An empirical assessment of the use of an algorithm factory for video delivery operations.

Introduction: Video service providers are moving from focusing on Quality of Service (QoS) to Quality of Experience (QoE) in their video networks since the users' demand for high-quality video content is continually growing. By focusing on QoE, video service providers can provide their subscribers with a more personalized and engaging experience, which can help increase viewer satisfaction and retention. This focus shift requires not only a more sophisticated approach to network management and new tools and technologies to measure and optimize QoE in their networks but also a novel approach to video delivery operations. Methods: This paper describes the components, interactions, and relationships of an algorithm factory for video delivery operation that assures high QoE for video streaming services. The paper also showcases the results of gradually implementing an algorithm factory in the video industry. Using a dataset from 2016 to 2022, we present the case of a European PayTV service provider that achieved improved performance measured by both objective and subjective metrics. Results: The use of an algorithm factory significantly improved the PayTV service provider's performance. The study found a fivefold increase in the speed of critical incident resolution and a 59% reduction in the number of critical incidents, all while expanding the customer base and maintaining the same level of labor resources. The case also demonstrates a strong positive relation between the productivity measures of the PayTV operator and their survey-based quality ratings. These results underscore the importance of flawless QoS and operational excellence in delivering QoE to meet the evolving demands of viewers. Discussion: The paper adds to the existing literature on relationships between operational efficiency, innovation, and subjective quality. The paper further offers empirical evidence from the PayTV industry. The insights provided are expected to benefit both traditional and over-the-top (OTT) video service providers in their quest to stay ahead in the rapidly evolving video industry. It may also translate to other service providers in similar industries committed to supporting high-quality service delivery.

Spin crossover in {Fe(pyrazine)[M(CN)4]} (M = Ni, Pt) thin films assembled on fused silica substrates.

Thin films with thicknesses in the range between ca. 10-50 nm of the spin crossover (SCO) compound {Fe(pyrazine)[µ4-M(CN)4]} (M = Ni, Pt) have been deposited on fused silica substrates using a sequential assembly method and 4-pyridinecarboxylic acid as anchoring layer. Film morphology and crystallinity were assessed by means of atomic force microscopy and grazing incidence X-ray diffraction, respectively. The intensity of the π-π* transition of the pyrazine ligand at 270 nm, being rather insensitive to the spin state of the complex, was used to follow the film growth as a function of different deposition parameters. On the other hand, the spin state changes were inferred from the temperature dependence of absorption bands appearing at 540, 490 and 310 nm in the low spin state. In line with their amorphous nature, each film displays a very gradual thermal spin crossover between ca. 100-300 K, independently of its thickness and deposition conditions. These results are not only interesting to better understand the effects of size reduction and organization on the SCO phenomenon, but the deposition of these SCO compounds on electrically insulating and/or optically transparent oxide surfaces opens also the door for various photonic or electronic applications.

Effects of the surface energy and surface stress on the phase stability of spin crossover nano-objects: a thermodynamic approach.

Size-induced phase transformation at the nanoscale is a common phenomenon whose understanding is essential for potential applications. Here we investigate phase equilibria in thin films and nanoparticles of molecular spin crossover (SCO) materials. To calculate the size-temperature phase diagrams we have developed a new nano-thermodynamic core-shell model in which intermolecular interactions are described through the volume misfit between molecules of different spin states, while the contributions of surface energy and surface stress are explicitly included. Based on this model, we rationalize the emergence of previously-reported incomplete spin transitions and the shift of the transition temperature in finite size objects due to their large surface-to-volume ratio. The results reveal a competition between the elastic intermolecular interaction and the internal pressure induced by the surface stress. The predicted transition temperature of thin films of the SCO compound [Fe(pyrazine)][Ni(CN)4] follows a clear reciprocal relationship with respect to the film thickness and the transition behavior matches the available experimental data. Importantly, all input parameters of the present model are experimentally accessible physical quantities, thus providing a simple, yet powerful tool to analyze SCO properties in nano-scale objects.

Implementing the human right to science in the context of health-related data processing.

This paper contributes to the exploration of the potential application of duties related to the diligent anticipation of the (imminent) harms and (potential) benefits to humans that scientific innovation engenders to health-related contexts. In particular, it addresses the intersection between the human right to science and health-related data processing, which plays a key role in the production, translation and implementation of biomedical knowledge. The first part of the paper provides a brief recap of the interpretation of the right to science based on Art. 15 (1) (b) of the United Nations International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (hereafter ICESCR or Covenant) and the resulting obligations for States in the context of health and related data processing. The second part of the paper defines the relevance of the ICESCR for EU Member States and the European Union. In the third part, theses are put forward on how the human right to science and the obligations under Art. 15 (1) (b) ICESCR influence the interpretation and application of the General Data Protection Regulation as secondary EU law. By examining the justifications for using the right to science to interpret EU data protection law and by providing interpretation and application guidance on the main data protection principles in the area of health-related data processing, taking this right into account, the aim is to shape the EU data governance framework to meet the requirements of this human right. In doing so, the paper aims to close the gaps in the interpretation and application of the main rules of EU data protection law. Such standardization in the health-related context can contribute to a coherent interpretation and application of existing rules by referring to this emerging human right. Against this background, the paper identifies governance measures that the EU legislator could take to guide the processing of health-related data in line with the requirements of the right to science.

Purpose definition as a crucial step for determining the legal basis under the GDPR: implications for scientific research.

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) of the European Union, which became applicable in 2018, contains a new accountability principle. Under this principle, controllers (ie parties determining the purposes and the means of the processing of personal data) are responsible for ensuring and demonstrating the overall compliance with the GDPR. However, interpretive uncertainties of the GDPR mean that controllers must exercise considerable judgement in designing and implementing an appropriate compliance strategy, making GDPR compliance both complex and resource-intensive. In this article, we provide conceptual clarity around GDPR compliance with respect to one core aspect of the law: the determination and relevance of the purpose of personal data processing. We derive from the GDPR's text concrete requirements for purpose specification, which we subsequently apply to the area of secondary use of personal data for scientific research. We offer guidance for correctly specifying purposes of data processing under different research scenarios. To illustrate the practical necessity of purpose specification for GDPR compliance, we then show how our proposed approach can enable controllers to meet their compliance obligations, using the example of the overarching GDPR principle of lawfulness to highlight the relevance of purpose specification for the identification of a suitable legal basis.

Reconciling the biomedical data commons and the GDPR: three lessons from the EUCAN ELSI collaboratory.

The coming-into-force of the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a watershed moment in the legal recognition of enforceable rights to informational self-determination. The rapid evolution of legal requirements applicable to data use, however, has the potential to outstrip the capabilities of networks of biomedical data users to respond to the shifting norms. It can also delegitimate established institutional bodies that are responsible for assessing and authorising the downstream use of data, including research ethics committees and institutional data custodians. These burdens are especially pronounced for clinical and research networks that are of transnational scale, because the legal compliance burden for outbound international data transfers from the EEA is especially high. Legislatures, courts, and regulators in the EU should therefore implement the following three legal changes. First, the responsibilities of particular actors in a data sharing network should be delimited through the contractual allocation of responsibilities between collaborators. Second, the use of data through secure data processing environments should not trigger the international transfer provisions of the GDPR. Third, the use of federated data analysis methodologies that do not provide analysis nodes or downstream users access to identifiable personal data as part of the outputs of those analyses should not be considered circumstances of joint controllership, nor lead to the users of non-identifiable data to be considered controllers or processors. These small clarifications of, or modifications to, the GDPR would facilitate the exchange of biomedical data amongst clinicians and researchers.

Morphoelectric and transcriptomic divergence of the layer 1 interneuron repertoire in human versus mouse neocortex.

Neocortical layer 1 (L1) is a site of convergence between pyramidal-neuron dendrites and feedback axons where local inhibitory signaling can profoundly shape cortical processing. Evolutionary expansion of human neocortex is marked by distinctive pyramidal neurons with extensive L1 branching, but whether L1 interneurons are similarly diverse is underexplored. Using Patch-seq recordings from human neurosurgical tissue, we identified four transcriptomic subclasses with mouse L1 homologs, along with distinct subtypes and types unmatched in mouse L1. Subclass and subtype comparisons showed stronger transcriptomic differences in human L1 and were correlated with strong morphoelectric variability along dimensions distinct from mouse L1 variability. Accompanied by greater layer thickness and other cytoarchitecture changes, these findings suggest that L1 has diverged in evolution, reflecting the demands of regulating the expanded human neocortical circuit.

Signature morphoelectric properties of diverse GABAergic interneurons in the human neocortex.

Human cortex transcriptomic studies have revealed a hierarchical organization of γ-aminobutyric acid-producing (GABAergic) neurons from subclasses to a high diversity of more granular types. Rapid GABAergic neuron viral genetic labeling plus Patch-seq (patch-clamp electrophysiology plus single-cell RNA sequencing) sampling in human brain slices was used to reliably target and analyze GABAergic neuron subclasses and individual transcriptomic types. This characterization elucidated transitions between PVALB and SST subclasses, revealed morphological heterogeneity within an abundant transcriptomic type, identified multiple spatially distinct types of the primate-specialized double bouquet cells (DBCs), and shed light on cellular differences between homologous mouse and human neocortical GABAergic neuron types. These results highlight the importance of multimodal phenotypic characterization for refinement of emerging transcriptomic cell type taxonomies and for understanding conserved and specialized cellular properties of human brain cell types.

FAIR, ethical, and coordinated data sharing for COVID-19 response: a scoping review and cross-sectional survey of COVID-19 data sharing platforms and registries.

Data sharing is central to the rapid translation of research into advances in clinical medicine and public health practice. In the context of COVID-19, there has been a rush to share data marked by an explosion of population-specific and discipline-specific resources for collecting, curating, and disseminating participant-level data. We conducted a scoping review and cross-sectional survey to identify and describe COVID-19-related platforms and registries that harmonise and share participant-level clinical, omics (eg, genomic and metabolomic data), imaging data, and metadata. We assess how these initiatives map to the best practices for the ethical and equitable management of data and the findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable (FAIR) principles for data resources. We review gaps and redundancies in COVID-19 data-sharing efforts and provide recommendations to build on existing synergies that align with frameworks for effective and equitable data reuse. We identified 44 COVID-19-related registries and 20 platforms from the scoping review. Data-sharing resources were concentrated in high-income countries and siloed by comorbidity, body system, and data type. Resources for harmonising and sharing clinical data were less likely to implement FAIR principles than those sharing omics or imaging data. Our findings are that more data sharing does not equate to better data sharing, and the semantic and technical interoperability of platforms and registries harmonising and sharing COVID-19-related participant-level data needs to improve to facilitate the global collaboration required to address the COVID-19 crisis.

Three-Year Follow-Up after Intrauterine mTOR Inhibitor Administration for Fetus with TSC-Associated Rhabdomyoma.

Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is a multisystem disorder characterized by seizures, neuropsychiatric disorders, and tumors of the heart, brain, skin, lungs, and kidneys. We present a three-year follow-up of a patient with TSC-associated rhabdomyoma detected in utero. Genetic examination of the fetus and the parents revealed a de novo variant in the TSC2 gene (c.3037delG, p.Asp1013IlefsTer3). Oral everolimus was initiated in the pregnant mother to regress the fetal tumor, which was successful. To the best of our knowledge, there is very little information regarding the use of everolimus therapy during pregnancy. West-syndrome was diagnosed when the proband was four months old. The symptoms were well-manageable, however temporarily. Therapy-resistant focal seizures were frequent. The patient had good vitals and was under regular cardiological control, showed a balanced circulation, and did not require any medication. Subependymal giant cell astrocytoma (SEGA) identified by regular neuroimaging examinations remained unchanged, which may be a consequence of early intrauterine treatment. Early detection of the pathogenic TSC2 variant, followed by in utero administration of everolimus and early vigabatrin therapy, allowed the detection of a milder developmental delay of the proband. Our study emphasizes how early genetic testing and management of epilepsy are pivotal for proper neurodevelopmental impacts and therapeutic strategies.

Synthesis and characterization of highly diluted polyanionic iron(II) spin crossover systems.

Spin crossover (SCO) complexes, through their reversible spin transition under external stimuli, can work as switchable memory materials. Here, we present a protocol for the synthesis and characterization of a specific polyanionic iron SCO complex and its diluted systems. We describe steps for its synthesis and the determination of crystallographic structure of the SCO complex in diluted systems. We then detail a range of spectroscopic and magnetic techniques employed to monitor the spin state of the SCO complex in both diluted solid- and liquid-state systems. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Galán-Mascaros et al.1.

Implementation of precision medicine in healthcare-A European perspective.

The technical development of high-throughput sequencing technologies and the parallel development of targeted therapies in the last decade have enabled a transition from traditional medicine to personalized treatment and care. In this way, by using comprehensive genomic testing, more effective treatments with fewer side effects are provided to each patient-that is, precision or personalized medicine (PM). In several European countries-such as in England, France, Denmark, and Spain-the governments have adopted national strategies and taken "top-down" decisions to invest in national infrastructure for PM. In other countries-such as Sweden, Germany, and Italy with regionally organized healthcare systems-the profession has instead taken "bottom-up" initiatives to build competence networks and infrastructure to enable equal access to PM. In this review, we summarize key learnings at the European level on the implementation process to establish sustainable governance and organization for PM at the regional, national, and EU/international levels. We also discuss critical ethical and legal aspects of implementing PM, and the importance of access to real-world data and performing clinical trials for evidence generation, as well as the need for improved reimbursement models, increased cross-disciplinary education and patient involvement. In summary, PM represents a paradigm shift, and modernization of healthcare and all relevant stakeholders-that is, healthcare, academia, policymakers, industry, and patients-must be involved in this system transformation to create a sustainable, non-siloed ecosystem for precision healthcare that benefits our patients and society at large.

Reversible Switching of Strong Light-Matter Coupling Using Spin-Crossover Molecular Materials.

The formation of hybrid light-matter states through the resonant interaction of confined electromagnetic fields with matter excitations has emerged as a fascinating tool for controlling quantum-mechanical states and then manipulating the functionalities and chemical reactivity landscape of molecular materials. Here we report the first observation of switchable strong light-matter coupling involving bistable spin-crossover molecules. Spectroscopic measurements, supported by transfer-matrix and coupled-oscillator simulations, reveal Rabi splitting values of up to 550 meV, which at 15% of the molecular excitation energy enter the regime of ultrastrong coupling. We find that the thermally induced switching of molecules between their low-spin and high-spin states allows fine control of the light-matter hybridization strength, offering the appealing possibility of reversible switching between the ultrastrong- and weak-coupling regimes within a single photonic structure. Through this work, we show that spin-crossover molecular compounds constitute a promising class of active nanomaterials in the burgeoning context of tunable polaritonic devices and polaritonic chemistry.

Minding Rights: Mapping Ethical and Legal Foundations of 'Neurorights'.

The rise of neurotechnologies, especially in combination with artificial intelligence (AI)-based methods for brain data analytics, has given rise to concerns around the protection of mental privacy, mental integrity and cognitive liberty - often framed as "neurorights" in ethical, legal, and policy discussions. Several states are now looking at including neurorights into their constitutional legal frameworks, and international institutions and organizations, such as UNESCO and the Council of Europe, are taking an active interest in developing international policy and governance guidelines on this issue. However, in many discussions of neurorights the philosophical assumptions, ethical frames of reference and legal interpretation are either not made explicit or conflict with each other. The aim of this multidisciplinary work is to provide conceptual, ethical, and legal foundations that allow for facilitating a common minimalist conceptual understanding of mental privacy, mental integrity, and cognitive liberty to facilitate scholarly, legal, and policy discussions.

[Protecting the rights and freedoms of individuals with regard to health data processing: the risk approach of the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)]. / Schutz der Rechte und Freiheiten von Personen bei der Datenverarbeitung im Gesundheitsbereich: Der Risikoansatz der EU-Datenschutz-Grundverordnung (DGSVO).

Merging sensitive data and tracing their analysis results back to the data subjects is an essential part of data processing in the health sector. This challenges the protection of the data and thus its very purpose, the protection of the data subjects, since the scientific and health findings are often based on certain characteristics in the datasets, which should be preserved in their property as personal in order to make the results of the data analysis fruitful. The EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) establishes a risk-based approach that determines both the identifiability of data and the proportionality of their processing.This paper analyses how the risk-based approach opens the scope of the GDPR and relates it to the risks for the rights and freedoms of data subjects posed by the processing of personal data. Furthermore, the question is explored to what extent the risk-based approach of the GDPR influences the rules for international data transfer and how international data processing in the health sector is currently organised on its basis.Overall, the present analysis sheds light on how the technical measures of data processing and the organisational measures for handling them can contribute to maintaining the proportionality of data processing under the GDPR, which can essentially be determined on a risk-based basis, while at the same time taking into account the specificity of data processing in the health sector.

Revisiting the role of HR in the age of AI: bringing humans and machines closer together in the workplace.

The functions of human resource management (HRM) have changed radically in the past 20 years due to market and technological forces, becoming more cross-functional and data-driven. In the age of AI, the role of HRM professionals in organizations continues to evolve. Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming many HRM functions and practices throughout organizations creating system and process efficiencies, performing advanced data analysis, and contributing to the value creation process of the organization. A growing body of evidence highlights the benefits AI brings to the field of HRM. Despite the increased interest in AI-HRM scholarship, focus on human-AI interaction at work and AI-based technologies for HRM is limited and fragmented. Moreover, the lack of human considerations in HRM tech design and deployment can hamper AI digital transformation efforts. This paper provides a contemporary and forward-looking perspective to the strategic and human-centric role HRM plays within organizations as AI becomes more integrated in the workplace. Spanning three distinct phases of AI-HRM integration (technocratic, integrated, and fully-embedded), it examines the technical, human, and ethical challenges at each phase and provides suggestions on how to overcome them using a human-centric approach. Our paper highlights the importance of the evolving role of HRM in the AI-driven organization and provides a roadmap on how to bring humans and machines closer together in the workplace.

High-Sensitivity Microthermometry Method Based on Vacuum-Deposited Thin Films Exhibiting Gradual Spin Crossover above Room Temperature.

We report on the fabrication, characterization, and microthermometry application of high-quality, nanometric thin films, with thicknesses in the range 20-200 nm, of the molecular spin-crossover complex [Fe(HB(1,2,3-triazol-1-yl)3)2]. The films were obtained by vacuum thermal evaporation and characterized by X-ray diffraction, UV spectrophotometry, and atomic force microscopy. The as-deposited films are dense and crystalline with a preferred [011] orientation of the monoclinic crystal lattice normal to the substrate surface. The films exhibit a gradual spin conversion centered at ca. 374 K spanning the 273-473 K temperature range, irrespective of their thickness. When deposited on a microelectronic device, these films can be used to enhance the UV-light thermoreflectance coefficient of reflective surfaces by more than an order of magnitude, allowing for high-sensitivity thermoreflectance thermal imaging.

Bridging the European Data Sharing Divide in Genomic Science.

In this viewpoint, we argue for the importance of creating data spaces for genomic research that are detached from contexts in which fundamental rights concerns related to surveillance measures override a purpose-specific balancing of fundamental rights. Genomic research relies on molecular and phenotypic data, on comparing findings within large data sets, on searchable metadata, and on translating research results into a clinical setting. These methods require sensitive genetic and health data to be shared across borders. International data sharing between the European Union (EU) or the European Economic Area and third countries has accordingly become a cornerstone of genomics. The EU General Data Protection Regulation contains rules that accord privileged status to data processing for research purposes to ensure that strict data protection requirements do not impede biomedical research. However, the General Data Protection Regulation rules applicable to international transfers of data accord no such preferential treatment to international data transfers made in the research context. The rules that govern the international transfer of data create considerable barriers to international data sharing because of the cost-intensive procedural and substantive compliance burdens that they impose. For certain jurisdictions and select use cases, there exist practically no lawful mechanisms to enable the international transfer of data because of concerns about the protection of fundamental rights. The proposed solutions further fail to address the need to share large data sets of local and regional cohorts across national borders to enable joint analyses. The European Health Data Space is an emerging federated, EU-wide data infrastructure that is intended to function as an infrastructure bringing together EU health data to improve patient care and enable the secondary use of health-related data for research purposes. Such infrastructure is implementing new institutions to support its functioning and is being implemented in reliance on a new enabling law, the regulation on the European Health Data Space. This innovation provides the opportunity to facilitate EU contribution to international genomic research efforts. The draft regulation for this data space provides for a concept of data infrastructure intended to enable cross-border data exchange and access, including access to genetic and health data for scientific analysis purposes. The draft regulation also provides for obligations of national actors aimed at making data widely available. This effort is laudable. However, in the absence of further, more fundamental changes to the manner in which the EU regulates the secondary use of health data, it is reasonable to believe that EU participation in international genomic research efforts will remain impeded.

Pressure Tuning of Coupled Structural and Spin State Transitions in the Molecular Complex [Fe(H2B(pz)2)2(phen)].

The large volume change, which accompanies the molecular spin crossover (SCO) phenomenon in some transition metal complexes, prompts frequently the coupling of the SCO with other instabilities. Understanding the driving mechanism(s) of such coupled phase transitions is not only important for fundamental reasons but also provides scope for the development of multifunctional materials. The general theoretical expectation is that the coupling has elastic origin, and the sequence of transitions can be tuned by an externally applied pressure, but dedicated experiments remain scarce. Here, we used high-pressure and low-temperature single-crystal X-ray diffraction to investigate the high-spin (HS) to low-spin (LS) transitions in the molecular complexes [FeII(H2B(pz)2)2(bipy)] and [FeII(H2B(pz)2)2(phen)]. In the bipyridine complex, the SCO is continuous and isostructural over the whole T, P-range (100-300 K, 0-2 GPa). In the phenanthroline derivative, however, the SCO is concomitant with a symmetry-breaking transition (C2/c to P1̅). Structural analysis reveals that the coupling between the two phenomena can be tuned by external pressure from a virtually simultaneous HSC2/c-LSP1̅ transition to the sequence of HSC2/c-LSC2/c-LSP1̅ transitions. The correlation of spontaneous strain and order parameter behaviors highlights that the "separated" transitions remain still connected via strain coupling, whereas the "simultaneous" transitions are partially split.