices for microscopic-scale heat manipulating.It is a three-terminal device,and the heat current flowing through two terminals can be largely controlled by the temperature of the third one.Dynamic response plays an important role in the application of electric devices and also thermal devices,which represents the devices’ability to treat fast varying inputs.In this paper,we systematically study two typical dynamic responses of a thermal transistor,i.e.,the response to a step-function input(a switching process)and the response to a square-wave input.The role of the length L of the control segment is carefully studied.It is revealed that when L is increased,the performance of the thermal transistor worsens badly.Both the relaxation time for the former process and the cutoff frequency for the latter one follow the power-law dependence on L quite well,which agrees with our analytical expectation.However,the detailed power exponents deviate from the expected values noticeably.This implies the violation of the conventional assumptions that we adopt.

The physiological role of the unfolded protein response in the nervous system

The unfolded protein response(UPR)is a cellular stress response pathway activated when the endoplasmic reticulum,a crucial organelle for protein folding and modification,encounters an accumulation of unfolded or misfolded proteins.The UPR aims to restore endoplasmic reticulum homeostasis by enhancing protein folding capacity,reducing protein biosynthesis,and promoting protein degradation.It also plays a pivotal role in coordinating signaling cascades to determine cell fate and function in response to endoplasmic reticulum stress.Recent research has highlighted the significance of the UPR not only in maintaining endoplasmic reticulum homeostasis but also in influencing various physiological processes in the nervous system.Here,we provide an overview of recent findings that underscore the UPR’s involvement in preserving the function and viability of neuronal and myelinating cells under physiological conditions,and highlight the critical role of the UPR in brain development,memory storage,retinal cone development,myelination,and maintenance of myelin thickness.

Microenvironmental effects on growth response of Pinus massoniana to climate at its northern boundary in the Tongbai Mountains,Central China

The Tongbai Mountains is an ecologically sensi-tive region and the northern boundary of Pinus massoniana Lamb.To analyze the effect of different microenvironments on tree growth response to climate factors,we developed standard chronologies for earlywood width(EWW),late-wood width(LWW),and total ring width(TRW)of P.massoniana at two sampling sites on slopes with different orientations,then analyzed characteristics of the chronolo-gies and their correlations with climate variables from five stations in the region and with a regional normalized differ-ence vegetation index(NDVI).Statistical results showed that the TRW/EWW/LWW chronology consistency and charac-teristics(mean sensitivity,signal to noise ratio,expressed population signal)for trees growing on the southeastern slope were much higher than for trees on the northeastern slope.Correlations indicated that temperature in current March and August has a significant positive effect on TRW/EWW/LWW formation,and the effect on the northeastern slope was weaker than on the southeastern slope.Compared to temperature,precipitation has more complicated effects on tree growth,but the effect on the northeastern slope was also generally weaker than on the southeastern slope.Step-wise linear regression analyses showed that temperature in August was the main limiting factor at the two sampling sites.Similarly,the response of tree growth on the southeast-ern slope as determined by the NDVI is better than on the northeastern slope,and the TRW/EWW/LWW chronologies for the southeastern slope explained over 50%of the total NDVI variances in June.Overall,the results indicate that the difference in the climate response of P.massoniana at two sampling sites is clearly caused by differences in the microenvironment,and such differences should be properly considered in future studies of forest dynamics and climate reconstructions.

Theoretical and experimental study of a bi-stable piezoelectric energy harvester under hybrid galloping and band-limited random excitations

In the practical environment,it is very common for the simultaneous occurrence of base excitation and crosswind.Scavenging the combined energy of vibration and wind with a single energy harvesting structure is fascinating.For this purpose,the effects of the wind speed and random excitation level are investigated with the stochastic averaging method(SAM)based on the energy envelope.The results of the analytical prediction are verified with the Monte-Carlo method(MCM).The numerical simulation shows that the introduction of wind can reduce the critical excitation level for triggering an inter-well jump and make a bi-stable energy harvester(BEH)realize the performance enhancement for a weak base excitation.However,as the strength of the wind increases to a particular level,the influence of the random base excitation on the dynamic responses is weakened,and the system exhibits a periodic galloping response.A comparison between a BEH and a linear energy harvester(LEH)indicates that the BEH demonstrates inferior performance for high-speed wind.Relevant experiments are conducted to investigate the validity of the theoretical prediction and numerical simulation.The experimental findings also show that strong random excitation is favorable for the BEH in the range of low wind speeds.However,as the speed of the incoming wind is up to a particular level,the disadvantage of the BEH becomes clear and evident.

Impact resistance performance and optimization of the sand-EPE composite cushion in rock sheds

Rock sheds are widely used to prevent rockfall disasters along roads in mountainous areas.To improve the capacity of rock sheds for resisting rockfall impact,a sand and expandable polyethylene(EPE)composite cushion was proposed.A series of model experiments of rockfall impact on rock sheds were conducted,and the buried depth of the EPE foam board in the sand layer was considered.The impact load and dynamic response of the rock shed were investigated.The results show that the maximum impact load and dynamic response of the rock shed roof are all significantly less than those of the sand cushion.Moreover,as the distance between the EPE foam board and rock shed roof decreases,the maximum rockfall impact force and impact pressure gradually decrease,and the maximum displacement,acceleration and strain of the rock shed first decrease and then change little.In addition,the vibration acceleration and vertical displacement of the rock shed roof decrease from the centre to the edge and decrease faster along the longitudinal direction than that along the transverse direction.In conclusion,the buffering effect of the sand-EPE composite cushion is better than that of the pure sand cushion,and the EPE foam board at a depth of 1/3 the thickness of the sand layer is appropriate.

Application of CFD and FEA Coupling to Predict Structural Dynamic Responses of A Trimaran in Uni-and Bi-Directional Waves

To predict the wave loads of a flexible trimaran in different wave fields,a one-way interaction numerical simulation method is proposed by integrating the fluid solver(Star-CCM+)and structural solver(Abaqus).Differing from the existing coupled CFD-FEA method for monohull ships in head waves,the presented method equates the mass and stiffness of the whole ship to the hull shell so that any transverse and longitudinal section stress of the hull in oblique waves can be obtained.Firstly,verification study and sensitivity analysis are carried out by comparing the trimaran motions using different mesh sizes and time step schemes.Discussion on the wave elevation of uni-and bi-directional waves is also carried out.Then a comprehensive analysis on the structural responses of the trimaran in different uni-directional regular wave and bi-directional cross sea conditions is carried out,respectively.Finally,the differences in structural response characteristics of trimaran in different wave fields are studied.The results show that the present method can reduce the computational burden of the two-way fluid-structure interaction simulations.